In the battle between booty-shaking and reckless driving, the edge still goes to rising star Carrie Underwood. For the fifth week in a row, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" clutches the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country airplay chart, as Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" apparently loses its shot at the top spot, falling from No. 2 to No. 3.

Both songs had a decrease in spins last week, which means that Brad Paisley's "When I Get Where I'm Going" -- No. 2 with a bullet -- is potentially poised to reach the summit next week.

Or maybe not. After 29 weeks on the chart, Josh Turner's "Your Man" continues its steady climb, now at No. 4 with a bullet. He's just ahead of Faith Hill's "Like We Never Loved at All" at No. 5, Keith Urban's "Tonight I Wanna Cry" at No. 6 and Sugarland's "Just Might (Make Me Believe)" at No. 7. Rounding out the Top 10 are Tim McGraw's "My Old Friend" at No. 8, Kenny Chesney's "Living in Fast Forward" at No. 9 and Billy Currington's "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" at No. 10.

George Strait claims the week's highest debut with "The Seashores of Old Mexico," a cover of a Merle Haggard song, splashing in at No. 48. Other new singles include Neal McCoy's "The Last of a Dying Breed" at No. 52, Martina McBride's cover of Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone" at No. 53, Underwood's "Before He Cheats" at No. 59 and new artist Eric Church's "How 'Bout You" at No. 60.

Underwood returns to No. 1 on the country albums chart, trading places with Turner. The Legend of Johnny Cash lives on at No. 3, followed by the latest albums from Adkins, Rascal Flatts, Urban, Chesney and Sugarland. Walk the Line settles in at No. 9, followed by Miranda Lambert's Kerosene, at No. 10

New albums hitting the chart include Jamey Johnson's The Dollar at No. 20 and Alabama's three-disc boxed set, Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin': The 25th Anniversary Collection, at No. 28. Kenny Rogers also makes several appearances on the chart: 21 Number Ones at No. 11, Golden Legends: Kenny Rogers at No. 57 and 42 Ultimate Hits at No. 75.

• Carrie Underwood
• Trace Adkins
• Brad Paisley
• Josh Turner
• Faith Hill

<i>Now That's What I Call Music! 20</i>
Photo: Utv Records

With 1999's Supernatural, an album featuring duets with Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas, and Eric Clapton, among others, iconic guitarist Carlos Santana stumbled upon an award-winning, cash-culling formula: Recruit some of music's biggest names, and record tracks with them. Santana's Supernatural, which has gone on to sell more than 11.5 million copies, was followed by 2002's Shaman, which debuted as Billboard's #1 with close to 300,000 in first-week sales; that album included guests Dido, Macy Gray, Seal and Nickelback's Chad Kroeger.

Sticking with that blueprint for success, Carlos Santana once again collected a handful of hitmakers for his latest outing, All That I Am, which features Michelle Branch, Outkast's Big Boi, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, Joss Stone, Metallica's Kirk Hammett and "American Idol" runner-up Bo Bice. The ingredients were all there for All That I Am's chart-topping debut, and with sales of more than 142,000, Santana gave it the old college try. But the producers behind the unstoppable retail force known as the Now That's What I Call Music! series drafted some equally imposing all-stars for the 20th installment in the best-selling compilation franchise.

According to the latest SoundScan totals, Now 20, which boasts tracks from Missy Elliott, Black Eyed Peas, Franz Ferdinand, Coldplay, the Pussycat Dolls, Ciara, Destiny's Child, Kelly Clarkson, Fall Out Boy and others, crushed Santana to take Billboard's #1, with week-one sales of close to 378,000. But Carlos shouldn't take the defeat too hard — few can top the consistently successful Now collections when it comes to chart debuts.

Santana and the wow of Now aside, it was a frail week at retail for chart newcomers. This week's Billboard totals reflect the advent of the holiday-shopping season, as the chart is riddled with greatest-hits collections released in droves toward the tail end of the year. This week, Blink-182's Greatest Hits debuts at #6 with close to 72,000 copies sold, while Slipknot's 9.0: Live, which is loaded with live renditions of some of the mask-donning metal band's most powerful tracks, opens at #17 with 42,000 plus scans.

