Go Country December Welcome to the Christmas issue of Go Country Lifestyle Fan Magazine. We believe than fans not only love their country music but they also live the lifestyle that country offers. Whether you live in the city or live in the country you live the country lifestyle including what you drive, what you eat to how you decorate your home. Here are just some of the things you will find in this issue.
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We feature Anthony Tullo and his new EP “Rebel With A Song” and we bring you the Making of the video which has a strange twist to it!
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Michelle Wright takes us to her home and shares what Michelle and her husband Marko do at Christmas.
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In our cooking section we give you ideas for Gingerbread Houses, cooking the perfect turkey and ham dinners.
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We showcase the Future Stars of Country Music and their music. Check out who we think will be stars shining bright in 2017
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The Gift of Music is where we spotlight some ideas for country music fans!
We all have that Hard To Buy For person on our list. We have some cool gift ideas for you.
We talk with the Stars about their Christmas and traditions.
We pick a bunch of Christmas Music that will put you in the mood for Christmas.
Make sure you check out the video’s we have throughout the magazine. The video’s will play within the magazine. We’d love to hear from you. If you have a favourite recipe you want to share, maybe a home decorating idea or have a request for us to interview one of your favourite stars just drop us an e-mail here Coming in 2017 we will have special contests you can enter with some very cool prizes. Make sure you tune into Go Country Radio Canada’s national country radio station http://gocountry.ca
Rising Country Music Singer Anthony Tullo Releases Rebel With A Song Album Anthony Tullo released his sophomore album “Rebel With A Song” through ILS Group/Universal Music on October 28th, 2016. The lead single, Gasoline, will be released to radio in January, 2017 with the video currently being filmed. After signing an endorsement deal with Gibson Canada, Anthony booked the Gibson Showroom for the “Rebel With A Song” CD release party on Friday November 25, 2016 to a sold out crowd. Anthony Tullo is a driven, rising country-rock star with a vigorous vocal, energetic live show and edgy production, delivering his songs with grit. At the same time, he can easily switch gears, singing a ballad with an unexpected sensitivity and passion. With 20,000 followers on both Twitter and Facebook, he’s already attracting attention on and off social media, with the Canadian Country Music Association calling him “the Bryan Adams of country.” Anthony is also thrilled to sign a record label deal with Music Mentor Productions and owner Peter Linseman - CMAO/SIPO Foundation and Hometown Music Council founding director, who also manages the popular actress/country artist Kate Todd. “Rebel With A Song” sees the bold personality figure of Anthony at a new stage of his career. He’s defiantly made his music with his masterwork in lyricism and unique take on life and love as they change through the years. Anthony recently won the prestigious LA based 2015
Akademia Music Award in the Best Country Pop/ Rock Song category for his self-written song ‘One Day’, off of his driving country rock album ‘Switching Tracks’. He was nominated for the 2015 and 2016 Toronto Independent Music Awards for Best Country Artist, and finished Top 2 at the Ontario Back Roads Country Talent Search. His performance for The Next Country Music Star at Havelock Country Jamboree earned him a headlining spot at the Ranch Resort Music Festival in Bethany ON, July 2017. Anthony nationally released a powerful debut single ‘Back That Truck Up’ in Sept 2014, followed by national single releases ‘Oil’ and ‘Ten Seconds To Sundown’. Anthony has been featured & interviewed numerous times on CP24 and also hit the cover & feature story in Cashbox Magazine and featured Emerging Artist in the June 2015 Canada Country Aircheck. Anthony Tullo is a versatile artist - not only is he an emerging country star, he is also a TV and film actor, script writer, film producer and a martial arts gold medal champion. He has starred in several TV / film projects and national voice over campaigns throughout Canada and US. After guest starring in shows like “Liberty Street” CBC, “Mutant X” & “The Relic Hunter” CITY TV, he landed a supporting lead role in the feature film “A Friday Night Date” starring Casper Van Dien (Melrose Place) and Catharine Oxenburg (Dynasty) and a reoccurring role on the TV show “Out There with Melissa DiMarco” on CITY TV.
The Gift of Music is the best gift you can give a country music fan. There are lot’s of new albums and EP’s out this year that are a must have for any music fan. In this area we help you by spotlighting some of the best from 2016. Maybe an idea would be to get that
music fan on your list an album and maybe a concert or festival ticket for them to see their favourite country stars. Let’s get to it. Here is our list of must have music.
Garth Brooks Gunslinger
Garth’s 11th studio album TRACK LISTING: Honky-Tonk Somewhere Weekend Ask Me How I Know Baby, Lets Lay Down and Dance He Really Loves You Pure Adrenaline Whiskey to Wine Bang! Bang! Cowboys and Friends 8Teen
ANTHONY TULLO
‘REBEL WITH A SONG” Anthony just released his new EP called “Rebel With A Song” and recently held a sold out EP release party at the Gibson Showroom. His first single from this EP “Gasoline” will be released in January. Here is the track listing. 1 Rebel 2 Cowboy Town 3 Dog On a Bone 4 Gasoline 5 Long Road 6 Shotgun Ready Go here to get your copy and visit Anthony online here Mr. Misunderstood: On The Rocks Live and (Mostly) Unplugged New EP From Eric Church Eric Church is deep in planning and rehearsals for his Holdin’ My Own Tour that kicks-off in January, however until fans get their fix in-person, Eric Church is answering their demand with a new release, Mr. Misunderstood On the Rocks Live & (Mostly) Unplugged. The collection features seven songs, six from Mr. Misunderstood, recorded at the Red Rocks Amphitheater is Morrison, Colo. Tracklisting: Mistress Named Music-Red Rocks Medley Chattanooga Lucy Mixed Drinks About Feelings Knives of New Orleans Kill A Word Record Year Hallelujah
LAUREN MAYELL “I’VE CHANGED”
Lauren has had a great year in 2016 with the release of two successful singles “The Good Guy” and “Better Believe” and she toured across the country. Lauren Finished Her EP “I’ve Changed” To Be Released Dec 19 – With Five Of The Songs Co-Written By Lauren Visit Lauren online here to get your copy!
Ripcord Keith Urban This is just one of our favourite albums this year Tracklisting: Gone Tomorrow (Here Today) John Cougar, John Deer, John 3:16 Wasted Time Habit of You Sun Don’t Let Me Down Gettin’ in the Way Blue Ain’t Your Color The Fighter Break On Me Boy Gets a Truck Your Body That Could Still Be Us Worry ‘Bout Nothin’
DEAN BRODY BEAUTIFUL FREAKSHOW Just as the title of the album indicates, the new record, produced by Matt Rovey, is a fascinating mashup of Brody’s broad range of musical preferences, best epitomized by the title track, “Beautiful Freakshow”, which features a rap vocal contribution by Halifax native, Shevy Price. From the popmeets-country vibe of “Bush Party” (released this summer, and the #1 Most Added Single at the time of release), to hints of other genres intertwined with traditional country, there is truly something for everyone on the album, which contains 10 tracks.
