gretchen wilson

The "Redneck Woman" singer brought none of her signature bravado to the stage before singing a simply sweet rendition of "I'll Fly Away."

She was maybe even worse off financially than ever.

There may be a lot more to the story.

Her story matches the hotel's, for the most part.

A death, a secret, an arrest, a close call and a confession that brought tabloid attention — they all make this list of country music news stories that had us saying O-M-G.

That's not why she was arrested, she says.

A court clerk has dismissed Wilson's breach of peace charge stemming from her arrest in a Connecticut airport in August.

"I'm saddened by the whole thing," she says.

"I want to thank my fans for their patience," she begins.

In a statement she thanked fans for their patience and called the events "unfortunate."

Authorities say she became belligerent.

On March 5, 2004, Wilson released her debut single, "Redneck Woman," to radio.