Country Music Newsmakers: 2007 In Review

12/23/2007 Stephen L. Betts January LeAnn Rimes is photographed and will soon be seen on the front of Kellogg's cereal boxes Jo Dee Messina begins her first USO tour, performing for American G.I.s in Italy over a five-day period Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted album is certified double-platinum Dierks Bentley shaves off his signature curls for his part in a music video Craig Morgan collects the first gold album of his career, for My Kind Of Livin' Keith Urban releases a videotaped message to his fans on his website, saying his life had become "unmanageable" prior to a 90-day rehab stay and admitting it was “one of the most impactful times of my whole life.” Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby tape an episode of CMT Crossroads in Nashville. The set list includes Bruce’s “Mandolin Rain” and Ricky’s “Don't Get Above Your Raisin’.” They're also joined by John Anderson for a surprise rendition of “Super Freak.” Kenny Chesney reaches triple-platinum status with the album The Road and the Radio. February Kellie Pickler's father, Clyde “Bo” Pickler, is arrested in North Carolina, charged with three misdemeanor counts after allegedly threatening a woman with a steak knife. Los Angeles police are called to the Hollywood Hills home of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill to investigate a break-in that occurred over the weekend. The singers were not home, and burglars got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. Porter Wagoner gives his first Los Angeles concert in nearly 40 years, opening for Neko Case at the Henry Fonda Theatre. He employs an all-star band: guitarist Marty Stuart, bass player Dwight Yoakam and drummer Billy Bob Thornton. On CBS-TV's 60 Minutes, Kenny Chesney admits that his not responding to rumors he’s gay - fueled by his annulment with actress Renée Zellweger - might have been a mistake. “I didn't want to draw any more attention to it ... ‘cause I knew I wasn't,” he insists. Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley welcome their first child, William Huckleberry Paisley, at Nashville's Baptist Hospital. Keith Urban performs at the Chicago Theatre, his first concert since leaving rehab at the close of 2006. Also this month, Keith performs “Stupid Boy” and “Once in a Lifetime” as the musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live. Troy Gentry is sentenced to three months probation and a $15,000 fine in Duluth, Minnesota, for improperly tagging a captive bear he killed in October 2004.  March Josh Turner celebrates his first double-platinum album with Your Man. Miranda Lambert's Kerosene achieves platinum-seller status. Joe Nichols performs “I'll Wait for You” and “Wings Of a Dove" at the funeral for Anna Nicole Smith in the Bahamas. Jason Aldean’s self-titled debut album is certified platinum. Richie McDonald tells Baton Rouge radio station WYNK he's leaving Lonestar to pursue a solo career. The singer intends to perform his final show with the band in November. Wynonna Judd's husband, Daniel Roach, is arrested at Shades of Hope Rehabilitation Center in Buffalo Gap, Texas. He’s charged with three counts of sexually abusing a minor, and pleads not guilty in a Nashville court. Within a week, Wynonna files for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Dolly Parton leaves her handprints in London, England, as she's inducted into the Wembley Square Hall of Fame. Kenny Chesney celebrates his birthday with an acoustic set at Nashville's Tin Roof, announced on short notice. Gretchen Wilson, Tracy Lawrence, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, David Lee Murphy, Sara Evans, Kix Brooks, and 3 Doors Down join in the celebration. Horse of a Different Color becomes a triple-platinum album for Big & Rich. Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris appear on the PBS concert series Soundstage. Pop singer John Waite makes his Grand Ole Opry debut, performing “Missing You” with Alison Krauss at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House. The Carter Family's “Wildwood Flower,” Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes,” and Red Foley’s “Peace in the Valley” are added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress along with music by Cole Porter, The Ronettes, Pete Seeger and Paul Simon. Three Country Music Hall of Famers are teamed on a short tour for the first time as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price kick off a series of shows in Prescott Valley, Arizona, with Asleep at the Wheel serving as their backing band.  