Country Bites News snippets November 26 – Nov 30
SOURCES/LINKS show in RED
UK & IRISH News
Taylor Swift’s latest single and title cut “Red” has been added to the BBC Radio 2 "B" Playlist (10 plays / week)
Scots born and West Donegal, Irish based artist Jacqui Sharkey has a brand new Christmas single out covering the Christmas standard “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” . It was recorded and engineered at Errigal Studios, Gweedore, County Donegal on November 15th and features Gerard Bradley on piano.
The physical CD single can be ordered directly from Jacqui’s Music Store.
UK CHART NEWS
On the Official UK Singles Top 100 Chart (Week Dec 1, 2012)
Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” stays at #25 and “I Knew You Were Trouble” jumps up from #79 to #47 helped by its “B” BBC Radio 1 Playlisting. “Love Story” drops out of the Top 100.
After 71 chart weeks Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” is up 98-95.
On the Official UK Albums Top 100 (Week Dec 1, 2012)
Taylor Swift’s album RED in its 5th retail week drops from #17 - #20.
Foster & Allen with The Ultimate Collection in their second chart week drop from #38 to #43
Lady Antebellum make their bow at #56 with their new seasonal offering ON THIS WINTER’S NIGHT as NEED YOU NOW in its 121st chart week drops from #84 to #96.
Lady A also debut at #80 with their 2CD Import OWN THE NIGHT/ NEED YOU NOW . Its also enter the Official UK Country Album Chart at #1. Lady A hold the top 3 positions with NEED YOU NOW at #2 and OWN THE NIGHT at #3 and their self titled debut album is at #6 after 87 weeks in the chart weeks.
Official UK Country Album (Week Dec 1, 2012)
With strong support on the BBC Country programmes Jamey Johnson’s LIVING FOR A SONG – a Tribute To Hank makes it chart appearance at #16
On the Hotdisc Chart (Nov 25, 2012 Chart)
Irishman Aidan Quinn, son of Philomena Begley, is up 4-3 on the Top 40 with “Would You Go With Me” and claims the British & Irish No.1 position for a second successive week.
Toby Keith stays at number 1 with his tongue in cheek "I Like Girls That Like Beer”
The Coleman Brothers with “Ghost Town” moves 3-2 as Rick Monroe’s opening premier cut “Crazy Not To”on HD167 moves up 2 slots to take the No.4 placeto give a unique one-two for the label.
UK COUNTRY ALBUM/SINGLE/BOOK RELEASES
(19 Nov 2012) Little Big Town -Tornado [VINYL] [Import] (Capitol) Amazon UK
(26 Nov 2012) Carolina Moonrise: Bluegrass Songs By Robert Hunter and Jim Lauderdale (Compass)
Christmas Music
(30 Nov 2012) Jacqui Sharkey - I'll Be Home for Christmas (Jacqui Sharkey) Amazon UK MP3 Download
(Nov) Teea Goans - "Christmas Time Is Here" (CROSSWIND Corporation) Amazon UK MP3 Download
(1 Dec 2012) Chuck Mead – “Will Santa Come To Shanty Town” (Plowboy Records) Amazon UK MP3 Download
Donna Ulisse - All the Way to Bethlehem (Hadley Music Group ) Amazon MP Downloads
Book
(27 Nov 2012) Dolly Parton Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You Hardcover: 128 pages (Publisher: Putnam Adult)
Kindle
AUSSIE NEWS
The McClymonts with TWO WORLDS COLLIDE won Best Country Album at the 26th Annual ARIA Awards 2012 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on November 29, 2012 in Australia.
International singer / songwriter and multiple Grammy Award winner, Taylor Swift was a special guest on the night, performing her smash hit ‘Trouble’ from her multiplatinum #1 ARIA charting album Red.
ARIA 2012 Winners Lising - www.ariaawards.com.au
CANADIAN NEWS
“Warm Christmas” single release & “Warm Coats Warm Hearts Country Concert” - It starts with an idea, and in this case a big heart too! “Warm Christmas” was created by Peterborough, Ontario-based singer Elyse Saunders, in her quest of raising awareness as well as warm coats, through the national single release of “Warm Christmas” and the benefit concert “Warm Coats Warm Hearts Country Concert” at The Orbit Room in Toronto on Dec 8th.
