Country Bites News snippets July 22 - July 28, 2013

Country Bites News snippets July 22 – July 28, 2013

SOURCES / LINKS shown in RED

UK & IRISH News

Charlotte Howard the 21-year old " English Country Girl" who hails from Bognor Regis has a song titled "Together" (track 10) on the new promotional Hotdisc (#176 Aug 2013) .

By George, it's dedicated to the new royal baby boy!

 The song is written by Robin Mayhew and is also cited as "The Royal College of Midwives' best song for new mothers". Fans should request to hear it on their local country radio shows.

First released on 26th September 2010 its available on Amazon UK and iTunes. You can contact Charlotte on her Facebook page

Jeannine Barry will be playing with her band at Monto Water Rats in London (328 Gray's Inn Road, WC1X 8BZ) on Saturday, 24 August 2013. Other dates scheduled are Fort San Antone, Lancashire (19th August) and Bush Hall, London (10th Nov) performing with Gary Quinn, Hannah Jane Lewis, and Raintown (headline) - SeeTickets.com

Caitlin Rose has added more dates when she returns for her September 2013 UK tour ents24.com and Ticketmaster UK

Singer songwriter Emily Maguire has 3 dates in August. She plays the unusual and intimate Little Rabbit Barn in Ardleigh Village near Colchester in Essex this Saturday night (3rd August). She will be performing as a trio with her hubby/bass player Christian and violinist/viola player Sue Lord. You can reserve your place by contacting either 01206 231397 or 07519 669 474, emailing live@littlerabbitbarn.com or online through their website at www.littlerabbitbarn.com

Other dates include Sat 10 August at Joules Yard, 53-55 High St, Market Harborough, Leics and on Sun 25 August she appears at the Purbeck Folk Festival, Wilkswood Farm, Langton Matravers in Dorset

This weeks American Connection Radio Show radio presented by Brian Clough was dedicated to the band of pilgrims who support British country music artists and attended  the Rock Ridge Festival which took place in Satley  Co.Durham over the weekend.

The Album Of The Week was from country rocker Steve Earle and our ‘Remember This’ track takes us back to 1973.

About Brian Clough - In March Brian celebrated 33 years of broadcasting country music. Brian’s broadcasting career started in hospital radio and took in Metro, GNR, and Century. Brian was also the Voice of Country music in the North East on Smooth Radio for many years until the specialized music programmes was scraped. Brian, of Chesterle- Street, a former photographer with The Northern Echo (and still writes a column article) worked in the offices of the Consett steelworks became the familiar voice of country for many fans and this was recognized in 2009 when he received the International Country Broadcaster Award from the Country Music Association (CMA) in America. Brian presents the American Connection Music Show every Saturday and if you “Like” the Facebook Page you automatically go into a Free monthly draw which has offered great prizes (CD’s, concert tickets)

Enjoy the music and please support the show.

Zac Brown Band with "Jump Right In" remain on BBC Radio 2’s "A" playlist for a fifth week

Taylor Swift's "Everything Has Changed" which has been on the “A” playlist for 5 weeks moves down to the “B” list .

Kacey Musgraves with "Silver Lining" is promoted from a “C” playlisting to the “B” playlist

Glen Campbell’s “Postcard From Paris” and The Mavericks with "Come Unto Me" remain on the “C” list.

UK CHART NEWS

On the Official UK Singles Top 100 Chart (Week Ending August 3 , 2013)

Taylor Swift’s ” Everything Has Changed” (Mercury) feat. Ed Sheeran, was up one place 13-12 in its 10th retail week. Taylor’s “22” jumped up 31 places 96-65 in its 23rd chart week and “I Knew You Were Trouble” re-enters the Top 100 from 104-98 in its 42nd week.

On the Official UK Albums Top 100 (Week Ending August 3 , 2013)

Taylor Swift’s RED was down two slots 19-21 in its 40th chart week. Zac Brown Band’s UNCAGED, Rascal Flatts with CHANGED and Lady Antebellum with GOLDEN all fell off the Top 100.

Official UK Country Album Chart (Week Ending August 3, 2013)

Lady Antebellum stay at No.1 with GOLDEN (Decca) in its 12th week. Helped by their Radio 2 playlisting and UK tour dates The Maverick’s rebound 6-2 with IN TIME. The Court Yard Hounds with AMELITA (Columbia) moved down 2-4.

