Fess Parker, known and loved by millions of baby boomers as TV's Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, passed away Thursday at the age of 85. Leonard Maltin shares some fond memories of interviewing his childhood idol here, and Julian Sancton of Vanity Fair invites you to an appropriate singalong here.

]]> http://www.cowboysindians.com/blog/post?id=717 Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 3:26 p.m.

Free for you from Hulu.com: The Westerner, starring Gary Cooper as a drifter who faces a hanging by Judge Roy Bean, the infamous Texas saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace.

OK, we admit: Some of the clips aren't in such spiffy shape. But at least you can listen to the opening themes of Lancer, The Dakotas, Cimarron Strip, The Legend of Jesse James, The Guns of Will Sonnett and more.

Brad Paisley took a nasty tumble on stage the other night during a concert in Charleston, S.C. ("I hit hard," he wrote shortly afterward on Twitter. "And I mean freakin' hard.") But even after losing his blance, he maintaned his high spirits -- and actually posted pictures of himself being treated in the emergency room of MUSC Hospital. Now he's back on his feet and raring to perform Thursday night at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Which only goes to show you: It always pays to stay in shape. Especially when you're on the long-distance marathon of an extended concert tour.

As Brad told C&I a few months back: "I go for a two-mile run almost daily. And I work out with weights in my home, on a regular basis. You see, the thing is, you want to feel good about yourself before you walk out in front of 10,000 people. I mean, sure, I have days like everybody else does where you wake up and you don’t feel like you look good. You feel like you’re in a funk, or you haven’t had a chance to work out in a while or whatever. And yet, the people are there to see you at your best. And for some of these fans, it may the first and only time they’ll come to see you. And if you walk out and you don’t feel you’re at your best – well, it’s not a good feeling.

“But you know,” Brad added with a chuckle, “when you think about it, we really do a pretty good workout at every concert. I’d love to know what the calorie burn-off count is by the time we’re done. I’ll bet every show is the equivalent of running a couple of miles.”

Free for you from Hulu.com: The Great American West of John Ford, a 1971 documentary portrait of the legendary filmmaker, featuring commentary from Henry Fonda, James Stewart -- and, of course, John Wayne.

Twenty-six years after another much-respected Hollywood veteran earned a long-overdue Oscar by playing a faded country music star, Jeff Bridges grabbed the gold Sunday night at the 82nd annual Academy Awards. Bridges was honored for his richly detailed and deeply affecting performance as Bad Blake, a gone-to-seed singer-songwriter who gets one last shot at redemption, in Crazy Heart -- a movie that just happens to co-star, and was co-produced by, Robert Duvall, who won the Best Actor prize back in 1984 for playing a similarly wayward character in Tender Mercies. Which raises a provocative question: Who do you think was more convincing, in terms of musicianship as well as acting skill, as a country music artist -- Duvall or Bridges?

Kenny Chesney will take the Texas-size stage at Reliant Stadium tonight for his eagerly awaited Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo concert. Two nights ago, however, he and legendary rocker Steve Miller played an impromptu gig in a much smaller Nashville venue. According to CMT News, the dynamic duo performed together while taping an episode of CMT Crossroads, then "followed a long country music tradition -- dating back to the days of Hank Williams -- by heading out the Ryman Auditorium's stage door, across the alley and into the back door of the historic Tootsie's Orchid Lounge." At Tootsie's, arguably the greatest little joint in Music City, Chesney and Miller took the small stage in the bar's front window, overlooking Lower Broadway, and played past midnight for a delighted crowd of Tootsie's regulars and tourists." Delighted and amazed, I'll bet. Talk about being in the right place at the right time...

Free for you from Hulu.com: The Bushwhackers, a 1952 drama starring John Ireland as a Confederate Army vet who longs to hang up his guns and live in peace after the Civil War. But when the minions of a ruthless varmint (Lon Chaney Jr.) try to force settlers off their land, our hero has to seriously reconsider his vow of non-violence. Look for Dorothy Malone, Jack Elam and Lawrence Tierney in supporting roles.

C&I offers a heapin' helping of congratulations to Lady Antebellum. The Grammy-winning trio -- singers Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley, and multi-instrumentalist Dave Haywood -- led the pack with seven honorable mentions this morning during the announcement of nominations for the 45th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. (Following close behind: Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, with six nominations each; Taylor Swift with five; and Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley, with four a piece.) The good news comes at a great time, just when Lady A is preparing to take New York by storm with musical performances on The Today Show (7 a.m. ET Wednesday), followed by March 8 appearances on The View and Late Show With David Letterman. Also on the trio's agenda: A March 15 gig at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

“You dream and pray your whole entire childhood to one day do what you enjoy and love doing the most," said a grateful Hillary Scott. "I feel blessed beyond measure, and am so appreciative of everyone in the country music community for thinking of us. I'm overwhelmed to say the least."

