Blog Archive
Basket cases
The Voice of America reports that the Autry National Center of the American West has unveiled an impressive exhibition of traditional and modern Native American basket weaving. The exhibit -- set to run through May 30, 2010 -- is drawn from nearly 14,000 baskets in the extensive collection of the Autry Center's Southwest Museum of the American Indian. More than 250 objects are on view, ranging from small Pomo feather baskets made for sale to tourists to massive Apache olla baskets used for storing large quantities of seeds.
Three for the road
Platinum recording artist Lee Ann Womack has signed on to appear with King of Country George Strait and superstar Reba McEntire for a cross-country concert tour that kicks off Jan. 22 in Batltimore, MD, and continues through late spring. There's just one hang-up: "I'm trying to figure out what to wear," says Womack, "'cause you can't out-starch George, and you sure can't out-spangle Reba!"
A Thanksgiving Day feast for Clint Eastwood fans
On Thanksgiving Day, even before you start feasting on turkey, you can savor a heaping helping of spaghetti. Spaghetti Westerns, that is. MGM HD -- the high-definition, 24/7 movie channel available on cable and satellite systems nationwide -- will serve up a triple bill of Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly starting at 9 am EST -- and repeating at 6 pm EST, if you prefer to have your spaghetti after the turkey -- Nov. 26. Known collectively -- if not accurately -- as the "Man with No Name Trilogy," the three films are justly famous for showcasing Clint Eastwood as a sharp-shooting, cheroot-chewing bounty hunter who aims to please no one but himself. If you're a true-blue Western fan, this golden opportunity to watch all three movies back-to-back in high-def format is -- well, something to be thankful for.
Cowboy Museum expands inclusion of Indians
The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City has begun a $180,000 facelift of its Native American Gallery that will add even more artifacts to its collection. "We had the opportunity to capture the greater story of the American West," says museum director Chuck Schroeder. "That really does have worldwide appeal."
More 'Pure Country,' with less George Strait
Country megastar and C&I cover boy George Strait has been signed to play what's described as a "very limited role" in A Pure Country Gift -- a follow-up to his 1992 movie Pure Country. The new film is not a sequel, strictly speaking, but rather "a movie in the Pure Country genre." At least, that's the word from filmmaker Chris Cain, who directed the enduringly popular '92 original, and currently is filming Pure Country Gift on location in Nashville. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cain -- who also directed the 1988 Western Young Guns -- has cast Country artist Katrina Elam in Pure Country Gift as a singer who's blessed with a beautiful voice by three angels. Complications arise when she abuses that great gift.
The Collected Louis L'Amour Shorts
Those of us who are fiends for the printed word were thrilled to hear another volume of Louis L'Amour short stories was going to be available, and we were not dissapointed. Over the past several years, the late author's estate has put out six superb volumes of Western, Crime, and Adventure genre fiction. “The Collected Short Stories of Louis L’Amour - Volume 7, Frontier Stories," was released just a few weeks ago. The late author's wife, Kathy L'Amour, will be on hand to sign copies of the book at Sorrel Sky Gallery in Durango, Colorado, November 28th from 12-3 p.m.
"My father told a good story,'' said Beau L'Amour, the writer's son, told the New York Times in 1998. ''And the western provides a great format for looking at our society, how we got here. What happened on the frontier has a lot to say about who we are.''
FYI: Sorrel Sky Gallery, 870 Main Avenue, Durango, CO, 81301, 970.247.3555. www.sorrelsky.com
Annual WRCA Ranch Rodeo Championships
If you're within driving distance of Amarillo you can catch the 14th Annual Working Ranch Cowboys Association (WRCA) Championship Ranch Rodeo this weekend at the Amarillo Civic Center. Watch the dirt fly as top hands and hard-luckers from across the country compete for the title. If you're not in Amarillo, keep your eyes on RFD-TV for the broadcast date to be announced soon.
FYI: www.wrca.org
Winners and Losers at the 2009 CMAs
To the surprise of many fans and critis, Darius Rucker won the CMA for New Artist of the Year, despite (or perhaps in spite of) his previous career experience as a multi-platinum performer.
Other highlights:
• Brad Paisley took 60% of the fan votes online for Entertainer of the Year, but lost out to Taylor Swift.
• Lady Antebellum topped Rascall Flatts for Vocal Group of the Year, also taking Single of the Year for "I Run to You."
• Jamey Johnson lost to the aforementioned Darius Rucker for New Artist but snagged Song of the Year with "In Color."
• Sugarland beat out Joey & Rory, Brooks & Dunn, and Big & Rich for Vocal Duo of the Year (I guess ampersands are out of style).
Congrats to all the winners and performers at the 42nd annual CMAs for putting on another great show.
The return -- maybe -- of the TV Western
Are TV Westerns poised to make a prime-time comeback? Perhaps. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the FX cable network is developing Reconstruction, a drama set in a Missouri town during the post-Civil War era. The series would center on a character named Jason, described as "a proper East Coast gentleman who returns from the war a changed man and seeks refuge in the border state." And while it may be too early to officially announce the start of a trend, the showbiz trade paper also notes: "FX has picked up the contemporary Western Lawman... and several Western-themed projects are in development at the broadcast networks."
