 | WALKIN’ A COUNTRY MILE
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COUNTRY MUSIC COLUMN
by Scott Stem
Country Music is on the move. The CMA Awards are going take over New York City in November. Tim McGraw is filming a new movie. Reba McEntire continues in the fourth season of her “Reba” television series. Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson recently graced the cover of Entertainment Weekly magazine featuring a story about Country Music’s rise in popularity. It is exciting to see so many people take notice of our genre. It’s also exciting to see that it’s not tied to just one artist, but to a group of artists.
Country Music superstars like Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Alison Krauss, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, Leann Rimes, George Strait and Shania Twain continue to be at the top of their game. Trace Adkins, Sara Evans, Pat Green, Jo Dee Messina, Montgomery Gentry, Craig Morgan, Nickel Creek, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack are rising to new heights of popularity. Newcomers like Keith Anderson, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Josh Gracin, Miranda Lambert, Joe Nichols, Julie Roberts, Sugarland, Josh Turner and Gretchen Wilson and more are quickly establishing themselves and creating millions of fans. And on the horizon this year -- new albums from Faith Hill and Trisha Yearwood. It’s a great time for Country Music.
Jason Aldean recently released his new single “Hicktown.” The song, written by Big Kenny and John Rich (of Big & Rich) and Vicky McGehee is just balls-to-the-wall fun. I caught Aldean in an acoustic performance recently and was knocked out. This man deserves to be heard. If you’re not hearing “Hicktown” on your local radio, call them up and ask for it. Check out www.jasonaldean.com
The Bellamy Brothers are back with Angels & Outlaws. The CD features the Bellamys singing many of their greatest hits with guest artists, including John Anderson, Bobby Bare, David Allan Coe,
Bluegrass act The Chapmans are back with their new CD, Simple Man. The Chapmans won Emerging Artist of the Year Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2002. The musical talent in this group is astounding. If you’re a Bluegrass fan, you will absolutely love this album.
Eric Heatherly returns with his new album, The Lower East Side of Life. Heatherly is an amazingly talented live performer, guitarist and vocalist, who scored a hit single and video a few years ago with his remake of the Statler Brothers’ classic “Flowers on the Wall.” This new CD is a great set, showcasing his immense talent. Highly recommended.
The original “Nashville Star” winner Buddy Jewell is about to release his second CD, Times Like These. The album contains the hit single, “If She Were Any Other Woman.” Jewell’s voice is pure Country magic and a welcome sound on Country radio. The album was produced by Garth Fundis (Keith Whitley and Trisha Yearwood).
Legendary Bluegrass group Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver return with the album, You Gotta Dig A Little Deeper. Lawson is one of the most well-respected Bluegrass performers, and along with Quicksilver has been named the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year for four consecutive years.
One of my favorite Country artists of the last decade is Jon Randall. This man has one of the purest voices in music. He’s a great live performer. A fantastic guitar player, reinforced during his time in Emmylou Harris’ band. Randall will be soon be releasing his new album, Walking Among The Living. The album features 13 songs co-written by Randall with songwriters such as Jessi Alexander, Bill Anderson, Gary Nicholson, Gary Scruggs and others, as well as a 14th song written by R.L. Castleman. In a perfect world, Randall should be a superstar. Let’s hope this album sets him on that path. Run to stores when this album comes out on June 7th and buy three copies each.
Charlie Daniels has had tremendous success over the years as a cross over artist –– from rock, to country, to bluegrass, to gospel.
Daniels autographed a Gibson 10-foot guitar sculpture as part of the Guitartown arts project at The Baldwin Showcase in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, April 19.
Daniels and visual artists Dan Goosetree and Paige Easter designed the sculpture, which will be one of more than a dozen to be unveiled in June 2005. Celebrity-designed Gibson guitars will be part of the second installment of Nashville’s Guitartown. For more info: www.nashvilleguitartown.com
Daniels took another trip on behalf of the USO last month, to perform in the Middle East for America’s fighting forces. The patriotic Daniels takes great pride in being there for them.
Johnny now fills that vocalist position with Skynyrd. And for many years, Donnie has been lead singer of .38 Special (“Caught Up In You,” “Back Where You Belong”, “Rockin’ Into The Night”).
Southern Rock has always had one foot in Country Music; now the Van Zant brothers are plunging in with both feet. Their upcoming album, Get Right With The Man contains the hit single, “Help Somebody.”
Indiana 105 out in BEAT country is already all over that single, and Tom Lounges is already spinning the rockier tracks – “Takin’ Up Space” and “Ain’t Nobody Gonna Tell Me What To Do” – on his Sunday evening Night Rock radio program on X-ROCK 103.9.
Speaking of Van Zant... Have you bought your tickets for the CMA Music Festival yet? Van Zant, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kenny Rogers, Blake Shelton and Trisha Yearwood just joined the lineup of artists I announced in last month’s column, for the annual event – June 9-12 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Fifteen NBC Daytime Stars from “Days of our Lives” and “Passions” will also be on hand to meet fans at “Country Music’s Biggest Party”. More info: www.CMAfest.com
I’m veering off from music to television now. I recently discovered a true treasure of a show called “Wonderfalls.” The television series only ran 4 episodes on FOX-TV in 2004 before being cancelled, but a full 13 episodes had been filmed. Thankfully, all 13 episodes have been released on DVD.
This show, starring Caroline Dhavernas, Tyson Leitso, Katie Finnernan and others, is a true delight. It’s the story of a college graduate (Dhavernas) who doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life, so she works in a gift shop at Niagara Falls. Soon inanimate objects begin talking to her, telling her to do things….things that, through a random pattern, begin helping others make changes in their lives. The show was not given the support it needed and was cancelled much too quick, but luckily for us – it has a satisfying conclusion. There is talk of a movie version of “Wonderfalls” if enough people buy the DVD. I urge you to rent or buy “Wonderfalls” and enjoy this treasure for yourself. | ||
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Charlie Daniels, Pat Green, Chris Hillman, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Hal Ketchum, Montgomery Gentry, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Trini Triggs, Tanya Tucker and Rhonda Vincent. And congrats to Howard Bellamy on his April 6th marriage to Jennifer Wright. We wish them many happy years. 
Donnie