Willie Nelson

Although I purport to live by the words of the old blues song "ain't nobody's business if I do," I guess a small part of me still cares about what my friends think - especially my progressive, ultra-hip urban ones. So for a while now, I've kept my Willie Nelson jones a secret from them. I don't know why. He's one of the most soulful, movingly transcendent singer-songwriters of American music, a true pop "gangsta." But I kept his albums on my "guilty pleasures" shelf alongside CDs by Christopher Cross, Barry Manilow, Journey and Air Supply.

Of all the cities Chris Tomlin plays, Baltimore is one of his favorites. "I don't know what it is, but it seems like there's nights where you feel really connected to the people immediately," Tomlin said. "There's other nights where you have to work at it. At Baltimore, you never have to work at it. " Tomlin, 40, is returning to Baltimore on Friday, to perform at 1st Mariner Arena . It's the third stop of his Burning Lights tour, promoting the album of the same name that topped the Billboard 200 chart - only the fourth Christian rock album to do so. "It's pretty crazy," Tomlin said.

ACROSS THE BORDERLINEWillie Nelson (Columbia 52752)Considering that he's already sung alongside everyone from Faron Young to Julio Iglesias, Willie Nelson's duet partners on "Across the Borderline" -- Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon and Sinead O'Connor -- won't raise many eyebrows. But what he does with them might, because for the most part, Nelson tries to meet them on their own turf. It doesn't always work; as well as Nelson's voice blends with O'Connor's, neither gets much out of Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up."

On weekday mornings, I'll post the most controversial, shocking and (of course) ridiculous stories for your reading pleasure. That way, when you walk into work, you'll be the master of witty conversation. National  • Good-looking people unite! Is Cindy Crawford b acking Romney ? (The Hill)  • Not really surprising: Willie Nelson endorses Johnson. (Politico)  • Get to knew Al-Qaeda's interim leader: The new bin Laden? (CNN)  • A fourth war?

The lure of the immaculate turf of Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen extends far beyond IronBirds' minor league baseball, as fans of music legends Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson will prove Thursday. The two performers will give a concert at Ripken Stadium that night as part of their "Field of Dreams" tour. It is one of the many events that will transform the stadium into a venue that, while specializing in baseball, also dabbles in concerts, exhibitions, fund-raising events and, in late October, a haunted house.

Alone among awards shows, the annual Kennedy Center Honors invariably salutes people who deserve it.This year's gala, taped Dec. 6 and airing tonight on WJZ, Channel 13 (9 p.m.-11 p.m.), continues the tradition of showcasing the best the American performing arts scene has to honor. And if some of the show's segments are a bit more spirited and memorable than others, at least everyone's heart is in the right place.The show opens with what proves to be its high point, a vibrant salute to the Broadway composer and lyricist team of John Kander and Fred Ebb that spans their entire career, from the star of their first show (Liza Minnelli)

On weekday mornings, I'll post the most controversial, shocking and (of course) ridiculous stories for your reading pleasure. That way, when you walk into work, you'll be the master of witty conversation. National  • Good-looking people unite! Is Cindy Crawford b acking Romney ? (The Hill)  • Not really surprising: Willie Nelson endorses Johnson. (Politico)  • Get to knew Al-Qaeda's interim leader: The new bin Laden? (CNN)  • A fourth war?

Mark Eichhorn,Orioles relieverEichhorn is known around baseball for his clever impressions."I've been doing them probably since I was 5," he said. "I grew up with 10 other kids, so I had an audience. If you asked anyone, they probably say they get sick of them. They'd say I've been doing it for 34 years, and I'm 34 years old."His favorite impressions:1. Popeye.2. The Cowardly Lion.3. Willie Nelson and Julio Inglesias.4. The Wicked Witch of the West.5. John Wayne.

Of all the cities Chris Tomlin plays, Baltimore is one of his favorites. "I don't know what it is, but it seems like there's nights where you feel really connected to the people immediately," Tomlin said. "There's other nights where you have to work at it. At Baltimore, you never have to work at it. " Tomlin, 40, is returning to Baltimore on Friday, to perform at 1st Mariner Arena . It's the third stop of his Burning Lights tour, promoting the album of the same name that topped the Billboard 200 chart - only the fourth Christian rock album to do so. "It's pretty crazy," Tomlin said.

Mick Jagger signed to play villain in futuristic filmIt may be a long way from "Jumping Jack Flash," but rocke Mick Jagger's return to film promises to be a gas when he plays a 21st century bounty hunter in the movie "Free-Jack."The Rolling Stones singer signed to play the villain Vacendak. "Free-Jack" will feature Emilio Estevez as a race car driver pursued by Mr. Jagger and other bounty hunters known as "bone-jackers."Mr. Jagger has co-starred in two other major films: "Ned Kelly" and "Performance."

