Miley Cyrus
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Fans aren't alone in their hope that Miley Cyrus will one day come back to Twitter to share with the world her thoughts on John Mayer songs, Robert Pattinson and friendship. Billy Ray Cyrus has taken to Twitter to try to convince his superstar daughter to get back on the horse and start micro-blogging again.

"Miley. You are a light in a world of darkness. You were born 'Destiny Hope Cyrus' for a reason. You can't leave everyone now. We r countin on u," he tweeted late Thursday, after Miley had removed her account on Wednesday.

It is widely believed that Miley quit Twitter after her "The Last Song" co-star and rumored boyfriend, Liam Hemsworth, asked her to. "FYI Liam doesn't have a twttr & he wants ME 2 delete mine w/ gd reason," she tweeted before deleting her account.

As of press time, "#mileycomeback" was still trending on Twitter, as fans tried to convince Miley, who had about 2 million followers and frequently tweeted with pals like Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez and Speidi, to tweet again. Billy Ray later wrote, "I understand 'it is true one bad apple spoils the bunch.' But listen to the words of your songs 'Stand ... for what ya believe in' ... Remember?"

Coincidentally, on the first day of Miley's silence, the site was plagued by a bug that caused many Twitter timelines to be delayed. But the rest of the Cyrus family did their part to keep the site going, as Metro Station singer/guitarist Trace Cyrus tweeted, "Damn what's with twitter acting all crazy?"

There's been no official word from Miley or her camp about her reason for leaving the site.

• Miley Cyrus Brings Wonder World Tour To L.A.

• Miley Cyrus
• Billy Ray Cyrus

Miley & Billy Ray Cyrus
Photo: Tony R. Phipps/WireImage

After Jamie Foxx apologized to Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus is addressing the comments Foxx made last weekend about his teen daughter.

"It was hurtful," Billy Ray said on Thursday's "Bonnie Hunt Show," according to Us Weekly. "There wasn't nothing funny about it. And, quite frankly, I think if I said those things about his daughter, he might not find it so comedic."

On his satellite-radio show Sunday, Foxx told the 16-year-old Disney star to "grow up," make a sex tape and do drugs. The comments were in response to a radio interview Cyrus did, in which she vowed to "ruin" Radiohead after they refused to meet with her.

Foxx has a 14-year-old daughter and addressed how upset he would be if someone had said what he said about her when he stopped by "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Tuesday. "I so apologize to [Cyrus], and this is sincere," Foxx said. "I am a comedian, and you guys know that whatever I say, I don't mean any of it. And sometimes, as comedians, as we do, we go a little bit too far."

He added: "There was a situation with Miley Cyrus, and I just want to say, I apologize for what I said. I didn't mean it maliciously. You know I'm a comedian. You know my heart. Miley, I apologize, so I'll call you. I got a daughter too, so I completely understand."

Earlier this week, a source told E! News that Billy Ray wasn't pleased to hear what Foxx had said about his daughter. "He thinks Jamie was out of line and didn't find any humor in it," the source said, pointing out that Miley had even met Foxx at the "Kids' Inaugural Concert" in January. "He doesn't understand why he would do that to Miley, especially since he has a teenage daughter himself."

• Jamie Foxx
• Miley Cyrus
• Billy Ray Cyrus

President-elect Barack Obama with his daughters, Sasha and Malia, and wife Michelle
Photo: Joe Raedle/ Getty Images

Not so fast. Malia Obama, 10, and Sasha Obama, 7, may be in the public eye in a major way thanks to their dad's new gig as president-elect, but that doesn't mean the first daughters are suddenly going Hollywood.

According to an interview given by Billy Ray Cyrus on Monday, the young Obama girls — who have been carefully sheltered from the glare of the media spotlight by President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle — were invited to appear on his daughter Miley Cyrus' popular Disney show, "Hannah Montana." But, in addition to Miley's lack of knowledge about said cameo, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, the communications director for Michelle Obama, told MTV News on Tuesday (November 11) that "we have received no such inquiry for the girls."

The response came a day after Billy Ray told "Access Hollywood" that the Obama siblings might appear on the show in the spring. "They probably will. The invitation is there," Cyrus told the celebrity TV show. "The 'Hannah Montana' film comes out in April. Maybe something might happen around then." Cyrus would not elaborate on what kind of role the Obama girls would play, saying, "I can't, I can't. I have got to keep a secret."

