R.I.P.: Eddy Arnold (1918-2008)

Eddy Arnold, the country crooner credited as a pioneer of "The Nashville Sound," died Thursday morning at a care facility near Nashville, just days short of his 90th birthday. The Associated Press obit is here, Great American Country pays tribute here, and Fox News has a guide to Arnold's career highlights here.

G'day, Rodeo Queen! Howdy, Cowgirls!

The competition for the title of Miss Rodeo Queen of Australia is heading into the home stretch on the Gold Coast. Meanwhile, back in the States, cowgirls are riding high in Nashville.

Multiculturalism in Music City USA

As Nashville gains an increasingly more international flavor, some folks are sounding sour notes. But, hey, if Johnny Cash could add mariachi-style horns to "Ring of Fire," maybe it won't be too hard for different cultures to establish harmony.