2016

Hank Williams Jr, Cyndi Lauper, Alabama, Don McLean, Ronnie Dunn, Jamey Johnson and Lauren Alaina added to perform Dec 13 on the Smoky Mountains Rise Telethon

News /

The impressive lineup of performers continues to grow for Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. (EST). Hank Williams Jr., Cyndi Lauper, Alabama, Don McLean, Ronnie Dunn, Jamey Johnson and Lauren Alaina have been added to the star-studded telecast, which will be broadcast on GAC, AXS-TV, RFDand The Heartland Network. A number of celebrities will answer phones during the telethon. Paula Deen and her sons Bobby and Jamie, RaeLynn, Dailey & Vincent, Moonshiners’ Mark & Digger, T.G. Sheppard, Jason Crabb, Larry Gatlin, comedian Henry Cho, Tim Rushlow and more will help man the phone lines during the telethon. All of the celebrities are donating their time and performances to help the effort. “Every day I’m touched even more by the number of people who are joining us to help raise money for the people of the Smoky Mountains,” Parton said. “It is a special place and I’m honored that these people care so much about what we’re doing through the My People Fund to help those who have lost everything due to the wildfires.” The nationally-broadcast telethon seeks to raise money for the Dollywood Foundation’s My People Fund, established by Parton, The Dollywood Company and Parton’s dinner theaters in the wake of last week’s wildfires in the entertainment icon’s home area of Sevier County, Tennessee. Smoky Mountains Rise also will be simulcast across multiple radio chains, including iHeart Media’s digital and select on-air platforms, Cumulus Media’s NASH Nights LIVE, TuneIn’s Country Roads channel, and several other platforms which are set to be announced shortly. All of the artists are donating their performances to help the effort. The My People Fund will provide $1000 each month to Sevier County families whose homes are uninhabitable or were completely destroyed in the recent Smoky Mountain wildfires. Any family who lost their primary residence (renters and homeowners) due to the wildfires in Sevier County will be eligible. A pre-application for those affected is available at dollywoodfoundation.org. During the telethon, viewers will be asked to call 1-866-CARE MORE to donate to the My People Fund. Anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the My People Fund may visit dollywoodfoundation.org. For those wishing to send donations via mail, those contributions should be sent to: My People Fund, c/o Dollywood Foundation, 111 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863. Please help the Dollywood Foundation share the word about this effort by using the hashtags #MyPeopleFund and #someplacespecial.

Hank Williams Jr, Cyndi Lauper, Alabama, Don McLean, Ronnie Dunn, Jamey Johnson and Lauren Alaina added to perform Dec 13 on the Smoky Mountains Rise Telethon Read More »

Review: Emily Smith SONGS FOR CHRISTMAS

Top Picks /

Emily Smith SONGS FOR CHRISTMAS White Fall Records WFRCD015 **** Thankfully devoid of bells and ho ho ho’s. A Christmas album with a heart of gold. Mention Christmas music and most folk will think of traditional carols or those pop hits crammed onto a CD and invariably called “The Best Christmas Hits Ever. Vol. 97.” However the discerning listener can find a rich vein of roots music that is tied into the festive season. Indeed the late Bert Jansch will probably be heard in many households around the 25th December due to the inclusion of his rendition of “In The Bleak Midwinter” on many of those compilation discs even though it died a death when originally released. So for those inclined to have a festive listen without too many sleigh bells award winning Scots singer Emily Smith offers this fine collection of songs, some traditional, many new. Smith is one of the rising stars of traditional Scots folk music and on Songs For Christmas she sings wonderfully with a fine band behind her, the songs firmly in a folk setting, accordion and fiddle well to the fore over briskly strummed guitars and fleet footed percussion. The arrangements on staples such as Silent Night and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen are just sublime and perfect for listening to with a late night mulled wine. Elsewhere there is the flowing folk rock of The Blessing Of Mary  and  Christ Has My Heart, Ay which dip into Scots and American traditional music (both of which would bear listening to at any time of the year). There’s wintry balladry on the gorgeous Winter Song which is redolent of frost and bare trees while Heard From Heaven Today has a woody timbre courtesy of accordion and viola as the simple repeated words implant the Christmas story wonderfully. There’s some jollity on the calypso like Little Road To Bethlehem, a late night lullaby on the cover of Mindy Smith’s Santa Will Find You and a nod towards the New Year with Smith’s fine version of The Parting Glass, a reflective moment that allows her voice free rein over an immaculate arrangement. Smith tops and tails the album with two songs that capture her vision of Christmas. Find Hope is a song that does capture the non commercial side of Christmas (you remember, the chap in the stable and all) and it warms the cockles of the heart with its message of hope and optimism.  Her cover of Sarah Siskind’s A Life That’s Good closes the album and again it’s a moment of reflection and thanks. Paul Kerr www.emilysmith.org

