The Stumble Seen ‘Round the World; CMA Music Fest in Full Swing; Ricky Skaggs to Offer “Country Hits Bluegrass Style”

• Even though Shania Twain falls more gracefully than most people walk, CMT edited her sudden sideways stumble out of re-airings of its awards show. But not before Farce the Music made this.
• For those of us missing out on the fun/heat/oppressively large crowds, The Tennessean has all the CMA Music Fest coverage a body could rightly need, right in the comfort of your own home.
• Ricky Skaggs has recorded new versions of his ’80s and early ’90s country hits in a bluegrass style for Country Hits Bluegrass Style, out July 19 on Skaggs Family Records. (via email)
• New statistical research from MRI and the Country Music Association suggests that the average country music fan is a pretty normal person, not a caricature from The Grapes of Wrath:
  

  Statistics for the average country fan show that they are 45 years old with an income of $75,392. Seventy-five percent of country fans own a home (valued at $228,586), which is higher than the national average. Thirty-two percent are parents with 2.3 children and their net worth is $316,337, which is just under the national average.

  The survey shows that 42 percent of the population is a country music fan, which breaks down to 95 million country music fans in the United States.

• Longtime tour sponsor Martha White sent Rhonda Vincent a surprise shipment of 461 commemorative cast iron skillets to give away to fans. Which is nice, except that cast iron skillets are pretty heavy and the delivery truck was headed for Vincent’s house. Receiving the nearly one-ton shipment posed a bit of a logistical problem since semis aren’t allowed in her neighborhood and she doesn’t, to her knowledge, have a lift gate or forklift. The struts on one pickup truck were broken in the ensuing confusion.
• Writing for the Dallas Morning News, Tracey Teo went back to the basics of love the tiny town of Luckenbach to see what all the fuss is about.
• Country Universe wants to know A Song That Makes You Want to Be a Better Person.
• There’s a new trucking-themed episode of Saving Country Music Radio up for listening and download. Somehow, it doesn’t include Dave Dudley or Dale Watson.
• The 1975 album Ray Wylie Hubbard and the Cowboy Twinkies will be released on CD come July 26, and Ray Wylie (commenting at That Nashville Sound) is none too pleased about it:
  

  i did not approve the background vocals, the mix, mastering or the artwork on this record but it got out anyway. i have nothing to do with it being re-released now. it sucked then and it still sucks. if you have any shred of compassion at all in your heart for me or any musician who got screwed by some jerk in authority at a record label, then don’t buy this mistake. if you really want one, email judy@raywylie.com and she’ll show you how to get one free. thanks, ray wylie hubbard

• Tonight on the Opry: Jimmy Dickens, Connie Smith, Bradley Gaskin, John Conlee, Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, Mel Tillis, Roy Clark, Billy Ray Cyrus, Charley Pride, Riders In The Sky, Josh Turner. Streaming live at 7PM CST on WSM Online.
• A few notable new singles this week:
  • Alan Jackson – “Long Way to Go”
  • Brad Paisley w/ Carrie Underwood – “Remind Me”
  • George Strait – “Here for a Good Time”
  • Ronnie Dunn – “Cost of Livin’”

Make lots of news over the weekend so we’ll have stuff to talk about on Monday.