‘Nashville’ Star Connie Britton Sharpens Her Singing Skills

Connie Britton plays a veteran country star on ABC's new fall drama "Nashville," and the actress readily admits that certain aspects of the show have been tough on her, mainly the singing she's had to do as her character, Rayna James. Although she's been honing her skills with instruction from multi-talented producer T Bone Burnett, Connie says hers are the weakest among the vocalists in the cast.

The former "Friday Night Lights" star tells New York magazine, "It's been hard. I've been working with T Bone Burnett for months. I'm the remedial student in our cast of singers -- everyone else has great voices, and I'm the one who only did it back in drama school.

"We'll spend days just sitting around and listening to the music Rayna would have grown up with. I started singing this Bonnie Raitt song with my vocal coach the other day, and I literally burst into tears because I'll never sound as good as Bonnie Raitt."

The show also stars Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes, a young country vixen who clashes with Connie's character. "Nashville" premieres Oct. 10 on ABC. It's not the only new fall show with a country music theme to it. "Malibu Country," starring Reba McEntire as a singer who relocates from Music City to California, is set to premiere in November.

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