Ironically, said Charles Kelley, he, Scott and Haywood heard about the nominations just as they were flying out of Las Vegas -- where the ACM Awards show will be presented April 18. “I can’t wait to get back here," Kelley said. "It's always one of the most fun events of the year, and we have really special memories of winning the ‘New Artist’ award here a few years ago. I never thought we’d have a bigger night than that... All of this is just unreal!”

Film critic David Denby admiringly appraises the remarkable career of Clint Eastwood in the latest issue of The New Yorker. Not surprisingly, much of his essay focuses on Eastwood's Westerns, from A Fistful of Dollars to Unforgiven. But Denby also offers insightful commentary on many of Eastwood's other movies (rest assured, Dirty Harry is given its due) while examining how the 79-year-old superstar -- who turns 80 next May! -- has evolved, advanced and endured throughout more than five decades in show business.

"Being underestimated is, for some people, a misfortune," Denby writes. "For Eastwood, it became a weapon. Certainly, no one meeting him in his twenties, before his movie career began, would have seen much more than a good-looking Californian who loved beer, women, cars, and noodling at the piano -- a fun guy to hang out with. Since those unprepossessing days, he has done the following: starred in a hit TV show, Rawhide; appeared in more than fifty movies and directed thirty-one, often acting, directing, and producing at the same time; added several menacingly ironic locutions to the language, such as “Make my day,” which Ronald Reagan quoted in the face of a congressional movement to raise taxes; become a kind of mythic-heroic-redemptive figure, interacting with public desire in a way that no actor has done since John Wayne; served as the mayor of Carmel; won four Oscars and received many other awards, including a hug from Nicolas Sarkozy while becoming commander of the Légion d’Honneur, last November. Those who were skeptical of Eastwood forty years ago (I’m one of them) have long since capitulated, retired, or died. He has outlasted everyone."

78 or 10 billion - take your pick.

J.R. Cash would have been 78 today, and earlier this week we learned his song "Guess Things Happen That Way" was the 10 billionth song downloaded from iTunes.

The happy customer, Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Ga, won a $10,000 iTunes gift card (don't lose that one, pal), and says he's pretty sure his children and grandchildren are set for music for the forseeable future.

This month also marks the release of American VI: Ain't No Grave, the last of the archived recordings that Cash made in the months before his passing in 2003.

If you're in California, you might want to think about heading out the Fender Performing Arts Center, home of the world's longest ongoing Johnny Cash museum exhibit, for the big birthday celebration tomorrow in his honor. Cash's daughter Cindy will be unveiling her late father's newest certified Gold record.

Stuck in Folsom Prison?  Why not dig on Johnny Cash Radio, a fantastic streaming program hosted by his official site.  Lots of rare interviews, recordings and otherwise delightful stuff to be heard there.

I usually wouldn't reccomend going to MTV.com these days, but it just so happens they have a copy of Cash's final interview in 2003.

Continuing to captivate, charm, and comfort his fans even in his absence, Johnny Cash's music is an American treasure in my opinion, and its a life well worth examining and celebrating.

The Billings Gazette reports from Cody, Wyoming: "As the town named in his honor celebrates Buffalo Bill Cody’s birthday Friday, residents will get a chance to hear real-life accounts highlighting the more mundane and human elements of the famous showman’s life. "We wanted to humanize the Wild West show and humanize Cody. And there’s no better way to do that than through these stories and a flood of anecdotes,” said John Rumm, curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Rumm’s Friday evening presentation, Backstage with Buffalo Bill, will draw from newspapers, correspondence, photographs and other primary sources to offer insight into what daily life was like for Cody and others in the Wild West show."

A sure sign that you've hit the big time as a country music performer: You're signed to headline a show at the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Looks like chart-topper Jason Aldean is ready for his moment in the H-Town spotlight.

Free for you from Hulu.com: The Lawless Frontier, a two-fisted 1934 Western starring John Wayne and Gabby Hayes, with typically impressive stunt work by the great Yakima Canutt. Wayne plays John Tobin, a vengeful cowboy who comes to the aid of a crotchety prospector (Hayes) and his beautiful granddaughter (Sheila Terry) while hunting the varmints who killed his parents.

Mike Fleming of Deadline Hollywood reports: "After auditioning more than 15,000 teenage girls, Paramount and True Grit directors Joel and Ethan Coen have found their Mattie Ross in Hailee Steinfeld. The 13-year old will play the centerpiece of a new adaptation of the Charles Portis novel, with Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin starring. Mattie Ross is the 14-year old spitfire whose father has been mowed down in cold blood by Tom Chaney (Brolin). Determined to bring the killer to justice, Mattie enlists hard-drinking U.S. marshal Rooster Cogburn (Bridges) to track the killer before a Texas Ranger (Damon) does." Filming is set to start next month in New Mexico, for a planned Dec. 25, 2010 release.

