SCOTCOUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

An Oklahoma hospital in Garth Brooks' hometown must pay $1 million to the country singer because it failed to build a women's health center in honor of his late mother.
A court ruled that the hospital must return a $500,000 donation to Brooks plus pay him $500,000 in punitive damages in Brooks' breach-of-contract lawsuit against Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in Yukon. Brooks said he thought he'd reached a deal in 2005 with the hospital, but sued after learning the hospital wanted to use the money for other construction projects.

Blake Shelton's father has died, forcing "The Voice" star to reschedule several tour dates.
A news release says Dick Shelton died Tuesday surrounded by loved ones in Oklahoma. The elder Shelton had been in declining health.
Blake Shelton dedicated his win at last month's American Country Awards to his father, who was hospitalized with pneumonia.The country singer will miss four shows in the Dakotas and Montana this week.
Shelton will sing "America the Beautiful" with wife Miranda Lambert before the Super Bowl next month.

Country music legend Merle Haggard says he's nearly over the case of double pneumonia that has kept him in Georgia hospital for most of the last week.
Doctors found the 74-year-old had several other ailments while he was recovering in a Macon, Ga., hospital. He was diagnosed him with three stomach ulcers, eight polyps in his colon and diverticulitis of the esophagus.
Haggard checked himself out of hospital last Friday and tried to make the ride home to Redding, Calif., on his tour bus. Haggard quickly realized he wasn't up to th e trip and returned to Macon. He is now undergoing a more aggressive antibiotic treatment for pneumonia.

Look out for BBC ALBA TV's broadcast of "Rabbie & THe Nashville Lassies" on Wednesday 25th January at 9pm. The programme, celebrating the works of Scottish Bard , Robert Burns.was recorded at The Country Music Hall Of Fame, Nashville.and features Laura Mcghee, Beth Nielson Chapman, Cathy Ann McPhee, Suzy Bogguss, McCarter Twins and Mary Ann Kennedy
BBC ALBA is available Freeview 8 , Sky 168 and on BBC iPlayer

15 years after Opryland theme park closed to make way for a doomed Shopping centre, Music City is back on the tourist map with news of a new attraction.
Dolly Parton used her birthday to announce that her Dollywood company was teaming up with Opry owners, Gaylord,to open what would be a first in the United States: an approximately $50 million water and snow park - unnamed for now - that would be a leisure travel destination in both warm and cold months.
“This is going to be so special,” said Parton, who was joined on stage for the announcement at the Grand Ole Opry House by Gov. Bill Haslam, Nashville mayor Karl Dean and Reed, all grinning with enthusiasm.
Parton, whose birthday was Thursday, was presented a pink present on stage at least twice her size that opened up to posters of water and snow park scenes as artificial snow and bubbles rained down on the audience of politicians, local merchants and media.
Opening by the summer of 2014, the theme park would sit across Briley Parkway from the hotel, just north of Two Rivers Baptist Church.

Christian radio station Alive FM launch a new fortnightly Bluegrass music programme this Sunday (22nd Jan) between 10am-Noon, presented by Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival organiser, Paul Lyttle.
Alive FM is available in the Dumfries area on 107.3 FM, and online at www.aliveradio.net.
Paul also lets us know about a Bluegrass night on Saturday the 28th of January in St. Ninian's Kirk in Moniaive, with Grassroutes, supported by New Redwing! Tickets are only £7.00!!!!
Talking of New Redwing, their monthly acoustic night at The Meeting Place in Rutherglen's Stonelaw Church, this month (Friday 27th)with special guests Cruachan.

It's only three months until Easter, and the Northern Nashville Caithness Festival will be in full swing. This year, Moe Bandy returns, with Johnny Rodriguez, Joey & Rory, Moore & Moore and Jerry Kilgore all flying in from the USA.
Full details on the festival website.

A lot of Country music is coming over next month, but Scotland is missing outat the expense of Belfast.
Mervyn Conn's Wembley Festival returns next month, and will also bring the likes of Reba McEntire, Asleep at The Wheel, Ricky Skaggs, Lonestar and George Hamilton IV to Belfast's Odessey Arena on Feb 29th. (Top ticket prices at £70 for the one day event (compared to £98 at Wembley).
Belfast will also host it's 8th Belfast-Nashville Songwriters Festival between 22nd-26th February with Collin Raye, Nick Lowe and Nanci Griffith amongst the headliners.
Also part of the event is a CMA supported Songwriters series concert featuring Clint Black, Bill Anderson and Bob DiPiero. The CMA event will also play London & Dublin.

Alloa's Prairie Star C&W Club start of 2012 with a visit from Jolene & Barry this Saturday (Jan 7th). Also, as it's the eve of Elvis Presley's birthday, members are invited to come dressed as The King. As ever, the club meets in Weirs Club in Church Street.

With Christmas & New Year well in the past, everything is gearing up for Celtic Connections across Glasgow which runs from January 19th to February 5th. Whilst essentially a Celtic & Folk music festival, Country fans hould look out for shows featuring Seattle based songstress Zoe Muth on Jan 21st, Tom Russell(22nd), Quebe Sisters (27th), Sweetback Sisters (28th) and Canadian sweethearts Madison Violet(31st). In addition, Raul Malo takes part in the flagship Transaltlantic Sessions concerts (Feb 2nd & 5th).
Full details at www.celticconnections.com and on Celtic Music Radio

Hidden in the BBC Alba schedules over New year, was an hour long programme about Patsy Cline. Although "Sweet Dreams" was primarily the background to a theatre production at Glasgow's Oran Mor last year, featuring actress Gail Watson, the TV show is a pretty good Patsy Cline story in itself.
It'll be on the BBC I-Player until the end of the week.