James Lampman
Here is May's Countdown Y'all ! Tough competition last month. Less than 200 requests separated #1 from #20.
Country singer/songwriter/guitarist Eric Church grew up in Granite Falls, North Carolina, and began singing as a child. At 13, he started writing songs, later teaching himself to play guitar. While attending college at Appalachian State, he formed a band, the Mountain Boys, that played around western North Carolina. After graduating with a degree in marketing, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in country music. It took him a year to get a song publishing deal with Sony/ATV Tree, after which he started getting his songs recorded by other artists, an example being Terri Clark's version of "The World Needs a Drink." He met producer Jay Joyce, who took an interest in him as a recording artist, and they began making demos. That led to his being signed by Capitol Records Nashville.
On My Way Girl Debuts on KROW Country Radio's Top 20 Countdown at #5.
When you hear a Tristan Horncastle song, whether it’s the Friday night anthem “She Brings The Beer” or the yearning “You Want,” you’re hearing his life. With the Canadian radio success of his Top 5 selling debut album A Little Bit Of Alright having established Horncastle as an undeniable breakout artist, he’s eager to share more of his life on his latest single, “Drinkin’ Girl,” a taste of his next album, Turnin’ Up A Sundown, due out in early 2016.
The song encapsulates Horncastle’s courtship of his fiancée a decade ago, although its sentiments will surely resonate with anyone who’s found their special someone. “It was one of those things that started just sitting around the fire one night with a bunch of friends, seeing this girl and falling in love,” Horncastle says. “She was with another guy at the time, and I had to kind of carry on and deal with that. But within about a year and a half, things didn’t work out between them and we were both free. It made me a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. We’ve been together nine years now and have two kids.”
Horncastle credits the strength of that relationship for getting him to this point where he’s poised to make an indelible mark on the Canadian country scene. Recorded at Nashville’s fabled Sound Stage Studio with producers Julian King (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill) and Bart Butler, Turnin’ Up A Sundown features eight solid cuts laid down with some of Music City’s top musicians, including the title track written by Jason Blaine.
Although it wasn’t Horncastle’s first trip to Nashville, the experience making this record was something he never expected would come his way. “When I found out I was singing in the same vocal booth where George Strait recorded so many of his hits, I literally got goose bumps,” he says.
Marty Brown was born in Maceo, Kentucky. He started playing guitar and writing songs at the age of twelve, and he started entering local talent shows at sixteen. Throughout his teens he worked in the tobacco fields of Kentucky often playing his guitar during lunch hours under the shade of a nearby tree.
Eventually Marty made his way to Nashville, Tennessee and met with legendary record producer Tony Brown who signed him to a record deal at MCA Records. Marty, together, with Tony, made four (4) albums for MCA and eight (8) videos for CMT television AND APPEARED ON “THE GRAND OL OPRY STAGE” over the next ten (10) years performing… Wild Kentucky Skies, In My Wildest Dreams, High and Dry, and Every Now and Then.
He toured with acts such as Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams Jr. and many, many more. After his recording years, he started writing hit songs for artists like the heart-felt and groovy, “I’m From the Country and I Like It That Way” for Tracy Byrd and the classic country tune, “When I Stop Loving You” for Trace Adkins. He still lives in Kentucky with his wife, Shellie, and kids, and he is still cranking out his classic country sound. Marty is just coming off a successful run to the New York City semi finals of NBC’s hit reality show, Season 8 America’s Got Talent where he wowed television audiences of 11 million people worldwide, with his cover of the Bob Dylan classic, Make You Feel My Love!
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Country music has always maintained an ebb and flow between pushing the genre forward with outside influences and returning back to the roots that keep the genre grounded in its history. It’s rare for one artist to balance those two directions, but Doug McCormick pulls off that hat trick masterfully on his new EP, Sweet Dixie Memory.
Doug grew up the son of a blue-collar textile worker in Patrick, South Carolina (pop. 350). He spent his childhood loving the land and the outdoors, appreciating the significance of the hard working men and women on those neighboring farms. Doug played second base on the McBee High School Panthers baseball team, was a leader in the local FFA organization, and even received his B.S. in Agricultural Education from Clemson University.
NBC’s The Voice finalist Barrett Baber gave millions of viewers one of the most memorable introductions to a true artist and entertainer the show has ever seen.
