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THE LATEST NEWS TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2012 Bush Laureate winners Winners in the 2012 Australian Bush Laureate awards were announced in Tamworth this afternoon in front of an almost sell-out audience. Book of the Year went to Noel Stallard for his work "Aussie Verse", his sixth book which is billed as one "to make you laugh, cry and think" featuring "genuine Aussie characters – the original Australians, the pioneers, the soldiers, the harassed school teachers and their irrepressible students".
Published Poem of the Year went to "Musquito – The Black Bushranger" by Max Merckenschlager as published in the book "Captured Moments". The poem had previously won a Rolf Boldrewood Literary Award, an awards scheme run by The Macquarie Library that aims to foster the writing of prose and poetry with an Australian content. Single Recorded Performance of the Year went to First Date by Bob Magor from his album The Best Of Sumo Mick, a selection of poems taken from his book "Sumo Mick... And Other Verses". Children's Poem of the Year was presented to Bessie Jennings for her book "Aussie A-B-C", a delightful work that takes up an entire book, with illustrations by Patricia Gardner, Bessie's sister, aimed at helping children learn their "A-B-Cs" from a distinctly Australian perspective. The winner of the Judith Hosier Heritage Award – for outstanding achievement in nurturing Australia's heritage of verse – was named as Ellis Campbell for his long association with bush poetry as a poet, poetry performer, judge and as one who works tirelessly to help and encourage new poets beginning to write. Two retrospective awards that had previously been overlooked were also announced today... a 2009 award for Album of the Year – Original Verse which went to Ray Essery for Coming Home and a 2010 award for Album of the Year – Original Verse won by Carol Heuchan with I Say. This year was the 16th year for the Bush Laureate Awards which were established in 1997 to recognise excellence in published and recorded Australian bush poetry. The Australian Bush Laureate Awards will be held in Tamworth again next January, with nominations scheduled to open in August. Further information can be obtained from the website www.bushlaureate.com.au. Photo (from left): Special guest presenter Melinda Schneider with Bob Magor and his Golden Gumleaf and President of the Australian Bush Poets Association. Andrew and Kelly win Telstra Road Andrew Redford, 19, from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and Kelly Menhennett, 30, from Barmera in South Australia, were crowned the major category winners of the Telstra Road to Discovery during a star-studded event at the 40th Tamworth Country Music Festival tonight. Performer category winner Andrew and Songwriter category winner Kelly each receive a 12-month music industry mentorship prize package designed to elevate their careers. The prize includes a trip to Nashville in America, songwriting and recording opportunities and domestic and international performances to "help take their music to the masses," according to organisers. The third Queensland performer of the night, Andrew opened his performance with an original love song This Night and hit a crescendo with a second self-penned track, Wings.
"I'm totally speechless," he said after being announced a winner. "It's been amazing to meet everyone involved in the program and the incredible talent on stage here tonight. Thank you, I just can't believe it." Kelly was announced as the winning songwriter after performing two original tracks from her impressive repertoire, Fly In A Web and World Of Mine. Born and bred in South Australia, Kelly is a professional winemaker by trade but is now a full-time working musician. This win tops off successful year for the artist, which featured a performance at the iconic Woodford Folk Festival in December. "Honestly, everyone deserved to win," Kelly said. "You come into these programs expecting artists with similar sounds, but there was such a strong and diverse range of talent. I'm very blessed to be standing here, but please give a round of applause to my fellow songwriters." Telstra Road to Discovery is a national music development program formerly known as the Telstra Road to Tamworth. The program's new name reflects the discovery of up and coming musicians from across Australia, and now embraces independent artists from a more diverse range of musical genres including blues and roots, folk, country and alt country. Telstra's Regional Sales and Service Director, NSW and ACT, Brett Riley, presented Andrew and Kelly with the major prize and praised the diversity of talent in this year's Telstra Road program. "Telstra Road has unearthed an impressive range of emerging talent in this year's program and tonight's show was nothing short of extraordinary," he said. Former Telstra Road alumni include inaugural winner Jessica Mauboy, as well as (in order of winning) Aleyce Simmonds, Nick Kingswell, Kirsty-Lee Akers, Morgan Evans, Briana Lee, Jasmine Rae, Mark Wells, Peter McWhirter, Corey Colum, Luke Webb, Tenielle, Harry Hookey and David Garnham. Other elements of the Telstra Road prize for the Performer winner, include... a recording session in Australia with a leading producer; the opportunity to perform as part of a showcase in Nashville; production of a video clip and a professional photo shoot; media training, and professional music industry career guidance; and admission into the Australian Academy of Country Music. For the Songwriting winner... other elements of the prize package include... songwriting appointments with leading Nashville songwriters; the opportunity to record a professional demonstration track in a US or Australian studio; music marketing, promotional support and songwriting guidance from Mushroom Marketing and Mushroom Music; and admission into the Australian Academy of Country Music. Weblink - www.telstra.com/trtd. TSA winners Winners were announced this evening in the various awards and competitions conducted and presented by the Tamworth Songwriters' Association (TSA).
An encouragement award, an addition this year in the New Songwriter section, was won by the duo The Long And The Short Of It. In the Songwriter Salute Awards... Traditional Bush Ballad of the Year went to Graham Rodger (pictured) for Son Of The Red Dirt Country. Contemporary Song of the Year was won by Karen Lynne & Allan Caswell with The Road That Brought Me Here while Country Ballad of the Year was presented to Peter Coad with A Garden Full Of Roses.
Children's Song of the Year was awarded to Tony's Farm by Brothers 3 & Alita Fahey and Gospel Song of the Year went to Dean Perrett & Sherry Foster with There's Room At The Cross. TSA's Tex Morton Award was presented to Lorraine Pfitzner. And for the Songmaker award, two plaques were handed out this year, one to Coral Dasey and her late Dad George Dasey and to the late Ray Rose. In the TSA's 2012 National Country Songwriting Contest, Patricia Thompson won the Amateur Traditional section with Western Plains Drover while Emma Leigh & Peter Bailey took out Amateur Contemporary with You Smile. The Professional Traditional winner was Garry Koehler with Underneath The Hat while Danny Hooper won Professional Contemporary with You Don’t Need Wings To Fly. The Blues & Roots & Bluegrass section was taken out by Lachlan Davidson & Kristy Cox with Keep On Loving You, the Junior section was won by Romany Elmas with Save My Brother First, and Alec Raymer was successful in the Lyrics Only section with A Lot Like Home. Weblink – www.ccma.net.au. MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012 Special party to celebrate the Tamworth Country Music Festival
The 40 Festivals Party will bring together those people who played crucial roles in the earliest days of the annual festival as well as the many who continued to build the event to become one of the top 10 music festivals in the world. Fittingly, the party will be held in the historic Tamworth Town Hall where the first Golden Guitar Awards were staged in January 1973. Although there had been plenty of country music happening in and around Tamworth prior to 1973, it is generally accepted that it was the staging of the Awards that created the first festival event. Although the word has been spread far and wide, and hundreds of people have already registered to attend the Party, organisers are issuing a final call today in an effort to catch people in Tamworth for the Festival who have not heard about the event. Anyone intending to attend who has not already registered can do so at the website www.40festivalsparty.com or telephone Deniese Morrison on 02 6767 5581 or 0407 276 934 or Bob Kirchner on 0419 998 386. SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2012 Bob wins Star Maker Newcastle (NSW) singer/songwriter Bob Corbett has been named Toyota Star Maker 2012.
Bob has numerous accolades to his credit prior to tonight's win including nine 1233 Newcastle ABC Music Awards. In 2009, he received a Contemporary Music Touring Program Grant from the Australian Government, launching him and his band on an extensive national tour from coast to coast. During his acceptance speech tonight, he paid tribute to his band, the Roo Grass Band. In 1998, Bob released the critically acclaimed album Storyboard and reached the national finals in both the MusicOz and Australian Songwriters Awards. In his career up until now, he has been invited to open shows for many of Australia's premier acts including Daryl Braithwaite, Brian Cadd, Richard Clapton, Diesel, Marcia Hines, Bruce Mathiske, The McClymonts, Russell Morris, Sara Storer and Ross Wilson. This year's Toyota Star Maker winner was announced by Lee Kernaghan who was presented with a framed certificate by quest organisers Rural Press Events to mark 30 years since he won Star Maker in 1982. In addition to the grand finalist performances, the night featured Lee, The McClymonts and outgoing Toyota Star Maker Luke Dickens. Photo: Bob Corbett holds up his winner's plaque. Studios present... Two Country Music Capital recording houses will host studio concerts today. LBS Studio will stage their annual Open Day Concert at Moonbi from 10am until 2pm. The Open Day Concert has been a regular festival feature for many years at the Moonbi studio on the New England Gully Road.
Artists appearing will include Trevor Adamson, Glen Bain, Melissa Bajric (pictured), Barry Benning, Lindsay Butler, Ashley Cook, Dale Duncan, Bob Easter, Dusty Fraser, Peggy Gilchrist, Lynette Guest, Shaza Leigh, Rachel Jillett, Brian Letton, Tom Maxwell, Graham Pearson, Lana Ross, Peter Simpson, Paul Seils, Pete Smith, Judy Stevens, Chic Taylor, Manfred Vijars and Greg Williams. "The event is held in the front yard of the studio complex... in a relaxed environment under the marquees and trees and is one of the best value concerts at the festival with a ticket price of only $20 for the non-stop four hour concert!" Enrec Studio will host its studio showcase at the North Tamworth Bowling club in Bligh Street from 2pm. Studio stars will include 8 Ball Aitken, the bands Byg Swig and Brewn, The Crosby Sisters, Craig Dean, Errol Gray, Brent Larkham, Doug McIntyre, Lawrie Minson (pictured), Slim Newton and Dave Prow. Enrec is run by record producer Steve Newton, long time engineer for John Williamson. Toyota Star Maker 2012 The third major event of the first Tamworth Country Music Festival weekend – Toyota Star Maker – takes place today and this evening.
The 20 are 8 Ball Aitken (from Tamworth NSW), David Agius (Greystanes NSW), Kaylee Bell (Waimate NZ, now Bathurst NSW), Lance Coassin (Shailer Park Qld), Bob Corbett (Maryville NSW), Paul Cowderoy (Manly West Qld), Sarah Head (Robina Qld), Jasper Hollis (Nashville USA, now Sydney NSW), Rebecca Houlihan (Cork Ireland, now Randwick NSW), Stephanie Jansen (Camden South NSW), Nick Kingswell (North Gosford NSW), Christie Lamb (Kirkham NSW), Nathan Lamont (Wagga Wagga NSW), Kristen Lane (Raworth NSW), Brittany Pavlo (Eden Park Vic), Ben Ransom (Randwick NSW), Olivia Robins (Maroochydore Qld), Ryan Sampson (Caloundra Qld), Chad Shuttleworth (Eumundi Qld) and Adam Toms (Benalla Vic). Toyota Star Maker 2012 will win a full album deal and big budget recording session, use of the title Toyota Star Maker 2012 Winner; 12 months use of a new Toyota motor vehicle; a fuel card for the 12 months after winning Toyota Star Maker; distribution and promotion of at least two tracks to radio and other media from the prize album; production of a professional video clip of one of the tracks by an award-winning director; a number of gigs throughout the winning 12 months; and Maker Grand Final in 2013; and return air tickets to Nashville for the CMA Festival in June 2012 courtesy of Travelworld Tamworth; and a performance at the annual CMA (American Country Music Association) Global Artist Party in Nashville. Campaign launched for Slim and Joy statue It wasn't the best kept secret, but a campaign to raise enough money for a lifesize statue of Slim Dusty and Joy McKean was launched by Country Music Capital Mayor Col Murray on Friday night at the Tamworth Country Music Festival opening concert.
