Artist Showcase

CountryMusicReport.Com chats with one of Country's hottest new duets, "Brothers Finch!"

Scott: This is Scott Sexton with CountryMusicReport.Com and today we are talking with Dustin of Brothers Finch, how are you doing today?

Dustin: Well, we actually started a long, long time ago when we were twelve years old. We decided we wanted to play. So we went down to the pawn shop and I bought a guitar and Brandon bought a drum set. We started just jamming out and doing that for a long time. My parents just thought it was a phase for a little bit, but it ended up going a lot further than that. They actually started hearing music coming out. It started though at age twelve and we knew it was something that we wanted to do for the rest of our lives. We knew before we ever bought the instruments that it was something that we wanted to do.

Dustin: Um, well we had a few bands in high school and we were going around the state of Missouri and it was a Rock band. After that we went to college and started to write and get the music out there. It has probably been about four or five years since we got started to get where we are today.

Scott: When you guys started college, you actually went for music degrees correct?

Dustin: Yes. We have bachelors in Entertainment Business and an associate’s degree in Recording Art.

Scott: Whenever you guys started going around professionally, at what point did it take you to Nashville?

Dustin: Well I started writing heavily in college. I decided my last year that I had to take it somewhere and I couldn't think of a better place than Nashville. I didn't know anything about Nashville. I knew a little bit of the history of it, but that was about it. So, I packed up my things and a week later I was in Nashville. I started looking around, trying to figure out what to do and my brother moved up here shortly after.

Scott: You guys auditioned for "Can You Duet?" and made it on the show. How far did you make it on the show?

Dustin: We made it through three rounds. It was a really cool experience and we got to meet a lot of really cool people and some really good groups of people. We actually still talk to some of them. At CMA Fan Fest, we actually went over to see Joey + Rory and Caitlin and Will were there.

Dustin: "Can You Duet?" did open up a lot of doors for us. What got our recognition to start Brothers Finch a lot was Music City Madness. That contest was online and they also ran the videos on CMT for seven weeks. That got a boost and really kicked us off. After that, we went on "Can You Duet?”

Scott: Brothers Finch's first single is "I Know Where You Are." Tell people a little bit about that.

Dustin: Yeah, "I Know Where You Are" is a really basic line. My brother and I started kicking around ideas and we were going into the studio at ten the next morning and this song hadn't even been written yet. I wrote the first verse and chorus and part of the second verse. My brother came in and threw in some cool lines and we had the song finished by eleven that night. So we kicked out the song we were going to put on the album and decided to put this one on there. We thought that it was brand new and a pretty slamming "Country" tune. We finished it that night and the next morning we cut it in the studio.

Dustin: Well, we want to do this for the rest of our lives. We can't get enough of it. Our goal is to go as far as the Lord will let us go and keep climbing and climbing. I want the world to know our music and knowing who we are and what we do. Having people hear what we have done and what we have created.

Scott: Where can people find out anything there is to know about Brothers Finch?

Dustin: People can find out anything they want to know at BrothersFinch.Com and there is a link to our Myspace on our page as well.

Dustin: Well, I just want to say to all the musicians to keep on doing what you’re doing. We are all in this together. I would like to say to the fans "Thank you!" We wouldn't be here today without you. The fans are what make us who we are. I can't stress that enough. They keep us going and give us everything that we have.

Having the chance to sit down with an artist is always an honor, but when it is someone like Hoyt Hughes, it is a rare experience. Although he is not a house hold name, he is someone who is shaking up Music Row as well as the rest of the country. I had the chance to catch up with him while he was on a recent radio tour through Florida and even though his throat was truly suffering the consequences of constantly rehearsing, touring, and working nonstop, Hoyt seems to take it all in stride and understands that it will all pay off in the end.

As soon as we sat down for this interview, it was clear that it would not proceed like a typical "Q&A" type interview many folks are used to reading. So, we sat there and just chatted and this is the outcome. This is actually not Hoyt's first go-around in Country Music. He has always loved to sing and one year he even had his own booth during Fan Fair and was able to sign autographs and meet Country Music fans as they passed through. "I just couldn't stop," Hoyt expressed when asked why we decided to restart his musical dream.

Hoyt recorded he newest single at Skaggs Family Records called "Ain't My Day To Save The World" for Whirl Wind/Lofton Creek Records. "Was Ricky Skaggs there when you recorded this single?" was a question that was killing me to ask. "Yes, he was there" beamed Hoyt as he was grinning ear to ear. It was clear that this was a huge honor for him to know that Ricky was in the studio while recording this awesome tune. Hoyt's voice carries a "classic" Country sound that can be compared to George Strait and even a hint of Keith Whitley, yet he sports the modern sounds that will help carry him in Today's market. When asked what his ultimate goal, whether it be an appearance on the world famous Grand Ole Opry or shooting for hit records or anything else, Hoyt simply stated "I just want to be making music."

Being around Hoyt Hughes proves that there are still people who love Country Music and want to keep it alive. It is not always about the money, the fame, or the glory, it is about the song. This is the case with “Ain't My Day To Save The World." As soon as our interview was over, I placed it directly into the CD player as I was driving off. This is an amazing tune and has a lot going for it. For those of you who have not had the chance to hear yet, it is about someone who is constantly caught up in everyday life. Someone who is always on the go and sometimes forgets about the little things in their world. Well, the character in this track finally realizes it and decides it is time to back off and enjoy life. It is a tune that packs a powerful message, yet the beat and layout keep it positive and uplifting. For any information you can check out www.hoythughes.com or www.myspace.com/hoythughes. This is a guy who is so down to earth and real, yet so talented he should be at the top. Who knows, hopefully he will be at Fan Fair/CMA Music Fest in 2010 and everyone can see what he has to offer.

Since the release of her 2008 debut album, Laura Bryna has become quite a phenomenon, receiving the kind of reaction from fans and press alike that you rarely see these days. For an artist so early in her career, her resume already reads like an industry veteran’s, with major endorsements from some of the biggest names in the business.

Bryna’s first major tour was a 45-city expedition with country legend Clint Black. This was the first of several extremely successful live pairings, placing Bryna alongside top artists like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Sugarland.

Her debut album, Trying to Be Me, has struck a chord with an audience that spans the spectrum of fans on both sides of the country and pop fence. Not only is Bryna one of the most beautiful new stars in Nashville, but her timeless melodies and substantial lyrics make her one of the most significant talents to emerge in many years.

With such widespread appeal, it’s easy to understand why she’s considered one of the hottest rising stars in country-pop music today. She’s found the rare audience that only superstars-in-the-making seem to attract, as her career already seems to be following the same trajectory that launched pop crossover megastars like Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood and Faith Hill to become household names.

Right out of the gate, Bryna was signed to a record deal, and this auspicious beginning led to her recent role as the face and voice of the National Air Guard ad campaign, featuring a song she co-wrote aptly titled, “Hometown Heroes,” as a tribute to all of the heroes who serve our country. In conjunction to her patriotic efforts, she is also busykicking off a nationwide contest in search for the country's most honorable hometown heroes. Nominations for local hometown heroes were submitted from all over the country, and Bryna made an appearance today on the Family Channel morning show to announce the five lucky winners. These honorary guests will be flown to L.A. (accommodations included!) for a concert with Bryna at the House Of Blues in Hollywood on August 10, 2009.

Bryna’s glamorous and fashionable image mixed with her girl-next-door charm has made her wildly popular with fans. Her involvement with the Make-A-Wish foundation is a testament to her generous heart and down to earth personality. She is also currently collaborating with Miami-based couture designerClaudio Milanofor her own exclusive line, aptly called the Laura Bryna Fashion Collection.

Visit her impressive site www.laurabryna.com and hear for yourself why she’s one of the fastest rising stars in country-pop today.

Scott: This is Scott Sexton with CountryMusicReport.Com and today we are talking to Sandy Mason. How are you doing today?

Scott: Well Sandy, why don’t you tell people a little about yourself and where you have been and where are you going?

Sandy: (Laughing) I don’t know if you have enough tape for this one. Well, I am from a little town about thirty miles north of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania called Tarentum, Pennsylvania. I started off when I was eleven as a ventriloquist. I was performing all over the upper northern states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. I won a talent show as a ventriloquist and then hit the road. It was a very unusual beginning for a little kid. My mother traveled with me and I had a lady that helped me with my schooling and my manager. That’s what I did from age twelve to twenty four, I was a ventriloquist.

Sandy: Well, when I was eleven, my mother took me to Pittsburgh and took me to a store and asked me what I wanted Santa to bring me. I saw one of those Jerry Mahoney dummies and said I would like to have one of those. She said “oh you would rather have a doll baby wouldn’t you?” and I said no, I wanted one of those. A couple weeks before Christmas, I found it underneath their bed and I practiced with it and by the time Christmas came, I blew their mind away with it. Then, like I said, I had entered a talent contest and won that, got a manager and hit the road. Then I heard The Beatles in the 60s and I thought “I would like to write like that.” That’s what got me into songwriting.

Scott: Had you always been able to play the guitar and write songs, or when The Beatles came along, is that when you got interested in writing music?

Sandy: Well, I was writing songs and putting them together when I was very young. I was probably fourteen or fifteen years old when I started writing music. This was during the time I was out doing shows and everything.

Sandy: Yes, there was a lot of music in my act. I imitated people and a lot of music in my act.

Sandy: If you go on YouTube, you can see the shows I do here in Nashville and right now for fun, I just tell the audience that I was a ventriloquist, but for right now, there is just a little man in my guitar. They love it. I put it in there just for fun.

Scott: One of the CD’s I have here is called “Angels In Disguise,” which has “When I Dream,” which Crystal Gayle had the first big hit on it. It has been recording over 90, times right?

Sandy: I have been very fortunate with it. Most of those were recorded over in Europe, but Willie Nelson recorded it, Roger itaker cut it, along with Julie Andrews and Mac Davis. Mostly though, people in Europe recorded it. When I first came to Nashville in the 70s, I recorded a record called “Sing Me A Love Song.” “When I Dream” was on that album and it got a lot of exposure in Europe. That's how people became aware of it and familiar with it over there.

Scott: Well this song had such a good message, but you don't just write songs like this, you write the party songs like "Two Pina Coladas" as well.

Sandy: That was wonderful gift. I got together with my good friends Benita Hill and Shawn Camp. It was a cold day in February and we were wishing we were at the beach and this song came out. I was running out the door trying to get it to Jimmy Buffet when Allen Reynolds said "Hey, let me give this to Garth." I love it. Going to his shows and hearing all of those people sing it, that's the thrill, more so than anything money wise. That's the thrill for me.

Sandy: Oh yeah, I have known Garth for ten years or so. He is a wonderful guy. He is very kind, very thoughtful, and very talented. He is one of my favorite singers and Trisha Yearwood is one my favorite girl singers.

Sandy: That's right. What I did Scott, is I gathered up all of my spiritual songs that I have written in the last ten or eleven years and put them all together. Two or three of them are two tracks. In other words, they were done and then I put them down and added a violin and guitar and I did that here at my house on an 8 track, which no one does anymore. You can't even buy them anymore. I love analog instead of digital. It gives a nice warm, spiritual sound.

Scott: The first song is called "The Garden." Even though it is the first song, it is one of my favorites.

Sandy: Well, "The Garden" is inside of us. That's what I feel. It says "When you look you can see, what you're feeling for free, it's in the mirror on the wall." You can almost pretend or believe that God is inside and that's where everything comes from. That's what I believe.

Scott: A couple of other songs on the record that are awesome are "We're All Angels," "Heaven's Door," they are all great. There are no bad songs on there. One thing I wanted to mention is the cover. It is so interesting. Where did you come up with that?