When recently asked about plans for his next movie project, Inglourious Basterds director (and diehard Western fan) Quentin Tarantino indicated that he'd like to do something with saddles and six-guns. "I'd like to do a Western," he told the New York Daily News. "But rather than set it in Texas, have it in slavery times. With that subject that everybody is afraid to deal with. Let's shine that light on ourselves. You could do a ponderous history lesson of slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad. Or, you could make a movie that would be exciting. Do it as an adventure. A spaghetti Western that takes place during that time. And I would call it 'A Southern.'"

Brad Paisley, Reba McEntire and Keith Urban are among the latest luminaries added to the lineup of performers for the nightly concert series at the 2010 CMA Music Festival in Nashville. Also confirmed: Jason Alden, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood and the Zac Brown Band. Formerly known as "Fan Fair," the uniquely enormous CMA Music Festival is an annual four-day extravaganza devoted to giving country music fans everything from star-studded stadium concerts to up-close encounters with celebrities. This year's event will take place June 10-13 -- you can order your tickets here -- and if it's anything like last year's edition, a great time is guaranteed for all.

"Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed... We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in." (from The Sound of Mountain Water)

"A writer is an organism that will go on writing even after its heart has been cut out." (from Angle of Repose)

The recent severe weather that shook up the nation hit the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe harder than many, with power and water still unreliable for some. You can help, however, by making a donation to the tribe and ensuring a reliable source of safe water for the future. Tribal Chairman Joe Brings Plenty says, "We have been trying to get this water system replaced for decades. It is a public shame for any community in America to be without safe drinking water."

Due to expanding hydroelectric dam projects, the tribal agency moved from its original location near the river bottom decades ago. As a result, much of the tribes existing infrastructre -- including the water management system -- was eventually submerged but never fully replaced when the tribe relocated.

The Bush Foundation has pledged $25,000 in 1:1 matching for donations made through Native Americans in Philanthropy, or you can donate directly through the tribe by clicking here.

For further information, contact the Tribal Chairman's office at (605) 964-4155.

While previewing the forthcoming "Freight Train" album by country superstar Alan Jackson, critic Chet Flippo sagely notes what separates enduringly successful artists from fleetingly flashy wanna-bes: "The song is the thing. Plain and simple." Jackson, Flippo writes, "has been at it for more than 20 years, and he's had many more hits than misses, but it's obvious he still pays close attention to his songs. Jackson and his closest contemporary, [George] Strait, share many common traits. Chief among them may be that care in selecting songs. They are also very private individuals and publicity-averse, but the key thing they share is a love for and respect for a good song -- which is also sometimes a great song. They also share unusually good ears for listening to and filtering out the wheat from the chaff."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Susan Sarandon is "in talks" to lasso the lead role of Victoria Barkley, matriarch of a wealthy Old West family, in a big-screen version of The Big Valley.

Stop the presses: Miranda Lambert will kick off "Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars" -- her first official headlining tour -- with a March 18 concert in Beckley, WV. She's set to make stops in at least 22 cities, and will be joined by such luminaries as David Nail, James Otto, Randy Hauser and Wade Bowen. "In the last five years," Miranda told fans, "I have learned so much from all the amazing artists I’ve toured with. Now it's my turn to venture out and do more shows of my own. I’m happy that there are a lot of great new artists who are willing to come out and support my tour.”

And if that's not enough to keep her busy, consider this: During the next several weeks, Miranda also will find time to take part in the prestigious Lilith Fair Tour, and to perform at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival (June 10-13) in Manchester, TN. But wait, there's more: While she's winding up her stint as part of Brad Paisley's "American Saturday Night" tour, she will tape two segments in Los Angeles for The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. (Air dates for the latter will be announced soon.) Hey, it's just like Jerry Reed used to sing: When you're hot, you're hot.

The Edmonton Journal suggests that if you're planning a drive through Arizona to view the southern rim of the Grand Canyon or the red rock country of Sedona, you should consider taking a detour off the Interstate for a look at the one-time watering hole of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp: "The oldest frontier bar in Arizona (some say west of Mississippi) is located in the landmark Palace Hotel in the mile-high city of Prescott, about a 90-minute drive northwest of Phoenix and an hour south of Sedona."

*Ed. note: For more on saloons of the wild west, check out this feature from our January issue.