Dallas Smith Side Effects Dallas tells us “Autograph” was originally intended for the last album, “Lifted” but Keith Urban had dibs on the song. He was so happy when Keith didn’t record it and it became available for him to release. SIDE EFFECTS Track listing 1. Only One You 2. Side Effects 3. Sky Stays This Blue 4. Tab With My Name On It 5. Autograph 6. 50/50 7. Kids With Cars 8. Hoods And Tailgates 9. One Little Kiss 10. I’m Already Gone 11. Sleepin’ Around 12. Twelve Pack Soundtrack
Christmas music always puts a smile on our faces. It has been said that country Christmas Music is the best which we believe is true. There is nothing like having Christmas music playing in the background when we are decorating the tree or having friends over for a Christmas party to celebrate the season. If you notice
radio stations start playing Christmas music earlier each year. In fact in the US they start late November and go 24/7 Christmas because that is what you thefans want. We have listed what we consider to be the best Christmas music this year. Make sure you watch our special video of Amy Grant making her album. Genevieve Fisher “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas� Really good version of this song!
Hunter Brothers Joy To The World Cool and Unique Version
Don Murdock “It’s Christmas To Me” A song that hits the listener with the message of it’s ok to say Merry Christmas something we have gotten away from. Click on Don’s picture to watch his video!
Two Single from JoJo Mason JoJo Mason Santa Came Away Jo Jo Mason Silent Night
You can’t go wrong with George Strait Strait For The Holidays 30 songs on this two disc CD “I Know What I Want For Christmas” “When It’s Christmas Time In Texas” Plus lots of standards done only the way King George can do them.
Michelle Wright “A Wright Christmas” Is our favourite Christmas Album Lot’s of great Christmas music here!
Kacey Musgrave A Very Kacey Christmas A well done Christmas album with 12 songs Including songs like “Christmas Makes Me Cry” “Ribbons and Bows” “A Willie Nelson Christmas” “What Are You Doing This New Years Eve”
Jennifer Nettles To Celebrate Christmas Of course Jennifer would have a Christmas album. She has hosted CMA A Country Christmas for three years now and appeared in Dolly’s “Coat Of Many Colors” Christmas Special. Some of the songs “Celebrate Me Home:, Circle of Love” “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” “Circle of Love” and More!
Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood Christmas Together 5 Song EP that includes some standards and Songs Like “What I Am Thankful For” “Ugly Christmas Sweaters” “Baby It’s Cold Outside” “Santa Baby”
Rascal Flatts The Greatest Gift Of All You can always count on Rascal Flatts for a great Christmas album and this is one of them with mostly standards!
Brett Eldredge “Glow” All standards with the exception of the title song “Glow” There is 11 songs on this album Brett will appeared on CMA Country Christmas this year plus many more TV shows including a specail from Vegas. He does a great job on this album with a big band sound.
Chris Young “It Must Be Christmas” Chris loves Christmas and it shows in this 4 song EP “Under The Weather” a Song Written by Chris Young/Corey Crowder/Josh Hoge
Amy Grant “Tennessee Christmas” Christmas is a big time for Amy and husband Vince Gill. They tour every year with a big Christmas show. You may not consider Amy country but this 13 song album shines and she calls on Vince for “Baby It’s Cold Outside” Click on her picture to wtach the Go Country Special behind the scenes video with scenes of Amy making the album and at home.
Jason McCoy Christmas At The Grand This album is one of our favorites performed in front of a live audience. Songs like “Dear Santa” with a big band sound to traditional Christmas songs Jason delivers the true feeling of Christmas.
Dean Brody The Woodshed Is Full Dean delivers a cool song. Dean told us that when he was a kid living in BC they would go out in December and cut wood to make sure the woodshed was full. That is where the idea came for this song. Watch the video by clicking on the picture. You can watch all video’s without leaving the magazine. They pop up so you can continue reading.
Kenny Chesney All I Want For Christmas Is A Real Good Tan! Kenny, even though he is from the Smokie Mountain area he obviously like the beach and sun better than snow. This is a cool album with songs like the title track and songs like Alabama’s Christmas In Dixie which Alabama join him on. This is a good album to have in your Christmas collection.
There are so many Christmas albums we can’t possibly list them all. We have listed just some of our favourites here. We are sure each family have their favourites. Make sure you tune into Go Country Online Radio station as we are playing Christmas music 24/7 plus we have the stars of country music come in and talk about their memories or their family traditions. You
can tune in on the web and just let it play. We have very few commercials so we think you enjoy our A Country Christmas. http://gocountry.ca
Go back three years to November 2013 and you would have read about and heard “Christmas To Me” by Don Murdock. This song is a message that a lot of listeners can associate with. “Christmas to Me” battles the “political correctness” that has taken over the season. Don’s not the only artist that feels this way. Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins and many more have the same feeling. Brad Paisley had some fun with a bunch of his friends when he recorded “Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday” (featuring the Kung Pao Buckaroos). It is a song about politicial correctness as well. Toby sent me some liners one year and his focus was we need to forget about being politicially correct. The National Post in their article about Don’s “Christmas To Me” asked Don “What inspired your song? Did a well-meaning store greeter say the wrong thing?” A: Yeah basically. When I was a kid, I would sing Christmas carols door to door. Then, as you prog-
ress through the years, all of a sudden the Christmas spirit is starting to turn into the holiday season. People are wanting to take all of our traditions away. They’ve been trying to do this for quite a few years and I got talking to [the song’s co-writer] Brian Dolph, and said ‘This is an idea I have for a song, what do you think?’ So we sat down together and wrote it. We both 100% agreed with the principles behind the song — why does everything have to be, like we say in the song, politically correct? I’ve got no problem respecting everyone else’s opinion. Why can’t everyone respect mine? It is the time of year that we need to get the message across that it’s ok to say Merry Christmas and we don’t need to be politically correct. Fans around the world have responded to Christmas To Me. Don’s career includes being a firefighter, professor and of course a singer/songwriter that began when he was a tennager.