Sandy: That's a poster that I bought here in a shop some years ago. I have been looking at that poster for like twenty years. I called the gentle who painted it. His name is Joseph Parker and you can see his name down in the corner. I asked him if I could use this. It is almost Shangri La. I felt this would go good with the spiritual songs. People have fallen in love with this cover. I am happy I could share that.

Sandy: Oh that was fun. I had a piano, a bass, a guitar, and violin, along with a backup singer by the name of Faye. I did this album for the people. It was wonderful and Crystal Gayle showed up. My last song that I did was "When I Dream" and I got her up there, so she closed the show. It was just a fun night for all.

Sandy: Oh they were standing. They had fun. On "Heaven's Door," I jumped off the stage and danced around the room. I have a number called "Cool Water" that I do with the guitar. If you go to YouTube, they have the videos on there from the show that people can see online.

Scott: One thing I really wanted to ask you as a songwriter, where can people go to master their craft and get started as a songwriter?

Sandy: I think to be a good songwriter, you have to read books. You have to put something in to get something back. Read as much as you can. Then, sit down with your guitar or piano or whatever and sees what falls out. I believe in my heart that it has all been done before; it is just our jobs as songwriters to pick it out of the sky or out of our hearts or garden. Allen Reynolds used to love hearing a demo with just a guitar. I don't think you need a whole band, it you have a good song, it will shine with just the guitar.

Scott: Do you think that the Folk music that was big in the 60s and 70s that had faded away is starting to really make a comeback and do you feel that the stripped down version is what people are looking for?

Sandy: I think we are going to have to look at the simplicity and start learning how to live with less. I like that. Look at Sugarland, didn't she release a song that was with just a guitar and it stayed around forever. It was awesome.

Scott: Sandy, I sure to appreciate your time. Is there anything else that you would like to let the readers know?

Sandy: I have been working on a children’s book for the last three or four years so I could get this project out to the people. Scott, as you know, we are headed into some rough times. This album will help people feel better. This is my gift. If it helps people, that's the ticket.

Meet Razzy Bailey

Scott: This is Scott Sexton with Countrymusicreport.com. Today we are talking with Razzy Bailey. How are you doing today?

Razzy: I'm doing great. Still having a late morning cup of coffee, but everything is going great.

Razzy: Well we should have some advanced copies of our new album next week. We have a new album coming out called “Damn Good Time.” We have a duet on there with me and Johnny Cash, and one with me and Mickey Gilley. We recorded the old song “She Left Love All Over Me.” The rest of them are new songs. We have twelve songs on it and I'm pretty excited about it.

Scott: What sounds or ideas did you have in mind when you started writing for this album?

Razzy: Well I was thinking about one of my favorite decades in country music. It was actually the 70s. I like all kinds of country music and all kinds of music period. But I was thinking about how I liked it back when ole Conway, Willie, David Allen Coe, and Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley, back when all those boys were on the radio. I made this album with a little bit of flavor from the 70s. I didn't do any 70s covers on there, but it has the feel, musically, like the 70s. It's really comfortable for me.

Scott: Not only does it have that kind of a sound, but you also have a song on there called “The Seventies.”

Razzy: Well actually that song was written by Ace Moorland, a blues writer from Sanford, Florida. He and Bob Greenlee have a studio down there called King Snake Records. They have recorded a lot of blues over the years, but they stretched out and did a little music that wasn't just blues. They actually wrote that song and I was down there, I did couple of albums down there for them, and I heard that song and I was like "Man, I have to cut that song". I just really loved that song.

Scott: What about this song “Heart Of Stone” with Jennifer Brantley. That's an awesome song as well.

Razzy: That was written by Me and Paul Rawlings, a friend of mine. He spent a few days with us. He's a really good writer. You just really want to write when you are around him. Some people you just respect their work so much you are like "let's write us a song". We were in the studio one night kicking around some ideas and all of a sudden that one came up and we wrote it. I thought it would be good to have a female part in there. She did a real good job on it.

Scott: How does this album separate itself from all the other Razzy Bailey albums?

Razzy: My RCA albums were pretty “Metropolitan Country,” but we also had some other stuff like “I Keep Coming Back” and “Scatch My Back” and stuff like that. This album is definitely more down to earth. It has more of an earthy type of sound I think. I am not saying those albums didn’t sound good, but this one is just more of a natural sounding album.

Razzy: Very much so

Razzy: “Hank Wrote That.” It should be getting to the radio stations anytime now. I get a lot of air play in like Australia and Germany and other places, not just America. It makes me feel proud that other places accept my music.

Razzy: Willie Nelson. We did a song together, not on this album. That was just an awesome thrill because I'm such a Willie Nelson fan. I recorded with Johnny Cash for “Long Black Veil.” That was just a dream come true. So those two for sure.

Razzy: There is no way to keep track of it. There are so many “bootleg” albums that I don't even know anything about. The ones that I'm aware of are well over twenty albums, but I probably have about forty albums total.

Scott: Why don't you tell about your beginnings? What made you pursue a recording career and who is your biggest influences and mentors?

Razzy: Well, when I was younger, we lived in the country and didn’t have running water or electricity, but we did have an old wind up radio and record player. Daddy had some old Jimmie Rodgers records, of course Jimmie was already gone by that point, but we still had some of his records. We would play his records. I loved Jimmie Rodgers. I don’t know if it was because of the times or what, but he didn’t have boundaries on his music. I liked that. He was an influence on me. My daddy was a songwriter, but he never pursued it. We didn’t know anything about charts, so one night we listened to the “Hit Parade” and the next night we listened to the Grand Ole Opry. We listened to three or four radio shows each week and we just liked good music.

Razzy: Well I think my most memorable moment about the Opry came before I actually did the Opry. Back in the 60s, I drove an RC Cola truck and I would be off of Saturday’s. We would drive up to Nashville on Saturday. I knew nothing about Nashville or Music Row and it was closed down on Saturday’s. No one was really doing much of anything. We went up and down Broadway and I saw a sign upstairs that said something about “recordings” or something. So, I went up the stairs and there was this guy lying over on the couch passed out and another guy was sitting over behind an old desk. He said, “Sure kid, I’ll listen to your music.” Then he stopped the tape and said, “If you look out that window, you can see the Ryman Auditorium, but you’re a million miles away.” So, believe me, when I played the Opry for the first time, I thought to myself, “well I must have traveled that million miles.” (Laughs)

Scott: This is Scott Sexton with Countrymusicreport.com and today we are talking to Deborah Allen. How are you doing today?

Deborah: Just all kinds of wonderful things. Basically just started off with the artists lessons. It was great and everyone under the sun was there. Old artists, new artists, everyone is just having fun. One thing that I enjoy is that all the proceeds go to the schools to get new instruments. They wrote a million dollar check for that. So that was really cool.

Scott: How has CRS been different this week? As far as new artists or old artists. Have they focused on a certain area of Country Music or has it been free for all, who ever shows up?

Deborah: It's been a nice blend of new faces. New artists, record labels, just people from all over the country.

Scott: Now you have had a substantial amount of success in Country Music, with hits like "Baby I lied", "Rock Me" and you've even written big hits like "Hurt Me Bad" that Patty Loveless had done. How do you feel that you have changed from the times when your songs were the biggest until now, as an artist?

Deborah: I'm basically doing now what I did when I first came to town. Of course, I started writing songs. It didn't take long and I have had a constant stream of success with my songwriting. The songwriting has been a great thrill.

Scott: One thing I would love to talk about more is you have a new project that you are working on now that you are promoting?

Deborah: Yes I am, I have a new single that is out. If fact you can go to www.LastTimeForEverything.com, you can hear the song. It's called "There's A Last Time For Everything". You will be able to leave your comments and everything. It's incredible. We put it up on the Internet last night and the response to it has been so tremendous that it has been incredible. We are going to put it on iTunes so that people will be able to purchase it there. My husband, Raymond Hicks, who is also my manager. He does a great job. He used to work with the Mel Tillis. He asked me one afternoon "What is your favorite song?" What is the best song that you would like to present to the public?" I said "Well I would have to say "There's A Last Time For Everything". I just feel that it sends such a strong message". It makes me happy because I did feel that it was one of the best songs I've ever done. And it made me sad that no one had ever heard it. He suggested that we put it up on the Internet. I don't know how people were finding out about it, I guess because of Facebook, Myspace, and all of the social networks. But everyone has had such a wonderful story to tell after they have listened to it. Basically what it is about, is how we have good intentions of telling people that we love them, but we get caught up in life. I got the idea before 9/11/2001, but really got the urge to finish it after 9/11 because of all the people that were left behind. We just never know. I recently did this segment on a TV showed "Give A Living Rose." It's about thanking people while they are still here. They have done stories on Vince Gill, Michael Martin Murphey, and a lot of other people. Folks can check that out on www.GiveALivingRose.com as well. I think that fans would really enjoy it.

Scott: Do you think that this TV show has helped other artists come up with ways to thank their heroes? Maybe that it is catching on to be a sort of "Pay It Forward" idea?

Deborah: I do, I really do. Michael Martin Murphey was thanking Ralph Emery. Evidently, Ralph was really instrumental in getting Michael into the "Western, Cowboy" type direction, which is what he was really into and he felt really comfortable with.

Scott: Where do you feel that Country Music is going over the next five years. What are your thoughts on how much it has changed over the past few years?

Deborah: I think it is expanding. I think it is becoming more and more excepted and people are beginning to appreciate it more. I think people are wanting to hear something that is real. I love this music, I love R&B music, but if I had to pick one genre it would be Country Music because of the story songs. I think it will keep expanding. One thing I have noticed is that the new artists have a great respect for the older ones who have come along before them.

Scott: Well, I sure do appreciate your time today and is there anything you would like to tell your fans?

Deborah: I would just like to tell them that I love them so much. I have been doing this for a long time now and I don't show any signs of stopping. If they would just go to www.LastTimeForEverything.com and just listen to the song. If you feel moved in anyway, please leave your feelings and comments on that website. Without having someone to share these songs with, it is not as fulfilling.

Check out the latest happenings with one of Bluegrass' most legendary entertainers!

Scott: This is Scott Sexton with CountryMusicReport.Com, and today we are talking to Bobby Osborne. How are you doing today Bobby?

Bobby: A little bit of everything really. I'm still doing the Opry and still doing personal appearances. I haven't done too many of them due to the weather. I don't care about getting out in the cold. Florida is okay though, but I haven't been getting too far away. I don't want to get stuck in the snow. I have a new CD coming out, so I have been doing some promotions on it. Of course, I teach school over in my hometown of Hyden, Kentucky. I teach school over there a couple days a week. It's called The Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music. So I have been keeping myself busy.

Bobby: The reason they chose to have the school here is because it is my hometown. It is affiliated with the Hazzard Community Technical College, in Hazzard, Kentucky, which is only twenty miles away. I teach mandolin two days a week. I am over there on Tuesdays and Wednesday. We work on publishing, songwriting, voice, guitar, bass, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and we do a lot of things like the traditional sounds of Bluegrass. I am a part of all that over there. We have a good ensemble band that have come over there. We have a real nice class that is going to graduate in May. It is a two year class and is at a college level. It has worked out very well. This is my second year over there to teach the mandolin and publishing. I work with the director, Dean Osborne with the history of Bluegrass, and we have Curtis Burch who teaches guitar, dobro, songwriting and publishing. We have Jake Mathis who teaches the banjo and he is kind of the head of the ensemble group with recording. My son, Bobby Osborne Jr. works there too. He teaches the board and recording and computer work. He is a wizard when it comes to all of that. We pretty much have the traditional sounds of Bluegrass, publishing, and songwriting covered right there at the school.

