Pride Gets Very Own Mississippi Highway Road Marker

Nashville, Tenn (March 30, 2011)
Country music legend Charley Pride has been honored with his very own road marker on the Mississippi Country Music Trail. The ceremony was held Tuesday, March 29, at 1 p.m. on Highway 3 in Pride's hometown of Sledge, MS. A portion of the highway has also been renamed "Charley Pride Highway.

	"I'm honored and humbled at the same time. It was wonderful!" gushes Pride. "Who'd have thought that a kid who walked four miles to school and four miles home every day would ever get such a tribute?"
(Photo credit: Jeff Holder; L to R: MS Senator Robert Jackson, Charley Pride, MS Country Music Trail's Alex Thomas )

Charley Frank Pride first garnered notice as a singer when music was just a sideline to his early baseball career. Taking a shot at what seemed an unlikely music career in Nashville, he went on to record 52 Top 10 singles, including 36 No. 1 hits. Singing honky tonk songs in his remarkable baritone, Pride has become a country music legend and the most successful African American artist of the genre.

RADNEY AND BILL GET BACK TOGETHER

Radney Foster And Bill Lloyd are back together after more than two decades apart. The pair teamed up for a benefit for the Americana Music Association two years ago and several months later shared the stage once again at an all-star concert bash in Nashville to celebrate Radney's 50th birthday.

Their new album "It's Already Tomorrow," will be in stores April 19th. A tour in support of the CD is scheduled to begin in Driftwood, Texas on April 16th.

Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd originally got together in 1986 and during a four-year run the duo released three studio albums. Their hits include "Crazy Over You," "Sure Thing," "What Do You Want From Me This Time," and "Fair Shake." Foster and Lloyd went their separate ways in 1990 to pursue solo careers.

Gatlin Brothers Join Garth Brooks As 2011 Recipients

Nashville, Tenn (March 29, 2011) – Today, the Academy of Country Music announced the winners of its 2011 Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award. Accepting this year is country music’s legendary harmonic brotherly trio, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, alongside the iconic Garth Brooks.

The Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award honors individuals who are pioneers in the country music genre. Past recipients include Alabama, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Kenny Rogers, Mel Tillis, Conway Twitty, Porter Wagoner, Charlie Daniels, Hank Williams, Sr., and Hank Williams Jr.

The close family harmonies of Larry, Rudy and Steve Gatlin gave the trio a signature sound that led to country classics like “Houston (Means I’m One Day Closer To You).” The brothers won a GRAMMY Award for their 1976 breakthrough hit, “Broken Lady,” and reached No. 1 with “I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love” two years later. Along with five career nominations for the ACM Vocal Group, the Gatlin Brothers picked up three 1979 trophies – Single (“All The Gold In California”), Album (Straight Ahead) and Male Vocalist for Larry Gatlin, also a talented songwriter who composed all of the group’s singles. To date, the brothers hold 36 Top 40 Hits to their credit.

The Gatlin Brothers and Brooks will be presented with their awards on a to be announced date in Nashville later this year.

For more information on the Gatlin Brothers, visit www.gatlinbrothers.com

TOBY KEITH TO PERFORM ON 'DANCING WITH THE STARS'

"We'll get lost on this dance floor, spinning around," Toby Keith sings in his mega-hit, 'You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This.' But we certainly never thought we'd ever see the day the big guy laces up his dancing shoes.

OK, so he's not exactly doing the tango, but the country superstar has been tapped to sing on 'Dancing With the Stars,' performing two songs on the April 19 episode.

The wildly popular ABC reality competition show has been quite country friendly in seasons past. Sara Evans, Billy Ray Cyrus and Chuck Wicks have competed, while Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts and Julianne Hough (a former 'DWTS' pro) have performed songs on the broadcast.

Toby is gearing up for his Locked & Loaded tour, which kicks off June 30 in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. Before that, he'll head to Vegas to perform on the April 3 ACM Awards, where he's up for the fan-voted Entertainer of the Year honors -- an award he's already won twice.

FERLIN HUSKEY DIES

Considered to be one of the most resourceful and versatile entertainers in the pop-country field, Ferlin Husky has passed away at the age of 85 years old.

Ferlin was born near Flat River, Missouri, in a town so small it was prone to be mistaken for a fly-speck by map makers, he left home for a hitch in the Merchant Marines and D-Day found him under forty-eight hours of continuous battle-fire during the invasion of Cherbourg. He was later awarded a citation as "Volunteer Gunner" as a result of his action during the battle.

