"THE VOICE" SILENCED (Items on Vern Gosdin, George Strait, Chuck Wicks, Jullianne Hough, Clint Black, Keith Urban, Sugarland. Paisley, Chesney)

Vern Gosdin, maker of many Nashville hits died at a Nashville hospital as Tuesday became Wednesday this week. The singer/songwriter passed away in his sleep about three weeks after suffering the latest in a series of strokes. His "Chiseled in Stone" was honored as Song of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1989. George Strait, who covered Vern's "Today My World Slipped Away," said, "He was one hell of a country singer and helped me out a lot on my very first tour."

Remote Patrol: Chuck Wicks and his lady-love, Julianne Hough, were eliminated Tuesday night in "Dancing with the Stars" cutdown. "Now I'm going to go out on tour and enjoy doing what I love, and that's country music," sez Chuck post-elimination.
Here's the couple's post "DWTS" appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
Besides that, the Chuckster will be co-hosting The 3rd Annual Country Weekly Fashion Show Concert with ex-Wrecker Jessica Harp and GAC's Suzanne Alexander.
Julianne, for her part, has no plans to return to "DWTS" (The next season at least) while she goes out on tour and enjoys doing what she loves and that's country music (including a number of dates with George Strait).
All that, plus, didja know that Julianne Hough is one of 2009's World's Most Beautiful People, according to the people at People who know from beautiful people (Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are also aboard the Beauty train)?
Julianne and Chuck will appear on "Live with Regis & Kelly" Thursday morning for some "DWTS" mourning.

Meanwhile, over at "The Celebrity Apprentice" boardroom, Clint Black is staying alive, despite appearing on the hot seat in from of Trump & Co. more than a few times.

CMT's 2009 Music Awards, which'll be held in Music City on June 16, has added Keith Urban, Sugarland and Def Leppard to the performance posse for the wing-ding. Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift are already on the performers list for the show...Ten days later (in June, the 26th), CMT will unveil its latest "Crossroads" pairing: Jason Aldean and Canadian rocker/film-balladeer Bryan Adams. The dudes will tape the performance in a few weeks for the June airing.
Before that, Jason guests on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on ABC Friday night.
And CMT has a bee in its bonnet; the cabler is picking up NBC's "The Singing Bee" competition and will premiere it after the Awards show...the music ratio on the show will be 60/40 (per cent) county which, considering CMT's offerings these days, sounds about right.

Because Jay Leno was hospitalized last week, Brad Paisley's scheduled Friday appearance on "The Tonight Show" was unscheduled, but will be rescheduled soon.

Kenny Chesney will join the pantheon of artists who've graced "Austin City Limits." He'll tape the show in May for a future airing (most likely this fall).

Promoting his "Never Going Back," in stores this week, Collin Raye has been in The Big Apple scurring up appearances. On tap: An appearance Thursday night on FOX News Channel's "Hannity" and the cabler's "Huckabee" this weekend. You can also catch Collin on CBS "Saturday Early Show" Saturday morning.

THE BOOK OF "THE LIST" (Items on Rosanne Cash, Wanda Jackson, Johnny Cash, Jessica Simpson, Kristofferson, Chesney, Darius Rucker, Sugarland)

Rosanne Cash, who inducted Wanda Jackson into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this week, has an ambitious effort slated for this fall.
"The List" is Rosanne's next album, pegged to an October landing, and it'll be comprised of 15 classic country ditties, all pulled from a list of 100 "essential country songs" that Johnny made for her when she was 18.
(Her dad) "said if I learned this list, I would be truly educated. We are culling about 15 songs from the list and re-interpreting them, with the respect of an archivist, the love of a daughter, and my own sensibility as a New Yorker for the last two decades."
Lefty Frizzell's "Long Black Veil" is the only essential Rosanne will tell us is coming (we'll have to wait for the rest of the pack).
Meanwhile, a companion book is being assembled parallel to the recording of the album, and it'll be at your favorite bookseller around the same time the disc arrives.

Come On (It's) Over: Jessica Simpson has been booted by her label, sort of.
The good folks at Sony say that Jess is still in their fold (for pop projects), despite being given the heave-ho from Sony Nashville's roster.
Meanwhile, it's possible Jessica could continue as a country artist, but on her own dime.

Live Poet's Society: Did Kris Kristofferson, "an amalgamation of John Wayne and Walt Whitman," have words (the four-letter kind) with Toby Keith at a Willie Nelson tribute concert earlier this decade?
Yeppers, sez Ethan Hawke in a Rolling Stone profile of Kris.
Meanwhile, Kris has no memory of said exchange.

...And Everyone in the Audience is Taking Home a One-Album Deal with Sony-Nashville!: Country Standard Time has a date, this Tuesday (4/14) for Oprah's country music show featuring Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker, Sugarland and Carrie Underwood.