Review: Emily Smith SONGS FOR CHRISTMAS Read More »

1 night. 1 place. 1 time: a heroes & friends tribute to Randy Travis to be held February 8

News /

Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Rodney Atkins, Chris Janson, Jamey Johnson, Montgomery Gentry, Michael Ray, Ricky Skaggs, Michael W. Smith, The Randy Travis Band, Tanya Tucker and Josh Turner Announced to Join Country Music Hall of Famer at Bridgestone Arena. On February 8, 2017, the stars will gather for a tribute to one of country music’s finest, Randy Travis. The event, titled 1 Night. 1 Place. 1 Time.: A Heroes & Friends Tribute to Randy Travis, will feature performances from Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Rodney Atkins, Chris Janson, Jamey Johnson, Montgomery Gentry, Michael Ray, Ricky Skaggs, Michael W. Smith, The Randy Travis Band, Tanya Tucker, Josh Turner and more to be announced. Tickets for the highly anticipated event go on sale to the general public Friday, December 9 at 11:00am CST at all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena Box Office. In October, Randy Travis was officially inducted into The Country Music Hall of Fame. The multi-platinum country giant suffered a massive stroke in 2013 and has made miraculous strides towards recovery since, recently singing “Amazing Grace” at his Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony as well as the tagline to his iconic “Forever and Ever, Amen” at the 2016 CMA Awards in November alongside numerous country legends and stars. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Randy Travis Foundation; a 501(c)3 non-profit that raises money for stroke research and rehabilitation. “Nashville is coming together on February 8 for one night in one place and at one time to give back to their friend and musical hero, Randy Travis. It’s amazing to see the support that Randy has received from the music industry since his stroke. We’re thrilled to have all of these artists come out and pay tribute to him,” said producer of the event and Travis’ manager, Tony Conway of Conway Entertainment Group. 1 Night. 1 Place. 1 Time.: A Heroes & Friends Tribute to Randy Travis is produced by Mary Travis along with Tony Conway of Conway Entertainment Group, Mike Smardak of Outback Concerts of Tennessee, Inc. who is also the promoter of the event and Kirt Webster of Webster and Associates.  

1 night. 1 place. 1 time: a heroes & friends tribute to Randy Travis to be held February 8 Read More »

