COUNTRY QUICKIES: 11/13/12
~~George Jones will play his final concert on a Nashville stage next year.
The Country Music Hall of Famer will perform at Bridgestone Arena on November 22, 2013 as part of his 2013 farewell tour, dubbed "The Grand Tour." George is expected to make approximately 60 stops next year.
The 81 year-old announced the tour earlier this year, after being briefly hospitalized for an upper respiratory infection and canceling several concerts.
Tanya Tucker is the first special guest confirmed to perform at the Nashville concert. A press release says additional special guests will be announced at a later date.
~~ The Academy of Country Music will again host musical performances at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Dec. 6-15 in Las Vegas. The Rodeo Live Stage will feature shows from David Nail, Aaron Watson, Chris Janson, Ryan Beaver, Chris Young, Sarah Darling, Bucky Covington, Jack Ingram and Brett Eldredge. The performances are part of the innaugural Cowboy Fanfest, an interactive area highlighting various aspects of the Western lifestyle at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The event is open to the public with free admission.
~~ The 3rd annual ‘CMA Country Christmas' special will air on ABC on Dec. 20 (9 pm ET).
Once again, Sugarland‘s Jennifer Nettles hosts the TV special. Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Colbie Caillat, Katherine Jenkins, Lady Antebellum, John Legend, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, Nettles and the Band Perry will all appear on the holiday special. The artists will celebrate by performing and sharing some of their favorite Christmas stories.
~~ Joe Dee Messina ran the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon in San Antonio, TX Sunday, finishing in 2 hours, 36 minutes. And immediately following the race she performed for the 25,000 runners and their families at the finish line.
The Rock ‘n Roll Marathon series, held in cities across the nation, benefits the Susan G. Komen breast cancer charity.
After completing the 13.1 miles at a 12-minute-mile pace, Jo Dee and her band ran through a 90-minute set of her hits, including "Heads Carolina, Tails California," "Bye, Bye," "I'm Alright," "Lesson In Leaving," "My Give A Damn's Busted" and "A Woman's Rant."
~~Terri Clark pays tribute to her musical heroes on "Classic", her tenth studio album, hitting stores today. The new project features Terri's take on country classics spanning the 1950s through the '80s, including Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," Delbert McClinton's "Two More Bottles of Wine" and Loretta Lynn's "Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)."
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~~Lost recordings from Buck Owens and his longtime sideman Don Rich will be released for the first time on Jan. 23 by Omnivore Records. Owens recorded the 18 songs on Honky Tonk Man in the early '70s while he was starring on the TV series "Hee Haw". All 18 songs are covers of country classics made famous by Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and many others.
"Don Rich Sings George Jones" is the only solo album recorded by Rich, the legendary lead guitarist and harmony vocalist in Owens' band, the Buckaroos. Owens' recordings of four Jones songs also are included on the project.