With commanding performance energy, Barrett owned the stage from round 1, and his unique, soulful country sound stood out among the entire show as something truly special. Blake Shelton says, “Barrett sounds like no one else on country radio. He can be a superstar in Country music.”
Trace Adkins’ trademark baritone has powered countless hits to the top of the charts and turned albums into Platinum plaques, selling over 10 million albums, cumulatively. The Grammy-nominated member of the Grand Ole Opry is a television personality, actor, author, spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Program, the American Red Cross and has performed seven USO Tours.
As a Grammy nominated producer and executive vice president of A&R at Warner Music Nashville, you might say that Scott Hendricks qualifies as an expert on country singers. So when he gets excited about someone, it’s worth paying attention. And right now he’s excited about Warner Bros. Records newcomer William Michael Morgan.The tall, easy-going, unfailingly polite 22-year-old from Vicksburg, Mississippi, has the look you’d hope for in a young entertainer and the stature to wear a black cowboy hat, a symbol that stands for something in
the country music world. And he’s certainly got the chops as an award-winning young performer, who earned recording and publishing deals before turning 20. But for Hendricks, it all comes down to that voice.
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Matthew Huff, an independent artist, making his own way as a fusion genre’d artist with a mix best described as a little bit of Keith Urban, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, and James Taylor all rolled up in to one. A country rooted artist with several musical genre inspirations.
Huff recently was awarded a 2015 Independent Music Network Award for Favorite Country Single (A Little Bit of Crown).
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Brett Young is an American country music singer-songwriter from Orange County, California. Young was a college baseball pitcher but took up songwriting after getting injured. His self-titled debut EP, produced by Dann Huff, was released by Republic Nashville on February 12, 2016. The lead single, "Sleep Without You", was released on April 11. Young wrote the song with Justin Ebach and Kelly Archer. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song a favorable review, writing that "Young’s R&B influences come out in the sincerity and warmth of his delivery, not the sonic nature of this mostly acoustic jam." The music video was filmed in Malibu, California and directed by Shane Drake. It co-stars Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan.
Hardcore country traditionalist, Daryle Singletary, has built a career based on musical integrity.
“When I moved to Nashville in 1990, I left Georgia telling my Daddy, ‘I want to make my living in country music,’” Daryle recalls. “I didn’t tell him I wanted to be played on the radio every day or be on a video channel every day. I said, ‘I want to make a living playing for the people who enjoy my kind of music.’ Fortunately and thankfully, I have been able to do that since 1995.
“We’ve been very fortunate to stay on the road, year in, year out. I continue to work and continue to build a fan base. There are still people out there who want to hear traditional country music. I’ve been fortunate to be able to always keep it real and not have to compromise. I can’t ask for nothin’ better, I don’t guess.”
Daryle Singletary earned his notoriety for country authenticity with such unforgettable hits as “I Let Her Lie,” “Too Much Fun,” “Amen Kind of Love” and “The Note.” His newest album, “There’s Still A Little Country Left” , finds the country singer smack dab in the middle of what he loves the most, traditional Country music. On past albums, some of the greatest talents in his industry have lined up to sing with Daryle, including the late George Jones and Johnny Paycheck, Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs, John Anderson and Rhonda Vincent. On “There’s Still A Little Country Left”, Daryle finds harmony vocal assistance from Grand Ole Opry member Vince Gill on the poignant and moving “Say Hello To Heaven.”
Daryle is from rural Georgia. His father is a retired postmaster and his mother is a hair dresser. They sang gospel music on weekends. By the time he reached his teens, Daryle was a rabid country music fan, enthralled by the sounds of Keith Whitley and his all-time favorite, Randy Travis.
He moved to Nashville in the fall of 1990 and made the rounds of Music City’s nightclub talent contests, picking up $100 here and there. Producer Greg Cole began playing drums in his band at a club called The Broken Spoke. Daryle recorded a pair of singles for the independent label Evergreen Records in 1992, but neither was a success. In the meantime, he was badgering his idol with letters. After members of the Randy Travis band heard Daryle at The Broken Spoke, they urged the star to listen, too. With Randy as his co-producer, Daryle Singletary issued his debut album on Giant Records in 1995. It included the career-launching singles “I’m Living Up to Her Low Expectations,” “I Let Her Lie,” “Too Much Fun” and “Workin’ It Out.” Traditional honky-tonk fans shouted “Hallelujah!” in response. Daryle’s consequent projects included the hits “Amen Kind Of Love”, The Used To Be’s and The Note. 2015 will bring the newest CD release “There’s Still A Little Country Left”, many corporate collaborations and a tour schedule packed with dates from March until December.