Mandolin player Ronnie McCoury gets a surprise birthday party at the Bluegrass Country Club in Hendersonville, Tenn., as he turns 40. Guests include Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, and Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones. Billy Joe Shaver shoots a barroom patron in the face outside Papa Joe's Texas Saloon in Lorene. Billy Joe claims the man was drunk and pulled a knife on him; the victim disputes the story. April Willie Nelson and road manager David Anderson plead guilty to marijuana possession in St. Martinville, Louisiana. They are fined $1,024 apiece and given six months probation. In the ongoing divorce battle between Sara Evans and husband Craig Schelske, the couple’s former nanny, Alison Lee, files a $3-million suit against Sara, alleging defamation of character. The nanny had been accused in Sara’s divorce filing of having an affair with her husband, a charge Lee has denied repeatedly. Also in April, Craig Schelske files a $20-million suit against Sara’s divorce attorney in Nashville. He says the lawyer made false and defamatory statements when telling the media he had evidence that Schelske had an affair with Lee. The former home of Johnny Cash and June Carter burns to the ground in Hendersonville, Tennessee, while workers are restoring it for new owner Barry Gibb. Watching helplessly: Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, Tommy Cash, T.G. Sheppard and several Oak Ridge Boys. May  Tim McGraw's Let It Go album is certified gold and platinum simultaneously. Martina McBride secures a restraining order in a Nashville court against Ricky Fissel, accused of stalking. Fissel allegedly appeared at her house twice in April. A police search turns up a newspaper story about McBride encircled by hand-drawn hearts. Gary Allan appears on The Oprah Winfrey Show, in the first TV interview in which he addresses the death of his wife, who committed suicide in 2004 following a battle with depression. The Grand Ole Opry celebrates Porter Wagoner's 50th anniversary. The tribute is led by Marty Stuart, who produced Porter's latest album, with appearances by Patty Loveless, Buck Trent and Dolly Parton, who joins Porter on “Just Someone I Used to Know.” June Mel Tillis is officially inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and performs a medley of songs he's written, including “Detroit City” and “Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town.” Jo Dee Messina performs the national anthem for an audience that includes George W. Bush at the President's Dinner at the Washington Convention Center. Trace Adkins cancels his scheduled performance at the event after suffering a back injury while working on his farm. Taylor Swift enters the record books as the only female solo artist in country-music history to write or co-write every song on a platinum-selling debut album.  July The Judds reunite at Harrah's in Atlantic City for their first full concert in seven years. Keith Urban performs at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, for one of Al Gore's Live Earth concerts. Also performing: Jon Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson, Melissa Etheridge, The Dave Matthews Band and The Police. A Travis Tritt Martin Limited Edition guitar is unveiled at the Martin Guitar booth at the trade show for Summer NAMM '07, hosted in Austin, Texas, by the International Music Products Association. A two-hour special, Six Degrees of Martina McBride, airs on ABC-TV, focusing on the connections, talent, and luck it takes to become a country music superstar, following six singers from the middle of nowhere with nothing but their dreams. Big & Rich receive the Vietnam Veterans of America's President's Award for Excellence in the Arts during the opening ceremonies of the organization's convention in Springfield, Ill. The award recognizes the duo's 2006 single, “8th of November,” inspired by a battle U.S. troops fought in Vietnam in 1965. Niles Harris, a Purple Heart recipient who inspired the song, attends the presentation. After their Chicago stop on the Soul 2 Soul 2007 tour, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill head to the city’s House of Blues for their Bread & Water show (small shows off the beaten path that raise money for various charities). By 12:30 a.m., 1200 fans fill the club to capacity, and at 2 a.m., after opening sets by Lance Miller and Halfway to Hazard. Tim and the Dancehall Doctors deliver a two-and-a-half hour show. Chicagoan Jim Belushi joins in on harmonica for several songs. At 4:30 a.m, fire marshals and club management finally convince Tim and company to pack up and hit the road. Michael McDonald, Hal Ketchum, Radney Foster, Tracy Lawrence, Collin Raye, Matraca Berg and Jason Sellers are among the artists gathered at a tribute to late Nashville banker Brian Williams at the Ryman Auditorium. Williams, 45, who was senior vice president/group manager of SunTrust Bank's Sport and Entertainment Specialty Group, drowned at Center Hill Lake outside Nashville on July 8, 2006. The memorial includes a videotaped tribute from Martina and John McBride. Mark Collie is arrested in Nashville on charges of driving under the influence and implied consent for refusing to allow his blood to be drawn unless his personal doctor was present. Mindy McCready is jailed in Fort Myers, Florida, on two misdemeanor charges: battery and resisting a law enforcement officer. She posts $1,000 bail and is released. In September 2005, Mindy was hospitalized for an overdose of alcohol and prescription drugs. The Wreckers' Jessica Harp gets engaged to boyfriend (and bandmate) Jason Mowery.  