Scott: Well it sounds like it is a pretty good opportunity for anyone who wants to get involved in Bluegrass to do it right there.

Bobby: Yeah, it is a really nice thing. Mainly that part of Southeastern Kentucky is coal mining country and you have a lot of people who live and work there who have never had the chance to get to the big city so to speak, but they can by the internet. They can get internet over there and of course the college has that as well. It's a pretty neat little town. It has grown up a lot since I was a boy. They have Hardee's, McDonalds, Dairy Queen. They have all of that there now. They didn't have that there when I was growing up as a boy. It's a pretty nice thing for the people of that area. We have a boy from Arkansas there who is learning to play the banjo. We have a gentleman from Indian who is there studying the dobro and a girl from here in Kentucky who is studying the fiddle and I am teaching her the mandolin. All of these students are in their second year and they will graduate this May.

Bobby: They can find it on the internet at the Hazzard Community Technical College. It is actually called the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music and can be found at TheKentuckySchoolofBluegrass.Com. They can also find it at the web site for the Hazzard Community Technical School.

Scott: You mentioned you had a new CD coming out. How is that going to be different from your other material?

Bobby: I am looking for some promotional copies any day now. It will be called "Bluegrass and Beyond." It will be on Rounder Records and March 31st is the release date on it. I Have some new songs and new type of songs that people wouldn't usually connect me to. I have one of the Eagles's songs on there and Eddie Rabbit has a song on there that I did. You might remember "Driving My Life Away." I did some different arrangements and they are not the standard Bluegrass things. Glen Duncan is my producer and he is a great fiddle player and his wife writes songs.. There are also some new songs one there.

Scott: Bluegrass has always been big ever since Bill Monroe, The Osborne Brothers, and even Jim & Jesse. You guys pioneered the whole "Bluegrass" genre. Do you feel that the "Progressive Bluegrass" is hurting the sound of Bluegrass or do you feel that they are just taking it to a different angle and that everything progresses eventually and this is just the new sound and you are carrying the old sound?

Bobby: Yeah, that's the bulk of it. You hit the nail on the head. New people, even in our government and everything in our world. The new people come on board and they have new ideas and new ways of doing things. Bluegrass music and Country Music are the same. The younger generation, they call them "Newgrass," I am not into that. I am into the traditional sounds of Bill Monroe, Flatts and Scruggs, and Reno & Smiley. That's what I was raised up to listen to and that is still the true sound and traditional sound, so to speak. Today's Bluegrass has changed a lot like today's Country Music has changed a lot. My brother and me, we didn't want to change anything, we just wanted to be different from everyone else like Bill Monroe and Flatts & Scruggs. There was no point on anyone trying to recreate them or sound like them. My brother and me just wanted to be different and we lucked out on the harmony that we featured over the years. It started way back there in the 50's with a song called "Once More." We knew we had something different there, so we kept on that track and it became just as traditional as Flatts & Scruggs. Now it is the newer Bluegrass and it is nothing like what I grew up with or ever played. I know there are great players and singers, but they play and their way of doing things is fine. They are just like the players and they want to hear the newer things that are coming out. The older generation of people would rather hear what a guy like me is doing. I don't meet very many people from the older generation who like the newer Bluegrass, or newer music period for that matter. The Bluegrass bands and the traditional people stick to the traditional music and that is where I come from and that is where I am at today with it.

Bobby: Yeah, it really is. I never do an appearance on the road or at the Opry, if I only have one song to do at the Opry down there, it is "Rocky Top." If I get two songs, one is "Rocky Top," and the other song, but the second will always be "Rocky Top." Very seldom, well we never do "Rocky Top," and not get a great applause. I don't know what it is. People love that song. It is one of the most popular songs of all times for that matter, and played more on radio stations, programmed more. It is just a great song and I am grateful to be one of the first guys to have recorded it.

Scott: Correct me if I am wrong, but "Rocky Top" is one of the Tennessee State songs and it is the fight song for the Volunteers.

Bobby: Yeah, that really helped it along. My brother and me got to go over there and perform that song on the fifty yard line for the Tennessee and Alabama football game and like 97,000 people surrounded us. When we went into "Rocky Top," that place went into an applause so loud you couldn't hear yourself think. That's when it really got into gear. Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, they are both gone now, but they wrote the song and we were the first ones to record it. I would say that there has been one hundred and fifty to two hundred people who have recorded "Rocky Top." People like Diana Shore, and some of the people in Country Music and Bluegrass. If you run into someone who has not heard the song "Rocky Top," they don't listen to the radio.

Scott: Exactly! I think it is kind of like Porter Wagoner's "Y'all Come." At some point or another, everyone has recorded it.

Scott: What can people expect to see and where can they find out who will be performing there. Can they find that on your website at BobbyOsborne.Com?

Bobby: Yeah, the dates are on there. It is the first full weekend in August, the 6th, 7th, and 8th. Go on my website and it has the dates on there.

Scott: Is there anything you would like to talk about that is going on in your world that you would like people to know about?

Bobby: I think we have pretty much covered the things that are going on with me today. If there is anything you can think of from the past that you would like covered.

Bobby: Well I have a lot of them, one of my heros is Ernest Tubb. He is one of the first guys I saw on stage. He inspired me to do what I am doing right now. A lot of people don't understand how a guy with a voice like I have got would ever listen to Ernest Tubb, but I used to immitate him. My voice was a lot lower at one time, so I used to try and imitate him. Then I actually got to know the man. I am with him like he was with Jimmie Rodgers. Jimmie Rodgers was a great inspiration to Ernest Tubb and he was a great inspiration to me. When I got to see him on the stage, something just came over me and I knew that was something I wanted to do. Here we are all these years later and I had the chance to work shows with him and talk to him and he was just a great person. I asked him one time, "You were such a big fan of Jimmie Rodgers, did you ever get a chance to meet him," and he said, "No I never did." I always wondered why he never met Jimmie Rodgers because he was such a bug fan of his. He told me "The reason I never met him in person was because I was such a big fan and I thought so much of the guy, I was afraid he would say something or do something that would turn me away. I thought so much of him that I didn't want that to happen, so I never met the man." I told him "I never felt that way about you. I wanted to know what made you tick." He got a kick out of that.

Scott: Does Sonny ever come out on the road with you or is he pretty well done with it.

Bobby: He is pretty well done with it. He is burned out for one thing with the touring part of it. He had the rotator cuff surgury in his left shoulder and then two years ago he had a stroke. So, he just went ahead and retired. He is into having banjos made with his name on them. He is happy with what he is doing, or at least he tells me that. I don't think I will ever totally quit. As long as I can sing, I don't think I will ever give it up. I didn't want to quit singing because he did, that was his choice. I am going to keep going myself. As long as he happy doing what he is doing, I am happy with what I am doing.

Scott: Well Bobby, we sure do appreciate you taking the time to talk with us today.

Scott: This is Scott Sexton with CountryMusicReport.Com and today we are talking to Mike Schikora. How are you doing today?

Mike: It is pretty fun. I personally get to see a lot of these people that you've heard about and you have their records and they are shorter than you. And it is really cool. I have to say the industry, the radio world and the people are talking. There are some very enlightening conversations going on here. Hopefully they will get it worked out.

Mike: Officially, yes. I say that, because when I lived here about twenty years ago, I used to sneak in and crash this party.. I would sneak into all the suites and see people playing and sneak beers and all that stuff. So, this is my first official CRS.

Scott: How does this differ from now from being official to sneaking in and sneaking beers and all?

Mike: Well, the major difference is that I can speak up and talk and not worry about being heard and someone asking "Who are you and why are you here?" The other thing is that I have my record that is about to come out and I have something to stand on while I'm here.

Scott: You mentioned the record, so let's talk about it for a minute. First of all, it is called "What's Old Is New Again." Where did you get the title at?

Mike: Well I got the title, and a lot of the songs on this record are about people in my life and places I have seen and things that I have done, but the one particular song was a gift for some friends. I raise horses and she does too and I sang at her wedding reception. She asked me to play and I wanted to give her a cool gift, so I decided to write a song. I had a year to work on it and you know how you have time to work on something and it just never happens? So, I thought this was going to be one of those cases. I got to thinking about their upcoming party and it just hit me to write about them. She has a child and he has a couple and they have been married and split and now they are together and trying to do the whole "Brady Bunch" thing together. So, I thought of this title "What's Old Is New Again" and it just kind of poured out. It is about them and it is really kind of cool.

Mike: Yes, that is going to be the single. We released "Dance Angelina" last May on the Texas, Oklahoma circuit there, and it did really well and I want to follow it up with "What's Old Is New Again," and release it in Colorado as well. Hopefully it will pick up some steam and do really well.

Scott: Now how does that market out there differ from anywhere else in the country? Is that a completely different market than any of the other radio stations?

Mike: It is. You've got two different types of radio in this day and age. With CRS, I have been here for a lot of the corporate America radio stations who have the preprogram sets from the major labels, and I as an independent artist am not in that realm.. I have not had the opportunity to jump on that band wagon quite yet. So I started on the Indie level and I am hitting the radio stations that are more independent and not playing the corporate playlist. They play the hits that are big. Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana are a pretty big region that creates their own charts system. Colorado is doing a similar thing, but just with Colorado. So, I think what's happening, which is ironic, there are a lot of conversations going on this week about the Indie movement and the online world is promoting a lot of good music by artists who hasn't had the chance to jump on the corporate and the major band wagon. We are getting a lot more places to play our music and the Indie movement and labels and the people out there who are embracing this Indie movement are giving us a place to do it. Once we start, we are gathering more power and fan-base and we start to get attention from the online users.

Scott: Does the Internet help when it comes to promoting music whether it be Itunes or other downloadable sources?

Mike: Yeah, from that stand point, yes. It's a grass roots kind of thing. One, it doesn't cost a whole lot. Two, it is very manual right now as apposed to a marketing machine and record label putting all of their money behind it and saying "It's here" and everyone jumps on. The Indie guy has to really utilize the internet and web-based formats for promoting themselves and their music. What I really like about that is we have a more "direct connect" to people who are producing the record. It is creating a good sound base for me.

Scott: When you do shows, do you mostly do venues or bars or honky tonks? What kind of tour schedule do you have as well?

Mike: I play wherever they pay me. I play a lot of corporate events in Denver that are pretty nice places, where they book acts like Dolly Parton and I am also in the pubs. I kind of float to do whatever it takes to get the music out there. So if I get paid with pizza and beer verses getting paid two grand, I'll do it. But, I want to keep it on an Indie level, because I can keep complete control over myself. I don't have to put myself out there one hundred and fifty percent to make sure I have a gig, I can pick and choose because I am Indie and do what I need to do to keep my music out there.

Mike: When I was a kid, and I am going to date myself here, my dad had an eight track player and he had these compilations of Chet Akins, Boots Randolph, and Floyd Cramer.. Just the sound of that, I can still hear them and I really got influenced by that styling of Country Music. Of course, I like the old Patsy Cline and some Rockabilly, and I love the modern too, like George Strait. I really feel like the record we were talking about is sort of a flash back. You know, like we have heard that type of music before, by how I recorded it with the musicians. I used people like "Pig" Robbins, who is a legend. He played on George Jones' "The Grand Tour," he did some stuff with Roy Orbison way back. But, he played a lot like Floyd Cramer, which I grew up loving. I incorporated his styling into my music and it's enjoyable. It's modern, no one has heard it, but they get a feeling like they have heard it before.

Scott: You wrote pretty much all of the songs on this record, or did you write all of them?