Don Murdock has always had a passion for country music. He first picked up the guitar in his early teens and has not put it down since. It was during these early years that he fell in love with the classics. Throughout Don’s career as a firefighter then as college professor that love of music remained with him and remained an important part of his life. It was in 2005 that Don decided to jump back into music with both feet and formed a cover band. The band played many shows including fundraising and charity events throughout Southern Ontario. While Don loved playing in that band he also longed to write his own songs. To create his own sound. To record an album that reflected who he was musically. With the release of his debut EP, Don’t Call Me A Hero, Don fulfilled that lifelong dream. Don was a firefighter with the Whitby Fire Department and was part of the Rescue team. It was after one particular incident on New Years day when Don rushed into a fire and rescued a teen male that he was lauded as a hero in the local media. It seemed for the next few months he was always being called a hero. To Don that never felt right. Later that same year his team was called to another incident. This time though the outcome was different. One child was saved while a second and younger child was lost. It was this incident that changed Don Murdock forever. That night he made a silent promise to that young girl. He promised that one day he would do something to honour her memory. The writing, recording and release of Don’t Call Me A Hero fulfilled that promise made almost 30 years ago. Don Murdock was presented Canada’s Medal of Bravery by Governor General Jeanne Sauve, December 5th, 1986. The title track from the EP is the song that most
reveals the heart and soul of Don Murdock the man. Don’t Call Me A Hero is an emotional masterpiece that bears witness to the life of an innocent child lost and a man, tormented and haunted by their traumatic and shared experience. The song has touched many in the community of firefighters and first responders, and is being shared across various social media platforms where tens of thousands have heard the song, read his story, and hundreds have been moved to share their own experiences with Don. According to Canadian Country Air Check, on February 1st 2013, Don’t Call Me A Hero was the #1 DMDS download at Canadian Country Radio and was also the DMDS #8 most active indie song regardless of genre at Canadian commercial radio that same week. The song continues to reach new and unexpected audiences and has an incredible grass roots following. Don’t Call Me A Hero was used as part of the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb in September of 2015 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The stair climb is a charity event to raise funds for 9/11 first responder survivors and for the families of those lost as a result of the tragedy. This September 11th the song was used in a special video for a 9/11 Memorial Service in Womelsdorf, PA and was once again used as part of the inspirational soundtrack for the annual stair climb in Lancaster, PA. Don has also been busy co-writing songs with a number of other Canadian artists. He also co-wrote a beautiful Christmas song for a well known Canadian tenor which is expected to be recorded in time for the 2017 season. As for himself, Don is currently in rehearsals with a new band tentatively named The Break of Dawn. He and the band are busy writing songs and preparing to record a new album to coincide with the summer tour season. They hope to announce the album release and tour dates early in the new year.
CHRISTMAS WITH MICHELLE WRIGHT Christmas for Marco and I represents the birth of Christ and our home is filled with joy during this time of year as we celebrate along with enjoying the music, the decorations, the gift giving and family and friends coming together. No matter what your faith or point of view, Marco and I see Christmas as a beautiful time of year for so many of us and a season that is celebrated in a variety of ways. But before our celebration starts, the deco-rations come down from the attic. For some that might mean a wreath for the door and perhaps a Christmas tree and for others like myself it means possibly, just saying maybe, going a bit over the top.
Traditionally Marco and I go and pick out the Christmas tree together and I try to have all of the decorations up by December 1st.
But when I do my “I’m Dreaming of A Wright Christmas” tour, which often starts the last week of November the Christmas decorations will go up the middle of November. I am sure there are a few years that my neighbors must have thought, “Wow, she really likes Christmas because her house is already decorated.”
As a Canadian I miss the snow at Christmas time but occasionally here in Nashville we will get a pleasant sur-prise and the snow will fall and even stay for a day or two which delightfully adds to the Christmas spirit.
But to be honest it doesn’t take my family and I much to get into the Christmas spirit. I do have a variety of Christmas pjs, which I pretty much live in for a few days around the holiday and then when my husband brings home accessories like these hats we quickly turn into a bunch of kids. For this picture we put the camera on the counter, set the timer and jumped in front of it. I will cherish forever the memory that was captured with Marco, his sister Celeste and her husband Pat. A lot of laughing was going on here.
Our dogs love Christmas too. This will be our first Christmas without Winter and Lycos. Lycos sure did love his Christmas coat and Winter always loved to sleep by the Christmas tree. We will miss them so much.
No doubt, one of the things that the dogs enjoy is getting a few extra treats at Christmas because cooking and eating are two of our favorite things to do. Sometimes it’s Italian and sometimes it is Polish but most times it’s a combination. Typically we start with borscht which is a beet soup celebrating my Polish heritage.
We follow the soup by the preparation of the garlic for the best marinara sauce I have ever tasted to put on any choice of pasta. Yummy!!!
Along with this tradition, we also always watch “It’s A Wonderful Life”, “White Christmas” and “Miracle On 34th Street”. The newest addition to this tradition is the movie “Elf ”. I didn’t know if it was possible that someone else could enjoy Christmas as much as I do. So without further ado from our house to yours.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Editors Note: We want to thank Michelle and Marco for sharing their family Christmas with us. We highly recommend that you pick-up a copy of Michelle’s Christmas album “A Wright Christmas” Here is a perfect Christmas Gift MICHELLE WRIGHT coming home to build A New Animal Shelter! Tickets at 519-354-8338 or http://www.chathamcapitoltheatre.com or http://www.cktickets.com
We all have those people on our list that are hard to buy for. We took some time and looked around the web to see what we could fine. And we found some cool ideas. Ugly sweaters just don’t cut it with us. The
gift of music is always our first choice but some of these ideas are cool as well. This section we devote to different gift ideas that we feel will fit the bill of the hard to buy for.
Guitar 3D LED Illusion Lamp The Guitar 3D LED Illusion Lamp from the Music collection is a combination of art and technology that creates an optical 3D illusion and plays tricks on the eyes. From afar, you will see the design, but as you get up close, you see a thin acrylic glass sheet that’s completely flat. It’s bound to dazzle and impress your guests while always lighting up the room and your lives. This playful product combines man made fibers with natural materials and produced using both machines and artisan handwork. Perfect for displaying in your bedroom, living room, office, as a night lamp or any way you want to use it. The regular price is $99. USD but we found it on sale for $59.99 USD Go to https://www.lampeez.com/collections/music-3d-led-illusion-lamps/products/guitar-3d-ledillusion-lamp
RING We all have security concerns when it comes to our homes. See who’s there, from anywhere. With wide angled HD video, smart motion detection, and cloud recording, it’s like you’re home even when you’re not. You shouldn’t have to arrange your life around a delivery schedule. With the Ring™ Video Doorbell, you don’t have to. Always know when your package arrives - whether you’re upstairs or across town. There are many similar products but we found this one to be reasonable and seems to work really well. It is priced at $199. which is a good price to keep your family and home safe. No need to wonder if something is going on outside your home, see for yourself. Built-in motion sensors detect any activity on your property and triggerinstant mobile alerts, giving you peace of mind when you’re away. Ring provides a new level of security, by notifying you
when someone is on your property and letting you see and speak with anyone at your front door. Imagine being home alone at night, and answering the door in complete safety and comfort. The big thing right now is home invasions which is scary. Now you would be able to have a video if this ever happens to you and something that will help police capture whoever did this to you. Go here to find out more https://ring.com/
Window Solar Charger If you are reading this magazine no doubt you are doing it on your mobile phone. I constantly are running out of battery with my phone. You can use this in your vehicle as well. Priced at $79.95 Canadian. ABS recharge portal (7,5x7,5 cm) With a rechargeable lithium battery (1400mAh) Big USB port Small USB port LED light (which lights up green when the battery is fully recharged) Go here to find out more information http://giftideascanada.com/window-solar-charger/
Vineyeards and Cideries Giftbox If you have someone on your list that likes wine and cider and live close to Quebec this might be the perfect gift. You live in Quebec, or maybe you want to make someone discover the vines and ciders from Quebec. This giftbox proposes to choose a vineyard or cideries between 16 beautiful places and landscapes. A nice gift for wine lovers! This gift box is for 2 people which is a great gift idea if you want to share a moment with a loved one. You also can simply offer it! Priced at $99.99 Canadian http://giftideascanada.com/vineyeards-cideries-giftbox/
Giant Beer Glass
Bike Phone Holder
We are country fans and like our beer. Some people like beer. But some people take beer seriously. Hold five cans of beer at once and show your friends just where your loyalties lie--with the drink of the gods of course! Holds five cans of beer and is just $16.99 Go here for more info.