John Fogerty's The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/ Creedence Collection debuts at #13 with 47,000 copies sold. Sliver: The Best of the Box, a collection of unreleased Nirvana tracks and a sampling of tunes issued via last year's With the Lights Out box set, debuts at #21 on the chart, selling more than 38,000 units. Ozzy Osbourne's Under Cover, an album of classic rock covers (several of which first appeared on Ozzy's Prince of Darkness box set), debuts at #134, with nearly 9,000 in sales.

A number of previously released hits discs also experienced a surge in sales this week — most notably, Guns N' Roses' Greatest Hits, which takes #60 with more than 17,000 copies sold thanks to an 18 percent increase in retail interest, and Hilary Duff's Most Wanted, in at #52 with 20,000 scans reflecting an 11 percent sales spike.

As for the chart's top 10, Nickelback's All the Right Reasons holds strong at #3 with sales of close to 101,000 while the Black Eyed Peas, who are dominating airwaves with the single "My Humps," finish at #4 with 86,000 in sales for their latest, Monkey Business. Destiny's Child's #1's falls four spots to #5 with week-two scans of 85,000, while Martina McBride's Timeless takes the #7 spot with sales of 63,000 and change. Wherever You Are, the latest from Christian rockers Third Day, debuts at #8 with nearly 63,000 copies flying off record-store shelves, followed at #9 by Rod Stewart's Thanks for the Memory ... The Great American Songbook, Volume IV, which sold 62,000 copies. Ashlee Simpson's I Am Me rounds out the top 10 with sales of 54,000.

Other notable debuts on this week's chart include former Phish-erman Trey Anastasio's Shine, which opens at #64 with 16,000 copies sold, and Imogen Heap's Speak For Yourself, which debuts at #182 with 6,000 in sales.

For more on Blink-182's break, see the feature "Tom DeLonge: No More Compromises"

• blink-182
• Santana
• Missy Elliott
• Fall Out Boy
• Kelly Clarkson

<I>#1's</I> by Destiny's Child
Photo: Columbia

Destiny's Child's parting gift to fans — the greatest-hits collection #1's — lives up to its name on the Billboard albums chart, according to the latest SoundScan totals.

#1's features three new tracks and 13 hit singles — including Billboard Hot 100 winners "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Say My Name," "Bootylicious" and "Independent Women Part 1." But before #1's, Destiny's Child had only one Billboard 200-topping LP to their credit: 2001's multiplatinum Survivor, which opened at #1 in 2001 with more than 663,000 copies scanned.

Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle sold over 113,000 copies of #1's to secure Billboard's top prize for the second — and, perhaps, last — time (see "Destiny's Child Announce Split").

#1's is one of three newcomers to the Billboard 200's top 10 this week. But neither of the other two debut offerings — from country heartthrob Joe Nichols, who takes #7 with more than 56,000 in sales for his III, and Bette Midler, finishing at #10 after selling 54,000 copies of Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook, — posed a genuine threat to Destiny's Child's rank. Nickelback's All the Right Reasons got within reach, climbing two spots to #2 with nearly 102,000 copies sold, followed at #3 by Martina McBride's Timeless, which racked up close to 92,000 in sales.

Rod Stewart's Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV, drops two to #4 with sales of 91,000, followed at #5 by the Black Eyed Peas' Monkey Business with 80,000 scans. A 67 percent drop in week-two sales knocks the previous week's winner, Ashlee Simpson's I Am Me, down to #6 with 73,000 copies sold. Kanye West's Late Registration finishes at #8 after moving 56,000 units, while Bun B's Trill takes #9 with 55,000 in sales.

Destiny's Child's #1's was one of several career-spanning retrospectives to make the latest Billboard albums chart. The Legend of Johnny Cash, a collection of 21 tracks from the music icon, opens at #11 with more than 50,000 copies sold. The album precedes "Walk the Line," a Cash biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix that opens November 18. Aerosmith's Rockin' The Joint - Live at the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas, which features live renditions of some of the Boston's rockers' biggest tunes, debuts at #24 with 32,000 in sales. And 'NSYNC's Greatest Hits, featuring a dozen of the boy band's chart-topping tracks, takes the #47 spot with sales of over 18,000.

It was a relatively idle week for debut discs, and a slow sales week in general. Simon Cowell creation Il Divo open at #32, with The Christmas Collection moving 25,000 copies, while Demon Hunter's The Triptych takes the #136 slot with close to 8,000 in sales. Christian rockers Falling Up finish at #173 with 6,000 in sales for Dawn Escapes, followed by DJ Muggs and GZA's Grandmasters at #180. Children of Bodom's Are You Dead Yet? comes in at #195 with over 5,000 copies sold.