Mike: I wrote every single one except one song. It is a waltz that I loved when from when I lived in Nashville as a staff writer from 1987-1994. There was a couple songs that I adored and would exploit for my opportunity to record them. The one song I didn't write is "The Way I Love You." My ex-publisher was on it and it is just a sweet, sweet waltz, and hey, you got to love a nice waltz. The twin fiddles an all, it works, and it fit right into what I was wanting to do. So yeah, I wrote eleven out of the twelve tracks.

Scott: Well they are all amazing, and it doesn't matter which one we mention, they are all great. One of my favorite ones is "Poor Lonely Me.."

Mike: So you liked that one? It was amazing. Joe Caberlie, who is on tour with Tracy Lawrence, came in and just knocked it right out. I am so thrilled.

Where do you see yourself in the near future? Where do you see yourself as an artist and your tour schedule being like?

Mike: I would like to be supporting this record and having it support me. I don't have to be rich. I don't want to do this for money. I want to do this for the joy of getting songs that have been stuck in my head all this time and get them put onto a record and record them the way I want to. And, if it gathers a life of its own then I will support it. I would love nothing more than to cash in on my music and my horses and if that is all I have to do, then I am the happiest person in the world.

Mike: I live on one. I have five acres of my own, but there are no buildings on it. I am kind of a ranch hand on a two thousand acre ranch in the mountains. It is heaven up there.

Scott: How does it feel to know that you have all of this freedom when it comes to music and your personal life. It sounds like you have the world.

Mike: Perception is the key right? If you think you are unhappy, you should figure out a way to make that change, so that you can wake up every day and be happy. My passions are horses and music and I have that. So, I have nothing to complain about.

Scott: Is there anything that you would like to tell those who are reading this?

Mike: Yes, check me out. My last name sounds funny, but it is really easy. If you google Mike Schikora, you will find my website and my Myspace page and see some of the competitions that I have been in with horses. I would love for people to check me out at CDBaby, Myspace, and Mike Schikora.Com.

Scott: Taz, why don't you tell fans a little bit about yourself and who you are.

Taz: Well, my name is Taz DeGregroio and I am from South West, Massachusetts. I left Massachusetts back in 1962 and spent some time in Florida. I have spent some time all over the country. Man when I went on the road, I went on the road. I went everywhere. I met Charlie Daniels back in 1964 in Florida at the Palomino Hotel down on Orange Blossom Trail, down in Orlando. This was before Disney or anything was there. There were only about three places to work, three clubs that is. They built a fourth club over by the air force base called "The Flame" and that's where I met Charlie Daniels. I didn't work for Charlie until "The Flame." I was an opening act for a band called "The Jaguars," which was Charlie's band. He had a guitar player that quit and he needed somebody to take his place. I was across the hall from him at the Palomino Club, so he came over and asked me if he could buy me lunch. He took me across the street and bought me some lunch and told me if I cut my hair and shaved my beard off, he would offer me a job. I took the job and we went out to Tulsa, Oklahoma. I've been on the road since 1962 and I have been with Charlie Daniels for 38 years. I have had bands of my own, but I have been with for 38 years. I have been on 47 albums with the Charlie Daniels Band. I have been credited and co-writer on some of the big songs like "Devil Went Down To Georgia" and have had songs of my own, one that was a world wide top ten hit called "Jitterbug."

Scott: What was it like to be apart of some of these songs that have literally been a huge part of history

Taz: Well back in those days we weren't jaded. We were just a bunch of guys who loved we we did and played original music. There were Southern Rock bands. Which we were one of the eight Souther Rock that made a dent in music and it was very exciting. We weren't jaded, there were no egos, we just loved what we did and enjoyed playing together and worked as a band. The first album that actually made a dent. It was "Devil Went Down TO Georgia." If you notice, everyone had a hand in writing it. We were trying to make a name for ourselves and we have done world tours and have done pretty well for ourselves. I love it and I love those guys.

Scott: Let's talk about some projects that you have coming up. One is called "Midnight In Savannah."

Taz: Yeah, "Midnight In Savannah" was recorded a few years ago and I recently just joined up with Renaissance Records out of Carefree, Arizona. This was released in November. The people on the record; Charlie is on the record, everyone on "Midnight In Savannah" has played with Charlie Daniels Band at some point or another, except for Bonnie Bramlet. It was a good album, my first album. "Lady In Red" was released on a CDB record, but it is a good record.

Scott: The thing about "Midnight In Savannah" and your other record "Shakerag" is simple, you just have a different sound. You are so unique in every shape and form. You are the real deal.

Taz: The people that know me with the Charlie Daniels Band, they hear something like "Shakerag," and they think "who are you?." (Laughing)

Scott: You have such a wide range on both albums. The difference between today and when you first started is that an album that cost fifteen dollars and you would get a full album of great songs. Now days they may get three or four good songs and that is if they are lucky. You have created an album that is full of great music from start to finish and that is something you don't get very often.

Taz: Well that is something I am real proud of. The first song does not sound like the second or third song.. They are all different. On "Midnight In Savannah," the song itself "Midnight In Savannah" is kind of like " WOW, What is that." On "Shakerag," the song itself is historical fact. If you listen to it about the flat footed shoes, it is what people wore. "Shakerag" is the black section of Tupelo. How I know this is there was documentary on Elvis Presley, and it has only been shown one time that I know of. In this documentary, it said when Elvis' mother and father lost the house outside of Tupelo. They had no place to go, so they moved to "Shakerag," to the black section of Tupelo, Mississippi. The most interesting fact about that is that, what does a white boy and his parents see in the black section of Tupelo, Mississippi in the 1940s see? They saw some of the greatest Gospel singers, the greatest Jazz musicians, the greatest Blues musicians this world's ever known. They all went through Tupelo since it was a big town. I read a book called "In The Land Where The Blues Began.." And in this book, there were a lot of historical fact about what things looked like and how people danced and what they looked like. It was written by Alan Lomax by the way, and his father did seventy years of field recording for the Library of Congress. There would be no music in the Library of Congress like Cowboy Music, Gospel Music, Country Music, Prison Songs, Bluegrass Music, there wouldn't be anything that we could go back and look at if it wasn't for these two people. They were father and son and in the forties, it might have been later than that, but he wrote "In The Land Where The Blues Began." If you read it, it will make you the hippest person in the world dude.. It will tell you, historically what the South was like. Anything that people like, Country, Bluegrass, Jazz, anything like that came from the South. It gives you an insight at what went on during the segregated era and it will give you an idea as to what came out of New Orleans. It shows you pictures and different and gives you an idea. Once I read it, it was like someone had hit me with a baseball bat.

Taz: When I was 13 or 14 years old I had every record Ray Charles ever made. In a way I did meet him, I didn't say my name but I knew who he was. I was 14 years old and he was playing in New London, Connecticut. It was in the day time when I got there and he was going to play. Back in those days everything had 2 or 3 thousand seats. I saw his tour bus pull up which was in 1958 so it was a festival flyer. I watched his original band get off the bus plus 6 or 7 more horn players. He had about 18 different pieces. I went back outside and saw a limo parked on the side of the festival flyer tour bus. I went up to it and there he was in the front seat. He was smoking a Kent cigarette and the ash was long and one of the "Rayettes" was sitting in the back seat. I just walked up to him, I didn't say anything and he said "Sir I'm really nervous right now. I just finished doing a show in Fall River, Massachusetts and there was a big riot. You know I'm black and it really scared me. I'm just trying to get myself together right now." Well that night the band came out and they started. Hank Crawford was leading the band, who was the Alto saxophonist for Misty by the way, he was a blues and jazz guy. He came out and just raised his hand and 18 pieces, it was like being right there in front of a tornado. I had never seen anything like it, I was only 14 years old. They played an instrumental and I thought "This is the greatest thing I have ever seen". It surpassed all the records. I had everything by B.B. King and Ray Charles. It surpassed everything in my imagination as a child or kid, being 14 years old, could even imagine what it sounded like. And then all of a sudden the audience went nuts. I was right by the edge of the stage, I was leaning on the stage. I had waited all day for this. Ray came out, he was up on a riser, and he was playing a C3 Hammond organ. The C, by the way, stands for church, and he sat down and he played Mary had a Little Lamb. He played a couple of other children's nursery rhymes. I couldn't believe he was doing this. Then all of sudden he went in 1 & 2 . It was like being in a church. Ray Charles was the closest thing to the church that we ever had. It was a big thing about black people saying "hey you are stealing all of our sacred songs" That's what Ray did, he just rewrote secular lyrics to the old church hymns. I saw him do "What I Say." It was riviting. Now where I was standing the "Rayetts" were right there. It was the first time I had actually been close enough to see a black woman. They were in gold dresses up to their knees and I was mesmerized. I had never seen or heard anything like this. It was like being in a church. That's what Ray was. It brought everyone together. Little did I know that I was seeing and being part of something, that was the beginning of breaking up segregation. It was the beginning of bringing together black and white people to hear music. This was done by James Brown, Little Richard, Otis Redding, all the acts of the 50's. These people broke the ice before the civil right's movement. I give these people credit to opening the door for the civil right's movement. This was the most spiritual thing I had ever experienced. To this day it stays with me. I can still see it and I still draw from it. That feeling, when I play, I still draw that feeling from when I was a kid of watching R & B artists, especially Ray.

Scott: About "Midnight In Savannah", you said it was out in November, where can fans get this.

Taz: I would tap into Renaissance Records out of Arizona or CharlieDaniels.com. or you can write to PO Box 38, Burns, TN 37029 and I will make sure you will get a copy.

Taz: I have a Myspace Website that fans can visit and e-mail me questions and I will be happy to answer any questions they want to know. Or you can find where the Charlie Daniels Band is playing and ask for me and I will come out and sign autographs or answer any questions.

Taz: One thing about touring, if people want to talk to you and they want you to sign an autograph it is your duty because they support you, they buy your records, they buy tickets to your concert. If they want to see you, you should go out there and meet them and shake their hand and give them a hug and say thank you.

Taz: Releasing all the songs I did, being on a record is just a way of drawing attention to the Charlie Daniels Band. We are a 38 year old band and if I can help it be 48 years old, then that's what I'm going to do. I owe a huge debt to Charlie himself. When I came into the band, I didn't really write because Charlie was already an accomplished writer, through his allowing me to have an avenue to learn my craft, to play in front of people and to polish what I did, and learn new techniques. This is my way of paying him back of 38 years of not missing one paycheck.

Taz: Mostly just keyboard. I can play a little guitar and drums, but my main thing is keyboards.

Taz: Thanks for the support through the years that you have given to the Charlie Daniels Band and Myself. Just thank you and God Bless you. And if you see the Charlie Daniels Band some place don’t be afraid to come and say “Hey where’s that Taz guy?” I’ll come out and say hi and shake your hand and say “How are you doing?”. Thank you and I appreciate it!

Scott: Tell everyone who you are as an artist and what Justin Trevino is all about.

Justin: I will try not to go too long on that. I grew up listening to all kinds of traditional Country Music, but what really grabbed my attention was the Texas Dance Hall variety Country Music. These were guys like the Ray Price shuffle. You had Ray Price and all of his alumni like Johnny Bush, Darrell McCall, and Johnny Paycheck in the early days. Faron Young did a lot of it in the early 60's and Mel Tillis did a bunch of it. It is driven by fiddles and steel guitars, where as someone like Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, and Hank Snow were more guitar driven. The Shuffle is a big part of what we do. Fortunately, I have had the privilege of playing bass for Johnny Bush and Darrell McCall. These were two of my big influences as a young kid, then to play with them in my early 20's was a dream come true. I no longer play bass for Johnny Bush, but I am producing a Johnny Bush album. What I try to do a an artist and a record producer is to preserve the music. It is kind of like the forgotten sub-genre.