"The Northern Daily Leader" reported the statue would honour and pay tribute to the enormous role Slim and Joy have played to develop and support the Country Music Capital, its annual festival and the Australian country music industry, the Mayor said. A committee has been formed and has set a target of $180,000 for the project which has been endorsed by Tamworth's Council and the late Slim's family. The statue will be erected in Tamworth's main street, Peel Street, and will follow the unveiling of the life-size Smoky Dawson statue sculpted by Tanya Bartlett that will be unveiled this Australia Day. Fundraising Appeal Committee Chairman John Sommerlad said it was fitting that Slim and Joy were to be honoured in this way by Tamworth. He said they were great supporters of the annual country music festival and its Golden Guitar Awards. Prior to Slim's death in 2003, he said, Slim and Joy had only missed two festivals and during their careers were outstanding advocates of Tamworth's special place in Australian music history. "This statue of Slim and Joy arm in arm will replicate a photograph taken at a concert in 1996 (above), which honoured Slim's 50 years as a recording artist," John said. "Slim and Joy were a great team. Joy won the first Golden Guitar at Tamworth and is the first lady of Australian country music, while Slim is an Australian icon whose achievements are unmatched in Australian music history." For more than six decades, Slim Dusty and Joy McKean took their music to every corner of Australia and, in the process, created a unique musical heritage. Longtime friend and appeal committee member Max Ellis said their songs reflected and celebrated the traditional character of Australia and its people. "The songs are national treasures and have been enjoyed by country music fans over more than 60 years," Mr Ellis said. "As leaders of Australian country music, Slim and Joy played an important and active role in turning Tamworth into Australia's Country Music Capital. They helped create a national focal point for country music, and their unwavering support was vital to the credibility and development of the Golden Guitar Awards and the festival." The appeal's main fundraising will take place during the next 12 months. The statues are expected to be unveiled no later than January 2014. SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2012 Terry elevated to the Roll of Renown Terry Gordon was today announced as the 41st inductee to be immortalised on the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown.
His plaque reads... Terry Gordon exemplifies the traditional Australian all round country music entertainer. Whether performing serious bush ballads, clowning through his comedy routines... compering a TV show... he is always the consummate entertainer. After travelling the outback with pioneer Athol McCoy and honing his skills on the Sydney club circuit, Terry toured with major local and visiting acts, including in the USA. Equally at home in a city club or country hall, he is constantly on the road... A prolific songwriter and recording artist... Terry's plaque will be unveiled at the Roll of Renown in front of the TRECC on Wednesday (January 25) at 10:30am. Three for Hands of Fame Three new hands will be set in concrete next Saturday (January 28) at the Australian Country Music Hands of Fame cornerstone. Victorian entertainer Gavan Arden, leading record producer Stuie French and Country Music Capital recording studio owner Johnny Grills were announced as this year's Hands of Fame inductees at today's Roll of Renown Concert. The imprinting ceremony gets under way next Saturday at 11am following the Country Music Cavalcade. Two more for Broadcasters' Hall of Fame Geoff Gregory and the late Clive Arundel were announced today as the latest inductees to the Australian Country Music Broadcasters' Hall of Fame. After co-hosting a teenager's music show on Sydney's 2SM as an 18-year-old, Clive's interest in radio lay dormant until the early 1980s when the opportunity arose for him to get heavily involved in community stations including 2SER-FM, 2NBC-FM and 2GLF-FM. His achievements and successes as a broadcaster over the years, one of his proudest moments being when a gospel music program was relayed for broadcast in the United Kingdom. Clive died of a heart attack in 1990 at just 55 years of age. Now retired from broadcasting, Geoff Gregrory was a pioneering country music broadcaster on commercial radio station 2HD in the Newcastle (NSW) area. He developed and maintained a Sunday night program "Country Sounds" as one of the highest rating programs in the city. Geoff is credited with paving the way for Carter Edwards' now Saturday and Sunday night country music programs that are now broadcast across the Super Radio Network. He was also a judge, especially in the early days, of the Golden Guitar Awards. Max presented with "Tamworth Award" Max Ellis – one of the founders of the Tamworth Country Music Capital concept and a long-time worker for and promoter of "Tamworth country music" – has been presented with the "Tamworth Award". The "Tamworth Award" is a special trophy made by local cabinet-maker and wood-worker extraordinaire Noel Smith and presented for services to Tamworth country music. "Stars, Hurrahs and Golden Guitars" "Stars, Hurrahs & Golden Guitars" is the title of a new book released yesterday by Max Ellis, a founder of the Tamworth Country Music Capital concept and long-time promoter of the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Until now, the story of how Tamworth became "Country Music Capital" has never been told in any depth outside country music circles and tourism events. As a man who has given much of his life to creating and maintaining the city's "country music" success, Max has put pen to paper and told the exciting story. "It is told from his perspective," said Barry Harley, General Manager of Rural Press Events who is publishing the book. "But who else could possibly write about it with his authority based as it is on his personal experience." Arriving in Tamworth in 1966 as a journalist at Radio 2TM, Max quickly became involved in the burgeoning country music scene. He saw John Minson's "Hoedown" radio program starting to attract listeners all over eastern Australia and he watched as Slim Newton's Redback On The Toilet Seat topped the charts. Then, as a member of the small founding group at 2TM (with Warwick Higginbotham, Kevin Knapp, John Minson and Eric Scott), he quickly saw the potential for promoting the city as a focal point for Australian country music. As 2TM's Station Manager and Chief Executive of the Golden Guitar Awards at their inception, Max played a seminal role in setting up Country Music Capital in 1969, the Festival and Awards from the early 1970s, and then their consolidation and expansion throughout the more than four decades that followed. Throughout this time, Max has been an industry leader, passionately involved in virtually every aspect of Australian country music. Even now he is still deeply involved in the Festival and the country music scene "'Stars, Hurrahs and Golden Guitars' paints an exciting picture of the colourful kaleidoscope of people and events that have shaped this mighty and quite unique festival," Barry said. The book, which contains more than 300 photos, is available in all bookshops and newsagents in Tamworth during the 40th Festival and can also be purchased on-line via www.tamworthcountrymusic.com.au. FOOTNOTE: Festival Media Centre named in Max's honour In recognition of Max's contribution to Tamworth and it's country music activity and identity, Tamworth Regional Council yesterday named the Festival Media Centre the Max Ellis Media Centre. This announcement completed the triumvirate that commenced on July 1 last year with the movement of the Festival Office to the Town Hall – "the spiritual home of country music in Tamworth" – and the naming of significant rooms after Festival founders and pioneers. First to be announced was the John Minson Artists & Musicians Green Room, followed by the announcement that the Town Hall's Paschendaele Room would be turned into The McKean Sisters Theatrette during the Festival. The naming of the rooms previously used by the Tamworth Development Corporation as the Max Ellis Media Centre allowed recognition of the principal founder of the Festival and Golden Guitar Awards, according to a Council spokesman. Roll of Renown Concert today The most significant event on the Tamworth Country Music Festival calendar today is the Australian County Music Hall of Fame's Roll of Renown Concert.
Other announcements to be made will be of 2012 inductees into the Country Music Hands of Fame and Australian Country Music Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. In addition to the honours announcements, the concert will feature performances by Leslie Avril, James Blundell, The Bushwackers, Allan Caswell, Tracy Coster, Allison Forbes, the Gunbarrell Highwaymen, Wayne Horsburgh, Peter Pratt and Rodney Walker. Tickets for the concert will be available at the door of the venue, the famous Tamworth Town Hall, from 1:30pm.
Hall of Fame activity The Australian Country Music Hall of Fame in Brisbane Street is a central focus for country music in Tamworth year round but especially during the annual January festival conducting a range of activities.
The Hall of Fame will host the unveiling of the new Roll of Renown inductee or inductees at the Roll of Renown in front of Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre on Wednesday 25th at 10:30am. Saturday 28th will see the imprinting of this year's Hands of Fame inductees at the Hands of Fame cornerstone at the corner of Bridge Street and Kable Avenue (in front of the Coke tent) at 11:00am. The next day, Sunday the 29th, the Hall of Fame will conduct a "museum day" as a farewell to Festival visitors. A new activity this year is a "Great Record, Book & Poster Sale" that will run for the duration of the Festival with a range of items that are either surplus or not relevant to collection requirements. The Hall of Fame is open extended hours throughout the Festival in Brisbane Street, Tamworth. Visitors can gain easy access via the Centrepoint free (three hours) carpark which is accessible from Marius and Brisbane Streets. Weblink – www.countrymusichalloffame.com.au. FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012 Tamworth 2012 starts officially today The 40th Tamworth Country Music Festival is officially underway with crowds flocking downtown, campers and caravanners filling the parks and sportsfields and hundreds of artists in town entertaining our thousands of visitors.
Signalling the start of 10 days of country music festivities, the opening concert (dubbed the "opening celebration) will commence with a brief official ceremony including the raising of the country music flag and will showcase more up-and-coming talent, traditional and contemporary artists. With production by Golden Guitar winner and Festival office staffer Deniese Morrison and musical direction by Bill Gleeson and Peter Ross, the show will star The Bushwackers (pictured), Bill Chambers, Harmony James and "Tamworth's own Golden Girl" Felicity Urquhart. Anne Kirkpatrick and The Travelling Country Band will join Joy McKean and Nick Erby in a special tribute to the history of the Festival and the integral part played by Slim Dusty and Joy McKean. And Mark O'Shea, a twice Golden Guitar winner from the 1990s, now based in Nashville, will perform with his wife Jay as the duo O'Shea. The concert was billed, largely, as a showcase of local acts including a number of potential future stars in Anna Crosby, Kayla Crosby, Ethan Crosby-Wolfe, Daniel Hutchison, Ryan Hutchison, Googoorewon (Goori) Knox, Amy Pain, Loren Ryan, Jared Scott and Kelsey Strasek-Barer. Vale - Tony Pearson Tony Pearson – long time former manager of Country Music Capital's Tourism Tamworth (now Destination Tamworth) – died this morning after being diagnosed with cancer just last week. He was 73.
