Editor

Los Angeles film and production companies, SkipStone Pictures and Risen Media, celebrate the presentation of its newest independent film entitled ‘Like A Country Song’–featuring the multi Grammy-nominated, American country and rock musician, songwriter and actor, Billy Ray Cyrus. The official motion picture premiere is scheduled to take place during “country music’s biggest week” (CMA Fest-2014) on Thursday, June 5, 2014 at the Regal Cinema (3815 Green Hills Village Dr.) in Nashville, TN. The evening will commence with a cast/celebrity red carpet event at 6:00 PM; the film is scheduled to screen at 7:30PM. Produced and directed by Johnny Remo, alongside Daniel Backman (co-producer) and Tammy Hyler (co-producer/music supervisor) and executive producers Megan and Allan Camaisa (CEO of Risen Media and Risen Magazine), ‘Like A Country Song’ explores “life happens” experiences of a talented and emerging country singer and reveals the personal character flaws, hurdles and unexpected challenges hindering the momentum of a hopeful career. “The story premise alone makes for a solid country song and we filmed in Nashville, so we thought it most appropriate to celebrate the release in Music City as part of our multi-city premiere schedule,” says Johnny Remo, Director and Producer, SkipStone Pictures. “The film was shot at some of Nashville’s “must-see” entertainment venues (such as The Listening Room Cafe and The Station Inn) and at the Music Row sound/production studio The Tater Shack, while the soundtrack features a collection of songs from a select group of Music Row publishing companies. We are pleased to introduce the piece before our friends in the country music entertainment sector and its fans.” Billy Ray Cyrus is poised to make a special appearance at Nashville’s world premiere event, joined by the starring cast and music and film executives, to walk to the red carpet before media, fans and film enthusiasts. In company with Cyrus, the film boasts a decorated cast featuring Joel Smallbone [lead singer of the Christian Rock duo For King & Country (named Billboard Magazine’s 2012 ‘New Artists To Watch’ the reigning Dove Awards ‘New Artist Of The Year’ and Australia’s TRAA “Artist Of The Year”) and co-producer/star of the movie Taken] and Booboo Stewart of the critically acclaimed series ‘Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Breaking Dawn Part I and Part II and the upcoming major motion picture ‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’ (set for a May 2014 release). The ‘Like A Country Song’ leading actors and other cast members will be available for red carpet interviews and media opportunities prior to the movie premiere event. The ‘Like A Country Song’ premiere is scheduled to debut in Nashville on Thursday, June 5, 2014 and will be featured in select theaters in Music City and around the nation beginning Friday, June 6, as official. The film will be available in Walmart, via Redbox, Netflix and On Demand following the theater schedule. Billy Ray Cyrus will cap off the momentous ‘Like A Country Song’ celebration with a live performance at the Hard Rock Café outdoor stage in downtown Nashville (100 Broadway) on Friday, June 6 at 5:30PM during CMA Fest week.

The Country Music Association announced has announced that Hank Cochran, Ronnie Milsap, and Mac Wiseman will become the newest members of the revered Country Music Hall of Fame. Milsap will be inducted in the Modern Era Artist category, while Wiseman will be inducted in the Veterans Era Artist category. Cochran will be inducted in the Songwriter category, which is awarded every third year in a rotation with the Recording and/or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980 and Non-Performer categories. Cochran, Milsap, and Wiseman will increase membership in the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame from 121 to 124 members. “Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the highest honour achievable for a Country Music artist, songwriter, or industry leader and this year’s inductees are all highly deserving,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Hank’s songs have been recorded by everyone from Burl Ives to Etta James, George Strait to Ella Fitzgerald. Mac is a revered figure in the world of bluegrass and a founding Board member of the Country Music Association. And Ronnie is an incredibly gifted pianist and performer who is also one of the most successful and versatile crossover artists in our genre.” “When you start listening to the radio as a kid, you want to hear your songs on there, because songs are bits of people’s lives, including your own,” said Milsap. “Then you dream that your songs and your music will mean enough to the people that, one day, they’ll put you in the Hall of Fame. Not for you, exactly, but for all the songwriters and musicians and especially the fans who tell you their life is in your songs. To me, that’s what the Hall of Fame is all about: how many people’s lives were held in your music. So many people I admire and have heard my story in their songs are already in the Hall, and I love the idea that maybe my music meant – to others – what those artists have meant to me.” “Being a founding member of CMA, I have always been proud of my role in helping make Country Music popular,” said Wiseman. “Being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the icing on the cake and certainly a highlight of my career.” Induction ceremonies for Cochran (who passed away in 2010), Milsap, and Wiseman will take place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the CMA Theater later this year. Since 2007, the Museum’s Medallion Ceremony, an annual reunion of the Hall of Fame membership, has served as the official rite of induction for new members. CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 to recognise noteworthy individuals for their outstanding contributions to the format with Country Music’s highest honour. “All these distinguished Southerners overcame serious hardship before finding the opportunity to hone their talents to professional levels and make the inspired Country Music that has led to this moment,” said Kyle Young, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “Their indelible mark has earned them Country Music’s highest honour, membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame.”