Disney released a statement in response to the confusion on Tuesday, saying, "We're pleased that Malia and Sasha are fans and, as long as their parents say it's OK, they are invited to the set of 'Hannah Montana' and all Disney Channel shows, for a guest role or a visit, anytime."

Like the Obama camp, Miley herself seemed unaware of the possible ratings stunt, telling "Access," "I think that would be really cool and if anything, [we would] have them visit the set. They could see what we do, and we could hear about what they do."

A spokesperson for Cyrus had not returned calls for comment at press time.

• mtvU Captures Worldwide Reactions To Obama's Win

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Billy Ray Cyrus
Photo: Sony/Monument

Billy Ray Cyrus appears barechested and tattooed in the David Lynch movie "Mulholland Drive," which opens Friday at selected theaters nationwide. The movie, which was originally written as a television pilot for ABC, won the Best Director award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. ...

Martina McBride will perform a concert on Pay-Per-View on Saturday. Joining her on the "Greatest Hits: Live in Concert" show from the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis will be special guest Tim McGraw. ...

Vince Gill will take part in "The Motor City Revue" at Universal Studios in Los Angeles on Thursday. He'll join Shelby Lynne, Amy Grant, Smokey Robinson and others in the tribute to Motown at the City of Hope Spirit of Life dinner. ...

Tim McGraw and Charlie Daniels are the latest additions to the lineup for the Country Freedom Concert. They'll join George Strait, Alan Jackson, Lee Ann Womack, Lonestar, Vince Gill, Sara Evans, George Jones, Brooks & Dunn, Clint Black and Martina McBride in the October 21 show at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center. The concert will benefit the Salvation Army. ...

Jeff Carson has been named national spokesperson for NASO, the National Association of Slain Officers, a non-profit organization created in 1998 to provide support and encouragement for the immediate family members of slain police officers. Carson will record a series of radio PSAs for national distribution and will perform at a November 17 fund raiser for NASO in Portland, Oregon. ...

A concert by Tracy Byrd and Mark Chesnutt on Wednesday (October 10) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will benefit the New York Firefighters 9-11 and WTC Police Disaster Relief Funds. ...

Doug Supernaw, known for his #1 country hit "I Don't Call Him Daddy," is behind bars in Houston for failing to pay $135,000 in overdue child support and for contempt of court, according to reports from a Houston media outlet. His official Web site, dougsupernaw.com, acknowledges the situation: "Doug was arrested on Oct. 4 for not paying back child support. After he has served 10 days for contempt he will go back to the judge. As it looks now, all shows appear to be on hold." Supernaw, 41, was held in contempt of court after allegedly lashing out at a Harris County court judge when she handed him a six-month jail sentence, Houston television station KPRC reports. ...

Lee Ann Womack and other country artists have been added to the upcoming Country Freedom Concert lineup. Clint Black, Vince Gill, Sara Evans, George Jones and Lonestar have been added to a bill that already includes George Strait, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn and Martina McBride. The concert to benefit the Salvation Army will be televised live from Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center on October 21. ...

Billy Gilman met Elisabeth Wagner, the 21-year-old woman who inspired "Elisabeth," on Saturday at the State Fair of Texas. Wagner has struggled with neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes small growths on her nerves, since she was 2 years old. Her positive attitude led her aunt and a friend to write the song, which Gilman recorded. … Garth Brooks' press conference to announce the release of his single "Wrapped Up in You" and a forthcoming album will take place Tuesday (October 9) at Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame at 7:45 a.m. The public is invited to attend. …

Alan Jackson's induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, which was postponed due to the events of September 11, has been rescheduled for October 22 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. ...

Hal Ketchum, Kacey Jones and Billy Hoffman will join a number of pop and rock artists in Los Angeles for an unplugged benefit performance and auction to raise money for the American Red Cross. The Acoustic Americans Benefit will take place Tuesday (October 9) at the Renberg Theatre. ...

Chely Wright will make her movie debut in "Max Keeble's Big Move." She plays a homeroom teacher. ...