From Country charts to comic books
First, Country superstar Trace Adkins tried his hand at horror movies as a Southern-fried Satan. Now he's gone over to the side of the angels -- sort of -- as the inspiration for a fearless comic book hero: Luke McBain. The premiere issue in a four-part series will be available in more than 4,000 comic book stores starting Wednesday, with subsequent issues scheduled to be released monthly through February 2010. Fans can purchase a copy at Trace's website, or at 12gaugecomics.com. But wait, there's more: A special limited Tour Edition of Luke McBain will be available at Trace's concerts starting Nov. 21.Red Steagall corrals Dean Smith for 'In the Bunkhouse'
This week on In the Bunkhouse, Red Steagall's special guest is living legend Dean Smith, winner of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Smith, who earned a gold medal as a relay runner in the 1952 Summer Olympics, spent 50 years in the movie business as a stuntman and actor, working with the likes of Robert Duvall, Burt Lancaster, Robert Redford and Stuart Whitman in such memorable Westerns as The Alamo (1960), Two Rode Together (1961), How the West Was Won (1962), McLintock! (1963), Cheyenne Autumn (1964), True Grit (1969), Jeremiah Johnson (1971) and Ulzana's Raid (1972). You can catch him swapping stories with Red when In the Bunkhouse airs at 1 and 11 p.m. EST (12 noon and 10 pm CST) on RFD-TV.Live from Houston -- it's Susan Hickman!
5th Annual Photo Contest Update
Thanks to all you contestants who entered the 5th Annual C&I Photo Contest. Our deadline for submissions was October 16, 2009, and we've received over 1,700 entries. The grading, sorting and appreciating process has begun. Please remain patient... if your entry is chosen as a potential finalist, we'll contact you no later than December 18, 2009. As a brief teaser, please take in this terrific entry "Big Sky" by Morgan Dabbs. If you missed the deadline this time, you can start thinking about 2011 by clicking here.
Happy Birthday, Matthew McConaughey!
Country music artist Jamey Johnson joined the festivities Tuesday when hunky movie star (and former C&I cover boy) Matthew McConaughey celebrated his 40th birthday with a well-attended gathering of family and friends. And mind, you the key word is celebrated: Matthew actually thinks life is getting better as he grows older. “The 30’s were good to me,” he noted on his MySpace page, “and I’m really looking forward to my 40’s, ’cause I'm late bloomer. Got everything I need for a perfect 40th…a happy and healthy lady, son, and another baby on the way…” Just how festive were those festivities? Matthew says “there were some epic stories told, lot of laughs and definitely some roasting. Somehow! No blood or glass broken, and that's cus the gig was so organized by lady and we went 'til 4:30am.”Carrie Underwood & "Cowboy Casanova"
In a recent interview with CMT , Carrie Underwood says "I think to every woman, this song would be telling a story about someone they know or met or has tried to pick them up in a bar," but stresses that she's not a hater. "We're not trashing this guy; we're just warning these other girls about him," she says of her sassy single, which you can watch below.
'Crazy' for Oscar?
Riding the range at 'Texas in Queens'
And the hits just keep on coming for Taylor Swift
157th week on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart – more weeks than any other album this decade. (The previously record-holder: Nickelback.) Taylor also holds the Billboard record for most Top 10 debuts in a calendar year. And she is the only solo female act in the history of the Billboard Country Chart to score five – count ‘em, five! – Top 10 singles from a debut album.Her list of outstanding accomplishments doesn’t end there. With Big Machine Records’ release of the CD/DVD Fearless: Platinum Edition, Taylor locked down five of the Top 10 singles positions on iTunes’ all-genre singles chart, as well as seven of iTunes’ Top 10 Country singles, including the entire Top 6. Fearless, named 2009’s Album of the Year by the Academy of Country Music, originally was released in November 2008. Now quadruple-platinum in the US, Fearless has earned Gold or Platinum status in 16 countries spanning five continents, and spent more weeks in the No. 1 position atop Billboard’s Top 200 all-genre CD sales chart than any other album this decade. What can she do for an encore? Funny you should ask: After demonstrating her comedic flair last June during the Country Music Television Awards telecast, Taylor is ready to go for some seriously big laughs. So she’s hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend – specifically Nov. 7 – as well as serving as the show’s musical guest. This puts her in some pretty prestigious company – only a few other artists (including Sting, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake) ever have pulled double duty on SNL. And the last time a female country artist was tapped to both host and perform was twenty years ago – when Dolly Parton did the honors.
'True Grit' remake proceeds apace
Will wild horses displace cattle?