See the feature "Destiny's Child: A Look Back" for more on the trio's farewell.

• Destiny's Child
• Nickelback
• Ashlee Simpson
• Black Eyed Peas
• Kanye West

Ashlee Simpson
Photo: Geffen Records

Between the release of Ashlee Simpson's chart-topping debut — 2004's Autobiography — and I Am Me came the infamous "Saturday Night Live" lip-synch incident, an embarrassment that could have crippled her career. Though Simpson recovered from the mistake, new releases from legendary artists Stevie Wonder and Rod Stewart made the run to #1 on the Billboard albums chart a tough one.

According to the latest SoundScan figures, Simpson pulled it off, claiming Billboard's blue ribbon for a second time. While Ashlee failed to repeat the sales of Autobiography (which sold over 398,000 to I Am Me's 220,000), she is two-for-two in the sibling-rivalry race. I Am Me trumps big sis Jessica's second disc, 2001's Irresistible, which landed at #6 with close to 120,000 copies sold. Jessica Simpson's 1999 debut, Sweet Kisses, opened at #65 with sales of 45,000.

Ashlee Simpson's latest was one of six new discs to make the coveted top 10, and one of four to surface in the top five. Simpson's closest competitor, Stewart's Thanks for the Memory ... The Great American Songbook, Volume IV, racked up sales nearing 193,000 for a second-place finish. Country star Martina McBride's Timeless takes #3 with over 185,000 copies sold while R&B icon Wonder finishes at #5 with A Time to Love selling nearly 121,000 copies. The only repeat in the latest top five is All the Right Reasons from Canadian rockers Nickelback, which sold 132,000 copies to take #4.

UGK's Bun B goes the solo route — as cohort Pimp C deals with legal entanglements — with Trill, which debuts this week at #6 with sales of 117,000 and change. Right behind Trill is Depeche Mode's Playing the Angel, which sold 99,000 copies to come in at #7. The Black Eyed Peas fall four spots to #8 with Monkey Business, followed at #9 by last week's #1, Alicia Keys' Unplugged, which sold fewer than 83,000 copies, a 58 percent slip. Kanye West rounds out the top 10 with 78,000 copies of his Late Registration leaving stores.

Country singer/songwriter Billy Currington's Doin' Somethin' Right moved more than 54,000 units to open at #11. California rockers Thrice notched the highest-charting debut of their career with Vheissu's #15 finish — the result of 46,000 in sales. Contemporary jazz trumpeter Chris Botti's To Love Again opens at #18 with 44,000 copies sold.

There were several other debuts of note this week. Black Rob's The Black Rob Report opens at #40 with nearly 27,000 in sales.Bryan Adams' Anthology — which features a duet with Pamela Anderson — takes #65 with close to 17,000 scans. Punk troupe Mest hit #116 with sales of nearly 11,000 for their newest, Photographs. The soundtrack to "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland," featuring My Chemical Romance, Thrice, Fall Out Boy and others covering classic punk tunes, opens at #148 with nearly 8,000 copies sold. And the soundtrack for the Showtime series "Masters of Horror" — which includes contributions from Mudvayne, Shadows Fall, Thursday and Avenged Sevenfold — takes #161 with sales of 7,300 plus.

Check out the feature"Ashlee Simpson: Everybody Has Moments" for more on Simpson's latest album.

• Ashlee Simpson
• Rod Stewart
• Martina McBride
• Stevie Wonder
• Depeche Mode

Outkast
Photo: Arista

Deuces are wild for Outkast. The duo's new double album will top the Billboard albums chart for the second week in a row.

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below sold more than 234,000 copies last week, according to SoundScan, to retain its #1 status. The seven-day sum is just less than half the amount the Atlanta artists' fifth album moved the week before.

The last album to spend back-to-back weeks on top was the "Bad Boys II" soundtrack. Propelled by the P. Diddy/ Nelly/ Murphy Lee collaboration, "Shake Ya Tailfeather," the LP perched above all others for four consecutive weeks in August.

Speaking of Bad Boys, Babs, Ness, the reality TV ham formerly known as Chopper (now called Young City) and the rest of Bad Boy's Da Band will place second with their debut, Too Hot for TV. On the heels of the single "Bad Boy This, Bad Boy That," the "Making the Band II" rendering sold more than 203,000 copies.

