UKCountryRadio.com Listeners' Club 2012 Finalists

UKCountryRadio.com Listeners' Club 2012 Finalists

The voting for this years 2012 UKCountryRadio.com Listeners' Club Awards ended on 31st May 2012. The Award is for a song by a British or Irish artist that was promoted by that artist on UKCountryRadio.com during 2011. Each artist was allowed to select one of their promoted songs to go forward for the award.

On Sunday 3 June presenter Charlie Brown revealed this year’s five finalists.

The Finalists were announced in Alphabetical song order after playing each of the nominated tracks.

**  Listen to an edited version of the announcement with samples from each artist >> 

The final round of voting takes place at  UKCountryRadio.com’s fifth Birthday Party on Saturday 1st September, 2012. Tickets will be on sale from mid-June , details to follow.

The 2012 finalists are:

Finalist #1 “Carmen” by Ian Highland & Twilight Country

Finalist #2  “Come Undone” by Thorne Hill

Finalist #3  “Don't Tell Me You're Not In Love” by Carolann B

Finalist #4  “Kentucky Whiskey” by Wayne Jacobs

Finalist #5  “That Thing You Do” by Belle Cannon

Finalists will be invited to perform at UKCountryRadio.com’s fifth Birthday Party on Saturday 1st September, 2012 which will be open to the public. Everyone attending can vote for one of the five Finalists. The votes on the night will be added to the online votes secured during the online voting period.

The winner will be the song with the most votes at the end of the night.

About The Finalists:

Finalist #1 - About Ian Highland & Twilight Country



Ian Highland



Ian has been brought up on country music since the day he was born. His first involvement in the British country music scene was as a roadie to The 'Stewart brothers and First Chapter'. After Kevin, (one of the Stewart Bros) decided to go his own way, Ian tagged along and continued to learn the country music business whilst still working as a roadie. This experience steeled his resolve to one day front his own band. In the early 90's Ian's work took him to the USA, and there he formed his own band called Highland's Country Band. After 5 years, Ian decided to come back home to the UK, then joining a band called 'Alaska' for about 3 years. Ian then decided to take a long break from playing live gigs. During this time however, he fulfilled his dream of going to Nashville to record a CD on Music Row with some fine session players.

Formed three years ago in 2009, Ian Highland & Twilight Country are now one of the most popular bands on the country circuit today. With a repertoire of mainly classic favourites, Ian and the band have firmly impressed all fans with their own imitable style and interpretation.

Ian Highland & Twilight Country enjoyed a run at number one in the British & Irish Hotdisc Chart in February 2012 with their cover of the Gene Watson classic “Carmen”. The song was taken from Watson’s album MEMORIES TO BURN and charted at #32 on the US Billboard Charts in 1986.

Website - http://www.ianhighland.com/

Finalist #2 - About Thorne Hill

After spending 10 years touring worldwide Thorne decided it was time to plant his feet firmly on British soil and follow his lifelong passion, country Music! He joined one of the UK’s top live country bands ARIZONA STORM in April 2009. He leads the band through a set featuring a rich mix of timeless classics and contemporary songs from many of the major US artists.



Thorne Hill
Single Artwork (Amazon)



Hill is already well established as a professional session singer and is an exciting newcomer to the country music circuit.

The self penned “Come Undone” is described as a country ballad with an epic sound, telling the tale of a broken hearted man and a love that’s just out of reach. The song was released on January 28th 2011 by Up Next Records an Indie Record Label who are a creative media company based in Glasgow, Scotland who specialize in artist development, working with musicians to help further their careers.

It was made available to download Worldwide via iTunes, Spotify, emusic and all the other major download sites. Apparently has it has received Line Dance choreography ( Adrian Churm).

Thorn is currently recording on a few album projects including a DEBUT album with ARIZONA STORM

which was planned for Spring 2012.

Website - http://www.thorne-hill.com/   - http://www.upnextrecords.com/

Listen on Spotify

The single “Come Undone” available on Amazon.uk

Facebook - http://en-gb.facebook.com/thornehill 

Finalist #3 - About Carolann B

Known affectionately as “Yorkshire's Very Own 1st Lady Of Country Music” CAROLANN "B" was nominated for Best UK Female Country Music Entertainer in 2008. She is a presenter on UKCountryRadio.com's Ladies Night (See showpage)

Carolann was born 29th November in Denaby Main a small mining village in South Yorkshire, near her home town of ROTHERHAM. 