Jessica's fellow Wrecker, Michelle Branch, announces the engagement on stage in front of a sold-out crowd at New York's Bowery Ballroom. Kimberly Roads of Little Big Town and husband Stephen Schlapman welcome daughter Daisy Pearl, born July 27 in Phoenix, AZ. Jerry Laseter, former fiance and longtime boyfriend of Tanya Tucker, is arrested near Las Vegas area and charged with felony theft. Also arrested is Chrislynn Jones. The Las Vegas Sun reports that a truck carrying $500,000 worth of Tanya's wardrobe and jewelry was stolen somewhere between Tennessee and Nevada. Laseter takes the truck to the Palace Station Hotel and leaves the keys with a bellman. The following morning, an associate of Tanya's picks up the truck and drives it to the Hard Rock Hotel. Nothing is inside the truck except a note that reads: "When you are trying to get someone over a barrel, make sure you got a strong barrel." It was punctuated with an expletive. The wardrobe and jewelry are recovered and returned to Tanya. August Dolly Parton announces she has formed her own record label, Dolly Records, and will release a country album, Backwoods Barbie, in early 2008. The album’s first single, “Better Get to Livin’,” is set for a September release. Rumors begin swirling around Music Row that Garth Brooks is plotting a comeback and will soon release a new album. During a Nashville press conference, Garth announces a new single, and unveils cover art and details of The Ultimate Hits CD/DVD collection due in November. The album will be self-distributed via Garth's Pearl Records to all retailers, and promoted by Big Machine Records, home to Garth's wife, Trisha Yearwood. When the single, “More Than a Memory,” hits radio on Aug. 27, it debuts at the top of the country chart, the first country single to ever do so. Tracy Lawrence celebrates his first No. 1 single in more than a decade, “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,” at Nashville’s Cabana restaurant. Kenny Chesney - who sings on a version of the song with Tim McGraw – along with Tracy’s hero George Jones, and friends Joe Diffie, Trent Tomlinson, and Wade Hayes join in the celebration. Tim McGraw recovers a ring he lost at a memorable concert in Lafayette, La. In addition to being grabbed by a fan (who was publicly berated from the stage by Tim's wife, Faith Hill), Tim also lost a ring, which appeared to have been grabbed by another fan, but in reality the ring had slipped off his left hand. It is later turned into security, and returned to Tim. A member of Tim’s entourage later says Tim had lost some weight and as a result his rings were not fitting properly. Dixie Chick Natalie Maines signs on to play a prison nurse in the film, Stealing Cars. Fourteen years after leaving Tennessee Tech University, Rodney Atkins is awarded his college degree. The psychology major was just a few credits short of completion, but under Tennessee Tech University's new major, Interdisciplinary Studies, he had actually qualified for completion of enough credits to receive the degree. Rodney is presented with his degree during his performance at the Rodney Atkins Celebrity Golf Classic in Cookeville, Tenn. Vince Gill, Mel Tillis, and Ralph Emery are announced as the newest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Barbara Mandrell, Brenda Lee and Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell help make the announcement at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Vince Gill celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Vinny Pro-Celebrity Invitational golf event in Brentwood, Tenn. Joining Vince are British Open senior champion Tom Watson, and the family of late golf pro Payne Stewart, who present a bronze trophy for an award named in his honor. Other celebrity participants in the event include Amy Grant, John Michael Montgomery, Charley Pride, and Mac Davis, as well as members of the Gatlin Brothers and Diamond Rio. Celebrity athletes include 1975 U.S. Open winner Lou Graham, Olympic figure skater Scott Hamilton, Baseball Hall of Fame member Harmon Killebrew, former Oakland Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica, LPGA Hall of Fame member Nancy Lopez and former NBA player Will Perdue. LeAnn Rimes is in Atlanta shooting scenes for her feature-film acting debut in Good Intentions, a film that also stars Luke Perry (Beverly Hills, 90210). Carrie Underwood's music video for “Before He Cheats” results in her nomination in the Best New Artist category at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. She loses to Gym Class Heroes at the Sept. 9 ceremony. Billy Currington announces he’ll take the rest of the year off to continue treatment for issues stemming from more than a decade of physical abuse as a child. In an issue of People magazine Billy reveals he has completed a 30-day stay at a trauma recovery program at Sierra Tucson in Arizona. He cancels 83 shows and leaves for Hawaii to work