Tony worked for Tamworth City Council, Tourism Tamworth and Tamworth Regional Council for 20 years from 1988 to 2008 and had a very strong involvement with the city's country music festival and other activity including the one time monthly Tamworth Country Theatre concert. As Tourism Manager with Tourism Tamworth, Tony recorded many achievements, such as the development of all year round country music products and services, obtaining government funding for projects like the New England Highway Marketing Committee and special event funding for the National Cutting Horse Futurity. He was successful in bringing more than $20million worth of conference and event business to Tamworth, created marketing strategies to promote the Tamworth "Country Music Capital" and Tamworth" Heart of Country" brands and was instrumental in trade missions to and from New Zealand including the early development of the Gore Sister City Relationship. It was under Tony's leadership that the now thriving ticketing business operated by Destination Tamworth was initiated and nurtured. He was a member of the Big Sky Country Regional Tourism Organisation, the New England Highway Committee, Newell Highway Committee, Bushman's Way and Fossicker's Way tourist groups. Tony loved his cricket and helped develop junior talents at South Tamworth Cricket Cub. He is survived by Penny, Matt and Kim, Lisa and Colin and five grandchildren. Tony's funeral will be held at St John's Anglican Church, Carthage Street, Tamworth, at 2pm this Wednesday, January 25. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2012 Golden Guitar Awards line-up The Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) has released the names of artists who will perform at the annual Golden Guitar Awards during the 40th Tamworth Country Music Festival which kicks off officially on Friday. Kirsty Akers, James Blundell, Troy Cassar-Daley (pictured), Beccy Cole,, Luke Dickens, Adam Harvey, Jetty Road, Shane Nicholson, O'Shea, Jasmine Rae and Aleyce Simmonds will all appear at the Jayco 40th Country Music Awards of Australia on Saturday January 28. Tickets to the general public are on sale now from $55 and can be purchased directly from www.tcmf.com.au or by calling 02 6767 5300. The Awards are the pinnacle event of the Festival and will be preceded by the traditional red carpet arrivals from 5.30pmin the forecourt of the Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre. Weblink – www.country.com.au. Young Guns Thursday night One of the most significant concerts of the Tamworth Country Music Festival Countdown is the Young Guns Concert staged by the Capital Country Music Association (CCMA).
The Young Guns concept is to provide an opportunity for rising talent to perform and recognise successful artists whose development has included a substantial involvement in CCMA activities, including workshops, run on a year-round basis. One such artist is Aleyce Simmonds (pictured) who has been steadily building a substantial career in the music business, to the point now where she is up for three Golden Guitars at this year's Country Music Awards, including the prestigious Female Artist of the Year title. Supporting Aleyce will be two acts whose careers may get a substantial boost this January... Melody Feder who is a finalist in the Telstra Road to Discovery talent search and Brittany Pavlo who is a finalist in Sunday's Toyota Star Maker talent search. Also on the bill, one of last year's big winners at the CCMA National Talent Quest, Jono Nicholson, plus rising stars Brett Clarke, Allison Forbes and The Harmonaters. The concert will be compered by Super Radio Network country music personality Carter Edwards. Tickets for the show can be obtained from www.tcmf.com.au, by telephoning 6767 5300. Tickets – at $20 for adults and $15 for children and pensioners – will be available at the door, subject to availability. Weblink – www.ccma.net.au. MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2012 Tamworth's Country Time Walk An innovation in Country Music Capital for the 40th Tamworth County Music Festival is the Country Time Walk. To symbolise the 40th anniversary Festival theme – Looking Forward Looking Back – businesses in the city's main street, Peel Street, are being encouraged to decorate their premises with various aspects of the Festival's rich history.
The promotion has been put together to "reinvigorate Peel Street and the Tamworth central business district," according to organisers. Peel Street already hosts the buskers who come to the city every January, but the Country Time Walk is designed to give locals and visitors alike "a walk down memory lane from 1973, when the Festival began, up to 2012..." The Time Walk will run from White Street to Bourke Street. Customers who shop in participating retailers during the Festival and spend more than $20 will go into the draw to win a the Jayco pop-top caravan. The promotion is sponsored by Tamworth's daily newspaper "The Northern Daily Leader". At the date of this report, participating retailers, who will display stickers in their window showing their support for the Country Time Walk, include Adairs, Addimi Express, Ali's, ANZ Bank, Athlete's Foot, Aussie Bush Leather, Bali Imports, Beno's Newsagency, Best & Less, Blooms Chemist, Burke & Smyth, Cafe Vivaldi, Camping World, Cash Exchange, Cheapa Music, Collins Booksellers, Commonwealth Bank, Corporate Express, Country Capital Newsagency, Country Topshop, Crazy Clark's, Davidson Cameron McCulloch, Decorama, Dirtwater Beach, Easy Living Footwear, Elston Partners, Escape Travel, Eyecare Plus, Fashion Fair, First National, Gai Abandon, Gloria Jeans Coffee, Handy Hands, Harvey World Travel, HCF, Headquarters Hair Design, Hog's Breath, HQ Hair Design, Jess and James, Just Irresistible, KB's Sun & Sea Surf, Kelly's Real Estate, Loot Homewares, Lowes, Markers Cakes, Material World, N/W Archery, NAB, Narnia Books, New England Mutual, Newcastle Permanent, N R Hockley, NRMA, OPSM, Optus, Pandora Perfect Pieces, Pizza Hut, Pluka's Chicken, PnB Music, PRD Nationwide, Professionals Jackson Rural, Red Embers Pizza, Ridgey Didge Pies, RM Williams, Safari Club, SaltWater Wine, Sandy McKinnon Jewellers, Single Builders, Solea, Specsavers, St George Bank, Subway, Suncorp, Sweet Secrets Lingerie, Tamworth Colour Copy Centre, Telstra Shop, The Greater Building Society, Tony Windsor, Town & Country Boutique, Tudor Hotel, Tuff N Tidy, URXS, Westpac, Woopi Doo, Your Place Thai and Yum-to-go. In addition to these, a number of retailers in each of the city's three main street shopping centres – The Atrium, Centrepoint and K Mart Plaza – will also be involved. Retailers not yet signed up can do so with Caroline Hurley, telephone 6767 5306. FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2012 Tamworth underway
The 40th Tamworth Country Music Festival got underway unofficially today in Australia's Country Music Capital. Unofficial because the official start of the Festival is NEXT Friday (January 20) although for many years now, the "Festival Countdown" has provided a focus for artists, venues and visitors a full week before. More than a hundred separate items are listed in the "Official Guide" for the countdown period with, of course, many "unlisted" items all over town. Already – even before the countdown started – there were buskers in the streets and some of the major venues featured entertainment as usual. Campers and caravanners have been steadily arriving in town to take up their favourite spots in caravan parks and in the massive temporary camping areas along Tamworth's Riverside. Indeed, as always happens, there were a good number of campers and caravanners in town before Christmas who got in the earliest. The countdown period concludes next Thursday, January 19, with two major curtain-raiser events... the Capital Country Music Association's Young Guns Concert at the Light City Church and the Tamworth Country Music Charity Ball in the Town Hall. More information on the Young Guns Concert (including how to get tickets) can be found here. TSA songwriting finalists announced Finalists in the Tamworth Songwriters' Association National Songwriting Contest have been decided with winners to be announced at the Awards night confirmed for the Longyard Hotel, Tamworth on Tuesday night January 24 from 7pm.
In the Professional, Traditional section... Garry Koehler with Underneath The Hat,
Maurie Marion & Warren I Kearney with Creaking Leather, Doug McIntyre with Frank The Fox and Graham Rodger with The Old Coopers Notebook and Whoever Gets My Dog. In the Amateur, Traditional section... Brian Carter with Thin Yellow Line, Justin Standley with Ochre Man, Gill Summerville with Rain Up On The Range and Patricia Thompson with Fair Dinkum Aussie Bushman and Western Plains Drover.
In the Blues & Roots & Bluegrass section... Terry Bradford with After The Fire, Brothers3 with I Should Have Listened, Patricia Cruzado & Paul Bonner Jones with Family Tree and Trigger Happy Farmer and Lachlan Davidson & Kristy Cox with Keep On Loving You. In the Junior section ...Romany Elmas with Save My Brother First, Jennifer Renee Hannam with Bumpy Ride and He's History, Makirum with What Makes A Balladeer? and Taylor Pfeiffer with I Love My Style. In the Lyrics Only section... Alec Raymer with A Lot Like Home, John Walsh with Boyfriend Jail and Going Nowhere and Merv Webster with McIntyre Melodies and Please Don't Get Me Wrong. Also to be announced and presented on the night are winners of the TSA's New Songwriter award and the Song Salute Awards (click here for finalists). The Awards night will be hosted by Amber Lawrence and Peter Leslie with artists appearing including Greg Bain, Dean Perrett, O'Shea, Steve Passfield (pictured) & Handpicked, Amelia Richards, Runaway Dixie and Tamara Stewart and Virginia Coad will present a tribute to Shirley Thoms. "And there's always a surprise guest or two," said a TSA spokesman. Tickets for the Awards night are available from the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre on 02 6767 5300 or online via www.tcmf.com.au. Weblink – www.tsaonline.net.au. THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2012 Urban Country line-up announced
To run over four days, Friday May 4 to Monday May 7, Urban Country this year will be headlined by Beccy Cole (pictured), Troy Cassar-Daley, Adam Harvey, Lee Kernaghan and Shannon Noll (pictured). (With the number of country gigs Shannon Noll is getting these days, it looks like he's following in the country footsteps of his brothers Noll! At least one other major country gig will be this Australia Day when the 2003 Australian Idol runner-up will play the Tamworth Festival. – Ed) Supporting the main line-up will be stars including Busby Marou, Doug Bruce & The Tailgaters, Jayne Denham, Markus Meier and The Sunny Cowgirls. And many more acts will feature during the four day country extravaganza.
"We're kicking up our heels and rounding up some of the best names in the business for four days of hot country under cover at Caboolture's Queensland State Equestrian Centre," the Mayor said. "In addition to the ticketed concert events on Friday and Saturday nights, there's a stack of free entertainment including the urban rodeo, ute muster, bush poets' breakfast, the Voice of Urban Country talent quest, song writers cafe and the whip-cracking action of the Stockman's Arena. "There really is no excuse not to be a part of Caboolture's 2012 Urban Country Music Festival – there's something for everybody," he said. Weblink – www.urbancountry.com.au. Morgan's new EP Telstra Road to Tamworth winner 2007 Morgan Evans has just signed to Warner Music Australia and will release a new five-track EP – Live Each Day – on Friday January 20.