A previously unreleased single from the late rockabilly legend Carl Perkins should soon be available for download and for sale to benefit New York firefighters. Perkins recorded the spoken-word tribute "The Fireman" during his final 1998 recording sessions. His producer, Bob Johnston, who wrote the song, plans to make it available on a Web site and to release it as a single. It is scheduled to be included on Celebration, a Perkins CD set for January release. Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Tom Petty also appear on the album. ... Jo Dee Messina launches her fall tour Thursday (October 4) with a show in Salem, Virgina. She'll play 21 dates, winding up December 15 in Champaign, Illinois. ...

Lee Ann Womack has set dates for her Christmas tour with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, featuring Mercer Ellington. The tour will launch on November 29 in Sewell, New Jersey, and play 18 dates, finishing in Maryville, Tennessee, on December 22. ...

Brad Paisley has co-authored a book based on his hit single "He Didn't Have to Be." The song, about a stepfather taking on a new family, was a #1 hit for Paisley in 1999. Along with the song's co-writer, Kelley Lovelace, Paisley collected memories about the composition of the song as well as photographs, letters and messages from fans about the song's impact on them. The book comes with lyrics and a CD of the song. ...

The Dixie Chicks' a cappella recording of "The Star-Spangled Banner" is available for download on the trio's Web site, www.dixiechicks.com. While there is no charge to download the track, the Dixie Chicks are asking fans to make a donation to the American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund. "In this time of great need, together let's celebrate America's heroes by donating to the American Red Cross," the group said in a statement. "Let's support the families of those who gave their lives to preserve our wide open spaces." It is the trio's first recording since their 1999 album, Fly. ...

Two days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Randy Travis and a team of writers composed a new song, "America Will Always Stand." Now Travis has recorded the song and made it available to radio stations across the country. "We pray that it will help America and its people, in the worst of times, to stay brave and united," he said in a statement. Co-writers include Mike Curtis, Yvonne Sanson, Becky Bluefield and Doc Walley. Travis recorded "Point of Light" during the Gulf War at the request of President George Bush. Relentless Records will release "America Will Always Stand" and "Point of Light" as a single in the next week. All proceeds from the sale of the single will go to the American Red Cross ...

George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Toby Keith and Lee Ann Womack will perform new singles, while Diamond Rio will do a chart-topping hit from earlier this year on the 35th Annual CMA Awards show. During the CBS broadcast on November 7, Strait will sing "Run," from his upcoming album. Brooks & Dunn will do the flag-waver "Only in America," their summer set-opener. Keith's choice is "I Wanna Talk About Me" and Womack will sing the rootsy "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger." Diamond Rio will go with "One More Day," nominated for Single and Song of the Year. Vince Gill will host the awards for the 10th consecutive year. (MTVi's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS) ...

Tim McGraw has added a new beneficiary to his annual Swampstock charity softball game and concert in Rayville, Louisiana on October 28. Proceeds from the event will go to the New York Police & Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund in addition to McGraw's usual beneficiaries, area children's causes. Also taking part this year are McGraw's wife, Faith Hill; Martina McBride; Carolyn Dawn Johnson; the Warren Brothers; and Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. ...

Daryle Singletary was hit with a DUI charge on Wednesday, although he wasn't driving at the time. The 30-year-old Singletary and a friend, Joseph Dockens, were pulled over in downtown Nashville at around 3 a.m. after an illegal turn. Dockens, who was driving Singletary's truck, failed a field sobriety test, refused a breath-alcohol test and was charged with DUI. Singletary was riding in the passenger seat and was arrested for DUI because he was allowing Dockens to drive, a police spokesman said. Singletary was released from the jail on his own recognizance. Dockens posted $3,000 bail. ...

Reba McEntire and Billy Gilman sing on Michael Jackson's new all-star recording, "What More Can I Give." Proceeds from the single will aid survivors and families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. McEntire and Gilman recently recorded their parts in Los Angeles. Jackson was originally inspired to write "What More Can I Give" in 1999 after a meeting with Nelson Mandela. No release date has been set for the single, and the tune will not appear on Jackson's upcoming album. ...

