10.26.05 (AP) The family Bluegrass group CHERRYHOLMES was tearing through a song last Summer at the Ryman Auditorium when a guitar string snapped. The lanky young picker in a white cowboy hat began working furiously to replace it on the fly. In just a few moments, the new string was in place and the group never missed a beat. Things happen fast for the CHERRYHOLMES clan of Los Angeles. Only six years ago, the group consisting of Jere and Sandy Cherryholmes and their daughters Cia, 21, and Molly, 13, and sons B.J., 17, and Skip, 15, didn't exist. Three of the four children didn't even play instruments. They practiced and performed relentlessly, though, and today find themselves the hottest new act in Bluegrass. On Thursday, they're up for the International Bluegrass Music Association's "Emerging Artist" award and the night's top prize, "Entertainer Of The Year" - the first time in the awards' 16-year-history that an artist has been nominated in both categories. "It's kind of a mindblower," says Jere Cherryholmes, a stocky man with a shaved head, tattoos, earrings and a long gray beard. "It's happened so fast." And so unexpectedly. In 1999, Jere and Sandy's oldest daughter, Shelly, died from chronic heart problems at age 20. To lift their spirits, the family went to a Bluegrass festival where Grand Ole Opry stars Jim & Jesse and their group the VIRGINIA BOYS were performing. The festival was their first real exposure to Bluegrass music. "On the way home I told Sandy that we ought to get the kids together and play music like that - not form a band and perform somewhere, but do it as a pastime, something to keep the family close together," Cherryholmes said. At the time, Jere played guitar and bass, Sandy played the piano and Cia some guitar. But church performances were about the extent of their experience, and the three younger children didn't play at all. Sandy was homeschooling the kids and began incorporating music into the lesson by assigning instruments to the children. "We made time during the day with the goal of learning a song, so everyone had a reason for what they were doing," Sandy said. "We'd teach the parts and then at night we'd have jam time when Jere came home to make the parts fit. We could play two to five hours a day all week long." They started winning local contests and landed a regular gig on Saturdays in the San Bernardino Mountains. As their reputation grew, so did their bookings. In 2002, Jere Cherryholmes retired from his job, sold the house, and the family -- all except oldest son Tyson -- struck out as a full-time musical act. They relocated to the Arizona where they lived without electricity and running water and played the bluegrass festival circuit in the West. When they felt they'd honed their skills enough, they moved to Nashville, the center of the industry. CHERRYHOLMES stay on the road about 300 days a year. When not traveling, they park the tour bus at a friend's house. Jere and Sandy sleep on the bus, and the children on Army cots in a garage apartment. "We're very close. We always have been," says Cia Cherryholmes.
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10.21.05 (MusicPortal.com) MCA Nashville Records is set to release a new 2-disc REBA McENTIRE collection entitled "Reba #1's" on November 22nd. From 'Can't Even Get the Blues' in 1982 to 'Somebody' in 2004, REBA McENTIRE has been delivering one #1 Country song after the other for many years, her name and voice being synonymous with modern Country music. McEntire now marks that career by turning in a 35-song compilation of her number one singles, plus two brand new recordings. "Reba #1's" is a celebration of a career that has included 33 #1 hits, 29 albums, multiple awards and countless shows and performances, the album a collection of the songs Country music fans have known and loved for over two decades now. As a mainstay on Country radio, Reba's music has become a soundtrack for the human experience. She has put words to heartache with songs like 'You Lie,' 'Somebody Should Leave' and 'Rumor Has It'; inspired with 'I'm A Survivor' and 'How Was I To Know'; and even broken hearts with 'The Greatest Man I Never Knew' and 'And Still.' And no one can deliver a Country love song like the REBA McENTIRE either, 'Somebody' and 'Forever Love' giving hope that love really does conquer all. The first new single from "Reba #1's," 'You're Gonna Be,' speaks of a mother's love for her child through all of the ups and downs that life brings, the soaring chorus a mix of advice, encouragement and inspiration. A second new song, 'Love Needs A Holiday,' is an upbeat tale of a married couple who just needs a break from the daily grind. Both songs teem with the passion and talent REBA McENTIRE fans know and love, and listeners will likely recognize a piece of themselves in the stories the new songs tell. That talent has also brought McEntire a slew of awards and honors, including 15 American Music Awards, 12 Academy Of Country Music awards, 7 Country Music Association awards and 2 Grammys. In a career that has now expanded beyond music, REBA McENTIRE is also a multiple award winner in the acting arena as well. Her critically acclaimed Broadway debut in 2001's "Annie Get Your Gun" was awarded both the Drama Desk and Outer Critics awards. Now, in its fifth season, her self-titled TV show, "Reba," reigns as the WB network's top-rated sitcom, and has landed McEntire a Golden Globe nomination and a People's Choice Award. REBA McENTIRE's ever-expanding talents have now grown to encompass a clothing line as well. "Reba," a woman's clothing collection of business and casual separates, entered the fashion place in the Spring of 2005 and is now sold via Dillard's as well as www.rebawear.com. Through her music, acting, and everything else she does, REBA McENTIRE's personality and talent have drawn in millions of fans. And while her career now stretches far beyond Country music, she's never forgotten her roots - she is a role model for those who have come behind her, inspiring them to take chances and refuse to accept limitations on what they can do. "Reba #1's" is a picture of longevity and consistency, and of music that inspires and reaches people where they are.