Guy Clark is honoured with a new 19 track compilation due out March 3

News /

One of the most revered songwriters of the past 50 years, Guy Clark created an enviable catalog of songs. Country music giants from Johnny Cash to Kenny Chesney all recorded his tunes. Clark, who passed away on May 17, 2016, made over a dozen critically acclaimed albums, with Dualtone Records the home of his final recordings. The new retrospective, Guy Clark: Best of the Dualtone Years, due out on March 3, 2017, draws upon his last three studio releases: Workbench Songs (2006), Somedays The Song Writes You (2009) and My Favorite Picture of You (2013). Each track delivers a master class in songwriting. “El Coyote” and “Rain in Durango” exemplify Clark’s richly evocative way with storytelling. “The Guitar” reveals his amazing gift for taking an ordinary situation (buying a pawn shop guitar) and transforming it into a magical experience. An old “Polaroid shot” serves as the jumping off point for his profoundly poignant love ode “My Favorite Picture of You” and the simple image of “cornmeal on a dance-hall floor” wonderfully sets the scene in the sweet romance “Cornmeal Waltz.” Then there are songs like “Maybe I Can Paint Over That” and “Hemingway’s Whiskey,” which offer wise, wry ruminations on the creative process. Best of the Dualtone Years holds the added treat of introducing a trio of previously unreleased songs. These demo tracks — “Just to Watch Maria Dance,” “The Last Hobo” (co-written with Hal Ketchum) and the Marty Stuart collaboration “Time” — are a welcome gift to longtime Clark fans and newcomers alike. Rounding out Best of the Dualtone Years is a selection of songs from 2011’s live CD, Songs and Stories, including such classic Clark songs as “The Randall Knife,” “The Cape” and “Homegrown Tomatoes” along with his two most famous tunes, “L.A. Freeway” and “Dublin Blues,” which have become Americana standards. “L.A. Freeway” was the song that first brought Clark to prominence. Inspired by Clark’s ill-fated stint living in Los Angeles, the tune became a hit for Jerry Jeff Walker in 1972, and ignited Nashville’s attention to this Texas-born and -bred singer-songwriter. Clark’s solo debut, 1975’s Old No. 1, brought universal praise from critics and his peers. Many Nashville stars — Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Alan Jackson, to name a few — started digging into Clark’s song trunk. Bobby Bare road “New Cut Road” high into the charts and Vince Gill took “Oklahoma Borderline” into the Top Ten of Billboard’s Hot Country chart. “Desperados Waiting for a Train” was a success for Jerry Jeff Walker in the ’70s and the Highwaymen in the ’80s. Clark’s list of #1 hits includes covers by Ricky Skaggs (“Heartbroke”), Steve Wariner (“Baby I’m Yours”) and Rodney Crowell (“She’s Crazy for Leavin’”). Lyle Lovett, who recorded Clark’s “Step Inside This House,” proclaimed that Clark’s “ability to translate the emotional into the written word is extraordinary.” While Clark himself never reached high in the charts with his songs, his music was rewarded in other ways. He garnered his first Grammy nomination in 1998 for his record Keepers, and every one of his Dualtone studio albums earned Grammy nominations, with My Favorite Picture of You winning in 2014. Clark was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2015. He received the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting in 2005 and the American Country Music’s Poet Award (with Hank Williams) in 2013. In October, a Guy Clark biography Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark(Texas A&M University Press) was published to universal praise. The book’s author, Tamara Saviano, a longtime music journalist and publicist who also produced 2011’s This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (a Grammy nominee and Americana Music Association’s 2012 Album of the Year), is currently making a documentary that further explores Clark’s life and work. So while Clark may no longer be with us, his songs and stories — as Best of the Dualtone Years bears out — remain very present and very powerful.

Guy Clark is honoured with a new 19 track compilation due out March 3 Read More »