As we go into the winter season, there are many children and adults who need a winter coat but cannot afford one.
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| Elyse Saunders |
Elyse’s wish is for people to join this wonderful campaign by coming to the concert and bringing their warm coats with them that are only keeping the closet warm!
Proceeds from the sales from “Warm Christmas” on iTunes will be going to the One Warm Coat Foundation and their agents in Toronto www.evasinitiatives.com & www.hopeforchildren.ca
“Warm Christmas” was written by Elyse Saunders & Peter Linseman, which also marks the 5th national single release by Elyse.
There are a succession of singles coming in the New Year from Elyse’s new album “I’M ON MY WAY” already in production. Elyse co-wrote the title track with Daryl Burgess and will be produced by Joel Feeney and Peter Linseman.
Listen to “Warm Christmas” >> Audio
NEWS
The Mavericks, announce the release of IN TIME, their first album in seven years and their first for The Valory Music Co., slated to be in stores on January 29th. The project will coincide with the band’s 20th anniversary of their first major label album. In anticipation of the new release date, the Mavericks have re-launched an all-new website at www.themavericksband.com
Blurb: The Mavericks’ distinct sound, which has taken Country to places the genre has never been, is again evident throughout the new 14-track album which includes a bonus version of “Come Unto Me” in Spanish (“Ven Hacia Mi”). IN TIME was produced by lead singer Raul Malo and Niko Bolas (Neil Young, Warren Zevon).
With their new album, time melts once again and the band that defied definitions, blurred genres, and made everybody feel good, is back. Whether it’s the Buck Owens-influenced “Dance In The Moonlight,” the panoramic Orbison-esque “Born To Be Blue,” the horn-punctuated retro noir “Back In Your Arms Again” or the Tejano-esque “All Over Again,” the Mavericks have once again found the way to make genre-defying soul music.
For Malo, the lead singer with the rich supple voice that’s second to only Roy Orbison in its ability to convey lonesomeness, desire and vivre; drummer Paul Deakin and multi-instrumentalist Robert Reynolds; as well as longtime collaborator keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden and seasoned guitarist Eddie Perez, life has become richer in terms of experience, playing acumen and a sense of their own musicality. It has also deepened the connection between them in a way that heightens the singular chemistry that made the award-winning band one of the most exciting live acts in any musical genre.
The band’s high-energy concert style was most recently witnessed at the 2012 Americana Music Awards where they received a standing ovation after performing “Come Unto Me,” – a passion-fueled, seductive tune included on IN TIME. The awards show was broadcast on a special Austin City Limits Presents: Americana Music Festival 2012.
See the band’s performance here: http://vimeo.com/51787214 (Source - www.musicnewsnashville.com)
Related Article: Southern Revival: Mavericks ….. “Our fans never gave up on us; they wouldn’t let it die,” says Malo with profound appreciation. “It feels really good to know how special this band is and can be.”
Skyville's own Hudson Moore releases his debut single 'Fireworks' to Texas radio, and hits #1 on this week's Texas Music Chart. (2012-11-26). Skyville Artist Development is in celebration mode after a month full of accomplishments. Skyville's 22 year old Texas singer/songwriter Hudson Moore released his debut single “Fireworks” to Texas radio earlier this summer and it is #1 on this week’s Texas Music Chart. The single, produced by Skyville's Wally Wilson, was included in iTunes “New & Noteworthy” section the day it was released. Moore has been touring Texas and Oklahoma and opening for the likes of Alan Jackson, Pat Green, ZZ Top and many others. He has performed for thousands of fans at both the famed Austin City Limits Music Festival and South By Southwest (SXSW).
Hudson Moore and the band jamming "Cloudy Day" at ACL! >> YouTube
Hudson Moore performs "Fireworks" on the Texas Music Scene. His performance wins the spot for "Whataburger Performance of the Week"! >> YouTube
Blake Shelton is giving fans 25 Days of B.S. This Holiday Season. Yes celebrate with the 2012 CMA Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year, Blake Shelton, this holiday season and enjoy 25 Days of B.S. which began Tues Nov 27 at http://25daysofbs.com/ . Check in daily until December 21st for new messages from Blake, special giveaways and a whole lot more
>> YouTube
Lucy Hale may famous because of Pretty Little Liars, but the 23-year-old starlet is going back to roots. She's hard at working on her debut country music album.That's right, country music!
