MusicWire Magazine
NewsWire Media Publishing
All Rights Reserved - 2011
This website designed and hosted by: MasterPlan Design Solutions
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the Southern United States in the 1920s.
The term country music gained popularity in the 1940s in preference to the earlier term hillbilly music. The term country music is used today to describe many styles and subgenres.
Harlan Howard stated "Country music is three chords and the truth."
TOP 10
COUNTRY SONGS OF ALL TIME
01 "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones
02 "Crazy" - Patsy Cline
03 "Your Cheatin' Heart" -
Hank Williams
04 "I Fall To Pieces" -
Patsy Cline
05 "El Paso" - Marty Robbins
06 "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" - Hank Williams, Sr
07 "Today I Started Loving You Again" - Merle Haggard
08 "Lovesick Blues" -
Hank Williams, Sr
09 "He'll Have To Go" -
Jim Reeves
10 "The Dance" - Garth Brooks
NASHVILLE NIGHT OUT REVEALS UNLIMITED TALENT IN
MUSIC CITY
By: JW Davis
MusicWIre Magazine
Nashville, Tennessee - I now have a very clear perception of why Nashville is called Music City USA. I went in search of America's talent for the Aurora Country Festival in Aurora, Kentucky. I am honored to be the Chairman of the 34th Annual Aurora Country Festival being held in Aurora, Kentucky in western Kentucky on Kentucky Lake on October 7, 8, 9, 2011.
As I scouted Music City, I came across unlimited talent in the Honky Tonks, Clubs and talent showcases surrounding Music Row. Not only did I find unlimited talent in those establishments, I also found very admirable talent on the street with unlimited street performers playing everything from guitars, drums and reggae music to dancing troops, breakdancing performers and even Michael Jackson impersonators. The talent I found performing on the streets of Nashville was astonishing to say the least.
I was able to invite at least a half dozen performers to come and perform at the Aurora Festival and it is my belief those attending these performances at the festival will not be disappointed and will be amazed at the talent we found.
Nashville was indeed a melting pot of musical and performing talent I am sure is not found in any other city in America!
Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. This song was the first single from his gold-certified debut album, which also produced two more Top 20 hits. Although the album was released on Giant Records Nashville, Shelton was transferred to Warner Bros. Records Nashville after Giant closed in late 2001.
His second and third albums, 2003's The Dreamer (his first for Warner Bros. proper) and 2004's Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill, were each certified gold as well. Shelton's fourth album, Pure BS, was issued in 2007, and re-issued in 2008 with a cover of Michael Bublé's pop hit "Home" as one of the bonus tracks. This cover was also that album's third single. A fifth album, Startin' Fires, was released in November 2008. It was followed by the extended plays Hillbilly Bone and All About Tonight in 2010, and the album Red River Blue in 2011. He is currently a vocal coach on the NBC reality talent show The Voice with Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Cee Lo Green.
Overall, Shelton has charted 17 singles on the country charts, including ten Number One hits: "Austin" (2001), "The Baby" (2003), "Some Beach" (2004–2005), "Home" (2008), "She Wouldn't Be Gone" (2009), "Hillbilly Bone" (2010), a duet with Trace Adkins, "All About Tonight" (2010), "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking" (2011)", "Honey Bee" (2011), and "God Gave Me You" (2011) . Additionally, three more of his singles have reached Top Ten: a cover version of Conway Twitty's "Goodbye Time", "Nobody but Me", and "I'll Just Hold On".
Miranda Leigh Lambert is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut album Kerosene. This album, which was certified Platinum in the United States, also produced the singles "Bring Me Down", "Kerosene", and "New Strings". All four singles were Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
After Epic's Nashville division closed, Lambert was transferred to Columbia Records Nashville for her second album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which was released in early 2007. Although the title track failed to make top 40, the next three singles ("Famous in a Small Town", "Gunpowder & Lead", and "More Like Her") were all Top 20 hits, with "Gunpowder & Lead" becoming her first Top 10 country hit in July 2008. Lambert's third album, Revolution, was released in September 2009. Five singles have been released from the album, including Lambert's two Number One hits "The House That Built Me," which spent four weeks at the top of the chart, and "Heart Like Mine". Lambert has also been honored by the Grammy Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and the Country Music Association Awards.
In 2011, Lambert married fellow country singer Blake Shelton. She also released "Baggage Claim", the first single from her fourth album Four the Record, and collaborated with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Pressley in the side project Pistol Annies.
"Feel Like a Rock Star" is the title of a song written by Chris Tompkins and Rodney Clawson, and recorded by Kenny Chesney as a duet with Tim McGraw. The song is the first single from Chesney's upcoming 2012 album Welcome to the Fishbowl.
Chesney recorded the song as a duet with McGraw and premiered it at the Academy of Country Music awards show, broadcast April 1, 2012. The two will be touring together starting in June 2012.
Rodney Clawson and Chris Tompkins wrote the song. Clawson told Taste of Country that Tompkins had begun the song with a bass guitar line, when the two observed that "everybody wants to feel like a rock star."
