CMA Close Up News Service
© 2006 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc
Honky Tonk Survival: The Revival of Tootsie's Orchid Lounge - August 8, 2006
By John Hood
It's been the same way for more than 40 years - a little rowdy on Saturday nights with the sound of Country Music blaring from the stage. Country fans still fill Tootsie's Orchid Lounge soaking up the magic that has made the place America's most famous honky tonk. It hasn't changed much since 1960 when Hattie Louise "Tootsie" Bess bought a bar called Mom's, renamed it after herself and turned it into a haven for songwriters and singers. Tootsie's has seen good times and down times - just like the... Read full story
Kenny Rogers' Significant Success - August 16, 2006
By Crystal Caviness
Success doesn't interest Kenny Rogers. Significance is the veteran entertainer's goal. "Success is how much you take in. Significance is how much you give back," Rogers said. "I don't want to be a star again. . I want to be significant." Few careers reach the level of success that Rogers' has. The stats are staggering: 65 albums; worldwide sales in excess of 105 million; 22 No. 1 hits; accolades from music industry organizations, including five CMA Awards, three GRAMMYs and 18 American Music Awards. The Recording Industry Association of America ranks Rogers as the eighth best-selling male artist.. Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Rhonda Towns - August 16, 2006
By Peter Cronin
When you listen to Rhonda Towns sing a Country song, you are hearing the gospel truth. That's because, for this Phoenix, Ariz.,-based preacher's daughter, Country and gospel music have gone naturally together. "If you listen to old hymns and gospel songs and then you listen to an authentic Country song, you realize how closely they are related," Towns said. "A good old Country Music song just takes you back to church." Growing up in church, Towns was singing in the choir from the time she could walk. Whether it was her choir singing, public speaking, cheerleading or her daily performances at... Read full story
The Fearless Artistry of Radney Foster - August 22, 2006
By Bobby Reed
Among Americana fans, Radney Foster is known as a dynamic concert performer with a deep catalog of hits. Among fans of mainstream Country Music, Foster is known as the bespectacled half of hit duo Foster and Lloyd and as one of the hottest songwriters working today. Foster's success and critical acclaim in those two worlds demonstrates that there is more overlap between them than many people realize. In early May, Foster's single "Prove Me Right" reached No. 3 on the Texas Music Chart, and his new and third album from Dualtone Records, This World We Live In, went to No. 5 on... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Gary Bennett - August 22, 2006
By Peter Cronin
Feel free to describe Gary Bennett's brand of Country Music however you like, just don't use the term "retro." Sure, the Las Vegas-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter/guitarist may be best known as the former co-leader of the decidedly retro outfit BR549, but the music on Human Condition, Bennett's solo debut, takes a wider, more contemporary view. That might be partially explained as a reaction to his years with his former band; whose nightly appearances at Nashville nightspot Robert's Western World sparked the revival and transformation of lower Broadway from a row of boarded up buildings into.... Read full story
Jessi Colter Moves On - August 29, 2006
By Rick Kelly
Jessi Colter was born Miriam Johnson in Phoenix, Ariz., into a devout Pentecostal family. Her mother took it as "a God-given fact" that her baby would be a musician, and Mrs. Johnson was absolutely correct. Young Miriam started taking piano lessons at age 5, and by 11, she had begun to write songs. When the church pianist left, she was forced to "learn to sit still through the service, and play hymns with many, many verses." Throughout her high school years, she continued to write songs and play talent shows, dances and local television shows in her native Arizona. She soon came to the attention... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Natalie Howard - August 29, 2006
By Peter Cronin
Natalie Howard was well on her way to a career in graphic arts when she got sidetracked. Drawn to music since she was a toddler in Queensland, Australia, Howard got serious when she started playing in cover bands while attending art school. When she received a regional arts grant, Howard took the leap, spending the money on a ticket to Nashville for her first Country demo session. Inspired by the city's songwriting community, she was soon making regular writing trips to Nashville, working with hitmakers including Rob Crosby, James Dean Hicks and Terry McBride. She may have taken a circuitous... Read full story
The Road to Sugarland - September 5, 2006
By Peter Cronin
The storm came quickly and was on top of the fans before they knew it; a real Tennessee squall complete with roaring thunder and dangerous lightning. The steamy-and-sunny weather held until literally the eleventh hour at this year's CMA Music Festival in June, but the sky finally opened up at the end of the final night - just as Sugarland was about to hit the stage. "I hated it for the fans, but they stuck with it and waited out the rain," said Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles. "We were back in the dressing room and they had them in the tunnels where they evacuate people in that situation. All of a sudden... Read full story
Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley Lead Nominees with Six Nominations Each for "The 40th Annual CMA Awards" - September 5, 2006 - By Wendy Pearl