Bike and talk or look up directions on your phone! With a phone holder for your bike it’s safe and easy to keep your tech close even while you’re weaving through traffic or cycling up that hill that needs 110% of your attention. Free up your hands and keep pedaling! Priced at $9.99 makes for a perfect gift for the bike rider in your family. Find out more here
We went out and talked to some of the stars of country music about their Christmas and their families. We talked about traditions, memories and what they will be doing this year at Christmas. Over the next few pages we will spotlight some of country’s biggest stars. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have three daughters, but two of them have moved out of the house to attend college, so Christmas will be extra special when they all return home for the holidays.
Faith Hill – “They’ve already made their request about, ‘Are we going to have this, are we gonna have that set up where it was last year? Are you going to put out the village this year?’ They’re hinting…
Fortunately, no matter how grown they are, Tim and Faith’s daughters still long for Christmastime at mom and dad’s. Tim says, “They’re hinting that just because we’re gone doesn’t mean you’re not going to do the house like you always do when they were kids. So they still want the house to look like it did when they lived there and they were kids. So they want to be able to come home and still feel like it always has to them.” Tim and Faith’s youngest daughter, Audrey, is still living at home, and Tim jokes that she only has one request for Christmas. She wants to know, ‘Do the sisters have to come home for Christmas?’
Tim McGraw – “They’re hinting that just because we’re gone doesn’t mean you’re not going to do the house like you always do when they were kids. So they still want the house to look like it did when they lived there and they were kids. So they want to be able to come home and still feel like it always has to them.” Faith – “So that’s important. We’ll make extra sure that that happens for sure. And for Audrey too. Lordy, she has made many requests about how the house should look.” Tim – “Well her main request is, ‘Do the sisters have to come home for Christmas?’”
Jennifer Nettles has been busy this holiday season, promoting her new Christmas album, To Celebrate Christmas, plus her latest single, “Hey Heartbreak,” and hosting CMA Country Christmas, plus starring in the latest Dolly Parton Christmas of Many Colors, Circle of Love movie. But no matter how busy she is, for Jennifer, the holidays are all about her son Magnus. She says, “I have a son who’s almost four years old and for me it has become all about that. I mean it’s always been about family and food and those things are usually the traditions that we really celebrate, but now getting to see the holiday through his eyes getting to celebrate that tradition with him is pretty special for me.” If you missed Jennifer in the Dolly Parton movie on NBC, it will be released on DVD on December 20th.
When it comes to Christmas, the guys in Rascal Flatts are just like other families with their own traditions and ways of celebrating with their families. All of the guys share the tradition of dressing in matching pajamas with their families on Christmas Eve. Gary laughs and says, “With our names on ‘em, like we don’t know who lives in the house.” Joe Don Rooney and his family have another unique tradition he’s trying to carry on from his childhood. He says, “We used to have Mexican food on Christmas Eve. My mama always wanted to have Mexican food. We try to do that now, and well, I’d have Mexican food any day of the week, but Christmas Eve is always kind of fun to do it to keep that tradition alive.”
For Jay DeMarcus and his family, Christmas Eve is all about pizza and lights. He says, We used to pile in the car every Christmas Eve and go downtown and look at the lights and then we’d come back home and order pizza on Christmas Eve and open one gift. And that’s kind of, we still carry that over. We order pizza and they open one gift.” Rascal Flatts just released their first-ever Christmas album this year, called The Greatest Gift of All, and they’re hoping a lot of families will make their album part of their annual holiday traditions.
Thomas Rhett has been on vacation in Africa with his wife Lauren, but when they get home, it will be all about decking out their house to the extreme for Christmas because it’s Lauren’s favorite holiday. When it comes to decorations and a festive atmosphere in their house, Thomas says, “It is really intense. It stays on, it’s not ABC family anymore, but it stays on Freeform and I swear it’s nothing but Elf 20 times in December and all the Harry Potter movies and the Kenny Chesney talks about a favorite holiday song from his youth that he later recorded — and he got to sing it with the original vocalist, Alabama’s Randy Owen “Growin’ up in the South, I can just remember hearin’ that a lot. I mean, every Christmas, you heard Alabama. You heard Randy Owen singing ‘Christmas in Dixie.’ And it was just one of those songs that…you know, my hometown radio station played every year. And I just always remember lovin’ that song, and then I got into the music business and was able to get to know Randy and Mark [Herndon], Teddy [Gentry], and Jeff [Cook]. They just mean so much to me. And you know, to have Randy Tyler Farr is all about keeping it real when it comes to Christmas trees. “Definitely a real Christmas tree guy. We went to Christmas Tree Lane — this place in Missouri — out in the middle of nowhere every year and cut down a Christmas tree. And I wanted the biggest Christmas tree, and I was all…every bit of 90 pounds, but I wanted to saw the thing down myself,
old school Rudolph. We get the biggest tree, I mean sometimes it hits our ceiling and bends. We’re like the Griswold’s.” Thomas and Lauren also love to celebrate the holidays with their friends. He says, “We always have an ugly Christmas sweater party every year and we invite 100 of our friends over and it’s always a really good time, but we love Christmas.” come in and to lend his voice to one of my records was just an awesome feelin’. Somethin’ that I’ll be able to have forever. It’s pretty cool.” Kenny Chesney recalls his contribution to a school Christmas play. “I think one time I held the star, you know, and did it behind them. You know, I didn’t…never did show my face. I was holding the star going through the night. That’s all I did. I remember doing that one year. But all my other buddies was Joseph and Mary and all that stuff. I never did, really, get out on stage that much. Never really did sing in the Christmas play and…no, I was pretty scared to get up there then!” (laughs) and it never happened but, that’s one of the things that people don’t do a whole lot of anymore, but I’m a big real Christmas tree guy. I proudly endorse real pine…or spruce or cedar, whatever they’re made of.” Favorite movies “Christmas Vacation, definitely. [A] Christmas Story is right up there. A new one that I like is Four Christmases. Gosh, that’s gotta be my favorite one.”