Free for you from Hulu.com: The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw, an amusingly spoofy Western romp starring Kenneth More as a very proper Englishman who sets out as a gun salesman in the Wild West, and winds up serving as sheriff in an untamed town where Jayne Mansfield is the gorgeous proprietor of a rowdy saloon. Trivia buffs, take note: Director Raoul Walsh -- whose credits also include The Big Trail (1930) with John Wayne, and They Died With Their Boots On (1941) with Errol Flynn -- filmed Fractured Jaw on location in Spain, where one of its standing sets later was used for Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars.

Country Music Television has assembled a list of twelve appropriately romantic music videos to share with your special someone on Valentine's Day. (We don't have to tell you that Taylor Swift's "Love Story" made the final cut, do we?)

According to the Los Angeles Times, Brad Pitt and The Proposal star Ryan Reynolds are among the A-listers who are gunning for the lead role in a proposed Gunsmoke movie.

]]> http://www.cowboysindians.com/blog/post?id=581 Friday, February 5, 2010 at 10:44 am

Aptly described on her website as "the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world," Temple Grandin -- currently a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University -- is one of this country's leading experts in humane livestock handling. Her remarkable life and accomplishments are documented in Temple Grandin, a biographical drama that will have its world premiere at 8 p.m. ET Saturday on HBO. Claire Danes (Shopgirl, Me and Orson Welles) plays Grandin, David Straithairn (Good Night, and Good Luck) co-stars as her mentor at a boarding school for gifted teens -- and TV critic Jace Lacob previews the production here.

]]> http://www.cowboysindians.com/blog/post?id=579 Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 1:04 p.m.

CMT.com has compiled a countdown of the Top 50 Music Videos of the past decade, based on votes cast by on-line readers. Frankly, we're a little surprised to see Brad Paisley's "Waitin' on a Woman" and Trisha Yearwood's "This is Me You're Talking To" didn't make the final cut. And we're downright amazed that Johnny Cash's "Hurt" and The Soggy Bottom Boys' "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" didn't rank higher on the list. But congratulations to Carrie Underwood for claiming the No. 1 spot. With this triumph behind her, and a Super Bowl appearance set for Sunday, the next challenge for her will be... well, would you believe, a major movie role?

Free for you from Hulu.com: Duel at Diablo, a gritty 1966 Western directed by Ralph Nelson (Lilies of the Field, Soldier Blue) starring James Garner, Sidney Poitier, Bibi Andersson -- and former Gunsmoke co-star (and future McCloud star) Dennis Weaver.

Bryan Curtis of The Daily Beast asks: Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift face off at Sunday's Grammys for the title of Country Queen. Whose side are you on?

Connecticut entertainment writer Elissa Bass wonders: Why have Westerns vanished from the TV landscape?

From the Voice of America: "Hollywood has shaped our perception of the American West. Images of cowboys in saloons, American Indians in feather headdresses, and outlaws robbing trains at gunpoint come to mind. But visitors to the Faces of the Frontier exhibition organized by the National Portrait Gallery [in Washington D.C.] can learn more about the real personalities who helped shape the West."

Unfortunately, the exhibit closed earlier this week in Washington D.C. But don't despair: Faces of the Frontier will travel to the San Diego Historical Society, California, from March 12 through June 6, 2010, and to the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Oct. 9, 2010, through Jan. 2, 2011.

Free for you from Hulu.com: The very first episode of The Lone Ranger, with Clayton Moore in the title role, Jay Silverheels as the faithful Tonto -- and Glenn Strange (later to appear as barkeep Sam Noonan on TV's Gunsmoke) as the villain of the piece. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear... ]]> http://www.cowboysindians.com/blog/post?id=547 Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 12:31 p.m.

A year before he signed on for Bonanza, Pernell Roberts rode tall in the saddle as a preening, scheming  ex-bandit eager to relieve bounty hunter Randolph Scott of a captured outlaw in Budd Boetticher's Ride Lonesome. After he departed the Ponderosa, he periodically appeared as a guest star in series such as Gunsmoke, The Big Valley and Alias Smith and Jones, and later enjoyed seven seasons of success -- one season longer than his stint on Bonanza -- as the title character in the popular medical drama Trapper John M.D. But for most TV Western fans -- and, arguably, for most TV viewers, period -- Roberts always remained most widely recognized and fondly remembered as Adam Cartwright, the eldest and most urbane of rancher Ben Cartwright's three sons, in the second longest-running Western (after Gunsmoke) ever to air in prime time. Roberts left the show in 1965 -- it would continue eight more seasons without him -- after repeatedly railing against what he saw as the absurdities of his TV character. Among his biggest complaints: He couldn't understand why a thirtysomething, highly-educated man would be so unfailingly deferential to his "Pa." (As the Associated Press noted in his obituary, Roberts once asked a reporter: "Doesn't it seem a bit silly for three adult males to get Father's permission for everything they do?")  But never mind: As long as there are televised reruns and compilation DVDs, Roberts -- who,  until his death Sunday at age 81, was the last surviving member of the original Bonanza cast -- will continue to be part of the Cartwright clan, just the way fans of the series, and the actor, would like to remember him.