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| Lucy Hale |
I'm from Tennessee," Hale spilled at the American Music Awards. "My mom lives in Nashville. I'm born and bred country. That's all I listen, too." Hollywood Records is set to drop her album next summer.
And guess who she's been co-writing some of the three dozen songs she's already stockpiled? Sugarland's Kristian Bush!
He said, 'You sure u want to do this? You're going to be put through the ringer,'" Hale said. "But I was like, 'I'm ready!'"
Hale knows she's got some work to do before she's headlining at the Grand Ole Opry. "I have a long way to go and I have a lot to prove," she said. "But I'm really excited."
Singer, songwriter and performer Danielle Peck is reaffirming her hopes and dreams with a new single and video that’s sure to do the same for her fans and music lovers. “Impossible Dreams” sets the stage ahead of an upcoming new album.
“‘Impossible Dreams’ is about believing in yourself, fighting for who you are and never giving up on your dreams,” Peck says. “Even though it’s a great song I didn’t write, I’ve certainly lived it. It says everything I’d hoped to express on this new project that I’m very excited about sharing with my fans.” Written by Lari White, Chuck Cannon and Mark Portmann and produced by White, the song celebrates the “everyday heroes” who believe and achieve despite the odds. The single is on US iTunes
Sadly, the Little Big Town family has suffered a loss in their immediate family and had to cancel their upcoming concerts in Riverside, CA (11/28) and Los Angeles, CA (11/29). Riverside, CA will be rescheduled at a later date and the Los Angeles show at The Wiltern will now take place on February 8, 2013.
Marty Stuart is to celebrate a 20-Year Anniversary as Grand Ole Opry member on December 9, 2012.
Stuart will be celebrated during a one-hour segment on each of the night’s two shows with performances by his wife and fellow Opry member Connie Smith, Charley Pride, Old Crow Medicine Show, and songwriter Brandy Clark
Hunter Hayes; Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipients The Who; and The Band Perry and Dierks Bentley in a special tribute to Johnny Cash have been added to the lineup for “The GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live!!
They join previously announced performers Luke Bryan, FUN., three-time GRAMMY-winning group Maroon 5, and three-time GRAMMY winner Ne-Yo. Two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J and six-time GRAMMY winner Taylor Swift will co-host the one-hour concert special - www.grammy.com
Country Radio Seminar has announced that Easton Corbin, Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Kip Moore are the CRS 2013 New Faces of Country Music Show® performers.
The 2013 New Faces of Country Music Show will be held Friday, March 1, 2013, at Country Radio Seminar inside the downtown Nashville Convention Center. Co-sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and Muscular Dystrophy Association, the annual new artist showcase event officially closes out the three-day seminar and remains one of the most anticipated performances each year at CRS
Forbes ‘World’s 25 Highest-Paid Musicians 2012’ list is out:
Taylor Swift was at #8, making $57 million in 2012.
Toby Keith at #10, made $55 million
Kenny Chesney stands at #17 with $44 million made in 2012
SINGLE / ALBUM NEWS
Ashley Monroe, a member of the critically acclaimed trio Pistol Annies, will release her first Warner Nashville solo album, LIKE A ROSE to digital outlets on December 18, 2012. The physical CD drops at retail January 22, 2013.
It features a very special duet with Mr....Blake Shelton.
The album was produced by Vince Gill and Justin Niebank and all songs are co-written by Monroe.
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| Pistol Annie Ashley (right) |
Despite her list of previous accomplishments, everything she’s done so far feels like it’s been pointing the way toward LIKE A ROSE. With songs that run the gamut from feel-good to controversial to contemplative, the album, produced by country music titan Vince Gill, offers the full range of Ashley Monroe’s songwriting and performing skills. To maintain the honesty of Ashley’s songs, Gill and the singer chose to record the album the way most of the greatest albums ever were made: sans gimmickry.
“We just got the band in a circle and started playing the songs,” Ashley says, “and once we felt like we had a feel for it, I’d do my vocal live—I never went back in to do a second vocal. Everyone put everything we had into the songs. There was a buzz in the room. We all had fun—it felt like a big old family, the way records used to be made.”
