Actress/singer Zooey Deschanel spent months badgering the producers behind a new Broadway musical based on the life of country icon Loretta Lynn in a bid to land the lead role.

The New Girl star reveals the idea to turn the singer's 1976 autobiography, Coal Miner's Daughter, into a stage show hit her one day while she was in the shower, and she immediately called her manager to see if the project was already in the works.

Lynn had already set the ball rolling on the production, so Deschanel reached out to the organisers behind the show - only to be told a casting decision would not be mad...

Loretta Lynn has signed up Zooey Deschanel for the lead role in a new musical stage show based on the country star's life story.

The 80 year old singer has been working on a Broadway show based on her 1976 autobiography Coal Miner's Daughter, which became a 1980 biographical film and won an Oscar for its star Sissy Spacek.

Lynn has tapped Deschanel for the lead role in the new stage project and she made the big announcement by bringing the actress/singer on stage with her during a concert in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday night. The move mirrored the moment in 1979 when Lynn brought S...

The Band star Levon Helm has lost his battle with throat cancer.

The much-loved rocker died on Thursday in New York, aged 71. Helm's longtime guitarist pal Larry Campbell announced the sad news in a statement to RollingStone.com, which reads: "He passed away peacefully at 1:30 this afternoon surrounded by his friends and band mates.

"All his friends were there, and it seemed like Levon was waiting for them. Ten minutes after they left we sat there and he just faded away. He did it with dignity. It was even two days ago they thought it would happen within hours, but he held on. It seems ...

Singer Garth Brooks is set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year.

The two-time Grammy Award winner, singer Connie Smith and session musician Hargus 'Pig' Robbins will make up the class of 2012.

Brooks will be celebrated in the Modern Era Artist category, Smith will round out the Veterans Era Artist category and Robbins, who has worked with Bob Dylan and Loretta Lynn, will be feted in the Recording and/or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980 category.

And Friends in Low Places hit-maker Brooks couldn't be more thrilled.

He says, "I am astounded and honor...

Poison rocker Bret Michaels is set to revamp his classic ballad "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with country queen Loretta Lynn for a new album.

Michaels recorded the track in 2010 with Miley Cyrus and now he's eyeing another duet with the Coal Miner's Daughter singer for Get Your Rock On.

He tells RollingStone.com, "Loretta Lynn and I are gonna redo 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' together. For me, growing up in a family that loved country music... this is gonna be a really awesome time.

"I met her at Thanksgiving and it was really great. We were out at her ranch in Hurricane Mills (Tennessee) an...

Loretta Lynn has bounced back from a pneumonia scare to spend Thanksgiving with Bret Michaels.

The country legend was hospitalized last month after falling ill with bacterial pneumonia, prompting her to scrap two concerts.

The 76-year-old singer has recovered in time for the holidays, and she celebrated Thanksgiving by inviting the Poison frontman to her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

In a post on his Twitter.com page, Michaels shared a photo of himself hugging Lynn, writing "I cannot thank Loretta Lynn and her family enough for inviting us into her home for Thanksgiving."

The rock...

Veteran country star Loretta Lynn has canceled two shows after she was hospitalized with a bout of pneumonia.

The 76-year-old singer was due to perform in Ashland, Kentucky on Saturday and in Durham, North Carolina on Sunday, but both concerts were axed after she was taken ill and admitted to a medical facility.

A statement posted on Lynn's website confirms she is battling pneumonia and has been ordered to rest by doctors.

The message reads, "Loretta regretfully must cancel her shows for Ashland, KY, and Durham, NC for this weekend, due to illness. Doctors have diagnosed her as the begin...

During the summer of 2011, plenty of music will be playing across this great land of ours. While by no means an exhaustive list of summer tours, we're shining our spotlight on some of the hottest tickets of the hottest season. Whatever your musical taste or monetary budget, there's bound to be something for everyone.