Miranda Lambert shows-off her softer side during the holidays. “I love, love, love holidays. I mean, just, it’s my time to really be a girl. And I grew up, you know, with all the decorations and cookin’, and I get really domestic during holidays. And it’s kind of weird ’cause it’s so opposite of who I am on stage. But I love to bake cookies and cook dinner for the whole family, and I have every decoration you can think of. I like to have a tree in every room, and I mean, I really…that’s my time to just get ultra-girly, and I love holidays. And also it’s my time off usually, because there’s not really a lot going on during holidays, and so I really get to spend time with people I really care about.”
Jerrod Niemann is a great singer, but he’s no wrapper. “I do try to wrap my own gifts, and I am totally a guy. I mean, I am sure some guys are good at that stuff, I just…I mean, I can’t even cut a straight line with scissors, and one time I got suckered into working at this clothing store for, like, the holidays when I was in high school, and they had me in the gift-wrapping area, and you should have seen these poor people when I handed them their gifts. I mean, as you can imagine, it looks like I purposely did it. I know when they got home they just re-wrapped them because it was hideous. And so Jake Owen says that “White Christmas” was a holiday fantasy where he grew up. “Where I grew up in Florida, we didn’t have snowy white Christmases like you hear about. You know, it’s kind of weird. You grow up, and Christmas is always portrayed as this cold and snow-white (singing) ‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,’ all that stuff, and it’s like, I never got that. I never saw that growin’ up. I had palm trees, and it was always 72 or 75 degrees and sunny on Christmas Day where we were from, and you didn’t get to wear the Christmas sweaters and stuff like that. It was like, we didn’t have that.”
my mom usually likes to wrap the present I get for people because she didn’t want the Christmas tree to look like it’s covered in trash.” Despite his best efforts, Jerrod Niemann’s childhood home movies always resurface at the holidays. (:14) “It’s weird, it’s sort of like, I burn these videos, these Christmas videos, so I don’t have to be humiliated by them anymore, but they somehow reappear the next year. I don’t know how, maybe my parents just make copies, it never dawned on me.”
Eight-year-old Brad Paisley actually had his mind set on other Christmas gifts the year he got his first guitar from his grandfather. “That’s just like my kids now and any other kid. Your priorities are…all they care about, I know, is the right toy. They get obsessed with a certain toy. They might get into Batman or Cars or Transformers, and for those weeks where that is the focus, they save-up a little money, or when they have a birthday or anything come up, all that matters is one strange thing. They’ll get it in their mind that they need a certain Transformer, you know, that they need Starscream — and that’s a lot like me. I’m that way. I mean, I get obsessed with things, and maybe that’s why I have such a good work ethic. I think somebody who’s obsessive that way can really work hard. But for me, at eight years old, it was, you know, the Millennium Knowing Trisha Yearwood’s affinity for the kitchen, if you think that her house probably smells great at Christmastime, you’d be right! “Our house does smell amazing during Christmas — and it looks amazing during Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday, so I am that girl that decorates over the top. I can’t wait to get the Christmas tree up, and I try to put it up…I used to be the girl that said, ‘Man, they just shouldn’t be talkin’ about Christmas before we get through Thanksgiving,’ but now I want to put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving because I want as much time — you put a lot of time
Falcon or Battlestar Galactica or something. It wasn’t a guitar. I knew I was getting a guitar ’cause he had told me he was gonna do that, but, you know, I was not that excited about it.” Brad really gets into the holiday rush as a last-minute shopper. “I’m pretty last-minute. Most guys are, I think, are like me. You just don’t invest enough, you don’t think ahead and plan it. I really do end up somewhere like the mall or something on the 24th. It’s a shame. It’s really a waste of what should be a fun day, ’cause you know, here I am scrambling around going, ‘Oh, I think they’ll like that.’ They may have never heard of it, and I don’t know what it is necessarily, but let’s buy it! And I could give it to somebody. (laughs) You end up buying all these things, and it’s just a waste.”
into decorating your house, you know, I mean, we’d string garland and lights and the whole bit — and I want ’em to be up as long as they can. And yes, I do everything from obviously the holiday meals to my friends and I have what we call a ‘cookie party,’ and everybody comes over, and we bake our favorite cookies. And so there’s tons of mixers goin’, tons of ovens goin’, and tons of cookies. And then we all make plates and trade out and give ’em away and stuff. So, it does smell good at my house during the holidays.”
Carrie Underwood talks about her family’s caroling visits to a local nursing home. “We would walk up and down the halls and sing Christmas carols. I mean, we sang, ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,’ we sang ‘Silent Night,’ we sang, just all those songs that everybody knows, and it was just a really cool thing that we did. I really wish we still did it. We quit when my grandma got sick, but it was just one of those things that, you know, a lot of people that…it’s really easy to forget about people during that time of year, ’cause there’s so much going on, and it was a really cool thing that we did. We’d go to the nursing home and bring a little Christmas cheer with us.” Carrie never had to wonder what she was getting for Christmas. “One thing you learn in my family is that my mother is…um…a blabbermouth. And ever since I was little, Chris Young shares his family’s tree-decorating tradition. “I’ve got traditions at my house. Every year, me and my family always make a point, we all put up the tree together at my parents’ house. Whether I put up a tree in my house or, you know, anybody else in our family does it, we always put up a tree at their house. And it’s funny, ’cause we have the boxes and boxes of ornaments that don’t match, but somehow, once they all get on the tree, it looks like we were meant to do that. So, you know, we’ve got ornaments from when my parents were kids and when we were kids, and you talk about that when you’re hangin’ stuff on the tree. And it’s just a time to really remember everything that you’ve done and be with your family. And it’s one of my favorite times of year…it just is.”
I have known every single Christmas present I have ever gotten, ever. I’m not one for surprises, and yeah, I’ve always known my presents before Christmas. But I didn’t have to, like, sneak around and find out what they were, ’cause Mom told me.” Carrie remembers a great gift — and one that still has her wondering. “I remember gettin’ a Teddy Ruxpin when I was little, and I just thought that that was the coolest thing ever. I got a tent one year, too. I don’t really know what that was about. I don’t quite remember asking Santa for a tent.” Carrie is not a fan of Christmas shopping. “I hate shopping for Christmas presents. I kind of wander around aimlessly in malls and stores and whatnot, thinking, ‘Now what would…fill in the blank…what would this person like? Hmmm. Oh, yeah, that looks like her! Okay, I’ll get that.’” Chris Young remembers his childhood Christmas mornings. “My parents pretty much just knew to wake up at six in the mornin’, five in the morning, like as soon as the sun comes up, ’cause that was the rule. My parents told me, they were like, ‘Okay, now you know you can’t come down and open presents until the sun comes up.’ As soon as I saw pretend light through my window, I was downstairs, and I was goin’, ‘Can we…I wanna go open stuff!’ And of course, then my parents did the whole thing of ‘Okay, wait, we’ve got to videotape you.’ So they would make us wait, and we would start getting all of our presents into piles for us to open. So, it was definitely…we were just like every other kid at Christmas — me and my sister both. We went nuts.”