Carolann B



A firm favourite of country music from her early years, she learned to play a guitar, violin and mandolin at school and this held her in good stead whe she took up singing. Carolann's  unique voice and love of Country Music soon had crowds at a local restaurant where she had started singing as a favour for a friend, asking for more. A request from a local charity for Carolann to sing on stage for the climax to their fund raising weekend launched her to local stardom and gave her the confidence to start a semi-professional career.

Carolann went on to make her first recording during 1998 called SINGING FOR MY SUPPER, a reference to her humble beginnings. She toured in the USA singing at Venues in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee including the Ryman Auditorium. In 1999 she toured several US States including North Carolina and Branson Missouri.

Her nominated song for the final called “Don't Tell Me You're Not in Love" was written by Tony Colton, Kim Williams, Bobby Wood and has previously been recorded by one of Carolann’s favourite artists George Strait  on his 2001 album THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED it has also been cut by Collin Raye on his album NEVER GOING BACK (2009) . It appears on Carolann’s recently released 7th album titled A LITTLE MORE COUNTRY.

Website - http://www.carolannb.co.uk/

Finalist #4 - About Wayne Jacobs

Wayne Jacobs hails from Kent, UK he is a civil servant whose hobby is a singer, songwriter and performer. While a teenager in the 1980s, Wayne went to night school for three and a half years where he was taught by a folk singer called Pauline. He wrote a couple of songs, one for his mum and another called One Way Ticket. Pauline said Wayne had good potential as a songwriter. In 2010, Wayne released an EP called "SOUNDS GOOD TO ME". It was produced by Paramount Group in Nashville after Wayne entered their song writing competition and won the Directors' Award. The EP three country tracks, "Let Me Take You Home", "All Kids Need A Second Chance" and "My Tennessee Girl" .



Wayne Jacobs



Wayne performed at last years UKCountryRadio.com Listeners' Club Awards when “My Tennessee Girl" was voted into the final. It was inspired by the film "Walk The Line". Wayne loves Johnny Cash and in the film he composed his song to the sound of a train.

Wayne opened his 2011 UKCountryRadio.com set with this year’s nominated final song “Kentucky Whiskey”,

Wayne Jacobs - Photo on the night  (UKCountryRadio facebook)

Most Whisky songs focus on a male protaganists problems with the demon drink but Wayne reverses the roles penning a song about a wife with a drinking problem. This song, produced by paramountsong.com in Nashville Tennessee, reached the in 2011 UK songwriting contest Commended Entry.

Wayne Jacobs - Myspace

Finalist #5 - About Belle Cannon

Hailing from Galway Bay Belle Cannon is a talented and innovative singer-songwriter. Country and Western has always been a favourite of of Belle’s. She grew up in a very musical Irish American family so Country Music was always being played.  Raised in London she listened to the likes of Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson and Hank Williams so it’s just been a part of the fabric of her life. In August 2010 her debut album REWIND was recorded in Nashville on her own Inde label BelleJar Records. The album is a country-pop affair containing elements of Bluegrass and she has recruited some A-List Nashville players: Brent Mason (guitar), Gordon Moat (piano), Larry Franklyn (fiddle) and Bryan Sutton (guitar). Belle has written all the songs herself, apart from one track, which is a cover of a Johnson Mountain Boys song.

Belle Cannon
Album REWIND (Amazon)



The self penned track ‘Party’, track 7 on July 2011 promotional Hotdisc 151 was the second single released from her album. It found favour with DJ’s and media folks topping the British & Irish chart for 2 weeks (See Hotdisc chart) Since then she has received airplay on Local BBC stations, extensive airplay on country stations worldwide charting highly on the International Country Music Air-Play Chart. She has reached #6 on the Top 40 artist chart and made it to #1 in the Netherlands and France on the ECMA Charts. 

The edgy, immediate and fast paced opening track and nominated ‘That Thing You Do’ was the first single to be released in March 2011 from her super album REWIND. Left reeling after a sudden break-up its character struggles to come to terms with the situation and questions how to move on – “Your like a dream I keep reliving, like a memory always repeating” sings Belle. With its scintillating electric guitar and catchy hooks the album gets off to a terrific start.

Website - http://www.belle-cannon.co.uk/ - Bellejar Records

Slip into the Belle Cannon mode by listening on Spotify - Belle Cannon – Rewind

The album REWIND and single ‘That Thing You Do’ are available on Amazon.uk - iTunes

Rewind (CD -Review)

That Thing You Do by belle-cannon

Congratulations to the five finalists for the UKCountryRadio.com Listeners' Club Award 2012