When asked about the current state of Country Music Singletary says, There are still great country songs out there. You just have to either write them or ask the songwriting community for them... and say, ‘Look, when I say country, I mean country.’ “And lucky for me, on this new CD I did both... and there are fans who still appreciate that. My fans are not fans of the bro-country movement, which doesn’t bother me a bit. They’re people who like it real, and that’s what I give them. “Like I say, I’ve been very fortunate. I just wanted to make a living doing something I love to do. I’m by no means a millionaire, but I make a living singing what I love, honest country music.”
My name is Granger Smith. Sometimes long, fancy industry bios are helpful, but other times you just need to hear from the guy actually living it, so here’s my story.
I was born and raised Texan, and I’m proud of that. I grew up along with two brothers, a couple of yellow labrador retrievers and parents that stayed together because they loved each other. My life changed when I was 14 years old and decided I would teach myself to play guitar. This was motivated by two things: I thought the guitar would make girls pay attention to me, and George Strait played one. By the time I turned 15, I was performing weekends on small town stages in North Texas, and doing my best as a fan club member to attend every George Strait concert within driving distance. Playing high school football was an important rite of passage for me, along with hunting and fishing, but the dream of a music career consumed me. At age 19, I was satisfied with enough songs I had written to make an album. As a freshman at Texas A&M, I was able to scrape together some studio money by pre-selling the album to friends around campus. For being just a kid, that album did pretty well. It landed me a songwriting deal with EMI Music Publishing in Nashville, and the following year, I took the leap to Tennessee.
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"All I ever wanted to do coming to Nashville was to write rowdy, in-your-face, straight country music," says Jon Pardi, "and that's what this album is."
Pardi’s high-energy approach, perfected on stages throughout his native California, has its stamp all over his Capitol Records Nashville debut. Just as importantly, that energy is applied to music rooted in songwriting legend Harlan Howard's adage that country is three chords and the truth.
"If you can take a piece of life and put it in a song," says Pardi, "it's going to be a good song—especially if it's from the heart."
Life and love, truth and energy wind their way all through his debut album, which showcases a young artist who is clearly no ordinary newcomer. Few artists hit stride as quickly and as forcefully as he has, and his fellow artists have been among the first to take note.
"People ask me who I'd like to open up for," he says with a smile, "but I’ve been lucky enough to have opened for several artists I look up to."
It's a list that includes Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam, Dierks Bentley, Gary Allan and Luke Bryan, artists who appreciate the kind of influences Pardi brings to the table—echoes of the crisp Bakersfield sound of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, hints of the driving beat of Waylon Jennings and the excitement of Jerry Lee Lewis. He brings all of it together and puts his unique stamp on it, topping it off with just a bit of swagger that gives a little edge to his undeniable appeal.
Matthew Huff, an independent artist, making his own way as a fusion genre’d artist with a mix best described as a little bit of Keith Urban, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, and James Taylor all rolled up in to one. A country rooted artist with several musical genre inspirations.
Huff recently was awarded a 2015 Independent Music Network Award for Favorite Country Single (A Little Bit of Crown).
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Codie Prevost is a Canadian country music sensation. When he was 14 he picked up his first guitar, and since then his career hasn’t stopped accelerating. He began his journey on the path to fame by playing guitar, and writing songs simply to entertain his friends and family. Little did the world know that those family concerts would spark the pilot light on one of the biggest engines in Canadian country music. Codie has been nominated and won dozens of awards for his art, from the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards to the Canadian Country Music Awards.
Codie grew up on a 2,000-acre farm, where his mother runs a small town bar. He has two sisters, one older and one younger. During family events Codie would listen to his mother and his uncle as they played guitar and sang songs. These family concerts were what began to grow the love of music within Codie.
Barrett picks up a second spot in KROW Country Radio's TOP 20 for May !
NBC’s The Voice finalist Barrett Baber gave millions of viewers one of the most memorable introductions to a true artist and entertainer the show has ever seen.
