CD RELEASES:
One of my favs for 2022 — Country music superstar Eddie Montgomery has released the deluxe edition of his debut solo album Ain’t No Closing Me Down via Average Joes Entertainment. The 15-track project salutes his lost Montgomery Gentry bandmate, Troy Gentry, who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in 2017, paying respect to Troy’s fabled music career and authentic character. The deluxe features three tracks never-before-sold on physical CD, “Price of Fame” featuring Tracy Lawrence, “You Piss Me All The Way Off,” and “Be Cowboy” (PBR Anthem). The 15-track CD is being sold exclusively at Walmart and is available in stores and online now. Following the release of Ain’t No Closing Me Down Deluxe Edition, Eddie wants to “give it up for the guys on the clock” with his upcoming single titled “Thank A Beer Drinker” written by Wynn Varble, David Lee, and Don Poythress. The track commends blue-collar workers around the world and highlights their essentiality to our society and infrastructure. “Thank A Beer Drinker” was released on all digital platforms. News and updates at https://www.montgomerygentry.com on Twitter (@LuckymanEddie) and Instagram (@luckymaneddie).
CELEBRATION NEWS:
George Jones will be remembered and celebrated – by fans and fellow artists – at a concert set to take place April 25 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, AL, one day before the tenth anniversary of Jones’ passing. Titled Still Playin’ Possum (as a play on Jones’ nickname) the concert will feature performances by Brad Paisley, Justin Moore, Dierks Bentley, Tracy Lawrence, Jamey Johnson, Tanya Tucker, Michael Ray, Lorrie Morgan, Trace Adkins, Mark Chesnutt, Sam Moore and Tracy Byrd with more acts expected to be signed for the concert. The show will be recorded for broadcast at a later date. “George made history and influenced artists from all genres and many of them will celebrate with us in April.” said Jones’ widow, Nancy Jones, in a statement. The night will bring lots of emotion for the fans, our family and anyone who just loved country music.” Tickets for Still Playin’ Possum are available at https://georgejonesofficial.com. Ticket prices start at $25.00. A special VIP upgrade, priced at $200.00, will include dinner the night before the concert with Nancy Jones and friends.
CHARITY NEWS:
After a two-year hiatus, Texas music mainstays Randy Rogers Band welcomed the return of their charity event RRB Golf Jam in the fall of 2022, and in December began distributing the money raised through the Randy Rogers Family Foundation (RRFF). Proudly supporting their hometown of New Braunfels, TX, Rogers and his wife Chelsea made a donation of $100,000 to the Crisis Center of Comal County, which supports and protects victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, on December 12. Speaking with the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung newspaper, Rogers said he has always been motivated to keep RRFF donation money inside the community, and this year chose to help rebuild the Crisis Center after it was damaged by fire in April. “I wanted to impact the people that need it the most in our community, and after [the Crisis Center] burned down and I saw the need, I just decided that this is where I wanted to put it,” Rogers said. “This was a safe place to put it and it’s a safe place for lots of people.” This year’s RRB Golf Jam presented by Shiner featured a golf tournament, silent auction and raised over $350,000. More at https://www.randyrogersband.com.
CRS NEWS/RADIO NEWS:
Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) has announced the list of artists that will be included in the CRS 2023 New Faces of Country Music. The show, always a highlight of the annual Country Radio Seminar (CRS), will form the finale of CRS 2023 on March 15. This year’s New Faces are: InDent/Mercury’s Priscilla Black, Big Machine’s Jackson Dean, Stoney Creek’s Frank Ray, Stoney Creek’s Jelly Roll and Arista’s Nate Small. Voter criteria for selecting the New Faces acts included all full-time employees primarily involved in the programming, promotion and distribution of country music from broadcast radio, satellite radio, television outlets and digital service providers, and excluding those with a vested interest in individual artists or musical works. “The radio and streaming partner constituencies of CRS have spoken and, word is, the future of country music is bright,” said Chuck Aly, CRB New Faces Committee Chairman. Register to attend the 2023 CRS here https://www.countryradioseminar.com.
DEEPEST SYMPATHY NEWS:
Renowned leader in the Nashville music community, Charlie Monk, passed away on December 19 in his home in Nashville, TN. He was affectionately named and known by many in the industry as the Mayor of Music Row. He created a lasting impact in radio, song writing, record producing and television in a career spanning more than 60 years. Monk moved from Geneva, AL, to Nashville in 1968, joined the staff of The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1970 and was a co-founder of the Country Radio Seminar, the long-running media gathering. There, he hosted the “New Faces Show” for 40 years as it launched legends including Jason Aldean, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church and Vince Gill. As a publisher, Monk notably fostered the careers of country music stars Randy Travis and Kenny Chesney. In 1977, he became Nashville chief of CBS Songs, which quickly became one of Music City’s top three publishers before founding his own company, Monk Family Music Group.
DUO NEWS:
Country-Americana duo, Boys Club for Girls, have announced a double single to release in January 2023, followed by their debut album releasing in March 2023. The Nashville-based duo, consisting of singer-songwriters, Amie Miriello and Vanessa Olivarez, will release singles, “Bad Luck Baby” and “Not Just Yet” on January 19, 2023. First collaborating at the top of 2019, the duo proved to instantly stand out from the traditional roles of women in music and sought to capture the rule-breaking spirit of the 70s with their unique vintage sound, creating their own boys club – one that included everyone. The lead singles have themes of the balanced duality of both love and heartbreak. “When love fails over and over again, it’s easy to begin to believe that the problem is you,” the band says of single, “Bad Luck Baby.” Boys Club for Girls’ upcoming album was recorded at Nashville’s Blackbird Studio and Dark Horse Institute, where they enlisted producer, Tim Craven (Brothers Osborne, Kacey Musgraves) for the 11-song project. The album is due out in March 2023. More here https://www.boysclubforgirls.com/home and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boysclubforgirls/.
FILM NEWS:
Blackbird Presents and Sight Unseen have announced the world premiere of Willie Nelson and Family, the first authorized work exploring the life and career of the Country outlaw icon, debuting at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The festival will take place January 19–29, 2023, in person in Park City, Salt Lake City, and the Sundance Resort, along with a selection of films available online across the country January 24–29, 2023. With a career spanning seven decades, Nelson is widely recognized as one of the greatest singer/songwriter/guitar players in the history of popular music. An outlaw cowboy who transcended his humble beginnings in small-town Abbott, Texas, he remains beloved, continuing to speak for people from all walks of life with his music, philanthropy, marijuana advocacy and activism on behalf of the American farmer. Developed by longtime Nelson manager Mark Rothbaum and Blackbird Presents Founder & Chief Creative Officer Keith Wortman, Nelson and his family and friends provided exclusive participation and access to his archives. Executive Producers are Keith Wortman, Mark Rothbaum, Annie Nelson, Julia Lebedev, Eddie Vaisman, Leonid Lebedev, Sean Stuart and Mark Ankner. More about Willie here https://willienelson.com.
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