The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • E4

4E SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2007 THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER www.charlotte.com Entertainment THE AT EST ON HAPPENING Today THEATER 8 P.M. An unmarried daughter tries to make everyone happy in the comedy staged by Davidson Community Play- ers. Also 2 p.m. Sunday. Duke Family Performance Hall, Knobloch Campus Center, Davidson College.

704-892-7918; www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org. JAPANESE FESTIVAL P.M. ($5) Experience Japanese music, dance, tea ceremonies and food during the annual Bon Odori Festival. Wachovia Atri- um, 301 S. Tryon St.

Free for 11 and younger. 704-333-2775; www.charlottecultureguide.com. BOAT SHOW AND SALE 10 A.M. 7 P.M. ($6) Want a boat? Speed over to the Mid-Atlantic Boat Show and Sale.

Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S. College St. Free for 11 and younger. Also, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

www.ncboatshows.com. EAST COAST STEP SHOW 6-9 P.M. The best college fraternity and sorority teams from four states will compete. Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Indepen- dence Blvd.

704-335-3100; www.ovensauditorium.com or www.ticketmaster.com. By Shirley Jinkins and Malcolm Mayhew McClatchy Newspapers Just as they did with rock roll, naysayers once predicted that country music last, that it was just a passing fad. Of course, a lot of that naysaying happened in the 1980s, when was popular. Who coulda blamed for wanting that song to go away? But country music, of course, gone anywhere. If any- thing, its popularity has blos- somed even more than at the height of the so-called movement in the Country music today has as big a role in popular music as hip-hop, rock, indie-rock and every other genre, and looking back at coun- history, safe to say that pop music be what it is today had Johnny Cash, George Jones, George Strait and the Dixie Chicks not come along.

We kept this list, in the words of Strait, pure country: No Wilco. No Flying Burrito Brothers. No Old No alt-country a time and place for honoring those heroes, and this it. So here are the 20 best coun- try songs of all time. Let the dis- agreeing begin.

1. Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash: The horns, the tempo, smol- dering voice and June dead-on songwriting remain as exciting now as in the 1960s. 2. Sweet Dreams, Patsy Cline: The gold standard of songs for Cline wannabes it takes pluck to at- tempt her tri- umph of vocal range and emo- tion. 3.

Mama Tried, Merle Haggard: Haggard was still a handsome rebel himself when this tale of misspent youth made us all a lit- tle restless. 4. He Stopped Loving Her Today, George Jones: Death, unrequited love, third-party gossip, all here along with hangdog baritone. 5. Whiskey River, Willie Nelson: How many concerts have you at- tended that started with TWANG, TWANG, TWANG, TWANG, then these two words? We thought so.

6. So Lonesome I Could Cry, Hank Williams He had bigger hits, but elemental ode to sadness has been covered by dozens of artists and taken to heart by millions of fans. 7. Faded Love, Bob Wills His Texas Playboys: If the twin fiddles of this Texas dancehall favorite get you, move somewhere else. Quickly.

8. Orange Blossom Special, Johnny Cash: Of the many ver- sions of this classic, any- one can sing along with Johnny cover of THE best train song ever. 9. King of the Road, Roger Miller: A quirky, laid-back singalong song that was novel enough in the to draw rock-crazed crowds back into country music. Miller was the perfect foil for the British popsters of the day.

10. Time, Ray Charles: An- other vintage 1960s song that gave people something to slow-dance to, as wist- ful voice trans- formed the mournful tune into a crossover hit. 11. The Devil Went Down to Georgia, the Charlie Daniels Band: The drama, the siz- zle of an irresistible melody paired with a good-versus-evil morality tale, all delivered with lightning-fast licks. 12.

Blue Moon of Kentucky, Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys: Often covered, never imitated, helped the Father of Bluegrass introduce a new American music form to com- mercial audiences. 13. Lucken- bach, Texas, Way- lon Jennings: sell your diamond ring, buy some boots and faded jeans and go sang griz- zled Jennings, drawing country fans away from slick Nashville and to the basics of 14. San Antonio Rose, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys: Another Western Swing classic that put Wills and company on every jukebox shortlist in the and keeps cheerfully scooting boots even today. 15.

I Stop Loving You, Ray Charles: Another Charles classic from his country years that con- tinues to find appreciative audi- ences and willing vocalists. 16. Stand By Your Man, Tammy Wynette: The country anthem, presented with loyalty and resignation, though some- how we all knew Wynette really put up with all that funny business. One bad mar- riage to George Jones later, she 17. Making Believe, Emmylou Har- ris: sadly eloquent voice made this song of self-deception more than a tear-jerker du jour.