Randy Houser topped charts this week with his new smash hit ‘Goodnight Kiss’ which follows the platinum number one singles ‘How Country Feels’ and ‘Runnin’ Outta Moonlight’. The three hits are taken from his debut 2013 album HOW COUNTRY FEELS. The latest single marks Houser’s first number one as a songwriter, having penned ‘Goodnight Kiss’ with Rob Hatch and Jason Sellers. Houser is known amongst fans and industry insiders alike for his powerhouse vocals and versatile songwriting abilities. His previous successes include the 2009 number two hit ‘Boots On’ (written by Houser and Brandon Kinney) and debut power ballad ‘Anything Goes’. He has had a hand in writing numerous hits for other artists, including Trace Adkins’ 2006 smash ‘Honky Tonk Badonkadonk’ which also reached the number two spot. “I have been so blessed this past year to have such incredible success on country radio and have three number-one’s in a row,” said Houser. “But it’s especially cool to see ‘Goodnight Kiss’ up there this week and to have that recognition now as a songwriter, too.” Houser is currently performing headlining dates across the country and will open for country superstar Brad Paisley this summer.

Sony Masterworks will team up with internationally-renowned superstar Dolly Parton to celebrate Record Store Day on Saturday, April 19. They will be releasing a special limited edition 7-inch vinyl. This blue vinyl features two tracks from Parton’s upcoming album BLUE SMOKE : title track ‘Blue Smoke’ and ‘Home’. Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding independently owned record stores internationally. It is a day for the people who make up the world of the record store – the staff, the customers, and the artists – to come together and celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role these independently owned stores play in their communities – it is a truly important day on the music industry calendar. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists across the globe make special appearances and performances. The complete BLUE SMOKE will be released by Sony Masterworks and Dolly Records on May 13, 2014. It is available for pre-order now. The album includes 12 bluegrass and country songs including covers of Bob Dylan and Bon Jovi classics, and duets with Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers. BLUE SMOKE marks the first new release from Parton since 2011.

The international Rock blues community comes together on Sunday May 4 to present a special benefit show in London for the blues-rock legend Walter Trout who is awaiting a liver transplant. This special show will feature Roger Chapman, Otis Grand, Bernie Marsden, Ian Parker, Kim Simmons, Danny Bryant, Stevie Smith, Marcus Malone, Mitch Laddie, Lawrence Jones, and others to be announced along with The Flamingo Club All Stars House band featuring John O’Leary and Alan Glenn. Proceeds will go to towards the ailing icon’s emergency liver transplant fund and his subsequent recuperation. The evening will pull together some great blues-rock musicians to help raise money and awareness of Walter Trout’s current predicament. This year marked the 25th anniversary of his solo career, but he is currently fighting for his life. It is hoped that the event at Shepherds Bush will be well supported by musicians and fans alike as everyone in the music community come together to show their love for Walter and to help raise monies for himself and his Family. Walter Trout recently confirmed the release of his new CD entitled THE BLUES CAME CALLING which will be launched as planned on June 2 despite his continuing health issues. AN EVENING FOR WALTER TROUT – takes place on Sunday May 4 at the 02 Shepherds Bush Empire, Shepherds Bush Green, London W12 8TT Doors 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start.Tickets £17.50 advance £20.00 on the door Box Office 0844 477 2000 (24 hours). www.waltertrout.com

The Southern Fried Festival 2014 will take place on Friday July 25 to Sunday 27 in Perth, Scotland with tickets on sale Friday April 18. The festival has now announced its country star headliners Buffy Sainte-Marie, Steve Earle, Rosanne Cash, John Fullbright, Marc Ford and Cedric Watson. Southern Fried Festival, Scotland’s biggest and best festival of American roots music returns to Perth for the seventh time featuring some of the biggest names in country. Covering all the American Roots music bases including blues, country, gospel, swing and soul, Southern Fried Festival is a little nugget of Americana in the rolling Scottish countryside with a rich vein of international stars and home grown talent just waiting to be prospected! Taking place in Perth Concert Hall and other venues within easy strolling distance, Southern Fried is a super-sized serving of the best in American Roots music topped with a warm slice of Scottish hospitality! Since the festival launched in 2008, artists have included The Mavericks, Lucinda Williams, Seasick Steve, Booker T, Lyle Lovett, Gretchen Peters, Blind Boys Of Alabama, Stax! featuring Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn and Eddie Floyd, Raul Malo, John Prine, Justin Townes Earle, Savoy Family Cajun Band, Hayseed Dixie, Allen Toussaint, Los Lobos, Nanci Griffith, Hot 8 Brass Band, Mary Gauthier, Eddi Reader, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Slaid Cleaves, Alvin Youngblood Hart, The Holmes Brothers, Elizabeth Cook, Rachel Harrington, Phantom Limb and many more.