Joey + Rory 'Play the Song' by their own rules
Paisley plans to bring 'Nashville' to prime time
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show would focus on two ambitious up-and-comers in Music City: A young female singer on the fast-track to success, and a young male songwriter whose career has yet to take off. Paisley is working on the project with One Tree Hill creator Mark Schwahn, and reportedly plans to contribute a few songs to the series’ soundtrack. There’s also talk that other Country stars might drop by for occasional guest appearances. We hope that works out better for Nashville than it did for Nashville 99.Garth Brooks: Viva Las Vegas!
after years of spending quality time with his three daughters and wife Trisha Yearwood at their 2,000-acre spread just northeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma. During press conferences in Nashville and Las Vegas, Brooks revealed that his first post-retirement gig will be “an extended engagement” at the Las Vegas’ Wynn Resort –- where, it’s safe to assume, the reservation-desk phones already are ringing off the wall. “We’re going to take the retirement roof off over our head,” Brooks promised. “And I already feel taller.” Even so, don’t be too quick to assume there’s a new Garth Brooks album in the offing. (There isn’t.) And there are no immediate plans for any cross-country tours. Indeed, during the Nashville press conference, Brooks sounded as though his Vegas gig might be his way of testing the waters before considering any future activity. "I know this is a young industry," he said, "so I'm not sure I'll be welcomed back. But, if the fans want me, I still want to pursue my music."Garth Brooks un-retirement update
It’s official: In a joint statement today out of Las Vegas, Garth Brooks, the No. 1 selling solo recording artist in U.S. history, and Steve Wynn, chairman of the board and CEO of Wynn Resorts, announced plans for Brooks to present a series of “special engagements” at the Encore Theatre at Wynn Las Vegas starting Dec. 11. “Steve Wynn did what I thought was impossible,” Brooks said. “He has given me a chance to sing again for the people, while at the same time never missing a day with my children. I am naturally nervous, but it feels good to be out from under the low ceiling of ‘retirement’ I put on myself."
For Wynn, signing Brooks to perform at his Vegas is the fulfillment of a long-time ambition fueled by unabashed admiration. “Everything about Garth’s performances—his artistry, the range of his voice and connection with his audience—is something that I haven’t seen since the Rat Pack,” Wynn said, referring to the celebrated ensemble of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. “In show business, for a single performer to lift an entire audience emotionally to the point where they pray it doesn’t end, is an extraordinary and unique thing that only a few gifted people can do. But that is what I experienced when I saw Garth on stage, alone with his guitar, doing a history of his personal journey in music. I watched a man create instant love in real time, right before my eyes. Now we have the privilege at Wynn and Encore in Las Vegas to share this extraordinary, intimate experience with everyone.”
Tickets go on sale Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11 am. ET, 8 a.m. PT. The tab: $125 plus a $5 service charge and $13 tax. Confirmed concert dates: Dec. 11-13, Jan. 1-3 and 22-24, Feb. 12-14 and 26-28. Tickets can be ordered by calling (702) 770-7469, or on-line here.
A Canadian cowboy lassos a U.S. record contract
Canadian country music artist Corb Lund has launched his first full-scale American invasion. According to The Edmonton Sun: “After five albums, a passel of Canadian Country Music Awards and more than a decade riding the endless trail between stages in Canada, Texas, England and Australia, the thirty-something son of a veterinarian has roped himself what every Canadian singer wants: A U.S. record deal.” Lund signed with New West, the respected roots label that also keeps Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakim and Steve Earl – artists Lund acknowledges as major influences – under contract. Losin’ Lately Gambler, hyped as Lund’s latest collection of “chicken-pickin' honky-tonk, wise-acre horse tales and Canadian country,” is currently available wherever fine CDs are sold.
Strait talk in C&I
Coming soon to a newsstand near you: Country music icon George Strait, the focus of a cover-story profile in the December issue of Cowboys & Indians. 
In an exclusive Q&A with C&I, Strait talks about roping and ranching in South Texas -- and singing and songwriting for Twang, his 26th studio album. An instant No. 1 smash hit when released in August, Twang features four songs written or co-written by the King of Country’s son, Bubba Strait, who tells C&I that he’s very happy to be working in the “family business.” He and his famous father “like all the same stuff, so we seem to agree on music, too, for the most part,” Bubba says. “I’m writing a lot more than him, though, because sometimes he’d rather go play golf. But you can’t blame him. Besides, he needs the practice!” Look for the December issue of Cowboys & Indians wherever fine magazines are sold starting Oct. 20.
It's 'Rattlesnake Season' at fine bookstores everywhere
Award-winning Western author Larry D. Sweazy is kicking off a new series of adventures this week with the release of The Rattlesnake Season, the first in a series of novels 
about a hard-riding’, straight-shootin’ Texas Ranger named Josiah Wolff. What’s it all about? According to Amazon.com: “After rejoining the Texas Rangers as part of the Frontier Battalion, Josiah Wolfe must escort his old friend Charlie Langdon to trial. But the ride to the hangman's noose isn't going to be easy. And Wolfe's killer instinct may be his only chance to see his son again.” Everything must turn out OK in the final chapter for our hero: The next Josiah Wolff novel, The Scorpion Trail, is set to hit bookstores next April.