with two therapists specializing in childhood trauma. Billy says his first stepfather, whom he wrote about in “Walk a Little Straighter,” physically abused him for years, including knocking him unconscious when he was 10. Radio personality Intern Adam of WRVW (107.5 The River) in Nashville states on the air that he witnessed Kellie Pickler driving drunk, after seeing the singer in a black Mercedes at a Nashville McDonald's drive-through window, bouncing up and down, waving her arms in the air and screaming into the speaker. The following morning, Kellie heads down to the studio to confront him about not checking out his story before reporting it. “I'm all about forgiveness,” Kellie says, after accepting Adam's apology, “but you can't get on the air and say things like that about a person.” Big & Rich's Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace, buoyed by the duo’s first No. 1 single, “Lost in This Moment,” is certified gold nine weeks after its release. Rissi Palmer becomes the first African-American female country singer to hit the Billboard Country Singles chart since Dona Mason, whose "Green Eyes (Cryin' Those Blue Tears)" peaked at No. 62 in November 1987. Rascal Flatts debut on the Hot Country Songs with their version of the Beatles’ “Revolution.” A fired Kentucky police officer sues John Michael Montgomery for slander. Joshua Cromer, the officer who arrested John Michael on a drunk-driving charge in 2006, was fired in February, in part for postings made on MySpace, and for actions in connection with John Michael's arrest. Cromer claims the singer falsely accused him of stealing his cowboy hat during the arrest. His lawsuit also contends that John Michael falsely told police that Cromer had targeted him because he was a celebrity, and that Cromer acted inappropriately during the arrest. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum welcomes Hall of Fame member Kris Kristofferson for two performances in a two-day period. Kenny Chesney trades his cowboy hat for a football helmet as he joins the New Orleans Saints on the practice field the day before their pre-season game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Matthew Shafer, aka Uncle Kracker, is arrested on charges of second-degree sex offense stemming from an incident at a Raleigh, NC nightclub. As Uncle Kracker, Shafer is best known to country fans for the hit duet with Kenny Chesney, “When the Sun Goes Down.” One day after being released on $75,000 bond, he takes the stage at Kenny's show in Detroit to perform the hit song with him. Jason Aldean and his wife Jessica celebrate the birth of their second daughter, Kendyl. September Faith Hill joins John Mellencamp and Kelly Clarkson in Indianapolis as part of NFL Opening Kickoff 2007, broadcast on NBC-TV in celebration of the National Football League's 88th season. NBC's Sunday Night Football features Faith singing the opening theme, “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night,” which is set to the tune of Joan Jett's “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” Phil Vassar is among the performers at the Concert for Virginia Tech, taking place on the college's campus. The event is designed to help everyone move forward from the tragic shootings that took place there last April. The show, which also features John Mayer and the Dave Matthews Band, is a free event for current students, faculty and staff. Phil grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia, about 90 minutes from the Virginia Tech campus. With her debut single, “Country Girl,” Rissi Palmer makes history as the first African-American woman in 20 years to hit the singles chart. Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst direct Dwight Yoakam’s video for “Close Up the Honky Tonks,” the first single from the Dwight Sings Buck tribute album to Buck Owens. Lynyrd Skynyrd are among the inductees into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Hank Williams Jr.’s impromptu performance at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, the legendary honky-tonk on Nashville's lower Broadway, proved memorable when his false teeth took a stage dive. Hank scrambled around looking for them, while unleashing a few expletives and telling the crowd that he paid $5000 for the teeth and they should stay put. After getting the teeth back in his mouth, Hank played for 30 minutes more, declaring, “Half-time's over! I'm back!” Sammy Kershaw begins an ultimately unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor of Louisiana. Willie Nelson will play himself in Swing Vote, a feature film which also features Richard Petty playing himself. Other cast members include Kevin Costner, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, and Nathan Lane. In a 118-page court document in the Sara Evans divorce case, Sara is asked to answer questions ranging from what medications she's taking to details of allegations of nearly a dozen extramarital affairs. Joe Nichols marries Heather Singleton in a candlelight ceremony in Savannah, Ga., attended by