The heavenly sounds of Sting and Dido will assume the #3 and #4 positions, respectively. Sacred Love, by the former Police frontman, sold more than 194,000, while British chanteuse Dido prolonged the buzz generated by Eminem's use of her "Thank You" on his "Stan" to sell more than 191,000 copies of her second album, Life for Rent.

As a testament to the staying power of the big albums that appeared on the previous chart, six of the seven LPs that debuted in last week's top 10 will remain there. Last week's first runner-up, Dave Matthews' first solo album, Some Devil, will fall three spots to #5 (more than 154,000 copies sold); Limp Bizkit's Results May Vary will dip equidistantly to #6 (126,000); R. Kelly's best-of set, The R. in R&B Collection Vol. 1, will slip four places to #8 (117,000); Nickelback's fourth album, The Long Road, will slide three spots to #9 (102,000); and Obie Trice can continue raising his glass to Cheers, which will fall by five to #10 (96,000).

Murphy Lee's Murphy's Law, the only album that couldn't sustain top-10 placement, will drop 12 spots to #20.

Country superstar Martina McBride's sixth album, Martina, will round out next week's top 10 at #7 by selling more than 122,000 copies in its first week.

Notable debuts on next week's chart include Latin metalheads Ill Nino's second album, Confession, at #37; quirky country crooner Lyle Lovett's first studio album in five years, My Baby Don't Tolerate, at #63; the retrospective by electronica pioneers the Chemical Brothers, Singles 1993-03, at #123; and the soundtrack to the Jack Black flick "School of Rock," featuring contributions from the Who, Cream, Led Zeppelin and the Ramones, at #166.

• OutKast
• Diddy
• Nelly
• Murphy Lee
• Sting

Entertainer of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Kenny Chesney
Alan Jackson
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw

Male Vocalist of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Alan Jackson
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw
Brad Paisley
George Strait

Female Vocalist of the Year
Terri Clark
Alison Krauss
Patty Loveless
Martina McBride
Dolly Parton

Vocal Group of the Year
Alabama
Diamond Rio
Dixie Chicks
Lonestar
Rascal Flatts

Vocal Duo of the Year
Bellamy Brothers
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
Sons of the Desert
The Warren Brothers

Horizon Award
Gary Allan
Buddy Jewell
Joe Nichols
Blake Shelton
Darryl Worley

Vocal Event of the Year (Awards presented to artists and producer(s))

• "Beer for My Horses"
Artists: Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson
Record Label: DreamWorks

• "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"
Artists: Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett
Record Label: Arista Nashville

• "Picture"
Artists: Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow
Record Label: Lava/Atlantic

• "Tears in the Holston River"
Artists: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Johnny Cash
Record Label: Capitol Nashville

• "The Truth About Men"
Artists: Tracy Byrd (with Andy Griggs, Montgomery Gentry and Blake Shelton)
Record Label: RCA

Album of the Year (Awards presented to artist(s) and producer(s))

• American IV: The Man Comes Around -- Johnny Cash
Producer: Rick Rubin
Record Label: Lost Highway

• Home -- Dixie Chicks
Producers: Dixie Chicks and Lloyd Maines
Record Label: Open Wide/Monument/Columbia

• Man With a Memory -- Joe Nichols
Producer: Brent Rowan
Record Label: Universal South

• Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors -- Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw and Darran Smith
Record Label: Curb

• Unleashed -- Toby Keith
Producers: James Stroud and Toby Keith
Record Label: DreamWorks

Song of the Year (Awards presented to the songwriter(s) and publisher(s))

• "Beer for My Horses" -- Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson
Writers: Toby Keith and Scotty Emerick
Publishers: Tokeco Tunes and Big Yellow Dog Music

• "Celebrity" -- Brad Paisley
Writer: Brad Paisley
Publishers: EMI April Music and Sea Gayle Music

• "Have You Forgotten?" -- Darryl Worley
Writers: Darryl Worley and Wynn Varble
Publishers: EMI April Music, Pittsburg Landing Songs and Warner-Tamerlane Pub.