THE SMOKIE MOUNTAINS ON FIRE!
Each year as often as I can I make the four hour trip to the Smokies to relax, sit in a hot tub in a secluded log cabin in and around Gatlinburg. We usually will make this trip three or four times a year. You never think that even though it is in the mountains that anything like this would happen. Gatlinburg reminds me of Banff being a small town full of tourists. For those that have never been the streets are full of tourists shopping and taking in the sites and maybe going to Dollywood or one of the many attractions to see. Our time there is spent in nature usually away from town with nothing around but trees, animals, streams and nature trails. This time of year is when people go to the Smokies to take in all the Christmas decorations and lights a beautiful site to see. This area is the area where Dolly was born and raised. It is also the
same area where Kenny Chesney comes from. Dolly still has a lot of family living in the area. The death toll is up to ten now. Several others are said to be missing after the blazes scorched roughly 15,000 acres in a resort-heavy area of eastern Tennessee, which showered residents with embers and forced tourists to evacuate from their accommodations. More than 700 buildings were either damaged or destroyed in Sevier County and in the Gatlinburg city limits, Waters said. The fires spread with little warning Monday from the Great Smoky Mountains into inhabited areas in and near the resort towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Waters said about 53 people were injured, and many of them have been released from the hospital.
Dolly made a special announcement last night. DOLLY ANNOUNCES MY PEOPLE FUND In a video message released last evening, Dolly Parton announced a new effort by The Dollywood Company and The Dollywood Foundation to establish a fund to assist the victims of the Great Smoky Mountain wildfires in Tennessee. The new My People Fund will provide $1000 each month to Sevier County families who lost their homes. “I’ve always believed charity begins at home and my home is some place special,” Parton explained. “That’s why I’ve asked my Dollywood Companies-including the Dollywood theme park, and DreamMore Resort; my dinner theater attractions including Dixie Stampede and Lumberjack Adventure; and my Dollywood Foundation-to help me establish the My People Fund.
“We want to provide a hand up to those families who have lost everything in the fires. I know it has been a trying time for my people and this assistance will help get them back on their feet.” Anyone who would like to contribute to the My People Fund may visit dollywoodfoundation.org.
JAKE OWEN REWARDED FOR GIVING BACK
RCA’s Jake Owen will receive an Arnie Award alongside Peyton Manning and Phil Mickelson as part of Golf Digest’s “Golfers Who Give Back” during the Pebble Beach Pro-Am Feb. 7. “Receiving this award with Arnold Palmer’s name on it and what it represents means everything to me,” says Owen. “To receive an Arnie the same year as Peyton and Phil Mickelson, who I respect so much, is simply mind blowing. I’m extremely grateful. I will probably cry when they present it to me and so will my Dad, who taught me how to play golf when I was just a little kid.” Owen’s upcoming sold-out 10th annual charity concert in his Vero Beach, FL hometown Dec. 9 will benefit the Jake Owen Foundation, which to date has raised $1.25 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and local children’s charities. _______________________________________ DUSTIN LYNCH PREMIERES SIZZLING VIDEO FOR CHART-RISING SINGLE “SEEIN’ RED” Broken Bow Records’ artist DUSTIN LYNCH brings the blood-pumping lust of “Seein’ Red” to life in an epic new music video, a sizzling clip making its exclusive world premiere today (11/30) on Entertainment Tonight and ETonline.com
REBA AND BROOKS AND DUNN STAY IN VEGAS
As we all know, what happens in VEGAS, stays in VEGAS, including the extravaganza known as “REBA, BROOKS & DUNN: TOGETHER IN VEGAS.” Twelve new shows spanning JUNE through DECEMBER of 2017 have been added to their longstanding residency at THE COLOSSEUM at CAESARS PALACE, extending this engagement well into next year, making it the longest-running Country music residency since the venue opened in 2003. _________________________________________ Kenny Chesney Adds SECOND Gillette Stadium Show Aug. 26 Kenny Chesney can’t get enough of Boston. With his Aug. 25, 2017 show at Gillette Stadium not even on sale yet, the buzz surrounding the 8-time Entertainer of the Year’s only stadium appearance of 2017 is so strong that a second show is being added. Tickets for both the August 25 and August 26 shows will go on sale Friday, Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. EST
GINGERBREAD HOUSES A FAMILY PROJECT This is a fun project for families and the kids love being involved. There are a few ways of doing this. One is to start from scratch however this is very time consuming and a great deal of work. I would recommend however that a pre-made kit might be the
easiest and the kids can start decorating right away. Not only that it is simple and a fun project for the family. We have searched and found a few that are different designs and different price ranges.
This Gingerbread House is available at Canadian Tire stores for just $10.99 and there are three models to choose from. I liked the fact that it is all ready to decorate out of the box.
