Mammoth Music Blog

Energy without the Jitters Efusjon EDGE Energy Drink

2009-12-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

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Efusjon Home Run Club December Sales Contest

2009-12-02T18:30:00.000-05:00

Efusjon Home Run Team, Starting today through December 31, 2009 every team member that personally enrolls 3 people will be placed in a drawing for a Framed, Ernie Banks Autographed, Chicago Cubs Jersey. This will be an incredible keepsake for our Home Run Club winner.

The Jersey is being provided by Mrs. Liz Banks, wife of Mr. Ernie Banks, of the 500 Home Run Club, and proud member of the Efusjon Home Run Club.

Each member of the Efusjon Home Run Club that enrolls 3 people in the month of December will have their name placed in a raffle.

Each time you enroll three your name will be entered into the raffle again. For example if you enroll 6 people in December you would have two chances in the raffle, 9 would give you three chances and so forth.

End the year with a Home Run for your Efusjon business, let's knock the cover off the ball!

ance Smith Departing CMT to Pursue Acting Career

2009-11-23T15:31:00.001-05:00

Lance Smith, host of CMT's Top 20 Countdown, will be pursuing an acting career and other opportunities when his contract with the network expires in December. He says he reached the decision following several months of analyzing his long-term career goals. Before coming to CMT in 2001, Smith had already spent time in L.A. to concentrate on his acting career. "I'll continue to pursue a place in front of a mike or camera, but it will be under a different set of lights," Smith said of his departure from the network. "Once upon a time, before my decade-long stint as a host, I was an actor, and it's time to wear that hat once again. I will forever be grateful for every chance and opportunity given to me by CMT and country music. There's not a better fan base in the world. But most of all I will miss the crews -- my friends behind the scenes. It's the show behind the curtain that I was most fortunate to see." He is already working on the production of an independent feature film. A search is underway to find a new host for Top 20 Countdown.

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John Rich Cleared of Assault and Harassment Charges in Nashville

2009-11-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

A Nashville judge has dismissed assault and harassment charges against John Rich in connection with an altercation involving former Nashville Star contestant Jared Ashley. Following testimony Friday (Nov. 20), General Sessions Judge John Aaron Holt dismissed the criminal charges that were filed after Ashley claimed Rich "sucker punched" him in the jaw in March at the Big & Rich member's private club, the Spot, in downtown Nashville. Rich said Ashley entered the club without permission and refused to cooperate when security guards asked him to leave. During Friday's hearing, Rich acknowledged he pushed Ashley but denied that he punched him. He testified, "In one motion, I took his drink out of his hand and pushed him back out of my space." In dismissing the charges, the judge noted that the Spot is a private club and that there was no evidence that Ashley sustained any injuries. Friday's hearing was in connection with the criminal charges, but Rich and Ashley's civil suits against each other are still pending.

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Taylor Swift Wins Big at the American Music Awards, Including Artist of the Year

2009-11-23T15:09:00.000-05:00

Taylor Swift won in five categories -- including overall artist of the year -- at the 2009 American Music Awards presented Sunday (Nov. 22) at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Swift was in London for rehearsals for Monday's (Nov. 23) concert at Wembley Arena and accepted three of the fan-voted awards via satellite.

The other artist of the year nominees were Kings of Leon, Lady Gaga, Eminem and the late Michael Jackson.

"Music has never been, ultimately, about competition," Swift said in accepting the night's top honor. "To even be mentioned in a category with Michael Jackson -- who we'll miss and love forever -- is an unimaginable honor. I just want to say I'm sending my love to the Jackson family and Janet for reaching out to me the way that you have.

"And to the fans, you have given me so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and I hope you guys have an awesome Thanksgiving. I miss and I love you."

Swift also won the favorite female artist award in the pop/rock and country categories, and she was named favorite adult contemporary artist in a field that included Daughtry and Jason Mraz. Her Fearless album was voted favorite country album.

In the country category, Keith Urban was named favorite male artist, and Rascal Flatts received their fourth consecutive award as favorite band, duo or group.