Scott: Your albums have such a unique feel to them. When people listen to them, all they have to do is close their eyes and they feel like they are in 1960.

Justin: Well, I try, not only with my records, but with the records I make. That was my favorite sound. Without getting too snobbish about it, their is a sonic property that those records had back then that will never be recreated. We don't have the same players, the same studios, or the same engineers, but that is the sound that I shoot for when I am making a record.

Scott: Do you think that Country Music as we know it will still be around in 10 years.

Justin: You know, I almost wish you wouldn't have asked me that. Frankly, I worry a lot. I am 35 years old, and I would like to do this for another 35 more years. I fear that the day will come when people look upon Ray Price and the 1960's artists the way I look at the Carter Family and Jimmy Rodgers. I think the world of the Carter Family, but I can't sit and listen to them for hours on end. They are just too "old timey." The day is going to come when the music I cherish is going to be viewed like that. Today, you turn on the radio that plays classic Country and they say "Now here is a classic from Alabama."

Scott: The sad thing is, you call a radio station today, and ask for them to play a Jan Howard or Jean Shepard song, and they don't even have it.

Justin: No they don't have them. I can remember back as a kid, I guess it was 1979, I was very young, but I was very convicted. My dad was a hardcore Country fan. I grew up with a very strong opinion on what was Country and what was not. I guess it was 1978 or 1979, Justin Tubb recorded a song he had written called "What's Wrong With The Way We Are Doing It Now." It was basically a statement of the state of Country Music and his disapproval of where it was heading. I remember calling one of the radio stations in Austin. They didn't know of the song or him. They told me to call the AM station and the disc jockey said, "I know who he is, but we don't have any of his records." This was back in 1980.

Justin: I haven't. It is something I have always wanted to do. I have hosted the Midnite Jamboree more times than I can count, but I have always wanted to. The last time I was in Nashville, Sharon White asked me if I had ever been on the Opry, and I told her I had not. She said "Well you need to." A couple days later, Bill Anderson and I had virtually the same conversation. I would love to do it though.

Scott: You were a part of the new Country Family Reunion. What was it like sitting with all of those amazing people?

Justin: It was amazing. A good many of them that that were there I know well, and some I didn't know from Adam. It really was amazing though. I was sitting between Sharon White and Patti Paige. I will tell you an amusing story. I thought that where Patti Paige was sitting was where Jan Howard was going to be sitting. I know Jan pretty well. I was sitting there and the cameras weren't rolling yet. This lady comes over to me and taps me on the arm and asks "Are you Justin Trevino?" I said "Yes ma'am." Then I thought "Who is sitting in Jan's seat?" Then she said "I am Patti Paige." I thought "My God, I am sitting next to Patti Paige." It was truly remarkable. Any body who is not moved by being in the presence of greatness, there is something wrong with you. Sharon, not knowing me any better than she did, she really took it upon herself to help me keep with the program. They are some of the finest people in the business.

Scott: You latest album "Take One As Needed For Pain" is an interesting album. That song was co-written by Jeannie Seely correct?

Justin: Yes. I had recorded on my "Traveling Singing Man" album a song called "Leaving And Saying Goodbye." This was a song she had written and Faron Young recorded back in 1971. She had actually, at the incistants of Eddie Stubbs, written a second verse to it in order to make it more current. Originally, it was one verse and the chorus repeated itself twice. When I recorded it, I recorded it along with the new verse. She and I never talked about it, but one evening, we were in her dressing room and she said "I have another song you need to record." I thought "Well I guess she is paying attention." She told me about "We Don't." I told her to send it to me and I would record it. She also told me about another one, but couldn't remember enough to sing it to me. She told me the set up, so I could figure it out. She told me she would send them to me. She brought me the copy of "We Don't" at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. She sent me "Take One As Needed For Pain" in the mail. It was Jack Greene singing the demo and I could tell it had been recorded in the late 70's or early 80's. It was real short, but I loved the idea. I thought "Well this needs another verse." My initial idea was to just write another verse, so I did. Then I started second guessing myself as I am prone to do, because I have such an admiration for these artists, Seely especially as a songwriter. I thought "Well who the hell am I to be writing another verse to her song?" I even talked to a couple people who knows Seely pretty well what they would do. They said "You don't want to offend her by suggesting the song wasn't finished and that I may just want to let it go. I didn't want to record it as short as it was, but I didn't have the nerve to ask her to write another verse. I had just about decided to let it go when she called me. She was calling me to tell me how much she liked the version of "We Don't." I was doing everything in my power to avoid the subject of this song. Just about the time I thought I was out of the woods, she said "Oh, by the way, did you get the other song?" I said "Yes ma'am, I did." She said "Well what did you think of it?" I thought, "Well Justin, what are you going to do?" I said, "Well let me ask you a question. Would you be apposed to me writing an extra line and changing a verse?" She said "No, not at all." I told her I already had a verse. I was so nervous, and I didn't have it down on paper or on recording, it was all in my head. I sang it to her, and the one thing I love about Seely is she shoots straight. She said "There is one line that I would like changed because you are saying something that has already been said." This is when it truly became a collaborative effort.

Scott: Is there anything you would like to tell your fans who may be reading this today?

Scott: Why don't you tell people who might be reading this today a little bit about yourself, and what it is that you have done in the past to get you to where you are today.

Charlie: I worked really hard for a lot of years trying to make it in the music industry. I have had a lot of record deals and people who have promised a lot of things that never happened, but I kept reaching for the stars, doing the best I could and trusting in people. Now, through all the years, it came true and we broke through the ice.

Charlie: I am on River Run Records and I own it with my girlfriend, Diane Delena. People told us that we weren't going to do good, and that is something you don't want to tell us.

Scott: By owning it, do you have full freedom to make the music you want to make now?

Charlie: I always had people telling me what I could record or threw in songs that I felt wasn't that great. Now, we own the record company, and we have people working with us and we work together. If I feel something is good, we run with it. We feel really good about what we have done so far, but we have a lot more we want to do and it is a lot of hard work.

Scott: You co-write a lot of songs. One song that got me off of your album was "You Can't Take Him Out Of Me." What inspired that song to come about?

Charlie: Well, Diane was watching the news and she said "come in here, I want you to see this." They were talking about taking God off of the dollar bill and schools and bibles out of hotels. So I just came up with a title called "You Can Take God Out Everything, But You Can't Take Him Out Of Me." That’s when it all came about. I was on fire. I ended up writing it with Brian White and Steve Dean. I didn't write this song thinking it would go on record, and then everyone heard it and started saying that I needed to put it out as a single. After I listened to the track and listened to what we wrote, I realized it was a great song. This is America. We can't let people push us around.

Scott: Your new single is "Why Ask Why." What would you like to tell anybody to turn them on to this "killer" single?

Charlie: I wrote this song about "taking the bull by the horns.” I think people need to go out and enjoy life. There are things that we need to be cautious about, but other times we need to jump in. You can fall in love and not even know it. That's what happened to me and Diane.

Charlie: We are on radio tour and some Wal-Mart tours. We are getting a lot of great reviews. You know as well as I do that it is all about who hears your music.

Scott: You come from quite a musical background. Your mother is a member of the Bristol Music Hall of Fame. What kind of influence has she had on your music and life?

Charlie: I used to sit around and listen to her sing Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and Dottie West. She then started working shows with Faron Young. I picked up pretty fast and I really loved what she was doing. She said one day "Son, you want to practice?" I said "yes," so she got me a broom stick or mop and she made me a mic. My first show was with Hank Williams Jr. in Texas.

Charlie: It was something I really can't explain because I was scared to death. It was my first show and there were 3 or 4 thousand people. After that, I was fine though.

Charlie: I would have to say it was Charley Pride. He asked me "Son, how long have you been out here with us?" I told him "about a year." He said "Well, don't you think you should go on home and be a boy?" Sure enough he told my dad that "I had had enough and needed to be a kid and get him ready for the next year."

Charlie: I Haven't. I thought that I had as a kid, but it turned out that I didn't. I can't remember where that was at. I would have been about 7 years old at the time though.

Scott: What would you feel like if they called you and said "Charlie, we have an empty slot and would like for you to fill it?”

Charlie: I would love to fill those shoes. I would put everything I had into it.

Shawna: Well I am a native Okie. and I have lived in Oklahoma all of my life. My dad was a coach, but he always played music. I think he started playing music when he was 13, so I have just always been around it. My uncles always played music as well. I grew up singing. I started when I was 7, and my dad and I put together a band when I was 13, and started traveling. As soon as I graduated high school, we started performing for my uncles’ band. After this we decided to do it full time. Music has always been a huge part of my life and now I finally have this album to share with the fans.

Scott: What was the journey like getting to the album? Have there been any major ups or downs that made it more special?

Shawna: I have had a few record labels that have courted me over the years. That is always a high when you think something is going to come through, but it is always a low when something falls through. It has been a long time coming. When you go through so many things like traveling and performing and R.V.'s breaking down, it is always great to see it through to the end. Scott: The album that you have released is called "Goddess," and your first single on it titled "Wheels." How did this song come about?

Scott: The album that you have released is called "Goddess," and your first single on it titled "Should've Been Born with Wheels." How did this song come about?

Shawna: It was actually written by my uncle and he came up with that line. He was telling someone about how much we travel and how we should have been born with wheels. It really fits my life. It is a song telling the fans about my life as a musician. I don't mind traveling because I know I am going to be bringing music to the fans.

Shawna: I do. I play acoustic guitar in the band and I have occasionally dabbled around with playing the saxophone. I played it a little when I was in high school.

Scott: Another song that grabbed my attention was "Cemetery Hill." How did this song come about?

Shawna: It was a song that we all had just been talking about and exploring the idea. My uncle would talk about how when he was younger, people would go out there to party because no one was out there. Then we got to talking about what goes on there during the day. We brought it full circle though. It doesn't matter how much money you have, we are all going to end up in the same place.

Shawna: I have. I got to perform on the Hard Rock stage. It was a great experience and I think I made some new fans.

Scott: Another interesting song off of your album is called "Fire In The Desert." What would you like to tell fans about it?

Shawna: Yes, I love "Fire In The Desert." As you can tell, a lot of my songs have a classic rock type of influence. We call that the "California Country-Rock" sound. We actually did that one backwards. My dad would come up with the music and then we would write the lyrics around the melody.

Shawna: Well I have my website ShawnaRussell.Com and then I have a Myspace Page and it is ShawnaRussell878 and they can also get my music on ITunes, CDBaby and on my website.

Jimmy Fortune Interview

Scott: First of all, congratulations on being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Jimmy: Thank you Scott, I appreciate that. I don't think I will ever get over that.

Jimmy: Well, actually Harold called me. He asked "Are you sitting down?" So, I sat down and he proceeded to tell me that we had been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was so excited, and I could hear it in his voice. I was actually numb for a while. It's not something that you plan on, it's just something that happens in your life that you have no control over that comes from the good Lord above. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Scott: You've performed at the Grand Ole Opry a lot and I know there is no comparison in that and becoming a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, but what has that meant to you as well to perform on it regularly?

Jimmy: The Opry is always a special place. If you have just stepped on the stage, there is a spirit and presence on the stage that you can't explain. The people that have been there and the artists who have been there for years, it gives you goose bumps to know where you're going and where you've been.

Scott: There are a lot of stars that perform on the Opry and they get nervous every time they appear on the Opry. Do you still get nervous?

