Country Music News for the Country Music Enthusiast

March 2008 News and Notes 

• Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus, music's hottest father, will host the CMT Music Awards live from Nashville's Curb Event Center at Belmont University on Apr. 14. Billy Ray will also host season six of Nashville Star, premiering June 9 on NBC. 

• The Charlie Daniels' Volunteer Jam 2008, featuring The Charlie Daniels Band, 38 Special and Shooter Jennings gets underway Apr. 11 in Harris, MI and ends Aug. 8 in Lewisburg, WV, with stops from Florida to California, New Hampshire to Las Vegas and points in between. 

• Mark Wills, Buddy Jewell, Ray Scott and Trent Willmon join forces for the “Honky Tonk Tailgate Party ‘08” tour, which kicks off in May. Each artist will perform individual sets as well as a ensemble finale. 

• Legends of American Music: George Jones, a three-CD boxed set highlighting Jones' 53-year recording career, will be released May 20 by Time Life. The 60-song retrospective begins with his 1955 chart debut, "Why Baby Why," and includes his biggest hits and duets with Tammy Wynette, Melba Montgomery, Merle Haggard, James Taylor, Johnny Paycheck and others.

• The Bellamy Brothers will perform June 5 on the Greased Lightning Stages during CMA Music Festival in Nashville. The duo will appear in Kongusvinger, Norway-June 21; followed by 3 shows in Ireland - Ballymena (23) ,Derry (24) and Castlebar (25), and one in Interlaken Switzerland on June 28. 

• Peter & The Rowers' latest release, "Long Gone Loner" - a duet with Joe Diffie - has been sent to radio stations worldwide. "We are thrilled about recording with this country music legend whom we have admired for many years and we couldn't believe when we found Joe started promoting our duet himself", says Peter. And he is right. Joe added it as the top song on myspace.com/joediffie and also posted a special blog about this collaboration. In 2007, the band's "Blind Horses" and "I'm Leavin'" topped European country charts for many weeks. Thanks to Peter's efforts/hard work IFCO now has a presence on MySpace! Visit IFCO on www.myspace.com/ifco1. 

• While on tour in Australia (Feb. 29-Mar. 17), Brooks & Dunn was presented a plaque marking more than 450,000 units in career sales there, as well as a Gold album for their latest release Cowboy Town.

• Country music's everlasting Whisperin' Bill Anderson has signed an exclusive management pact with InTune Entertainment in Nashville and will be represented solely by Lee Willard, who has served as Anderson's tour manager for the past seven years.