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10.17.05 (MusicPortal.com) TRACY LAWRENCE's new album, "Then and Now: The Hits Collection," sees its release tomorrow, October 18th. Lawrence went back to the studio to re-record his greatest hits for the album, which also includes two brand new songs in 'Used To The Pain' and 'If I Don't Make It Back. TRACY LAWRENCE is one of the premiere voices of his generation, a sensitive singer who continues to stretch both as an artist and as a person. Lawrence's dedication to honesty and respect for tradition have enabled him to build one of the most respected careers in recent Country history. Lawrence has posted more No. 1 Billboard Country singles than greats like Glen Campbell, Keith Whitley, Ernest Tubb, Wynonna or Barbara Mandrell, to name just a few; more Top 5's than Shania Twain or Faith Hill, and more Top 10's than Ricky Skaggs, Charlie Rich, John Michael Montgomery or Dwight Yoakam. TRACY LAWRENCE hit the national spotlight in 1991. He was just 23, the product of a rough-and-tumble childhood in Foreman, Arkansas. A self-described "hellion" as a youngster, Lawrence found release in performing. He was playing at music jamborees at 15 and in honky-tonks at 17, learning, he says, "what it takes to keep them on the dance floor through four or five sets." He moved to Nashville in 1990 in a 10-year-old Toyota Corolla that had, he says, "about 250,000 miles on it, expired tags, no insurance, only three cylinders and a fan with a piece of wire around it to cool the car." He was a huge fan of Keith Whitley, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard, and he idolized George Strait, complementing those influences with an appreciation for Southern Rock, which he knew held a special place in the hearts of his Honky-Tonk audiences. He was also taken by a Country tradition that was then finding its chief manifestation in Randy Travis. TRACY LAWRENCE adopted elements from all of the aforementioned sources, and his striking vocal instrument -- distinctively Country with a cutting edge -- earned him attention from the beginning. While working a series of side jobs, he entered singing contests around town, regularly winning first prize. A live appearance on a Kentucky radio station and a showcase at Nashville's famed Bluebird Cafe led to his 1991 signing to Atlantic Records. Lawrence's debut album, "Sticks And Stones (1991) boasted four Top 10 Country hits and launched him into the forefront of the decade's young talent. If that weren't enough, his second album, the double-platinum "Alibis" (1993), spawned four straight #1 smashes. "That got us past the sophomore jinx," Lawrence says with a grin. Yet another quartet of major hits rose from the platinum "I See It Now" (1994). TRACY LAWRENCE's next album, 1997's "The Coast Is Clear," preceded "Lessons Learned" (2000), which found the singer re-energized by his Country roots. Lawrence is also very active in charitable causes, and he is annually at the helm of two events that are especially meaningful to him: a homecoming concert in his hometown that funds the Tracy Lawrence Foundation, and a golf tournament in Texarkana, Texas, benefitting both his foundation and the local chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
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10.06.05 (MusicPortal.com) Last night GARY ALLAN sold out yet another venue when he played one of Nashville's newest hot spots, City Hall. It was an important stop on a tour that's been filled with record-breaking crowds and sold-out shows. Fans and music industry VIPs came out in force to watch Allan perform a 90-minute set full of radio hits and tracks off of his upcoming album, "Tough All Over," due for release next Tuesday, October 11th via MCA Nashville Records. When Allan took the stage his face lit up as he saw that his fans had piled into the venue, filling it from wall to wall. "They really have you all packed in here. We'll just drink some beer and sweat together for a while," he said as the fans cheered him on. Allan drew a crowd of industry insiders who were anxious to see him perform cuts off the new album. With his brooding voice in cool California fashion, he delivered one new song after another - each met with as much applause as the last. The audience was captivated enough that (uncommon of a Nashville crowd) the venue was still packed when Allan hit his final note. In addition to cuts off the new album, Allan and his band played a mix of chart-topping hits including the number one tracks 'Man To Man,' 'Nothing On But The Radio' and 'Tough Little Boys.' Also included in the set were crowd favorites 'Songs About Rain,' 'Right Where I Need I Be,' 'It Would Be You' and 'Man Of Me.' Simply put, GARY ALLAN is on