Country music's 2009 Grammy Award contenders

There’s a healthy showing of country-music talent nominated in this year’s 51st Grammy Awards, which will be broadcast Sunday, Feb. 8, from Los Angeles on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. (Eastern/Pacific).

In fact, one knows it’s going to be a great Grammy year for the genre when the powers that be select a country artist to help announce the nominations, and this go around they elected to have country starlet Taylor Swift serve as co-host for that prime-time broadcast event, where all learned who had been given the nod.

There are a number of compelling contests in this year’s Grammy event, but among the 2009 nods that may of particular interest to country fans are the nominations held by longtime Lone Star country-music icon George Strait,who's nominated in four categories this time.

Somewhat surprisingly, in all his years of chart-topping, record-breaking recording artist and big-arena concert draw, the singing cowboy's yet to win a Grammy over the course of his three decades on the country-music scene. Although this writer isn't the gamblin' kind, my bet is on Mr. Strait to rope one in this year; thus, "Grammyless George" shouldn't be an accurate moniker for the white-hatted one this time next year. (Cross your fingers, George fans.)

Also in this year’s contest, this writer is especially hoping to see Tompkins Square recording artist Charlie Louvin, who made his name as one-half the Country Music Hall of Fame-inducted duo The Louvin Brothers, score a much-deserved Grammy in the Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album area. (He was nominated last year, but it managed to elude him. My money’s on Charlie to take this one, and if not, call 9-1-1 so 'cause someone's been robbed!)

Of course, the country masses are rootingfor newcomers Lady Antebellum to pull it out on the trio’s first go at the Grammy this year. The players—Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood—are the lone country act in their category, and let’s face it, if they lose to The Jonas Brothers, there could be rioting—in my living room, if nothing else. (It's probably relevant to note here that I have a teen son, not a daughter, so Lady A's music rules at our place, not the Jonas boys.)

This writer is also closely watching the songwriting category, where every nominee is a winner. However, Nashville tunesmith Lee Thomas Miller, who pens under the BMI publishing umbrella, has not one, but two songs nominated in the Best Country Song contest; namely, "You're Gonna Miss This," which was recorded by Trace Adkins, and "In Color," a track he penned with co-writers/recording artists James Otto and Jamey Johnson. ... Looks like it will be a double nail-biter in the Miller home these days.

As for Grammy-trivia buffs, it may be of interest to note that bluegrasser/country artist Alison Krauss has won more than 20 Grammys to date, which is more than any other female in Grammy history, thanks to her talents as a solo artist, producer, collaborator and member of Union Station.

For a full overview of the country, bluegrass and country-gospel artists, albums, songs and songwriters in this year’s contest, as well as their competition, please access 51st Grammy Awards: 2009 Country Music Nominees.

• This year's Grammys air Sunday, Feb. 8, on CBS. Check local listings to ensure accuracy of live broadcast time.

Little Texas plays Feb. 6 benefit near Nashville

Platinum-selling country group Little Texas will perform a Feb. 6 benefit show to the Nashville-area community of Watertown and honor the memory of one of its young residents.

Beginning at 6 p.m., the country-rockers, along with openers The O'Donnells and Doug Collins, will hit the stage at Watertown High School, 515 West Main St.

Little Texas bassist Duane Propes, in a Feb. 1 interview, said he and fellow LT founding members Porter Howell (lead guitar/lead vocals), Del
Gray (drums/backing vocals) and Dwayne O'Brien (rhythm guitar) jumped at the chance to perform the fundraising show which will aid Watertown Elementary, a small-town school that is sorely in need of athletic facilities for its K-8 students.

“This all-ages concert is being held to raise funds for athletic facilities … for games and practice for this Wilson County elementary, which hosts kindergarten through 8th grade,” explained Propes, who added that a former student at the school, Cody Choate, worked hard to draw attention to the school’s need for such facilities.

“Cody Choate was a sixth-grader at Watertown Elementary who was killed in an ATV accident in summer 2007,” Propes shared. “(And) while he was alive, he championed the cause to have a football field at the school for the seventh- and eighth-grade teams."