After completing service, Ferlin moved to the west coast where he began recording under the name of Terry Preston. "Terry" never quite made it. It wasn't until Ferlin re-released his disc of "Gone", using his real name, Ferlin Husky, (and adding background singers to round out the basic country rhythm) that he hit pay dirt. This time, "Gone" earned him a coveted gold record, signifying one million sales on the disc.

Since that time, Ferlin has sold over 20 million records, of which "Gone", "Wings of a Dove", "A Dear John Letter" and "Country Music is Here to Stay" (alter-ego Simon Crum's contribution) were all gold.

Ferlin Husky has also made more than eighteen motion pictures, and has had the honor of having his name placed among the greats in the sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard. He has played a part in pictures starring such famous Hollywood-ites as the Gabors, Henry Fonda, Mamie Van Doran, Glenn Ford, John Carradine, Jayne Mansfield, Lon Chaney and Basil Rathbone.

In the field of television, Husky's memorable appearances on the Kraft Television Theater were highlights of his crowded career, followed by a two-week hitch as CBS's choice for Arthur Godfrey's TV and radio replacement. He has made frequent appearances on top-notch shows such as Ed Sullivan, Steve Allen, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, Dean Martin and the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Ferlin also had a network show of his own. His road show has literally traveled around the world to Germany, England, Japan, all Canadian provinces and all fifty states.

Merle Haggard has been quoted saying "There were a lot of years when nobody in the business could follow Ferlin Husky. He was the big live act of the day. A great entertainer".

On February 23, 2010, the Country Music Association announced his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Randy lives in Strunk, Kentucky and began playing mandolin at age 8 with his Dad’s band, The Southfork Gentlemen. In 1986, Randy had a year-long stint with LARRY SPARKS and recorded a few cuts on his “Silver Reflections” album. He then exited the bluegrass scene for several years, performing in a rock band and later with a country group. Randy re-entered the bluegrass scene in 2003 as guitarist with Kentucky Wind. He has owned and operated his own recording studio since 2001 called Southfork Recording Company working primarily with bluegrass and gospel project

The Lonesome River Band’s current album, STILL LEARNING, along with several singles, are continuing their climb up the March 2011 charts including but not limited to:

#1 – Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s TOP 15 Albums #3 - Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s Top 30 Songs “Record Time Machine” #15 – Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s Top 30 Songs “Jack Up The Jail” #1 – Cashbox Magazine’s Top 20 Albums (2nd month in a row) #7 – Bluegrass Music Profiles Top 10 Albums #5 – Bluegrass Music Profiles Top 30 Songs “Record Time Machine” #21 – Bluegrass Music Profiles Top 30 Hot Singles “Jack Up the Jail” #3 – Roots Music Report Top 50 Bluegrass Albums (week of 3/18/11)

The Lonesome River Band is also on the chart with another project, THE ALL-STAR JAM - LIVE AT GRAVES MOUNTAIN as the single “Graves Mountain Memories” appears on the Bluegrass Unlimited Top 30 Songs, Bluegrass Music Profiles Top 30 Hot Singles, and more. Lonesome River Band’s lead vocalist, BRANDON RICKMAN can also be heard on the popular new track, “Head Over Heels” with fellow Rural Rhythm artists, CARRIE HASSLER and BRAND NEW STRINGS. This spectacular recorded event took place last June at the Graves Mountain Festival of Music in Syria, Virginia in celebration of Rural Rhythm Records 55th Anniversary.

Please visit www.lonesomeriverband.com for more information including upcoming tour dates. For booking, please visit RoeEntertainment.net and Media inquiries, contact HopeRiverEntertainment.com For more information on STILL LEARNING and THE ALL STAR JAM – LIVE AT GRAVES MOUNTAIN album, please visit RuralRhythm.com or Amazon

WINNER ANNOUNCED iPod Touch® Awarded & Special Fan Discounts "LIVE"

Nashville, TN (March 31, 2011) -- Guy Penrod's "March Madness Song Tournament" was a "huge success" according to the entertainer, with nearly 10,000 votes cast before the winning song made it to the top. The contest's winning song? The #2 seeded "Then Came The Morning," which defeated the #1 seeded, "Knowing You'll Be There," by 50.6% to 49.4%. "I'm a singer, not a statistician," laughs Guy. "But I know that's really close." The Grand Prize winner, Cindy Craemer from East Peoria, Illinois, should receive her iPod Touch (pre-loaded with all of Guy's music) in just a few days.

	For those who didn't win the contest's grand prize, Guy is offering a special, short-term 25% discount on the BEST OF GUY PENROD CD, and his current disc, BREATHE DEEP. Fans who participated in the Song Tournament, or who sign up to receive Guy's email newsletter, will receive an email this week with a coupon code that can be redeemed on guypenrod.com.
GUY PENROD
"It's just another way to thank all of those folks who participated in the contest," Penrod says.

