BABY NEWS:
BLUEGRASS NEWS:
The “Littlest Pistol” has arrived! Angaleena Presley and her husband, Jordan Powell, welcomed daughter Phoenix Joeleena Jean Powell on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Weighing in at 7.8 lbs., and measuring 17.5 inches, Phoenix made her debut at 7:49 a.m. CST. The baby’s name is especially meaningful, as it merges family monikers with homages to both a beloved matriarch and a late friend. “We chose Phoenix all together, Joeleena is a combination of my friend Tony Joe White who passed away a few months ago and ‘leena,’ which is family name from Angaleena’s side,” Jordan explains. “Jean is my grandmother’s name — she’s 92 and helped raise me.” Phoenix seems to have inherited her mom’s love of music. Hours before she was born, the soon-to-arrive baby was soothed by the melodies of two country music icons who hail from her mom and dad’s respective home states, Kentucky and Texas. This is Angaleena’s second child, but her first with Jordan, whom she married in 2012. Jed, her son from a previous relationship, is 12 years old.
After over 60 years of traveling, Ronnie Reno has announced that he will retire at the close of 2019 and hang up his hat. Reno is a Bluegrass luminary, SPBGMA Preservation Hall of Greats inductee, and longstanding host of the award-winning “Reno’s Old Time Music” television show. “It’s been a great run!” says Reno. “I’ve been truly blessed to get to travel around the world and make a living playing the music I love! I wouldn’t change one minute of it...but the road just doesn’t call me like it used to.” Reno extended heartfelt thanks to all of his friends, bandmates, and fans for their continued support throughout his many years. More at www.ronniereno.com.
BOOK NEWS: To coincide with the 60th anniversary of the legendary record label, MOTOWN: THE SOUND OF YOUNG AMERICA, the ultimate visual history of the home to some of the greatest recording artists of all time, to be published for the first time in paperback February 5, 2019.
BLUEBIRD CAFE NEWS: Originally started as a restaurant in 1982 by founder Amy Kurland, the Bluebird Café had evolved into a 90-seat listening room by 1984, holding regular ‘Writers’ Nights.’ In March 1985, three songwriters, J. Fred Knobloch, Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet, performed the first ‘In The Round’ show, in which the three writers sat in the center of the room and took turns playing songs and telling the stories behind the songs, while audiences listened quietly and attentively. The ‘In The Round’ concept was an immediate success and was soon adopted by other venues, but The Bluebird is recognized as the place where it really all started and continues to this day. After 37 years, the Bluebird Café is as popular as ever. It is still the place where songwriters really want to be seen and heard. Just take a look at the list of upcoming shows at their website. Click on ‘shows’ and check out the astonishing list of hit writers scheduled to appear. While you’re at their site, it’s a good idea to click on ‘Reservations’ too. That’s where you’ll see the Bluebird’s policy about booking seats. More info at www.bluebirdcafe.com.
It is the definitive visual history of the Detroit-based independent record company that became a style unto itself, a prolific and hugely successful production line of suave, sassy, and sophisticated music through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Featuring extensive specially commissioned photography of treasures gathered from the archives, this landmark publication also captures the graphic and design iconography that underpinned Motown’s extraordinary creativity. Packed with fresh insights gleaned from scores of interviews with key players, this exceptional and revealing volume delves into the workings of the Motown machine and details how a dedicated team of backroom believers, white and black, turned a small family business into a popular music powerhouse as America underwent momentous social and cultural changes. This was the home of such groundbreaking artists as Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, and many more. For more information visit www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/motown-thesound-of-young-america-softcover
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