Winners of our annual photo contest were announced in the March 2010 issue (on sale now), but now you can get a closer look at all the winners and the best of the contest entries in our online galleries. Don't forget to enter our 6th annual photography contest, which runs until October.   Take your best shot, and you might wind up on the cover like reader Lynne Kastal. Home on the Range, shot in Lamar Valley, Wyoming, was submitted to our wildlife cateogry and was chosen for the cover amid brutal competition. Congratulations to Lynne Kastal and all the winners, and best of luck to everyone submitting to our next contest.

The prolific and prodigious Robert B. Parker is best known for his mystery novels -- particularly those featuring Spenser, the brawny yet brainy Boston private eye played by Robert Urich in a popular 1985-88 TV series, and Jesse Stone, the small-town police chief who's been portrayed in several well-received TV-movies by Tom Selleck. But the late, great author also proved to be every bit as masterful in the Western genre with Gunman's Rhapsody (2001) -- an impressive account of  Wyatt Earp's date with destiny at the O.K. Corral -- and a critically acclaimed trilogy about gunfighters Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch: Appaloosa (filmed in 2008 with Ed Harris as Cole and Viggo Mortensen as Hitch),   Resolution and Brimstone.

In a 2005 interview with Cowboys & Indians, Parker noted that, even though some of his long-time fans were surprised when tried his hand at Westerns, he felt he hadn't moved very far from familiar ground: "My doctoral dissertation -– which, I admit, is not all that important -– was about the evolution of the cowboy hero into the private eye. Frontiersman into urban dweller. Leslie A. Fielder once said something like, 'The private eye is merely the cowboy dismounted and moving gracefully through the streets of the city.'  I agree."

In one of the Spenser novels, Parker revealed that his private eye actually was born in Laramie, Wyoming. Did that mean the guy was, at heart, a true-blue Westerner? Yes, indeed.

"Spenser was born in the West," Parker said, "and he has brought some of those frontier virtues and values along with him. He has decided to believe some things, and live life on his own terms. And to do what he thinks he should do, what he wants to do. He doesn’t over-analyze why he feels that way. But he’s tough enough to support that sort of innocence."

Coming to you "live from sparkling San Augustine, Texas, from the second floor of the Hightop Feed and Seed," it's Ralph's Backporch, a little bit of small town Lone Star culture -- conversation, Western-style music and cowboy poetry -- broadcast by way of Internet radio three nights a week. And according to the Associated Press, it's reaching "a few thousand listeners throughout the nation and in Britain, New Zealand, Brazil and about 20 other nations."

According to CMT News, Kenny Chesney is busy working on a new album, and preparing for his first appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in five years. But his fans may be more excited about something else on the Country superstar's agenda -- a 3-D concert movie set for an April theatrical release.

Free for you from Hulu.com: The Broken Star, one of many Westerns directed by prolific filmmaker Lesley Selander, starring Bill Williams as a deputy sheriff who suspects -- with ample justification -- that a friend and fellow deputy (Howard Duff) is behind the murder of a Mexican rancher.

According to the Los Angeles Times, director Jon Favreau is galloping forward with plans to film Cowboys & Aliens -- a science-fiction Western based on the graphic novel by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley-- for a Summer 2011 theatrical release. But it looks like Favreau will have to make the movie without his Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr., who has dropped out of the project because of scheduling conflicts. That's a pity: It might have been a hoot and a half to see Downey in the lead role of Zeke Jackson, a grizzled gunslinger who leads an alliance of cowboys and Native Americans in an uprising against extraterrestrial invaders in 19th-century Arizona. We'll let you know who lands this plum part just as soon as the recasting is announced.

Thanks to a tip from C&I reader John Guidry, we're able to offer this link to The Western Silent Films Lobby Cards Collection of Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. It's a very impressive accumulation of  106 lobby cards and publicity stills -- most of them dating between 1910 and 1930 -- originally used to promote Western movies during the silent era. Enjoy.

Forbes Magazine calls Patrick Gottsch -- founder of RFD-TV -- "The Ted Turner of Rural TV." The secret of his success? Blending four program genres -- agriculture, horses, rural living and country music -- into a mix that attracts 13 million weekly viewers. Of course, it also helps that RFD-TV airs Red Steagall's In the Bunkhouse at noon and 10 pm CST Wednesdays.

