CMA Close Up News Service
© 2006 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc
Marty Stuart: An Emerging Country Historian - April 4, 2006
By Edward Morris
If you could project Marty Stuart's mind onto a screen, it would probably look like a night shot of Las Vegas during a power surge. The man never stops thinking. Lately, the 47-year-old former wunderkind has been riding a volcanic burst of creativity. Besides his usual performances, Stuart, who owns a private collection of more than 20,000 Country Music artifacts, is also working on four albums and six books. Early in 2005, Stuart established Superlatone Records with the backing of Universal South Records. The first product of that alliance was released in August, Souls' Chapel... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: John Corbett - April 4, 2006
By Gary Voorhies
John Corbett is best known for acting in television series including "Northern Exposure" and "Sex and the City," and in films including "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "Raising Helen." But his heart is that of a musician. "Music has always been central to my life, much more so than acting," Corbett said. "Acting is how I make my living. Music has always been a passion. It's something I love, something I can't live without." Corbett grew up in Wheeling, W.Va., just a few blocks from the Capitol Music Hall, home of the Wheeling Jamboree, a long running Country Music radio show... Read full story
Country Music DJ and Radio Hall of Fame Welcome Five - April 11, 2006
By Edward Morris
Country Radio Broadcasters welcomed Terry Dorsey, Lon Helton and Arch Yancey into its Country Music DJ Hall of Fame and Jonathan Fricke and Ed Salamon into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in ceremonies held at the Nashville Convention Center on Feb. 14. The induction was the opening event of CRB's 37th Annual Country Radio Seminar. During the festivities, CRB also presented Jack Lameier with the President's Award and Ronnie Milsap with the Career Achievement Award, an honor bestowed in years past to Alabama, Sonny James, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton.... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Danielle Peck - April 11, 2006
By Edward Morris
When Danielle Peck likes a song, she sticks with it. Her parents say the first song she learned was Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," which remains part of her live show today. Born in Jacksonville, N.C., Peck is the daughter of a U.S. Marine and spent her formative years in Coshocton, Ohio. Her mother's side of the family traveled and sang in churches. Her father's family played Country Music at local dances. With music all around her, it's no surprise that Peck sat on the kitchen counter and pounded out the Cash song at 3 years old. Peck, who made labels for her own imaginary albums... Read full story
Country Music Hall of Fame Member Dolly Parton Is Busier Than Ever - April 18, 2006
By Deborah Evans Price
As she enters her sixth decade, Dolly Parton could easily rest on her laurels. She's one of the world's most recognizable entertainers, film stars, and a hugely successful singer and songwriter. Having accomplished so much gives Parton creative freedom, so on her current album she turned her attention to reinventing some of her favorite songs. Her new album on Sugar Hill Records, Those Were The Days, features Parton covers of classic hits, most from the 1960s and 70s, including Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind," John Lennon's "Imagine," Johnny Mathis' "Twelfth Of Never" and.... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Trent Tomlinson - April 18, 2006
By Gary Voorhies
Trent Tomlinson has demonstrated tenacity pursuing his dream to be a Country singer. He continued pushing despite his father's misgivings about the music industry and after several songwriting deals went sour. Tomlinson grew up in Kennett, Mo., the son of a former college basketball star plus, the local high school basketball coach and biology teacher. His father groomed him to become a basketball star, but at 6 foot 2 inches tall, Tomlinson felt that was out of reach. He was more drawn to music and found a place for himself with other young, local musicians. Before long he was sneaking out to play... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Todd Fritsch - April 25, 2006
By Gary Voorhies
Willow Springs, Texas, native Todd Fritsch credits his high school basketball coach, four years in the Future Farmers of America and his father, a successful cattle rancher, for instilling discipline in him. "I started driving a tractor when I was so little I had to stand up to reach the clutch," Fritsch said. "By the time I was 13 or 14, I was building up my own herd of cattle." Fritsch was an active athlete, but his sister encouraged him to sing. He balanced performing with his other interests during high school and came to love the music of Garth Brooks, Merle Haggard, George Strait and Keith Whitley.... Read full story
The Changing World of Brad Paisley - May 2, 2006
By Michael McCall
Until recently, Brad Paisley resisted repeated suggestions that he jazz up his concerts with high-tech flash. He worried, as an emerging artist, that glitz might overwhelm the connection between him and his audience. He wanted listeners to get to know his growing catalog of songs, and by extension, get to know him. He didn't want his show to grow faster than he did. The strategy worked, too. Fans seeing the young West Virginian perform for the first time realized they were seeing an exceptionally multi-talented artist. He sang well and looked good, sure. But he also played like a guitar hero and wrote... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Susan Haynes - May 2, 2006
By Gary Voorhies
Susan Haynes always wanted to be a professional singer, but took a long time to publicly admit it. "I was raised in an atmosphere where it wasn't appropriate to claim a lot of space or call attention to yourself," Haynes said. "So it took me awhile to be willing to put it out there." The Atlanta, Ga. native - daughter of a corporate litigator and a homemaker - thought "music would be a hobby, although it was always at the very core of who I am." As a college freshman at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Haynes interned in the A&R department at BNA Records. Upon graduation, she was hired as... Read full story
New Artist Spotlight: Rockie Lynne - March 28, 2006
By Gary Voorhies
As a seventh grader, Rockie Lynne mowed lawns in his hometown of Statesville, N.C., and saved money to buy his first guitar from JC Penney. He bought his first record player at a yard sale, along with Jimi Hendrix and KISS albums. Lynne stayed up late figuring out how to play the songs on those albums. Later, he joined his high school jazz ensemble, took up songwriting and played in numerous club bands. "They wanted us to play cover songs, but we played my songs," Lynne said. "We would get fired and a few weeks later and I would book us at the same place under a different name and some... Read full story
Sarah Trahern Leads GAC Revamp - May 9, 2006
By Crystal Caviness
The folks at Great American Country are ready to take their show on the road. After spending the past year revamping the look and feel of the Country Music cable network with new graphics and programming, GAC is intent on growing its ratings. "Last year was the year to get the look and feel of the network to a new level," said Sarah Trahern, GAC's Senior VP of Programming, who joined the Scripps Networks cable channel early in 2005 and oversees program development, acquisition and strategic planning, among others.