Dierks Bentley is staying up late
Looks like Country star Dierks Bentley will be working the late shift in October. According to Country Music Television, he'll perform his new single "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on Monday, Oct. 5, then encore on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson for an episode airing Oct. 12. If you just can't wait for either date, you can view a music video of the song here.
Art for Heart's sake at Cowgirl Museum
Just a reminder: The fifth annual Heart of the West Exhibition and Sale kicks off Friday, Oct. 2, and continues through Oct. 25, at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth. Western-influenced artworks from 42 contemporary female artists -- in oil, bronze, watercolor, pencil and other media -- will be available for viewing and, of course, purchasing. And remember: A portion of the proceeds from Heart of the West will benefit the museum itself. Twenty-five percent of the purchase price of each artwork is tax deductible, and all purchases are sales tax free Oct. 16. You can read more about the event here.
Encore reloads 'Gunsmoke'
Fans of TV Westerns, rejoice: The Encore Westerns cable network has acquired the rights from CBS TV Distribution to air epsiodes of Gunsmoke, Have Gun, Will Travel and Rawhide. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunsmoke will begin airing in January, with the other two classic series tentatively set to premiere "sometime next year."
Kidding around with Robert Redford
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the premiere of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid -- gosh, has it really been around that long? -- Sean P. Means of The Salt Lake City Tribune tracked down Robert Redford for a rare interview. According to Means, "the seemingly predestined path from The Sundance Kid to everything that now bears the Sundance name -- the ski resort, the institute, the film festival, the cable channel and the catalog store -- was a combination of luck, timing and happenstance." That's because, as Redford admits, he wasn't the first choice for the role that has become so closely associated with his life and work: "I was sent up to read for Butch Cassidy, because that was the more obvious role -- you know, more lively and more comic, more energetic and youthful, because I was about 13 years younger than Paul [Newman]. The original title of [William] Goldman's screenplay was The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy, because Paul was going to play the Sundance Kid." But a funny thing happened on the way to production...
Monday will be "Country's Night to Rock"
If you didn’t make it to Nashville last June for the 2009 CMA Music Festival, you’ll have a second chance Monday, Aug. 31, to enjoy high-voltage stage performances by the likes of Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn and Wynonna and Naomi Judd. CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock, a three-hour cavalcade of highlights from the extravaganza formerly known as “Fan Fair,” will air from 8 to 11 pm ET on ABC.
And if you want to multitask while you’re watching: CMA will host its first-ever live Twitter feed on ABC.com during the telecast. Fans can log on to see Tweets from artists including Trace Adkins (@traceadkins), Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley), Lady Antebellum (@ladyantebellum), Martina McBride (@martinamcbride), Reba McEntire (@Reba), Kellie Pickler (@therealpickler), and the Zac Brown Band (@zacbrownband). Each artist will be posting observations about the show, along with behind-the-scenes tidbits, anecdotes about other artists performing on the show, and memories from past CMA Festivals. I was thinking about doing my own Twittering during the show -- after all, I was there in June, and thoroughly enjoyed myself -- but, heck, how could I compete for attention with those folks?
George Strait: Long live the King!
George Strait had them dancing in the aisles and swaying in their seats as the hits just kept on coming Saturday evening at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. During a 110-minute set, the uncontested King of Country ran the gamut from early-career favorites (“Amarillo by Morning,” “Ocean Front Property”) to more recent chart-toppers (“Troubadour,” “I Saw God Today”), performing each and every song with his trademark mix of easygoing sincerity and no-sweat self-assurance while the sold-out crowd responded with frequent, full-throated cheers.
Early on, Strait set the tone with a smidgen of self-mockery, announcing: “I’m not going to talk too much. Not like normal.” This triggered knowing laughter from the tens of thousands in attendance, few of whom really expected anything else. Indeed, Strait kept it simple and straightforward, as usual, performing song after song with a minimum of snappy patter, a dearth of pyrotechnical stagecraft – and enough megawatt charisma to power a fair-sized city.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about George Strait in concert is his ability to make even songs he must be singing for the zillionth time sound freshly minted and newly compelling. This was especially evident Saturday evening as he subtly infused “Run” with a trace of aching melancholy – suggesting that, deep down, he feared that faraway lover of his might not really return – and brought the undercurrents of self-loathing in “Give It Away” to near flood level. Mind you, he did nothing too obvious or attention-grabbing – but whatever he did, he did it right.
Of course, Strait had more to offer – a lot more -- than a cavalcade of sad songs about wistful regret. Backed by his Ace in the Hole band, he accelerated pulses with the likes of “Write This Down,” “The Fireman” and “Honk If You Honky Tonk,” and gladdened hearts with a rousing rendition of “Heartland,” a bona fide Country anthem from Strait’s 1992 star-vehicle movie, Pure Country. But it was during the evening’s quieter moments – like, during his affecting performance of his latest hit single, “Living for the Night” – when the King really had his subjects in the palm of his hand.