family and close friends. Faith Hill, Willie Nelson and Miranda Lambert join Paul McCartney, 50 Cent, Beyonce, Daughtry, Celine Dion, and others in an ABC-TV news special, Elvis, Viva Las Vegas. George Jones, 76, is surprised with a birthday party thrown by his wife, Nancy, and Ronnie Gilley Properties. The guest list includes Joe Diffie, Two Foot Fred, Tracy Lawrence, Buddy Jewell, Mark Chesnutt, Tom T. and Dixie Hall and Oak Ridge Boys' Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall and Richard Sterban. Also on hand were fellow Country Music Hall of Famers Jimmy Dickens and Sonny James, as well as Naomi Judd, Trace Adkins and Dierks Bentley. Lonestar introduces new lead singer, Cody Collins replacing Richie McDonald, who announced his departure from the group earlier this year. Hootie and the Blowfish lead singer Darius Rucker signs with Capitol Records Nashville, and has a country album due out in 2008. A Nashville judge sentences Mindy McCready to one year in county jail for violating her probation via a domestic dispute in July at her mother's Florida residence. In addition to a year behind bars, Mindy was sentenced to two more years of probation and ordered to perform 200 additional hours of community service. Mindy had just over three months remaining on her original probation, stemming from a 2004 guilty plea to fraudulently obtaining OxyContin. Garth Brooks performs at the Dream Concert in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The concert supports the completion of Dr. King's Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Among the other musicians on the lineup are Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Queen Latifah, Joss Stone, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Robin Thicke, and John Legend. Kenny Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates scored first-week SoundScan sales of 386,992 units, making it the top-selling country disc the week of its release. The numbers, while impressive, pale in comparison to those of rapper Kanye West, who scanned just under one million units, and 50 Cent, who scanned more than 700,000 units. Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman put their suburban Nashville home up for sale, and purchase land for a farm in the Nashville area. The Mike Curb Family Foundation, Belmont University and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation partner to turn the old Sony/Nashville building on Music Row into a physical Hall of Fame, as well as a home for a new songwriting major offered by the university. Dolly Parton is on hand for the announcement. A confrontation after Brad Paisley’s concert at the Sound Advice Amphitheatre in Palm Beach, Fla., ended in two men being stabbed. An altercation broke out inside the amphitheater immediately after Brad’s show, with the fight then spilling outside the venue. Deputies were called to control the crowd and found a number of people injured. Brad was not involved in the incident. The Fox network's low-rated reality/soap opera Nashville, following the musical (and romantic) aspirations of struggling young country stars is cancelled ater airing a handful of episodes. CMT on Tour begins in Charleston, S.C., featuring headlining duo Sugarland, along with Little Big Town and Jake Owen. Reports begin to surface that singer/actress Jessica Simpson is soon to record a country album. Jessica’s father, Joe Simpson, when asked if he thinks his daughter will be accepted as a country singer, says, “She’s from Texas. How could she not?” Clay Walker marries model Jessica Craig in New Orleans. The couple met in 2005 during the CMA Awards, when the show was being held in New York City. Sara Evans and ex-husband Craig Schelske’s once-bitter divorce battle comes to an end. In addition to granting the divorce, court documents state the couple will “have no further comment regarding any allegations of fault or misconduct alleged by either party in these divorce proceedings.” Brad Paisley heads back to his hometown of Glen Dale, W.Va., to film the video for his single, “Letter to Me.” The song contains several references to Brad's hometown, and John Marshall High School, where he was a student. All of Brad’s former classmates from the class of 1991 have been invited back to take part in the video. Marty Stuart's American Odyssey premieres on XM Radio, exposing fans to a broad range of American music - including traditional country, blues, rockabilly, bluegrass, gospel and rock. October Rodney Atkins is named 2007-2008 National Adoption Celebrity spokesperson by the National Council for Adoption (NCFA), a leading adoption advocacy organization. He serves as keynote speaker and special musical guest at the Families for All National Parent Recruitment Summit in Washington, D.C. Reba McEntire receives the first ever Billboard Woman of the Year Award Songwriters Bob DiPiero (“Little Rock,” "If You Ever Stop Loving Me") and Mac McAnally (“All These Years,” “Back Where I Come From”) join bluegrass duo Flatt and Scruggs and Hank Williams, Jr. as the latest