POP

U2 - One of this summer's most highly-anticipated events is U2's 360º Tour, especially considering that many fans have been waiting with tickets in hand since last summer, when the North American leg of the tour was postponed due to Bono's back injury. The tour begins wit...

Miranda Lambert is set to lead the way at the upcoming Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards after scoring a massive seven nominations.

The 27-year-old singer has landed a number of top nods, including ACM Entertainer Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Single Record of the Year for "The House That Built Me" and Top Female Vocalist - the award she scooped last year.

Lambert will compete in the vocal event of the year category for her collaboration with Sheryl Crow and Loretta Lynn on "Coal Miner's Daughter," and has also received two nominations for Video Of The Year - for "Only Prettier" a...

Miranda Lambert had a very special 27th birthday at the 44th annual Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday - she took home Song, Video and Album of the Year honors and was named Female Vocalist of the Year.

Her fiance Blake Shelton was also a big winner, claiming the Male Vocalist and Musical Event of the Year awards.

Lady Antebellum were the only other multiple winners, picking up accolades for Vocal Group and Single of the Year, and it was a huge night for event co-host Brad Paisley, who claimed the Entertainer of the Year prize.

Lambert, who was nominate...

The Lilith Fair dates are in big trouble - headliner Kelly Clarkson has scrapped her shows on the touring festival.

Organizers of the all-female roadshow have already lost Norah Jones for some gigs and they've been forced to scrap more than 10 dates due to poor ticket sales - and now Clarkson has quit the tour.

She has announced that she is skipping her previously scheduled Lilith dates to complete work on her upcoming studio album.

Lilith Tour co-founder Sarah McLachlan and rotating headliners Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Emmylou Harris and Loretta Lynn will continue with the remaining 24 da...

Multi-platinum and Grammy-Award winning singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan is scheduled to release her first studio album of new material in 7 years "Laws Of Illusion" on June 15th on Arista Records. The album was recorded in Montreal and Vancouver with Sarah's longtime collaborator/producer Pierre Marchand. Sarah's new album "Laws Of Illusion" will be released just weeks in advance of the kick off to Lilith Fair 2010, the historic all women touring festival, founded by McLachlan, which became one of the highest grossing touring festivals in the world.

The album's first single "Loving You i...

Rihanna has added her name to music's biggest show of girl power - she'll be part of this summer's Lilith Fair festival tour.

The R&B star will make a special appearance at Lilith's Salt Lake City concert in Utah on July 12.

The 36-city tour will commence in Calgary, Canada on June 27 feature acts including Lilith Fair co-founder Sarah McLachlan, Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, Beth Orton, Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige and Sheryl Crow.

Rihanna's Lilith date will come during her upcoming Last Girl On Earth North American tour.

Click for more great Rihanna pictures:

On the UniversalMusicStore.com they are auctioning off a signed Elvis Costello guitar where 100% of the proceeds go to City of Hope. The City of Hope is dedicated to finding a cure for cancer as well as other life-threatening diseases. The auction will run until Monday, June 15th.

Elvis Costello has a brand a new record out, "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane" that was released on 6/2/09. This amazing new signed acoustic guitar is a must have for any Costello fan!

Elvis Costello's new album 'Secret, Profane & Sugarcane' was released by Hear Music on June 2nd.

The record was produced by T...

For nearly 40 years Jim Henson’s Muppets have captivated audiences young and old, whether down the block on Sesame Street, from backstage on their own syndicated variety show, or even on the big screen. They’ve earned fans in Kanye West, Feist, Weezer, and Jason Segel, who’s been commissioned to bring them back to the moviehouse. This is the story of Jim Henson and how he built his beloved empire from a discarded housecoat and a pair of ping-pong balls.

When I lived in L.A., one of my favorite pastimes was walking up La Brea Avenue toward Hollywood Boulevard. Amid the hip boutiques, ch...

Country couple Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton are hoping fans like their low-key collaborative concerts - because they want to become the next Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

The pair is desperate to land a major tour together, believing they spend too much time apart. And so the couple has hit the road to test a Shelton/Lambert concert run.

