A bit of country music news

I’m going to use tonight’s post to give you a little news about some of your favorite country singers – we’ll start with Josh Gracin, one of our scheduled Appalachian Fair performers. Josh and his wife, Ann Marie, are expecting their fourth child. They are already parents to Briana, age 6, Landon, age 2, and Gabriella, age 1. When will the new baby arrive? All the press release said was “later this year.”

Chris Cagle has apologized for the May 28 incident, when he and his girlfriend were arrested at his Nashville home. The couple apparently had been drinking and fighting when the police were called to the scene. Chris said the whole thing was “exaggerated.” And he also said that the incident was not induced or elevated by his intoxication. Chris is scheduled to appear at the Tennessee Valley Fair in Knoxville in September. In his public apology he said, “I take full responsibility for my actions, and I was wrong, and I am embarrassed…I am sorry.”

Fans at Tracy Lawrence’s party at the CMA Music Festival got a special treat when Tracy’s buddy Trent Tomlinson joined the festivities. Tracy is one of the country stars scheduled for our Appalachian Fair in August. Trent is on tap for the Washington County Fair in Abingdon, Va. in September.

 

 

 

Check around the Internet for trailers from Toby Keith’s movie “Beer for My Horses.” They aren’t showing us too much, but it might give you some idea what is in store for all of us when Toby’s movie hits theaters in August.

The soundtrack for Toby’s movie is available at tobykeith.com And don’t forget to check out his My Space page to keep up with the latest Toby news, tour dates, and CD info.

That’s all for now. Whoever is first in line on Aug. 8 to see Toby’s new movie… let me know what you think of it.

And any of you who get some pictures from a concert or festival that you’d like posted here, just send them to my e-mail, and I’d be more than happy to get them up for you.

See you all soon.
Country
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Kingsport, TN’s Fun Fest

Rodney Adkins and Little Big Town will be at Fun Fest this year. Fun Fest, an annual event in Kingsport, will be July 11-July 19. Rodney’s concert, which is Thursday, July 17, is being sponsored by AGC Flatglass. This community concert will be opened by Ashley Gearing. Ashley’s current single is “Out the Window”.

 

There’s probably nothing I can tell you about Rodney that you don’t already know. He had four consecutive No. 1 records form his “Going Through Hell” CD, and he puts on a fantastic show.

Little Big Town will perform on Saturday, July 19 at J. Fred Johnson Stadium. The show will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7.50 in advance, or $10 at the door.

You can get all the concert information for Fun Fest, including times, ticket prices and locations, by clicking here. You can also find out about other activities that go on during Fun Fest Week in Kingsport, TN.

I’ve seen Rodney several times, but unfortunately I’ll be out of town during the Fun Fest event, so won’t be able to get to the concert. But guys, those of you who do are invited to send photos from the event for posting here on Country’s Chatter! I really appreciate all the pictures, e-mails, comments, and other support I’ve gotten from each of you.

That’s all for this time. I’ll talk to you all soon. Thanks for reading! And thanks for writing.

Country
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WXBQ’s last Lakeside Cinema for 2008

Thursday night, June 26, was the last night for Lakeside Cinema at Winged Deer Park in Johnson City. At least it was the last night for 2008. The last movie – and I believe the one with the biggest crowd, was Alvin and the Chipmunks.

The sky got dark, the winds picked up, and it took about 12 people on the end of guide wires to keep the screen standing. Fortunately, the storm never materialized, and we got to see our movie.

Since you all know about the movies, the games, the WXBQ gang that hangs out with the crowd, and the great sponsors who bring all this to us every year. I think I’ll use the rest of this post to just put up a few more pictures of from tonight’s movie.

To those of you who didn’t make it to any of the movies this year – remember, there’s always next year! I sure hope to see you then.

That’s all for now – thanks for reading. We’ll get more country music news up here for you real soon! Write when you  have a minute, I love hearing from all of you.
Country
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One Flew South – One talented trio!

They’re called One Flew South, but Royal Reed, Chris Roberts and Eddie Bush, whose debut album is appropriately titled “Last of the Good Guys”, actually had to fly north to launch their career. A Decca Records conference room, three voices and 20 minutes were all that was required to land the group a recording deal, a press release said. Now, nearly eight months later, the vocal group, who worked with some of music’s most prominent songwriters, including Marcus Hummon and J.D. Souther, have released their debut album on May 27.