Oddly enough, “Living for the Night” was the only cut from his terrific new album – Twang -- that Strait included on his song list Saturday night. That’s a pity, because, as much as the crowd clearly enjoyed hearing familiar favorites, they likely also would have enjoyed the loose-goose rambunctiousness of “Same Kind of Crazy” (written by Texas country-rock legend Delbert McClinton), the spicy Cajun rhythms of “Hot Grease and Zydeco,” the Wild West balladry of “Arkansas Dave” (written by Bubba Strait, the superstar’s son, who also co-wrote three other Twang tunes with his dad), and the exuberant honky-tonking of the album’s title cut.
But, then again, it’s safe to assume that most of the folks at Reliant Stadium were long-time, diehard fans of George Strait, right? And as such, they probably already own the CD. If you don’t – well, you should.Hank Williams sings again
Variety reports that, in the wake of top-grossing, award-winning musical “biopics” about Johnny Cash and Ray Charles, plans are afoot to produce a feature film based on the life of Country music legend Hank Williams. Actually, this will be the second cinematic attempt at dramatizing Williams’ short life and amazing career: Anyone remember 1964’s Your Cheatin’ Heart, with George Hamilton giving a career-highlight performance in the starring role?The sights and sounds of Sugarland
Next week will be a sweet time for fans of Sugarland – a.k.a., Jennifer Nettles and Christian Bush -- as the chart-topping, award-winning Country duo launches a multimedia campaign to promote Live on the Inside, their eagerly awaited combo CD/DVD, which will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart stores starting Tuesday, Aug. 4. On Monday, Nettles and Bush headline their first network television special at 8 pm. EDT on ABC. Filmed at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, by director Shaun Silva, the hour-long extravaganza offers viewers high-energy highlights from Sugarland’s live show, featuring some of their biggest hits ("Settlin,'" "Stay," "All I Want to Do" and "Something More"). "Television music specials and performances become iconic,” says Nettles. “Who hasn't seen replays of the Beatles on Ed Sullivan? Or Elvis' TV special, where he was wearing his jump suit and giving away his scarf? Even performances that I can remember as a child, like Live Aid for example, really made such an impact. We are so excited to have our show on ABC and hope that it will be a moment that people will enjoy and remember." But wait, there’s more: On Thursday, Aug. 6, Sugarland will debut their DVD release Live on the Inside with a one-night-only big-screen presentation in 35 theaters nationwide. To get a list of participating theaters – and order tickets – click here.Patrick Wayne: Following his father's example
R.I.P: marksman Joe Bowman (1925-2009)
Sad news about Joe Bowman, the Tennessee-born, Houston-based marksman known affectionately and professionally as "The Straight Shooter." A former bootmaker whose pistol prowess served him well as a shooting consultant for Robert Duvall during production of Lonesome Dove, Bowman passed away in his sleep at a hotel Monday during a trip back home from an appearance at the 28th annual End of the Trail Wild West Jubilee near Albuquerque, N.M. The Houston Chronicle reports on Bowman's life and exploits here.Brendan Wayne keeping up tradition in remake of Angel and the Badman
"Following in the tradition of an icon," says Brendan Wayne, "gives you an interesting perspective." The 37-year-old actor certainly knows whereof he speaks: He's the grandson of the late, great John Wayne. And on July 5 (9 p.m. EST) he'll be co-starring in the Hallmark Channel's remake of Angel and the Badman, one of The Duke's most popular Westerns. • Continue readingHank Williams Jr., Jimmy Fallon jam on Late Night
Brad Paisley, Andy Griffith provided the 2009 CMT Music Awards' best moment
Check out Joe's wrap-up of the 2009 CMA Music Festival
CMA Music Festival news: Hot stars, big crowds
• Follow C&I at the CMA Fest on Twitter! Twitter.com/CI_Magazine
• New to Twitter? Get info here.
Taylor Swift and Jamey Johnson will be among the galaxy of Country music stars performing this weekend at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville.
What sets them apart from the crowd? Music writer Chet Flippo insists that they're "the best things to hit Country music in recent history." And he makes a strong case for that claim here.
Looking elsewhere: The Tennessean notes that roughly 52,000 people a day are expected in downtown Nashville Thursday through Sunday for the various CMA festivities.
But even more folks will be converging at another musical extravaganza nearby. And not just because Merle Haggard will be performing there.
Jack Ingram — the subject of a "Live From" Q&A in our June issue — is looking forward to signing autographs and performing for fans at the CMA Fest.
"Only in country music do the artists come together to celebrate the fans," Jack says. "To see all the stars coming together in a place and throwing a party for the fans, well, that's cool. I love being part of letting the people who love this music know how much they mean to us."David Carradine, dead at 72, remembered most for Wild West martial arts series Kung Fu
David Carradine (1936-2009) worked with everyone from Ingmar Bergman to Quentin Tarantino, Charlton Heston to Rob Schneider, Tom Selleck to Mel Gibson, in movies and TV series of wildly uneven quality, in just about every conceivable genre, during a screen acting career that spanned five decades.
But it's the role that made him a '70s icon – Kwai Chang Caine, the mystical martial artist adrift in the Wild West of Kung Fu – for which he remains, now and likely forever, best known.