CREATE A TREAT We found a company in Bramton, ON called Create a Treat. Create A Treat is one of the leading manufacturers of Gingerbread House Kits and Cookie Decorating Kits in North America. The company not only offers a full line of branded seasonal decorating kits but they specialize in private label and custom design packaging that is unique to the industry. Create A Treat’s manufacturing operation is currently housed in a new 140,000 square foot building located in Brampton Ontario. Create A Treat’s facility is HACCP certified, North America’s highest standard of manufacturing practices. The company’s vertically integrated operation allows them to be a low cost efficient producer of gingerbread products. The company was founded in 1997 with one goal in mind to make the best Gingerbread House Kit possible at the best price. This focus on one specific product has been the key reason for its success as a company. Over the years they have continually strived to make improvements to its decorating kits and the first major product innovation can be seen in its patented “EZ Build”Tray. The “EZ Build” Tray is a food grade plastic base with built-in grooves to hold the gingerbread house pieces together. This base has made the activity of
building a gingerbread house fast and easy and that means more time to decorate and have fun. The next major product improvement was in the development of its pre-made icing. In the past Gingerbread House Kits came with powered icing that needs to be mixed with water where the resulting icing could vary considerably between consumers. Create A Treat took the guesswork out of this process and developed a pre-made icing that is consistent, easy to use and works well for both the building and decorating of the Gingerbread House. Over the years, Create A Treat has seen tremendous growth in Seasonal Decorating Kit Category and for many families the activity of building and decorating gingerbread house has now become an annual tradition. In the last decade the company has enjoyed dramatic growth and their extensive product line now includes gingerbread building kits for all seasons and many unique decorating kits such as the as the “EZ Build” Train and “EZ Build” Tree Kit. Create A Treat Ltd is all about creating lasting memories with fun and engaging activity kits that kids and adults can enjoy together. We thought we’d share some pictures with you. You can go to their web site http://www.createatreat.com/index.html
IT’S TURKEY TIME If you are like me Christmas means turkey with all the trimmings. If you crave crispy, crackling turkey skin, this is the bird for you! A few simple techniques result in a juicy, rosemary-scented turkey with skin that’s wonderfully caramelized. It won’t be like the Griswald’s turkey we promise. Ingredients: 1 (14-pound) turkey, giblets removed 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus additional for garnish 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt 2 teaspoons ground black pepper Method: Pat turkey dry inside and out with paper towels. Starting at the opening of the turkey cavity, gently ease your fingers beneath the skin to create air space over the breast and legs. Place turkey on a rack set in a roasting pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight or up to two days to allow the skin to dry slightly. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pat cavity of bird dry if necessary. In a small bowl, combine chopped rosemary, oil, salt and pepper and make a paste. Rub about 1/3 of paste underneath the skin onto breast and thigh meat. Rub remaining paste over skin and inside cavity. Tie turkey legs together with kitchen string and tuck wing tips underneath body. Place turkey upside down (back will be up, breast and legs will be pointing down) on the rack and roast until skin on back is deeply browned, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove turkey from the oven, protecting your hands with
gloves or a folded kitchen towel, and turn turkey breastside up. Continue to roast until breast and legs are nicely browned and the joints at the leg and wing begin to be flexible, about 1 more hour. Raise the oven temperature to 475°F. Continue roasting until skin is browned and crisp, and a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) registers 165°F and juices run clear when you poke the thigh with a paring knife, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Remove turkey from the oven and place on a cutting board. Let rest, uncovered, about 25 minutes before carving. Arrange carved turkey on a platter garnished with rosemary sprigs. Obviously there are all the sides that go with it. Mashed potatoes, corn, green beans mac and cheese, must have cranberries and must have stuffing. Here is our favourite stuffing recipe. Ingredients: 1 (8-inch) pan of cornbread, either homemade or from a mix, cut into cubes 8 slices hearth bread, cubed 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 1 medium onion, diced 2 stalks celery, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon rubbed sage 1 teaspoon dried marjoram 1 teaspoon dried parsley 10 dried apple rings, chopped (optional) Sea salt, to taste Ground pepper, to taste 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Method: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread cornbread and hearth bread on a cookie sheet and bake until golden, 20 minutes or so. Let cool. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine cornbread, hearth bread, vegetables, herbs, and apple slices. Season with salt and pepper. Combine remaining melted butter and stock, pour over bread mixture, and toss. Fill the cavity of a 14 pound turkey or bake in a covered baking dish in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes. We also have ham with the dinner for those that don’t like turkey or like both. Here is our favourite hame recipe.
ROASTED SPIRAL-SLICED HAM WITH MAPLE AND ORANGE MARMALADE GLAZE Ingredients: 1 (7-pound) pre-cooked spiral-sliced ham 1 cup grade B maple syrup 1/2 cup orange marmalade 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 oranges, sliced (optional) 6 cinnamon sticks (optional) Method: Preheat oven to 325°F. Using a sharp paring knife, make shallow crosshatch cuts all over the outside of the ham. Arrange ham in a large roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine syrup, marmalade,
juice, ground cinnamon, pepper and cloves in a small bowl to make a glaze. After ham has baked for 30 minutes, remove from oven; increase oven temperature to 425°F. Arrange oranges and cinnamon sticks (if using) around ham in roasting pan, then brush ham and oranges liberally all over with glaze, pouring remaining glaze over the ham. Return to oven and bake, basting about every 10 minutes, until ham is hot throughout and caramelized on the outside, about 45 minute more. Transfer ham to a platter and set aside to let rest for 15 minutes. Arrange oranges and cinnamon sticks around ham and serve. As we mentioned all the sides will go with the ham as well. Desearts we include are punpkin pie, cherry pie, apple pie and cheesecake. After eating such a big meal we usually go for a walk and come back and watch a Christmas movie. We either watch a classic like It’s A Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart or Miracle on 34th Street and then we have the National Lampoon’s Christmas a very funny movie. There are so many movies it’s impossible to list them all.
THE FUTURE STARS OF COUNTRY MUSIC We love to feature new artists and new music. There are many new artists that have been working hard for years to build a fan base and to create music that can stand up against the biggest stars of country music. Indie artists have a hard road often spending their own money and putting all their energy into creating the best product possible. Today we will spotlight nine artists that we feel
will be the stars of tomorrow. There are many more and we will continue to spotlight artists in future issues. Today we spotlight Anthony Tullo, Lauren Mayell, Ashlynne Vince, Anthony Young, Stevie Jewel, Andrew Frelick, Tianna Woods, Lisa Moen and Chillbilly. Check them out and listen to their music. We feel 2017 will be a great year for this gorup of artists.
ANTHONY TULLO We have followed Anthony for a couple of years now. He just released his new EP called “Rebel With A Song” and recently held a sold out EP release party at the Gibson Showroom. Anthony and his band Ed Stepanic (Rhythm guitar), Jack Wilczynski (Bass guitar), Adam Langley (Lead guitar) and Joe Bartello (Drums) kept the audience rockin all night long. Anthony as always left the crowd wanting more. His first single from this EP “Gasoline” will be released in January. Anthony is ready to break nationally in 2017 and we are sure fans will welcome “Anthony’s Rebel With A Song” with open arms.
LAUREN MAYELL Lauren has had a great year in 2016 with the release of two successful singles “The Good Guy” and “Better Believe” and she toured across the country meeting radio station programmers on her radio tour with her sidekick dog. Lauren performed at over 80 Shows And Events Including 40 Radio Stations And Two TV Shows Across Canada, And she Finished Her EP “I’ve Changed” To Be Released Dec 19 – With Five Of The Songs Co-Written By Lauren. Two New Singles Will Be Released To Radio In 2017 From The EP. We can’t wait to hear more from Lauren. She is a star in the making and we feel 2017 will be her year.
Tianna Woods It is said that music gives soul to the universe. Tianna Woods is the personification of that thought. Radio audiences connect with her songs because they speak of real life with real heart. Award winning Canadian country artist Tianna Woods releases her latest single “20 Bucks and a Tank of Gas”. A theme all too familiar to Canadians from coast to coast. Millennial audiences will connect instantly with this upbeat & fun filled song that speaks about living in the moment and taking the bull by the horns. You only live once so don’t let anything stop you from jumping in the car and hitting the gas to the fast lane of life. We will hear a lot from Tianna in 2017.