In one of the more interesting turns of the evening, Gloriana received the breakthrough artist of the year award. Fans voted via cell phone in the category sponsored by T-Mobile. The other contenders were Lady Gaga, Keri Hilson and Kid Cudi. Most media observers predicted Lady Gaga as the most likely winner.

Gloriana member Tom Gossin openly acknowledged the surprise factor of their win.

"We're Gloriana from Nashville, Tenn.," he said. "We're a country group. Could we get a show of hands of everybody that just said, 'Who the heck is Gloriana?' Well, you're not alone." He continued, "We've got so many people to thank ... starting with Miss Taylor Swift. She believed in us and took us out on tour this year before anybody knew who we were, so thank you, Taylor."

In accepting Rascal Flatts' latest AMA honor, Gary LeVox told the crowd, "You guys have been amazing employers this year. Thank you. Keep employing us." He went on to thank several of their business associates, including "all the accountants that take out taxes on every single thing we do."

When Swift accepted the favorite female country artist award, she said, "I want to say thank you to country radio for giving fans a chance to hear my music. Thank you to everybody who came out to see my Fearless tour this summer and this year. Thank you to everybody who follows me on Twitter and goes to my Web site and fan sites. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This means the world to me."

In a three-hour show that leaned heavily toward pop, R&B and hip-hop, Keith Urban performed "Kiss a Girl," and Carrie Underwood sang her latest No. 1 single, "Cowboy Casanova."

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Teamplayer: Once who unites others toward a shared destiny

2009-11-20T09:35:00.000-05:00

One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team. Kareem Abdul-Jabbor http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

Teamplayer: Once who unites others toward a shared destiny through information & ideas, empowering others & developing trust. D Kinlaw http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

The greatest danger a team faces isn't that it won't become successful, but that it will, and then cease to improve. Mark Sanborn http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team. John Wooden
http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

500 Homerun Club & Efusjon Invite you to come hit a home run

2009-11-07T23:43:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the 500 Home Run Club®, LLC, the exclusively authorized, internationally recognized organization founded to celebrate the awe inspiring achievements of the greatest home run hitters in baseball history. The club operates with the endorsement and support of both Major League Baseball and the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Dam Letter This will make you laugh Out Loud

2009-11-03T23:16:00.001-05:00

The Dam Letter This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries

Tough Love vs. Spanking - Good Argument

2009-11-03T23:08:00.001-05:00

Most people think it improper to spank children, so I have tried other
methods to control my kids when they have one of 'those moments.'

Tough Love vs. Spanking - Good Argument

Tickets On Sale Friday for BamaJam Music & Arts Festival

2009-10-27T18:03:00.001-04:00

Tickets will go on sale Friday,
October 30th for the 3rd annual Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts
Festival, slated for Thursday, June 3 through Saturday, June 5, 2010 in
Enterprise.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091027/CL99873 )

The Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival is one of the world's
grandest outdoor entertainment extravaganzas. Fans have come from more than 47
states and 8 countries to enjoy the 3-day festival which includes music and
activities for the whole family. At BamaJam, the music never stops and the fun
goes on 'til the sun comes up ... and then it starts all over again with food,
booths, activities and music, music, music.

Tickets are on sale for $99 for a 3-day ticket and $49.00 for a 1-Day Flex
Ticket, which may be used on any 1 of the 3 days. Service charges and taxes
are included in this low price.

These introductory prices will not last long, and are available in very
limited quantities, so act fast!

Tickets are for General Admission, which means, the earlier you arrive, the
better your seat!

The Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival offers 3 jam-packed days of
music and entertainment with performances by more than 30 of today's' most
popular and compelling acts. With more than 600 acres, fans will find the
perfect site to set up camp for the 2010 festival.

RV and tent campsites will be available for purchase on a first-come,
first-serve basis. A par 3 golf course on the festival grounds will be
available to campers. Shoes and shirts are not required!

Verizon and Ronnie Gilley Entertainment have announced 4-time and current CMA,
and 4-consecutive ACM Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney will headline the
event. This will be one of Chesney's only 2010 concert appearances.

Chesney, who's had 19 #1 songs, is known for the hits "Out Last Night," "When
The Sun Goes Down," "Beer In Mexico," "Living In Fast Forward," "Never Wanted
Nothing More," and the ACM Single of the Year, "The Good Stuff."

The Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival has become synonymous with
the best names in music entertainment. The festival boasts dozens of Grammy
award-winning, platinum-selling artists; all in one place, all at one
music-filled 3-day event. Past performers have included Taylor Swift, Alan
Jackson, Kid Rock, Brooks & Dunn, Jamey Johnson, Jason Aldean and a slate of
other top artists.

Garth Brooks Tickets Go On Sale Saturday 10-24-09

2009-10-23T18:27:00.000-04:00

Tickets will go on sale Saturday morning for the return of Garth Brooks.

Brooks announced that he was coming out of retirement for a five-year run of shows at the Encore/Wynn Theatre in Las Vegas. He'll do 15 weekends a year for five years.

The tickets that go on sale Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. are for the shows for the weekends of December 11th, January 1st, January 22nd, February 12th and February

All tickets are the same base price of $125, plus a five-dollar service charge and 13 dollars in tax, bringing the total price of each ticket to $143.

You can buy tickets by visiting www.wynnlasvegas.com/boxoffice or by calling (702)-770-7469. One note -- the person whose name is on the credit card used to purchase the tickets must be the person who picks up the tickets at the theatre. source>>>

The Brain Comes Alive With the Sounds of Music

2009-10-20T21:01:00.001-04:00

- Call it the non-druggy drug: Music can promote memory, social behavior and communication in patients with severe brain disorders, but researchers don't understand how music works in the human brain to improve mental powers and the ability to interact with others.

Now, new research in monkeys suggests that humans' ability to perceive music may have been developed through the ability of animals to communicate with one another using vocalizations. After all, the researchers noted, the sounds of human speech have much in common with the sounds made by animals. For example, human speech and animal vocalizations contain the same kinds of tones, which are known as "complex tones."

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center studied brain activity in the auditory cortex of monkeys. They found that the brain cells known as neurons were tuned to certain frequencies and harmonic sounds.

"The understanding of neural mechanism of 'innate' music features in non-human primates will facilitate an improved understanding of music perception in the human nervous system," study co-author Yuki Kikuchi, research associate in the department of physiology and biophysics, said in a university news release. "This will allow a neurobiological framework from which to understand the basis of the effectiveness of music therapeutic interventions."

The study authors were scheduled to present their findings at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held Oct. 17 to 21 in Chicago. The study was funded by grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. source>>>

A neighbour sues Madonna over 'loud music'

2009-10-20T20:35:00.000-04:00

A woman who lives in the same building as Madonna has complained of loud music coming from her apartment.

Karen George, who lives above the singer, is suing the management company that looks after their Manhattan block.

She alleges Madonna, 51, and her pals rehearse to 'unreasonable high decibel amplified music'.

In papers filed at New York State Supreme Court, Karen claims nothing has been done since she first complained in 2008.

Madonna moved into the seventh-floor apartment following her divorce from Guy Ritchie, 41.

Her rep declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for the management company.

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Beyonce forced to cancel her concert in in Malaysia by The Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS)

2009-10-19T16:39:00.001-04:00

Beyonce has postponed a planned concert in Malaysia for October 25th, after the country's opposition Islamist party critiqued her performance, quoting moral issues, concert organizers said. The Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) forced Beyonce to cancel her concert in primarily Muslim nations.

"The postponement is solely (the) decision of the artiste and has nothing to do with other external reasons," the concert organizers said. "The Organisers sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused."

The PAS did not approve of Beyonce choice of dressing. "We oppose the holding of such concerts and we will take action to prevent it," a spokesman from the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party said.

Earlier this month, Malaysia banned Muslims from attending a concert by U.S. hip-hop band The Black Eyed Peas, which was sponsored by Guinness, one of the brands owned by the world's biggest spirits group, Diageo, According to ABC News.

Beyonce and her management team will offer a statement later in time. source>>>

Tomorrow Night's Buju Banton Concert in Dallas To Face Protest From Gay Community

2009-10-19T16:33:00.000-04:00

Reggae music is all about the good vibes. Unless you're Buju Banton.