He seemed to be a good sport about being so closely identified with Caine, even to the point of more or less reprising the character in an updated '90s spin-off series (Kung Fu: The Legend Continues) and frequently spoofing it in various movies and TV commercials.
But he also demonstrated his versatility in an impressive variety of roles while amassing scads of credits as a steadily employed character actor.
He also played the bad guy who tried to get medieval on Chuck Norris in Lone Wolf McQuade, which you can watch below.
That he often appeared in Westerns — Heaven with a Gun (1969), Macho Callahan (1970), The Long Riders (1980), and Last Stand at Saber River (1997), among others — seemed altogether appropriate for an actor who made his first major breakthrough as the lead in Shane, the short-lived but fondly remembered 1966 TV series based on George Stevens' classic Western film.
Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo looks at cowgirl convicts
A "Gathering of Guns" at Memphis Film Festival
A new single and a star-studded tribute for George Strait
George Strait's next album — titled, no kidding, Twang — won't be available at fine stores everywhere until early fall. But if you simply can't wait for fresh Strait, check this out: "Living for the Night," the debut single from the King of Country Music's eagerly awaited CD, will be available to radio stations across the country Thursday, May 28, at noon CDT.
But wait, there's more: A galaxy of country superstars will celebrate Strait tonight when CBS airs George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All-Star Concert. The two-hour special, set to begin at 7 p.m. CDT, will feature performances by Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Jamie Foxx, Faith Hill, Jack Ingram, Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry, John Rich, LeAnn Rimes, Blake Shelton, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack.For you, from Hulu: Alias Smith and Jones
John Wayne's grandson to star in Angel and the Badman remake
Thirty years after John Wayne galloped off into the sunset for the final time, his grandson, actor Brendan Wayne, will be be riding tall in Angel and the Badman, a made-for-cable remake of The Duke's 1947 Western classic. Set to premiere July 5 on the Hallmark Channel, the new film will star Lou Diamond Phillips as Quirt Evans — the role originally played by John Wayne — a wounded outlaw who gets a shot at redemption while taking refuge with a sympathetic Quaker family. Luke Perry — who, like Phillips, has a passel of other Westerns to his credit — plays Evans' lethal rival, and Brendan Wayne appears as the outlaw's ex-partner.Sugarland leads CMT Music Award nominations
Sweet news for Sugarland: The dazzling duo dominated the field Tuesday when Country Music Television announced nominees for the 2009 CMT Music Awards. Sugarland picked up five nominations, leading Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift with four each, and Rascal Flatts and newcomers Lady Antebellum with three nominations apiece. Winners will be announced June 15 during a live telecast of the CMT awards show in Nashville. See the full list of nominees here.
Who are your picks for this year's awards?
Official sites: Sugarland | Brad Paisley | Taylor Swift | Rascal Flatts | Lady AntebellumHonoring Heroes with Montgomery Gentry
Just in time for Memorial Day, country music stars Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry — a.k.a. Montgomery Gentry — are teaming with Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores to help the Wounded Warrior Project help some deserving U.S. service personnel. For Our Heroes, a 12-song CD of new songs and familiar hits by Montgomery Gentry, will be available exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations starting May 25. (You can pre-order your copy right now at the Cracker Barrel website.) A portion of the proceeds from each CD sale will go to the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization dedicated to raising awareness and enlisting the public's aid for the needs of severely injured U.S. military men and women.Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz to co-star in Western Unbound Captives
Hugh Jackman will be back in the saddle again, thanks to actress-turned-filmmaker Madeleine Stowe. According to the showbiz trade paper Variety, Jackman is set to co-star with Rachel Weisz and Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson in Unbound Captives, a Western about a woman whose husband is killed — and whose two children are kidnapped — by a Comanche war party in 1859. Jackman — who rode hard and herded cattle in last year's Australia — will play a frontiersman who comes to the distressed damsel's aid. Stowe — whose credits as an actress include the feminist Western Bad Girls — hopes to start production near the end of the year.Kevin Costner in talks for post-Civil War miniseries
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kevin Costner is in negotiation with the A&E Network to produce — and possibly co-direct, and act in — a two-part, four-hour miniseries described as "a post-Civil War story covering a major conflict in the settlement of the West." Tana Nugent Jamieson, A&E's executive vice-president of drama programming, thinks the network has the right man for the right job: "Costner understands the Western better than anybody, and he respects the genre. He knows every bit of detail about the West; this is a genre he feels a lot of passion for. It's a perfect fit."
Michael Landon's son Mark Landon found dead in his home
That's Doctor Dolly Parton to you, pardner!