For those who prefer to see their favorite stars "live," Guy's Spring Tour will give his fans ample opportunities in April.

April 8 - Lancaster, SC
April 9 - Gardendale, AL
April 14 - Paducah, KY
April 15 - Sikeston, MO
April 16 - Tulsa, OK
April 17 - Ada, OK
April 21 - Greensburg, PA
April 22 - Adrian, MI
April 23 - Traverse City, MI

April 24, Westerville, OH

April 29 - Ashland, KY
April 30, Renfro Valley, KY

To see Guy's complete touring schedule, hear audio clips and purchase product, visit guypenrod.com.

TIN PAN SOUTH ADDS TEXAS SONGWRITER SHOWCASE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Putting a showcase together for Tin Pan South of Texas songwriters makes perfect sense considering the number of writers who have contributed to the success of Country Music, said genre-busting Michael Martin Murphey.

Murphey joins 2011 Texas Songwriter Hall of Fame Inductees Bruce Channel, Gary Nicholson & Lee Roy Parnell Wednesday, March 30 at 9:00 p.m. ($15) at Nashville’s Hard Rock Cafe.

"I'm thrilled to perform on Nashville's Tin Pan South showcase of Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees," said Murphey. "For 175 years, Texas has been a bright torch of light for Freedom of Expression and Liberty - cherished values which always promulgate excellence in artistic endeavor. It makes sense that Tennessee would honor Texas songwriters because our Texas Founding Fathers were freedom-loving Tennesseans - Sam Houston, William Travis and Davy Crockett!"

Other 2011 inductees include Delbert McClinton and Cindy Walker. Previous honorees include Kris Kristofferson, Clint Black,Mac Davis, Whitey Shafer, Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Allen Shamblin, Rodney Crowell, Hayden Nichols, Bruce Robison, Red Steagall, Aaron Barker, Billy Joe Shaver, Larry Gatlin, Freddy Powers, Sonny Throckmorton and Sammy Allred.

"I’m from Texas and Texans like to brag, but just look at the facts,” laughs Gary Nicholson. "If you pull the Texans who have contributed to country music off the list then you don’t have much of a list."

For more information about the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association, visit: http://texasheritagesongwriters.com

Bruce Channel’s first hit, “Hey! Baby”, topped the pop charts and led
	to his headlining a show in Europe in the 60s featuring a relatively unknown band known as The Beatles.A mong his successes as a writer include number one records for T. G. Shepherd (“Party Time”), Janie Fricke ("Don't Worry About Me Baby"), John Conlee, ("As Long As I'm Rockin'
With You"), Anne Murray (a re-make of "Hey! Baby") and Mel McDaniels's smash - "Stand Up." Additionally, his songs have been cut by Alabama, the Oak Ridge Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis and Tom Jones.

Gary Nicholson is a #1 hit songwriter, two-time Grammy winning
	producer, world traveling performer, recording artist and session guitarist with over five hundred recordings of his songs in various genres including country, rock, blues, folk, bluegrass and pop - by such diverse artists as BB King, Garth Brooks, Bonnie Raitt, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Buddy Guy, Etta James, George
Strait, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Dixie Chicks, Emmylou Harris, Don Williams, Keb Mo, Del McCoury, Neville Brothers, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Guy Clark, and the list goes on.

Lee Roy Parnell’s music runs the gamut of diversity: blue-eyed soul,
	Delta blues, road house rock, Southern boogie, Texas swing, and gospel, defying conventional classification. Parnell spent over a decade playing clubs in Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and New York while honing his style and songwriting. As an artist, Parnell has landed
multiple times at the top of the country charts in the since the 1990s with songs like “What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am,” “Tender Moment,” “Take These Chains From My Heart” and “A Little Bit Of You,” among others.

Michael Martin Murphey, a 2009 honoree, has spent the past four
	decades making his own unique mark on the American Musical landscape. His introduction as a writer, “What Am I Doing Hangin’ Around,” was a hit for The Monkees. As an artist, he hit the top of the pop charts with such massive hits as “Wildfire” and “ Carolina In The Pines.” In the 80s,
he topped the country charts repeatedly with songs “Cowboy Logic” and “Long Line of Love,” before he turned his attention to American Cowboy Music. He has since become the biggest selling singer / songwriter in the genre. His 2009 release, Buckaroo Blue Grass, earned Murphey a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album.

LEGENDARY HALL OF FAME STEEL GUITARIST RALPH MOONEY PASSES AT 82

Born 16 September 1928, Duncan, Oklahoma, USA. Mooney became one of country music’s finest steel guitar players and during his career he played in the bands of many stars. He also ensured that his name would be remembered as co-author with Chuck Seals of the country standard ‘Crazy Arms’.