Free for you from Hulu.com: 'Neath the Arizona Skies, a 1934 John Wayne  action-adventure in which The Duke comes to the aid of a half-Indian girl (Shirley Jean Rickert) who stands to inherit oil-rich land worth $50,000. The movie's highlight: A climactic fistfight between Wayne and legendary stunt coordinator Yakima Canutt.

After profiling Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, Kit Carson and Jesse James,  American Experience is ready to saddle up for another study of an Old West icon: Wyatt Earp -- an hour-long film written, directed and produced by Rob Rapley -- is set to air at 9 pm ET Jan. 25  as part of the acclaimed PBS series. Rapley promises that his documentary will offer a fair and balanced portrait of a man whose real-life complexities  seldom have been fully examined in TV and movie dramas.  “A lot of people feel strongly that Wyatt Earp was either hero or villain," Rapley says. "The real story is a lot more interesting than that.”

Just a few days before the start of the 2010 National Western Stock Show in Denver,  Associated Press writer Dan Elliott wonders: If a real cowboy (or cowgirl) from the Old West era were to somehow stumble into the event, would he (or she) recognize the garb on display? Not likely.  "Western wear today," Elliott writes, "doesn't look much like what the legendary young cowhands wore from the 1870s through the 1890s, designers and historians say. The clothing has adapted to meet changing styles, just as cattle have been bred to meet evolving tastes." You can read the rest of the story here.

The Encore Westerns cable network has come up with a rootin'-tootin' way to ring in 2009: Three -- count 'em, three! -- holiday weekend marathons of classic TV Westerns. Starting at 12 am ET Jan. 1, you can watch back-to-back episodes of The Virginian until... well, until 12 am ET Jan. 2, when Encore switches over to Have Gun, Will Travel. Twenty-four hours later, a day-long Gunsmoke marathon begins. But wait, there's more: All three series will continue to air at various times throughout the new year, joining an Encore schedule that already includes, in addition to feature films, Cheyenne, Maverick, Cimarron Strip -- and The Gene Autry Show.

]]> http://www.cowboysindians.com/blog/post?id=488 Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at 4:14 p.m.

Four legendary cowboys of the silver screen -- Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Tom Mix and William S. Hart -- are among the luminaries who'll be honored on U.S. postage stamps in 2010.

Under Western Stars, the 1938 action-adventure that showcased the great Roy Rogers in his first starring role, and Once Upon a Time in the West, Sergio Leone's classic "spaghetti Western" starring Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson, are among the latest group of "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant movies that have been added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. Chief among the Westerns previously selected for inclusion in the registry: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Shane, Stagecoach and Red River.

The registry, which now consists of 525 titles, was established by Congress in 1989 to preserve various cinematic works -- everything from dramatic features to music videoes -- for posterity. Not necessarily the "best" films, mind you, but works of enduring importance to American culture. Like, for example, movies with singing cowboys.

The National Film Registry "spotlights the importance of protecting America's matchless film heritage and cinematic creativity," says Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "By preserving the nation's films, we safeguard a significant element of our cultural patrimony and history."

The folks at Fresh Air -- the popular National Public Radio series -- are marking the end of 2009 by re-posting on their website some of the memorable interviews they've aired this year. Among the best: An Aug. 27 chat with cult-fave filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who says his smash-hit World War II adventure Inglourious Basterds was heavily influenced by Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.  As he tells Fresh Air host Terry Gross: "I actually thought the idea of doing a World War II movie in the guise of a spaghetti Western would just be an interesting way to tackle it."

But wait, there's more: Tarantino also alludes to more traditional Hollywood Westerns while portraying one of his lead characters -- Lt. Aldo Raine, a Tennessee-born solider played by Brad Pitt -- as leader of a "bushwhackin' guerrilla army" on the loose in Nazi-occupied France. Raine, who identifies himself as part Apache, orders his men to take no prisoners -- and to bring back Nazi scalps. For Tarantino -- who, not incidentally, is part Cherokee himself -- this far-fetched plot twist is a roundabout tribute to the fictional Raine's real-life ancestors: "The Apache Indians were able, from different points in time ... to fight off for decades both the Spaniards and the Mexicans and the U.S. Calvary for years because they were great guerrilla fighters, great resistance fighters," Tarantino says. "And one of their ways of winning battles was psychological" — ambushes, scalpings, and even more brutal tactics that left their enemies terrified of being captured by an Apache.

