The Country Music Association is helping thousands of students learn music in school to the tune of $1.4 million.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Country Music Association is helping thousands of students learn music in school to the tune of $1.4 million.

Travel down U.S. Highway 23 in Eastern Kentucky, and you will see some of the most beautiful country on God's green earth. But there's more to the area than just the visual scenery. The area, saluted in song by Dwight Yoakam's "Readin, Rightin, Rt.23" a few years back, has given birth to many of country's biggest stars, such as Yoakam, Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs, and Loretta Lynn.

FRANKFORT ? Gov. Steve Beshear and country music star Tom T. Hall announced a new initiative Tuesday to promote U.S. 23 as the Country Music Highway that will include an American Idol -style competition and an education fund.

When the Encyclopedia of Country Music was first published in 1998, it became an instant reference and definitive source on country music. Now, the second edition of the book has been released by Oxford University Press and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The new edition, compiled by museum staff, features new entries [...]