On the Hotdisc Chart (July 28, 2013 Chart) 

Duo Branch & Dean, have grabbed their second number No.1 Hotdisc single with the poignant "The Dash" which moves 2-1. The song is dedicated to Theron Branch, son of Steven. It knocked the long-running David Shelby record, "Kick A Little Dirt Around" off the top slot (1-2) after its seven week reign.  It’s the second #1 on the subject of "The Dash" to top the charts in less than two years as David Wood took "My Dash" to the summit in 2012.

Karen Lynne’s “Little Mountain Church House” holds firm at No.3 as Chris Higbee with “Fiddles Rock” moved up 2 slots on the Top 10 (6-4).

Ray Scott’s impressive self written “High Road” moves into the Top 10 jumping up 5 places (12-7) and Gwen Sebastian with leaving song “Suitcase” rounds out the Top 10 having moved up 3 slots (13-10).

Lana Gibson holds onto the top of the British & Irish Top 10 for a second week with “I’m Movin’ On”, a cover of the Hank Snow song. The Diablos rest behind her at No.2 with their song “Will I Get To Sleep”.

UK COUNTRY ALBUM / DVD RELEASES

(16 July 2013) JJ Lawhorn - Original Good Ol' Boy (Average Joes) Time: 43:37 MP3  

(22 July 2013)  Guy Clark  - My Favorite Picture Of You (Dualtone) CD - UK iTunes : this is one mighty fine song collection - Maverick (5 STARS)

McCullough Girls - Bad Daughter [Import] 10 track / Time: 33:27 CD - MP3 - iTunes : As heard on BBC Radio Shropshire (Marie Crichton's Country Show)

(18 June 2013) Billy Yates - Only One George Jones [Import] 16 Tracks / Time: 53:56 (5 Stars Duncan Warwick, Country Music People August 2013) CD - MP3 - UK iTunes - Smart Choice Music - £12.99

Diana Jones - Museum Of Appalachia Recordings (5 Stars Michael Hingston, Country Music People August 2013) Cd

(15 July 2013) Rayna Gellert + Old Light: Song From My Childhood (StorySound Records)

10 tracks / Time: 40:57 CD - MP3 Fiddler Rayna Gellert, a second generation old-time musician and member of Uncle Earl from 2003 through 2008 (5 STAR rating Amazon/ awarded a pawltry 1/2 STAR in Country Music People August 2013) Blurb: With beautiful accompaniment from guitarist Nathan Salsburg and other contributors (including Abigail Washburn, Kai Welch, Scott Miller, and Alice Gerrard), Rayna explores memory -- its fragility and its power -- with restraint and originality -  Folk Alley's Best of 2012 - Wow

(18 June 2013) Ian Tyson - All the Good Uns 2 (Stony Plain Music) [Import] (5 Stars, Country Music People August 2013) CD

(29 July 2013) George Strait - THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION [3 Disc Box Set] (Humphead/ Wrasse) (5 Stars, Country Music People August 2013) CD - UK iTunes - (£11.49 incl postage from Humphead)

Steve Earle - The Definitive Collection 1986-1992 (Humphead / Hump144) 39 Tracks (5 Stars, Country Music People August 2013) MP3 - UK iTunes (£7.99), (£11.49 incl postage from Humphead)

DVD: From Nebraska Ranchers to Nashville Rebels: The Story of Tompall & the Glaser Brothers (told by friends)

Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only) Included are comments by Glaser family members, and various musicians, songwriters, music producers and others, such as Cowboy Jack Clement, Kyle Lehning, Ronny Robbins, Gordon Stoker, Marshall Chapman, Kinky Friedman, Gary Puckett, Bobby Bare and more. It is a 90-minute oral history DVD about Tompall & the Glaser Brothers.  Please note that this video does not contain a lot of original recorded music by the Glasers, but it tells a compelling story about their lives and careers as told by assorted friends, family members, business associates and music industry insiders.

View a short promo for this video. Price $26 (including shipping to the UK using PayPal) from mynorthwoodscall.com

"It's excellently produced and constructed, providing great insight into this unique trio's career." - Tony Byworth (UK)

"It's exellent and I shall be saying so in ... the UK's top-selling country journal." - David Allan (Country Music People)

AUSSIE NEWS

Dale Watson will be touring Australia with his band of Lonestars this November. The shows are in support of his 21st album, El Rancho Azul.

                                                              

2014 Gympie Muster CD featuring artist who have played the Gympie Music Muster. Available from August 9 it includes tracks from Amber Lawrence, Lou Bradley, Kaylens Rain, Morgan Evans Street Team, Kristy Cox, Morgan Evans, The Mavericks, McAlister Kemp, Damian Howard, Catherine Britt, Adam Brand, We the Ghosts, Jasmine Rae and Troy Cassar-Daley.