The first single from Garth Brooks' upcoming album will be "Wrapped Up in You," not the George Jones duet "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)," as originally planned. Brooks explained his decision in a statement: "I think 'Beer Run' would have been the perfect first single from this album if it were not for the tragic events of September 11, but if we are to come with music now, 'Wrapped Up in You' is one of the best-feeling songs I've ever had the honor of recording." Brooks will launch the single October 9 — the day it goes to radio — during a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, where he will also discuss plans for his next album. "Beer Run" will be available Tuesday on Jones' The Rock: Stone Cold Country 2001. ...

Merle Haggard will perform at the Christian Country Music Awards November 1 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. John Berry and Crystal Gayle will host and perform and Tammy Cochran, Jeff Carson and Stella Parton will sing. The awards show is syndicated to various cable outlets. ...

Martina McBride has pledged to donate $50,000 from proceeds of her new Greatest Hits album to the American Red Cross. McBride has taken an active role in Nashville activities to benefit victims of the terrorists since September 11. ...

Radney Foster has announced that through the end of the year he intends to give the American Red Cross a portion of the money he earns from CD and merchandise sales. Foster first linked with the Red Cross in 1999, when floods devastated his native Del Rio, Texas. "Like the rest of Americans," Foster said, "I want to do whatever I can to help." ...

Garth Brooks won't put out "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)," his duet with George Jones, as a single — at least not for a while. Brooks canceled a press conference that had been scheduled for Monday to tout the release of the recording. "We're still trying to decide when it's appropriate to move ahead, and these decisions take time," Brooks said in a statement. "I know we've been told to pick up and go on as normal, but music has always been a response to the times, and I just can't find it in my heart to feel that 'Beer Run' is appropriate for right now." "Beer Run" is likely to come out first on October 2, as a track on Jones' new CD, The Rock: Stone Cold Country 2001 ...

— sonicnet.com staff report

• Billy Ray Cyrus

Billy Ray Cyrus
Photo: Mercury Nashville

Billy Ray Cyrus underwent knee surgery Friday (September 7) in Nashville, but the operation won't keep him off the set of "Doc," his TV series. The singer's knee damage stems from years of stage and sports activity, according to a spokesperson. Cyrus expects to be in Toronto on Monday to begin work on the PAX series. …

Nashville's Broadcast Music Incorporated transformed its balcony into an outdoor Italian restaurant Thursday to welcome actor/singer Dominic Chianese. Chianese, who plays Uncle Junior in "The Sopranos" TV series, was in town to make his Grand Ole Opry debut Friday (September 7) and to promote his album, Hits, which was recorded in Nashville. After mingling with guests, Chianese mounted a small stage. He spoke wistfully of growing up in New York during the 1930s, hearing his grandfather sing to him and listening to an Italian-language radio station. "I got my first love of music from Grandpa Domenico and Gene Autry," he said. Chianese described his invitation to appear on the Opry as "the dream of my life." Although clearly a fan of traditional country music, Chianese made no pretense of being a closet "country boy." He poked fun at himself with a song called "Typical New Yorker," which appears on his album alongside other melodically gentle fare such as "For the Good Times," "Santa Lucia," "Guantanamera" and "Shady Grove." ...

"Unforeseen logistical challenges" have forced organizers to reschedule a benefit concert by the Dixie Chicks. Originally set for September 15 in Austin, Texas, the Texas Twilight Gala in support of the Pediatric AIDS League of Texas (PAL), would have marked the trio's first live performance of 2001. Shawn Colvin, Terri Hendrix and the Austin Symphony also were to appear. "The circumstances surrounding the postponement are beyond the control of PAL and the talent involved," said the organization's spokesperson. The concert will be rescheduled "as soon as logistically possible." ...

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers will present Garth Brooks with the ASCAP Golden Note Award at a dinner Tuesday in Washington, D.C. ASCAP president and chairman Marilyn Bergman will host the event, attended by members of Congress, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. The award recognizes Brooks' contributions to American music as a performer and songwriter. Songwriters Pat Alger, Alan Bergman, John Bettis, Hal David, Dean Kay, Jimmy Webb and Paul Williams will be part of a musical tribute to Brooks. Past recipients of the award include Elton John, Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder and Andre Previn ...