Some of the songs were newly written for the album; others date back several years and felt right to revisit. The semi-autobiographical title track, one of the uncontestable highlights of the set, was co-written about six years ago with another totem of the American song-crafting community, Texan legend Guy Clark.
One song that is bound to raise some eyebrows refers to the same favored flower of the title tune, but in a much different sense: “Weed Instead of Roses” tells of a woman’s desire to get a gift she actually desires from her beau, not just something that smells good.
“You Got Me,” co-written by Monroe and Karen Fairchild. Says Ashley, “It’s about an addiction to something—one thing or another, whether you’re stuck in a bad relationship or alcohol or whatever it is—and you try to hide it and fight it but you’re kind of saying, ‘Alright, you got me.’ … Read in Full (Press Release)
Following the critical acclaim of their debut album, HELL ON HEELS, the Pistol Annies (Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley)are back in the studio to work on their sophomore album. Lambert took to Twitter to share her excitement on Monday. ”Up early,” she wrote. “Why? Because I’m excited! Today we start record number 2 for @PistolAnnies! Can’t wait till y’all hear this stuff!”
The “Takin’ Pills” singers plan on staying true to their sound on the next record. “We’re not going to come out as a different group,” Lambert, aka Lonestar Annie, tells The Tennessean. “Being around each other a lot, we’ve just written some intense songs.”
Tim McGraw has a new Christmas single release ‘Mary and Joseph’ an interpretation of the story of Jesus’ birth. McGraw tells it like he’s told the best stories of his two decade-long career, with a sweet reverence for the struggles his characters are living through.
It will be available for download on 11 December on iTunes.
Listen to the song at tasteofcountry.com
Award winning singer-songwriter and producer Jamie O’Neal and rising country star Rachele Lynae are giving fans one more reason to get into the spirit of the season with their duet of the holiday classic, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” being released on Momentum Label Group.
The two have been in the studio putting final finishing touches on Rachele’s forthcoming debut album scheduled for release early next year and wanted to offer their fans something special for the holidays, so they recorded one of their personal favorite Christmas carols. “Jamie and I have been working together for almost two years, and we thought it would be really special to sing a Christmas duet together,” says Rachele with a smile. “Once we learned the song was a personal favorite for us both, it seemed only natural to record and share with our fans for the holidays. Additionally, to record this song with somone I admire and respect so much was truly an awesome experience –one I won’t soon forget!”
Listen in full at soundcloud.com , available on US iTunes
CMT.com (Chris Parton) gives their take on 12 Country Christmas Albums for 2012
Donna Ulisse, All the Way to Bethlehem
Bluegrass songwriter Donna Ulisse delivers a truly unique album this Christmas with All the Way to Bethlehem. She wrote or co-wrote each of the album's 11 tracks, and rather than just rehashing the meaning of the holiday, Ulisse chooses to tell the story of Christ's birth through the eyes of the characters who were there. She writes songs from the perspective of Joseph, Mary, her cousin Elizabeth and even the Innkeeper who fatefully denies the young couple shelter. "The people in this story didn't foresee who they were going to wind up being," she says. "They were just people -- people who were trying to adjust to miraculous circumstances. That's where the real drama lies."
Top 50 Country Christmas Songs selected by Taste Of Country
PRESS RELEASES
Rural Rhythm Records is proud to announce Carrie Hassler’s “Luxury Liner” makes its debut on the December 2012 Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine Top 30 Song chart. The song has appeared on other charts this year including reaching #1 on the SiriusXM Radio Bluegrass Junction Most Played Tracks chart, numerous weeks on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 Songs chart and Power Source Magazine’s Top 35 Bluegrass Songs chart. “Luxury Liner” appears on her current album, THE DISTANCE, which made its debut earlier this year at #10 on the Billboard Top 10 Bluegrass Album Chart.
