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Beginning next month, we will review independent country, bluegrass, and gospel albums. We will feature the best albums each month. Send to I. C. M. A. Music Review, P. O. B. 271238, Nashville, TN 37227 Just finished a new album? Opened for a star? Had a song you wrote recorded. Your organization having a big meeting? This newsletter goes to about 5,000 music folks. We can't tell them your news, if you don't tell us. Send to "Newsletter" at P. O. B. 271238, Nashville, TN 37227. No email, please! Five years after his liver transplant, Jim Nabors is releasing a two CD inspirational album entitled, "When He Spoke". He will appear on the Grand Ole Opry, June 24th. You may access Jim's web site under the artist category of www.radiocountry.org His album is available for sale there as well. Jim has had five gold and one platinum record. He was the star of Gomer Pyle USMC and The Jim Nabors Hour. Viacom which also owns MTV has acquired control of the two cable channels. They have announced certain changes to the TNN format to make it more appealing to low brow males ages 12-34. Changes will include more rodeo, bowling, monster trucks, and WWF wrestling. The event will feature Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Price, Johnny Bush and others. It had been scheduled for Dripping Springs, TX. It was moved when they discovered alcohol couldn't be sold there, since the county is dry. Forty-five semi trucks & trailers will begin hauling a 40,000 sq. ft. show to 25 cities over the next three years. The idea is to encourage people to travel to Nashville so they can see the new Country Music Hall Of Fame which is going up downtown. Maybe they should have a tie in with monster trucks and WWF wrestling. While the male country music fans enjoy watching WWF wrestling star, China have her boots licked by her newest boyfriend,
female country fans can attend a Dixie Chicks concert. They will get to see the ladies enter stage through the fly of a giant pair of jeans being unzipped mechanically. WWF wrestling, monster trucks, and monster zippers, things they are a changing! Brooks & Dunn will be letting fans download one song free each month for 14 months. Just go to their website and help yourself. They recorded the 14 songs live in Dunn's personal studio. His two CD concert set, "Double Live" has been certified for selling 13, 000, 000 copies. This brought his career total record sales to more than 100, 000, 000. This is more than any other solo American artist. On October 4th. Charlie Pride will become the first Afro-American to ever be inducted to the major labels controlled CMA's Hall Of Fame. Pride was born in Sledge, MS. Before turning to country music, he had a brief career in professional baseball. They will also induct Faron Young, the same evening. I knew Faron and he was a very generous compassionate person. His contributions to country music are too numerous to list. He helped several stars break into the business including Roger Miller. He also founded "Music City News". With the time running out and not enough great acts applying, GraceLand Entertainment needs folks willing to travel to Europe to tour U. S. military bases. If this appeals to you, contact GraceLand Entertainment, P. O. B. 290123, Nashville, TN 37229. Jessica Culpepper Music, BMI is reviewing songs for television, movies, and recording artists. Send no more than 3 at a time to Jessica Culpepper Music, BMI, P. O. B. 271656, Nashville, TN. 37227 holylandmusic.org needs great Gospel, Christian, and inspirational songs and albums for the web site. This is fast growing into a great web site for all things related to gospel music. Groups, bands and soloists can have their promotional material, booking information and contact numbers listed here. Your music can be posted in MP3, RealAudio or both. You can even sell your albums. For more information contact Holy Land Music, P. O. Drawer 291827, Nashville, TN 37229. You may also email prayerheals@aol.com. Songwriters, if you have great gospel songs, this is the place to promote and pitch your songs. Governor Don Sunquist, the Speaker Of The House, and the President of the Tennessee Senate joined together in issuing an official proclamation calling this event the "largest and most important independent music event in the history of Nashville" . Every year DJs, radio program directors, record company executives, singers, songwriters, and others travel from several countries to gather in Nashville. Ambassador Charlie Ray of Millennium Records has made special arrangements for a few great singers to showcase, at this event. Every year major label record company representatives are spotted in the crowd. If you've really got something to show Nashville, this is your time and your location. Contact Ambassador Charlie Ray at Millennium Records, 50 Music Square West Suite 305 B, Nashville, TN 37203. Email him at c4promo@aol.com. Or; call him at 615-252-8202 for details. Showcase time slots are highly limited so act quickly. Never before has it been possible to be seen and heard by so many important people. PBS's annual television broadcast, "A Capitol Forth" will include an all-star line up. Ray Charles, Audra Mc Donald, James Galway, David Benoit, and Barry Botwick will be there with Lee Ann. The orchestra will be conducted by, Leonard Slatkin. Womack said, "Getting to sing with the National Symphony is a huge honor. I'm really looking forward to singing with such a wonderful orchestra…. and I can't think of a better place to get to sing with them than in front of the Capitol building/ I just hope we get to see some fireworks." Womack's album, "I Hope You Can Dance" has been certified gold only three weeks after it's release. She is also the June "showcase Artist" on CMT. They will highlight her videos and broadcast several exclusive interview segments. CMT also reaches Europe, and South America. Her "Showcase" segments can be seen in the U. S. on CMT Fridays 11:30 P. M. , Saturdays 12:30 P. M., Sundays 7:30 P. M., and Tuesdays at 10 AM and 10 PM (all times Eastern Time Zone). Kathy Mattea was born in Cross Lanes, WV. Johnny Cash released his first single, "Hey Porter" in 1955. Lester Flatt was born in 1914. DeFord Bailey made his first Grand Ole Opry appearance, in 1926. Doug Stone was born in Atlanta, GA 1956. Eddy Arnold's 100th. hit, "Cowboy" entered the charts in 1976. Conway Twitty had a hit with his version of the Pointer Sister's pop smash, "Slow Hand", in 1982. Diamond Rio's "Norma Jean Riley" went number 1, in 1992. Patty Loveless had a number 1 in 1993 with, "Blame It On Your Heart". Chet Atkins was born 1924, in Luttrel, TN. Whitey Ford best known as the "Duke Of Paducah" died at age 85, in 1986. Anne Murray was born in Nova Scotia, Canada in 1946. The first version of, "Orange Blossom Special" was recorded in 1939, by the Rouse Brothers. Billy "Crash" Craddock was born in Greensboro, NC, also in 1939. holylandmusic.org plans to launch a newsletter similar to this (except devoted to gospel music news) in August. They need folks who can write interesting and informative short articles on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. They also need newsworthy information about gospel artists, organizations, and songwriters. Please mail sample articles or press releases to Holy Land Music, P. O. Drawer 291827, Nashville, TN 37229. |