• "Red Dirt Road" -- Brooks & Dunn
Writers: Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn
Publishers: Sony and ATV

• "Three Wooden Crosses" -- Randy Travis
Writers: Doug Johnson and Kim Williams
Publishers: Mike Curb Music, Sweet Radical Music, Sony and ATV Tunes

Single of the Year (Awards presented to artist(s)and producer(s))

• Beer for My Horses" -- Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson
Producers: James Stroud andToby Keith
Record Label: DreamWorks

• "Celebrity" -- Brad Paisley
Producer: Frank Rogers
Record Label: Arista Nashville

• "Have You Forgotten?" -- Darryl Worley
Producers: Frank Rogers and James Stroud
Record Label: DreamWorks

• "Hurt" -- Johnny Cash
Producer: Rick Rubin
Record Label: Lost Highway

• "Three Wooden Crosses" -- Randy Travis
Producer: Kyle Lehning
Record Labels: Word, Curb and Warner Bros.

Music Video of the Year (Awards presented to artist(s) and director)

• "Beer for My Horses"
Artists: Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson
Director: Michael Salomon

• "Celebrity"
Artist: Brad Paisley
Director: Peter Zavadil

• "Concrete Angel"
Artist: Martina McBride
Directors: Robert Deaton and George J. Flanigen IV

• "Hurt"
Artist: Johnny Cash
Director: Mark Romanek

• "Red Dirt Road"
Artist: Brooks & Dunn
Director: Steven Goldmann

Musician of the Year
Jerry Douglas -- Dobro
Paul Franklin -- steel guitar
Aubrie Haynie -- fiddle/mandolin
Brent Mason -- guitar
Randy Scruggs -- guitar

• Brooks & Dunn
• Kenny Chesney
• Alan Jackson
• Toby Keith
• Tim McGraw

No Doubt's Gwen Stefani
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ImageDirect

With two golden gramophones under her belt, Beyoncé Knowles is about to give another fortunate artist the thrill of a lifetime when she says those weighted words, "And the Grammy goes to ..."

The Destiny's Child singer, along with Michelle Branch, Mary J. Blige and Martina McBride, are the first crop of presenters to be announced for the 45th annual Grammy Awards, according to a spokesperson for the Recording Academy.

Knowles scored her own Grammys for Best R&B Performance in 2000 and 2001, though she's not in contention for any this year. Her colleagues at the podium, however, are likely to have their fingers crossed throughout the ceremony. Blige is up for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance; while Michelle Branch is gunning for Best New Artist and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, for her contribution on Santana's "The Game of Love." Country singer McBride is in contention for the Best Female Country Vocal Performance honor. (Click here for the list of nominees and for photos of this year's Grammy nominees and performers.)

Two additional performances will further the Grammys' drive to be the most eclectic show in town. Thrice-nominated No Doubt, whose nods include one for Best Pop Vocal Album (for Rock Steady), will play, as will singer/songwriter James Taylor, accompanied by classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who has racked up 14 Grammys overall.

No Doubt and their newly added cohorts join previously announced performers Avril Lavigne, Norah Jones and Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland (see ).

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

• No Doubt
• Destiny's Child
• Michelle Branch
• Mary J. Blige
• Martina McBride

Hank Williams Jr.
Photo: Curb

Hank Williams Jr. and Trisha Yearwood have been added to the artist roster for the Country Freedom Concert on October 21. The show, to be held at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center, will benefit relief efforts by the Salvation Army. Other artists previously announced include George Strait, Alan Jackson and Lonestar ...

Martina McBridewill join Elton John, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz and others performing on the 2001 Radio Music Awards at the Aladdin in Las Vegas on October 26, to be televised on ABC ...

Ann-Margret adds guest vocals to the Light Crust Doughboys' upcoming CD, God Is Love: The Gospel Sessions. James Blackwood and the Jordanaires also appear on the album ...

Travis Tritt's Down the Road I Go has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of more than 1 million units. Released in 2000, the album marks his debut for Columbia Records following a long affiliation with Warner Bros. Down the Road I Go has yielded the singles "Best of Intentions," "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" and "Love of a Woman." In other RIAA news, Toby Keith's Pull My Chain, released August 28, has achieved gold status for shipments of 500,000 copies ...

Texas swing band Hot Club of Cowtown will give a free concert Wednesday at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The Austin combo's performance is part of a year-long series of Texas-themed events supporting the museum's exhibit on music from the Lone Star State. ...