Although I purport to live by the words of the old blues song "ain't nobody's business if I do," I guess a small part of me still cares about what my friends think - especially my progressive, ultra-hip urban ones. So for a while now, I've kept my Willie Nelson jones a secret from them. I don't know why. He's one of the most soulful, movingly transcendent singer-songwriters of American music, a true pop "gangsta." But I kept his albums on my "guilty pleasures" shelf alongside CDs by Christopher Cross, Barry Manilow, Journey and Air Supply.

New York-- --No, Matthew McConaughey assures everyone, he didn't campaign for the title of People magazine's 2005 Sexiest Man Alive. While that may be true, he sure seems comfortable enough with the honor, flashing his relaxed, seen-it-all-before grin at a roomful of reporters. One gets the feeling that McConaughey, 36, does not ruffle easily, that he's supremely comfortable in his own skin. If it's an act, it's a good one, earning the Texas native a busy big-screen career, legions of fans - men who admire his attitude, women who admire his pecs - and the welcome opportunity to play onscreen pretty much the same person he is in real life.

Rob Thomas -- Constitution Hall / Pop star and Matchbox Twenty focal point Rob Thomas headlines Constitution Hall, 18th and D streets N.W. in Washington, Sunday night at 7. Antigone Rising also performs. Tickets are $40 and are available through Ticketmaster by calling 410-547-SEAT or visiting ticketmaster.com. Matt Nathanson -- Recher Theatre / Singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson brings his stripped-down sounds to the Recher Theatre, 512 York Road, Tuesday night at 7. Tickets are $12 through Ticketmaster.

Great Grapes festival Whether you're a wine connoisseur or you've just seen Sideways and you're looking for a chance to stick your nose in some local pinots, the Great Grapes Wine, Arts and Food Festival is an opportunity to taste local wines and see live music. Held this weekend at Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville, the festival features several Maryland wineries, more than 150 wines, live music, tastings, artist exhibitions and cooking demonstrations. The Kelly Bell Band and Carl Filipiak are among the local bands that will perform.

THE BROOKS and Dunn tune "Only in America" was released shortly before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but uncannily foreshadowed the powerful sense of national unity that arose in their aftermath; a perfect campaign anthem for a president trying to rekindle that sentiment. It begins with: "Sun comin' up over New York City," describes the aspirations and potential futures of kids on a school bus, and breaks into a refrain about "dreaming in red, white and blue ... where we can dream as big as we want to ... everybody gets to dance.

The lure of the immaculate turf of Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen extends far beyond IronBirds' minor league baseball, as fans of music legends Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson will prove Thursday. The two performers will give a concert at Ripken Stadium that night as part of their "Field of Dreams" tour. It is one of the many events that will transform the stadium into a venue that, while specializing in baseball, also dabbles in concerts, exhibitions, fund-raising events and, in late October, a haunted house.

Under the Big TopChildhood just wouldn't be the same without a trip to the circus. And what better way to see the circus than the way it was intended, under a big-top tent? In fact, the world's largest circus tent, belonging to the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus, makes a stop at Harundale Mall from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2. It's hard to imagine how 3,000 spectators, a couple dozen clowns, elephants, tigers and assorted acrobats could all fit under one tent, but they do. Once you step inside, you're transformed to the days of the old-fashioned circus show, complete with tightrope walkers, dancing bears and the ever-classic human cannonball.

The words of Willie Nelson, the Texas philosopher, provide comfort in the third week of trains, shuttle buses and the same hotel room. "Hello, Walls" is an appropriate bedtime meditation. "Three Days," another Nelson classic, includes a refrain on the days he hates to see arrive: yesterday, today and tomorrow. Willie was writing about lost love; the song resonates because of lingering difficulties adapting to the international date line. It's yesterday in Baltimore, today in Sydney and we may be writing for tomorrow's Sun. Sometimes.

Hal Walker, 70, one of the first African-American journalists on television news in the 1960s, died Tuesday of prostate cancer in Reston, Va. Mr. Walker was the first black correspondent hired by CBS News and covered many of the national news events of the late 1960s, including the funeral of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. As a young reporter, he won acclaim for his work covering race relations at WTOP-TV in Washington, which was then a CBS affiliate. He began working for CBS News in 1968 and was promoted to correspondent in the network's Washington bureau in September 1969.

Southwest Shuffle: Pioneers of Honky-Tonk, Western Swing, and Country Jazz, by Rich Kienzle. Routledge. 288 pages. $19.95 softbound. Kienzle is an encyclopedic authority on U.S. country and western music. His enthusiasms are intense and persuasive -- if you like anything at all about the genre, which is far from universal fondness. Here, in a scholarly but thoroughly readable volume, Kienzle explores the Southwest element of the genre, quite distinct -- especially before the 1950s -- from the more traditional Southeastern and Midwestern species.