“With beautiful echoes of the great harmony groups like Poco, Eagles, and even the Beach Boys; One Flew South are the new kids in town,” said legendary songwriter J.D. Souther, who contributed his collaborative songwriting talents to One Flew South’s debut album.

Regardless of the time it took for One Flew South to land their recording and publishing contract, they are no overnight success. Rather, the three Nashville based vocalist-songwriters have been involved in the music business for years prior to hitting upon a perfect combination and bringing back to life a band starring three superbly matched vocalists whose harmonies are unparalleled.

“From the first moment the three of us sang together, it felt like home,” said Chris Roberts. “We jelled musically inside the studio and personally outside the studio.” Royal Reed added, “There was something about the way that we all came together, it feels as though we’ve found musical collaborators that were always out there waiting for us to come together.” The third member of the group, Eddie Bush, said, “Sometimes things just come together, I’m not saying that it was an easy road to get to where we are, but now that we’re here, working together has been seemingly effortless.”

To hear some of their music, click on any of the blue, underlined words in this post. And be sure to check out their MySpace page! They have a list of upcoming tour dates there, too. Nothing close to northeast Tennessee yet, but we’ll keep our eyes open for that.  If you haven’t heard this group on the radio yet, I’ve no doubt you will very soon.

Talk to you all soon. Leave me a comment, or send me an e-mail. Love hearing from you all!
Country
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Toby Keith’s second Big Screen Role

Toby Keith’s second movie, “Beer for My Horses,” is scheduled to open in theaters Aug. 8. I’m not sure what theaters though. When his first film, “Broken Bridges,” hit theaters in 2006, it was what they called “opening in select theaters.” I guess none of those select theaters were in our area, because the first opportunity I had to see the movie was when it got on television, on the CMT network. Maybe we’ll do better this time.

Anyone who saw the music vide for “Beer for My Horses.” knows it was about a detective (Toby) who got the help of Willie Nelson to nab the bad guy. The movie, however, isn’t going to be a thing like the video. It’s being called a ‘comedy road trip story’. Toby plays Rack, a deputy who, against the orders of the department, goes out to rescue a girl from dangerous drug lords.

Willie Nelson will appear in the movie, as will Ted Nugent, Tom Skerritt, Rodney Carrington and Gina Gershon. Rodney Carrington co-wrote the movie with Toby.

How many of you are planning to go see Toby’s new movie in August? What do you think of them turning that rather serious video into a comedy? I mean, the video was about crime, law enforcement, and the good guys winning (which I’m sure they will do in the movie as well). But a comedy? I suppose we’re all going to have to go to the movies to see how this one turns out.

Enjoy your weekend! Talk to you all soon.
Country
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Buddy Jewell is back

An article in the most recent issue of Country Weekly magazine is titled “Buddy’s Back.” I, for one, really hope so. I’ve missed Buddy Jewell the past few years. This picture of Buddy and his son, Joshua (who was probably 3 or 4 when this picture was taken) is now 7 years old. This photo is from an Appalachian Fair appearance a few years back.

In the article, Buddy talks about having used the last few years to spend time with his family – wife of nearly 20 years, Tene’, daughter Lacy, now 14, and son Buddy III, who is 18. You might remember that it was a comment his daughter made that inspired him to write his first hit single, “Help Pour Out the Rain,” subtitled “Lacy’s Song”.

The article says Buddy will begin touring again this summer, and will be going out with Mark Wills, Trent Willimon and Ray Scott as part of the Honky Tonk Tailgate Party ’08 Tour. I don’t see anything close to here on his tour schedule – but I’ll certainly keep looking.  (Photo at the right was taken at the Washington County Fair in Abingdon, Va.)

He describes his current single, “This Ain’t Mexico,” as a controversial song about his views on illegal immigration. I just went and listened to it on his web site, I like it. And Buddy can definitely still sing!

Country Weekly quotes Buddy as saying, “I hope a lot of folks agree with me, but I know there are some folks who aren’t going to. But hey, that’s what makes it America.” And isn’t it great, Buddy, that we are all free to think the way we want, and express our opinions in whatever form we know best.