"Morgan's an incredible talent," Matt said, "fantastic singer and a great songwriter. Live Each Day is dynamite and I can't wait for people to hear the finished tracks." Morgan was awarded last year's Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) Scholarship "for country music's most promising artist" and performed Austalian commercial radio's New Artist 2 Radio (NA2R) Showcase at the 2011 National CRA Conference on the Gold Coast in October where he debuted the title track of the new EP. The CRA Scholarship includes a trip to Nashville in June 2012 to perform on the Country Music Association Global Artist Showcase. Previous winners of the prestigious Scholarship include McAlister Kemp and The McClymonts. Morgan's first single – Big Skies – was a number one hit at radio as well as number one on the CMC Top 30 playlist and earned the Newcastle-based singer/songwriter two Golden Guitar nominations, including New Talent of the Year. Weblink – www.facebook.com/morganevanslive. Big line-up at the Frog & Toad Country Music Capital's Frog & Toad Function Centre has become one of the city's major performance venues during the annual Country Music Festival and this year will be bigger and better still, according to organisers.
Shows will be presented by the likes of Golden Guitar winner Jeff Brown (pictured, left), Laura Downing (pictured), Ted Egan, Alan Mackey, John O'Dea, Dean Perrett, Peter Pratt, Anita Ree, Rod Williams (pictured, right) and Warren H Williams. Artists featuring as guests on the shows will include Kalesti Butler, Kingley Day, Bec Hance, Ged & Trudy Hintz, Ken "Chainsaw" Lindsay, Melissa Partridge and Lana Ross. Apart from the dedicated artist showcases, a number of special events will take place. On Monday evening, Stuie French & Camille Te Nahu, Karen Lynne & Martin Louis will present "Where Country Began" with guests Dean Perrett, Amber Joy Poulton and Peter Pratt. The artists will be digging into their archive of special songs that inspired them to "walk the country music road". And on Friday afternoon (January 27), Ted Egan and Warren H Williams will present "Territory Voices" – "a unique array of songs about the people and the lifestyle of the Northern Territory" – as a tribute to the late Ntjalka Gus Williams, Warren's Dad, who died last year." Further information on all shows can be obtained from www.deanperrett.com. Tickets are available from the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre, by telephone on 02 6767 5300 or online via www.tcmf.com.au.. Dean's Tamworth Dean Perrett, meanwhile, is heading to Tamworth 2012 with a swag of award nominations under his belt, especially as a result of his latest album Cattle Town.
Heading the list is his finalist nomination for Vocal Collaboration of the Year with Lee Kernaghan in the Golden Guitar Awards for Channel Country Ground. The album's title track has also been named a finalist for Best Bush Ballad in the People's Choice Awards and for Bush Ballad of the Year at the TSA Awards. Another track from the album, Holding The Redhide, is a finalist for TSA's Country Ballad of the Year. And the song There's Room At The Cross is a finalist for Gospel Song of the Year at the TSA Awards. Away from Tamworth, Channel Country Ground is also a finalist for the Heritage and Duet gongs at the Victorian Country Music Awards and for Group or Duet at Bungendore. And Holding The Redhide has given Dean a finalist nomination for Male Vocal of the Year at Bungendore. "I would like to thank radio, media and fans alike for their valued support in 2011 and continuing association for a successful 2012," Dean said.. Keith writes and records song for "Act Of Valor" Keith Urban has written and recorded a song for the upcoming movie thriller about the America's Navy Seals, "Act Of Valor".
The song will feature at the end of the movie and during the film's credits. Slated for release in February, "Act Of Valor" stars a group of active-duty Navy Seals along with Jason Cottle, Roselyn Sanchez, Nestor Serrano and Alex Veadov, and "tells a powerful story of contemporary global anti-terrorism," according to a spokesman for the film's makers. "I loved the challenge of writing for a film," Keith said. "I've never done that before. After seeing (the movie) Monty and I wanted to capture the essence of not only what these men and women do so extraordinarily, but how that relates to all of us. "'Valor' shows us what they are willing to give their all for, which made me wonder, 'what am I willing to give my life for?' For You is intended to allow the listener to define who that is for them." The song was co-produced by Dan Huff and Keith, engineered by Mark Dobson and Todd Tidwell, mixed by Mike Shipley and mastered by Brent Blackwood. The Act of Valor soundtrack, featuring the For You, will be available digitally on iTunes and physically in music retail locations on Tuesday February 21. Yet to be announced additional original songs inspired by the film from more of today's top country music artists are yet to be announced. "'Act of Valor' takes audiences deep into the secretive world of the most elite, highly trained group of warriors in the modern world," said a spokesman for the movie's producers. "When the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the US, a team of Seals is dispatched on a worldwide manhunt." Weblink – www.actofvalormovie.com. THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2012 Instrumental collection for release tomorrow The Ultimate Instrumental Collection, featuring classic hits from three of the world's favourite instruments, will be released by ABC Music tomorrow (Friday January 13).
The Banjo features two of Australia's most accomplished banjo players, Ian Simpson & John Kane with "the most loved and famous banjo tunes in history from Duelling Banjos and Foggie Mountain Breakdown to The Ballad of Jed Clampett and Dixie Breakdown. The Ukulele is a collection of traditional ukulele favourites and popular songs given new life by John Kane with special guests Azo Bell, Jay Laga'aia and Sam Lemann with tunes such as Aloha Oe, Wipeout, Ukulele Lady, Michael Jackson's Human Nature, Somewhere Over the Rainbow and What A Wonderful World. Weblink – www.shop.abc.net.au. Plan for Reg statue An appeal has been launched for funds to erect a life-size bronze statue of country pioneer Reg Lindsay in his adopted home town of Cessnock in the NSW Hunter Valley.
The first major fundraiser will be a tribute concert at the East Cessnock Bowling Club on Saturday February 11 with stars including Allan Caswell, Adam Harvey, Wendi Jackson, Bruce McCumstie and members of the Reg Lindsay Homesteaders Showband – George Boyer, Eddie Fisher, Steve Newton and Alan Tomkins. Lee Kernaghan can't make the concert but has donated an Outback Club signature hat for auction on the day. A Fender guitar, a pair of Reg's stage boots and a rodeo saddle that belonged to him will also go under the hammer. Ros said she would meet with Cessnock City Council about the idea for the statue and where it should be placed. She said the statue was a fitting way to honour the memory of of her husband, presenter of the "Reg Lindsay Country Hour" and the first Australian country artist to feature on Nashville's Walkway of Stars, as well as acknowledging his love of Cessnock. Reg died on August 5, 2008, at age 79. "Reg lived his last days in Cessnock... he loved the place, he made it his home town," Ros said. "And he's buried at Kearsley. So it's a fitting place for the statue." Ros said she had already scouted for sculptors to create the monument. "It will be six feet tall (1.8 metres) and hopefully be of Reg playing his guitar," she said. "I’m confident we can raise the money. We will start off with this concert and go from there." Tickets to the concert cost $20 per person and are available from the Club, phone East Cessnock Bowling Club on 4990 1444 or Ros Lindsay on 4991 1585. Album release from the Field Brothers 1964 is the title of the Field Brothers self-produced debut album.
In the band with Paul and John was their brother Anthony Field and Jeff Fat who established the highly successful children's band The Wiggles in 1991. When he's not actually playing music, Paul manages The Wiggles and John is a frequent songwriter for the band. 1964 was mixed by multi-award winning producer Nash Chambers and features guest appearances from popular Australian country acts Troy Cassar-Daley, Diana Corcoran, Amber Lawrence and Shane Nicholson. The Cockroaches recorded four albums in the 1980s and '90s. They had eight songs reach the top 40 in Australia, one went big – She's the One, one went biggish – Some Kind Of Girl and six went well enough for the band to tour Australia on a fairly non stop basis. 1964's opening single – We Don’t Talk About Love – features Australian country artist and 2007 Female Artist of the Year Golden Guitar winner Dianna Corcoran. The release has a total of 15 tracks and a DVD featuring four music videos and a special documentary. It was released in November 11 and officially launched at The Vanguard in Sydney in December. Weblink – www.fieldbros.net. TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2012 Vale – Eric Watson Eric Watson – the first recognised historian of Australian country music – has died at the age of 85.
Eric had been battling serious ill-health for a number of years and it was reported his condition had deteriorated significantly over the last few months. As the owner/operator of the Selection Records label, Eric was responsible for the solo recording careers of Owen Blundell, Evelyn Bury, Glenn Jones, Reg Poole and Barry Thornton and many more Australian independent artists. In a tribute to his former record label boss, Reg said Eric's passion was to protect the health and wealth of Australian country music and he was never backward in coming forth with his views. "He was a prolific songwriter and a wonderful Australian," Reg said. During his long career in the Australian music industry, Eric was involved in numerous activities that furthered "the cause", not the least of which was his time with the Tamworth Songwriters' Association of which he was a long time committeeman and President on numerous occasions. As a songwriter, Eric had much success. When radio arrived in his part of the world in 1935 (when he was just nine), he soon knew all the songs of Tex Morton and other artists by heart. At the age of 12, Eric began to write his own songs. With a move to Sydney in 1952 and with the help of leading studio musician Pat Ware, he had his songs recorded by Glen Davis and Jimmy Little. In 1962, Eric was back in Sydney and writing again. Slim Dusty recorded his song When Snowy Sings Of Home. Soon after, Reg Poole, Rick & Thel, Eddie Tapp, Buddy Williams and many other artists used his songs. But it was his coverage of country music in his two books "Country Music In Australia" volumes one and two that will most likely be Eric's most significant legacy to the Australian country music industry. The first volume was published in 1975 to great acclaim with public demand leading to the second volume in 1983. Volume one followed the 16 original artists and groups who recorded before the 1950s arrived and volume two went from there up until the early 1980s, exploring the explosion of interest in country music in the cities during that decade. Apart from a number of rare photos in the books, one of the most notable elements is a series of extensive discographies of the artists. Following a number of years out of print, in 2005 the two volumes were republished as one book. In 2006, Eric was presented with the inaugural Australian Country Music Literary Award that was immediately named in his honour as the Eric Watson Award. The new award was designed to encourage the recording and writing of Australian country music history. On Australia Day 2004, his services to country music were recognised by the nation with the announcement je was to receive an OAM (Order of Australia Medal). Eric's funeral will be on Monday (January 16) at the Casino Uniting Church at 11am. He will be interred at the Casino Lawn Cemetery. A memorial service will be held in Tamworth on Tuesday January 24 at 11am in Tamworth's Uniting Church opposite the Big Golden Guitar on the Sydney Road. Lee returns for his annual free Tamworth concert - CanTeen named as charity beneficiary Lee Kernaghan returns to the Tamworth Country Music Festival this year to headline the annual free Toyota Concert in the Park and CanTeen has been named as the beneficiary of funds to be raised.