Carrie Hassler’s Christmas Concert will take place Monday, December 10 at 6:00 pm at the Palace Theatre located at 72 S. Main Street, Crossville, TN 38555 (Rural Rhythm Records)
ARTICLES
© 2012 CMA Close Up® News Service by Bob Doerschuk -Carl Black Keeps It Country
That Chevy Silverado in Kip Moore’s “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” video didn’t just happen to be out in that field when the cameras started rolling. No, it was borrowed from the Carl Black Chevrolet Automotive Group, whose support has helped shift more than a few young Country artists’ careers into high gear.
The dealer’s ties to Country reflect the musical preference of its president, Mike Bowsher. Even before the Nashville store opened in June 2003, Bowsher had built Carl Black’s business in Atlanta (Kennesaw and Roswell, Ga.) by advertising year-round on partner Country radio stations and offering live performances, hot dogs, burgers and other snacks, all for free, via its “Live on the Lot” events.
“’Live on the Lot’ provides our company a unique opportunity,” explained PD Sumner, VP, Carl Black Automotive Group. “Maybe you’ve never done business with us or even been to one of our stores. But you’re a big Kip Moore fan or a Luke Bryan fan or whatever the case may be. You come out to the dealership. We get to offer our hospitality. You get to see a great show and hear some great music…………Read in Full
David Macias, president of Nashville based label services company Thirty Tigers explains: How Spotify spilts income
Extract: It's also important that you understand how Spotify splits out the money that they bring in. Of the $10 that I spend monthly for Spotify, $6 goes to the owner of the recordings, $1 goes to the owner of the publishing copyright, and Spotify keeps $3. That is exactly the same proportion by which revenues are shared in the iTunes model, and that 70% which is shared by the owners of the recording and publishing copyrights is a higher percentage than they share for goods sold at physical music retailers. That's about 60%, but when you consider that an actual CD or LP had to be shipped, retail staff paid, etc., that's fair value..Full article
NASHVILLE SKYLINE: My Favorite Things From 2012 written by CMT’s Chet Flippo…Jason Aldean, Kellie Pickler and My Other Album Choices This Year,plus random stuff
Billboard 615 Spotlight - Scotty McCreery Eyes More Christmas Albums in His Future
Billboard 615 Spotlight - Martina McBride Launches 'Cozy' Christmas Tour .....Martina McBride knows a thing or two about Christmas. Released in 1998, her classic holiday set "White Christmas" has sold 1.6 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and her version of "O Holy Night" has become a standard. McBride continues to share her love of the holidays with fans on her 16-city "The Joy of Christmas Tour," which kicked off this past Friday in Atlanta……
INTERVIEWS
Gretchen Wilson – Definitely Not A Girly-Girl
Gretchen Wilson doesn’t like her show billed as An evening with Gretchen Wilson. “I get kind of pissed because this isn’t a wardrobe changing, dressy kind of show, this is like seeing Skynyrd,” she said. It is probably safe to assume that she was not fazed by performing at Chautauqua NY, an epicenter of culture and refinement, on the stage that has hosted some of our most prominent intellectuals...........Read in full at www.musicnewsnashville.com
Shania Twain talks with USA TODAY’s Marco della Cava about her upcoming 2-year performance residency at Caesars Palace. Video produced by Robert Hanashiro - www.usatoday.com
After Decades Of Dreaming, Dolly Parton Says, 'Dream More'.
In 1964, Dolly Parton told her classmates at eastern Tennessee's Sevier County High School that she planned to go to Nashville and become a star.The whole class burst into laughter."Anywhere you go, people say, 'Well, ain't you afraid you'll starve to death?'" Parton tells NPR's Neal Conan. "'Ain't you afraid you'll go hungry?' I said, 'Well I couldn't be any poorer than we've been here. And I'm not a bad-looking girl.'
Listen to the >> NPR Radio 30min Interview Audio
Related Post: Huffington Post - Dolly Parton Breasts: Country Singer Loves Talking About The 'Girls'
"I haven't had to have [anything] done in years, and my girls are going pretty good," Dolly Parton told ABC's "Nightline" this week about her famously top-heavy frame.