Trisha Yearwood debuts her duet single with Don Henley on the "Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Thursday (September 6). Henley joins her on the show to sing "Inside Out." The pair will shoot a video for the song Tuesday in Los Angeles ...

The Wilkinsons will host the Canadian Country Music Awards show on Monday. The family trio is up for three awards on the show, which will be televised on CMT. (MTVi's parent company, Viacom, also owns CMT.) The Wilkinsons will debut a new song, "Paper Doll." Carolyn Dawn Johnson leads all CCMA nominees with 10 nominations ...

Willie Nelson collapsed onstage during a show at the Konocti Harbor Resort in Kelseyville, California, on August 28, according to the Fresno Bee. Shows subsequently canceled included California dates on August 30 at the Palace Indian Gaming Center in Lemoore and the Pozo Saloon in San Luis Obispo on September 2. A spokesperson for Nelson declined to comment and said the singer is next scheduled to play the Farm Aid concert on September 29, in Indianapolis, Indiana ...

Mavericks lead singer Raul Malo has scheduled October 23 for the release of his first solo album. Today will include songs in both English and Spanish and will feature a duet with Shelby Lynne, "It Takes Two to Tango" ...

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founders Jimmy Ibbotson and John McEuen will reunite for a concert benefiting the anti-landmine movement. The show, at the Higher Ground in Winooski, Vermont, on September 9, will also include a number of Vermont-area artists and groups. The concert benefits Clear Path International ...

Martina McBride and folk singer Arlo Guthrie have been added to the Farm Aid benefit concert on Sept. 29 at Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana. The bill also includes Dave Matthews and Farm Aid founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp. ...

Garth Brooks has scheduled a September 17 press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville to talk about his duet with George Jones, "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)," and his upcoming album. A Brooks spokesperson hinted the song will be delivered to country radio the same day. Brooks announced his retirement last year but promised one more record. The new track will appear on the album, his first collection of new studio recordings in four years (following 1997's Sevens). "Beer Run" also is slated to appear on Jones' upcoming CD, The Rock, now scheduled for October 2 release. …

Gail Davies says her labor of love — an album honoring the late Webb Pierce — is nearing completion and slotted for November 13 release. Profits will be split between the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Caught in the Webb: A Tribute to the Legendary Webb Pierce includes cuts by Dale Watson, Mandy Barnett, Charley Pride, Rosie Flores, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Robbie Fulks & Joy Lynn White, Allison Moorer, Matt King, Crystal Gayle, the Del McCoury Band, Lionel Cartwright, Guy Clark, BR549, Trent Summar & Chris Scruggs, Kevin Welch & Deborah Pierce, Billy Walker, Blue Highway and Pam Tillis. Pierce will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October. ...

Songwriter/performer Cecil Null, 74, died of cancer Sunday (August 26) in Bristol, Virginia. Null's most famous composition is "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know," a #1 hit in 1953 for the Davis Sisters. He was credited as the guiding force in uniting Chet Atkins and Merle Travis for their Grammy-winning 1974 album, The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show. Null wrote "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" in 1947. "It was turned down by nearly everybody in the business," he once said. Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette covered the song on their 1993 album, Honky Tonk Angels. ...

With the four additional 2001 CMA Award nominations he received, Alan Jackson moves past Vince Gill in the career-nominations tally. Jackson now has 50, according to the CMA, while Gill, who received none this year, has 48. George Strait, with two nods this year, remains king with 66. Jackson has a long way to go to catch Gill in awards won, however. Gill rules that roost with 18 career honors, Strait follows with 14 and Jackson is well back in the pack with seven. …

Merle Haggard's next album, Roots, Vol. 1, features his hero, guitarist Norm Stephens, who played on a number of Lefty Frizzell recordings including "If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time" and "I Love You a Thousand Ways." Stephens has been retired from music for years, and Haggard recently discovered that they have long lived near each other in California. Haggard's pianist, Doug Colosio, noticed a classified ad Stephens placed in a local paper and called it to his boss' attention. After they reunited, they cut some songs. Recorded in Haggard's home, the album features Stephens with Haggard's band, the Strangers, romping through three new Haggard originals and songs by Frizzell, Hank Williams and Hank Thompson. Anti/Epitaph Records releases the LP November 9. ...