Johnny Depp, George Clooney to star in Jerry Bruckheimer's The Lone Ranger movie
After reviving the swashbuckler with his fabulously successful Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, producer Jerry Bruckheimer aims to reintroduce a classic Western franchise, The Lone Ranger, with Johnny Depp — whose maternal grandfather, not incidentally, was Cherokee — as Tonto, and, reportedly, George Clooney as the guy with the black mask and the silver bullets. Man, I am so there on opening day. My only question is, will they have someone as cool as Jason Robards to ask: "Who is that masked man?"Randy Travis wins Dove Award for Around the Bend
Congrats to Randy Travis for his Country Album of the Year win for Around the Bend at the Gospel Music Association's 40th annual Dove Awards last week.
But his most recent album just came out just last month — the two-CD set I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits Of Randy Travis.
Travis, who's no stranger to awards, has been around longer than I can remember. What's your favorite album or track of his?Ten best horror Western movies
From Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter — not on the list Film critic Sean Axmaker has selected The Ten Best Horror Westerns of all time, a list that includes Curse of the Undead (a 1959 vampire yarn with Rawhide star Eric Fleming) and Clint Eastwood's supernatural-themed High Plains Drifter (1973). Curiously enough, however, neither Billy the Kid Vs. Dracula nor Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter made the final cut.
Nashville Film Festival: More Hal Holbrook
First, That Evening Sun picked up the Audience Award for Best Feature at the SXSW Film Festival. Then, the exceptional indie drama (starring Hal Holbrook, pictured here with some shameless stargazer) received the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Sarasota Film Festival. And now, it's three-for-three, with yet another Audience Award for Evening Sun at the Nashville Film Festival. Do I spot a trend here?Nashville Film Festival salutes "adopted" Tennessean Hal Holbrook
Joe with Hal Holbrook at NaFFNolan Ryan riding tall
It's official: Strike-out king Nolan Ryan now is a member of cowboy royalty. The MLB Hall-of-Famer — now president of the Texas Rangers baseball team — was honored Saturday for his "experience with and passion for” the Beefmaster cattle industry at the Western Heritage Awards banquet of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Ryan — who has raised Beefeater cattle on his Texas ranches since 1972 — was given the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award, signifying that museum board members feel the legendary Major Leaguer embodies the finest traits of the American West. The ceremony also included Ryan's induction into three halls of fame at the museum. Info on the evening's other honorees is available here. Nashville Film Festival: Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison available for purchase
Now playing at a record store near you: Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, filmmaker Bestor Cram's richly detailed and abundantly fascinating account of events surrounding Cash's recording of his legendary live album at California's Folsom State Prison in 1968. The documentary played to appreciative audiences Sunday and Monday at the Nashville Film Festival, and likely will be a staple of Public TV pledge-week schedules for years and years to come. • Click here to continue reading
Meanwhile, back at Val Kilmer's ranch ...
According to the Associated Press, Tombstone star actor Val Kilmer — who's reportedly considering a run for governor of New Mexico — is selling his nearly 6,000-acre ranch near Santa Fe. The AP reports: "A buyer would get almost six miles of Pecos River frontage, a fishery and wildlife habitat including bears and bobcats. The ranch has a Southwest-style main house of nearly 5,600 square feet and a smaller caretaker's home, as well as other guest homes, barns, garages and outbuildings." And it can be all yours for the (current) asking price of $33 million.Nashville Film Festival: Lee Ann Womack gets real in Noble Things
The lovely and talented country music star Lee Ann Womack is almost unrecognizable as a dowdy and dutiful deputy sheriff in Noble Things, the moody filmed-in-Texas drama presented Saturday at the Nashville Film Festival.
"Yes, it was quite a change for me," Lee Ann joked during a pre-screening chat. "Usually, I'm a girl who likes to go around in five-inch heels." But she knew she needed a deglamorized look to be convincing in the indie feature, the tale of a career-stalled country singer (Brett Moses) who returns to his home town to deal with a dying father and an imprisoned brother.
Producer Ruben Neubauer was impressed by her professionalism: "Lee Ann really did an amazing job. And we've gotten some terrific feedback on her performance."
Noble Things marks Lee Ann's movie debut — she previously did a guest spot on the TV series The District – and in her view, portraying a character before a camera isn't all that different from conveying an emotion in a song.
"Actually," Lee Ann said, "it was Willie Nelson who taught me that. I was talking with him about acting when I was out on tour with him. And he said, 'When you act, you memorize the lines in a script, and you play the part as believably as you can. When you sing, you memorize the lyrics to a song, and you get up there and you try your best to convey that message in a believable way to your audience.'
"The only way I feel you really can do that as a singer is if you are really able to get inside that lyric. In other words, you really can't sing about pain if you haven't ever really felt it. And I think it's the same way about acting. Mind you, I never studied acting, and I don't know everything about it — except just drawing on my own experiences, and trying to convey that emotion." Nashville Film Festival: Brad Paisley a no-show for a good reason
Brad Paisley was a no-show Friday evening at the Nashville Film Festival world premiere of William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet, the musical documentary about the staging of a ballet based on Shatner's recorded-in-Nashville CD. (The Ccountry superstar is one of several "guest performers" on the album.) Festivalgoers weren't surprised by Paisley's absence — just a few hours before the screening, Paisley's wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, gave birth to their second son at a Nashville area hospital.