Dolly Parton will play a concert New Year's Eve in Nashville to provide scholarships for families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. "The Red, White and Bluegrass Concert" at the Grand Ole Opry House will feature Parton with an "all-star acoustic band." "I wanted to show my true colors, which are red, white and blue, by being a good American and a good Samaritan," she said in a statement. Money will go to the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund. Guest artists and ticket information will be announced later. Parton said she would like to do an ongoing series of concerts featuring talent from the bluegrass and roots music community to benefit the fund. Bill Clinton and Bob Dole head up a $100 million fundraising campaign to support the scholarship fund. ...

Charges against Trace Adkins for DUI, speeding and violating the open container law have been carried over to November 26 in Williamson County, Tennessee. The case went to the grand jury Monday (October 8). Adkins was arrested July 5 in Nolensville, Tennessee, while on his way home from his farm in Rutherford County. ...

William E. "Smoky" Dacus, the first drummer for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, died Tuesday at Kellmark Nursing Center in Rogers, Arkansas. He was 90. One of country music's first drummers, Dacus joined the Texas Playboys in 1935 and played on classic recordings such as "Maiden's Prayer," "San Antonio Rose" and "Steel Guitar Rag." He left the band in the early 1940s when Wills went to Hollywood. In his Wills biography, "San Antonio Rose," Charles Townsend points out that Dacus played an important role in western swing and country music history. "This was the first time drums were successfully used in a string band," he writes of Dacus' tenure. Dacus helped create the solid dance beat Wills was after, and his drumming "moved the band further from traditional fiddle or string band music and even closer to jazz." Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday (October 11) at Immanuel Baptist Church in Rogers. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

— sonicnet.com staff report

• Hank Williams Jr.
• Martina McBride
• Light Crust Doughboys

Willie Nelson
Photo: Debra Meltzer

With hearts still heavy and anxiety high in the aftermath of recent terrorist attacks on the U.S., Farm Aid 2001 took on a more nationalistic tone, though organizers Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young were still adamant about farmers' urgent needs. "It's hard to focus on it this time because of so many other things that have happened that are tragic," Young said during his set, "but we've been fighting this battle for a long time."

The day-long concert, renamed Farm Aid 2001: A Concert for America, took place Saturday at Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, just north of Indianapolis, before a sold-out crowd of some 24,000.

"Now I'm gonna introduce a great American to do a great song, and we're gonna help him out," Nelson said at the outset of the six-hour portion of the concert telecast live on CMT. Arlo Guthrie took the stage to sing his father Woody's classic "This Land Is Your Land." Many in the audience held up American flags — some real, some printed on paper. American flags also formed the stage backdrop, along with an image of a farmer and a child on a tractor. Nelson, Mellencamp, Young, Martina McBride, Dave Matthews and members of the Doobie Brothers were among those who joined Guthrie as he kicked off the proceedings.

McBride grew up on a Kansas wheat farm and has appeared at Farm Aid four times. Nelson praised her for her ongoing support of the cause as he brought her on for an afternoon set. McBride entertained the crowd — including the throng on the sun-drenched lawn — for the better part of an hour. Her program impressed the Indiana audience and included "It's My Time," a cover of "I Can See Clearly Now," "Wild Angels" and "I Love You."

The crowd especially responded to McBride's vocal fireworks on "Broken Wing." Before closing with "Independence Day," McBride spoke to the crowd about the day. "With everything that's been going on in this country, I feel, for the first time in my life, what it really means to be an American," she said. "I'm so proud of the way that we are all standing together, united and helping each other through this incredibly difficult time, and I'm so proud of you all for coming out here today and helping our farmers, because they are the heart of America. We need 'em and we love 'em."

Nelson has said in the past, "It's a black eye on America ... that we've not taken care of our small family farmers." This year, artists and speakers were expected to encourage the Noblesville crowd and viewers at home to support an overhaul of a program that sends half the nation's federal farm subsidies to only 8 percent of its farmers. But in light of recent events in the U.S., the tone of Saturday's program was more muted than some have been in the past. "Farmers don't really want to get up there and complain about what's wrong with our country's farm policy," Jim Hoyer, farm policy coordinator for the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, told the Indianapolis Star. "I think everybody wants to work together and stand in solidarity against the terrorists' attacks."