With commanding performance energy, Barrett owned the stage from round 1, and his unique, soulful country sound stood out among the entire show as something truly special. Blake Shelton says, “Barrett sounds like no one else on country radio. He can be a superstar in Country music.”
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Well my Grandfather Harold on my mothers side was the singer/musician in the family. he was a true musical genius. Blues, country he did it all played the harmonica at the same time. got offered a deal in memphis to record a cd but back he didn’t want to leave upstate New York & his family behind during tough times & he never did it. i want to fill his unknown footsteps. i remember watching him when i was just little boy thats when i really got into music. one of my greatest memories was my grandpa and i playing infront of the family together. i wasn’t that good but they all cheered & it made me realize i might have some fire for this kinda thing. it hasn’t left yet & never will.
Florida's Michael Ray has a resonant voice and a knack for crafting vibrant, upbeat contemporary country-rock. Although he built a strong grassroots fan base in Southern Florida, Ray also gained prominence as the winner of the CW network's reality television vocal competition The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep in 2012. A native of Eustis, Florida, Ray was first introduced to music via his grandfather. A local country and gospel musician, Ray's grandfather taught him how to play guitar and gave him his first performance experience, letting him tag along for shows at various assisted living homes and community centers. Initially inspired by such classic country artists as Porter Wagoner, Merle Haggard, and Waylon Jennings, by his teens Ray was expanding his taste, listening to more modern artists like Garth Brooks, as well as imbibing the eclectic influence of modern radio sounds from rock to hip-hop. By the time Ray graduated high school in 2006, he had decided to pursue his passion for country music.
Forgoing a move to Nashville, Ray instead formed a band and began playing a constant grind of shows all around Southern Florida. He slowly built a loyal following, a fan base that widened considerably after a Lakeland DJ for WPCV-97 Country put his music into regular rotation. Soon, Ray was headlining the Orlando House of Blues and selling out shows all over Florida. In 2010, his independently released debut caught the ear of veteran music industry manager Tony Conway, who began helping Ray take his career to a national audience. In 2012, Ray appeared on the CW talent competition The Next, where he was mentored by Big & Rich's John Rich. Ray was an audience favorite on the show and ultimately took home the top prize. After the show, Ray signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music and in 2014 released the single "Kiss You in the Morning." His full-length major-label debut followed in 2015 on Warner Music Nashville, making it to number four on the country albums chart. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi
With an unparalleled passion for country music, it comes as no surprise that Skytone Entertainment artist Matt Farris's career has gotten off to a promising start. A heart for helping those in need paired with an incredible talent and positive energy has allowed for the early and natural growth of a significant fan base. All of these characteristics have given Farris a strong foundation on which to build his career – one that, at the hands of another, was almost
instantaneously taken away.
Entertaining family and friends from the moment he spoke his first word, Farris's passion for
entertainment has always been apparent. With an early exchange of lullabies for classic country tunes sung by his mother Sandra, the Lake Havasu City, Arizonanative has ever since gravitated toward the genre.
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GRAMMY nominee and four-time CMA Awards’ reigning “Male Vocalist of the Year,” Blake Shelton will release BRINGING BACK THE SUNSHINE, his 11th studio album produced by longtime friend and collaborator Scott Hendricks September 30th on Warner Bros. Records. The album includes the lead single, “Neon Light,” which “blends a new sound with a very traditional chorus, making it unique,” says Shelton. Currently in the midst of his sold-out Ten Times Crazier Tour 2014 -- including performances at NYC's Madison Square Garden as well, Chicago's
Wrigley Field Stadium playing to a capacity crowd of over 40,000 fans as only the fourth country artist to have ever played the iconic 100 year-old ball park -- Shelton will also visit LA's historic Hollywood Bowl on October 4th following the release of his forthcoming album. Celebrating thirteen years since his first single "Austin" hit the top of the country radio charts, Shelton holds 17 No. 1 singles to his credit, recently breaking his own record for most consecutive No. 1’s at country radio. With 12 singles, including five from his last album alone, Shelton has
the most No. 1's in a row on the country radio charts by any artist. Joining the ranks of the Grand Ole Opry as a member since 2010, Shelton has earned a host of awards and nominations throughout his career, including three new CMA Award nominations this year for Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year, along with Song of the Year for "Mine Would Be You." Shelton will return as a coach for his seventh season of NBC’s Emmy winning reality competition series, The Voice, which premieres the week of September 22nd.
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