But apparently this good news didn't reach whoever assigned seats prior to the premiere.Nashville Film Festival: Posters of C&I's William Shatner cover have fans of their own
Movie blogger and William Shatner fan Mark Rabinowitz couldn't resist grabbing one of the hundreds of Cowboys & Indians posters given away Friday evening at the Nashville Film Festival's world premiere of William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet.Nashville Film Festival: William Shatner's Image Award rocks
What can you give a man who already has a couple of Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, and even two Golden Raspberries?
Well, if you're the clever folks at the Nashville Film Festival, and you want to honor William Shatner with a special Impact Award, you ask Gibson Guitar Corp. to construct, and artist Mandy Lawson to paint, a customized acoustic guitar to give the veteran actor. The prize certainly made an impact on Shatner when he received the one-of-a-kind instrument from Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz before Friday's NaFF world premiere screening of William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet.
"When I was a young stage actor out on tour," Shatner recalled, "I used to bring along a printout with me, to try to learn the fingering so I could play the guitar. But I never mastered it. And even later on, I never had the time — never took the time — to learn how to play. But let me tell you — now I make the time."
Shatner looked so unabashedly pleased with his prize that I couldn't resist offering him a fist bump and two words of encouragement: "Rock on!" He exuberantly bumped back, smiled brightly and replied: "Yeah, I'll rock on." Nashville Film Festival: William Shatner can't steer away from Star Trek
To the surprise of absolutely no one — including, judging by his expression when he received the query, William Shatner himself — the very first question directed at the actor during a post-screening Q&A following the Nashville Film Festival's Friday evening world premiere of William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet had to do with.... Star Trek. Specifically: "What do you think of the new Star Trek movie?"
Boldly going where he's gone many, many times before, Shatner seriocomically replied: "I haven’t seen it. And I’m appalled that I'm not in it. I've had a fun time with the director, J.J. Abrams, cussing him out on the websites and in interviews. But we're buddies. And I called him three or four weeks ago and told him about this charity horse show that I’m putting on in Los Angeles — the Priceline.com Hollywood Charity Horse Show. Hey, they're the big sponsors, so we've got to get their name out there. And so I invited J.J. And he said, 'Oh, I'll take a whole table.' And I said, 'Great. But, you know, you should bring the cast, because there’ll be a lot of press there…' And he said, 'I'll take two tables.' So J.J. Abrams and the cast of the new Star Trek movie are coming, and we'll make a big to-do.
"But deep down," Shatner added, struggling manfully to maintain his straight face, "I'm still appalled." Nashville Film Festival: Joe chats with songwriter Stacy Widelitz in the party tent
It was something of a major coup for NaFF to land the much-buzzed-about kick-off film — the directorial debut of up-and-comer Marc Webb, who joined me for a post-screening Q&A with the warmly responsive fest audience — and NaFF board president Stacy Widelitz could not have been more pleased by the turnout.
But, truth to tell, Stacy — a veteran songwriter bent on bringing musicians and moviemakers together at NaFF — may have been pleased a mite more by a special pre-screening presentation.
Just before the lights dimmed for 500 Days of Summer — set for release this summer by Fox Searchlight Pictures, the same discerning distributor that brought us the Oscar-winning Juno and Slumdog Millionaire — Stacy received formal notice from BMI, the organization that tracks public performances of songs and collects royalties for songwriters: "She's Like the Wind," the enduring popular pop-rock smash Stacy co-wrote with Patrick Swayze for Swayze's classic Dirty Dancing, had officially charted its four millionth performance.
And, mind you, that's not counting the three times it's excerpted on the soundtrack of 500 Days of Summer.
• Click here to continue readingTurner Classic Movies salutes two of John Wayne's greatest
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of their cable network, the folks over at Turner Classic Movies have come up with a list of the 15 most influential classic movies of all time. These are the films, TCM states, that "shaped the cinema and the audiences that viewed them." Two Westerns made the final cut — and, not surprisingly, each one is a John Ford classic starring John Wayne: Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers
(1956). Good choices, pilgrims.
• Coming soon: C&I's July issue will feature none other than John Wayne as the cover story. More information soon.C&I visits the Nashville Film Festival
yourself — Cowboys & Indiansn will do it for you. The festival, which starts tomorrow and runs through April 23, will feature red carpets, parties, celebrity-watching, workshops, and, of course, screenings of some seriously good films. Share our observations, takes, experiences, and sightings from Nashville right here. Check back!
Who wants a pair of hot Rocketbuster Boots?
C&I has two new email newsletters — one that tells you about cool advertiser deals and new products, and another that lets you know when we've published a new batch of content on the website — and we've got a trendy incentive to making signing up worth your while.
Sign up for both newsletters, and we'll enter your email address in a drawing to win a pair of custom-made Rocketbuster Boots. That's up to a $1,000 value!
Click here for details on the contest. If you're not familiar with Rocketbuster's hip, vintage-inspired footwear, be sure to check out the photo slideshow of current styles that we made.
We'll let you know soon when our first newsletters will go out, too.