Jimmy: Yes. I get nervous anyway, but when I am there I get extra nervous. It's like singing in church. You have to do a good job and be on top of your game. It's just a place you want to go and do your best and you want to be there. It's the pentacle of any place you will ever perform. It's just an awesome place.

Jimmy: I was 26 years old. It was January 1982. I was with them for 21 years and we retired in October of 2002. I remember the first one and the last one like it was yesterday. I felt the same way the first show as I did the last. I stood there looking at them, remembering all the people we met and everything went through my mind like a flash. I couldn't believe it was our last concert, the same as I couldn't believe it was our first concert. You wouldn't think 21 years would go by so fast, but it did. They were at the top of their game when I entered the group and we just kept going from there.

Scott: Were you ready to retire and start to do your own thing or were you ready for another 21 years with The Statler Brothers?

Jimmy: It was actually a surprise to me. They called us in about 8 months and told us that it was our last tour. I figured we had about 5 more years left though. It was a scary thing to think that I would be onstage by myself. I decided that there was no way I could accomplish what we had done as a group, so I figured I would pick up where I had left off, which was singing and playing clubs. I don't do too much of that now, but it was scary to be up there by myself again. I had 3 pretty good crutches to lean on. My first solo album "One Door Closes" was how I looked at it. That's how I looked at my life. One door was closing, but another one was opening.

Scott: When your new album comes out, will it be Country, Gospel, or a little bit of everything?

Jimmy: It will be a little bit of everything. I am pretty sure it will be all new material. I have plans in the future of doing an all classic Country album and well as a classic Rock album of the 50's and 60's, and maybe even a duet album. There are a lot of great things going on, and I just have to find the time to do it all.

Scott: You were apart of the "Country Family Reunion: Nashville." This was a big deal for a lot of people, where the stars all got together. During the DVD, T.G. Sheppard mentioned a song that you had written and wanted you to sing it. By the time you were done, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. What was the name of that song and will it be on your next album?

Jimmy: That song will be on my new album and it's titled "On The Other Side." It came about because of a dream that I had about my father. I had a songwriter's appointment the next day and my father passed away in 1994. On a couple of occasions I have dreamed about it. These dreams affect me in such a big way, I can feel his presence. In just a few minutes, we had written the song. It's so simple, but so powerful. It's like God lets us have little glimpses of heaven in our dreams. So, I was really shocked when T.G. Sheppard wanted me to sing it on the spot. So, I got up and sang the song. I closed my eyes and let myself go and I think everyone was really moved.

Scott: There are a bunch of new groups coming out in Country Music. There is actually a group that I ran across that has a connection to you and that is the group Grandstaff. With them included in this question, how do you see Country Music in the next 5 to 10 years?

Jimmy: I think Country Music is going to continue to change. Nothing can stay the same. I think there will be people coming out of different groups and solo acts. It's hard to find the Elvis Presley's, Johnny Cash's and Roy Orbison's. It's hard to find those types of people right now. Now, it is so open, you have Itunes, YouTube and all those different ways to get music out there. I think Country Music has a great future as long as we don't get too "cookie cutter." I think people are going to get behind the reigns and take different avenues to hear music. I feel that Country Music is in good hands, so we need to set back and see what happens. There is a lot of great talent out there. Wil and Langdon, the boys from Grandstaff are really starting to push their music and get heard. I really hope they get out there and get heard.

Jimmy: They are everything to me. They are my life's blood and the reason I do what I do. The Statler Brothers had some of the greatest fans in the world and I have gotten to bring some of them with me. I couldn't do it without them.

Following your dreams is something we all try to do, but actually going all the way is a totally different story. Country Music newcomer, Fisher Stevenson has done just that. From a troubled childhood and a fan of hardcore Rock and Roll and Punk music, Fisher had never really listened to country music and never related to it. This all changed when he was given a pair of Rodney Crowell tickets one night. He learned just how powerful Country entertainers are. After becoming a fan of Rodney's, Fisher expanded his ears and became a fan of Dwight Yoakam and then The Mavericks.

Fisher made his way to California and after the record deal his band "Big Blue Hearts" landed, fell through, they headed south to Texas. After this period fizzled out, he went to Nashville as a songwriter. Once he got to Music City, Fisher learned the ropes and is now releasing his first single "No Tomorrow Here Tonight." It's making great progress on the charts, and turning heads all the time.

This tune is simply about two people who are together for the night. One night stands have always been a part of country music, but this song will have it pouring out of your speakers. When people are going through a rough spot, finding a companion for the night seems to make things a little easier. For these two characters, "there is no such thing as time." This is a great song that people are bound to love. Everyone needs to be on the watch for Fisher Stevenson and listen up for "No Tomorrow Here Tonight."

One of the greatest things about Nashville is that no matter where you go, you can hear great country music. It can be heard in the nicest bars and the smallest dives, but you'll hear it. One of the best acts that I have ever heard is a young man who takes great pride in his songwriting and shows. I saw him performing in a little diner off of Music Valley Drive by the Ernest Tubb Record Shop called Rudy's Country Music Cafe. Gary was on the little stage jamming with the owner, Diane Berry, and it was obvious that they were having fun.

As he was sitting onstage, someone bought his CD and right away he got excited saying "I just sold by hundredth copy and it's officially plywood." It's great to see this kind of humor from a struggling artist. Once you listen to this awesome, eight-song album, it will become clear that he deserves so much more out of music row. "Country" is the only way you can describe Gary. His voice, style and stories all reflect his life, interest and dreams. Gary Gibson's self-titled CD was produced by himself, Matt Lindsey and Dave Lindsey. The first track is "Little Bitty Red Headed Redneck Girl." This is a catchy little tune and a fan favorite at Rudy's. The girls eat it up and so does Gary.

Most people in Country Music refer to Vern Gosden as "The Voice." There is no denying his amazing voice and way with words. Well, Gary captured that same feeling when he recorded one of Vern's most popular songs, "I Can Tell By The Way You Dance." "Merle Haggard And Me" is another great Country tune that everyone should hear. Gary co-wrote this song and it's obvious the love and respect he has for the "Hag." Gary teamed up with another "up and comer," Stacy Scruggs on a remake of "Jackson." When you hear this tune, you can tell they had a lot of fun recording it. They may not be Johnny and June, but they give it everything they have and I'm sure everyone will like it.

The song that had be hooked on this album is "I've Had All Of Nashville I Can Stand." It was written by Gary Gibson, Seth Hopkins and Stacy Scruggs. With everything going on in Country Music, people think it's better now than it ever was, but that's not the case. Some industry folks and people that are involved in one way or another think that Nashville is spiraling out of control and will be gone if someone doesn't step up to the plate and try to help. That's exactly what this song is about. Who would have ever thought Stonewall Jackson would have to sue the Grand Ole Opry just so he could perform on the stage that he has supported for so many years. It seems the only way to be heard anymore is if you are young, blonde and less than a hundred pounds. In Rock and Roll, the legends are embraced and if you are asked to go on tour with them, it's an honor. Well, not in Country Music. All of the power has been placed into a select few, who could care less about anything other than money. Well, Gary Gibson makes sure and lets everyone know he's disgusted and tired of it. Unfortunately, more people have not stood up to the plate to voice their opinion. This truly is a Country album and everyone needs to hear it. Check out Gary's Myspace page at WWW.Myspace.Com/GaryGibson1 and you too will be able to get this record. Support your independent and struggling artists. They usually make the best record with the most heart.

Track List

"All I ever wanted to do was sing." Janie Fricke has gone from Indiana farm girl to internationally acclaimed recording artist throughout her career. She was born in South Whitley, Indiana, and raised on a 400-acre farm where her father taught her how to play guitar. From county fairs to corporate trade shows, live concerts, in recording studios, or before millions on television, Fricke's individual sound and performance personality has captivated audiences around the world. Fricke began her career singing in a "little church up the road" where her mother played piano. She sang at local coffeehouses, high school events, as well as her way through college where she obtained her degree from Indiana University in elementary education.

Fricke then chose a musical career, working in Memphis, Dallas and Los Angeles. There, as one of the marketing industry's most successful jingle singers, her voice became known to millions as the voice for such advertising giants as United Airlines, Coca-Cola, 7-Up, and Red Lobster.

Her voice led her to singing sessions for Country artists such as Loretta Lynn, Eddie Rabbitt, Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, Mel Tillis, Johnny Duncan and others. She has also been given the privilege to sing on albums for Charlie Rich and Elvis Presley, after their deaths. It was a line in Johnny Duncan's single, Stranger that ultimately gained the most attention for Fricke. When it hit the top of the charts in 1977, fans wanted to know who sang the line, "Shut out the light and lead me..." The music industry took notice as her voice was heard on duets with Merle Haggard, Moe Bandy and others, leading her to her first major recording contract. Fricke soon began to dominate the country charts with smash hits such as Don't Worry ' Bout Me Baby, He’s A Heartache and You’re Heart’s Not In It. It was only a matter of time before she started winning awards. Included among them are: Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year, Music City News Female Vocalist of the Year, "Billboard" Top Country Female Vocalist, "Cash Bed' Top Country Female Vocalist, Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist of the Year, British-based Country Music Round Up Most Popular International Female Solo Act, and she was chosen to the Country Music Hall of Fame Walkway of Stars. Twice she has been nominated for the coveted (Grammy Award, once for her It Ain't Easy Being Easy In her recording career, Janie has released 23 albums and 36 hit singles. When she relaxes she spends time with her Husband Jeff and her animals. She attends church near her home. Remembering from childhood the importance of her confirmation. Thankful for her blessings, Janie feels these values have helped her become the woman she is today. From an Indiana farm girl to an internationally acclaimed recording artist, she has never lost the pure heart and love of music that launched her career. And today, Janie Fricke sings on..

Joe Logan Diffie was born and raised in Oklahoma, where he was immersed in music from a young age. His first public performance came in his aunt's country band when he was only four.

It was songwriting that lured Joe to Nashville after his song Love On The Rocks was recorded by Hank Thompson.

Diffie found work in the Nashville-area Gibson guitar plant and soon established himself as one of Music Row's top demo singers. "When I first came to Nashville I sang a lot of demo recordings--songs that would be pitched to other artists," he explains. "I had worked in a foundry in Oklahoma , and singing for a living seemed like a piece of heaven. I took it very seriously, making sure I told each song's story the way I thought the songwriter intended.

"I'd written a few songs that had been recorded," he continues. "Holly Dunn recorded my song, There Goes My Heart Again, and when I heard her version it confirmed that her interpretation of my lyrics was what made it a hit. So I've always learned the 'story' before I sing the song."

That innate sense of phrase and meaning, that relentless attention to detail, served Diffie well as he made the transition from demo singer to major label recording artist.

His first hits including Home, If You Want Me To, If The Devil Danced In Empty Pockets, and New Way To Light Up An Old Flame established Diffie as, arguably, country music's foremost balladeer or as Vern Gosdin, according to The News-Times, said, “the man with the golden voice.”

Home at number one became the first single in history to top the country music charts of Billboard , Radio & Records , and Gavin Report simultaneously. According to imusic.com, Joe was also the “first country singer to be accorded a #1 hit his first time at bat” with “Home”.

As his career progressed, Joe began flashing a more playful side on up-tempo smashes like John Deere Green , Third Rock From The Sun , Bigger Than The Beatles and Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox (If I Die).

He was inducted into the Nashville 's legendary Grand Ole Opry and nominated for CMA Male Vocalist of the Year and for a CMA for his duet with Mary-Chapin Carpenter on “Not Too Much To Ask” which Joe wrote. Over the course of the nineties, Joe's steady radio success helped notch his belt with 12 #1 Hits, over 20 Top 10 Chart Hits, two platinum albums and two gold albums. Along the way Joe also picked up a CMA for Vocal Event of the Year with George Jones on I Don't Need Your Rocking Chair and a Grammy for Same Old Train.

