Photo gallery: 2009 American Music Awards
Oklahoma native and country music superstar Carrie Underwood performs at Sunday night’s 37th Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles. (Associated Press photos)
The fan-voted 2009 American Music Awards took place Sunday night in Los Angeles, with the late Michael Jackson and country music starlet Taylor Swift emerging as the show’s big winners. The cross-genre show also featured more than a dozen performances, including ones from Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert, Rihanna, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson.
Here are some photos from the awards show:
Rascal Flatts, which includes Joe Don Rooney (middle) of Picher, shows off the award for favorite country band.
Oklahoma native Reba McEntire appears onstage at the AMAs.
Janet Jackson performs a medley of her hits.
Adam Lambert puts in a sexually charged performance at the AMAs.
Samuel L. Jackson presents the International Artist Award to artist Whitney Houston at the AMAs.
See more photos after the break.
Carrie Underwood donates sheet music to Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
Carrie Underwood performs at her induction into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in September. Underwood has donated original sheet music of her song “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore” to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum. (Photo by Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman Archives)
A version of this story also appears in Friday’s The Oklahoman.
Carrie Underwood’s gift hits write note with museum
Checotah native donates original sheet music of a song she co-wrote
MUSKOGEE — Country music superstar Carrie Underwood has donated original sheet music to her song “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore” to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
The hall of fame unveiled the gift from the Checotah native Thursday evening at the Muskogee institution, where officials also talked about plans for a multi-million dollar expansion and statewide music trail.
Underwood, along with keyboardist Rocky Frisco and yodeler Ramona Reed, was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in September.
She said then, “This is where we all come from, this is where we all call home, so the fact that throughout all our lives and careers, the fact that we’ve had this amazing state behind us is a wonderful feeling.”
Underwood co-wrote “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore” for her 2005 debut album, released six months after she won “American Idol.” The sheet music, framed with her signed photo and dedication to the hall, will be displayed immediately at the museum’s home in the historic Frisco Depot.
“It’s astounding what Carrie Underwood has done for us,” said Andrea Chancellor, hall of fame board member. “She has remembered us by putting together a true piece of art that shows her tie to Oklahoma and her dedication to what we’re doing and her support of Oklahoma musicians.”
Board President Max Boydstun said the gift is the kind of artifact he can imagine going into a Carrie Underwood exhibit in the planned museum expansion.
Boydstun presented to the legislature in August a $16.5 million plan to build a new museum next to the depot and establish a music trail similar to the Mississippi Blues Trail. The proposed 30,000-square-foot building would give the museum, now housed in the 2,000-square-foot former railroad depot, space to pay tribute to hall of fame members, display their memorabilia, offer interactive exhibits, open a children’s area and have concerts and classes.
“We have to let the younger generation know that music doesn’t just come out of an iPod,” he said. “We want kids to have hands-on experience at how a guitar makes music.”
The planned Oklahoma Music Trail would include at least 100 historical markers to be posted around the state, from Underwood’s hometown to Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. The markers would honor important musical people, places and events in state history.
“We feel like that will become a tourist attraction in itself, but the real cool part is, it will not compete with any other attraction in the state. It will only help market the other music-related museums and events,” he said.
The hall of fame and museum will ask the legislature next session to appropriate $12.5 million over the next five years to help pay for the two projects, he said. The remaining $4 million will be sought from federal and local governments, as well as corporate and private donors. The mayor, city councilors, local legislators and other community leaders attended Thursday’s event.
“We as a state, I think, have a great opportunity at increasing the tourism business in Oklahoma … and I see the museum and trail as a part of that,” Boydstun said. “And strictly from a pride standpoint, we want kids in Oklahoma growing up to be able to look at a Carrie Underwood or a Gene Autry or a Charlie Christian and not only enjoy their music and what they’ve done but also have that sense … that ‘I can take my talents to world like these people did.’”
-BAM
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame to unveil Carrie Underwood gift
Carrie Underwood performs at her induction into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in September. (Photo by Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman Archives)
MUSKOGEE – The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum plans to unveil to the public a special museum donation from country music star Carrie Underwood and discuss its plans for the future at an event Thursday afternoon.
Underwood, along with state performers Rocky Frisco and Ramona Reed, was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in September.
Stay tuned to BAM’s Blog to learn what Checotah’s favorite daughter has gifted to the institution.
And for more information on the Oklahoma Music Hall, go to www.oklahomamusichalloffame.com.
-BAM
Carrie Underwood, Leona Lewis to perform at “CNN Heroes” gala
Carrie Underwood (Associated Press photo)
Oklahoma country music star Carrie Underwood and British singer Leona Lewis will perform at the third annual “CNN Heroes: An All Star Tribute,” CNN announced today.
The gala honors everyday citizens who are making a difference in their communities and beyond. Hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, the program will air globally on Thanksgiving, at 8 p.m. Nov. 26 on CNN/U.S., CNN International and CNN en Español.
Celebrities scheduled to present include Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Additional appearances will be announced in days to come.
The Top 10 CNN Heroes, as selected by the Blue Ribbon Panel, were unveiled by Cooper on CNN last month. The public will select the CNN Hero of the Year via voting at www.CNN.com/Heroes, which concludes at 5 a.m. Thursday. During the Nov. 26 broadcast, the Top Ten Heroes will each be awarded $25,000, and CNN will reveal the CNN Hero of the Year, who will receive an additional $100,000.
This Year’s Blue Ribbon Panel judges included Sir Elton John, Colin Powell, Mariane Pearl, Shakira, Wallis Annenberg, Tavis Smiley, Ted Turner, Tory Burch, Kirk Cameron, Whoopi Goldberg, Malaak Compton-Rock, Rossana Rosado, and Masi Oka. In its third year, the CNN HEROES initiative garnered a record number of nominations – more than 9,000 – and a record number of online votes for CNN Hero of the Year, surpassing 2 million votes.
For more TV news, check out Penny Soldan’s TV blog at http://blog.newsok.com/television.
-BAM
