Big Country Notes for December 4, 2006

PARTON HONORED AT WHITE HOUSE FOR KENNEDY CENTER DISTINCTION

Dolly Parton was honored yesterday at a White House reception as one of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honorees. Parton attended the event with fellow honorees movie director Stephen Spielberg, soul man Smokey Robinson, Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and conductor Zubin Mehta. Cbc.ca reports that Dolly declared, quote, “This is like hillbillies in the city.” The men and women were being honored by the Kennedy Center for their contribution to American culture and a lifetime of achievement in the performing arts. The honorees later attended a concert at the Kennedy Center where they were saluted by their peers in song and speeches. CBS will broadcast the concert on December 26th. Among those attenuating the festivities were Shania Twain, Vince Gill, Kenny Rogers and other celebrities from the world of music, stage and screen.

SARA EVANS MAKES IT TO FRIDAY NIGHT SHOW DESPITE WEATHER

For a moment it looked like Jerry Springer was going to be filling in for Sara Evans instead of being her special guest last Friday night. Evans and her crew were delayed by the snowstorm that swept across the Midwest Friday and found themselves in a line of traffic just outside of Chicago three hours prior to showtime. To make matters worse, a semi-truck had jackknifed ahead of them. Evans says, quote, “I was trapped on a bus for 12 hours but I hate to cancel shows. I told my crew I was about doing whatever it took to make the show happen.” While they were waiting for traffic to start moving again, Sara and her three children and their puppy got out of the bus to play in the snow. They befriended an elderly couple from Ontario, Canada, offering them water, coffee and snacks from the bus while they waited. After eight hours, traffic started moving and Sara arrived in Merrillville’s Star Plaza Theatre in time to go on stage around 10 p.m. Both Springer and Evans breathed a sigh of relief when the bus made it through the storm. Evans returned to Nashville in time to perform the National Anthem at the Tennessee Titan’s game yesterday.

GARY ALLAN SAYS WRITING IS EASIER NOW

Master songwriter Harland Howard once told Gary Allan he was so young he couldn’t possibly have anything to say in a song. Today Gary is a few years older and has a lot more life experiences behind him so, quote. “Now I feel like I have so much to say.” Allan admits when he first started writing songs it was hard to write about his own life and easier to write about someone else’s joy and heartache. He says, quote, “I’ve been through a lot more of life’s experience and I feel like now I can do it so much easier now.” Allan also says when he looks back he can see how he and his music has changed over the years. He explains, quote, “For a long time I refused to believe I was changing but you can’t help but improve because everybody’s tugging at you to go so many ways.” He adds, quote, “I think each of my albums reflects what I was going through or wherever my mind was at the time.”

MONTGOMERY GENTRY CALL PERFORMING FOR MILITARY UNBELIEVABLE

Montgomery Gentry may be winding down their fall tour but they’re already talking about another series of concerts they’d like to do. The duo’s Troy Gentry and Eddie Montgomery say they have been discussing when they might be able to get back out to perform for the men and women in the military. Troy says, quote, “Eddie and I are trying to see what would work for the best not only for the troops but for our schedule as well.” The singer says it’s hard to explain what it’s like when they are performing for the troops. Gentry says, quote, “It’s humbling and at the same time it hits you right in the heart you know.” Troy says when he was a kid it seemed that soldiers were older men and women but today, quote, ”You don’t realize how young our soldiers are today and they’re putting their lives out on the line to try to free Iraq and give them the same freedom that we have over here and at the same time protect us from the terrorist threats. It kind of humbles you and makes you think about all the freedom that you.”

WRECKERS SAY COUNTRY MUSIC A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE

The Wrecker’s Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp are thrilled with the reception they’ve received from country fans and the industry. Michelle says, quote, “Everyone understood where we were coming from and have just been so supportive. I think the biggest difference that I’ve noticed is…everyone is just so genuine and they’re really music lovers.” Jessica says it was also refreshing to see that there is a community among the artists who work within country music. The duo has been chosen by “MSN Music Magazine” as one of nine artists to watch for 2007.

LINDSEY HAUN BUSY WITH APPEARANCES DURING DECEMBER

Lindsey Haun is set to make her debut at the Grand Ole Opry Saturday at the Ryman Auditorium. She’ll be accompanied by Randy Scruggs, son of Country Music Hall of Famer and legendary banjo player Earl Scruggs. Randy produced Lindsey’s single “Broken” from the soundtrack of the Toby Keith movie “Broken Bridges.” In the coming weeks Haun will be on several CMT shows including “Top 20 Countdown” and a special pet-theme edition of “CMT Insider.” The singer is winding down her year, having just completed performing with Keith on the first leg of his “Hookin’ Up & Hangin' Out” tour. Lindsey is co-writing tunes with a number of songwriters, preparing to begin recording her debut album for Keith’s Show Dog Nashville Records.

QUICK BITES

Gretchen Wilson performs Sunday as part of the annual “Christmas in Washington” celebration in the nation’s capital. The event will broadcast as a TNT concert special on December 13th.

Keith Anderson will celebrate his album “Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll” going Gold at a party in Nashville on Wednesday.

Darryl Worley, Keni Thomas and Mark Wills are scheduled to leave soon on a USO tour to the Persian Gulf region. During the tour, Worley and other celebrities will perform, visit with troops and sign autographs at a number of locations in the region.

Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard, Martina McBride, Brooks & Dunn and Wynonna helped raise more than 75-thousand dollars for Music4TNKids. These artists and others signed guitar tops painted by area artists and auctioned to help raise money for the organization, which helps keep music and the arts in the schools.

Rodney Atkins kicks off December with a trip to Charlotte, N.C. Thursday to tape a performance on the second-annual Southern Sports Awards, which will air nationally on Saturday.

PENGUINS PERSIST IN BOX OFFICE

James Bond has to settle for second place again behind a swarm of dancing penguins. The latest box office numbers are out, and "Happy Feet" is still two-stepping at the top of the charts. The film took in an estimated 17-million-dollars this weekend. "Casino Royale" held on to second place with just over 15-million-dollars. Denzel Washington's "Deja Vu" has the funny feeling it has been in third place before with a take of eleven-million-dollars. "The Nativity Story" debuted in fourth place with eight-million-dollars in tickets sold, and "Deck the Halls" rounds out the top five with a take of almost seven-million-dollars this weekend. (Metro Source)
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. (final figures will be released today):
1. "Happy Feet," $17 million.
2. "Casino Royale," $15.1 million.
3. "Deja Vu," $11 million.
4. "The Nativity Story," $8 million.
5. "Deck the Halls," $6.6 million.
6. "The Santa Clause 3: The Escaped Clause," $5 million.
7. "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," $4.8 million.
8. "Turistas," $3.5 million.
9. “Stranger Than Fiction,” $3.4 million.
10. "National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj," $2.3 million.