Montgomery Gentry Invited to Join the Grand Ole Opry by Charlie Daniels

Montgomery Gentry is set to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Opry member Charlie Daniels surprised the duo on stage Tuesday by asking them to join.

They will be formally inducted on June 23.

Since their 1999 debut, Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry have had several hits with their Southern rock style of country.

Their most popular songs include My Town,Something to Be Proud Of, Lucky Man and Roll with Me.

Opry General Manager Pete Fisher says the Kentucky natives have deep respect for the long-running country music show and its legacy.

Guitars of the Stars Benefit Auction

The inaugural edition of the Guitars of the Stars Benefit Auction to benefit the Opry Trust Fund will take place June 12 at 2 p.m. at the Ryman Auditorium. The event will offer fans in town for the CMA Music Festival the opportunity to bid on Epiphone acoustic guitars decorated by country stars and visual artists.

Among the stars who have confirmed they will contribute guitars they’ve designed are Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Kellie Pickler, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.

All proceeds benefit the Opry Trust Fund, which has for more than 40 years assisted members of the country music community in need of help with medical bills, living expenses, utilities, rent and food.

Special Message from Nashville Fairground Speedway Promotor Danny Denson

I am so proud of the strides we have made and the things we have accomplished in a very short span of time at the Fairgrounds Speedway. This is without a doubt the greatest short track in America! We have so many exciting events on the horizon in 2009 with series' such as ASA, CRA, and Ken-Ten making an appearance later in the year.

Our show this past weekend was an impressive night of competition on both tracks here at the Fairgrounds Speedway. I think it may have been the best show of the year to date. We now have new competitors in our Sportsman division, which is a big plus for the fans too. The Trucks are without a doubt the show the fans cannot wait to witness on the track with its non-stop action. In our Late Model division we feel we have some of the best racers in the country, but this past weekend short tempers gave way to dangerous actions by our current track champion Andy Johnson and former track champion Mark Day.

The first 100 laps were exhilarating for the fans and the staff here at the track. The second leg of the action, the first 50 lap section, was also intense and eventful. But, the beginning of the last leg of the race, the second 50 laps, is where I have to draw the line as a respectable promoter.

After the massive wreck on the track that virtually took out the entire field for a short while was not only an on-track melee, but it spilled over onto pit road. As the promoter of the Fairgrounds Speedway I will not tolerate drivers and/or their crews taking situations into their own hands and therefore endangering themselves, the pit crews, officials, and fans in the pit area.

This has been an ongoing battle for several years between Johnson and Day, two of the best Late Model drivers in the country, but tempers flared past the acceptable stage on Saturday night. I fully understand the passion and talent these two drivers possess, but those attributes should be a deterrent to such behavior not a catalyst for a brawl to ensue.

I have issued the following penalties against Johnson and Day:

· Both drivers are disqualified from the event on Saturday, May 23
· Neither driver will receive points for the event
· Neither driver will receive money for the event
· Both drivers are suspended for one race
· Andy Johnson is fined an additional $500 for his action on pit road as his actions could have resulted in severe injury or even death of a crew member, an official, or an innocent bystander in the pit area.

Several other crew members from random teams will also be contacted and possibly fined or suspended for their involvement during the pit road clash.

We are striving hard to make this track the premier destination for all racers. We want all racers to know this type of ill-advised conflict will not be tolerated and it will be penalized to the fullest at the Fairgrounds Speedway.

I'm truly grateful for all the support we are receiving from the competitors and the community and I want to thank every one of them.

THANK YOU!

Sincerely,
Danny Denson
Fairgrounds Speedway Promoter

Andy Johnson said, "I understand the penalties leveled against me. As far as the points and championship run I know I will have to come back after a week's suspension and win a lot of races."

Mark Day said, "I guess I'll have to decide if I want to come back and race at the Fairgrounds Speedway anymore. It's something I'll have a week to think about and will make the best decision for me then."

Cedar Hill Refugees Combines American Roots Music Superstars Mixing it Up with Uzbek Jam Band, Jadoo

When American roots music superstars mix it up with Uzbek jam band, Jadoo, to form CEDAR HILL REFUGEES and record "Pale Imperfect Diamond", the result is a beautiful testament to the boundless reach and power of music.

Although globalization has become a popular buzzword and topic in the twenty-first century world of business, music remains delineated as influenced by Eastern or Western culture. With the release of Pale Imperfect Diamond, on May 19, 2009, listeners all over the world will get the unique opportunity to enjoy an attuned blend of Eastern and Western musical influences.

Pale Imperfect Diamond is an ambitious collection of roots music standards and original tracks recorded in cultural poles. Co-producer Jack Clift met with John Carter Cash and the idea to marry the musical styles with an album formed; the two producers were committed to unifying American folk ballads and traditional Uzbek instrumentation from the album's inception. Jadoo, an American-Uzbek band Jack Clift co-founded while living in Uzbekistan, recorded Pale Imperfect Diamond's base tracks in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The bones of the album were then taken to Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee where they were masterfully blended and complemented with American roots music instrumentation and vocals. The lustrous cast that assembled at Cash Cabin included The Peasall Sisters, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Marty Stuart and John Cowan. The collective of participants from both countries, including Jack Clift and Cash, became known as Cedar Hill Refugees.

Of Pale Imperfect Diamond's thirteen tracks, seven are roots standards dating back to the twentieth century or earlier. The other five songs were written specifically for the record and include the title track, penned by Jack Clift, Jack Propps and John Carter Cash. "Pale Imperfect Diamond" and the other originals aim to capture the renegade spirit and vitality of both genres. Among the standards, an album standout is the re-imagined "Wildwood Flower," a touchstone of the American folk catalogue made famous by the Carter family. The Cedar Hill Refugees' version features Peasall Sisters vocals and closes with an Eastern jam that lasts over four minutes.

Jack Clift realizes the importance of the Cedar Hill Refugees collaboration to the greater world view. "Globalization is, obviously, not an entirely painless process," Clift explains. "It's just a joy and honor to be a part of something so passionately positive and showing that divergent cultures can not only work together but that the final result actually enhances the richest qualities of each." Jack Clift is also candid about the legacy of Pale Imperfect Diamond. "Certainly this is something that would be a great relief to all if it could be carried into the greater scheme of socio-political interaction," Clift states. "This has not been lost on the participants in these projects."

Intrigued by the music of Uzbekistan, composer and producer Jack Clift began visiting the Central Asian country to learn more about the music though studio work with Jadoo, a group of musicians who improvise using traditional Uzbek music. Clift's first trip took place in 2004 and, almost immediately, he began to identify the similarities between Uzbek music and the music of his youth; he likened it specifically to Appalachian mountain music that stirred his imagination. Rather than think the rhythms and tones a world away from one another, Clift noticed the parallel construction.

Pale Imperfect Diamond, the debut album from Cedar Hill Refugees, was released on May 19, 2009.

Cascio Interstate Music Memorial Day Outlet Sale