Joe also founded the First Steps concert and golf tournament – an annual event which raises money for disabled children –in honor of his son Tyler. As a surprise the Country Music Broadcasters honored Joe with the Humanitarian of the Year award.

Along with singing a good country song, Joe is also a successful songwriter having most recently collaborated on Jo Dee Messina's smash hit My Give A Damn's Busted . Other famous songs of Joe's include Tim McGraw's Memory Lane , Doug Stone's Burning Down The Town , Tracy Lawrence's I Got A Feeling , Conway Twitty's I'm The Only Thing I'll Hold Against You, and more.

Joe's recent album Tougher Than Nails was co-produced with Lonnie Wilson and Buddy Cannon. George Jones, with whom Diffie won a 1993 CMA Award, voices a duet with Diffie on What Would Waylon Do? "This album shows more of me-the way I was raised, where I am in life, how I approach things--than anything else I've recorded," Diffie says.

Currently on the Rockin' Roadhouse Tour with Aaron Tippin and Mark Chestnut, Joe plans to begin shows in Branson, Missouri on September 6, 2008, at the Yakov Smirnoff Theatre. Fans will be able to see Joe along with friends, family, and comedian Paul Harris at 8:00 PM, Tuesday through

Born in the heart of downtown Nashville just blocks from Music Row Stacy Scruggs was raised with a firm understanding of the rich heritage of country music. She grew up in west Nashville on the banks of the Harpeth River where she lived until her mother remarried and the family relocated to Alton, IL, A small town on the Mississippi river where her stepfather worked as a riverboat engineer.

“The river, and the music that accompanied it, always seemed to be an underlying current in my life. Nothing was polished. Everything was raw and very real. You could feel and relate to the music in a way that is rare today. I was exposed to Vern Gosdin, Gene Watson and George Jones when all my friends were listening to Bon Jovi and Ozzy. I loved the “beer soaked tear soaked songs” and the sadder the better. They all thought I was crazy”

Which is why when Stacy sings there is an undeniable traditional sound that comes directly from the influences of artist like Tammy Wynette, Connie Smith and Loretta Lynn.

After graduating from high school she returned to Tennessee to build a life and pursue a career in the music business. But, like it always does, life happens and the music was put on the back burner for a while. Now a full time mother and a supervisor at The Country Music Hall of Fame Stacy devotes every second she can to carrying the torch for the traditional country sound that made Nashville what it is today.

For the last few years she has been a staple at local clubs in Nashville like The Stage and Legends Corner, singing demos and making the rounds at the writers nights trying to learn the ins and outs of the music business. She has recently hit the road as an opening act and headlining her own shows.

“I have been so lucky that I have had the opportunity to work with so many talented musicians in my band over the last few years. Knowing that they have been on the road with artist such as Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard keeps the bar set high. I truly feel honored to have them with me. My band has been a tremendous support and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. For me it’s about the whole package. After my children, performing is the most important thing to me. I would love to sign with a major label some day but as long as I have the opportunity to perform the traditional country music that I love so much I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Chesnutt got his start in the honky-tonks of Beaumont, Texas, learning from his father, Bob Chesnutt, a singer, record collector and major fan of classic country music. Playing alongside his dad, Mark embraced his father’s influence one set at a time and to begin making a name for himself.

Mark sang covers by Lefty, Merle, George and Waylon to develop his
unmatched crowd-pleasing rapport and his authentic country style.

Bob Chesnutt often traveled to Nashville to record and to broaden his exposure. He began taking Mark along to record when he was just 17. After nearly a decade of recording on regional labels, word got out about this young country vocalist. Music Row executives came to hear Mark on his own Texas turf and recognized the depth of Mark Chesnutt’s raw talent. In 1989, he was signed to MCA Nashville and his list of accolades tells the rest of his story. With the release of his first single “Too Cold At Home,” Mark established himself as one of country’s most authentic and talented vocalists. He won the CMA Horizon Award attracting the attention of country legend [and Mark’s greatest mentor] George Jones who introduced him as “A boy from Beaumont, Texas who is the real deal.” That recognition and initial success opened the door to offer Mark his chance of a lifetime, to do what he loved most—sing country music for country fans; this time, on a national level. “The first couple years it was non-stop.” Mark says. “I can remember one time during a tour, I didn’t step foot on the front porch for ten months, with exception of a day or a day-and-a-half, then, it was right back out again.”

Mark’s dedication paid off. He developed a true blue fan base. Fans, he confides, “are the reason for my success.” His fans helped his records to climb the charts one right after the other making him one of Billboard’s Ten Most-Played Radio Artists of the ‘90’s. Mark’s singles were some the decade’s most memorable; from the fun tempo “Bubba Shot The Jukebox” to emotional ballad “I’ll Think Of Something.” Mark is easily identified for his string of hits including “Brother Jukebox,” “Blame It On Texas,” “Old Flames Have New Names,” “Old Country,” “It Sure Is Monday,” “Almost Goodbye,” “I Just Wanted You To Know,” “Going Through The Big D,” “It’s A Little Too Late,” “Gonna Get A Life,” and one of his biggest, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing;” a song that held its position at the top of the charts for four consecutive weeks.

Of all the recorded highlights Chesnutt has enjoyed, they take a back seat to his first love; Mark Chesnutt lives to perform on stage. “I just make records because I want people to come see my show,” he says with a grin. “Recording music for folks to just listen to music is great,” he says, “but I’ve got to be out there on stage making it.” Fans who have seen him perform agree. Known as one of the industry’s hardest-working concert performers, maintaining a hefty tour schedule and steady presence in front of his fans, Mark’s dedication to deliver live music is unsurpassed. Mark has been on the road since 1990. Whether you hear Mark Chesnutt with a new release on the radio, or see his face on the cover of a new CD, folks can always find Mark doing what he was born to do, playing. “The clubs and honky tonks are home for me; it’s comfortable and I’m always with friends,” says Chesnutt.

Married since 1992, Mark and Tracie Chesnutt are the loving parents of three boys, Waylon, Casey and Cameron.

Close your eyes. Lean back and relax. That warm, soothing, mellow voice that whisks you away to a happier time belongs to none other than the incomparable Jack Greene. As one of country music's most enduring and best-loved stars, Jack has thrilled millions over a career that has spanned over 4 decades. His unforgettable hits include "Statue of a Fool," "There Goes My Everything," and "All the Time," all of which have been immortalized by enthusiastic fans who demand to hear them wherever he plays.

Having toured as a drummer in the Texas Troubadour band for the legendary Ernest Tubb, Jack could scarcely have imagined the incredible success he was to achieve as a solo performer. However, E.T. could see the dynamic potential in his protege, and actively encouraged him to strike out on his own. The rest is the stuff of history. The pinnacle of his success came during the 1967 CMA awards, where he swept every major prize including Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Song of the Year for "There Goes My Everything." The enduring popularity of that song is reflected in the fact that it has been recorded no less than 111 times, in 14 languages. Due to Jack's immense popularity, he was later inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry and to this day, remains a regular on the weekly Saturday night programs that have become a tradition for country music lovers everywhere.

Jack's accomplishments have been legion, and his notoriety has spread across the globe. A multiple Grammy award nominee, he was also recognized by Billboard Magazine as one of the Top 100 "Most Played Artists" over the last 40 years. His string of nine #1 hits was complemented by two #1-selling albums, one of which stayed at the top of the charts for a full year! Among his other accolades was enshrinement into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989, and receipt of the "Living Legend" award at the Major Independent Record Label awards show. The magnitude of Jack's success, and the manner in which his music has been embraced by his fans, was perhaps best captured in an Associated Press article characterizing him as "the Garth Brooks of his era."

The love of performing and the seemingly insatiable appetite for his music among his loyal fans, has prompted Jack to continue what he loves to do most. A true ambassador of country music, he is the consummate entertainer, always ready with an autograph, a warm smile, and an uplifting tune. One of his most recent projects was to collaborate on the "Opry Legends Collection," which consists of a series of albums featuring various stars of the Opry. Whether in the recording studio, or on a stage in front of his legions of fans, Jack Greene will always be known as the Gentlemen of Country Music.

Leroy Van Dyke, of "Auctioneer" and "Walk On By" fame, star of the movie, "What Am I Bid?" is known around the world as an entertainer, recording artist, radio and television star, actor, auctioneer and veteran of the Nevada circuit. He has recorded over 500 songs, and probably holds the record for most repeat-performance bookings of any working, name country music entertainer. He has worked 40 to 70 fairs and livestock events per year for over five decades, in addition to a great variety of other engagements.

He was born on a farm (not in a hospital) in rural Pettis County, Missouri, without the amenities of running water and electricity. Elementary schooling was in one-room country schools, then to high school at Sedalia, where he ranked third in a class of 180 graduates.

Leroy is a graduate of the University of Missouri with a dual major: Animal Husbandry and Journalism, with a minor in Speech. He received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, did one semester of graduate work, and was a member of both the junior and senior University of Missouri intercollegiate livestock judging teams.

After serving as a special agent, U. S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps, in Korea, Leroy was catapulted into show business while working as a journalist, when his self-penned "Auctioneer" recording went a million-plus just weeks after its release. He then joined Red Foley's ABC-TV Network "Ozark Jubilee" in Springfield, Missouri, as a regular member, and continued in that position for three years until the show left the air.

He again had a multi-million seller with "Walk On By," a record that stayed in the charts an incredible 42 weeks, nineteen in the number one position, and was later named by Billboard Magazine as the biggest country music record in history! Leroy then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and became a regular member of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry.

Music industry experts named Leroy Van Dyke as the Country Music Entertainer of the Decade for the 1960s. He had the starring role in the 1967 movie "What Am I Bid?."

Leroy was a founding co-host of "Country Crossroads," the most widely syndicated show in radio history; he hosted his own syndicated television series, "The Leroy Van Dyke Show;" he hosted the 1965 Country Music Association Awards Show at which Ernest Tubb was inducted into the Hall of Fame; he was the first entertainer to receive the prestigious Country Music Association Founding President's Award for contributing to the advancement and improved image of country music; he served on the board of directors of the Country Music Association. .

He was selected by the Country Music Association to represent it in showcase situations at the Waldorf in New York, The Monteleone in New Orleans, The Edgewater Beach and the Conrad Hilton in Chicago, The Ambassador in Los Angeles and numerous Country Music Association functions in Nashville.

Van Dyke is considered by industry moguls and by his peers to be the entertainer who put professionalism in country music. He was the first to blaze a trail and take a staged, produced, choreographed, self-contained country music show to the "Strip" in Las Vegas. He was the first to take country music to Bourbon Street in New Orleans' famed French Quarter. He was the only country music performer ever to open a show for Marilyn Monroe.

Leroy is a 2001 inductee into the North American Country Music Association, International Hall of Fame

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After more than four decades as an entertainer, Leroy still travels in excess of a hundred thousand performing miles yearly around the world . . . he performs in all facets of show business including fairs, festivals, concerts, rodeos, supper clubs, conventions, radio, television, recordings, the Nevada circuit, livestock events, agricultural shows and private functions.

He has not missed a performance in over four decades as an entertainer.

On a personal note, should you ask, Leroy will tell you that there are only four things he ever wanted to do: sing, sell, write, and raise livestock. He is living his dream. His name is a household word in country music circles around the world. He is an auctioneering Hall of Fame member. He was a successful journalist, and is the author of "Auctioneering, Motivation, Success," a work that is rapidly becoming the textbook of the auction profession. His Arabian mules are developing a reputation from New England to California and from Canada to the Deep South.