For more details about this story, including where to buy tickets for the performance, please access the full story here: Little Texas performs benefit show for Cody, community.

Montgomery Gentry hosts 1st Country on the Beach

Columbia Nashville recording artist Montgomery Gentry announced that they will host the inaugural “Country on the Beach,” the ultimate beach event for country music fans, scheduled for Dec. 3-6, 2009, at the Beach Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico, benefiting the T.J. Martell Foundation.

The Country on the Beach “all-inclusive” trip will feature activities such as local tours, celebrity auctions, volleyball, karaoke, a poolside/oceanside clambake, celebrity bartending, spa experiences, water sports, all meals and adult beverages, a celebrity golf tournament at the Riviera Cancun Golf Resort (a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course), private receptions and performances by Montgomery Gentry and special guests.

“We wanted to do something fun to help raise vital dollars for the T.J. Martell Foundation’s mission of funding ground-breaking cancer research,” said Troy Gentry. “A warm weather event will be great especially at the end of the year when it’s cold in Nashville.”

“We will have some special guests joining us for the private performances, celebrity golf classic and the celebrity bartending activities,” said Eddie Montgomery. “This will be the ultimate country music experience all for a great cause.”

Packages based on double occupancy (excluding air transportation) are $1,100 per person and include all activities, meals and beverages. The Celebrity Golf Classic is an additional charge of $250 per person. Space is limited and participants should sign up early to get room preferences. To make reservations contact Travelin’ Inc. at www.travelininc.com or (888) 473-8856.

The T.J. Martell Foundation is a national 501 (c)3 organization that supports innovative research for leukemia cancer and AIDS through eight top research hospitals in the United States. In Nashville, the Foundation supports the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

For more information about the T.J. Martell Foundation, log onto www.tjmartellfoundation.org or call (615) 256-2002.

Toby Keith & Taylor Swift on the fashion runway

A few years back, country superstar Reba McEntire launched her REBA brand, a line that includes clothing, footwear, home collections and other products. But now, two more country stars are looking be fashionistas, too.

Toby Keith and Taylor Swift each recently announced they’re expanding the already-diverse scope of their respective celebrity brands by jumping into the fashion biz with their own self-approved lines.

Specifically, Keith has created a new clothing line called TK Steelman that was developed in partnership with Royal Merchandising Group—a company that already produces merchandise for the country star’s restaurants. The line debuts Feb. 18 in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, country-pop princess Swift is sticking with what she knows; namely, sundresses. On Feb. 1, the starlet's economically priced line of sundresses will debut at and be sold exclusively through Wal-Mart.

Swift says she will be among the first to don the self-approved designs, which are marketed by L.e.i., whose L.e.i. jeans Taylor endorsed in the brand's extensive 2008 ad campaign. (The dresses will run $14-$20, according to early reports.)

• To read the full scoop on both artists new fashion lineups, please access Country music 'behind the seams'. ...

Country's Dierks Bentley set to 'drop it like it's hot' Feb 3

For the past two years, country heartthrob Dierks Bentley has been recording and “road-testing” his new CD’s dozen-song lineup, and on Tuesday, Feb. 3, Capitol Nashville will unleash the disc for the public at large, with 10 days of jam-packed promotion behind it.

A multi-platinum country artist, Bentley says he put more time behind this record’s pre-production than ever before. He also served as the album's co-producer for the first time ever. Feel That Fire is the title of Bentley's latest and fourth studio offering, and already it's title track has scored with country fans and radio alike.

'Feel That Fire' ignites new passion within singer

Discussing the new CD, Bentley said, "I know everybody always says it, but I really mean it when I say that this is the best album I've ever made. … We came off the road for the first time in six years and took our time to make sure it was just right."

• To read the full story, including to learn when Bentley will be on NBC's Today (two different days in the same week), Live with Regis and Kelly!, The Late Show with Jay Leno and more, please visit Red-hot country: Dierks Bentley releases 'Feel That Fire.' ... You can also spy the music video for the album's top-five single that's still climbing up the charts.