The company's Manager of Events, Promotions and Sponsorships, Andrew Wearing, said that organisation was very proud to throw its support behind CanTeen and carry on the tradition of providing aid to charitable organisations and programs through the annual concert. Almost $100,000 has been raised for worthy causes through the annual show, "and we hope to continue that success this year for CanTeen," he said. "Toyota has a great history of supporting regional and rural Australia through the charity concerts. This assistance will help to creative positive futures for young people whose lives have been interrupted by cancer, many of whom reside in regional communities like Tamworth." CanTeen Acting CEO Dr Claire Treadgold said she was looking forward to carrying out the organisation's good work with the help from donations raised during the 2012 Toyota Concert in the Park. "It's an amazing opportunity to have Toyota and all the artists get behind CanTeen at Tamworth," she said." It really demonstrates the generosity and supportive nature of regional Australia." CanTeen is the national support organisation for 12-24 year olds living with cancer and is the only organisation of its kind. "We are really pleased to be able to provide support to young people in regional areas, ensuring that they are able to travel to, and access all our programs, free of cost." MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012 Smoky Dawson / Pro Hart exhibition A special exhibition of Pro Hart paintings has been set up in Tamworth in conjunction with a Smoky Dawson exhibition being staged in conjunction with the unveiling of the Smoky Dawson memorial statue.
In 1985, Smoky published an autobiography simply entitled "‘A Life" and he asked his mate Pro to illustrate it. For each of 11 episodes of Smoky's eventful and colourful life, Pro painted a picture reflecting the essence of the story Smoky was telling. As well as being long time friends, the pair were "naturals" working together. In Smoky's own words: "Pro and I have so much in common, especially our love for Australia and its people. Communicating in the best way we knew, we have tried to paint the world in the colours we would like it to be. All it took was a phone call to Broken Hill, and Pro's magic brush set to work translating my words and music into these paintings." "And how fitting it is that, although both artists died some years ago, an exhibition celebrating their combined work should be exhibited for the first time ever in Tamworth during the Jayco Tamworth Country Music Festival," according to a spokesman for Tamworth Regional Council who organised the exhibition with the assistance of the Smoky Dawson Memorial Statue Committee and the support of the Dawson family. Speaking at the exhibition unveiling today, Committee member and Tamworth Country Music Festival founder Max Ellis said he understood it was the first time all of the 11 paintings had been shown together in public. Smoky, who died in 2008, was a legendary country music figure who had entertained and inspired millions of Australians over some seven decades. Pro, who grew up on a sheep station near Menindee, died in his beloved Broken Hill in 2006. By then, the renowned outback painter was an internationally recognised artist with his work represented in collections throughout Australia and around the world. The "Painting a Song" exhibition formally opens to the public tomorrow (Tuesday, January 10) in the foyer of Council's admin building Ray Walsh House in Peel Street which also acts as Festival Headquarters during the official 10 days of the annual event. In a separate area of the foyer, Smoky's long lost 1950 classic feature film "Cowboy From Down Under" will be shown together with a film biography. The free exhibition complements the unveiling by Dick Smith on Thursday January 26 at midday of the much anticipated statue of Smoky Dawson in front the Council Headquarters. Not So Dusty II for release this week Fourteen years after the release of the first Slim Dusty tribute album Not So Dusty, Not So Dusty II (The Bushies Tribute To Slim Dusty) is set for release later this week. The album proved to be a tremendous success receiving critical acclaim and sales well in excess of ARIA's Gold Record status. "Now with the release of the second instalment in the series... we are taken down some quite different Dusty roads," said a spokesman for Slim's record label. This time round, the tributes are performed by many of Australia's leading traditional country music artists including Charley Boyter, Jeff Brown, Nathan Charlton, Peter Coad & The Coad Sisters, Tracy Coster, Peter Denahy, The Flying Emus, Keith Jamieson, Roger Knox, Dianne Lindsay, Tom Maxwell, Norma O'Hara Murphy, Dean Perrett, Reg Poole and Daly Stephenson. "Of special interest, and an industry first we believe," the spokesman said, "the two closing tracks on Not So Dusty II features two Slim Dusty tributes sent in by Slim fans. The tributes (by Brade and Merv Webster)." The new collection features 24 Slim Dusty tracks and is described as "a unique blend of Slim favourites mixed in with some lesser know Slim songs". The Not So Dusty II album will be released nationally through the Slim Dusty family label Nulla Records (distributed by EMI Australia) this Friday January 13 (13, incidentally was Slim's lucky number!) and will be available on both CD and digital formats. "It seems appropriate that the Not So Dusty II album release should coincide with the 40th Tamworth Country Music Festival celebrations," the spokesman said. "The synergy between the two is so strong and even more meaningful when you take into account the fact that Slim and his wife Joy McKean were the first ever Golden Guitar winners (with Lights On The Hill in 1973) and then of course there's the major contribution Slim and Joy have made to the Festival over all of its four decades." Artists announced for Bush Laureate Awards A raft of well known names in both bush poetry and country music will grace the stage of the 2012 Australian Bush Laureate Awards in Tamworth later this month.
The line-up is... Trisha Anderson, Graeme Johnson ("The Rhymer From Ryde"), Bob Magor, Gregory North (pictured), Glenny Palmer, John Peel, Manfred Vijars, Grahame Watt and Stephen Whiteside. Leading the country guest stars charge will be Golden Guitar winners Pete Denahy and Melinda Schneider (pictured) with Wayne Horsburgh, Amber Lawrence, Dianne Lindsay and Dean Perrett, compere Jim Haynes and "some amazing young kids from Grant Luhrs Young Aussie Talent Team".
The winner of this year's Judith Hosier Heritage Award (named in honour of the Awards founder) will also be announced. Tickets for the gala Awards presentation are available from Tamworth Visitor Information Centre on 02 6767 5300 or on-line from www.tcmf.com.au. The Awards will be staged from 2pm on Tuesday, January 24 in the Tamworth Town Hall. Further information can be obtained from www.bushlaureate.com.au. Finalists for the Great NSW Country Pub Songwriting Competition announced Finalists in the 2012 Tooheys New Great NSW Country Pub Songwriting Competition have been announced with the winner to be decided at Country Music Capital's The Pub later this month.
The finalists are... Rick Caballo from Windang NSW with Everybody Knows Everybody, Jim Edwards, Paul Bonner Jones & Patricia Cruzado from NSW with Womboin Wallop, Louise Egan from Lavington NSW with Bar Flies, Tootie Hiles (pictured) from Toowoomba Qld with At The Pub Baby, Terry Lockley from Lidcombe NSW with The Local, Grant Luhrs from Wagga Wagga NSW with The Chook Raffle Song, Louis Nowra & Stewart D'Arrietta from Kings Cross NSW with Thank God For Beer, Brett Ralph from Eden NSW with Since The Pit's Closed Down, The Really Good Guys (John Vallins) from Bellingen NSW with Here's To You, Sonny Rolfe from Wellard WA with Your Pub, Simply Bushed from Douglas Park NSW with Chook Raffle, Merv Webster from Bargara Qld with A Pub We Call Shindy's Inn and Geoff Williams from Mona Vale NSW with The Pub Song. Finalists are aged from 25 to 74 years of age, according to a spokesman for competition organisers, and include several well-known country music identities such as Grant Luhrs and Merv Webster, Tootie Hiles who wowed the audience at last year's winners concert, south coast NSW local Rick Caballo who was a grand finalist in the 2010 Toyota Star Maker Contest and President of the Belrose Country Music Club, Geoff Williams. These songwriters have now been invited to perform their entry at the Winners Concert at 12noon on Tuesday January 24 at The Pub and are in the final round to take out the prize money of $3,000 first prize, $1,000 second, $750 third and $250 fourth. Entry to the concert is free. FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2012 People's Choice Awards finalists announced Finalists have been announced for the 2012 Australian Country Music People's Choice Awards to be announced in Tamworth later this month.
"Once again, we have had a big increase in the number of votes, and because we don't limit voters in their choices, it can take longer to make sure everything is checked properly and validated. "This year, we have received well over the 10,000 mark with literally hundreds of artists, groups, duos, albums, songs, videos, radio stations and presenters put forward," Bob said. "And that is an excellent result which clearly shows how much appreciation the fans have for their favourites." The finalists (in alphabetical order by artist or song) are... For Best Female Vocal – Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole, Shaza Leigh, Tamara Stewart and Sara Storer. For Best Male Vocal – Adam Brand, Troy Cassar-Daley, Dale Duncan, Dale Hooper and Graham Rodger. For Best Group or Duo – Brothers 3, Carter & Carter, Jetty Road, McAlister Kemp and Simply Bushed. For Best Song – The Closing Of The Day (written by Val Butler, recorded by Kalesti Butler), Hard Work (written by Drew McAlister & Mike Carr, recorded by McAlister Kemp), Kelsey's Song (written by Makirum & Alita, recorded by Brothers3), The Shape I'm In (written & recorded by Graham Rodger) and Walking In My Shoes (written by Dale Duncan, Shaza Leigh & Ben Jacobs, recorded by Dale Duncan). For Best Bush Ballad – Cattle Town by Dean Perrett, The Closing Of The Day by Kalesti Butler, Kiandra Gold by Brian Letton, Lyrebird On The Roof by Brothers3 and The Silent Deep Lagoon by Graham Rodger. For Best Album – All Kinds Of Tough by McAlister Kemp, Far Away Places by Jetty Road, This Land by Graham Rodger, Wattle Fire by Brothers3 and Yesterday's News by Kathryn Jones. For Most Promising Future Star – Kalesti Butler, Paul Cowderoy, Melody Feder, Kathryn Jones and Adam Toms. For Best Video Clip – Butterfly by Tamara Stewart, Hard Work by McAlister Kemp, In Spite Of Ourselves by Kirsty Akers & Bob Evans, Leaving Home Now by Brothers3 and Serves You Right by Jetty Road. The Australian Country Music People's Choice Awards also recognise popularity in country music broadcasting with two awards, the finalists being... For Most Popular Country Music DJ – Bill Beerens of the Community Broadcasting Association's "Good Morning Country", DeanO & Sgt Ron (Dean Mackin and Ron Trundle) of Today's Country 94.1, Carter Edwards of the Super Radio Network, Geoff Williams of Radio Northern Beaches and George Young of the "Good Morning Country". For Most Popular Country Music Radio Station or Program – 2RRR 88.5 FM (Sydney), Cool Country 2KA (Sydney, NSW), "Good Morning Country", Radio Northern Beaches (Sydney) and Today's Country 94.1 (Central Coast, NSW). Winners of 2012 Australian Country Music People’s Choice Awards will be announced at a gala presentation function at 7:30pm Thursday, January 26 at the Light City Church concert venue at the corner of Anne & Kathleen Streets, South Tamworth. A number of Awards finalists and previous winners will perform during the night. Tickets can be purchased via the website, www.peopleschoiceawards.com.au or at the door, subject to availability. Tamworth "Official Guide" released The "Official Guide to the Tamworth Country Music Festival" – produced and published by "Capital News" – is out now.