Nell Bryden announces new album & Radio 2 series

News /

Nell Bryden is a singer-songwriter, New Yorker, adopted Brit, beloved album artist, Radio 2 favourite and broadcaster, and now wife and mother. In every sense, she’s come a long way to get here, and to see her career and her life blossom. No wonder her eagerly-awaited fifth album, due early in 2017, is going to be titled ‘Bloom.’ The lead single, the admirably angry What Is It You Want, sees her at the absolute top of her game. Playlisted on Radio 2 it is a tantalising taste of the album, which was recorded in London with producers Andy Wright and Gavin Goldberg. Those who’ve been lucky enough to hear the whole record, full of elegant songs of mature reflection, are calling it a new creative peak. Nell has also introduced other songs from BLOOM on an extensive British tour during the autumn. There are artists who are independent in the music industry sense, and artists who are independent in mind, spirit and the sheer bloody-mindedness with which they’ve made something of themselves. Nell Bryden fits both descriptions, and has the stories to prove it. The funny ones…about thinking she was the next Maria Callas for a minute, or sleeping on a promoter’s couch that still bore the outline of the previous itinerant musician. The gritty ones…about 14-hour bus journeys to the next gig. The poignant ones…like witnessing 9/11, sacrificing her romantic life for years to pursue her artistic dream, and watching her hair fall out along the way. And the triumphant ones…like establishing herself as a singer-songwriter of real distinction and finding true love in the process. “The word ‘bloom’ encapsulates what the album’s about,” says Nell. “It’s from a line in one of the songs I wrote, ‘find your garden where you bloom.’ It’s that sense of ‘I have to make the album I want to make now, and come into my own.’ So it feels like quite a renaissance for me.” Almost a fixture on the BBC Radio 2 playlist over recent years, Nell has become a much-admired broadcaster on the network herself. Following the success of two series of ‘Nell’s Angels’, in which she celebrated the extraordinary, genre-crossing female talent that inspired her own career, Nell is returning to the airwaves in January 2017 with a new four week series entitled ‘Nell’s Kitchen’. A musical journey through her home town of New York City, ‘Nell’s Kitchen’ will see her celebrate a different area of the Big Apple that gave rise to a different genre of music, and a generation of great artists, the effect that music had on NYC and how that music then went on to become popular around the world. “You can imagine how much I enjoyed being a musical tourist in my birthplace, I followed in the footsteps of some of music’s greatest, all coming out of New York and its famous venues and after-hours joints. Artists and heroes of mine like Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan and Nile Rodgers led my way, and I loved every minute of re-tracing their musical history!” The first episode of Nell’s Kitchen is broadcast Monday 16 January 2017, 10pm, BBC Radio 2

Nell Bryden announces new album & Radio 2 series Read More »

Dolly Parton and more perform during Dec 13 Smoky Mountains Rise Telethon

News /

Great American Country to broadcast benefit for the My People Fund iHeart Media, Cumulus’ NASH Nights LIVE, TuneIn Country Roads & more partners join forces for radio simulcast Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers and Alison Krauss Set To Perform Dolly Parton and a number of her friends, including Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers and Alison Krauss, are set to perform during Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. (EST) on Great American Country (GAC). The nationally-broadcast, three-hour telethon seeks to raise money for the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund, established by Parton, The Dollywood Company and Parton’s dinner theaters in the wake of last week’s wildfires in the entertainment icon’s home area of Sevier County, Tennessee. Smoky Mountains Rise also will be simulcast across multiple radio chains, including iHeart Media’s digital and select on-air platforms, Cumulus Media’s NASH Nights LIVE, TuneIn’s Country Roads channel, and several other platforms which are set to be announced shortly. Additionally, other celebrities joining Smoky Mountains Rise include will be announced in the coming days. “My home in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee is some place special,” Parton said. “Wildfires have affected many of the people—my people—who live in those beautiful mountains. We want to provide a hand up to those families who have lost everything in the fires. I know it has been a trying time for my people and this assistance will help get them back on their feet.” The My People Fund will provide $1000 each month to Sevier County families whose homes are uninhabitable or were completely destroyed in the recent Smoky Mountain wildfires. Any family who lost their primary residence (renters and homeowners) due to the wildfires in Sevier County will be eligible. A pre-application for those affected is available at dollywoodfoundation.org. During the telethon, viewers will be asked to call 1-866-CARE MORE to donate to the My People Fund. Anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the My People Fund may visit dollywoodfoundation.org. For those wishing to send donations via mail, those contributions should be sent to: My People Fund, c/o Dollywood Foundation, 111 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863. Please help the Dollywood Foundation share the word about this effort by using the hashtags #MyPeopleFund and #someplacespecial.