They performed their first full-length gig together on Monday night at the Monroe County Fair in Michigan. Shelton told fans, "This was just an idea and an experiment, mainly because we wanted to see each other more often."

The couple pe...

Goo Goo Dolls star John Rzeznik is to be honored with the Hal David Starlight Award at the upcoming Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala. The Iris singer/songwriter will be feted at the 2008 Awards dinner on June 19 in New York City.

Created in 2004 and named after Burt Bacharach's longtime songwriting partner, the Hal David award recognizes talented young songwriters.

Rzeznik joins Rob Thomas, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, and John Legend, who are all past recipients of the accolade.

David insists the rocker is the perfect choice for the 2008 honor: "John Rzeznik is well-deserving of...

Country legend Conway Twitty's daughters are looking for a double of their late dad to play the singer in a new stage musical. The "Hello Darlin'" hitmaker's kids will be among the judges looking for talent at a series of upcoming auditions for It's Only Make Believe.

As well as Twitty lookalikes, the open auditions, which begin in Burbank, California on Saturday, will also be held to find doubles of Twitty's longtime duet partner Loretta Lynn and his four kids.

The musical is all about the country legend, who died in 1993, as told through the eyes of his children, and features Tw...

American country star Ricky Skaggs is "elated" after hearing he will receive an honorary doctorate from a top Boston, Massachusetts music college.

The "Country Boy" singer will be honored by Berklee College of Music on Tuesday during a performance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee - putting the 53-year-old in the company of luminaries such as Duke Ellington, Sting, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, Loretta Lynn and Paul Simon.

He says, "I was elated. It's a really, really amazing honor because many great musicians have come out of Berklee."

(This news article provided b...

Musician John Hughey has died. He was 73. The steel guitarist, who made a name for himself playing for country stars Conway Twitty and Vince Gill, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday.

The Arkansas native worked with childhood friend Twitty for two decades until the late 1980s, before going on to play for Loretta Lynn and Gill. Most recently, he became a member of touring musicians the Time Jumpers.

He was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1996 and his work continues to be featured in movies, TV series and commercials.

Details of his funeral have yet...

Hollywood, California - July 19, 2007 - A worldwide music star, Crystal Gayle has won audiences with her recordings, concerts and television performances for the last thirty years.

2007 marks the 30th anniversary of Gayle's chart-crossing smash, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," recognized by ASCAP as one of the ten most often performed country songs of the 20th Century. On August 28, Capitol Nashville/EMI Music Catalog Marketing released Crystal Gayle: Greatest Hits, a new 25-track collection of Gayle's top hits, including 21 Top 10s and 16 #1s.

Singing came as naturally as br...

A galaxy of legendary musicians including Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, Ray Davies, Nelly Furtado, Jerry Lee Lewis, Loretta Lynn and Frank Black are the judges of this year's International Songwriting Competition.

Wannabe songwriters' entries will be listened to by the A-list panel, who will award one lucky winner $25,000 in cash and a further $20,000 worth of prizes. Two runners-up will also take home cash prizes.

Ornette Coleman, former New Order star Peter Hook, The Cure's Robert Smith, Darryl 'D.M.C.' McDaniels, The Strokes' Julian Casablancas, Macy Gray and Sean Paul are also on...

The White Stripes star Jack White is still looking for answers as to why Iggy Pop shunned his efforts to produce The Stooges reunion album last year. White, a huge fan of the punk icons, offered to do anything if Pop and his bandmates agreed to let him take charge of their comeback album - and he thought he'd got the job after a chat with the group's frontman.

The White Stripes star, who made his full producing debut on country queen Loretta Lynn's acclaimed Van Lear Rose album, says, "Years ago I got a call from Iggy and I said, 'yeah, let's do it.' I had an idea: let's all live in a...

