Loretta Lynn News

In 1976, Coal Miner's Daughter, country star Loretta Lynn's autobiography (written with journalist George Vecsey) became a New York Times Bestseller; in 1980 the book was made into an Academy Award-winning film starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones. Now, it's headed for Broadway, with actress Zooey Deschanel playing Loretta Lynn.

Loretta Lynn, whose multi-decade career has firmly established her as one of Nashville's most legendary performers, introduced Zooey Deschanel (Grammy and Golden Globe nominee and star and producer of Fox's hit sitcom New Girl) to her audience last night during a performance at Opry Country Classics at the "mother church of country music," the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. In much the same way that Lynn revealed that Sissy Spacek would be taking on the challenge of playing her on film-a role that ultimately won her the Academy Award for her critically lauded, transformative performance-she gave her blessing onstage to Deschanel.

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award-winning country star Loretta Lynn will perform three concerts from June 22 through 24 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane. For over 50 years, Lynn has remained one of the most artistically and commercially successful country singer-songwriters in the world.

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award-winning country star Loretta Lynn will perform three concerts from June 22 through 24 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane.

Levon Helm, 71, drummer and singer with The Band, collaborator with Bob Dylan and solo artist, died today from throat cancer in New York. The Recording Academy's President/CEO Neil Portnow has released the following statement.

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts announces an all-star summer line-up set to kick off in June. The summer will feature the legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, jazz songstress Diana Krall, instrumentalist Chris Botti, the multi-talented Steve Martin and many more. Tickets to all performances go on sale Friday, April 27. Season sponsors include Bank of Nevada and the Las Vegas Design Center.

"Stand By Me," the song written by Leiber & Stoller and Ben E. King will receive the Towering Song Award at the 2012 Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) Gala Event to be held at the Marriott Marquee Hotel in New York City on Thursday, June 14, 2012, Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman, Jimmy Webb, announced today. Mike Stoller will accept the award along with Ben E. King, who will also be honored with the Towering Performance Award for his performance on the Leiber & Stoller produced recording of "Stand By Me."

Today the Academy of Country Music is announcing the winners of awards that will not be televised during the live telecast of the 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, telecast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network, due to time constraints.

In recognition of The Barn's 45 years of bringing the magic of live theater to the stage, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actress Andrea Hodgin Osborne, who made her debut at The Barn in 1994 in Smoke on the Mountain, quickly establishing herself as a favorite of Barn audiences and the Nashville theater community. Among my most vivid memories of Andrea was her performance-along with Tim Fudge and Darren Stuart-of "Our Time" from Stephen Sondheim's Merrily WE Roll Along, which was the closing number for the 1995 First Night Awards at Nashville Children's Theatre (and she toiled, for a while, as my personal assistant).

Gradually emerging as a work for the theater from casual beginnings in Houston in 1988, expanded for productions in Atlanta and Nashville (starring Mandy Barnett) in the mid-1990s, then to off-Broadway, to Chicago and beyond, "Always…Patsy Cline" was created to frame the immortal songs and voice of Patsy Cline in a theatrical context.

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award-winning country star Loretta Lynn will perform three concerts from June 22 through 24 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane.

The Recording Academy today released the following statement on Larry Butler.

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will continue its Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre season with the heartfelt, toe-tapping tribute to musical legend Patsy Cline. A sold out-hit at the Playhouse in 2000 and 2003, ALWAYS ... PATSY CLINE begins previews in the Playhouse's Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre November 19, 2011 and continues through January 22, 2012.

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will continue its Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre season with the heartfelt, toe-tapping tribute to musical legend Patsy Cline. A sold out-hit at the Playhouse in 2000 and 2003, ALWAYS ... PATSY CLINE begins previews in the Playhouse's Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre November 19, 2011 and continues through January 22, 2012.

The 15th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards, presented by Starz Entertainment, have announced that the cast of DreamWorks Pictures and Participant Media's 'The Help' - Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Chris Lowell, Ahna O'Reilly, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, Cicely Tyson and Mike Vogel - will be recognized at the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony with the 'Hollywood Ensemble Acting Award.'

Jimmy Webb, Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced the slate of 2012 nominees for induction. The organization, which is dedicated to recognizing the work and lives of those composers and lyricists who create popular music around the world, holds annual elections to determine those who will make up the roster of inductees for the following year.

On Sun. Oct. 9, 2011 @ 7:00 PM k.d. lang and The Siss Boom Bang with special guest Teddy Thompson come to the Van Wezel.

The star-packed lineup for 'The 45th Annual CMA Awards' continues to grow with today's announcement that the reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum, reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Miranda Lambert, and one of this year's top nominees, The Band Perry, have joined the performer lineup.

'The 45th Annual CMA Awards,' hosted by Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will broadcast from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Kimmel Center's 10th Anniversary Season officially kicks off with two vocalists taking the stage to showcase new works