Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors was such a big success with 13 million viewers, the most-watched views over all four major broadcast networks in six years, it is going to be re-aired on Christmas Day! You can snuggle up and enjoy it on NBC Dec. 25 at 8 p.m.
Turns out MERLE HAGGARD’s bout of pneumonia that forced him to cancel his December dates was way worse than we knew. In fact, it was nearly fatal.
He talked about it in an interview on Wednesday, saying, quote, “A couple weeks ago I [went] to the hospital, and I guess I was nearly dead. [They] couldn’t tell whether the lung cancer had returned or whether I just had pneumonia.
“They had to wait until they got the pneumonia under control before we could tell. So it’s been a tough couple of weeks, but I’ve got so many people to thank.” Sounds like Merle’s one of those stubborn old bulls who tries to tough it out, until he can’t.
He said, quote, “We were doing a show, and I tried to go out, and I couldn’t do it.” Fortunately, a friend convinced him to check into the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California . . . and that may have saved his life.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD was asked about LORETTA LYNN being honored on the “Billboard Women in Music 2015” special, which airs tonight on Lifetime. She gave the usual props, calling her “incredible” and that she “paved the way” for artists like her.
And then she described what happened the first time they met, quote, “She walked by [and] she smacked me on the rear. And I was like, ‘Who just touched my bum?’
“And I turned around and it’s Loretta and it’s like, ‘eh, if there’s one person on this earth who can smack me on the rear it’s her.’ She’s absolutely incredible. We need people like her.” (Check out the video, here.)