He became interested in music as a child and after relocating to live with a sister in California, he was taught to play guitar, mandolin and fiddle. He later stated that until he was 12 he had never seen a steel guitar but soon became attracted to the instrument after hearing Leon McAuliffe’s recording of ‘Steel Guitar Rag’. Using a knife as a bar he learned to play the number on his flat top guitar. He first played in several amateur bands and for a time worked for the Douglas Aircraft Company. After appearing with local band Merle Lindsey And His Oklahoma Nightriders, he joined Skeets McDonald’s band with whom he made his first recordings. He refined his style of playing steel with the help of Texas Playboy, Jesse Ashlock and for a time played a self-built steel guitar. In 1950, while he was a regular on Squeakin’ Deacon’s popular radio show, he first met Wynn Stewart and gained session work. He played on early Buck Owens’ hits such as ‘Foolin’ Around’ and ‘Under Your Spell Again’ and also played lead guitar on Stewart’s first Capitol Records recordings.

In 1961, he moved with Stewart to Las Vegas and for two years worked there in Stewart’s club. Merle Haggard was also a band member for a time and when Haggard made his first Tally recordings, Mooney played steel guitar on them. When he returned to California, Stewart remained based in Las Vegas for a further six years, during which time he played on occasions with Stewart on his Vegas appearances and with several singers including Bobby Austin. He also worked for a time with Haggard, by that time fronting his own band, but a dislike of the heavy travelling schedule saw him leave. However, Mooney played steel guitar on several of Haggard’s hit records including ‘Sing Me Back Home’, ‘Swinging Doors’ and ‘The Bottle Let Me Down’. In the late 60s, he once again joined up with Stewart and stayed with him until Stewart’s health made him disband. In 1969, Mooney became the steel guitarist in Waylon Jennings’ band the Waylors, where he remained for over 20 years. Later he continued to make appearances at special instrumental festivals or conventions and became noted for his lectures and demonstrations of his favorite instrument.

Mooney is rated one of the important steel guitarists who restored the popularity of the instrument to country music recordings after it had almost been lost during the country pop years. He wrote several successful country songs, the most popular being ‘Crazy Arms’, that became Ray Price’s first number 1 record in 1956 and was later a Top 20 hit for both Marion Worth and Willie Nelson. Mooney once said, ‘It has been recorded by so many different people. I would starve to death if it wasn’t for those royalty checks.’ He also wrote ‘Foolin’’, a Top 4 chart hit for Johnny Rodriguez in 1983.

Although he played on numerous recording sessions with many artists, Mooney did not make too many solo recordings. A noted album with guitarist James Burton was recorded in the late 60s and examples of his talent may be found on various compilation releases. He recorded some instrumentals for Challenge Records, two notable ones being ‘Release Me’ and ‘Moonshine’, which gained single release on Challenge 59105. Both later appeared on 4 Star various artists albums namely Country Love and Tennessee Pride respectively. He may also be heard with the Waylors on the soundtrack album from the 1975 movie Mackintosh And T.J. In 1983 Mooney was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.

From: Marty Martel

ASCAP toasted the writers and publishers of Chris Young's multi-week chart-topper “Voices” with a party at ASCAP Nashville on Monday, March 21. Written by Young, Chris Tompkins and Craig Wiseman, and published by Big Loud Shirt, Big Loud Songs, Runnin’ Behind Music and EMI Music Publishing, the song is Grammy-nominated Young’s third No. 1 hit—and his third consecutive trip to the top of the charts. “Voices” marks the 19th chart-topper for Craig Wiseman and the second No. 1 for Chris Tompkins.

From the management of ROBIN RIGHT

After taking a little more than a year off to try retirement, Robin decided it wasn't for her, so she's back to doing the thing she loves the most, performing.

Her first post-retirement show will be on April 2 at the Masonic Temple in Salem, NH at 7:30 pm. The show is a fund raiser for Salemhaven, a Senior Activity Center in Salem. Robin will do a 40 minute set of some of Tammy Wynette's biggest hits.

The night will also feature another premier entertainer, Stan Jr. He is well known for his impersonations, especially Elvis. He also sings a variety of country, pop and standard tunes and is an accomplished instrumentalist.

We know this newsletter goes out to fans all over the world, but if you are reading this in the New England area, why not come to the show, give Robin a big welcome back, and support a good cause.

Here are the details:

Where: Masonic Temple, 107 Main Street. Salem NH

When: Saturday, April 2. Doors open at 6:30. Show begins at 7:30

How Much: Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door

For Tickets: Call 603-893-5586