In his case, the vibes being sent his way by the LGBT community? They're are quite bad.

The reggae star has been inciting the ire of the gay community for decades--ever since the release of "Boom Bye Bye," which he has since promised to remove from his set list. Only, even that much isn't calming the storm.

As recently as last month, Banton was booked to play a gig at Victory Park's House of Blues--until, apparently due to pressure from the gay rights organizations across the country, the club canceled the show.

But the ban on Banton in Dallas hasn't held: Deep Ellum club Trin-City/ Palm Beach Club picked up the gig and scheduled it for tomorrow night. And the Dallas gay community is outraged.

In short: "Buju Banton is a jerk," Daniel Cates, co-founder of Equality March Texas, told DC9.

Resource Center Dallas, in partnership with Equality March Texas, has organized a protest for tomorrow evening from 7 to 9 p.m. across the street from the night club. In turn, the club appears to be using the protest as part of its marketing efforts.

According to reports, at least a dozen of Banton's concerts have been canceled on his nationwide tour. source>>>

Garth Brooks to go from retirement to Headline in Las Vagas

2009-10-15T15:37:00.001-04:00

country star Garth Brooks announced a musical comeback in Nashville on Thursday.

Brooks, 47, confirmed at a news conference the long-simmering rumour that he is officially ending his self-imposed retirement.

"We're going to take the retirement roof off over our head, and I already feel taller," Brooks told reporters.

The popular singer said he has no immediate plans and will take things as they come.

The top-selling country star released his last studio album, Scarecrow, in 2001, a year after he decided to retire to spend more time with his three daughters, all now teens. He also divorced his wife, Sandy Mahl, in 2001 and married country singer Trisha Yearwood in 2005.

He emerged from retirement to promote his three-disc compilation album of greatest hits -- including four new songs -- in 2008. The album finished 10th on Billboard's year-end list of top-selling albums.

In a 2008 interview, Brooks mentioned he would like to return to the music industry once his children had grown.

source>>>

Don't expect to spot Carly Simon in a Starbucks anytime soon

2009-10-14T17:51:00.001-04:00

Don't expect to spot Carly Simon in a Starbucks anytime soon, even if you go to New York or L.A.

She's suing the company, after their exclusive-distribution deal went sour. Simon says her 2008 album This Kind of Love, sold in Starbucks stores, wasn't promoted enough, which is why it tanked and had to be discounted. By skimping on ads, her lawsuit says, "Starbucks stigmatized Ms. Simon's album as an album that could not be sold at full price," which makes her look bad.

The company responds, with an almost-audible sniff of derision, that even after they stepped up promotion in Boston and New York, "sales continued to lag as the title received tepid response from music consumers

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Dolly Parton's Live From London CD/DVD Due Nov. 10

2009-09-24T16:40:00.000-04:00

Dolly Parton will release a CD/DVD set, Dolly: Live From London, on Nov. 10 on Dolly Records. Filmed at the O2 Arena in London in 2008, the collection features 15 songs and numerous anecdotes about her life. She will release the live version of "Here You Come Again" as the first single and video from the project. The DVD includes exclusive interview footage with Parton and her tour crew as well as testimonials from her London fans.

source>>>

Alison Krauss & Union Station Performing at Central Park

2009-09-24T16:37:00.001-04:00

Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas will perform Wednesday (Sept. 23) in New York's Central Park as part of a weeklong celebration presented by the National Parks Conservation Association. The concert in the park's East Meadow will also feature performances by Carole King, Eric Benet, Gavin DeGraw, Jose Feliciano and Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz. Additionally, Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary will also perform a tribute to group member Mary Travers, who died last week. The evening will feature a preview of Ken Burns' latest documentary series, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, which premieres Sunday (Sept. 27) on PBS. source>>>

Darryl Worley's Tennessee River Run Raises $175,000 for Hometown

2009-09-24T16:34:00.000-04:00

Darryl Worley's annual charity event, the Tennessee River Run, has raised $175,000 for his hometown of Savannah, Tenn. The proceeds will help build a cancer treatment center at the Hardin County Medical Center. The three-day event, which concluded Sept. 13, featured live music, a children's fishing tournament, fish fry, 5K run and golf tournament. "It's truly astounding to me that, even in this economy, people are still willing to dig deep for their friends and neighbors, both with their money and time," said Worley. "Their generosity overwhelms me."

