Marital ups, downs played part in biggest music news of 2005

Before the old year gets too far away, let's take a look at the world of country and bluegrass music in 2005:

MARITAL HAPPENINGS: Kenny Chesney and actress Rene Zellweger stayed married four months. She filed for an annulment charging "fraud." She said it didn't have anything to do with financial matters, but gave no other explanation.

Garth Brooks finally married Georgia native Trisha Yearwood at their home in Claremore, Okla. It was his second and her third.

Dierks Bentley eloped to Mexico and was married to his high school sweetheart.

Keith Urban is rumored to be engaged to actress Nicole Kidman.

IDOL PLAY: In its first week of release, Some Hearts, the debut country CD from 2005 American Idol winner Carrie Underwood, of Checotah, Okla., reportedly sold 315,000 copies. Her single, Jesus Take the Wheel, also was a hit.

MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS: Two movies with strong country music soundtracks were Walk the Line and Brokeback Mountain. Joaquin Phoenix, as Johnny Cash, and Reese Witherspoon, as June Carter Cash, did their own singing in Walk the Line.

There might not be a great deal of hard-core country music fans who see Brokeback Mountain (two cowboys who have a long, special friendship), but they might want to pick up the soundtrack, which includes recordings of Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.

BIG WINNERS: The Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music and International Bluegrass Music Association gave out their awards, with the Entertainer of the Year winners being Keith Urban (CMA), Kenny Chesney (ACM), and the Cherryholmes Family (IBMA).

GOODBYE IN 2005: Country or bluegrass stars who died in 2005 included: Sammi Smith, known for her single Help Me Make It Through the Night, on Feb. 12, at 61; Chris LeDoux, singer and former rodeo star who inspired Garth Brooks, March 9, at 56; Paul Henning, screenwriter who created The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction TV shows and wrote the words and music for The Ballad of Jed Clampett, March 25, at 93; Jimmy Martin, pioneer bluegrass artist, May 14, at 77; Vassar Clements, country and bluegrass fiddler who played on more than 2,000 albums, Aug. 16, at 77; and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, blues singer and guitarist who recorded with Roy Clark and Willie Nelson, Sept. 10, at 81.

ALIVE AND WELL: Country, blues and bluegrass music certainly proved to be alive and well in the Augusta area. This was shown by many events, including the Day in the Country Festival; the Lewis Family Homecoming & Bluegrass Festival; two Aiken bluegrass festivals; the Blind Willie Blues Festival; the WKXC-FM Million Pennies For Kids Guitar Pull; the Elijah Clark Bluegrass Festival; the Morris Museum of Art's bluegrass series; the Aiken County fair; and shows at such venues as the Imperial Theatre, Augusta Common, Newberry (S.C.) Opera House, Bell Auditorium, the Still Water Tap Room and others.

All in all, 2005 was a great year for country and bluegrass music.

Don Rhodes has written about country music for 35 years. He can be reached at (706) 823-3214 or at don.rhodes@morris.com.