CMA Close Up News Service
© 2006 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc
Carrie Underwood's Wild Ride - October 3, 2006
By Peter Cronin
In the year since she beat out blue-eyed soul shouter Bo Bice to emerge victorious as the 2005 American Idol, Carrie Underwood hasn't had a whole lot of time to savor her victory. As demanding and life-changing as the "Idol" experience was for Underwood, it was only a small taste of what was to come as her life became an endless series of press interviews, TV appearances, photo shoots, awards shows, concerts and coast-to-coast travel. And then she made a record. Released in November 2005 and propelled by its chart-topping leadoff single, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (six weeks at No. 1) ... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Lost Trailers - October 3, 2006
By Peter Cronin
Say what you will about the Lost Trailers, but you can't say that this Georgia quintet didn't come by their name honestly. Over the course of their five years of constant roadwork, the band members have suffered more than their share of setbacks, not the least of which was having their trailer, containing all of their equipment, stolen - three times. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and the Lost Trailers - singer/guitarist Stokes Neilson, singer/keyboardist Ryder Lee, guitarist Manny Medina, bassist Andrew Nielson and drummer Jeff Potter - have emerged from their trials with a self-titled album .. Read full story
Warner Bros. Records - From Movies to Music Row - October 10, 2006
By Tom Roland
One of the stereotypes of the entertainment business is that every actor wants to sing, and every singer wants to act. Strangely enough, Warner Bros. (WB) fought the temptation from its very beginning as a motion picture company, waiting some three decades to establish a record label for good, and nearly two decades longer before making a commitment to Nashville. Today, the Warner Bros. Nashville Country division remains one of only a handful of labels that survived the consolidation of the late-1990s and early-21st century. With nearly 80 years of hindsight, the seeds of WB's foray into Country Music can be detected in Warner Bros. Pictures' first film product. It may have been called "The Jazz Singer," but the movie featured Al Jolson singing "Blue Skies," a song that Willie Nelson would eventually turn into a Country hit. To be accurate, WB... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Henry Cho - October 10, 2006
By Peter Cronin
A Korean comic with a Southern accent released an album on a Country label. Sound unlikely? Not to Henry Cho. Having grown up in East Tennessee, this fast-rising standup comic hasn't met a stereotype he couldn't debunk. Onstage and off, Cho has made a career of defying expectations. While the combination of his Asian countenance and distinctly Southern way of speaking has been surprising people and making them laugh since his college days, Cho has never uttered a four-letter word during his comedy routine. That alone makes him stand out among the current crop of standup... Read full story
Josh Turner Sings from the Heart - October 17, 2006
By Robert L. Doerschuk
Part of it was the song - "Long Black Train," a tune that seemed to beckon from a hundred years ago, with a lyric that mixed intimations of eternity with images of rails stretching toward doom or redemption. Part of it was the venue - the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, where every singer dreams of seizing America's imagination at just the right moment. A lot of it had to do with the feel of the singer - Josh Turner, whose upbringing in the backwoods of South Carolina invested him with an unimpeachable Country pedigree. And, of course, there was the voice, a deep baritone that turned his national radio debut.... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Eric Church - October 17, 2006
By Peter Cronin
Eric Church's songs are loaded with honesty, conviction and most importantly, Eric Church. "If you listen to this [album], you'll find out who I am," Church said. "When I was 13, I started writing, and I thought, 'If I'm going to play for these people, I'm going to have to learn how to play guitar.'" While at Appalachian State University, Church got his first gig at a local bar. With the temporary name the Mountain Boys, Church, his brother and a couple of friends performed their first gig knowing only 14 songs, but they held the audience through a four-hour set. Soon, they were playing their original songs five.... Read full story
Renowned 3-D pop artist Charles Fazzino Celebrates Nashville in Two New Works Commemorating the CMA - October 24, 2006 - By Amanda Eckard
Renowned 3-D pop artist Charles Fazzino has created two new works of art that serve as the official artworks of "The 40th Annual CMA Awards." As part of the "Nashville Celebrates Country" activities leading up to the CMA Awards broadcast on Monday, Nov. 6, Fazzino will appear at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Downtown Nashville on Oct. 27 at the Frist Fridays concert series event from 6-9 PM/CT. The public will get a chance to view and purchase the official artwork. Fazzino will sign CMA Awards cards specifically created for the event plus, autograph and personalize his artwork. The full-sized art... Read full story
Alabama's All-American Soundtrack - October 31, 2006
By Deborah Evans Price
Few artists have created a more consistent soundtrack for the lives of America's Country Music fans than Alabama. From working class anthems including "Forty Hour Week (For A Livin')" to smoldering love songs such as "Feels So Right" to the celebration of Southern life in "Dixieland Delight," Alabama's catalog of hits has reflected Country life and values. Alabama's musical legacy is celebrated on Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin,' a three-CD box set that includes 51 songs, including eight previously unreleased tracks. Among those tracks are live performances, alternate versions of classic hits and an acoustic.... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Chris Young - October 31, 2006