Lee Ann Womack has recorded a duet with Willie Nelson for his upcoming CD The Great Divide. They recorded the Bernie Taupin composition "Mendocino County Line." Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, Rob Thomas and Kid Rock will also appear on the album, which was originally scheduled for a late September release, now moved to January. ...

A large crowd of music industry executives and artists crowded into the Country Music Hall of Fame's Ford Theater Wednesday for a preview of "Reba." The new TV sitcom, starring Reba McEntire, debuts September 14 on the WB TV network. At the party, MCA Nashville president Tony Brown said the company will release McEntire's Greatest Hits Volume III: I'm a Survivor on October 23. The title track is also her sitcom theme and is now charting country. The album also includes a remake of Kenny Rogers' 1977 hit "Sweet Music Man," produced by Alison Krauss and featuring members of Union Station, drummer Jim Keltner and Chris Thile of Nickel Creek. Among those attending McEntire gala were Barbara Mandrell and Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, as well as Martina McBride and newcomer Carolyn Dawn Johnson, both part of McEntire's support cast for the recent Girls' Night Out tour. McEntire donated seven costumes from her starring role in Broadway's "Annie Get Your Gun" to the Hall of Fame. The gesture, she said, tied together the worlds of Broadway and country music. The fringed leather outfit from the show's finale was on display during the party. "I want my fans to be able to see what I've gotten to do on Broadway by bringing a piece of it back to Nashville," McEntire said. "I'm bringing 'em home. This is the greatest place to display it, and I'm very proud to have some things here in the Hall of Fame". ...

Wynonna will marry her longtime security guard and road manager, D. R. Roach. Both have been married once before. Wynonna has two children, Elijah and Grace. Roach has one, Zachary. No date has been set. According to a news release announcing the couple's engagement, the proposal came on the second anniversary of their first date. Wynonna is at work on a new solo album, to be promoted by Universal Records New York. Plans are to release it in the first half of 2002. ...

George Strait plans to return to the biggest annual musical event in Texas, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The singer, who last played the rodeo four years ago, has agreed to headline the March 3, 2002 concert, which will be the last such performance in the Reliant Astrodome. Strait has also signed to play the first rodeo performance in the Astrodome's successor, the new Reliant Stadium, in 2003. The 2002 rodeo and concert series runs from February 12 to March 3. Country and pop artists perform daily. ...

Almost 18 months after it was announced, construction has yet to begin on a new Gilley's honky-tonk in Dallas. The new club is intended to be an upscale re-creation of the Pasadena, Texas, club that inspired the movie "Urban Cowboy." The new site, on 10 acres in downtown Dallas, is still awaiting city approval. Plans call for corporate suites, a large dance floor, several restaurants, two mechanical bulls, displays of country music memorabilia and a drive-in movie. The old Gilley's burned to the ground several years ago. ...

Trisha Yearwood will play Nashville's Ryman Auditorium October 14. The date was added recently to her 2001 tour, which began in June at the House of Blues in New Orleans and continues through October 21, when she plays Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Ryman has special significance for Yearwood. Aside from its country music connections, she was married onstage there, and in 1999, when the Grand Ole Opry returned to the Ryman, she was invited to become a member of the cast. ...

Singer/songwriter Bobby Bare and wife Jeannie will sell the Bobby Bare Trap, a shop in downtown Nashville specializing in stuffed animals and bear-related gifts. "Bobby's not retiring, slowing down some, but I am," said Jeannie Bare, who manages the shop. "I want to spend more time with my husband and children and my friends. I'll always love teddy bears." The Bares have had the Bare Trap since 1986. The store is home to "Big T," a 10-foot-wide, 10-foot-high creature purported to be the world's largest teddy bear. ...

"Red Desert Sky," the story of Australia's musical Chambers family, will be released October 5 by Allen & Unwin, Ltd. The family — father Bill, mother Diane, daughter Kasey and son Nash — performed as the Dead Ringer Band. The band's U.S. manager, John Lomax III, who now manages Kasey as a solo act, wrote the book. Kasey Chambers has recently been in the U.S. to promote her award-winning album, The Captain, which made its debut in 1999. In October, Warner Bros. Records will release her second solo album, Barricades & Brickwalls, in the U.S. Nash Chambers produced both projects. "Red Desert Sky" is not being published in the U.S. but will be available through Allen & Unwin's Web site and from Amazon.com. ...