Dolly Parton and more perform during Dec 13 Smoky Mountains Rise Telethon Read More »

C2C 2017 Official AFTER SHOW ARTISTS announced featuring three of the hottest new acts from Nashville; CAM, DRAKE WHITE and JANA KRAMER Plus DJ BAD ASH.

Live events, News /

We are delighted to confirm details of three official C2C AFTER SHOW PARTIES taking place at Building Six, The O2, London from 10pm on Fri, Sat and Sun March 10, 11 and 12, 2017.  They will feature some of the hottest up-and-coming new Nashville acts; Cam, Drake White and Jana Kramer.  Each After Show will also feature the latest country sounds via DJ Bad Ash. Tickets to these shows will go on sale this Friday 9th March at 9am (details below).   Friday March 10   CAM   California-born singer/songwriter Cam has emerged as one of the true breakthrough artists of the last year with her first #1 country single, “Burning House”, which earned her GRAMMY®, ACM, CMA and CMT Award nominations and over a million downloads.  Her Untamed album, on Arista Nashville/RCA Records, was released in December 2015 and debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with the year’s best first-week album sales by a debut country act.  Cam co-wrote 11 of the album tracks and was rewarded with widespread critical acclaim.  She kicked off 2016 on Brad Paisley’s Crushin’ It tour and then enjoyed a six-month slot on Dierks Bentley’s Somewhere On A Beach tour.    Saturday March 11   DRAKE WHITE   “One of the country’s most energizing performers”, according to Rolling Stone Country, Drake White is a rapidly rising new star who released his acclaimed debut album, Spark on Dot Records, in the summer of 2016. The foot-stomping singer/songwriter and nature enthusiast co-wrote 10 of the tracks and the cover tells the visual story of who Drake White is as an artist, husband and native-Alabamian. The images imprinted into his silhouette paint a narrative of White’s life, including his wife Alex, his hometown church (where his grandfather served as preacher), his dog Writer and other mementos that inspired the record. White has been touring as opening act on Zac Brown Band’s Black Out The Sun tour in addition to his own headline dates.   Sunday March 12   JANA KRAMER   The multi-talented Jana Kramer is an actor who played Alex Dupre on the television series One Tree Hill, was a recent finalist on the American TV show Dancing with the Stars and is one of country music’s brightest new stars and a successful singer/songwriter.  Named one of this year’s “Next Women of Country” by CMT, Kramer co-wrote more than half of the tracks on her second album, thirty one on Elektra Nashville, which features her smash hit, gold-certified single, “I Got The Boy.”   Kramer’s singing career kicked off with the release of her self-titled debut album in 2012, which featured the platinum-selling “Why Ya Wanna”. She earned the ACM’s New Female Vocalist of the Year award and the distinction of being country radio’s most-played debut artist of the year.   C2C Official Aftershow Parties Venue: Building Six, The O2 Ticket Prices: £15 (including £1.75 BF) Age Restriction: 18+ Doors: 10pm each night   Tickets for the official C2C After Shows are available from:  WWW.AXS.COM / 08448 24 48 24 and WWW.GIGSANDTOURS.COM / 0844 811 0051  

C2C 2017 Official AFTER SHOW ARTISTS announced featuring three of the hottest new acts from Nashville; CAM, DRAKE WHITE and JANA KRAMER Plus DJ BAD ASH. Read More »

Whiskey Myers announce headline European tour for may 2017

Live events, News /

Whiskey Myers have confirmed a headline European tour for May 2017, including 8 dates in the UK – these follow on from the band’s recent December visit which saw venues being upgraded and all shows selling out. To date, Whiskey Myers – Cody Cannon, Vocals & Guitar / Cody Tate, Guitar & Vocals | John Jeffers, Guitar & Vocals | Gary Brown, Bass | Jeff Hogg, Drums / Tony Kent, Percussion – have visited the UK on four occasions, appearing at festivals (Download, Ramblin’ Man & Planet Rockstock), guesting with good friends The Cadillac Three, then packing out halls on their recent debut headline run over the last week. Says Cody Cannon (lead vocals/guitar): “Visiting the UK has opened a whole new chapter in the story of the band. The audiences are really knowledgeable, they know all of the lyrics and they love to get involved, which suits us just fine. We’ve been playing for over two hours every night, and we’ve had a helluva time. And remember, this is just the tip!”