Reba McEntire received an early Christmas present yesterday -- the good news that her lastest single, "Consider Me Gone," has reached the No. 1 position on both the Billboard Country Songs Chart and the USA Today/ Country Aircheck Chart (powered by Mediabase). It's second hit single from Keep on Loving You, her first album for the Valory Music Co.  label, and the 34th No. 1 chart-topper of her career. Says Reba: “My Valory Music Company family gave me the best Christmas gift ever --  a number one record!  Our team’s hard work and enthusiasm continue to amaze me. 'Consider Me Gone’ is a great song, and I’m just proud to be a part of it.  2009 has been great.  Thirty-four No. 1’s are great.  And, I feel like we are just getting started!”

You can enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Reba’s “Consider Me Gone” music video at 6:30 pm ET/ 5:30 pm CT today (Tuesday) on the Great American Country Channel.  And you see Reba again when she performs on the CBS special A Home for the Holidays at 8 pm ET/ 7 pm CT Wednesday.

The search is on for a feisty young lady to play one of the lead roles in Joel and Ethan Coen's remake of True Grit. Specifically: Paramount Pictures has begun an open casting call to find a Caucasian girl between the ages of 12 and 16 to play the lead role of Mattie Ross, described by the studio as a "simple, tough as nails young woman in post-Civil War Arkansas." If you know of a likely prospect, check out this site for info regarding how to submit an audition tape.

Joey+ Rory get into the holiday spirit for a music video filmed at their farmhouse. Enjoy.

Free for you from Hulu.com: Fury at Showdown, a rip-roarin' 1957 Western starring John Derek as a gunfighter who hangs up his shootin' irons to raise cattle with his younger brother (Nick Adams). But when land-grabbers ambush his sibling... well, a man's got to do what a man's got to do.

The early reviews are trickling in for Crazy Heart, the much-talked-about indie movie starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal and C&I reader favorite Robert Duvall. And so far, it looks like the critics have nothing but raves for  Bridges' lead performance as Bad Blake, a fading Country music star who desperately needs a shot at redemption. "It's a juicy, career-crowning role," writes Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, "and Bridges -- a master of subtle brilliance -- plays the hell out of it."  Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times feels Bridges "is on the road to an Oscar" for what Leah Rosen of People magazine describes as "a deeply felt performance, one as authentic and lived-in as the worn couch in Blake's living room." 

As for the movie itself: A.O. Scott of The New York Times thinks Crazy Heart-- which writer-director Scott Cooper adapted from a novel by Thomas Cobb -- compares favorbaly to another memorable drama about a wayward Country artist: "When Robert Duvall... turns up as one of Bad’s old friends, you might also remember Mac Sledge, the Bad Blake figure [Duvall] played in Bruce Beresford’s 1983 film, Tender Mercies. Mr. Cooper’s movie owes an obvious debt to that one, but there can never be too many songs about drinking, loving and feeling bad, and there is always room for another version of that old song about the guy who messed it all up and kept on going. Especially when that guy can play the tune as truly and as well as Mr. Bridges." It's worth noting, of course, that Duvall won the Oscar as Best Actor for Tender Mercies.

Crazy Heart opened today in New York and Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times, it will expand to four more cities (Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas and Phoenix) Christmas Day, then open wider Jan. 8.

According to no less an authority than Time Magazine, the No. 1 album of 2009 is....

Garth Brooks may be the new toast of Las Vegas-- but that doesn't mean he's no longer a down-to-earth kind of guy. Indeed, he's not ashamed to admit that when he and Trisha Yearwood recently celebrated their fourth anniversary, they didn't spend a lot while telling each other that they're "lovin' it."

Looking for that perfect holiday gift for college football fans? Check out these colllege boots from Nocona. Three schools are currently available, and the renowned bootmakers are giving away a pair a week thru Bowl Season. Visit www.collegeboots.com to enter.

For three seasons (1958-61) on NBC, Gene Barry neatly balanced affability and authority as the elegantly attired hero of  Bat Masterson,  the enduringly popular TV Western with the indelibly memorable theme song. ("Back when the West was very young, there lived a man named Masterson...") Barry went on to star in two other successful  series -- Burke's Law and The Name of the Game -- but Masterson remained his signature role. So it seemed only fitting when, decades after the original Bat Masterson show signed off from prime time, Barry again donned the derby hat and picked up the gold-handled cane so that -- much to the delight of admiring fans -- he could reprise his definitive portrayal of the Old West icon for a 1989 episode of Guns of Paradise (alongside Hugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp) and the 1991 TV-movie The Gambler Returns: The Luck of The Draw.  Barry died Wednesday in Los Angeles at age 90. But thanks to the man named Masterson, he'll continue to enjoy a unique sort of immortality.

Free for you from Hulu.com: John Wayne and Lane Chandler are partners vying to become Pony Express contractors in this 1936 Western from Republic Pictures.

]]> http://www.cowboysindians.com/blog/post?id=430 Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 2:20 p.m.