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John Fogerty Surprises Americana Conference With Nightclub Concert

2009-09-17T21:23:00.000-04:00

John Fogerty made a surprise concert appearance at the Americana Music Conference on Wednesday night (Sept. 16) in Nashville. Backed by a band that included guitarists Buddy Miller and Billy Burnette and drummer Kenny Aronoff, Fogerty played for nearly two hours at the Mercy Lounge, balancing classics from Creedence Clearwater Revival and his newest album, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again. Fogerty will accept the Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting at the Americana Music Association's Honors and Awards ceremony on Thursday night (Sept. 17). source>>>

Mary Travers Of Peter, Paul And Mary Dead At 72

2009-09-17T21:17:00.000-04:00

Mary Travers, one-third of the popular 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary who were perhaps best known for their hit "Puff (The Magic Dragon)," died in a Connecticut hospital after battling leukemia for several years. She was 72.

The band's publicist, Heather Lylis, said Travers died Wednesday at Danbury Hospital.

Bandmate Peter Yarrow said that in her final months, Travers handled her declining health with bravery and generosity, showing her love to friends and family "with great dignity and without restraint."

"It was, as Mary always was, honest and completely authentic," he said. "That's the way she sang, too; honestly and with complete authenticity."

Noel "Paul" Stookey, the trio's other member, praised Travers for her inspiring activism, "especially in her defense of the defenseless."

"I am deadened and heartsick beyond words to consider a life without Mary Travers and honored beyond my wildest dreams to have shared her spirit and her career," he said.

Mary Allin Travers was born on Nov. 9, 1936 in Louisville, Ky., the daughter of journalists who moved the family to Manhattan's bohemian Greenwich Village. She quickly became enamored with folk performers like the Weavers, and was soon performing with Pete Seeger, a founding member of the Weavers who lived in the same building as the Travers family.

With a group called the Song Swappers, Travers backed Seeger on one album and two shows at Carnegie Hall. She also appeared (as one of a group of folk singers) in a short-lived 1958 Broadway show called "The Next President," starring comedian Mort Sahl.

It wasn't until she met up with Yarrow and Stookey that Travers would taste success on her own. Yarrow was managed by Albert B. Grossman, who later worked in the same capacity for Bob Dylan.

In the book "Positively 4th Street" by David Hajdu, Travers recalled that Grossman's strategy was to "find a nobody that he could nurture and make famous."

The budding trio, boosted by the arrangements of Milt Okun, spent seven months rehearsing in her Greenwich Village apartment before their 1961 public debut at the Bitter End.

Their beatnik look - a tall blonde flanked by a pair of goateed guitarists - was a part of their initial appeal. As The New York Times critic Robert Shelton put it not long afterward, "Sex appeal as a keystone for a folk-song group was the idea of the group's manager ... who searched for months for `the girl' until he decided on Miss Travers."

The trio mingled their music with liberal politics, both onstage and off. Their version of "If I Had a Hammer" became an anthem for racial equality. Other hits included "Lemon Tree," "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "Puff (The Magic Dragon.)"

They were early champions of Dylan and performed his "Blowin' in the Wind" at the August 1963 March on Washington.

And they were vehement in their opposition to the Vietnam War, managing to stay true to their liberal beliefs while creating music that resonated in the American mainstream. source>>>

Sara Bareilles Working With Questlove On New Album

2009-09-17T21:14:00.000-04:00

Singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles has begun work on her sophomore album for Epic Records, In the early going, Bareilles is recording in Brooklyn, N.Y., with production assistance from Roots drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Adam Blackstone.

There's no timetable for the release of the follow-up to Bareilles' 2007 Epic debut, "Little Voice," which has sold 944,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It featured the single "Love Song," a multi-format smash which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has sold three million digital downloads.

