(Updated 2/3/10) Madeleine Parlatore, longtime administrator and office manager of Big Tractor Music, has passed away. The company’s Jason Krupek says she was “Mom” to everyone at the publishing company, where she spent 13 years. The funeral will be Friday, February 5 at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens, located at 9090 Highway 100. Visitation will be at 12:30 pm, followed by the service at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made In Memory of Madeleine Parlatore to Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 210830, Nashville, TN 37221

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Nashville Sound era hit maker Shirley Collie died last week in her home state of Missouri.

Born Shirley Caddell in 1931, she initially gained prominence by performing in the 1950s on the nationally telecast Ozark Jubilee. She married and divorced Disc Jockey Hall of Fame member Biff Collie, which is how she acquired her performing name.

Signing with Liberty Records, Shirley Collie made her chart debut in 1961 with the Harlan Howard song “Dime a Dozen.” She and Warren Smith revived the George Jones classic “Why Baby Why” as a duet later that same year.

Her next duet partner was Willie Nelson. In fact, their version of “Willingly” in 1962 marked his debut on the country charts. It was also her only top-10 hit. She married Nelson as her second husband in 1963. She was his second wife and was married to him when he was a member of the Grand Ole Opry. They resided north of Nashville in Ridgetop, TN in the 1960s. They had no children and divorced in 1971.

They co-wrote his 1968 single “Little Things,” and she is also credited with writing his singles “I Hope So” (1969) and “Once More with Feeling” (1970). Shirley Caddell Collie Nelson published Scrapbooks in My Mind as her autobiography in 2009. She was 78 when she died on Wednesday, January 27.

Carrie Underwood just took home her fifth Grammy award for Best Country Collaboration (“I Told You So,” with Randy Travis), and her current single “Temporary Home,” the second from Play On, is already a certifiable hit. Today (2/2) the song’s video is available for purchase and download exclusively on iTunes, an offer that will run through tomorrow (2/3). The video will make its television debut on both CMT and GAC Thursday. (2/4).

Underwood will be at South Florida’s Sun Life Stadium Sunday (2/7) to sing the national anthem at Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. Queen Latifah will also be present to sing “America The Beautiful.” The performances will be broadcast live on CBS Sports prior to kickoff.

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Also in South Florida this week for a Super Bowl pre-party of sorts will be Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Radio. Starting today (2/2), the online station will broadcast live for a few hours daily through Thursday (2/4) from poolside at Miami’s legendary South Beach hang the Surfcomber Hotel. Exact times will be updated via the NSR Twitter and Facebook, but programming is expected to include a pre-show and concert broadcast with Uncle Kracker tomorrow (2/3) tentatively set for 8 pm EST.

“Miami is strictly VIP, invitation only,” says Chesney. “But we’re gonna take my friends to hang out by way of No Shoes Radio. There’ll be people stopping by… a party going on… and all of the post-long-day-in-the-sun vibe that is South Beach in full swing. I can’t get you in, but that doesn’t mean I can’t bring you along.”

Chesney’s latest single “Ain’t Back Yet” will be arriving at country radio February 8, and fans across America will soon be able to experience his national film release Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3-D.

Taylor Swift, Zac Brown, Kings of Leon….
The biggest and brightest Grammys all have a thread that at least a few thousand of us should be smiling about this morning. NASHVILLE!

Now we all knew Ms. Swift was going to need a valet to help her get all of hers to the limo. She is a true phenomenon and is getting just rewards for making music that millions of people love and want—I’m one of them. But, frankly Nashville has always thrown out a gem every generation or so that reaches dizzying heights.   So, you can almost dismiss that to “blind pig, truffle” cynicism if that makes you more comfortable—more comfortable in a high rise office in a city where the bar b cue sucks, that is.

But just to look back up at those three names and think about the scope of music that is there—Contemporary pop/country at its finest. New traditional, college town, party band gun slingers and then, well frankly, one of the best pure rock bands to come along in years.

Once again, cynicism might come in and look for threads to connect them—that one label, one a&r person is really hitting the premium koolaide and it all teeters on one fragile stack of luck, timing and marketing and promotion. All gone with the slightest shift.

But, no. The only thing more varied than their music is their completely different journey up the mountain. In fact, I can’t think of ONE place where their paths crossed even in some way-back-in-the-boiler-room industry way.

Well, I can think of one thing that connects these souls barely within light years of one another—NASHVILLE.   Not so much that everyone lived here as much as they found what they needed to do what they do here—and they needed nothing more. What they found here was people who still believed in great music and did all they could to get it  out there. Now, that is not to take away from all of the people who are very involved all over America to get acts up there on the stage thanking the academy—but, at the same time, I will not stand by and have NASHVILLE minimized as these entities step forward either.

What was going on at the Grammys last night was only what me and some of my friends have been seeing for the last few years breaking the surface. It really is all coming to NASHVILLE. I went to dinner a few months ago with a multiple Grammy winning, LA rock star—certified, type guy who was in town working. When I got to the table and saw that he had his wife with him I jokingly leaned over and said, “So, when are you moving to town?”  His eyes got big and he leaned in and whispered, “Man, who told you? I’m trying to keep it under the radar since I have a record coming out—but my wife came with me this time to look at houses.”

That conversation in various forms has been happening a lot in recent years and after the Grammys last night  I’m charging up my phone cause I know it’s gonna be blowing up this week with people calling asking for a placement in  advanced hillbilly lessons from their lil’ country mouse buddy, Craig. The difference being 5 years ago  it was guys who had cooled off  in the pop world hoping they could learn how to rhyme window and fender. Now days its pop and rock writers and producers who are going to keep on doing what they do—they just see they need to do it in a place where music is alive and players play and, well….people thank the academy.

In this last month alone—Kara Dioguardi, The Academy Is, Hinder, The Plain White T’s, Mike Elizondo, (M&M’s producer and writer- dude!!!), Joy Williams, just to name a few have all been in my building—writing and loving NASHVILLE. amen.

Least we forget—Keith and Carrie and Kenny and Brad and Darius and Lady A and Toby and Rascal F and B&D and Alan and Tim and Faith and Jason and so many others that have long held the flag high. No one can speak of the success of our fair city without mentioning some of the ones that made it amazing already. Dig you guys and proud to know you.

Take heart my friends—this truly is music city. The industry is shrinking—but it is shrinking to us—and I can’t help but see more and better. I can’t help but look up at those names at the top of this and see that people stopped over-thinking it and just put out great music and the world responded. I am SO proud of us and excited about the days ahead. I am SO convinced that we have all we need to do anything we want to do.

Blessings to you all.
Craig Wiseman