John Carter Cash, son of June Carter and Johnny Cash, has produced two new tracks for an album by the San Diego alternative country outfit known as The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash. Led by Mark Stuart, the group recorded the tracks at the Cash Cabin studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, north of Nashville. "Nowhere Town" and "Spanish Eyes" will appear on a re-release of the group's 2000 release, Walk Alone. The younger Cash met the band in March at Nashville's Exit/In. His father, country's famed Man in Black, has given the group permission to use his name. "My father has always been open-minded, and he chose the right stars to use his name," said John Carter Cash in a statement. "The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash are really good guys." The band appears Tuesday (August 21) in Bonner Springs, Kansas, and Wednesday (August 22) in Maryland Heights, Missouri, opening for Tim McGraw. Walk Alone will be released September 25. ...

Marking one his first public appearances after jail time and drug rehabilitation, Steve Earle appeared at Nashville's Bluebird Café in September 1995 to swap stories, jokes and tunes with his songwriting mentors Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. Sixteen songs from the show will be released on October 9 by Koch Progressive under the title Together at the Bluebird Café. Earle's songs include "My Old Friend the Blues" and "Copperhead Road"; Van Zandt's selections include "Tecumseh Valley" and "Pancho and Lefty"; and Clark's numbers include "Dublin Blues" and "Randall Knife." Making a surprise appearance, Emmylou Harris joined in for group sing-alongs. Van Zandt, a hard-living troubadour, died of a heart attack at age 52, a little more than a year after the show. ...

Trick Pony have two nominations for Billboard Music Video Awards, and they may not be too happy about it. The new trio will compete against themselves, as both their nods are in the Best Country New Artist Clip of the Year category. Others in that division are Cyndi Thomson, Clark Family Experience and Tammy Cochran. Nominated in the Best Country Clip of the Year category are Steve Earle, the Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Jo Dee Messina, and Dwight Yoakam. Cochran and Billy Gilman are nominated in contemporary Christian categories. The awards will be presented November 2 in Beverly Hills, California. ...

Pieces supposedly from the wreckage of Patsy Cline's death plane will be offered for sale on the eBay auction site. Two brothers from Jackson, Tennessee, own the pieces, ostensibly from the wreckage of Cline's Piper Comanche, which crashed March 5, 1963, killing her and three others. Scott and Eric Mills drove the wreckage in their pickup truck to Nashville on Wednesday to show to curators at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Curator Mark Medley said the Hall of Fame will not bid on the pieces, to be offered on eBay beginning August 31 with a floor price of $100,000, but would ask any potential buyers to loan them to the Hall, which already has parts of the plane in its archives. The Mills brothers say they bought the wreckage from a man who collected it shortly after the plane crash. ...

Longtime Wilco member Jay Bennett has left the group, a spokesperson for the band told the Chicago Sun-Times. "Creative differences" were cited as the reason for his split. Shortly before the news of Bennett's departure, Wilco separated from their longtime record label, Reprise, also over creative differences. In an earlier interview, bandleader Jeff Tweedy had said that Bennett did not play a big part in the band's latest LP, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which Reprise refused to issue in its present state. Wilco begin a fall tour in September as a quartet, with Tweedy joined by bassist John Stirrat, new drummer Glenn Kotche and multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach. ...

A PBS special featuring Toby Keith and Larry Gatlin will air at 8 p.m. ET on September 6. "In Performance at the White House: The President's Own" pays tribute to the United States Marine Band on the occasion of the band's 200th anniversary of performances at the White House. The performance was taped July 30 before President and Mrs. Bush in the East Room of the White House. Gatlin co-hosts the program with actor Gerald McRaney. Keith sings "Oh! Susanna" and "Heart to Heart." Nell Carter performs "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Coming to America." Gatlin's selections include "God Bless America," "This Land Is Your Land" and "Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You)." Keith, Carter and Gatlin join the Marine Band for a finale performance of "America the Beautiful." ...