The final list of nominees for "The 40th Annual CMA Awards" is an across-the-board collection of hard-core traditionalists, Country Music hit makers, mainstream innovators, with a healthy dose of up-and-comers added to the mix. "Country Music is thriving on the talent and creativity of an outstanding group of artists and they are well represented with our nominees," said CMA COO Tammy Genovese. "These talented performers, musicians, songwriters, producers and directors demonstrate the artistic depth and creativity driving the growth of our format this year. It is an exciting time for Country Music... Read full story
Bill Anderson and Little Jimmy Dickens Share Insights with Some of Today's Hottest Artists - September 12, 2006 - By Peter Cronin
In 2003, CMA created the Artist Relations Committee as part of an ongoing effort to educate and involve the artists in all that the organization does on behalf of Country Music. Chaired by Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn and Co-chaired by ASCAP Senior VP Connie Bradley, the committee agreed that while CMA is rightly concerned with moving forward, it should never lose touch with Country's colorful past and with the rich history that points the way to the future. There are great members in the artist community that can provide insight into where CMA has been and where it needs to go. The May CMA Board... Read full story
Genius in the Shadows: New Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum Shines Spotlight on Session Musicians - By John Hood - August 8, 2006
Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, even the Red Hot Chili Peppers - these are all names that are instantly recognizable to most fans of popular music. The names Floyd Lightnin' Chance, Pete Drake, Marshall Grant, Joe Osborne and Billy Sherrill don't roll off the tongue with the same sense of connection, but these studio musicians were vital in the creation and recording of some of the biggest songs and albums of the 20th century. Musicians who often work in the shadow of bigger stars now have their chance to step into the spotlight with the opening of the... Read full story
CMA Announces the Newest Members of the Country Music Hall of Fame - September 12, 2006
By Wendy Pearl and Scott Stem
The Country Music Association has announced that influential musician/producer Harold Bradley, legendary singer Sonny James and multi-award-winning entertainer George Strait, will become the newest members of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame. Formal induction for the artists will take place during "The 40th Annual CMA Awards," on Monday, Nov. 6. Bradley will be inducted in the "Recording and/or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980" category, which is awarded every third year in a rotation with the "Career Achieved National Prominence Prior to World War II" and "Non-Performer" categories... Read full story
Country Artists Enjoy Radio Time . As On-Air Personalities - September 19, 2006
By Deborah Evans Price
There has always been a close bond between Country artists and Country radio, and these days, the line separating the two seems to be dissolving as many artists become air personalities. Kix Brooks not only dominates Country airwaves as half of the hit duo Brooks & Dunn, but he can also be heard as the host of ABC Radio's "American Country Countdown." Cledus T. Judd and Chad Brock have teamed up and are doing the morning show on WQYK in Tampa. Opry veteran Jim Ed Brown is doing a syndicated show, "The Country Music Greats Radio Hour." And several artists have shows on XM... Read full story
Jason Aldean and Little Big Town Make CMA Broadcast Awards Finalists Announcement - September 19, 2006 - By Wendy Pearl
The nation's top Country radio stations and broadcast personalities were recognized when Broken Bow Records artist Jason Aldean and Equity Music group Little Big Town announced the 2006 CMA Broadcast Personality and Radio Station of the Year finalists on Aug. 30 during the CMA Awards Nominees News Conference at Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn. The announcements were carried live to Country radio stations by CMA's official radio partner Premiere Radio Networks. The winners will be acknowledged during "The 40th Annual CMA Awards." The Broadcast finalists were... Read full story
Honoring Country Radio with the CMA Broadcast Awards -September 19, 2006
By Mark Crawford
Country Music wouldn't be what it is today without the support of Country radio. "Country radio has contributed so much to the development of our industry and the careers of so many artists," said CMA Chief Operating Officer Tammy Genovese. "Recognizing the top broadcasters in the business is our way of showing them how much we appreciate the work they do on behalf of Country Music." Since 1973, CMA has honored Country radio with the annual CMA Broadcast Awards, which recognize a National Broadcast Personality and the top Country radio stations and on-air personalities in Major, Large... Read full story
Surviving the Sophomore Curse - September 26, 2006
By Lorie Hollabaugh
Real or imagined, the dreaded "sophomore curse" is a fear of nearly every artist who enters the studio to record a second album. The curse often weighs heavy on artists' minds as they prepare to prove to the world that their initial success was not a fluke. Artists are given a much shorter time to produce a successful album now than years ago and are sometimes cut from a record label roster before they have a chance to prove themselves. Such was the case with Little Big Town. First signed to Sony Music Nashville, the quartet spent a couple of years in development before parting ways with the label... Read full story