Buddy’s CD, “Country Enough,” which includes “This Ain’t Mexico” is scheduled for release on July 1. You can pre-order it at Buddy’s web site (buddyjewell.com). buddy is now recording on his newly formed record label, Diamond Dust Records. Buddy, welcome back! I hope you’ll get back to our area in concert soon.

That’s it for now. I’ll get more up for you guys soon. Remember to let me know if you hear about anything you’d like to share with my readers.

Later!
Country
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Daniel Lee Martin – A Real Outdoorsman!

I’m sure all of you remember me telling you about Daniel Lee Martin, (a recording artist with ChinMusic Records), and I hope you’ve taken the time to run over to his MySpace page and listen to a little of Daniel Lee’s music. He’s really great. I love his songs, “On My Way” and “It’s Already Been Said.” I’m sure you’ll love them, too.

Back when Daniel Lee opened for Joe Diffie (the end of May) at Freedom Hall in Johnson City, I made the comment that he was an entertainer who could put on a great show with nothing but a guitar and a microphone. And, he is. (More recently, I said that about Randy Houser, he is, too! Can you imagine Daniel Lee and Randy doing a show together?)

Tonight’s post, however, is not about Daniel Lee’s music. And it’s not about Randy Houser, it’s about something Daniel Lee did, that is so cool. He recently competed in the Field & Stream Celebrity Total Outdoorsman Challenge, presented by Mobil 1 at The 2008 CMA Fest.

Bryan White, Mark Wills, and several other country artists participated in the outdoor skills event. They competed in archery, air rifle, bait casting and fly casting. And the winner is …..

Yep, Daniel Lee won the competition, beating out two-time Total Outdoorsman Challenge Champion Paul Thompson. Daniel Lee will be featured in an upcoming issue of Field & Stream, and now holds the title as County Music’s reigning Total Outdoorsman. He also won a hunting trip with Keith Warren’s Hunting and Outdoor Adventures. The trip will be filmed for broadcast on Outcoor Channel and Versus networks during the fourth quarter of 2008, and will appear on “Backstage & Backroads with Daniel Lee Martin” on The Sportsman Channel.

I need to say Thanks to Kristina Martin, who took this picture of Daniel Lee with Anthony Licata (left) and John Davis of Field and Stream (right).

That’s all for now. You guys take care and have a great Friday! And remember, if you hear something good about someone great in the wonderful world of country music … stick it in an e-mail and let me know about it so we can share it with everybody!

I’ll talk to you all soon.
Country
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Randy Houser at Winged Deer Park … Part 2

As I told you all last night, I wanted to get a little more about Randy Houser up for you tonight. I really enjoyed the concert, and we could not have been blessed with a a better evening! We had total cooperation from Mother Nature, with a sunny evening, and almost cool breeze coming off the lake. Pictured at the left are Reggie Neel, WXBQ 10 a.m.-3 p.m. radio personality; Randy; and Bill Hagy, WXBQ Program Director.

As promised, here are a few photos of Randy with some of the fans who went out to Winged Deer Park to enjoy the concert. This little guy was so cute, I just couldn’t resist snapping a photo.

 

The picture below on the left is three of Randy’s newest fans. They enjoyed the show, getting autographs and posing for pictures. I got several shots of these girls with Randy.

And, we have Lisa from Johnson City. Lisa is a great country music fan, one of Bucky Covington’s biggest fans. And, she’s a really nice person, who I got the opportunity to meet through this blog.

And, I’m very glad I did! I’ll be looking for you at all the upcoming summer concerts, Lisa! At right is the WXBQ Rabbit, who just had to get on stage at the beginning of the concert to help welcome the crowd to the show … cause that’s what rabbits do. We love you, Rabbit!

 

 

What a perfect setting. Even the boaters were coming close in so they could hear the music, too.
   

Please remember to check out Randy’s MySpace page, listen to his music, and call your favorite radio station to request his current single, “Anything Goes.” Randy has a little biographical information there, as well as the music you can listen to, photos, and other information. Hope you’ll visit soon.

Drop me a note, or leave a comment. Remember, to let me know what you’d like to read about on Country’s Chatter, and I’ll do my best to find some information for you.