ANTHONY YOUNG
been passionate about music nearly all of his life. Since We love spotlighting new tal- first picking up a guitar at 12, ent and especially new young Young has gone on to record talent as they are the future of two singles and has performed at countless venues our industry. Today’s spotand events. light is Anthony Young! He has star quality and reminds of the many artists I have met Young’s latest single, Far Away, written by Young in the early stages of their careers and now are country’s and arranged by renowned producer Adam Newcomb, is biggest stars. just the latest example of the obvious writing, vocal, and Anthony is a 17 year-old Whitby, Ontario singer-song- instrumental talent that he is capable of. writer. Anthony Young has
ASHLYNNE VINCE We have some great talent in Canada and Ashlynne Vince is one to watch. She is already creating a buzz within the industry. She has played the major Honky Tonks in Nashville, which reminds us of Terri Clark when she first came to Nashville and has spent time learning how the music industry works. She is from Welland Ontario and her current single is called “Stupid Love”. One of the highlights during the 2016 Festival Season in Ontario, was being chosen as a Spotlight Artist at the Trackside Music Festival joining the stage with Florida Georgia Line, Randy Houser, Brett Kissel, and Jess Moskaluke to name a few. Watch for a big year in 2017 for Ashlynne Vince.
STEVIE JEWEL Ontario born Stevie Jewel is Katy Perry meets Country with a twist of Southern Rock. Multi award winning and Grammy nominated before she turned 20, Stevie has performed at The White House, Country Music Week leading up to the CCMA Awards, and all over the U.S. to great acclaim. We asked Stevie about her single Bad Habit “We were talking over ideas and then somehow the words “bad habit” were said and we knew right then, that was the idea for the song! The whole thing was finished in less than two hours and when one of my producers, Will Edwards, heard the song he said, “That’s a hit!” What’s coming up for 2017? My team and I are about to start working on a full album! I’ve released several singles and now I’m so excited to be working on an album. We are also working on live dates and you can find the full schedule of live performances on my website, http://www.steviejewel.com
CHILLBILLY They say that music is the language of the soul, and nothing could be truer for CHILLBILLY. Composed of a group of inspirational musicians and skillful performers, the artists behind ChillBilly have earned their reputation as a talented band to look out for. From live gigs to studio sessions and more, they continue to touch fans around the world with their distinct and enjoyable musical style. The band is made up of Garrett Buchfink, Lead Singer, Garrett has been with ChillBilly from the very beginning. As Lead Singer, they take on quite a lot of responsibility, from fine-tuning the musical arrangements to assisting other bandmates with perfecting their performances. Kenny Sitter, Lead Guitar, Kenny is truly a pro. Crowds always love seeing him in full performance mode, and the band couldn’t be happier to have such an incredible guitarist up on stage and in the studio with them. Greg Carroll, Bass & Vocals, A band wouldn’t be complete without its Bass Player, and ChillBilly couldn’t have asked for a better one than the talented Greg Carroll. They play an instrumental role in the success and musical progression of the band.Chillbilly’s new single is called “Hot with Her Hair Down” and is creating quite a buzz at radio across Canada. Take a few minutes and watch their cool video. Simple click on the picture below. Visit them online at http://www.chillbilly.ca/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/chillbillyboys/ Chillbilly is one to watch in 2017.
ANDREW FRELICK Music is in Andrew’s blood. Dynamic and determined are just two words that can best describe Halifax, NS born country artist, Andrew Frelick! Growing up in nearby Bridgewater, NS, Andrew is a natural talent delivering rich vocals, country guitar, and a polished live off the floor sound. Rapidly building momentum following artist showcase performances during the 2015 CMA Fest & CCMA weeks, Andrew is making his mark in country music, and is definitely one to watch. It just so happens that Andrews Aunt is none other than Carrol Baker. Andrew has a cool new single “When I Was Little” and will be opened for Carrol in November. The thing that caught our attention is that Andrew is a family man first (just follow him on social media) and music is a close second. Andrew has made a mark in the Martimes and Nashville and we see him breaking nationally across Canada in 2017.
LISA MOEN Lisa wrote her new single “All I Ask Of You” in hopes to inspire her fans to never give up on their dreams and to have them relate to the experiences she’s gone through in her life. She reflects in this song to her earliest memory of singing, a solo in the church choir when she was 6 years old, after she finishes her song and goes back to sit beside her mom in the little church pew her mother turned to her and said, “Wow girl you can sing!! If this is something you love, you go and make your destiny come true!”. These words stuck. Lisa has been singing since age 6, professionally since age 19. Lisa was the Saskatchewan Country Music Award “Rising Star” Winner in 2015, Voted Planet S Magazine’s “Best New Act” 2015 and on the Cover of PINK Magazine, a Saskatchewan Woman Entrepre neur Magazine. Lisa has opened for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Trooper, and performed multiple times on the Saskatchewan Main Stage at Craven Country Jamboree. Lisa has released 4 original songs to Canadian Country Radio, “Silly Boys Trucks Are For Girls”, “Testdrive”, “Before Sundown” and now.. “All I Ask Of You” Joining Lisa in her band and musical performances is Lisa’s dad, Myles Myrol. Myles is no stranger to the Country Music scene in Saskatchewan as he is a 4 time Saskatchewan Country Music Association winner with his previous band The Myrol Brothers. Myles has been in Lisa’s bands on either drums, bass or guitar for the past 15 years. Performing “All I Ask Of You” with her dad is a full circle experience as he was there encouraging Lisa through all of life’s obstacles and supporting her with musical projects and opportunities since she was a very young age.
VINCE GILL JOINS SONGBIRDS GUITAR MUSEUM AS AMBASSADOR Grammy-winning musician Vince Gill has been named an ambassador for Songbirds Guitar Museum, the world’s largest private collection of rare, vintage guitars. The museum will open to the public in early 2017. Located next to the Chattanooga Choo Choo, the museum is a guitar-oriented, pop culture experience for the whole family. A Grand Opening Celebration will take place on March 9. Gill, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, will showcase his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing, and soaring tenor vocals at the Grand Opening Celebration. In addition, he will lend his voice and expertise to Songbirds Guitar Museum as it
shares its unparalleled collection through its permanent and rotating historical exhibits. “This is the most impressive collection of rare, vintage guitars I have seen,” says Gill, who will curate some of the exhibits. “I am honored and excited to be a part of such a tremendous display of music history.” “We are incredibly excited to have Vince Gill join the Songbirds team. His connection as a guitar player and his talent as a performer make him a perfect spokesman to help us share our epic collection of guitars with music lovers everywhere,” explains Johnny Smith, President of Songbirds Guitar Museum.