The song debuted at number 13 on the Hot Country Songs charts dated April 21, 2012. It is Chesney's highest debuting single, the previous record-holder being "Don't Blink", which debuted at number 16. It is also the second highest-debuting single since January 1990, when the charts were first tabulated electronically by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, and the highest-debuting duet on that chart in that same timespan.
This high debut owed mainly to the song receiving 979 plays by radio stations on Billboard's survey in the day after the broadcast, most of which came from hourly airplay on stations owned by Clear Channel Communications.
Rating it four-and-a-half stars out of five, Billy Dukes of Taste of Country favorably compared it to "Young" and "Big Star".
"You Gonna Fly" is the title of a song written by Preston Brust, Chris Lucas, and Jaren Johnston. It was recorded by Australian country music artist Keith Urban for his 2010 album Get Closer. It was released as the fourth single in October 2011 and hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in February 2012.
Preston Brust and Chris Lucas, who comprise the country duo LoCash Cowboys, wrote the song with Jaren Johnston of the rock group American Bang. According to Brust, a Sony/ATV Music Publishing representative suggested that he and Lucas write with Johnston. Johnston suggested a lyric about a "blackbird with a broken wing hiding from the world", and wrote a song about a man convincing a woman that she "gonna fly" with him.
Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song four stars out of five, saying that it "doesn't do much to separate itself from many of Urban's other uptempo hits" but "puts a big smile on your face from start to finish." Tara Seetharam of Country Universe gave the song a B+, calling his delivery "so three-dimensional that it practically pulls you into the bed of his truck."
"You Gonna Fly" debuted at #45 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of November 5, 2011. It debuted at #91 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of December 24, 2011. It debuted at #89 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of December 31, 2011. In February 2012 it hit #1 on Hot Country Songs.
The Farm is an American country music trio consisting of Nick Hoffman (vocals, fiddle), Damien Horne (vocals, keyboard, guitar) and Krista Marie (vocals, guitar). Signed to All In Records in association with Elektra Records and New Revolution, the trio has released the single "Home Sweet Home", which has charted on Hot Country Songs. Horne is a former member of John Rich's songwriting group MuzikMafia, while Marie is a former solo artist for Broken Bow Records and Hoffman plays fiddle in Kenny Chesney's road band. The three met during a songwriting session which included former Western Flyer member Danny Myrick, who also became the group's producer.
"Home Sweet Home" received a 4.5 star review from Taste of Country reviewer Billy Dukes, who said "There’s something new with each spin, including some delicious imagery late in the song."
With their debut single, the Farm have found a song one can hear, taste, touch and smell. ‘Home Sweet Home’ might be the most refreshing song from a country group since Little Big Town released ‘Boondocks’ in 2005. If Nick Hoffman, Krista Marie and Damien Horne can consistently work at this level, they’ll be stars.
The three are hardly country newbies. Hoffman is Kenny Chesney‘s longtime fiddle player, Marie charted two songs as a solo artist on Broken Bow Records and Horne is a John Rich discovery. The lyrics sound as though they may have been written by the North Carolina-born Horne. He moved to Hollywood many years ago, but wound up homeless before returning to Carolina and eventually Nashville.
Alan Jackson says fans are comparing his new single ‘So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore’ to the George Jones’ hit ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today.’ While it’s far too early to enshrine this Jay Knowles and Adam Wright written ballad, Jackson’s dark and personal performance rides the same rail Jones laid down 30-plus years ago.
‘So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore’ is Jackson’s most vulnerable love song since the critically acclaimed but commercially ignored ‘A Woman’s Love’ and ‘Like Red on a Rose’ in 2006. There’s palpable pain in his expressions of love for a woman who no longer wants to reciprocate.
“I’ll be the bad guy / I’ll take the black eye / When I walk out you can slam the door / I’ll be the S.O.B. / If that’s what you need from me / So you don’t have to love me anymore,” Jackson sings over an acoustic guitar and gentle piano to begin the song. Old wounds are left exposed for everyone to see.
“I will keep all those memories of the good times / Yeah there were some good times / So when you think of you and me / They won’t even cross their mind,” he adds during a bare-bones but effective chorus.
Wright (Jackson’s nephew and one-half of the country duo the Wrights) and Knowles are known but not yet superstar songwriters in Nashville. Most recently, they teamed up to write ‘No Truck, No Boat, No Girl,’ an album cut from Joe Nichols‘ latest album.
"Georgia Peaches" is the title of a song written by Blair Daly, Mallary Hope and Rachel Proctor, and recorded by American recording artist and American Idol 's season 10 runner-up, Lauren Alaina. It was released in October 24, 2011 as the second single from her debut album Wildflower.
Lauren Alaina is an American country singer from Rossville, Georgia. Alaina was the runner-up on the tenth season of American Idol. Her debut studio album, Wildflower was released on October 11, 2011.
Alaina auditioned for the tenth season of American Idol in Nashville, Tennessee. From early on, Alaina was a judge favorite.
