Ray Price has stopped cancer in its tracks. The country legend is resting at his home in Texas, recuperating from surgery to remove polyps from his colon. Price had the surgery last week, after a colonoscopy revealed numerous polyps in the pre-cancerous stage. The surgery was said to be successful, and the 83-year-old entertainer expects to resume his touring schedule in a few weeks.

The iconic singer of songs like 'Crazy Arms,' 'Heartaches By the Number' and 'City Lights,' Price made a name for himself in Nashville in the early '50s when he took over Hank Williams' band, the Drifting Cowboys, after Williams' death. He then formed his own band, the Cherokee Cowboys, with friends Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Johnny Paycheck, Johnny Bush and Darrell McCall.

Kris Kristofferson will be honored as the latest BMI Icon at the annual country music awards for the performing-rights organization. The black-tie, invitation-only gala, to be held November 10 at BMI's Nashville offices, will also celebrate the writers of the past year's most-performed country songs from the BMI catalog.

A Rhodes scholar and Army helicopter pilot prior to launching his music career, Kristofferson is a three-time Grammy winner who has also earned 48 BMI Country and Pop Awards for classic compositions including 'Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down,' 'Why Me,' 'Me and Bobby McGee' and 'Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again),' which was BMI's Country Song of the Year in 1972. Two of his most honored tunes include 'Help Me Make It Through the Night,' which garnered seven BMI Country and four BMI Pop Awards, and 'For the Good Times,' a BMI Country Award winner each consecutive year between 1971 and 1979, and five-time BMI Pop Award recipient between 1970 and 1974.

Dolly Parton is a platinum blonde in the UK. The iconic entertainer's CD 'The Very Best of Dolly Parton' has sold more 300,000 copies, earning her a platinum disc. (In the US, a platinum record is awarded for sales in excess of one million copies. It's just 300,000 for the same certification across the pond.)

Dolly's hugely successful 2008 UK tour will be documented in an upcoming DVD release. 'Dolly Live in London' is set to hit stores in November and will spotlight many of her most recognizable hits, including 'Jolene' and 'Coat of Many Colors,' accompanied, naturally, by Dolly's unmistakable wit and homespun wisdom.

Since the mid-1960s, Hank Williams Jr.'s musical output has comprised some 50 studio albums and several career-spanning compilations. But according to Hank, his most recent disc, '127 Rose Avenue,' is also "one of the most special albums I've ever made" -- and one of the easiest to put together.

"A lot of the songs got written when I was out with my two Labradors and a hickory stick at 7:30 in the morning," says the legendary performer. "I don't think I've ever had a whole album where it came together this well and this quickly. It was, 'Here's the melody, here are the words -- bam! There it is.' There's a lot of magic here."

Loyal country music fans have been seeking autographs from their favorite stars all the way back to ... well, since there were country music stars. For buyers and sellers, the right autograph can mean shelling out or raking in some serious bucks.

A recent article on the Musicouch blog ranks the top seven classic country acts based on recent auctions of item they had autographed. The late Patsy Cline, who died in a 1963 plane crash, tops the list, with a whopping $3,612 paid for a signed copy of her 1957 album 'Walkin' After Midnight.' Want an 8x10 photo autographed photo of the singer? The top bidder on that item paid $1,626.

Merle Haggard and Elvis Costello might seem like an unlikely duo, but the two came together earlier this week to honor one of country music's legendary songwriters, Hank Cochran. The country outlaw and rock singer/songwriter were part of a surprise celebration that honored Cochran for his 50 years in the business. Cochran has penned such classics as 'I Fall To Pieces,' recorded by Patsy Cline, as well as 'Ocean Front Property' and 'The Chair,' recorded by George Strait.

"Welcome to the first annual Hank Cochran Celebration," Merle told the crowd gathered at Nashville's BMI office building. Hag then went on to sing several of Cochran's songs. Another friend, Willie Nelson, couldn't be in town for the event but called in to tell Hank, tongue-in-cheek, "I want everybody there to know how great you are, if you haven't already told them."

The Judds will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of their career in music this week by opening a temporary museum in Franklin, Tenn., in conjunction with this week's CMA Music Fest in nearby Nashville. The museum's displays will include never-before-seen photographs, costumes, tour memorabilia, a unique fan photograph tribute and more.

"My fans are part of my family of choice," Wynonna tells The Boot. "They believe in me and support me throughout all the changes in my life. I've been inspired so much by their personal stories, and it continues to encourage me to continue to sing and dream."