Willie Nelson

Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty (2)

PEOPLE Critic Reviews Emotional Highs and Lows of Grammy Telecast

Originally posted 02/13/2012 04:00PM

The Grammys would have been (and were) a showcase for the glory that is Adele, but Whitney Houston's death 24 hours before the event turned the CBS special into a night of mourning and celebration cresting on big, pure emotions. That's what brought in an estimated 39 million viewers, the highest number for the broadcast since 1984 and the second highest ever.

LL Cool J, who handled the hosting duties without any perceptible wrinkling in his uncanny smoothness, opened with a simple prayer for Houston, "a woman who we loved … our fallen sister." This set up a clip of the six-time Grammy winner belting her signature hit "I Will Always Love You."

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Filed Under: Coldplay, Grammy Awards 2012, Jennifer Hudson, Adele, Glen Campbell, Katy Perry, LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj, Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson

Credit: Alan Silfen

Lionel Richie Is Going Country with New Duets on the CMAs

Originally posted 10/26/2011 02:00PM

Lionel Richie is connecting with his country side.

The singer, who's got an upcoming country duets album called Tuskegee, will show off his chops live on the CMA Awards Nov. 9 (8 p.m. ET), performing with Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker and Little Big Town

"Over a period of time, I realized that the songs that I was writing translated to country," Richie, 62, said in a press release. "As a songwriter, I didn't really start out thinking I was country; I was thinking I was R&B."

"It was just a natural progression," he added. "I am from Tuskegee, Alabama; I am a country boy. It just felt right to do this."

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Filed Under: Rascal Flatts, Country Music Association Awards, Kenny Chesney, Lionel Richie, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson

Credit: REX C. Curry/AP

Willie Nelson Arrested for Marijuana Possession

Originally posted 11/29/2010 07:45AM

Country-music legend Willie Nelson was arrested Friday in Texas and charged with marijuana possession after police allegedly found six ounces of marijuana on his tour bus.

The bus was stopped at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, east of El Paso, reports the El Paso Times. He posted bond and was released.

Nelson, 77, was headed from California to Austin, where he owns a ranch.

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Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Willie Nelson

Credit: REX C. Curry/AP

Good Deeds

Willie Nelson Helps Farmers Hit By Hurricane

Originally posted 09/19/2008 01:05PM

Willie Nelson, a longtime friend of American farmers, announced that his Farm Aid organization will donate $30,000 to help farmers in Texas and Louisiana who were hard hit by hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

The country singer, a Texas native, announced the donations Thursday. The grants include $7,500 each going to the Lutheran Social Services of the South, the Southern Mutual Help Association, the Louisiana Interchurch Conference and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, the Associated Press reports

The Massachusetts-based Farm Aid plans to give further funds to victims as the extent of hurricane damage becomes clearer. Farm Aid, the longest-running benefit concert in the nation, has raised more than $30 million since its first gig in 1985. Nelson has been instrumental in keeping the show on the road.

Its next date is scheduled for Sept. 20 in New England.
– Caris Davis

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Filed Under: Willie Nelson

Credit: REX C. Curry/AP

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson Avoids Jail Time in Drug Case

Originally posted 04/25/2007 09:20AM

Willie Nelson was busted with a pound and a half of marijuana last year, but he won't do any time.

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Filed Under: Willie Nelson

Credit: REX C. Curry/AP

Willie Nelson Cited for Drug Possession

Originally posted 09/18/2006 02:25PM

Country singer-songwriter Willie Nelson and several fellow musicians were charged with misdemeanor drug possession by Louisiana police after a search of their tour bus on Monday turned up marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.

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Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Willie Nelson

Credit: Splash News

Prosecutors: Sizemore Back in Hot Water

Originally posted 05/11/2004 9:00AM

ACCUSED: By having "tested dirty" for drugs in early March, actor Tom Sizemore, 42, has violated the terms of probation imposed for abusing ex-girlfriend and former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, prosecutors tell the Associated Press. Defense attorney Mark Werksman said, "We're asking the court and the public to withhold judgment 'til we have a hearing and have the opportunity to prove that this allegation is bogus."

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Filed Under: Tom Sizemore, Willie Nelson