Connie Smith Delivers Show to Remember and Country's 'King of Honky-Tonk Rock' Remembers Lucille

Dolly Parton has listed her among one of only three “real” female country singers, and on Jan. 22, 2009, at Nashville’s Station Inn, Connie Smith celebrated the 45th anniversary of her debut appearance in Music City by performing a full-scale show.

Per WSM-AM radio host Eddie Stubbs, who also happens to serve as the announcer for RFD-TV's The Marty Stuart Show, it’ been at least 15 or more years since the cute ‘n’ country Ms. Smith delivered a full show.

Over the years, Smith—whom Stubbs refers to as “The Rolls-Royce of Country Music"—has performed on the coveted Opry stage, as indicated above, but never with her full band, the Sundowners.

Ricky Lynn Gregg Mourns Loss of His First & Favorite Fan

Prayers and condolences go out to country artist Ricky Lynn Gregg, who recently lost his beloved mother, Lucille, 84. Funeral services were held Jan. 2, 2009, in Longview, Texas, the Gregg family's hometown.

Country fans may remember that Gregg made his foray onto the commercial country-music scene with his self-titled Liberty Records debut, which spawned the singles "If I Had a Cheatin' Heart," a former No. 36, as well as "Three Nickels and a Dime" and "Can You Feel It." The success of the album earned him the No. 4 spot on Billboard’s Top New Artist list of 1993.

He followed the hit-debut with his second album, 1994’s Can You Feel It. However, after label-chief Jimmy Bowen retired because of thyroid cancer, Ricky opted to take a "buyout" on his contract with Liberty upon Bowen's advice.

• For more details on both of these country news items, please access the full Country Music posting.
  

Photo: Ricky Lynn Gregg and Lucille Gregg. Courtesy of RLG Enterprises.

Finally, Music-TV Worth Watching: 'The Marty Stuart Show' Returns to RFD Network for 2nd Hit Season

Grand Ole Opry member Marty Stuart has begun taping the second season of The Marty Stuart Show, which pays homage to the finest musical traditions of the genre.

The program is broadcast at 8 p.m. (Central) each Saturday on cable’s RFD-TV, a rural lifestyle network.

Each week, musician-historian Stuart, along with his country-star wife and fellow Grand Ole Opry member Connie Smith, plays host to some serious, as in seriously good, country pickin' and singing, with a dash of humor thrown in, thanks to banjo player-comedian Leroy Troy.

To learn more about the program, with its focus on traditional country, bluegrass and gospel that beckons back to the days of The Porter Wagoner Show, access the full Country Music posting here.

• Marty Stuart and Connie Smith Photo Credit: Lisa L. Rollins, 2009.

Country's Jo Dee Messina Becomes A First-Time Mommy & Trace Adkins Takes the Hall of Fame Spotlight

Country artist Jo Dee Messina has scored nine No. 1 country singles to date, but on Monday, Jan. 19, she achieved a first: motherhood.

Messina, 38, and her woodworker husband, Chris Deffenbaugh, 28, were married in October 2007. The couple welcomed their first child, who was a “happy surprise,” on Martin Luther King Day, according to a press report.

And in other news of the country-music persuasion, a spotlight exhibit on one of country music’s biggest contemporary superstars, Trace Adkins, will debut Jan. 27, 2009, at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. (Plus, Jan. 24, 2009, is a day of free admission at the museum, thanks to Ford Community Day.)

• To check out all the details, including what Jo Dee and hubby named the new arrival, please access my full Country Music posting.
  

Grammy-Bound: Living Music Legend Charlie Louvin Releases New CD for Tompkins Square label

Rare is the instance when I get the opportunity to call someone a "legend," because one of the many tried 'n' true writing rules I learned way back when in journalism school was that such an adjective is reserved for those who no longer walk this plane.

In other words, one must no longer breathe air for me to be able to apply this term to him or her, no matter how seemingly worthy one may be. (Yes, I know you probably see writers calling folks who are alive "legends" or "legendary" relatively frequently, but I assure you they were not trained by the hard-core, old-school journalists who beat me over the head with the journalist's Bible, the Associated Press manual.)