More later – have a great night, and a fun tomorrow! Talk to you guys soon.
Country
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Randy Houser at Winged Deer Park … Part 1

  Tonight I went to Winged Deer Park and saw Randy Houser’s concert. And it was wonderful. He is wonderful. I haven’t seen too many people who can entertain well with only a guitar and a mic – but Randy is definitely one of those who can do it! And do it very well.

You’ll notice the “Part 1″ in the title of this post, that’s because it’s late… and because most of the good photos are on the other camera … and I have to get them on a CD so I can put them in here… I know, I know… “Too much information, Country.” But you get the idea.

I’m sure most of you who listen to country music have heard “Anything Goes.” It’s really a great song. Randy told me tonight that his CD will be released sometime in the fall. And, his video should be airing on Country Music Television in the next few weeks.

He’s a great kid, a super performer, and a very talented songwriter, too. I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more form Randy Houser.

And, you’ll be hearing more from me – tomorrow night, or perhaps the night after that … when I get the rest of the photos into the computer and on here for all of you to enjoy. I have a lot of photos of some of the fans with Randy, and a lot of on-stage and candid shots of Randy… so be looking for those real soon.

We all know you can’t have a country concert in Northeast Tennessee or Southwest Virginia without a visit from our WXBQ Rabbit. Thanks to all the folks at WXBQ for their part in bringing Randy’s concert to Winged Deer Park.

Thanks, Randy! I really enjoyed meeting you, and hope YOU will check back to Country’s Chatter often. And to the rest of you, thanks so much for all the support you’ve given me. Write when you have time… or post a comment. Talk to you all soon.

Country
country5@hotmail.com

Tennessee Valley Fair, Knoxville, TN

The Tennessee Valley Fair in Knoxville is one of the longest-running fairs in this area. It will be held for 10 days again this year, Sept. 5-14. It’s hard to find a country act for every night when you’re running a 10-day event, and I’m sure it would get very expensive. But the Knoxville event does have a few for us this year. Darryl Worley will take the stage on Tuesday, Spet. 9, at 8 p.m. Like most fairs, you can see the show for free with your admission to the fair, or you can get reserved seating for $7.50.

Chuck Wicks will take the stage on Thursday, Sept. 11, also at 8 p.m. The reserved seating price for his show is $5. I believe Chuck is also scheduled for our Greene County Fair this year, so for anyone in the Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol area — Greene County is a little closer fvor you. Chuck is probably best known for his hit “Stealing Cindarella.” I’m looking forward to seeing Chuck in concert this year.

Con Hunley will be the bringing the entertainment on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the 8 p.m. show. Reserved seating is also available for his show at $5 per ticket. He just finished up at the CMA Music Fest in Nashville, where he did a special concert at the Opry for his fans.  His web site calls him “The Smoky Mountain, Blue-Eyed Darlin’.”

He plays piano, and he sings – and you can hear some of his songs on his web site. He’s had over 20 hits on the country charts over the years.

And last, among the country artists, at this year’s Knoxville Fair is Chris Cagle. He will close out the 10-day fair with his Sunday, Sept. 14 show. Tickets for reserved seats for Chris are $10 each.

And, for those of you who are interested, the other six days of the fair will bring you The Village People, Friday, Sept. 5, 8 p.m. Yes… the ones who sang “YMCA”, “Macho Man,” and “In the Navy.”

The Fairest of the Fair beauty pageant and the Junior Fairest of the Fair will be held Saturday, Sept. 6 at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7 is Bluegrass Day, with Blue Highway and Charlie Bays Unit performing at 7 and 8 p.m. And two rock bands will take the stage on Wednesday, Sept. 10, and Friday, Sept. 12, each at 8 p.m. Wednesday will be Foghat, and Friday will be the group Loverboy.

For more information on the Tennessee Valley Fair, visit their web site at www.tnvalleyfair.org.

That’s all for now – tomorrow night I’m heading to Winged Deer park in Johnson City to see Randy Houser’s concert. It’s at 7 p.m., so any of you in the area, head on out that direction! I’d love to see you there.

Take care, and please leave me a line or a comment soon. It’s always good hearing form all of you.
Country
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