A bumper issue with more than 260 pages, the "Guide" highlights Festival special features and also includes a rundown of events and activities that run during the Festival "countdown" (seven days prior to the official start of the Festival). This year, the "Guide" includes a special "Capital News" souvenir music CD reflecting "Tamworth". Venue information, including venue map, the Tamworth town map, bus routes and timetable, country music points of interest and helpful visitor guide information to Country Music Capital and the district are all included. The Tamworth Country Music Festival is long established, now in its 40th year. The Festival "Guide" features historical facts and inside stories covering the finalists of the Golden Guitar Awards and other awards and competitions, the 33nd Toyota Star Maker talent search and other major events. Hands of Fame and Roll of Renown inductees, new music product releases and artist CD launches, talent quests and new insightful stories into the famous Festival are a feature. The Official Guide is now available from newsagents in and around Tamworth and selected newsagents throughout NSW, Queensland and Victoria. Copies can be purchased online via tamworthcountrymusic.com.au or from Rural Press Events on free call 1800 649 866 for $12 a copy plus postage and handling and including the free souvenir CD. TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012 New album from The Borderers Tales Of Love & Loss/Rise Up is the name of the new album released in November by The Borderers.
The album was launched at South Australia's Norwood Live on Saturday November 19, coinciding with International Suicide Survivors Day: A day dedicated to the family and friends who are left behind. First single off the album is Love Them While You Can. The multi-award winning The Borderers formed in 1994 and have released eight albums, four EPs, two children's albums and have been included on 31 compilation albums all around the world. To date, they have sold more than 70,000 CDs and DVDs. This month, the band has a number of performances in their home state before performing two shows at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and then dates in the Northern Territory, Victoria and the ACT. Weblink – www.theborderers.com.au. Red Hill Festival this weekend The 2012 Red Hill Country Music Festival will be staged this Sunday (January 8). Held at the Red Hill Recreation Reserve on Arthur's Seat Road in the Melbourne suburb, this year's event will star, in alphabetical order, Rick Bartlett, Peter Baylor's Roadhouse Romeos, Jayne Denham, Gunslinger, Christopher Lee, Markus Meier, Amber Joy Poulton, Rough Cut and Cooper West. Compere will be Gary Turner. The Festival will include a Hot Rod Show & Ute Muster and will have children's rides, food and bar, market stalls. The venue is described as "all weather". Weblink – www.redhillcmf.org.au. Chart Update – Jetty Road at number one Jetty Road's latest hit I'm A Dreamer has taken over the number one spot on the national Country Tracks Top 30 this week.
Lee & Robby Kernaghan's cover of Fire is also up one to five, Shane Nicholson's Jimmie Rodgers Was A Vampire is up three to six and Katrina Burgoyne's White Flag is up one to seven. Kaylee Bell's Strawberry Sunset is up two to eight, Graeme Connors' I'm Travelling At The Speed Of Life is at nine and Dianna Corcoran's Here's Your Damn Song enters the top 10 at 10. Bullet performers for the week include Tamara Stewart's Butterfly (18 to 15), Luke Dickens' True Love Never Dies (20 to 17), Travis Collins' Fired Today (24 to 21), Benn Gunn's Laughter And Beers (27 to 24) and Troy Cassar-Daley's Country Is (new at 27). The other new entry to the chart this week is Melinda Schneider's Wish You Were Here (new at 30). WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2011 Smoky statue to be unveiled on Australia Day The unveiling of the statue of country music legend Smoky Dawson will be a highlight of the 40th Tamworth Country Music Festival this January.
Chair of the Smoky Dawson Memorial Committee Mary Chapman said Australia Day was chosen because, not only was Smoky a country music icon, but he was also a great Australian. Dick Smith – "an old pal of Smoky's – will unveil the statue that has been sculpted by Tanya Bartlett, already well known in Tamworth through her fine statue of the light horse trooper and his Waler in Bicentennial Park as well as other works including the Don Bradman memorial at Bowral. A plaque beside the statue will commemorate the lives of both Smoky and his wife Dot who, with her creative flair and practical skills, played a major role in Smoky's extraordinarily varied and successful career. Mrs Chapman thanked Tamworth Regional Council, which has generously agreed to handle the installation of the statue for the Committee. It is anticipated that the statue will be placed on site well before the Festival although it will not be unveiled until Australia Day. Because of Smoky’s huge popularity and his long-standing association with Tamworth, it is expected the unveiling will attract a large crowd on the day. Entries roll in for National Talent Quest Entries are rolling in for the 46th Capital Country Music Association (CCMA) National Talent Quest being conducted during the upcoming Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The CCMA National Talent Quest runs over two days, Thursday and Friday, January 26 and 27, and will be held at a new home, the Light City Church performance venue in Country Music Capital. "We are very excited about our new venue," said CCMA President Steve Newton. "It is comfortable, has everything we need by way of staging and equipment and will allow us to focus entirely on making sure our contestants have the best possible opportunity to shine." The Talent Quest comprises 11 sections... three each in male and female vocal (juvenile, junior and senior), two each in group/duo and instrumental (junior and senior) and songwriting which is an open age section. Prizes and prizemoney totalling more than $10,000 will be won by the 11 section winners, runners-up and finalists. The Talent Quest, which is recognised as one of the most important and significant in Australia was a major catalyst for the 1973 birth of the huge January festival that has now grown to more than 10 days of annual celebration in the northern NSW city and will celebrate its 40th year this January. It has provided the opportunity for thousands of people to compete for a start in the country music business and helped many launch their careers in country music, including the likes of leading songwriter Allan Caswell and country stars Lee Kernaghan, Keith Urban and Felicity Urquhart. Details of National Talent Quest sections and conditions can be found on the entry form, available for download from the CCMA’s website www.ccma.net.au. Family members and supporters of contestants are welcome to be in the audience during either or both of the Talent Quest days. Tickets will be $5 per day and available at the venue. The two other major annual events run by the CCMA in January are the Young Guns Concert on Thursday January 19 (staged as a curtain-raiser to the Festival the night before the event officially begins) and the Jamboree Concert on the main Saturday afternoon (January 28) in the Tamworth Town Hall. Tickets for both of these events are available from www.tcmf.com.au. Chart Update – Carter & Carter "dance" to the top Carter & Carter's latest hit Dance In The Rain has hit the top of the national Country Tracks Top 30.
Jason Lee's Ordinary Guy is steady at five, Kasey Chambers' Luka is up one to six and Adam Harvey's Falling Into Place is up two to seven. Harmony James' Pride is at eight, Lee & Robby Kernaghan's cover of The Pointer Sisters hit Fire enters the top 10 at nine while Tori Darke's Everything Love Is is steady at 10. Bullet performers for the week include Katrina Burgoyne's White Flag (15 to 12), Dianna Corcoran's Here's Your Damn Song (21 to 18), Tamara Stewart's Butterfly (26 to 23), Luke Dickens' True Love Never Dies (28 to 25), Tania Kernaghan's Ride Of Our Life (29 to 26). New entries to the chart this week are Rose Carleo's Get Back Up Again (new at 28), Travis Collins Fired Today (at 29) and Benn Gunn's Laughter And Beers (at 30). MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2011 Melody wins SA songwriting award Rising country singer/songwriting star Melody Feder has taken out the 2011 Emily Burrows Award in South Australia.
The recognition builds on Melody's major win in the Capital Country Music Association National Talent Quest in January and the Trans Tasman Entertainer of the Year win on Norfolk Island in May. Twenty-three-year-old Melody says she has had a life-long love affair with country music. The daughter of a country band manager, she appeared in musicals and at shows organised by her father from an early age, and even performed with Kasey Chambers and the Dead Ringer Band at the age of 10. Melody currently performs as a solo act and in a duo (April Sunday), recently won the Adelaide heat of the Telstra Road to Discovery which she ultimately won through to the grand final event coming up in Tamworth next month and has also been announced as a double finalist in the Tamworth Songwriters' Association New Songwriter Award that will also be announced in January. The Emily Burrows Award was instituted in 2001 in memory of Emily Burrows, a former APRA membership representative and compliance officer who worked tirelessly to support and encourage South Australian songwriters and composers. The Award was established following her tragic, accidental death in 2000. Photo: Melody with APRA's Matt Swayne (left) and Gary Burrows. Call for Queen entrants Country Music Capital's chamber of commerce has been inundated by businesses looking for entrants to sponsor for the 2012 Queen of Country Music Quest.
"I want to call out to anyone who's ever considered entering the Queen Quest, to get in touch with me at the Chamber and make 2012 their year!" she said. Almost 20 entries have been received already and, according to Marjolyn, the standard is set high: "From young ladies who've just finished high school to those who've been managing their own business; they all have their own reason for wanting to participate in the Quest and they're all looking forward to the experience and can't wait to January." The Quest is open to young women aged 18 to 35 who intend to reside and/or work in the Tamworth region during 2012. It will run over the Tamworth Country Music Festival commencing with the official sashing ceremony on Friday January 20, culminating with the gala dinner on Sunday January 29. The 2012 Queen and Princess will win a holiday to New Zealand to attend the Gore Gold Guitar Awards Festival in June. Intending entrants can telephone the Chamber on 02 6766 4810 or email: mthomas@tamworth.org.au. Quest entries close on Wednesday January 4. Further details can be found here. Cancer patient donates Slim collection to raise funds for Ballarat Hospital Melbourne Radio 3AW reported that Slim Dusty devotee Billy Malady has raised $25,000 for the Ballarat Base Hospital by selling his Slim Dusty collection.
He wanted to show the hospital his gratitude by donating all proceeds made from the sale of his collection. Billy was intending to sell the collection on eBay at a reserve price of $5,000, but that figure was blown out of the water by a generous listener who offered $25,000. The collection comprises 113 albums, 15 DVDs and three books. Billy has beaten bowel cancer and is currently on a drug trial to battle liver cancer. "(I'm) on top of it," he told Neil Mitchell. "Everything is looking good." The Ballarat hospital has received $55 million in funding from the federal and Victorian governments combined but still has a fundraising target of $1.5. The proceeds from the sale of Billy's Slim Dusty collection will go towards that target. Photo: Bill, "a very nice gesture" (Camperdown Chronicle image). FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011 Tamworth announces affordable Festival public transport For the first time in 40 years, visitors to the Tamworth Country Music Festival will have access to more affordable public transport.
Tamworth Regional Council has organised the scheme in conjunction with local coach companies Hannafords Coaches and Tamworth Buslines. "Fans wishing to stay up late and enjoy the music and festivities can do so knowing that they can get back to their accommodation with ease and convenience," a Council spokesman said. "The service will run throughout the day and late into the night, so the party can continue well into the early hours." The buses will be travelling from venue to venue and to most accommodation houses at regular times during service hours. The main bus stop will be located, as usual, in Kable Avenue and will feed the buses to the north, south, east and west. Festival Express wristbands can be purchased at the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre (at the corner of Peel and Murray Streets), at Jayco Place (outside of Festival Headquarters – Ray Walsh House, Tamworth Regional Council) and on board "Festival Express" coaches. A pdf copy of the "Festival Express" timetable (size 1.5mb) can be downloaded here. Further information can be obtained by telephoning Tamworth Buslines on 02 6762 3999. Bush Laureate finalists announced Finalists have been announced for the 2012 Australian Bush Laureate Awards to be presented in Tamworth this January.