And while Parton notoriously insured her breasts for $600,000 -- making the size 40DD pair valued at $300,000 each -- Backwoods Barbie's biggest asset has always been her refreshing brand of comedy and charm mixed in with one of country music's sweetest voices. Launch the slideshow below to see some of Parton's best lines about her "girls" over the years. See Article and Slideshow
WATCH
Music video by Canadian Kira Isabella performing “Songs About You”. (C) 2012 Legend North >> YouTube
Train featuring Ashley Monroe “Bruises” (C) 2012 Columbia Records, from the new album "California 37" by TRAIN
Taylor Swift performs an acoustic version of "I Knew You Were Trouble" for Fifi and Jules >> YouTube
COUNTRY FASHION
Taylor Swift made a super style statement in a stunning ivory gown at the 2012 ARIA Awards in Sydney on Thursday.
The singer looked flawless as she graced the red carpet at the event held at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Australia.
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| Taylor at the 2012 ARIA Awards |
She cut a striking classic angelic figure with a breath-taking look wearing an Elie Saab Spring 2013 gown (fashion image).
She had a Grecian twisted chic updo and stunning jewels. She included a tight banded bodice top half which complemented the flowing skirt that adorned the lower half of the ensemble.
Other red carpet stars opted to wear mini dresses with futuristic prints.
COUNTRY GOSSIP
Gossip site TMZ report that Randy Travis’ lawyer says Randy has given up drinking. Randy Travis is officially ON THE WAGON -- this according to his lawyer who tells TMZ the singer has “eliminated alcohol from his daily life.”
Earlier in 2012 the troubled 53-year-old wound up behind bars several times in the past year after multiple booze-related arrests (naked DWI, public intoxication, assault). Randy's lawyer, Larry Friedman, tells TMZ … Travis has acknowledged the problem ... and decided to 86 the liquor from his life so he could focus on improving his health.
“[Randy] works out 3 hours every day and is in the best shape of his life,” Friedman says … adding, “He has a high protein diet and takes a lot of vitamins.”
Besides his new workout obsession, Friedman says Randy is determined to get his groove back – and hit up a recording studio in Texas last week to start laying down some new tracks
Miley Cyrus, the 20-year-old actress who is engaged to 'The Hunger Games' star Liam Hemsworth, had admitted she finds the One Direction heartthrob Zayn Malik attractive.
She told MSN: "Zayn Malik! He's my favourite...Because my friend and him have matching hair. I also think he's the cutest."
However, Liam, 22, doesn't have to worry about competition as Miley recently revealed she already feels married to him.
Miley - who is currently working on a new album - said: "I am married in my heart and my mind. I do everything that I would be if I had the paper, but I want to take the time to actually enjoy it."
Jessica Simpson the “Come On Over” country/pop singer and “Daisy Duke” actress is reportedly pregnant with her second child. She gave birth to daughter Maxwell Drew Johnson in May (2012), is said to be expecting another baby with her sports star fiance Eric Johnson. A source tells Us Weekly magazine, "It definitely wasn't planned. But yes, Jessica is pregnant again. She really is overjoyed!"
Taylor Swift's enigmatic, seemingly mercurial love life has been at the forefront of nearly every interview the singer has given since well before the release of her latest album, Red, so it's no surprise that the singer's conversation with Parade magazine touches on all things romance-related, including the 22-year-old's inclination to be drawn to bad boys -- and yes, true to form, Taylor continues to avoid naming names! "There's a really interesting charisma involved," Taylor tells Parade. "They usually have a lot to say, and even if they don't, they know how to look at you to say it all. I think every girl's dream is to find a bad boy at the right time, when he wants to not be bad anymore." No matter what type of guy she finds herself falling for, Taylor admits it usually happens at lightning speed (AOL’s The Boot)
Trace Adkins angered many by wearing a Confederate flag earpiece at the Rockefeller Center special this week. He said, “I’m a descendant of Confederate soldiers who followed that flag into battle and for those who view it as a symbol of racism, I did not intend offense."
TWEETS
While others play chess, charades or perhaps Words With Friends. Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) documented a different sort of pursuit on Twitter: “Time to play my nightly game of ‘where are the light switches in this hotel room?’”
R.I.P
Rosa Lee Watson passed away on Thursday (Nov 22), just six months after Doc Watson, her husband of more than 60 years.
George Strait's longtime songwriter Frank Dycus has died at the age of 72.
Dycus died Friday (Nov 23) after a long illness.
The “Hillbilly poet" wrote more than 500 songs, many for leading artists. Mr Dycus had twice been voted SESAC’s “Songwriter Of The Year.
