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POP & ROCK

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<i> Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press</i>

Country guitarist Chet Atkins has a bone to pick with the Country Music Assn., which he feels has overlooked the musicians in country music in favor of the singers and personalities. Atkins won the musician of the year award this year, but that presentation was not made as part of the association’s awards show proper, televised on CBS last month. “I think it was very tacky and disrespectful to the musicians in the world,” Atkins groused Tuesday. “I think that they forgot what the initial ‘M’ stands for in CMA,” he said. “If it weren’t for the musicians and the melody writers, it would be the ‘CPA’--Country Poets Assn.” Ed Benson, associate executive director of the Nashville-based association, said the show was designed to show off songs and performers rather than getting in all the winners. “You can’t make everybody happy all the time,” Benson said.

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