By Peter Cronin
Chris Young came to national attention the new-fashioned way, by winning the fourth season of the audience-voted reality TV show "Nashville Star" which aired on USA Network. But when it comes to his music, this Murfreesboro, Tenn., native is all about deep Country tradition. With a list of influences that includes Marty Robbins, Randy Travis, Keith Whitley and Hank Williams, Young is dedicated to putting a new twist on old Country and with his self-titled RCA Records debut, he's off to an auspicious start. The album, which was produced by Buddy Cannon (Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire), was.... Read full story
Brooks & Dunn Rule The Night Winning Three On "The 40th Annual CMA Awards" - November 7, 2006 - By Amanda Eckard
Music City threw its arms wide open to welcome back "Country Music's Biggest NightT" when "The 40th Annual CMA Awards" broadcast live Monday, Nov. 6 from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Downtown Nashville on the ABC Television Network. After a successful move to New York City in 2005, the CMA Awards came back home for its 40th Anniversary. It was a homecoming fit for a king - actually, two kings. The evening's hosts Brooks & Dunn took home the crown for most wins, including Music Video and Single of the Year for "Believe," and their unprecedented fourteenth Vocal Duo of the... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Gary Nichols - September 26, 2006
By Peter Cronin
Considering where he grew up, it's not all that surprising that Gary Nichols is a good musician. But even by the soulful-and-swampy standards of Muscle Shoals, Ala., Nichols has stood out as a singing/songwriting/guitar-slinging prodigy. He was holding (and playing) a ukulele before he was a year old, singing on key at 3, winning talent contests at 5, playing bars by the time he'd turned 7 and touring regionally at 13. "I remember performing in three talent shows between the ages of 4 and 6," Nichols said. "I would always sing either 'Blue Suede Shoes,' "Swingin',' 'Elvira' or Earl... Read full story
Neil Thrasher's Continuing Education - November 14, 2006
By Robert L. Doerschuk
The first thing you notice about Neil Thrasher is his deadpan humor; he drops punch lines into his conversation, waiting for a beat or two to make sure they register. He uses that same timing when he's saying something he knows will make a different kind of impression. "I learn something every time I write, but I don't know if I'll ever really find my own voice," he said. "Most writers never do." This isn't the kind of talk you expect from a former ASCAP Songwriter of the Year, whose credits include Kenny Chesney's chart-topping "There Goes My Life" and Montgomery Gentry's smash, "Some People Change," along.... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Taylor Swift - November 14, 2006
By Peter Cronin
Some people spend a lifetime looking for their true calling. Taylor Swift is not one of those people. By the time she was 10, this Wyomissing, Penn., native was "dragging" her parents to festivals, fairs, karaoke contests - just about anywhere there was a stage where she could get up and sing. A year later, she was in Nashville knocking on record company doors. Swift describes her sales pitch at the time as, "Hello, I'm Taylor Swift, I'm 11 and I want a record deal." Not surprisingly, she didn't get signed, but she did walk away with some important lessons. "That trip made me realize I needed to be.... Read full story
The Latest and Greatest in Artist Web Sites: Virtual Communities - November 21, 2006
By Edward Morris
These days, the most effective artists' Web sites combine the colorful variety of an oriental bazaar with the giggly intimacy of a pajama party. The aim, according to Web designers, is to create a community, a sort of virtual hometown for fans where they will visit often, linger for awhile, interact with other devotees and - oh, yes - buy things. It wasn't long ago that sites were basically static bulletin boards posted with the artist's bios, photos, tour dates and little else. Nowadays, one can still find all this essential press kit stuff, but the sites also bristle with videos, music samples, message boards, street-team recruitments, ringtone and icon downloads, games, contests, newsletters, artists' journals, Q&A columns, merchandise stores, customized "radio stations," pitches for favorite charities and myriad related attractions. Most of these features are... Read full story
MySpace is the Place - November 21, 2006
By Robert L. Doerschuk
Mention Radney Foster at just about any venue in Texas and you'll get knowing smiles and nodding heads in response. But beyond the state line his name might earn a little less recognition. That's only natural, since the celebrated singer/songwriter paid his dues on the Lone Star circuit, and one can only claim so many places as home. At least that's the way it was until Foster opened shop on MySpace.com. Within hours, he was hearing from strangers throughout the world, most of them raving about his music and clamoring to be his "friend." "I heard from college freshmen who were learning about Country Music, not through traditional radio but through the Randy Rogers Band or Cross Canadian Ragweed on MySpace," Foster said. "They're telling me, 'Dude! I learned about you from Randy Rogers! You're so cool!' And I'm like, 'Great! I made a... Read full story
COUNTRY DVDS: Position, Promote and Profit - November 29, 2006
By Edward Morris
Keith Urban's "Livin' Right Now" DVD has sold more than 130,000 copies since its release in September 2005. But high production costs, limited means of promotion and uncertain prospects of sales continue to restrict the number of concert DVDs record labels make available to Country fans. More common - and less costly - are the DVD compilations of the artists' previously released music videos. Montgomery Gentry's "You Do Your Thing: The DVD," which collects six of the duo's videos, was certified Gold (for the sale of 50,000 units) within two months of its release in April 2004. Urban's "Video Hits" DVD ... Read full story