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| Frank Dycus |
Born in Kentucky, Dycus served seven years in the U.S. Air Force and then broke onto the music scene with his first hit "Lilacs and Fire," which reached number 17 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart with recording artist George Morgan. He later found success writing for Strait, whose "Unwound" and "Marina del Rey" were both penned by Dycus with Dean Dillon, as well as for George Jones on the track "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair." and ‘Walls Can Fall’, songs he co-wrote with Billy Yates.
Over the course of his 45-year career, Dycus penned more than 500 songs, including Mark Chesnutt's "Gonna Get a Life" and Gary Allan's "Forever and a Day."
Remembering his frequent collaborator, musician Jim Lauderdale told The Tennessean, "He was a real hillbilly poet, with a great sensibility and a way with words. He was a wise person and a deep thinker”. (news.msn.com)
In 1990, after initially deciding to retire from the music business, he formed a new publishing company in Nashville.
Born Marion Franklin Dycus, 5 December 1939, Hardmoney, Kentucky. Mr. Dycus grew up as one of 13 children in his family.
Dycus initially had no thoughts of pursuing a career as a songwriter. At school he was reckoned to be studious and was writing poems to his mother when he was 14. He relocated to California in 1955 and soon afterwards, he enlisted in the US Air Force. He learned to play guitar and with his friend, singer Don Gonsalez, formed a duo called Don And Frank. They attempted to be soundalike Everly Brothers and found regular bookings over two or three States sometimes opening for touring stars such as Jim Reeves and Buck Owens and for a time they were regulars on KPEG Spokane.
After discharge in 1962, Dycus spent a short time in Nashville but failed to find work and eventually settled in Wichita, where he worked for Boeing in the aircraft industry and also hosted a radio show on KATE. In 1967, he returned to Nashville and worked as a songwriter in Pete Drake’s music publishing company.
His first hit came in 1970, when George Morgan took “Lilacs and Fire” to No. 17 on the Billboard country singles chart.
Some of his song writing credits (Artist, Album, Song, Composer) include:
George Strait (Strait From The Heart 1982) "Marina Del Ray" (Dean Dillon / Frank Dycus)
George Strait (Strait Hits 2006 ) "Down and Out" (Dean Dillon / Frank Dycus George Strait) &
"Unwound" (Dean Dillon / Frank Dycus)
Mark Chesnutt (What a Way to Live 1994) "Gonna Get a Life" (Frank Dycus / Jim Lauderdale)
Kenny Rogers "Ghost of Another Man" (Roger Bowling / Frank Dycus / George Richey)
Danni Leigh (Divide & Conquer 2001) "Sometimes" (Frank Dycus / Jim Lauderdale)
Shelby Lynne (Epic Recordings) "I've Learned to Live" (Dean Dillon / Frank Dycus)
Johnny Rodriguez (You Can Say That Again 1996) "It Might Take a While But I'll Get Over You" (Shawn Camp / Frank Dycus )
Tim McGraw (Self Titled 1993) "You Can Take It with You" (When You Go) (Frank Dycus / Kerry Kurt Phillips)
David Ball (Self Titled 1994) "Gift of Love" (David Ball / Frank Dycus)
Kenny Chesney "Turn For the Worse" (Frank Dycus / Kerry Kurt Phillips / Billy Yates)
George Jones (I Am What I Am 1980) "The Ghost of Another Man" (Roger Bowling / Frank Dycus / George Richey)
Stonewall Jackson (Hero Icon 2004) "Let the Sun Shine on the People" (Frank Dycus / Larry Kingston)
Ricky Van Shelton "A Bridge I Didn't Burn" (Tracy Byrd / Frank Dycus)
Joanie Keller (Sparks Are Gonna Fly 2000) "Grindin' Wheel" (Frank Dycus / Troy Lancaster / Rick Scott)
Tanya Tucker (Can't Run from Yourself 1992) "I've Learned to Live" (Dean Dillon, Frank Dycus)
Gary Allan (Smoke Rings in the Dark 1999) "Greenfields" (Shawn Camp / Frank Dycus)
Loretta Lynn (Who Was That Stranger 1989) "Fly Away" (Frank Dycus)
