Several Country Music Greats in the Headlines

   A host of Country Music legends are in the news today for everything from album releases to renamed post offices to medical concerns, according to a story on gac.com. Here's a rundown of some headlines surrounding some of the biggest names in the industry's history.

• The legendary Johnny Cash has made headlines for a pair of events coming in two months time. First, record label Columbia plans to release a CD/DVD set October 14, titled Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison: Legacy Release. Included in the CD portion will be the original concert album from January 1968, a second concert that was given to the inmates the same day and several other unreleased performances from “The Man in Black.” The DVD includes interviews with inmates and some Country Music greats, as well as footage from inside Folsom Prison. Later that same week, the second annual Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival will take place in Starkville, Miss. Rosanne Cash will headline the event, which is scheduled for Oct. 17-19.
• Another late Country Music legend will be included on an upcoming album when Waylon Jennings’ son Shooter, along with his band the 357’s, release Waylon Forever. The album includes eight songs Waylon and Shooter recorded in the mid-90s that have now been completed with new instrumental tracks.
• Rounding out the recent tributes to Country Music greats who have passed away was Tuesday’s renaming of the Minner Station Post Office in Oildale, Calif., in honor of Buck Owens. The newly named Buck Owens Station also introduced a postmark featuring Owens’ guitar, which will be stamped on mail at the station for the next month.
• One star who claims he will not be joining the above list of late stars is Merle Haggard, who claims reports that he has lung cancer are false. A spot was found on Merle’s lung in May, but it did not come back malignant. Doctors have still not determined what the spot is.
• 88-year old Kitty Wells is being honored with a GAC-sponsored exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Included in Kitty Wells: Queen of Country Music are trophies, song manuscripts and clothing. The exhibit opens Friday.
• Finally, Vince Gill will perform at the fourth annual ParkinSong Nashville benefit at the Hall of Fame’s Ford Theatre next month. Tickets for the Sept. 9 event cost $100 and will go to help the Middle Tennessee chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association.