In a first for the Gympie Music Muster the annual music event will host a New Zealand artist showcase featuring Camille & Stuie, Kaylee Bell, Aly Cook with The Sou’westers, Kylie Price, Tami Neilson and Billy TK Junior.

‘From Across The Ditch’ will feature a mix of Country, Roots and Blues from the New Zealand talent on display. While it’ll be first-time visits for The Sou’westers, Kylie Price, Tami Neilson and Billy TK Junior – Camille & Stuie and Kaylee Bell have performed at the Gympie Music Muster in previous years. The inaugural New Zealand showcase will be held on Saturday August 24th, 6.30pm – 8.30pm at the Amamoor Creek Theatre.

Duo McAlister Kemp recently entertained a packed house for an industry-only showcase at local Nashville venue, 3rd & Lindsley. The duo is currently recording new music with producer Jeremy Stover (Martina McBride, Justin Moore, Jack Ingram) for their third studio album.

Entry is now open for the 35th Toyota Star Maker – Australia’s longest running search for a new country music star.   Star Maker has been a crucial launching pad for some of Australia’s biggest country music stars including Keith Urban, Lee Kernaghan, James Blundell, Kylie Sackley and Beccy Cole. In 2014 competition will be as tough as ever following the outstanding commitment from recent winners Luke Austen, Luke Dickens, Bob Corbett and Kaylee Bell who have all grabbed the prize and haven’t stopped running.

NEWS

Dierks Bentley led the charge to raise over $476,000 for the sold out Country Cares Concert (July 22) in Prescott Valley, AZ to benefit the families of the Granite Mountain Hot Shots who lost their lives in recent wildfires.

Remember Lari White? She was honored July 18 with the key to the city in her hometown of Dunedin, Fla. Longtime country observers will remember her for a trio of top 10 singles in 1994-’95—“That’s My Baby,” “Now I Know” and “That’s How You Know (When You’re in Love)”—and as the co-producer of Billy Dean’s 2004 hit “Let Them Be Little” and Toby Keith’s 2005 album White Trash With Money.

A documentary centered around Chely Wright has been nominated for one of television’s highest honors. "Wish Me Away" is nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy award, earning Showtime a nomination in the category of Outstanding Informational Programming – Long Form. The film chronicles the process of Wright’s coming out as the first openly gay country singer in the ultra-conservative genre.

Darius Rucker, the '90s alt-rock leader of Hootie and the Blowfish/ Country singer has signed with CAA it was announced in a statement. CAA will represent Rucker "in all areas," the agency confirmed to Billboard.biz. Rucker was previously represented by the William Morris Agency. A few weeks ago on June 30th, Rucker wrapped his first solo headlining tour in support of True Believers.

As country recording trio Angel Mary and the Tennessee Werewolves (AMTW) prepares to debut their new single – a cover of Johnny Cash hit “Folsom Prison Blues” – the group has been included in an Billboard article alongside fellow country duo Florida Georgia Line, profiling the next wave of country stars. “We’re thrilled to be a part of blazing the trail for this new country sound,” said Christian Wolf, vocalist and drummer for AMTW. “Florida Georgia Line has helped open the door to new possibilities for up-and-coming artist in country music”.

Country singer Jessie James has married Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker, and now the two are putting the final touches on a reality television series about their lives for E! The wedding ceremony took place in June in Castle Rock, Colo

Florida Georgia Line’s Brian and Tyler have said there are other artists from the rap world they would love to work with if they got the chance. “We’ve got a list of people that would be amazing to work with,” says Tyler. “We’ve always talked about working with Lil Wayne or Wiz Khalifa for sure. There’s probably a long list. We’re all about stepping out of the box and doing different things and collaborating and getting into other people’s world and let them into our world. There’s something cool about that so, who knows. We’re kinda up for anything.”

After Laura Bell Bundy lost her last record deal and before signing with Big Machine, she admits that she went through a period of soul-searching and asking herself the hard questions, like did she even want to be a country singer anymore. “I kinda went through a semi-depression, honestly. Like, I lost myself.” .., “I wanted to combine beats and banjos and make this organic, cool, country dance music,” kind of like her new single, “Two Step”

Tours

Lady Antebellum has announced the first leg of their US headlining Take Me Downtown Tour. The group has invited Kip Moore and Kacey Musgraves to join the arena tour kicking off Nov. 8 in Southaven, MS and running through December.

Shania Twain will be returning to the stage at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for her critically-acclaimed, record-breaking, award-winning show SHANIA: STILL THE ONE this October. 