Paradox Interactive is aiming to please video game fans with Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West, a team-based, third-person shooter extravaganza set to hit the console market in early 2010. According to Paradox, Lead and Gold "features intense gunfights in beautifully rendered Western settings," and invites players "to relive the excitement, danger and mystery of the Wild West."

From The New York Times: "A government plan to round up and relocate thousands of wild horses in the West faces opposition from advocates who say the proposal is inhumane and unnecessary. At a hearing near Reno, two dozen advocates pressed the U.S.  Bureau of Land Management's National Horse and Burro Advisory Board Monday for a moratorium on roundups until an independent audit of mustang numbers can be conducted." More on the story here.

Robert Fuller -- the straight-shooting star of Laramie, Wagon Train and Return of the Seven -- will be Red Stegall's special guest this week on In the Bunkhouse, the "cowboy variety" series presented by Cowboys & Indians on the RFD-TV network. Watch for the episode at 1 and 11 p.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Country music chart-topper and four-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood will host her very own two-hour musical extravaganza -- aptly titled Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special-- at 8 EST/7 CST tonight (Monday) on Fox. She'll be joined on stage by Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton and David Cook as she performs new music from her upcoming CD, familiar tunes from past albums -- and, of course, holiday-themed classics.

Even while he's still on view at megaplexes everywhere as Sandra Bullock's supportive spouse in The Blind Side, Tim McGraw is preparing for his next acting gig.  In Love Don't Let Me Down, an ensemble drama set to start filming next month in Nashville, McGraw will play the husband-manager of a fallen-from-grace Country artist (Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow) who sets out on a comeback tour with a hunky young singer-songwriter (Garrett Hedlund) and a beauty queen turned recording artist (Leighton Meester of TV's Gossip Girl). Consider the possibilities.

Just how phenomenal is Taylor Swift? Well, as CMT.com admiringly notes, the country-pop superstar didn't merely snag eight nods -- second only to Beyoncé -- when nominations for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards were announced Wednesday evening. No,  Swift did something even more remarkable: She got herself nominated in three top categories representing all major genres of music. Talk about being a "crossover" artist!

Just a few weeks ago, Brad Paisley announced plans to develop a weekly dramatic TV series about up-and-coming performers in Nashville. Now it looks like there's a second Music City drama on the drawing boards: Tough Trade, a project in development at the recently launched EPIX cable network, features Sam Shepard as patriarch of the Tucker family, a three-generation Nashville music dynasty. The bad news: Drink, debauchery and divorce have left the once-mighty Tuckers on the verge of bankruptcy. The worse news: Ol' Man Tucker's grandson, an exceptionally talented singer and guitarist, has no interest in joining the family business -- because he prefers to make a living by selling illegal ammunition around Nashville. Lucas Black of All the Pretty Horses, Sling Blade and the forthcoming Get Low plays the prodigal grandson, and Cary Elwes of The Princess Bride has signed on to play his father. The pilot episode for Tough Trade starts shooting this week in Nashville, under the direction of filmmaker Gavin Hood, whose credits range from Tsotsi (winner of the 2006 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film) to X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

James Drury -- yes, The Virginian himself -- will swap stories with Red Stegall this week on In the Bunkhouse, the "cowboy variety" series presented by Cowboys & Indians on the RFD-TV network. Watch for the episode at 1 and 11 p.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 2.

In the status-conscious universe of showbiz, the Satellite Awards are to the Golden Globe Awards what the Golden Globes are to the Academy Awards. Even so, it's worth noting that Jeff Bridges was included among the finalists in the Best Actor (Drama) category when nominations for this year's Satellites were announced today. Bridges was honored for his critically acclaimed performance as a fallen-from-grace Country music star who gets a shot at redemption in Crazy Heart, a drama set to open Dec. 16 in New York and Los Angeles. (A wider release is tentatively planned for early 2010.) And if you can believe the advance buzz, winning a Satellite might be Bridges' first step in a march toward Oscar gold. FYI: The Satellite Awards are given by the International Press Academy. And winners will be announced Dec. 20.

Free for you, from Hulu.com: Blue Steel, a fast-paced 1934 Western in which an incredibly young John Wayne saves a small town from financial ruin by leading the citizenry to a gold strike.

Elmer Kelton may be gone, but he's certainly not forgotten. According to this Wall Street Journal report, the good folks in San Angelo, Texas are planning to dedicate a bronze statue honoring the late Western author next year. And Forge, Kelton's publisher, recently issued Other Men's Horses, the eighth novel in Kelton's series on the Texas Rangers. There's also one more title -- Texas Standoff -- set for publication in 2010.

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.

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!"

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.

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."

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.

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

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

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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...

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?