Bareilles is off the road for the time being, but is scheduled to perform Oct. 26 at New York's Feinstein's at Lowes Regency. The event is a benefit for Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund, which aims to further gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender activism, and Broadway Impact, a grassroots organization that supports marriage equality. source>>>

'Glee' Songs Liven Up Billboard 100

2009-09-17T21:09:00.001-04:00

The top six songs on the Billboard Hot 100 hold steady this week, but the new season of Fox's "Glee" brings joy to the chart.

The television show's cast recording of Rihanna's hit "Take A Bow" is the week's top debut at No. 46. The song scored 53,000 downloads after the show's season premiere Sept. 9. "Don't Stop Believin'," another song covered by the motley crew of musical misfits on "Glee," re-enters this week's chart at No. 78. The cast version of the Journey classic first made its debut on the chart in May after the "Glee" pilot aired, which prompted 177,000 downloads in the chart week that followed. source>>>

Carrie Underwood, other Oklahoma stars inducted into state's Music Hall of Fame

2009-09-17T21:01:00.000-04:00

Thousands gathered at the Muskogee Civic Center on Thursday night as Oklahoma country music superstar Carrie Underwood, Tulsa Sound legend Rocky Frisco and Western swing songbird Ramona Reed were inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.

"I look at my life every day, and I'm in awe," the 26-year-old Underwood said during a press conference before the induction. "Everything that's happened has been a gift from God."

It's also been due to a lot of hard work.

Along with relentless touring, Underwood was recently nominated for two Country Music Association awards, including female vocalist of the year. She is the Academy of Country Music's reigning Entertainer of the Year, the 2005 "American Idol" winner and a four-time Grammy winner. She's also won nearly 60 awards for her songwriting, videos and music since 2005.

"I'm blown away," Frisco said of his induction. "This takes the cake."

Not too long ago, Frisco got a call from the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, he said. He was told, "'By the way, we're inducting you,'" he said, then laughed. "I said, "But I'm not even sick!'"

The good-natured pianoman is a Tulsa Sound icon. He co-founder the music movement and is a 1955 graduate of Tulsa's Central High School, where he met Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and later tour partner J.J. Cale.

Frisco has played piano for some of rock's most lauded visionaries, including Cale, Eric Clapton, Flash Terry, the Gene Crose Band, Clyde Stacy, Danny McBride, Tom Skinner's Science Project and countless others.

All
of the inductees smiled broadly, seemingly in shock over their inductions into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.

"Of everything I've done and won," said Reed, "this is the thing I'm most proud of. It's a very special night."

Reed is perhaps best known for her yodeling work with Western swing act Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys, which earned widespread fame when their shows were broadcast from the historic Cain's Ballroom in the 1940s.

She's also well-known under her early stage name, Martha White, and her work at the Grand Ole Opry with Hank Williams, Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl, among others. She was raised on a ranch near Talihina.

The trio, along with C.H. Parker - who received the coveted Governor's Award Thursday night - became fast friends during a short press conference before the concert and awards presentation. All three inductees performed.

"I yodeled your music in school," Underwood said to Reed. Parker was her teacher at Northwestern State University. "I yodeled 'Cowboy Sweetheart.'"

"She did. She really did," said Parker.

Reed, stunned, laughed and raised her eyebrows. "That's one of my favorites. ... My granddaughter and daughter sang your music all the way here yesterday," she responded.

The exchange illustrated the points each made on Thursday night: They're all proud to be Oklahomans, feel fortunate to have the support of the state and think Thursday night's honor was the highest yet of their accomplished careers.

Their home state creates a commonality and a bond nearly as strong as family.

"This is where we are from," said Underwood. "This is where we call home. To have such an amazing state behind us is a great feeling, and I'm so happy to be sitting here."

She said she also gets a lot of questions about the numbers of highly successful artists who come from Oklahoma. "They ask me, 'Is it something in the water?' ... I say, 'It's just who we are.'

"I am grounded in my life because of where we came from, because of how we were raised and where we were raised."

Frisco agreed. "I've been a lucky musician - I haven't been a great one," he said with self-effacing humor.

"Class of 2009" inductees join past inductees Vince Gill, Toby Keith, Merle Haggard, Wanda Jackson, Hank Thompson, the All-American Rejects and David Gates, among others. source>>>