After a four-month hiatus, Shania will begin her next run of 22 performances starting on October 15and running through December 14 - www.axs.com/tickets

Hunter Hayes will travel to Japan for performances at Tower Records Shibuya, Tower Records Osaka and a performance with Jason Mraz at Studio Coast in Tokyo Aug. 26.

Severe Party-Crasher:  "Bad weather here in Albuquerque. Show can't happen tonight.

"Freakin bummed," Luke Bryan tweeted as he was forced to cancel his concert at Isleta Amphitheater Friday night (7/26). Opening act Florida Georgia Line was onstage when the weather turned. "It went from beautiful to the apocalypse in literally minutes," an Insider reported. "An unexpected monsoon rolled in with 90 mph winds and blinding rain. Car windows were broken from blowing debris; it was madness. The decision to cancel was quick and completely the right call." The National Weather Service/Albuquerque dubbed the storm "one of the most intense rain, severe-wind producing storms in recent memory, if not on record." The concert has been rescheduled for Sept. 22 and all original tickets will be honored.

BABY NEWS

Lady Antebellum‘s Hillary Scott’s daughter was one of the 350,000+ non-royal babies. Hillary and her husband, drummer Chris Tyrrell, welcomed their daughter on Monday, July 22, her rep tells PEOPLE. Eisele Kaye Tyrrell weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and was born in Nashville. Pronounced Eyes-lee, the baby’s name is a combination of Tyrrell’s mother’s maiden name and Scott’s mother’s [Linda Davis] middle name (Kaye). This is the couple’s first child; Scott and Tyrrell were married in January 2012 in New York.

Carrie Underwood was one of the first to send out her love. "@HillaryScottLA Congratulations, sweet Hillary! So many blessings to your family and its new gift from God! May she be just like you! :)," she wrote, while it looked like she was still vacationing in Austria. "Congrats to @HillaryScottLA of @ladyantebellum -- sweet lil thing finally showed up! This is where the party starts!" Kix Brooks tweeted.

And Scott's own band sent out a tweet, too, saying "Congratulations to @HillaryScottLA and Chris, parents of the beautiful Eisele Kaye! Happy birthday and we love you!!"

Grandpa Garth has a nice sound to it! Garth Brooks‘ new granddaughter made him a first-time grandfather this last week, as his middle daughter, August Anna Brooks, gave birth to a baby girl. Facebook photos indicate that the 19-year-old gave birth to baby Karalynn on Tuesday (July 23).

MUSIC NEWS

iPod sales dropped 32 percent Year On Year and revenue fell 31 percent, but with a gain in iTunes store purchases, for the period ended June 29. Instead of iPods, consumers are opting for iPhones or iPads, which offer the same features as iPods, in addition to other capabilities. But this trend didn’t keep iPhone and iPad sales from a quarter-to-quarter slump.

SINGLE / ALBUM NEWS

Alabama, will release their highly anticipated new album, ALABAMA & FRIENDS, on Tuesday, August 27 through Show Dog-Universal Music. The project is a tribute album, honouring the legendary group that helped change the face of country music. It will some of country music’s biggest names delivering their own unique versions of the multi-platinum-selling band’s biggest hits, including Jason Aldean (“Tennessee River”), Luke Bryan (“Love in the First Degree”), Kenny Chesney (“Lady Down on Love”), Eli Young Band (“The Closer You Get”), Florida Georgia Line (“I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)”), Jamey Johnson (“My Home’s in Alabama”),Toby Keith (“She and I”), Rascal Flatts (“Old Flame”) and Trisha Yearwood (“Forever’s As Far As I’ll Go”).

Let Us In Americana is Reviver Records’ second release in its “Let Us In” series, following the success of 2011’s Let Us In Nashville. Released on June 25th it includes Steve Earle, The Wood Brothers, Buddy Miller, Lee Ann Womack, Will Hoge and many more delving into a rich selection of songs written by Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

Listen to Lee Ann Womack sing "Let 'Em In" on soundcloud.com

Jennifer Nettles previewed some of her new solo music for members of the media at a studio in her new hometown of Nashville. The tracks which she co-wrote with writers including pop rock writer/artists Butch Walker and Richard Marx and proven country hit writers Tim Owens and Derek George — are minimally produced and often have a ’70s vibe....“I wanted this record to breathe and be sparse and not be a wall of sound,” Nettles said .... new single, “That Girl,” will be released to country radio in August.