Call Gladys
1.800.316.1236
Email gvandyke@iland.net
Leroy Van Dyke Enterprises
29000 Highway V
Smithton, MO 65350
660-343-5373
FAX 660-343-5292

Many have dubbed Vince the un-official ambassador of country music. This isn't his official title, of course, but it's the role he occupies whether he's picking bluegrass with his boyhood heroes backstage at the Grand Ole Opry or trading jazz licks with the house band on The Late Show with David Letterman. Gill's prodigious talent, legendary compassion and quick wit have made him the face that country music likes to show the world.

Vincent Grant Gill was born April 12, 1957, in Norman, Oklahoma, the son of a federal judge and a homemaker. By the time he was in high school, he had become proficient on the banjo and guitar and was playing in his first bluegrass band. After graduation, he turned professional, working with such acts as the Bluegrass Alliance, Boone Creek, Sundance and, most famously, Pure Prairie League. For a time, Gill also toured with Rodney Crowell's high-octane backup band, the Cherry Bombs. In 1983, he signed to RCA Records, where he scored his first solo country hits, among them Oklahoma Borderline and Cinderella.

Gill moved to MCA Records in 1989. The following year, he achieved his big breakthrough with his When I Call Your Name, which won the Country Music Association's Single of the Year award. Since then, he has won 17 more CMA honors, including Entertainer of the Year twice and Song of the Year four times. To date, Gill has earned more CMA trophies than anyone else in history. He hosted the nationally televised CMA awards show from 1992 - 2003.

Since 1990, Gill has walked away with 18 Grammy awards. In 1991, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and remains one of that revered radio show's most active members. As a recording artist, Gill has racked up sales in excess of 22 million. His high, pure tenor voice and unerring sense of harmony have made him a favorite duet recording partner for dozens of fellow artists from Ralph Stanley to Barbra Streisand.

Active in a wide array of charities, one of Gill's causes is the annual The Vinny pro-celebrity golf tournament, which he established in 1993 to raise money for the Junior Golf program.

Gill's recent projects included reuniting with the legendary Notorious Cherry Bombs, the group of famed musicians Gill played with in the late 1970s. The group released a critically-acclaimed album in 2004. Gill co-produced wife Amy Grant's second hymns project, Rock Of Ages . . . Hymns & Faith, which was awarded a Grammy for Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album.

Thom Bresh is a multi-faceted entertainer. A singer, songwriter, recording artist, impressionist, and instrumentalist with an eventful career stemming from the tender age of three. He is the son of legendary Hall of Fame guitar great Merle Travis, and can recreate that famous Travis style with an incredible Bresh twist.

When touring, Thom travels with some of his array of guitars including his signature handcrafted Dualette, (the famous two-sided guitar that he refers to as My Band), a custom signature Plummer" attached to a synthesizer creating incredible instrument replications, (such as a horn section, piano, and strings), and his "Unity Special" 18 inch archtop, (a state of the art version of Merle Travis' famous Gibson Super 400 Special). You may also catch the Breshman with one of his signature Bresh Spirits.

Thom and extraordinary guitar pickin' have become one... globally. In New Zealand, Bresh's audiences come to see "The yank with the 2 sided guitar." Thom Bresh is hailed throughout France for his captivating sound and memorable stage presence. He also carries the coveted title of "Wine Lord" by both the World Wine Counsel in Bordeaux, France and Patrimonio, Corsica. In Europe he has performed with entertainment greats like Marcel Dadi, Frances Cabrel and Albert Lee. In his vast career, he has shared audiences with everyone from Bob Hope to Gordon Lightfoot.

He guest starred with Chet Atkins and Steve Wariner on the TNN special "A Salute to the Country Greats." He has hosted his own successful weekly television variety show called "Nashville Swing," and was a regular on Dinah! and the Merv Griffin Show.

Thom Bresh "the Producer" is in demand among the music industry's guitarists. Classical guitarist "Valerie Duchateau" made the long journey from France just to be produced by Bresh. He has also produced country guitar great, Jerry Reed. As a Producer, he received Grammy nominations for the Merle Travis album, "Travis Pickin," his instrumental CD, “Wires to the Wood” and an Academy Award nomination for "Over You," theme song from the movie Tender Mercies, in addition to producing six of his own CDs. His CD "Son of a Guitar Pickin' Man" brought him much acclaim from magazines such as "Guitar Player," to Britain's "Now Dig This." Thom‚s latest CD, "Guts & Steel", is a duet CD with the extraordinary fingerpicker, Buster B. Jones. It was released on Solid Air Records.

Music is not his only love. As a videographer, Bresh has shot, produced and edited projects that include Hank Thompson, Lyle Lovett, Brooks & Dunn, George Jones, Tanya Tucker and a long-form narrative-music-sitcom video starring Jerry Reed called "Another Puff".

He is an accomplished impressionist/comedian with a diverse collection of voices ranging from country greats to various political icons, which he incorporates with ease into his performances leaving audiences rolling in the aisles with laughter. This brilliant comedic timing and unique delivery led to two HBO Specials.

Meet Ray Price

Ray Price is one of American music's truly great stars. He was inducted into Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996, but has long shown his genius in other genres as well. After more than a half-century in the business, Ray can still belt out a song with the best of them, whether it's honky-tonk, country, pop, blues, jazz, or anything in between.

Audiences full of cheering fans still flock to his concerts whenever he's in town, and that's fairly often, for this vigorous Texan maintains a hefty tour schedule. On Inauguration Eve 2001, Ray was proud to be on stage in Washington, D.C., as one of the Texas performers who entertained enormous crowds at the Texas Black Tie and Boots Ball.

This dynamic artist can be proud also of his role in the history of country music. In fact, he has helped to write that history as well as live it. He was born Noble Ray Price on January 12, 1926, near Perryville, Texas, and his musical talents became evident at an early age. While in college, Ray became a regular on KRLD radio's "Big D Jamboree" show in Dallas.

On March 15, 1951, Ray signed with Columbia Records, and in 1952, moved to Nashville where his great friend and supporter was the legendary Hank Williams. Hank got Ray on the Grand Ole Opry and the two shared bachelor quarters during the last year of Hank's brief but memorable life.

Ray's band was initially formed from the remnants of Hank Williams' band, the Drifting Cowboys. The band would later become the Cherokee Cowboys, and Ray himself would become known as the Cherokee Cowboy. Ray has always had an uncanny talent for recognizing quality in both music and musicians. The careers of many country music superstars, such as Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Johnny Paycheck, Darrell McCall, Buddy Emmons, and Johnny Bush, began with Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys.

Ray Price became noted for his magnificent show-stopping voice and honky-tonk hits throughout the 1950's. On the way to the top, he also helped revolutionize more than a few changes in country music. In 1956, when rock and roll was threatening to drown out the sounds of traditional country music, it took Ray's rendition of "Crazy Arms" to knock Elvis off the charts. That recording's 45 weeks at the top of the charts got people listening to country music again and clearly established Ray Price as a leader in the field.

But Ray has never been so traditional that he didn't innovate. During the "Crazy Arms" recording session, he added drums and a 4-4 bass and shuffle rhythm that redefined the way country music was played for years to come.

Then, just when everyone else in country was turning to that sound, Ray, in 1967, went in a new direction and added a large string section and with his concert-calibre voice soared into a beautiful, show-stopping rendition of the classic, "Danny Boy."

Audiences were stunned by its beauty. His "Danny Boy" album made him new fans in sections of the country far beyond the Mason- Dixon line. But some in Nashville and the South thought he had deserted country music and didn't take it well.

Unperturbed, Ray went on to new heights with his early 1970's hits, "For the Good Times," and "I Won't Mention it Again." He refused to accept boundaries between country and pop. Music was music.

A lot of Ray's strong feeling about artificial boundaries in music goes back to his close association with his mentor and close friend, Hank Williams. Ray resented the fact that Hank's songs were eagerly accepted by the pop world but the country singer himself was not. At least in that day and age. A few year later he would have been, according to Ray. But not then.

This Country Music Hall of Fame legend is the soul of country music. He continues to be creative and expand conventional boundaries with his music, while never forgetting his roots. His timeless music and incredible commitment to performing has made him a bridge between the early days of country to today's contemporary country music.

The Los Angeles Times has declared Ray Price to be 'a national treasure.' Another newspaper has compared him to Frank Sinatra. Ask any Ray Price fan, however, if that's true. Most of them will tell you that Ray Price has no equal anywhere when it comes to delivering a song and pleasing an audience.

Meet Johnny Counterfit

Johnny Counterfit with his classic Johnny Cash impression.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, comedian/celebrity voice impressionist, Johnny Counterfit started developing his skills when, as a child, he watched most of the cartoons found on television in the late 1960’s. Through Elementary and High School, Johnny would entertain students and teachers, sometimes to the chagrin of the latter, while honing his vocal and ad-lib skills during class and recess.

While still in High School, the young comedian began performing on stage, at the Nashville West Restaurant and Bar, in Portland, Oregon, albeit as a “freebie” on open-mic Sunday evenings. In 1981, Johnny decided to attempt a career in show business, got together with a band, and never looked back.

In 1990, the big break came when ABC in Hollywood became aware of Counterfit, and asked him to be part of its new America’s Funniest People broadcast. After that, Johnny appeared on a host of networks including CBS, TNN (The Nashville Network), TBS, and The Disney Channel. Johnny’s voices starred in the (1986) EMMY award winning feature, A Claymation Christmas Celebration, still being sold on Amazon.com.

Johnny entertains on the White House lawn.

In addition to performing in concert, Johnny has recorded a number of albums, and has been featured in film, on broadcast radio, and television. Sirius and XM Satellite networks regularly air his material, and you will find Johnny on albums with George Jones, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Bobby Bare, and Willie Nelson.

Counterfit travels from his home in Nashville, and along with comedy, writes and records country and inspirational songs.

For more information, go to: www.johnnycounterfit.com

Meet Stonewall Jackson

Stonewall Jackson was born in Tabor City, North Carolina. He was the youngest of three children. His father died when he was two and his mother

and the children hitch-hiked to South Georgia to her brother-in-law's farm where the possibility of work was better.

At 16 Stonewall changed his birth records and joined the Army. When the military found out his real age he was discharged. When he turned 17 he went right on back and joined the United States Navy. Sailor Stonewall took up picking the guitar and singing...and when he was discharged he decided that music was going to be his career.

As the legend goes, Stonewall drove to Nashville in his pick-up truck. Folks say that Stonewall stayed at a motel outside of town...and because he didn't like driving in the heavy citified traffic, walked to the Ryman Auditorium. When Wesley Rose of Acuff-Rose Publishing heard Stonewall, he phoned George Hay, "The Solemn Old Judge" at the Grand Ole Opry. Rose sent Stonewall over to WSM Radio to see the "Judge". Stonewall became the first and only unknown artist ever signed to the Opry. The audiences liked him and he quickly became a country star. Through his friendship with Ernest Tubb, he went on to his first round of personal appearances and he was soon signed by Columbia Records. This introduced him to a entirely new listening audience.

Life to Go became his first #1 hit in 1959 and it was followed by his classic Waterloo. A few of his other #1 sounds include I Wash My Hands in Muddy Water, A Wound Time Can't Erase, B.J. the D.J., Why I'm Walking, and Don't Be Angry.

Many of us have enjoyed Stonewall's music as he traveled across these United States entertaining fans of real country music. So many have also enjoyed his many appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.

Edited by Travis Kitt

Meet Razzy Bailey

Razzy: Very much so

Copyright 2009 – CountryMusicReport.com

Jimmy Fortune Interview

Track List