At one point, Neil Young sported a ball cap that read "FDNY," the emblem of New York firefighters. "I just made a new friend backstage," he said. "Jim Lenox from Ladder 37 of FDNY is here, taking his first day off. He's been there since the first day." Collaborating with his longtime band Crazy Horse, Young performed a rousing, electrifying set that included "Don't Cry No Tears," "Love and Only Love" and "Rockin' in the Free World." Young wore a "Stop Factory Farms" T-shirt and said American family farmers are being undercut by big business.

Young introduced Matthews as "our newest member of Farm Aid Board of Directors." Playing solo, Matthews dipped into his latest release, Everyday. "I gotta try this song just 'cause I'm scared to do it, so I gotta try this song," he said before "I Did It." He also went back into his band's repertoire for "Satellite." Mickey Raphael, from Nelson's band, played harmonica with Matthews on Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower."

Playing to a hometown audience, Mellencamp and his band delivered '80s heartland anthems "Jack and Diane," "Small Town," "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." and "Pink Houses," among others. Between songs, the crowd chanted "U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A." "As far as this band is concerned," Mellencamp told his captive listeners, "all we wanted to do tonight is try to entertain you guys and maybe make your day a little nicer."

The Doobie Brothers, including founding members Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston, did a short afternoon set that included "China Grove," "Black Water" and "Long Train Runnin'."

Farm Aid started in September 1985 with a concert in Champaign, Illinois. Just 21 days after coming up with the idea of helping America's family farmers, Nelson had enlisted Mellencamp, Young and John Conlee to join him in the cause. The first concert played to 92,000 people. Among the 54 artists who helped were Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.

In addition to this year's hosts and high-profile main acts, the event included performances by North Carolina's Acoustic Syndicate, Jimmy Reyser, alternative country favorite Chris Knight, blues artist Susan Tedeschi, Chicago singer/songwriter Alice Peacock and Kory & the Fireflies from South Dakota.

During the telecast, viewers were urged to contribute to the Fund for World Trade Center Green Market Farmers set up to help relocate five farmers' markets in lower Manhattan shut down by the terrorist bombings on September 11. Also during the event, Harold Schaitberger, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), accepted a $25,000 check on behalf of New York workers experiencing hardships as a result of the attack. Clear Channel Entertainment and the Verizon Wireless Music Center donated the money. Patchwork Family Farms of Missouri and Farm Aid are donating 5,000 pounds of meat to the relief effort. The truckload of food is expected to reach the New York City Central Labor Council's Support Center on Tuesday (October 2).

Headlining the concert, Nelson performed a medley of his signature songs: "Funny How Time Slips Away," "Night Life" and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." Tedeschi took lead vocals on "Crazy," and the entire cast of Farm Aid 2001 joined Nelson on the concert-closing gospel classics "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and "Amazing Grace."

MTVi's parent company, Viacom, also owns CMT.

For more information on and audience reaction to the attacks, including tips on how you can help, see "9.11.01: Moving Forward."

• Willie Nelson
• John Mellencamp
• Neil Young
• Dave Matthews Band
• Dave Matthews

Willie Nelson
Photo: Donata Wenders

Farm Aid 2001 is fine-tuning its efforts to help the farmers markets destroyed or displaced by the World Trade Center attack.

During the concert on Saturday in Noblesville, Indiana, viewers will be encouraged to donate to the Fund for World Trade Center Green Market Farmers. The money will help restore five farmers markets in lower Manhattan.

"We're just getting more specific about donating to the fund," Farm Aid Associate Director Glenda Yoder said. "We are using the Farm Aid platform to urge viewers to give directly to the fund. We will be publicizing the address at the press conference and during the broadcast."

Martina McBride will host the Farm Aid program, airing live on CMT at 4 p.m. ET and continuing until 10 p.m. Scheduled performers include Farm Aid founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp as well as Dave Matthews, Arlo Guthrie, Chris Knight and Acoustic Syndicate.

To donate, checks should be made out to the Fund for World Trade Center Green Market Farmers and mailed to:
Farmers Market Federation of New York
2100 Park St.
Syracuse, NY 13208

For more information on and audience reaction to the attacks, including tips on how you can help, see "9.11.01: Moving Forward".

• Willie Nelson
• Martina McBride

Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, More Hit 2009 Academy Of Country Music Awards

• Martina McBride
• Keith Urban
• Carrie Underwood
• Taylor Swift
• Kellie Pickler

Jonas Brothers Perform With Legends In Nashville

• Jonas Brothers
• Jordin Sparks
• Amy Grant
• Martina McBride
• Vince Gill