News Round Up: Billy Joe Shaver To Be Honored In Home Town

  • Saving Country Music posts that Texas Country Outlaw Billy Joe Shaver is set to be honored by Corsicana, TX, the town he was born in. The city will rename a portion of thier  15th Street in Corsicana to “Billy Joe Shaver Way,” as well as adding a prominent “Billy Joe Shaver Way” exit off of Interstate 45.  Also planned is a long overdue Billy Joe “Appreciation Day,” tentatively set for Tuesday, October 12, featuring fellow Texas legend Ray Wylie Hubbard and the Randy Rogers Band and others. Though these events are currently in the planning stage none of the details, as yet, are complete. I’ll post again when the finished details come my way.
  • In more “it’s about damn time” news: George Jones, along with Al Dexter, and Ray Winkler have been inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.Guest performers for the even were Mel Tillis and the Statesiders. Also performing will be the Justin Trevino Band featuring Tony Booth, Georgette Jones, Frankie Miller, Darryl McCall, Mona McCall, Amber Digby and Curtis Potter. The legendary Ralph Emery hosted the event. (via 9513.com)
  • And speaking of The Possum; His ex-wife and creative partner Tammy Wynette’s life and music are being honored at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The exhibit, “Tammy Wynette: First Lady of Country Music” features a video by Faith Hill speaking at length about Tammy’s influence. The exhibit will run through June 12 of 2011.
  • Neil Young’s next album will be titled Le Noise and will be produced by Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris.) The release date is September 28th andwill be available in Vinyl, CD and iTtunes in the first edition, followed by Blu-Ray, followed by a free APP for I-Phone and I-Pad later. Young will soon launch a tour in September, to bring aid and awareness to the oil-stricken Gulf Coast.

George Jones to Release “Burn Your Playhouse Down”

A collection of unreleased George Jones duets entitled “Burn Your Playhouse Down” (Bandit Records) will be released on August 19. The recordings range from the mid-70s with his ex-wife Tammy Wynette to the most recent recording from 2007 with his daughter, Georgette, the only child from the union of George and Tammy.

Seven of the recordings are extra songs, not included in The Bradley Barn Sessions that MCA Records released in 1994. Produced by Brian Ahern, the Bradley Barn recordings brought together superstar musicians and singers from both the country and rock world. Recorded during the worst ice storm in Tennessee history, the 1993 sessions, which took place over the course of several weeks, brought together Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Leon Russell and Marty Stuart – as the core of the studio band with Keith Richards, Mark Knopfler, Emmylou Harris trading off as instrumentalists and vocalists on many of the songs.

The top players in Nashville – Eddie Bayers, Mac McAnally, Jerry Douglas, Glenn Worf, Brent Rowan, Glen D. Hardin, John Jennings, Harry Stinson, Richard Bennett and many more made the icy trek every day to Mt. Juliet,  about 30 miles outside of Nashville. No one wanted to miss these historic sessions which paired Jones with a selection of superstars influenced by the artist they considered the greatest living country singer. Ahern produced the classic Jones hits as an acoustic project to give the songs a different feel than the originals.

The complete track list for Burn Your Playhouse Down includes:
• “Burn Your Playhouse Down,” Keith Richards
• “Window Up Above,” Leon Russell
• “Selfishness In Man,” Vince Gill
• “She Once Lived Here,” Ricky Skaggs
• “I Always Get Lucky With You,” Mark Knopfler
• “You’re Still On My Mind,” Marty Stuart
• “When The Grass Grows Over Me,” Mark Chesnutt
• “I Always Get It Right With You,” Shelby Lynne
• “Tavern Choir,” Jim Lauderdale
• “Rockin’ Years,” Dolly Parton
• “Lovin’ You, Lovin’ Me,” Tammy Wynette
• “You And Me And Time,” Georgette Jones