• Although female artists still struggle to get airplay, the women of country music saluted one another for breaking through industry barriers, honoring all female stars, from Loretta Lynn to Carrie Underwood and Kelsea Ballerini, at their annual Artists of the Year show. In her acceptance speech, Underwood told the women who gathered Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn., they were the backbone of the music industry. "You are not here because you are women," Underwood said. "You are here because you are dang good." Sissy Spacek, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter, called Lynn a trailblazer whose honest lyrics made her unlike any other songwriter in the genre. Lynn, who is 86 and just released a new album, Wouldn't It Be Great, last month, was unable to attend the show and Spacek accepted the honor on her behalf. Throughout the night, the country artists showed off their influences outside the genre with collaborations with artists from soul, gospel, Americana and more. Kimberly Schlapman and Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town sang "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and "I Can't Make You Love Me," with soul icon Gladys Knight. During the show, Fairchild pulled out her iPhone to list off about two dozen women in country music who deserved to get radio play. Ballerini and Alison Krauss did a cover of "Ghost in This House." Ballerini said many women that she has looked up to have reached out their hands to her, including Shania Twain, Reba McEntire and Taylor Swift. "What I have learned from this is to lift each other up, to support each other and to share our stage no matter how big or small it is," Ballerini said.
• Two stars of this past season of VH1's Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta have been arrested in separate incidents in metropolitan Atlanta. Atasha Chizaah Jefferson, known as Tommie Lee, was arrested Tuesday on assault and child-cruelty charges. Citing a Smyrna police warrant, WSB-TV reported that the 34-year-old is accused of shoving her child's head into a locker at a middle school. She was released on bond Wednesday. Cobb County detention records indicate she was arrested again that night on charges including aggravated stalking. It's unclear what those charges concern. Jail records didn't list an attorney. And, in a separate case, WSB also reported that another of the show's stars, 30-year-old Erica Mena, was arrested Oct. 12 on marijuana possession charges after an argument with her boyfriend, Clifford Dixon. Johns Creek police records indicate Dixon was charged with criminal trespassing. It's unclear whether they have lawyers.
A Section on 10/19/2018