For Book of the Year and (if applicable) Collected Verse Book of the Year... "Aussie Verse" by Noel Stallard, "Australian Folk Songs and Bush Ballads" by Warren Fahey, "The Brigadier’s Horse..." by Arthur Dean, compiled by Stephen Whiteside, "The Bronze Swagman Award - Celebrating 40 Years" published by the Winton Business & Tourism Association and "Sumo Mick and Other Verse"s by Bob Magor For Album of the Year... The Best of Sumo Mick by Bob Magor, G'Day by Grahame Watt, Home Brew by Graeme Johnson "The Rhymer from Ryde", King of the Land by Max Merckenschlager and Stick It by Gregory North. For Published Poem of the Year… "Bill's Story" by Tony Hammil,l "Does it really bloody matter?" by Noel Stallard, "Musquito, The Black Bushranger" by Max Merckenschlager, "The Sea Eagle" by Philip R Rush and "Sumo Mick" by Bob Magor. For Single Recorded Performance of the Year... The 1916 Clermont Flood Disaster by Glenny Palmer, First Date by Bob Magor, The Mongrel by Grahame Watt, Poles & Wires by Graeme Johnson "The Rhymer from Ryde" and The Road Scholar by Max Merckenschlager. For Children’s Poem of the Year... "Aussie A-B-C" by Bessie Jennings, "Do you believe in Fairies?" by June Cornock and "Two Little Raindrops" by Stephen Whiteside. Also to be announced and presented on the day of the Awards gala concert is the Judith Hosier Heritage Award, for a significant contribution to Australian bush poetry. The 2012 Australian Bush Laureate Awards will be staged in the famous Tamworth Town Hall at 2pm on Tuesday, January 24. A star-studded line-up of bush poets, including Awards finalists, will appear during the gala awards concert together with special guest country music artists and compere Jim Haynes. Tickets are now available at www.tcmf.com.au, by telephoning 02 6767 5300 or over the counter at the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre on the corner of Peel and Murray Streets. Weblink – www.bushlaureate.com.au. Tori signs worldwide management deal Rising country star Tori Darke is wrapping up 2011 by announcing a worldwide management contract with Ardline Media Group as she releases her new single Great Mistake.
Mark, who has been involved with the Australian music industry for decades and also worked closely with well-known producers in the United States, says he is delighted to be working with Tori. "She is a serious talent this young star, and there is no doubt in my mind that she has an amazing future internationally," he said. Likewise, Tori is looking forward to the future of her music career under the watchful eye of Ardline: "I'm really excited to be onboard, they are doing some great things in the industry," she said. "Lots of exciting things are to come and I can't wait to start working on them. As Tori signs the management deal, her new single Great Mistake – the third off of her hit album Dreams & Chances – has just been released to radio. If the success of the first two singles from the album is anything to go by, this single is definitely one to watch, a spokesman for the artist said. The previous singles made an impressive impact on the chart... Everything Love Is currently sits at number nine on the CMC video playlist on the back of Somebody Else's Baby which reached number eight. Radio have also taken a shine to the album with both singles reaching number four on the national Country Tracks Top 30 and both hit the coveted number one position on the Cool Country chart. Great Mistake is described as "another perfect example of what this talented young country artist is capable of". The music video was shot last week and is due on Australian screens shortly. "The clip will certainly get people talking… it not only features heart-throb Troy Thompson from 'Beauty & The Geek' but was also directed by award winning director Duncan Toombs," the spokesman said. Tori is one of the most promising singer/songwriters on the country music scene today. In 2010, she was awarded the Golden Saddles People's Choice Award, the Channel C Blue Sapphire Award for Best New Talent and the Gold Medallion Award. Adding more strings to her bow, Tori has also had the opportunity to co-write with songwriters in Nashville including John Bettis (Madonna, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston), Phil Barton, Emily Shackelton and Robin Bruce (LeAnne Rimes, Jo Dee Messina). She has also performed as the opening act for Kenny Chesney in Canada and been on the same bill as Paul Brandt, Doc Walker, Jo Dee Messina, Johnny Reid and The Steve Miller Band. Locally she has supported Jetty Road, Amber Lawrence, McAlister Kemp and The McClymonts. Weblink – www.toridarke.com.au. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011 Emma-Jane wins SA Championship Morwell Victoria's Emma-Jane Montgomery has risen to become one of Australia's most promising country music artists after winning the South Australian Champion of Champions.
As part of her prize, Emma-Jane will attend the Australian Academy of Country Music in Tamworth mid next year. "It is going to be great for my music," Emma-Jane said, "because I am going to be tutored by some fantastic mentors. It will open up career opportunities and pathways." Next month, Emma-Jane will be singing on the Tamworth stage that once supported country music superstars such as Lee Kernaghan, The McClymonts and Keith Urban. "It is one of the biggest country music places in the world. It is the place to be for country musicians," she said. Recording a new EP is now Emma-Jane's focus. She said the Championship win had boosted her ambition to pursue a career in country music. "I now want to get a band and travel and get my music out there," she said. "I want to show people who I am and what I can do, by sharing my stories." Emma-Jane, who was also named Senior Female Winner at the Championship, is pictured with one of her trophies. Senior Male Winner (18 and over) was Ryan Cornish while the Junior Champion of Champions and Junior 17 and under winner was Gabrielle Ballard and Junior 13 and under winner was Breanna Lee Kinlough. Chart Update – Beccy at number one Beccy Cole's latest hit Shiny Things has taken over the number one spot on the national Country Tracks Top 30.
Jason Lee's Ordinary Guy is up one to five, Graeme Connors' I'm Travelling At The Speed Of Life is up two to six and Kasey Chambers' Luka is steady at seven. Jasmine Rae's I Faked It is at eight, Adam Harvey's Falling Into Place is at nine and Tori Darke enters the top 10 at 10 with Everything Love Is. Bullet performers for the week include Katrina Burgoyne's White Flag (18 to 15), Shane Nicholson's Jimmie Rodgers Was A Vampire (21 to 18), Kaylee Bell's Strawberry Sunset (22 to 19) and Dianna Corcoran's Here's Your Damn Song (24 to 21). There were no new entries to the chart this week. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2011 Major push to increase country music airplay on Australian radio For the first time, radio broadcasters, programmers and presenters will join forces with the country music industry early next year in an attempt to dramatically change the way country music is played on Australian radio.
Keynote speaker at the seminar will be leading promoter Michael Chugg, Executive Chairman of Chugg Entertainment, a pioneer in the Australian music industry, who has, among many other things, heavily supported the career of Australia's most successful country musician and singer Keith Urban and has brought some of the world's leading country acts such as Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift to Australia. Key industry panelists will be Tim Daley of the Country Music Channel, Adam Harvey, ABC Music's Tim Holland, long-time Australian radio and country music media specialist Trevor Smith and Wendy Gee of Grant Broadcasters, the family owned radio group built originally by Walter Grant from 2DU Dubbo and later by his daughter Janet Cameron, that has radio interests in every Australian state and territory. The panel will be moderated by Advisory Group Chairman Rob Potts, CEO of Entertainment Edge and a member of the CMA board, who said that radio was the most important way for Australian audiences to embrace country songs and recordings. "The growth of many new country radio stations in Australia, plus the advent of digital radio, is providing many more opportunities for Australian and international country music and the Australian radio industry," he said. "One aspect we are keen to develop is a hit-driven radio format similar to ones that already exist for most other music genres. "It is critical for radio broadcasters, programmers and presenters and the country music industry to come together regularly and discuss ways to grow our respective industries. "Our seminar is based on the highly successful Country Radio Seminar, held annually in Nashville, that has worked to grow country music into the most successful radio format of any genre in the USA including pop and rock." It is planned that the Country Music Radio Seminar Australia would become an annual event. The 2012 seminar – subtitled "Building Your Audience" – will be held on Thursday January 26 from 10.30am to 12noon at the new Tamworth Sports Dome. Weblink – www.cmrsa.com.au. TSA finalists announced Tamworth Songwriters' Association (TSA) has announced finalists for it's various awards and competitions announced during the January country music festival.
For the New Songwriter Award, there are two finalists... Deb Beckett with The Ballad Of Henry Beckett, In The Middle Of Nowhere and When My Time Comes and Melody Feder with RSVP and Where Would Your Heart Be. In the Songwriter Salute Awards, the finalists are... For Traditional Bush Ballad of the Year - Cattle Town by Dean Perrett, Faded Shirt Of Blue by Peter Coad, The Graves Of Camooweal by Neville Anderson, Son Of The Red Dirt Country by Graham Rodger and Tough Times Don't Last by Ken Lindsay. For Contemporary Song of the Year - Do You Want Love With That by Wendy Wood, Keen Eye For The Ordinary by Garry Koehler, The Midnight Train by Graham Rodger, The Road That Brought Me Here by Karen Lynne & Allan Caswell and Second Time Around by David Carter, Allan Caswell & Al Krieg. For Country Ballad of the Year - A Garden Full Of Roses by Peter Coad, The Derelict by Mal Coad, Goin' For Glory by Norma O'Hara Murphy, Holding The Redhide by Ian Quinn & Dean Perrett and Such A Shame by Terry Bennetts. For Comedy/Novelty Song of the Year - The Ballad Of Henry Beckett by Deb Beckett, The Kid On The Kangaroo by Peter Coad, More Than Just A Dog by Bec Hance, The Shape I'm In by Graham Rodger and Victoria The Place To Be by M Rossingtion & Ken Lindsay. For Children's Song of the Year - Billy by Bec Hance, Rose Coloured Glasses by Norma O'Hara Murphy, Toffee Apples by Kathryn Jones, Tony's Farm by Brothers 3 & Alita Fahey and Wally The Funky Wombat by Greg Champion. For Gospel Song of the Year - Don't Fall Away by Mal Coad, From God Above by Bec Hance, Riding Out The Storm by Peter Coad, There's Room At The Cross by Dean Perrett & Sherry Foster and Thus Far by Phil Hungerford. Semi-finalists in the National Country Songwriting Contest can be found on the website, www.tsaonline.fom.au. Bill's DVD One of the somewhat overlooked releases recently was Bill Chambers' DVD Live At The Pub.
Showcasing Bill's original songs, his large collection of guitars and guest appearances by the likes of Kevin Bennett, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson. Although he is probably best known as Kasey's Dad, there's much more to Bill than that. The patriarch of the Chambers clan, including his son production whiz Nash, is considered by some to be Australia's premier alt-country guitarist. He can be a master of delicate picking on dobro or lap steel and "a demon" on slide. Along with producing albums for the likes of Catherine Britt, Audrey Auld Mezera, Becky Willis (co-produced with Kasey) and the Dead Ringer Band, Bill has still found time to write most of the songs for his albums. "What I love the best is to get out on the road and perform the songs," Bill said. "I still play in Kasey's band when she's on the road and the gigs take us all over the world. That's where I get many of the stories for my songs." Meanwhile, it's been announced that a Dead Ringer Band 20 Year Reunion Concert is to be held as part of the upcoming Tamworth Country Music Festival. The Concert will feature Bill, Dianne, Kasey and Nash Chambers with guests including Darren Coggan, Beccy Cole, Kym an Trev Warner. It will be at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre at 3pm on Wednesday January 25. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011 Nicki supports overseas troops Australian Entertainment Industry Award winner 2011 and international touring artist Nicki Gillis has released a four track CD dedicated to Australian troops serving overseas.
