>Randy Travis OK after his on-stage collapse
on September 28, 2011 at 10:19 am>Randy Travis passed out on stage during a benefit concert in front of an audience filled with doctors. Travis, 52, fainted in mid-song during The Crystal Heart Gala. Two doctors rushed to help. They said Travis had been struggling with laryngitis because of chronic allergies and was “overcome by a combination of dehydration, over-the-counter allergy medications, and caffeine use.” That, combined with the heat of the stage lights, caused him to pass out. Travis walked off stage under his own power and was examined on his tour bus. He expects to continue his 25th anniversary tour without missing a beat. His next show is Saturday in Bristol, Tennessee.
Kathy Mattea and Connie Smith will be honored by the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. Along with stars from other genres, they’ll be inducted into the hall on October 15th. Co-hosts for the event will be Peter Marshall of the old “Hollywood Squares” and filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, known for “SuperSize Me.”
Johnny Wright, the husband of Kitty Wells and one half of the recording duo Johnny & Jack, died yesterday at his home in Madison, Tennessee. He was 97. Wright came to fame as a member of the country duo Johnnie & Jack, who recorded hits such as “Ashes of Love,” “I Get So Lonely,” “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight” and “Poison Love” in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Jack Anglin, who was married to Johnny Wright’s sister, died in a car crash in 1963. Wright changed the spelling of his name from Johnnie after it was misprinted on a record, then began a solo career with a No. 1 hit “Hello Vietnam,” later featured in the 1987 movie “Full Metal Jacket.”
In addition to their co-hosting duties, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will sing “Remind Me” on the CMA Awards on November 9th. It will be their first live performance of the song on national television. Paisley will compete in five categories at the awards, while Underwood is nominated in the female vocalist category. Previously-announced performers include Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban. The CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on ABC.
Music artists who embrace social media platforms are being honored at the upcoming MTV O Music Awards 2 ceremony, with Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift representing the country genre during the October 31st awards show. Taylor is nominated in the Fan ARMY FTW (“For the Win”) category. Blake is nominated in the Must-Follow Artist on Twitter category. Dolly is nominated for Best Vintage Viral Video for her performance of “Jolene” on “That Good Ole Nashville Music,” a syndicated TV program that featured country artists singing their biggest hits.
Trace Adkins is headed back to the big screen. After playing the tough-talking leader of a motorcycle gang in “The Lincoln Lawyer,” Trace will play a truck driver in the upcoming film, “The Healer.” In the movie, described as a supernatural thriller, Trace plays a character literally named “The Truck Driver,” who transports people to hell. The movie is centered around teenage twins and their father who get lost in the woods during a camping trip. Trace’s co-stars include Isabelle Fuhrman, Joel Courtney, James Le Gros, Peter Bogdanovich and Natalia Dyer. “The Healer” is currently being filmed in North Carolina. It will hit theaters sometime next year.
On her new album, “Lady & Gentlemen,” LeAnn Rimes tackles some of the most recognizable country songs ever, all recorded by male artists. “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “When I Call Your Name,” and “Good Hearted Woman” are just some of the classic songs LeAnn features on her new album, songs many artists would leave untouched just because of their significance in music history. “I wanted to pay homage to the originals, and make these songs my own at the end of the day, without offending the original men,” LeAnn told Billboard. “I never thought that it was a ballsy move. I’m just thanking these men for these great songs that are obviously huge hits, and made an impact back in the day.”
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