At any rate, it's with great joy that I'm able to make mention of low-tenor/guitarist Charlie Louvin, one-half the legendary gospel/bluegrass-meets-country duo known as the Louvin Brothers, who's having a mighty prolific recording surge at the ripe and ever-creative age of 81. His late brother, high tenor/mandolinist Ira Louvin, tragically died in summer 1965 in a car accident, but the duo's music goes on and on. (My story on the brothers is linked to here, above.)

Rainsville, Ala., native Charlie, who now calls Bell Buckle, Tenn., home, has accrued an incredibly impressive recording and music career over the decades, both with his late brother, whom he still misses dearly, and as a solo artist.

Charlie's record label, Tompkins Square in New York, released this living legend's latest album offering, Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs, on Dec. 9, 2008. Life's hardships have etched their way into the prolific octenegarian's voice, but it makes this selection of tragedy-rooted songs all the more intriguing. It's a must-listen for fans of old-time country, bluegrass, Americana and gospel.

Grammy Alert: Charlie's Steps to Heaven CD, released earlier in 2008, is nominated in the 51st annual Grammy Awards' "Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album" category. This year's awards will be held Feb. 8, 2009, in Los Angeles.

• Note: Check out the music video for "Ira," a poignant song Charlie wrote and recorded in honor of his beloved brother in life and song. It's worth waiting through the commercial for on the CMT site linked to herein.
  

'The Mark Twain of Traditional Music': Country Music Hall of Fame Honors Bluegrass Icon John Hartford with Exhibit

John Hartford was many things in life, from steamboat captain, fiddle and banjo player, to hit songwriter, Grammy-winning artist, author, folklorist and father.

Born John Cowan Harford on Dec. 30, 1937, in New York City, the Grammy-winning artist grew up in St. Louis, Mo., with a love for two things: the Mississippi River and music, especially old-time music and bluegrass. When it came to the latter, he brought new life to his genre of choice, influencing the likes of critically acclaimed musicians Bela Fleck, Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush of New Grass Revival and Tim O’Brien, among many.

Although many best know Hartford as the tunesmith behind Gentle on My Mind, a signature song that country artist Glen Campbell is usually associated with, his life is a storied and compelling portrait that will be reflected in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s upcoming Spotlight exhibit in his honor, John Hartford: Ever Smiling, Ever Gentle on My Mind, which will open Jan. 24, 2009, and continue through Jan. 2, 2010.

Bluegrass Player's Love for Old-Time Music Inspires 'New Grass' Sound

“In many ways, John Hartford is the Mark Twain of traditional music,” Mick Buck, the museum’s curator of collections, has said. “He was a beloved American figure whose influence went far beyond his commercial success. He brought literacy, humor and inventiveness to his music and an eclectic sense of adventure to his life. He was a true artist in every sense of the word.”

Jeremy Rush, a representative for the Nashville-based hall of fame and museum, reported that the exhibit in Hartford’s honor—which will feature moving images, photographs, costumes, handwritten lyrics and instruments from both the museum’s collection and from the Hartford family—will explore numerous aspects of his career, including his songwriting success and his experimental and influential approach to traditional music, as well as his pursuits “as an artist, performer, steamboat pilot, author and historian.”

Banjo Music of Earl Scruggs Shapes Hartford's Life

Hartford—who added the “t” to his given surname upon the request of the late producer-guitar legend Chet Atkins—credited the music of banjo player Earl Scruggs, a bluegrass legend, as changing his life forever. After hearing Scruggs’ music, a young Hartford was instantly attracted to traditional string music set about becoming proficient at not only banjo but also fiddle and guitar.

In his teen years, Hartford began performing professionally in bluegrass groups in central Missouri and Illinois, before moving to Nashville in 1965, where he served as an overnight disc jockey at country-radio station WSIX while striving to establish his music career.

• To read the full overview of Hartford's careeer, including how he forged the "new grass" genere of bluegrass ... about his love and music for the Mississippi ... and about his final Grammy win for the "O' Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack, please access the full story at: http://countrymusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/an_overview_songwriterartist_john_hartford