Thousands of excited fans revealed the cover for Justin Moore’s new album OFF THE BEATEN PATH, slated for release September 17. Through an interactive Checked.in campaign across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, pieces of camouflage were removed to reveal the final image each time a number of fans posted using the hashtag #OFFTHEBEATENPATH. It the follow-up album to JUSTIN MOORE (2009) & OUTLAWS LIKE ME (2011), both of which have been certified GOLD for sales exceeding 500,000 copies. The new album features Justin’s current single “Point At You,” the fastest rising of his career, as well as duets with both Miranda Lambert and Charlie Daniels with even a little shout out to Kim Kardashian.

Country duo, The LACS’, third studio album, KEEP IT REDNECK, hits shelves August 20 produced by Shannon “Fat Shan” Houchins and Phivestarr Productions for BackRoad Records. Key songs include the title track, “Keep It Redneck;” a play-it-loud and proud new song which proclaims the importance of staying true to your roots, incorporating crunchy riffs and the bounce that LACS fans love. “Relacs” introduces Season 12 American Idol contestant, Sarah Ross, on this fun, beach-themed, summertime song.“Keep It Redneck,” in true LACS fashion, fuses musical genres and epitomizes the new sound in country music which they have helped to originate.

Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and Jamey Johnson are among the artists featured on DIVIDED & UNITED, a two CD-set of Civil War songs brought to life through fresh interpretations. Set for release this fall on ATO Records, the project was supervised by Randall Poster, known for his work on projects such as HBO's Boardwalk Empire.

Listen to Loretta Lynn "Take Your Guns" on Rollingstone

When you pair Willie Nelson with some of today’s most influential female singers, you get a duets album that everyone will be talking about long after its release on Sept 20th. Appropriately titled ‘TO ALL THE GIRLS…’ the album combines Nelson’s iconic voice with a jaw-dropping list of the best female talent: Carrie Underwood, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Miranda Lambert, the Secret Sisters, Roseanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Wynonna Judd, Alison Krauss, Melonie Cannon, Mavis Staples, Norah Jones, Shelby Lynne, Emmylou Harris, Lily Meola, Brandi Carlile, Paula Nelson and Tina Rose.

Kickstarter - www.kickstarter.com

Jo Dee Messina, Tracy Lawrence and Ty Herndon—three acts that launched hitmaking careers in the 1990s—raised as much as $120,000 in the last two months through Kickstarter, a digital platform that lets music fans invest in creative projects

Crowd-funding platforms allow creators to ask the public at large to help finance the creation and/or promotion of projects without turning over the creative control to a company or an investor. The creator promises specific rewards to investors at different tiers—more than 100 backers, for example, pledged $25 to Ty Herndon for the guarantee of an autographed CD, while another backer contributed $10,000, earning her the opportunity to record her own four-song EP with the artist.

The backers are charged only if the artist reaches a publicly stated goal:

$100,000 for Messina, $50,000 for Lawrence and $25,000 for Herndon (226 backers $36,555 pledged of $25,000 goal (13 days to go as of July 24)

How it works: Kickstarter gets 5% of the revenue, while Amazon charges 3%-5% in credit card fees.The rest of the money goes to the creative entrepreneur, who is expected to use the earnings to complete or promote the project, as was originally stated. The more specific and transparent the feedback is from the artist, the more goodwill is built with the audience. That also reflects on Kickstarter,which has its own credibility at stake.

The fan, in contrast, doesn’t get any financial reward. The takeaway for them is receiving something special in return—such as the ability to be in on the creative process, to meet the artist or to get autographed merchandise—and support creators they believe in.

Kickstarter’s DIY service comes at a time when the music industry is transitioning, as is the audience. Messina has seen her audience increase among 18- to 24-year-olds, a development that surprised her, since she hasn’t had back-to-back top 10 hits since 2001, when those fans would have been 6-12 years old. “Maybe it’s just because they are more active on the Internet is why I hear from them so much,” Messina says, “or maybe it’s just a big resurgence of people rediscovering the music.”...“The biggest hurdle I had was people knowing what it was and people understanding,” Messina says. “It’s such an instant world that we live in. No one really takes the time to read about it, so unless they hear it from a friend,and they understand what it is when they see it, they wouldn’t have gotten it.”

Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis, who released Cheater’s Game after collecting $44,000 (563 backers $44,856 pledged of $35,000 goal). A four-disc Doc Watson compilation, Milestones, which raised $83,000 (497 backers $83,096 pledged of $72,000 goal)

The Steve Fishell-produced The Big E: A Salute to Steel Guitarist Buddy Emmons (due Aug. 20), which grossed $12,000. (136 backers $11,967 pledged of $10,000 goal)

PRESS RELEASES

• Sara Hickman announced new album SHINE, her debut release On Kirtland Records, available July 23.
• Cerrito the Checo Records recording artist is garnering a new crowd of fans with his unique twist to traditional country music. Alternating between English and Spanish and shifting between the two languages, his “South of the Border Sound” is a blend of two of the most popular musical formats; Hispanic and Country.
• The Lacs are set to release third studio album “Keep It Redneck”
• Nu-Blu’s “TEN” goes TOP 10 On two BILLBOARD Charts (#6 On The Bluegrass Top 10 Album Chart & #5 On The Country Gospel Chart).
• Chris Young's new single “Aw Naw” is heading up the charts, with fourth album A.M due September 17th. Taped in Los Angeles last year, NPR Song Travels explores his musical past, present and future.
• Kip Moore‘s “Hey Pretty Girl” takes the top spot this week on the Mediabase country singles chart, marking his third consecutive No.1.

ARTICLES

• Vulture.com (New York Magazine) Brandy Clark’s 12 Stories Is My Favorite Album of 2013 by Jody Rosen
• Florida Georgia Line: Billboard Cover Story Q&A
• SF Examiner: Kacey Musgraves sings country that counts…Extract: From Lindi Ortega to Ashley Monroe and her side group with Miranda Lambert, The Pistol Annies, Nashville kittens are growing sharp claws again. Musgraves believes that country music is cyclical. "Maybe 20 years ago, the guys were the ones saying everything, and the girls were just supposed to be sweet," she says. "But back in the day, with Jeannie C. Reilly, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton? I mean, they said things, and for a while, that was lost. So I'm really happy to see some substance coming back."
• Rollingstone :Florida Georgia Line Plot New Album While They're Still Number One...Country duo behind smash 'Cruise' living the good times
• Boston Globe - At 42, Alison Krauss is the queen of bluegrass
• CMA Close Up News Service by Bob Doerschuk: New Artist Spotlight: JJ Lawhorn. 

REVIEWS

Album Review Pop Matters (Rating: 5 out of 10) Sara Hickman: Shine
Album Review Pop Matters (Rating: 7/10) Guy Clark: My Favorite Picture of You 

BOOKS

The life and music of Johnny Cash will continue to be remembered in two new releases. LIFE Unseen: Johnny Cash — An Illustrated Biography will be released on Aug. 13 in honour of the 10th anniversary of the entertainer’s death. The book will include 192 pages of Cash photos from the Sony archives, along with interviews featuring the singer’s family as well as new reminiscences from his children Rosanne Cash and John Carter Cash.

MAGAZINES

The latest 2 top country music magazines will be on the shelves this week.

a) Country Music People’s August issue has Billy Yates as their cover feature and Album of the Month along with spotlights on Colt Ford and Aussie country star Lee Kernaghan.

It also includes an excellent 6 page obituary written by Nashville journalist  Walt Trott on the late Slim Whitman.

b) Maverick Magazine’s September/October 2013 issue (out August 2nd) features LeAnn Rimes on the cover, in probably her most revealing interview yet with a 6 page feature titled “Baring All” on the eve of her first UK tour for six years. "I had nothing to hide and I had everything to gain by telling the truth, because everyone was talking nothing but nonsense and lies." Articles include Slim Whitman, Templeton Thompson, Sarah Darling, Claire Lynch, Court Yard Hounds, Bobby Bare and  Lizzie Sider. This issue includes a FREE 18 track MAVERICK MUSIC Volume 5 CD, which includes artists such as Templeton Thompson, Stacy Grubb, Holy Moly & The Crackers, Stevie Jewel, Robinson, Rob Baird, Jessica Rhaye, Martin Stephenson & The Daintees and many more... Click here for a 6 page preview

LISTEN

NPR.org Chris Young On 'Song Travels' interview and plays live (57 min special)

SPOTIFY COUNTRY

For users of this online music streaming service here are some of the more recent additions and recommendations.

When its free and easy on Spotify who needs music piracy?

Are streaming-music services a problem or solution to music-industry woes?

Nigel Godrich opened a can of worms recently when, in a series of tweets, the musician/producer announced that several projects in which he’s involved—including Thom Yorke’s solo album The Eraser and Atoms For Peace’s LP AMOK—were being removed from Spotify….Read more

Shannon and Heather Slaughter & County Clare "One More Road" -  Bluegrass

Jason Mitchell “Stomp” (Single) -

Lonestar "Party All Day" (Single) 