Whiskey Myers announce headline European tour for may 2017 Read More »

Rachael Sage To Join Howard Jones On Spring 2017 Tour

News /

Award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rachael Sage will be joining iconic synth-pop pioneer and hit maker Howard Jones on the U.K. leg of his 2017 Spring Tour. Sage has often named Jones as one of her most beloved artists and a seminal influence on her songwriting, and while she has rarely covered other artists’ music, she used to perform his songs including “No One Is To Blame” at her regular solo piano gig while attending Stanford University. “I’ve been touring for many years and enjoyed every minute of my eclectic, adventurous indie career so far”, enthuses Sage. “But when the phone rang a few days ago and I was told I would be supporting Howard Jones, it was quite literally a dream come true. It will be a huge honor to share the stage with one of my all-time favorite artists, and I can’t wait to meet him in person!”  Having released twelve albums of original material since founding her own label MPress Records, she originally identified with Jones’ music as a teenager because, as she puts it, “He came from a classical place at the piano and so did I. He played synthesizer and so did I. But mainly it was because his lyrics just seemed so incredibly honest and compassionate. And vocally, it felt like he was singing just to you.” Though based in New York City, Rachael has recently been spending more time in England, where she’s developed a strong fan-base by performing at events such as the Cornbury Music Festival, London Pride and London Acoustic Music Festival as well as larger tours with a variety of artists including Judy Collins, Sadie & The Hotheads (featuring Elizabeth McGovern) and John Barrowman. In the U.S., she’s shared stages with Ani DiFranco, Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohn and many others. “I just love performing, and any captive audience is one I feel fortunate to have a chance to engage and hopefully, uplift. I’m one of those introverted extroverts who feels most comfortable on stage, and after gigs I love meeting people and hearing their reactions to the music. I can’t wait to meet fellow Howard Jones fans, both on and off the stage.”

Rachael Sage To Join Howard Jones On Spring 2017 Tour Read More »

Vince Gill and Lyle Lovett

Vince Gill and Lyle Lovett Reunite For “Songs and Stories” Tour

Live events, News /

The always witty Vince Gill and the reliably wry Lyle Lovett are reuniting for a nine city tour that will take place March 2017. After teaming up for a series of concerts in 2015 and 2016, Gill and Lovett saw that the shows were so successful that they decided to extend the tour. A reviewer for Elmore Magazine raved, “The evening reminded me of the Rat Pack, with pals Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra doing comedy and music and having a great time. . . . This was not the show I had looked forward to—it was much better.” Each show will be a series of intimate solo and duo performances, during which the artists will serve as their own accompanists. “For a night like this, there is no plan,” Gill said. “I know Lyle won’t have a plan, and I won’t either. What he plays will inspire me, and probably vice-versa. It’ll be like playing ping-pong. Whatever song he chooses to sing will inspire the next song that comes out of me.” “I enjoy shows that are not planned out,” Lovett observes. “This will be two songwriters in the round. It’s informal, so there will be lots of ad-libbing. It will be like little snapshots of our experiences.” Both performers have reaped armfuls of Grammys and kindred laurels for their musical versatility and memory-engraving songwriting. “Just two guys sitting on stools, telling stories and singing songs,” Gill says. “No big bands. I saw James Taylor once with just him and his guitar, and after that show I felt like I knew him a whole lot better than I ever did before. That’s what’ll happen between Lyle and me, too, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Vince Gill and Lyle Lovett Reunite For “Songs and Stories” Tour Read More »

Scroll to Top