18. Coat of Many Colors, Dolly Parton: This homespun coun- try tale of a lov- ing but impover- ished childhood introduced fans to warmth and storytelling capabil- ities. 19. You Never Even Called Me by My Name, David Allan Coe: And now for something completely different masterpiece of irreverence is a song-within-a- song that still has all of country music laughing at itself (and at mama, trains, prison and drunk 20. Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Cash: There were plenty of songs about being sent TO prison, but when Cash performed Prison outsiders could fi- nally grasp the frustration and boredom of those who were IN prison.

THE TOP 20 (PLUS 20 MORE) Best of the best of country music A Johnny Cash song leads the list now let the debating begin FILE PHOTO Johnny Cash, shown here with his wife June Carter, was a towering figure in American music spanning country, rock and folk and known worldwide as Man in Cline Charles Parton Jennings The Next 20 21. Sunday Down, Kris Kristofferson 22. Flowers on the Wall, the Statler Brothers 23. Behind Closed Doors, Charlie Rich 24. Take This Job Shove It, Johnny Paycheck 25.

Only Make Believe, Conway Twitty 26. Walking the Floor Over You, Ernest Tubb 27. Your Heart, Hank Williams Sr. 28. I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack 29.

Will the Circle Be Unbro- ken, the Carter Family 30. El Paso, Marty Robbins 31. Waltz Across Texas, Er- nest Tubb 32. Hello Conway Twitty 33. Before the Next Teardrop Falls, Freddy Fender 34.

Crazy, Patsy Cline 35. Okie From Muskogee, Merle Haggard 36. Help Me Make It Through the Night, Kris Kristofferson 37. Walking After Midnight, Patsy Cline 38. Family Tradition, Hank Williams Jr.

39. Gonna Miss Her (The Song), Brad Paisley 40. Blue, LeAnn Rimes be held accountable for things he did. He remember do- ing things or saying things. His lack of accountability drove me Kessel, head of N.C.

creative writing program, likes using science fiction as an ave- nue for satire and social com- mentary. hope that science fiction can be used for something be- sides adventure says Kessel, 56, who has had three novels pub- lished. since the movies and shows like there has been a generation of movies just about thrills, like thrill He has seen the television ad- aptation of his story, starring Judy Davis and Sam Waterston Or- played it just the way I would have wanted he said. kept the core of my story, and a lot of the dialogue was word for word what I Kessel know why ABC had held the series so long. Ste- phen McPherson, presi- dent of entertainment, says that the network was disappointed in some of the episodes.

is some good work done there, but very McPherson said. ABC dropped two of the six episodes and scheduled the rest this month. But for Kessel, the exposure is all good. It might even lead to some of his other stories getting made for TV. you can get your foot in the he says, might really be Media Movers Danielle Trotta takes over as weekend sportscaster at WBTV (Channel 3), replacing Kricket Morton, who left the station in April.

Trotta joined Channel 3 three years ago as an intern and has worked as an editor and photographer. She is a 2005 graduate of UNC Charlotte Mario joins the report- ing team at WCNC (Channel 36) Two Charlotte natives will be in the cast of next season: Chyler Leigh, for- merly of will re- turn after a role in last finale, and Richard Keith, most re- cently seen on is to be in the season debut Things are looking up for Da- vid Whisenant, longtime Salisbury bureau chief for WBTV, who suffered an aneurysm in a blood vessel and a blood clot in a kid- ney. Medication seems to have remedied his problems and no longer in danger of losing a kidney. was beyond what I considered to be the scenario, so obviously, says Whisenant Winner of WSOC (Channel 9) The Mike! this week is Marty Vanderlip of Pageland, S.C. Other finalists were: Tarsha Williams of Hunt- ersville, Ross Coppley of Lexing- ton, Jordyn LaFrancis of Pineville, Daniel Eagle from Maiden, Angela Polk of Pineville and Jerry Gardner of Adam Rhew of Charlotte, a student at UNC Chapel Hill, gets a presi- scholar- ship from the Radio and Tele- vision News Di- rectors Founda- tion.

He is the son of David Rhew, general manager of broadcast opera- tions at Central Piedmont Com- munity College. anthology arrives from 1E Kessel Trotta Leigh Auditions Casting agents for series will interview as- piring chefs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Pineville Din- ner Theatre, 10403 Park Road, Pineville. Applicants must be 21 or older and can be food lovers, experienced chefs, cooks, private chefs, weekend gourmands or caterers.

Details: 310-482-2641 or e-mail.