a roll. Three of his last four singles have topped the radio charts landing at #1, he's breaking attendance records and selling out venues across the country, and this weekend he will headline Red River Day at the State Fair Of Texas (the largest fair in America with over 4 million people in attendance each year), while "Tough All Over" is being praised positively in the press. Country Weekly exclaims: "One of the bravest and most stunningly intimate main stream country albums ever made. It demands to be listened to carefully and thoughtfully," while The New York Times states: "starting with 'Tough All Over' and 'Best I Ever Had,' the first half of this CD is subtly devastating," as the critic goes on the call the album both "elegant" and "dazzling." Over the course of five albums including his 1999 breakthrough, "Smoke Rings In The Dark," GARY ALLAN has established himself as a Country singer who knows exactly and communicates richly his own mind. He is a songwriter who often has chose not to write, because of his great ability to sing to life certain songs written by others, and because of his expertise at grouping those selections into albums that expose his own unvarnished emotional truths. He is a native southern Californian who always has believed that vintage choices -- '50s guitar tones; rhythms from honky-tonk clubs where people gather, talk, and dance; lyrics unafraid to deal with whatever appears on the table at the time -- should form the bedrock of Country music that remains in touch with modern realities. He is a singer, not particularly flashy - yet capable of tapping deep style, who... [full story]
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10.05.05 (MusicPortal.com) Fantasy Records is set to release the first-ever career retrospective of JOHN FOGERTY on November 1st, entitled "The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/Creedence Collection." After more than three decades Fogerty, one of the most important and influential songwriters in modern times, has returned to Fantasy Records. Fogerty's infamous relationship with the label, now part of the Concord Music Group, led him to suffer through years of bitter disputes and lawsuits, making this announcement perhaps one of the most unlikely and unexpected reunions in music industry history. As lead singer and songwriter for the immensely influential CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, JOHN FOGERTY scored nine Top 10 singles from 1969-72 (the band even out-sold THE BEATLES in 1969), released a slew of seminal hits that would become great American anthems synonymous with a generation, including 'Fortunate Son,' 'Proud Mary,' 'Bad Moon Rising,' 'Born On The Bayou,' and 'Who'll Stop the Rain.' Fogerty's chart-topping solo recordings have also sold millions of copies worldwide, while his live performances have always received high acclaim for their energy and sincerity. JOHN FOGERTY has been inducted into both The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. "The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/Creedence Collection," an aptly titled disc that honors the icon's musical journey from his early career to today features, for the first time ever, all of the songwriter's most poignant and enduring hits. Included are seminal tracks from the CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL catalog, along with some of the best of his solo work, including 'Centerfield,' 'Deja Vu (All Over Again),' and 'Hot Rod Heart' from the Grammy Award winning album "Blue Moon Swamp." Also on the disc are four new tracks recorded live by JOHN FOGERTY during his 2005 tour of the United States: 'Hey Tonight,' 'Bootleg,' 'Keep On Chooglin',' and a blistering rendition of CCR's 'Fortunate Son.' The Concord Music Group and Fantasy have great admiration for Fogerty's extraordinary talents and have embraced their relationship with him - working on several new releases including a live DVD taped this past September 15th at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles for an early 2006 release. Other projects are presently in the early stages of development. "I'm very happy to be back in touch with a part of myself," says JOHN FOGERTY of the return home to Fantasy Records. "It's surreal. For 35 years, I never thought I'd be reunited with the music I wrote during the Creedence Clearwater Revival years. I'm happy to say that the new Fantasy is very enthusiastic about my body of work, and all the people there have been delightful. They are honoring my songs that hold an important place in the history of American music. And, they are honoring me."
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[Country News: September 2005]
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