Sara Evans Inks Book Deal
- Sara Evans signed a four-book deal with Thomas Nelson Publishing Company. Her first novel will be released later this year in conjunction with a new album.
- With the firing of Keith Bilbrey, who worked at Nashville’s WSM radio stations as an on-air personality and Grand Ole Opry announcer for 34 years, The Tennessean’s Gail Kerr said the legendary station became a little less legendary.
- The Houston Chronicle’s Joey Guerra says Clint Black delivered “Killin’ Time” with the weathered sheen of a George Jones tune during his RodeoHouston performance on Friday and Josh Turner’s unmistakable, deeper-than-the-holler voice made his Saturday set a unique treat.
- Zac Brown talked about the moment he knew he wanted to play music professionally and who he was watching at the time in an interview with Craig Shelburne.
- Country Universe’s Kevin J. Coyne put together a list of ten songs to introduce readers to, and hopefully entice them to explore, Conway Twitty’s music.
- In an interview with Peter Walker, Willie Nelson’s harmonica player, Mickey Raphael, talks about the Naked Willie project and if it’s successful, he feels there are ten to twelve more songs he can pull together for a new album.
- Citing the economy as the culprit, label president Herb Graham announced the closing of Country Thunder. (via Country Aircheck)
- Jason Aldean plans to release a live DVD later this year following the April 7 release of his third studio album, Wide Open.
- Dailey & Vincent’s Jamie Dailey tells Deborah Evans Price that he and Darrin Vincent felt a lot of pressure recording their newest album.
- If anything can be determined from the recent CMA survey of country music fans, The Austin Chronicle’s Doug Freeman says it’s that the late adoption of downloading music by Countryphiles gives the music industry the chance to get the digital game right, at least in the country genre, by taking “advantage of a devoted consumer base that is still only now transitioning to online outlets, and provide the content and reasonable sales model that those fans will eventually expect.”
- Mel Tillis‘ home state of Florida will honor him on March 25 as part of the 2009 class of the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. In addition to his induction, Marion County has named Tuesday (March 17) “Mel Tillis Day.” (via That Nashville Sound)
- New videos under consideration by the CMT team this week include Billy Ray Cyrus‘ “Back to Tennessee” with Bucky Covington and Marcel in his backing band, Shooter Jennings and Jamey Johnson on “Somewhere Between Jennings and Jones” for the taping of Crossroads, Rodney Atkins‘ “It’s America” and lastly, Marc Broussard and LeAnn Rimes‘ “When It’s Good.”
- Country Universe pulled a puzzling quote from Sugarland’s Kristian Bush in which he suggests that “modern Appalachian” music is style over substance.
- Tickets for the 43rd Annual Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, billed as the oldest, continuous running bluegrass festival in the world, are now on sale. The festival runs from June 13 to 20 in Bean Blossom, Indiana and features a killer lineup.
- Juli Thanki ponders the absence of the Maddox Brothers and Rose from the Country Music Hall of Fame and the lack of recognition for their music today in her latest Torch & Twang column for PopMatters.
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12 Comments
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March 16, 2009 at 12:31 pm Permalink
Brody,
You might want to let readers know that it’s Country Thunder Records that closed, not the successful concert series of the same name.
March 16, 2009 at 1:59 pm Permalink
Sara Evans’ book is apparently written “with” (i.e. almost certainly by) a professional writer.
March 16, 2009 at 2:44 pm Permalink
Actually, I doubt even Katy Perry remembers the incident which inspired I Kissed A Girl–those things usually happening at such time as memory is impaired.
Speaking as a fan of both good and bad music in my own teenage years I will say I still remember both Steve Earle’s Guitar Town and Le Tigre’s The Cars That Go Boom. However, I will only sing along with the former in public.
March 16, 2009 at 3:27 pm Permalink
Stormy – I will still sing wth the latter…cuz we like the boom…
March 16, 2009 at 3:53 pm Permalink
Sara Evans’ book is apparently written “with” (i.e. almost certainly by) a professional writer.
I had the same thought — it will be ghost-written by Sara.
March 16, 2009 at 5:55 pm Permalink
Juli, thank you for that wonderful article on Rose Maddox. I would surmise that Rose and her brothers were the true foundation of “The Bakersfield Sound” that followed. Rose no doubt inspired another Bakersfield artist Jean Shepherd in the 1950’s, who likely inspired Loretta Lynn and on it goes. Its nice to have you and Laura Cantrell still promoting the idea of well deserved inclusion in the Country Music Hall of Fame for Rose and her brothers.
That Tennessean interview with Keith Bilbrey was touching. I hope he quickly finds another job where he can indulge his love of great country music. Is Eddie Stubbs next? God forbid! (lol)
Off Topic: The “Heart of Texas” label 20th anniversary concert last Saturday night on the E.T. Record Shop Midnite Jamboree on WSM was a hoot. For me the highlights were Kimberly Murray (with Amber Digby) singing “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad”, Heather Myles singing “Nashville’s Gone Hollywood”, and Amber Digby with Justin Trevino singing the Louvin Bros. classic “How’s The World Treating You”. Ferlin Husky sang a couple of songs including “Wings Of A Dove”. I didn’t even know that Ferlin was still alive!
PS – Ray Price performed “Heartaches By The Number” and most of “Crazy Arms” at the end of Mike Huckabee’s show on the Fox News channel on Saturday. I would guess from the reactions I get to my digs at “Chairman O”bama around here that not many of you regulars ever watch Fox News….
March 16, 2009 at 6:40 pm Permalink
Hey Rick, thanks for reading. I think the Maddox Brothers and Rose just barely edge out Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys as my favorite country band. I sure wish more people would listen to them, or were at least aware of the influence they had on country/rockabilly.
March 16, 2009 at 6:50 pm Permalink
Yay some Sara Evans news, hallelujah! <3
March 16, 2009 at 7:14 pm Permalink
“…the Louvin Bros. classic ‘How’s The World Treating You’?” I don’t think so. And while I like the Maddox Brothers & Rose – and especially Rose, whom I had the chance to back on a couple of bluegrass shows years ago – I think the case for their inductication (as Jimmy Martin would say) has to rest on the intrinsic merits of their (especially her) music. Asserting influence and impact isn’t the same as demonstrating it.
March 16, 2009 at 8:08 pm Permalink
Jon said ““…the Louvin Bros. classic ‘How’s The World Treating You’?” I don’t think so.” You mean the James Taylor/Alison Krauss version off of “Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’” didn’t turn that song into a instant “classic”? I’m so confused…..
As for Katy Perry, let us not forget Jill Sobule’s 1995 MTV hit in her self-penned “I Kissed A Girl”, which was one of the most “country” sounding songs Jill ever recorded. If ever there was a truly honest songwriter, it’s Jill. Jill and Loudon Wainwright III would have made an interesting couple.
March 16, 2009 at 8:25 pm Permalink
“Jon said ““…the Louvin Bros. classic ‘How’s The World Treating You’?” I don’t think so.” You mean the James Taylor/Alison Krauss version off of “Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’” didn’t turn that song into a instant “classic”? I’m so confused…..”
It was a classic before the Louvin Brothers ever got hold of it.
May 23, 2009 at 2:35 am Permalink
Why Isn’t or Why Hasn’t Sara Evans been invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry?
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