WATCH

• Capitol Records Nashville’s Jon Pardi has released a brand-new music video for his current single, “Up All Night.” (#38 Billboard Country Airplay) - vevo  
• Billboard 615 Spotlight: Brynn Marie Digs Deep in New 'I'm Sorry' Video...."That song gets me every time," she tells Billboard. "I think everyone can relate to it because there's always an instance where sorry just isn't enough anymore. It's a highlight to sing it every night. I get to sing my heart"..Brynn became enamored with music at an early age, being influenced by country, pop, classical, and gospel. She played in a worship and praise band with her family through college, and then formed a country band. Word of mouth spread about her talent, and opportunity came knocking at the door
• Jason Isbell performed “Stockholm” on the Letterman show.
• Vince Gill & Paul Franklin talked about "Bakersfield". Need a razor Vinny?
• Best Country Album of 2013? LeAnn Rimes Spits Fire About ‘Spitfire’ and performs a few in the Ram Country studios.
• Joey & Rory "Hello Love"
• Joey+Rory "Inspired" CD/DVD promo video. INSPIRED - Songs of Faith & Family" came out July 16th, 2013. The one-hour TV special and full-length dvd will come out in the Autumn. - vimeo.com
• Taylor Swift invited ’70s soft pop icon Carly Simon to perform with her at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. on Saturday night (July 27). The ladies teamed up for an amazing duet of Simon’s smash ‘You’re So Vain.’
• McKay "What if You're Wrong" (Filmed at Shepherds Bush Empire)
• Duo Thompson Square are on the same page when they recently debuted the music video for their latest single, “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About.” The song is the second release from the duo’s second album.
• Aussie Sara Storer official video "Lovegrass" . In January Sara welcomed the arrival of William David OHare ( Billy) at a Darwin private hospital. Weighing in at 8 pounds and 3 oz and a whopping 57 cms long!!! He joins brothers Harry and Thomas.

COUNTRY FASHION

Hayden Panettiere's Closet - thefabricofourlives.com

COUNTRY GOSSIP

• Billy Ray Cyrus and his wife of 19 years, Tish Cyrus, have reconciled and called off their divorce.Tish filed for divorce just last month in an L.A. Superior Court. “We both woke up and realized we love each other and decided we want to stay together,” the couple said in a statement released today. “We’ve had rough times but we both realized we didn’t want to be another statistic and wanted to make it work.”
• Carrie Underwood and her husband Mike Fisher are in Paris. They tweeted a photo that looks like she’s holding the Leaning Tower of Pisa in her hands. They’ve also been on a mountain top in Austria for research when she plays Maria Von Trapp in ‘The Sound of Music’ this December.
• Ronnie Dunn just paid $2-million for a place about 10 minutes from Nashville that’s nearly 6,000 square feet on over 6 acres and it also comes with a barn and caretakers cottage - Image
• Taylor Swift Crushed the Dream of Her Creepiest Fan: If you are a 39-year-old man with questionable taste in music, please be advised that you are NOT eligible to become Taylor Swift‘s biggest fan. That’s what Boston resident Charles learned after winning Kiss 108 FM’s Taylor Swift’s Biggest Fan Contest only to be informed that his victory “compromised” the “integrity” of the contest. It’s not clear if Charles’ online campaign to meet the 23-year-old publicity prodigy violated contest rules when he openly claimed he intended to “make a complete ass of himself by blatantly just sniffing her hair with cameras rolling,” but it is clear that Taylor Swift would prefer not to have backstage meetups with 39-year-old men who threaten to behave like creeps around her.
• LeAnn Rimes is too busy to give a deposition for her lawsuit against school teacher Kimberly Smiley and has turned down two proposed dates to give her pre-trial testimony. A source told gossip website RadarOnline.com: "LeAnn just released an album and says she is too busy on dates that were suggested for her deposition." LeAnn, 30, who was treated for stress and anxiety in rehab last summer, is likely to be asked a wide range of questions for the deposition, including whether she drank alcohol before she called Kimberly, what her mental state was like at the time and if she was on medication.
• Taylor Swift and her crew ate at Ralph's Italian Restaurant in Philadelphia after her show last week. When she heard the chef's autistic son’s a huge fan she gave him tickets for her show the next night. Taylor also left a $500 tip on an $800 bill - Photo
• Now that she’s 23, Taylor Swift says the goal is simply “trying to kinda live my best version of being twenty three, and to me that is expanding your horizons, challenging yourself musically, thinking outside the box for performances in ways you haven’t before. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Plays lots of shows. Try your best to be better than you’ve been before.” Though she seems to have it all well under control Taylor requests with a smile, “Wish me luck.”
• Monster's Ink:  Sugarland's Kristian Bush has teamed with Big Blue Bubble, Inc. to create a character for the game app My Singing Monsters. "I've always wanted to let my inner monster out," says Kristian "And I think I'm finally about to impress my son." Kristian's character plays mandolin, wears a fedora and goes by the name Shugabush. More at iTunes

TWEETS

Nashville @Nashville_ABC  EXCLUSIVE casting news! @ChaleyRose has been cast as Zoey, Scarlett's childhood friend who also has dreams of making it big as a singer

Actress Chaley Rose (photo) has previously appeared on an episode of Anger Management and can be seen in the upcoming movie, 36 Saints.

Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town tweeted Monday (July 22): “Please don’t drink & drive.”

Kimberly Schlapman @OhGussie My husband lost his brother to a drunk driver the day before thanksgiving last yr. Today that man was sentenced to 22 yrs in prison, but...

Raul Malo @raulmalo01 Thank you Cambridge Folk Festival! Beautiful crowd! Beautiful night! - http://instagram.com/p/cTS7U5yZmb/

PHOTO

Kelly Clarkson is getting ready to ‘Tie It Up’ with fiance Brandon Blackstock, and along with wedding preparations come engagement photos. The singer has just shared an official engagement photo — and it’s pretty dreamy.

Britain’s New Prince: World Watches Royal Baby’s Birth..Read more

BIRTHDAYS

July 29: Martina McBride (1966)

July 30: Neal McCoy (1958)

July 31: Heather Myles (1962), Zac Brown (1978)

August 1: George Ducas (1966)

August 2: Hank Cochran (1935) 

August 3: Mick Flavin (1950), Dean Sams (Lonestar) (1966), Randy Scruggs (1953) 

R.I.P

Western swing giant Curly Lewis died on Sunday July 14 in Tulsa aged 88.

A legendary Western-swing fiddler he played with some of the genre's greats, among them Bob and Johnnie Lee Wills.

Born near Stigler in 1924, Julian Franklin "Curly" Lewis later moved with his family to Tulsa. He started playing the fiddle at age 9 after a family friend got him interested. It was two years later, in 1936, when he entered and won the Bob Wills fiddling contest. (four years before the hit song “San Antonio Rose” took the Wills band “from hamburgers to steaks,” as Bob famously said. 

Lewis is one of only three sidemen to be honored with a star on the Cain's Walk of Fame.

Capping off a nearly 80-year career, he last played publicly in February, at his induction into the National Fiddlers Hall of Fame at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in Tulsa.

Lewis also played and sang - he boasted a pleasant baritone - with Western-swing icons Hank Thompson and Leon McAuliffe. But his longest musical association was with Johnnie Lee Wills. Western swing historian John Wooley interviewed Lewis for the July 2011 issue of Oklahoma Magazine.

US singer-songwriter JJ Cale has died of heart attack at the age of 74 at a hospital in La Jolla, California, on Friday (July 26).

Born in Oklahoma Ciry, he was raised in Tulsa. Buffeted by country and western on one side and the blues on the other, Oklahoma offered a melting pot of styles. Cale helped create the Tulsa Sound, which combined blues, rockabilly, and country. He became famous in 1970, when Eric Clapton covered his song After Midnight.In 1977 Clapton also popularised Cale's Cocaine. The two worked together on an album which won a Grammy award in 2008.

Born in 1938, John Weldon Cale adopted the name JJ Cale to avoid being confused with John Cale of the Velvet Underground.

He pioneered the use of drum machines, and was famous for his personal laid-back singing style.

Cale always described himself as a songwriter rather than a singer, and his songs tended to enjoy greater success when performed by others - notably Tom Petty, "Call Me The Breeze" for Lynyrd Skynyrd and "Louisiana Women" for Waylon Jennings.

Tributes:"He wasn't a flashy guitar player. He was real soulful. He played with his fingers, not picks," said Brent Mason, a performer in Nashville who admired Cale.

"He didn't seem to follow the pack or chase styles," said Kenny Vaughan, Nashville-based guitar player for the Fabulous Superlatives group. "He never seemed to be a guy who put a lot of effort into being trendy or commercially viable."

Dave Pomeroy, a bassist and head of the musicians' union in Nashville, said Cale had a huge influence on what is now referred to as "Americana" – a blend of country and folk music that is popular with some younger fans.

Loretta Lynn Mourns Daughter. A representative for Loretta shared a statement from the family announcing that Betty Sue (64) died the morning of July 29 from complications related to emphysema. She is survived by two daughters and five grandchildren. Betty Sue is the second of Loretta’s children to precede her in death. In 1984, son Jack Benny Lynn (aged 34) drowned on the family's property. In 1996, her husband of 48 years, “Doolittle” Lynn, passed away from diabetes.