The White Stripes paid tribute to country's king and queens during their first U.S. live show since December 2005 on Friday night by adding Hank Williams, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn tunes to their set list. The gig at Nashville, Tennessee's Cannery Ballroom, sold out in just six minutes when tickets went on sale on Thursday after being announced on the duo's website.

And Jack and Meg White thrilled the 1,000-strong crowd by opening with Williams' Tennessee Border and performing Parton's Jolene and Lynn's Rated X during a dazzling set, in which they also played a handful of new tun...

Happy Birthday To Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress Sarah Michelle Gellar (1977), WWE wrestler Amy Dumas a.k.a. 'Lita' (1975), rapper Shawntae Harris a.k.a. 'Da Brat' (1974), "King Kong" actor Adrien Brody (1973), "The Dead Zone" star Anthony Michael Hall (1968), Chicago Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux (1966), baseball announcer David Justice (1966), "Trainspotting" actor Robert Carlyle (1961), "Everybody Loves Raymond" actor Brad Garrett (1960), "Lois & Clark" actor John Shea (1949), Deep Purple/Blackmore's Night guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (1945), notorious baseball player Pete Rose (1941), Briti...

Singer/Songwriter Kris Kristofferson is to be honored with the Johnny Cash Visionary Award by Country Music Television (CMT) next month.

The star will be presented with the accolade by the late musician's daughter Rosanne Cash at a ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee on April 16.

He says, "John was my hero before he was my friend, and anything with his name on it is really an honor in my eyes.

"I was thinking back to when I first met him, and if I ever thought that I'd be getting an award with his name on it, it would have carried me through a lot of hard times."

Cash's dau...

Billy Ray Cyrus took the music world by storm with his rockin' country. Now, on his newest album, he returns to those Southern rock roots. "Wanna Be Your Joe" celebrates the joys, heroes and music of a generation that brought together rock and country.

From "Country Music Has The Blues" featuring greats George Jones and Loretta Lynn, "The Freebird Fell" penned with Lynyrd Skynyrd's Artemis Pyle and Ed King, and "The Man," a tribute to NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, to the tongue-in-cheek "I Want My Mullet Back," Wanna Be Your Joe is about the life and loves of the average Joe. In fac...

Billy Ray Cyrus took the music world by storm with his rockin' country. Now, on his newest album, he returns to those Southern rock roots. "Wanna Be Your Joe," which will be released July 18, celebrates the joys, heroes and music of a generation that brought together rock and country. Interested in concert tickets? Go here.

From "Country Music Has The Blues" featuring greats George Jones and Loretta Lynn, "The Freebird Fell" penned with Lynyrd Skynyrd's Artemis Pyle and Ed King, and "The Man," a tribute to NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, to the tongue-in-cheek "I Want My Mullet Back," "W...

Country icon Loretta Lynn has been forced to cancel nine concerts after breaking her shoulder in a fall at her home on Sunday. The singer, 71, will undergo shoulder replacement surgery in Nashville, Tennessee, later today, according to her representative William Smithson.

The nine U.S. concerts were scheduled over the next two months. In February 2005, Lynn pulled out of shows in Texas and Oklahoma after suffering a back injury. It is not known when she will be able to reschedule the cancelled gigs.

Check out Loretta Lynn HERE.

(This news article provided by World Entertainm...

Happy Birthday To "The Grudge" actress Sarah Michelle Gellar (1977), WWE wrestler Amy Dumas a.k.a. 'Lita' (1975), rapper Shawntae Harris a.k.a. 'Da Brat' (1974), "King Kong" actor Adrien Brody (1973), "The Dead Zone" star Anthony Michael Hall (1968), Chicago Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux (1966), baseball announcer David Justice (1966), "Trainspotting" actor Robert Carlyle (1961), "Everybody Loves Raymond" actor Brad Garrett (1960), "Lois & Clark" actor John Shea (1949), Deep Purple/Blackmore's Night guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (1945), notorious baseball player Pete Rose (1941), British actress J...