inductees into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame After a short stint, singer Aubrey Collins leaves Trick Pony to pursue a solo career. Aubrey became Heidi Newfield's replacement earlier in 2007, when Heidi left to pursue her own solo career. All For the Hall New York, emceed by actor-director-novelist Ethan Hawke, and featuring Vince Gill, Patty Griffin, Jewel and Trisha Yearwood, is held at New York City’s Nokia Theatre Times Square. The gala event benefits the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum The Dixie Chicks and the Eagles headline two concerts inaugurating the new Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. The concerts are the only U.S. concerts either band schedules for the year Garth Brooks sells out nine Kansas City concerts, set for November, in just under two hours. Josh Turner becomes the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry, three days before the release of his latest album, Everything Is Fine. Joe Nichols’ management posts a message on his website confirming that he has entered a rehab facility to deal with substance abuse. Taylor Swift is honored as Songwriter/Artist of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International at the 38th Annual Nashville Songwriters Foundation Hall of Fame dinner and awards. Taylor, the youngest artist in history to receive this award, ties with superstar Alan Jackson for the evening’s top honor. Past winners of the award include Vince Gill, Shania Twain, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Toby Keith and Brad Paisley. Big Kenny of Big & Rich and his wife, Christiev, travel to Akon, Sudan, to deliver medical and school supplies, musical instruments, clothing and building tools to the Kunyuk School for Girls. Citing irreconcilable differences, Lorrie Morgan files for divorce from Sammy Kershaw less than a week after he loses his bid to become lieutenant governor of Louisiana. This was her fifth marriage and his fourth. Tanya Tucker, who now lives in Malibu, Calif., is forced to evacuate her daughter and pets from their home when wildfires engulfing Southern California rage through her community. November The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) announces it is buying Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café to use as a songwriters venue. Oklahoma native Toby Keith is inducted into the Sooner state's Hall of Fame. He also joins fellow Oklahomans Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, and Carrie Underwood in the Oklahoma Centennial Spectacular celebration. The Judds announce they will reunite for one night only in May 2008, as part of the second annual Stagecoach festival in Indio, Calif. Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Big & Rich, Carrie Underwood, and Dierks Bentley will also perform at the two-day event. Kris Kristofferson, Shelby Lynne and the Rev. Jimmy Swaggart perform during a Nov. 10 concert honoring Jerry Lee Lewis at Playhouse Square's State Theater in Cleveland. The event also features Wanda Jackson, Cowboy Jack Clement, George Thorogood, Narvel Felts, Billy Lee Riley, Jason D. Williams, NRBQ's Terry Adams and Jerry Lee’s sister, Linda Gail Lewis. Chris Thile and bandmates Sara and Sean Watkins are taking an indefinite break from Nickel Creek. The band’s Farewell (For Now) tour concludes with shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Chris forms a new band, the Punch Brothers, whose debut album is due in Feb. 2008. Charlie Daniels is invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. His induction is set for Jan 19, 2008. Shooter Jennings and his longtime girlfriend, actress Drea de Matteo, welcome their first child, a baby girl they name Alabama Gypsy Rose. December Julianne Hough, who has won the past two seasons of ABC's Dancing with the Stars with her celebrity partners, signs a record deal with Mercury Records. She’s expected to release her first single in early 2008. Darryl Worley and girlfriend Kimberly Perkins are married in a ceremony in Columbia, Tenn. Dolly Parton's brother Randy is barred from performing at the North Carolina theater that bears his name. The singer allegedly violated a contract clause requiring him to “perform in a professional manner.” The Eagles’ Long Road Out of Eden, released Oct. 30, is certified triple-platinum. The group gave their first-ever awards-show performance on the CMA telecast in November. Rosanne Cash, 52, returns home after having brain surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital to treat a rare malformation of the skull that affects the brain and spinal cord. Chris Cagle is charged with misdemeanor assault following a benefit concert at the Cactus Moon Cafe nightclub in Tucson, Ariz. According to police, Chris was asked by an angry woman to keep signing autographs for her -- after he had already signed several items for her. After he declined, the woman began to call him names. Chris then allegedly punched her boyfriend in the face.   Special thanks to www.rolandnote.com and Tammi Brumfield