Quotes from the article.

From the Carter family to the Dixie Chicks, country music has been making an impact on millions of listeners for years. However, in order to forge ahead, sometimes you have to get back to your roots. That's the concept behind Columbia Record's Tribute To Tradition, an impressive collection in which some of the biggest stars in country today trip their hats to the ones who started it all.

Born from a desire to pay homage to the songs that make up our country music history, the 14-track collection features the talents of more than 20 artists.

The premise behind song selection was simple. Each artist asked to participate in the project was allowed to personally select the song they would record. Surprisingly, virtually every era of a country music history since World War II is represented in the collection, from honky tonk to the Nashville Sound to today's country.

The album is also a gesture of gratitude to the community who gave us this timeless music. A portion of the proceeds from the album will be used to build a Country Music Retirement Center for artists, musicians and songwriters.

Martina McBride

Why did you choose to record Tammy Wynette's "Til I Can Make On My Own"?

I've just always loved that song, and of course, I loved Tammy Wynette. And I just thought it was a really good way to pay tribute to her.

Were there any other songs you would like to have sung?

When they came to me and said, "Pick your favorite traditional country song," I was like "You've got to be kidding. How am I supposed to do that?" Then I just started narrowing it down to artists.