Sea Gayle Records/Arista Nashville hitmaker Jerrod Niemann has unveiled his new nonprofit charity, Free The Music USA (FTMUSA). The charity will be dedicated to collecting used instruments and giving them to children in need. Born out of Niemann’s deeply rooted belief that every child deserves the opportunity to explore music within themselves, Niemann set out to help place instruments in the hands of children who could not otherwise afford them. FTMUSA will also make spontaneous and varied donations to music based charities throughout the year. FTMUSA is partnering with Songs for Sound, a Nashville-based charity dedicated to assisting the profoundly deaf through awareness and providing resources for cochlear implants and rehabilitation. Songs for Sound and FTMUSA have partnered with the Academy of Country Music to give three recent recipients of cochlear implants a trip to the 2014 ACM Awards in Las Vegas to meet Niemann and hear him perform at the 2nd Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival on April 5 at The LINQ. Newly appointed FTMUSA board member Shannon Shryne has said: “Jerrod’s passion for helping people is just as strong as his passion for creating great music. Free the Music USA will harness that philanthropic energy and truly make a difference in so many ways. The possibilities are extraordinary and we’re excited to get started!”

Ray Lamontagne has announced details of the release of a new album. SUPERNOVA, his 5th studio album, is released on RCA Records on Monday May 6, 2014. It follows his 2010 Grammy Award winning album, GOD WILLIN’ AND THE CREEK DON’T RISE. Commenting on the song writing process for Supernova, Lamontagne said: “For the longest time these songs were eluding me. I felt like a kid trying to collect lightning bugs. I’d catch a glimpse out the side of my eye and run for I, but the light would go out just as I thought I’d gotten hold of one. But eventually I caught onto their game. I stopped chasing them altogether. Instead I just sat there as if I were completely disinterested in them. And wouldn’t you know it, one by one they came to me! Flew right into my jar.” SUPERNOVA was recorded in Nashville, TN with producer Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys.

Live Nation have announced that BluesFest will return to the Royal Albert Hall this autumn for an extended six-day event, which will once again feature a wonderful array of international stars from the worlds of blues, soul, jazz and beyond. Now in its fourth year, and widely regarded as one of the highlights of the live music calendar, BluesFest made history in 2013 when it relocated to the Royal Albert Hall and became the iconic building’s first ever full-scale music festival. The four day event was a resounding success, with over 40,000 music fans enjoying an incredible run of shows from the likes of Robert Plant, Ronnie Wood, Bobby Womack, Van Morrison, Gregory Porter, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Mavis Staples, Chris Rea and many more. This year’s festival will feature a similarly world class line-up as evidenced by the first batch of headliners which includes the return of one of the most indelible artists of the 20th century, the legendary Van Morrison (Oct 28th), song-writing icon Elvis Costello (Oct 29th), the inimitable Georgie Fame (who opens for Costello on Oct 29th), multi-Grammy-winning Sheryl Crow (Oct 31st) and chart-topping jazz funk outfit Level 42 (Oct 26th). Although all these artists are now celebrated for their own distinctive sounds and styles, they all credit the blues as the start of their musical journeys. Leo Green – Festival Director: “Following on from last year with some fantastic shows from Van Morrison, Robert Plant, Ronnie Wood, Bobby Womack and Tedeschi Trucks Band, we’re delighted Bluesfest will be returning to the Royal Albert Hall in 2014. Last year’s daytime stroller tickets, which are free for kids, proved very popular and it was great to see a family audience enjoy the likes of James Hunter, Dr Feelgood, Huey Morgan and Jo Harman – we’re now looking forward to Bluesfest 2014 and are delighted to announce the first of our headliners and look forward to what will be six very memorable days and nights.” This year’s festival runs from Sunday October 26 – Friday 31 October. Tickets go on-sale 9am on Friday April 4 priced from £20 upwards (subject to per-ticket charge plus order processing fee).

Johnny Cash’s great niece has been found stabbed to death and stuffed into a box in her home in Tennessee after a fight with a family friend. Courtney Cash, 23, was discovered on Wednesday morning (March 19) in her house near Cookeville, about 70 miles east of Nashville. Putnam County Sheriff David Andrews has commented, saying that her body was discovered in a chest just inside the front door. A man identified as William Austin Johnson, Courtney Cash’s boyfriend, was being treated for stab wounds at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville. Johnson and Cash lived together in the house with their young child. Andrews confirmed that the pair had gone out with a friend before an altercation took place. Johnson escaped the attack and took the child with him before driving to the hospital, Andrews said. The friend, identified as Wayne Gary Masciarella, has been charged with first-degree murder. Andrews said that the suspect may have been trying to hide Cash’s body. He also indicated that the stabbings were likely connected to drugs. “This is a senseless, tragic death of a young lady whose life was probably taken as a direct or indirect result of drugs,” he said. In a statement about the loss of his granddaughter, Johnny Cash’s brother, Tommy Cash said: “We are completely heartbroken.” Masciarella is currently being held without bond. He has a court date scheduled for April 21st.