Chicago roots rock band Wilco, favorites with alternative country fans, have split with Reprise Records after three studio albums, founding member Jeff Tweedy said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. Reprise asked Wilco to make changes to their recently completed album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and the band refused. Wilco retain rights to the album and are looking for another label to release it. Tweedy was a member of the influential early '90s alt-country group Uncle Tupelo. Wilco will begin a fall tour September 21 at the Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas. ...

Following in the footsteps of his hero, Johnny Cash, Mark Collie will record a live album in a maximum-security prison. With producer Tony Brown at the helm, Collie will record at the Brushy Mountain Correctional Complex in East Tennessee in October. Collie is writing new songs for the project, tentatively set for release next spring by MCA. Collie recorded for MCA in the early '90s before moving to Giant. His last album of original material appeared in 1995. Cash, whom Collie has portrayed in an independent film, recorded landmark albums at Folsom and San Quentin prisons in California in the late '60s. Collie wraps up his national tour with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney on Aug. 25 in Nashville. "Private Radio," a song Collie co-wrote with actor/director Billy Bob Thornton, is the title track for Thornton's upcoming debut album, in stores September 25. ...

Lonestar will undertake a fall tour of more than 30 cities, with help from new country stars Jamie O'Neal and Blake Shelton. No dates or cities have been announced, but a publicist for the group says the tour will run from October through December. O'Neal will appear on all dates, and Shelton will join the tour in November. Lonestar's latest album, I'm Already There, debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. The group's new single is "With Me."…

The Dixie Chicks and Emmylou Harris have agreed to perform at an all-star concert to benefit a breast cancer awareness campaign. The Women Rock! Girls & Guitars concert will be taped at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre on October 18 for airing on the Lifetime channel on October 26. Also performing will be India.Arie, Pat Benatar, Mary J. Blige, Nashville songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman, Nelly Furtado and Shea Seger. Allison Janney of "The West Wing" will host. Although the Dixie Chicks are taking a year off from performing and recording, they have also agreed to play a pediatric AIDS benefit in Austin, Texas, in September. …

The new album from Hank Williams Jr., The Almeira Club & Other Selected Venues, has been delayed. Originally scheduled for release September 11, the album has been pushed back to January 8, according to Williams' publicist. The roots-oriented project was recorded in locales of personal and historic significance for Hank Jr. and his late father and mother, Hank and Audrey Williams. Meanwhile, Hank Jr. is at work in the studio, recording his "Monday Night Football" drop-ins for the upcoming season. …

After two albums on the Sony-owned Lucky Dog label, Bruce Robison will release his next CD himself. Titled Country Sunshine, the set is due September 4 on the singer's Boar's Nest Records. Lee Ann Womack recorded Robison's "Lonely Too" on I Hope You Dance. Tim McGraw's current single, "Angry All the Time," comes from Robison. Songs on Robison's new album include compositions co-written by Robison with Allison Moorer, Martie Seidel of the Dixie Chicks and Robison's wife, Kelly Willis. Tracks include "What Would Willie Do?" and "Friendless Marriage" (a Willis collaboration). Robison recorded the album at Jack Clement's Nashville studio. …

The Dixie Chicks will interrupt their yearlong vacation from performing, playing a concert in Austin, Texas, on September 15. The invitation-only Texas Twilight Gala at the Austin Music Hall is a benefit for the Pediatric AIDS League of Texas and other pediatric AIDS programs in the state. The Chicks will perform with the Austin Symphony — their first performance with a full orchestra. Shawn Colvin and Terri Hendrix will also perform. The benefit came about after Chick Natalie Maines gave birth to her first child, and requested that donations be made to pediatric AIDS groups in lieu of baby gifts. ...

Delbert McClinton will be inducted into the Buddy Holly Walk of Fame on August 29 in Lubbock, Texas. McClinton is a Lubbock native, as was Holly. The Buddy Holly Walk of Fame honors influential West Texas natives with a plaque at the base of the city's Buddy Holly statue. At 8 p.m. that day, McClinton will perform at the induction concert at Lubbock's Civic Center Theater. McClinton also will join fellow songwriters Terry Allen, Marshall Crenshaw, Jo Carol Pierce and the Flatlanders' Joe Ely, Jimmy Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock on a panel at the Buddy Holly Symposium in Lubbock on September 6. ...

— sonicnet.com staff report

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