"If I Die Young" is the title of a song written by Kimberly Perry and recorded by American country group The Band Perry. It was released as their second single in June 2010, and serves as the lead-off single to the group's self-titled debut album, which was released on October 12, 2010.
"Banjo" is the title of a song recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts, written by Neil Thrasher, Wendell Mobley and Tony Martin. It is the first single from the group's eighth studio album, Changed. Rascal Flatts also performed the song live with Steve Martin at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2012.
"Banjo" is an up-tempo in which the narrator invites his lover to escape with him to a faraway place that "ain't on the map". He tells her to "go-go-go / 'Til you hear a banjo."
Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley, both of whom have written several singles for Rascal Flatts, told Taste of Country that the line "'til you hear a banjo" came when Rascal Flatts' lead singer Gary LeVox was giving the two directions to his farm.
Hunter Hayes is the debut studio album by American country music artist Hunter Hayes. It was released on October 11, 2011 via Atlantic Records. Hayes wrote or co-wrote every track on the album and plays every instrument. He began his musical career at age two when his grandmother gave him a toy accordion. At age four, he began making appearances at local performances and on national television, including showings on Maury, Rosie O'Donnell, and Nickelodeon's series Figure It Out. At the age of 13, Hayes appeared on "America's Most Talented Kids," a show hosted by Dave Coulier. He performed the hit Hank Williams song, "Hey Good Lookin'."
"Just a Dream" is a country song, released as the fourth single from Carrie Underwood's second studio album, Carnival Ride. The song was composed by Gordie Sampson, Steve McEwan and Hillary Lindsey. The song was officially released to radio on July 21, 2008. A video for the song was released on August 5, 2008. The song was nominated for 2010 Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
"Just a Dream" is a mid-tempo song backed by a string section. The song chronicles an 18 year-old woman going to the church in her wedding dress, with the listener believing she's going to her wedding. However, it is revealed as the song goes that she's going to her husband's funeral instead, who was a soldier killed in action.
COUNTRY MUSIC PAGE
Randall Hank Williams, better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country. He is the son of country music pioneer Hank Williams and the father of Hank Williams III, Holly Williams, Hilary Williams, Samuel Williams, and Katie Williams.
Kenny Chesney says that the song is about "Regrets. In a way, they define us – those things we wish we’d done differently. They can be small things that seemed scary at the time – like skinny-dipping with the girl you really liked, or standing up to a bully – or something that didn’t seem to matter that made all the difference in the world, whether it’s spending more time with a parent before they’re gone or giving in for someone you love."
Caylee Hall sings at the Kentucky Opry
"Stars of Tomorrow" Show on July 15th.
This is Caylee Hall, from Paris, Tennessee singing at her appearance at the Kentucky Opry in Draffenville, Kentucky. She performed Patsy Cline's Leavin On Your Mind.
KENTUCKY OPRY...'STARS OF TOMMORROW' SHOW...AMAZING TALENT, AMAZING SHOW!
By: JW Davis, Editor, MusicWire Magazine
Draffenville, Kentucky - On Friday, Aug. 24, 2012 I had the privilege of attending one of the finest talent shows I have seen in quite some time at the Kentucky Opry in Draffenville, which is located in the Kentucky Lake area of western Kentucky.
I was invited by the owner of the Opry and one of western Kentucky's very talented country music master showman and MC's, Mr. Clay Campbell.
Clay runs the Kentucky Opry and this venue features some of the finest clean, family entertainment and comedy every weekend year round. The Opry has been entertaining now for 22 years and I have to admit, it was some of the finest and relaxing music and talent I have seen in many years. You will not want to miss this venue when you visit this area. You will not be disappointed in any of the shows Mr. Campbell and crew put together!
"Like We Never Loved At All" is the second single from American country singer Faith Hill's album Fireflies. The song features husband Tim McGraw singing harmony vocals.
Gretchen Frances Wilson is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman," a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, Here for the Party. Wilson followed this album one year later with All Jacked Up, the title track of which became the highest-debuting single for a female country artist upon its 2005 release. A third album, One of the Boys, was released in 2007.
Overall, Wilson has charted 13 singles on the Billboard country charts, of which five have reached Top Ten: the Number One "Redneck Woman", as well as "Here for the Party" (#3, 2004), "When I Think About Cheatin'" (#4, 2004), "Homewrecker" (#2, 2005), and "All Jacked Up" (#8, 2005). The album Here for the Party was certified 5× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA for sales of five million copies, while All Jacked Up was certified platinum. She has sold over 8 million records worldwide.
Chesney says that "This is a fun song. It’s every little girl’s fairy tale – and for some, it even does come true. But it’s not all happily ever after. That line, ‘All the neighbors swear she slept her way to the top/ But she knows you don’t get where you’re going unless you got something they ain’t got…,’ I love that because it shows you that you can make it in spite of other people refusing to believe in your dream."
MUSICWIRE COUNTRY NEWS...