"Like in the film 'Field Of Dreams,' 'If you build it, they will come,'" .... Read full story
'Blessed' Songwriter Hillary Lindsey Blossoms - May 16, 2006
By Lorie Hollabaugh
The instant success of Carrie Underwood's smash single "Jesus, Take the Wheel" took its creators by surprise. When Hillary Lindsey wrote the song with Brett James and Gordie Sampson, they feared that its overtly religious tone might doom it to failure. "I was really surprised and very grateful that it did so well," Lindsey said. "I wasn't quite sure at first how it was going to be accepted, simply because it said Jesus in it. But it obviously worked."
The song resonated so strongly with fans that it helped drive Underwood's debut album to double Platinum sales. It's not the only Lindsey song to have that effect... Read full story
Bobby Bare: The Return of the Quiet Outlaw - May 23, 2006
By Rick Kelly
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the iconoclastic group of 1970s Country artists who were loosely collected under the banner of the Outlaw Movement. Current artists release songs that name-check the great artists of that era including Big & Rich's "Rollin'," CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman" and Gary Allan's "What Would Willie Do." CMA Horizon Award winner Dierks Bentley has adopted the rolling, phase-shifted Fender Telecaster sound of Waylon Jennings on hits like "Lot Of Leavin' Left To Do," and Waylon's son Shooter Jennings has donned... Read full story
Jace Everett to Host Strong Slate of International Artists at Third Annual CMA Global Artists Party - May 30, 2006 - By Scott Stem
You can experience the world of Country Music, including artists from around the world, during CMA Music Festival Week in June in Downtown Nashville. CMA's commitment to Country Music on an international scale continues in 2006, with the return for a third year of the CMA Global Artists Party. Featuring the best in Country Music entertainment from around the world, the event, which serves as the unofficial kick off to CMA Music Festival, will be held at The Stage on Broadway, Monday, June 5. In each of the event's first two years, the club has been packed with fans, with a line extending a city...Read full story
From Tin Pan Alley to Capitol Nashville - April 25, 2006
By Tom Roland
With its strong penchant for classic songwriting technique, Nashville has been referred to as the modern equivalent of Tin Pan Alley. That makes it fitting that a legendary songwriter who got his start during New York's Tin Pan Alley era had a founding interest in one of Country Music's labels, Capitol Records. Johnny Mercer, whose resume includes "Hooray For Hollywood," "Moon River" and "I'm An Old Cowhand (On The Rio Grande)," had moved from Manhattan to Los Angeles in the 1930s. He discovered a city that was still viewed derisively by Broadway theatre executives and the record industry, which was based entirely on the East Coast. Mercer and record retailer Glenn Wallichs, who owned the Music City record store in Los Angeles, wanted to establish the first major record company on the coast. They enlisted Paramount Pictures' Buddy.... Read full story
GAC Captures A Legendary Night In Country Music - May 9, 2006
By Crystal Caviness
There is more to hear and tell about the Grand Ole Opry's first appearance at New York's Carnegie Hall in 44 years than viewers see on GAC's music-filled special, "Grand Ole Opry At Carnegie Hall," which premiered March 12 on the cable network and re-aired in April. To share the rest of the story, GAC, the Grand Ole Opry and RCA Records partnered to produce "Grand Ole Opry At Carnegie Hall," a DVD capturing not only the performances, but exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the Country Music artists at the famous New York performance hall which took place during CMA's "Country Takes.... Read full story