The first song on the CD, a cover of the Elvis Presley classic Always On My Mind, was chosen because during Nicki's three recent tours of war zones entertaining Australian and coalition forces, she says she had an overwhelming feeling that "the guys and girls over there doing fighting for our democratic way of life felt they were forgotten by people back home. "They really look forward to hearing from home as it lifts their spirits and makes them feel like someone cares." Nicki said. "We need to let them know that we have not forgotten them and that we care about them." The second song on the CD is Remember The Wounded, a song Nicki wrote after her free charity performances at St Vincent’s home for disabled ex-servicemen and women in Britain. "It is a song that begs us to remember those that have had their lives changed because of service to their country and applies to the thousands of Australians injured in wars – the ones who always seem to be forgotten." This song has particular relevance to Vietnam veterans, many of whom have received a copy of the CD through Nicki's honorary membership of the Blue Mountains Vietnam Veterans and Associated Forces Association. Nicki's initiative does not support war nor the politics of war in any way, she says, "it is purely to remind people that while we safely go about our day to day routines, there are still thousands of young Australians putting their lives at risk a long way from home. "There are also hundreds of families here in Australia with lives that are now changed forever because a parent has been killed or injured doing their job." Nicki says she will be touring nationally in 2012 performing in smaller rooms to keep up close and personal with her fans. When she yours, Nicki likes to set aside some time to perform at no charge for charities that look after injured troops and families. Weblink – www.nickigillis.com. Chart Update – Harmony's six weeks at number one Harmony James' latest hit Pride is at number one for a sixth week this week on the national Country Tracks Top 30.
Jetty Road's I'm A Dreamer jumps two places to number five, as does Jason Lee's Ordinary Guy to six and Kasey Chambers' Luka to seven. Graeme Connors' I'm Travelling At The Speed Of Life is up to to eight, Tracy Killeen's Good Lies is at nine and America's George Strait is at 10 with Long Way To Go. Bullet performers for the week include Lee & Robby Kernaghan's Fire (16 to 13) and Dianna Corcoran's Here's Your Damn Song (27 to 24). New entries to the chart this week include Tania Kernaghan's Ride Of Our Life (in at 29). WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2011 Star Maker finalists announced Finalists in the 2012 Toyota Star Maker Quest were announced yesterday. And despite announcing earlier that there would only be 10 for the coming event, organisers say they had no choice but to extend the number back to 20. They say the judging panel was overwhelmed with the quality of entries and decided to increase the number of contenders.
As the main event of the first weekend of the Tamworth Country Music Festival – on Sunday January 22 – Star Maker is again sponsored by Toyota, the company that has maintained an important association with country music over the past 17 years. "Toyota has a strong bond with Australia's rural and regional community," said Toyota Manager Promotions and Events Wayne Gabriel, "and Toyota Star Maker continues to be a foundation of that support by providing independent artists with a highly-coveted, career-launching platform." Twelve men and eight women make up the 20, ranging in age from 18 to 39 and representing a broad cross section of styles, Cheryl said. "Nine are from NSW, six from Queensland, two from Victoria and one each from the USA, Ireland and New Zealand (all now living and working in Australia). The finalists will "battle it out" from 12.30pm on Sunday the 22nd for the chance to compete as one of six Grand Finalists for the title of Toyota Star Maker 2012 in the evening from 7.30pm. As well as the album deal and big budget recording session, the Toyota Star Maker 2012 prize package includes use of the title Toyota Star Maker 2012 Winner; 12 months use of a new Toyota motor vehicle; a fuel card for the 12 months after winning Toyota Star Maker; distribution and promotion of at least two tracks to radio and other media from the prize album; production of a professional video clip of one of the tracks by an award-winning director; a number of gigs throughout the winning 12 months; and Maker Grand Final in 2013; and return air tickets to Nashville for the CMA Festival in June 2012 courtesy of Travelworld Tamworth; and a performance at the annual CMA (American Country Music Association) Global Artist Party in Nashville. Tickets for the Toyota Star Maker Final and Grand Final are on sale now through the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre on 02 6767 5300 or on-line via www.tamworthcountrymusic.com.au (follow the link to tickets). TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011 Gidgee Coal Bush Ballad Awards winners Winners in the 2011 Gidgee Coal Bush Ballad Awards have been announced.
The Group or Duo award went to the collaborative recording by Graham Rodger & Sara Storer, An Affair Of The Heart while Instrumental was won by Peter Simpson & Lindsay Butler with Akubras in the Snow. Dianne Lindsay won the Album award with Heartbeat and Bec Hance & Vaughan Baker took out the Songwriter award with The Ballad of Castlereagh. Kalesti Butler was named New Talent winner with The Closing of the Day and Alan Lavender won the Comedy/Novelty award with One One And One Two. Ken "Chainsaw" Lindsay won the Encouragement Award and Ron Peters was presented with the Gidgee Coal Bush Ballad Legend Award. Melinda brings a little of Doris to Sydney's Carols Six times Golden Guitar winner Melinda Schneider will this year add a touch of Doris Day to Woolworths Carols in the Domain in Sydney.
"I'm so excited to be a part of Carols again this year," Melinda said. "I am looking forward to performing my own version of a classical Christmas carol Doris Day recorded on her 1964 Christmas album." Melinda has just released her new double album Life Begins At 40, The Ultimate Melinda Schneider Collection, a collection of 40 of Melinda's best tracks spanning three decades of live performance. Inspired by her recent milestone birthday, the album features all her hits plus songs from her younger years, including her first recording at eight years of age, Santa Call On Me. Also featured are duets with Paul Kelly, Olivia Newton-John and her mum, the legendary Mary Schneider. Last year saw Melinda "strutting her stuff" on the 7 Network's "Dancing With The Stars" while also recording the album Melinda Does Doris: A Tribute To Doris Day that spent nine weeks at number one on the ARIA Jazz & Blues charts. "She was such a huge talent," Melinda said, "a triple treat as they say. She could sing, dance and act. When I was a kid I thought she was the best of everything that a woman could be and I wanted to grow up to be just like her." Melinda has just completed her hugely successful capital city season of "Doris - So Much More Than The Girl Next Door" - her musical tribute to Doris Day that she co-wrote with David Mitchell of "Dusty" and "Shout" fame. "I have had a fantastic time at Carols each year. I'm a proud Sydney girl and performing to the massive crowd in the Domain, as well as the millions watching at home, is always a huge thrill. I am looking forward to spending Christmas at home this year with my family and starting the festive season at the Domain, bringing a little bit of Doris to the Carols." Weblinks – www.melindaschneider.com. The McClymonts and Tommy to feature in Melbourne Meanwhile, in Melbourne on Christmas Eve, The McClymonts and instrumentalist extraordinaire Tommy Emmanuel will be among the stars performing in Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the iconic event which will be in its 73rd year this year. This year's event will be hosted by Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson and will also feature AGC, Rachael Beck & Ian Stenlake, Rhonda Burchmore, Anthony Callea, the casts of Hairspray and Mary Poppins, Kate Ceberano, Michael Cormick, Lucy Durack & Jemma Rix (Wicked), John Foreman, Terry Gill, Julie Goodwin, Doug Heywood, Hi-5, David Hobson, NBCA, Marina Prior, Ricki-Lee, Rob Mills, Lorin Nicholson, Sylvie Paladino, Doug Parkinson, String Diva, Mark Vincent and Denis Walter. MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011 Bungendore finalists announced Finalists for the 2012 Stan Coster Memorial Bush Ballad Awards have been announced with Peter Coad (pictured at left) and Graham Rodger snaring the most number of placings, three each.
The full list is... For Male Vocal - Tom Maxwell with The Saddle Is His Home, Dean Perrett with Holding The Redhide and Graham Rodger with Such A Shame. For Female Vocal - Kalesti Butler with The Closing Of The Day, Trudy Hintz with Channel Country Singer and Norma O'Hara Murphy with Goin' For Glory. For Group or Duo - Boyter & Waddington with Big Fella' Wadumbah, Dianne Lindsay & Peter Simpson with Come The Day and Dean Perrett & Lee Kernaghan with Channel Country Ground. For Songwriter - Peter Coad with A Garden Full Of Roses, Dianne Lindsay & Peter Simpson with Gentleman Joe and Norma O'Hara Murphy with Goin' For Glory. For New Talent- Kalesti Butler with The Closing Of The Day, Allan Lavender with Life Is Just A Game and Len Teelow with Tamworth Festival. For Album of the Year - Peter Coad with Old Bush Mates, Ashley Cook with Highways Of The Great Outback and Graham Rodger with This Land. For Comedy Song - Peter Coad with Kid On The Kangaroo, Allan Lavender with One, One And One Two and Graham Rodger with The Shape I'm In. No finalists are announced for the eighth award, the Barry Thornton Encouragement Award. Winners will be announced during the 2012 Bungendore Country Muster to be held on Saturday and Sunday February 4 and 5. Weblink – www.bungendorecountrymuster.com.au. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 Telstra Road to Discovery finalists The 10 finalists in the 2012 Telstra Road to Discovery talent search were announced in Sydney today. They are Hayden Calnin (from Collingwood, Vic), Melody Feder (Vista, SA), Kelly Menhennett (Barmera, SA), Mardi Pannan (Newtown, NSW), Alice Plumb (Gungahlin, NSW), Andrew Redford (Maroochydore, Qld), Bart Thrupp (Toowoomba, Qld), Christy Wallace (Mt Gambier, SA), Trent Williams (Scarborough, WA) and Mia Wray (Noosa, Qld).
A winning performer and songwriter will be announced on Tuesday night January 24, each winning a 12-month music mentorship package including a return trip to Nashville. Announcing the top 10 finalists was Dom Galluccio, Telstra Country Wide Area General Manager, Sydney Metro South West, who congratulated the musicians on their outstanding performances during the semi final staged as part of the entertainment line-up at the Sydney Telstra 500 V8 Supercars at Sydney Olympic Park. "The calibre of talent was extremely high," Dom said, "and there was such a diversity of performances" (from the 18 semi finalists). "It's encouraging to see the future of our local music industry is in good hands. I certainly didn't envy the judges having to make the final decision." Telstra Road to Discovery Ambassadors and ARIA award winning trio The McClymonts also performed at the event, their first gig on home soil after returning from six months in the US where they recently received the 2011 American Country Music Association award for Global Artist of the Year. "What a fantastic event to perform our first gig back home," said Brooke McClymont. "We've missed the Aussie audiences! The opportunity for these aspiring artists to perform in front of such a big crowd is an experience I'm sure they won't forget in a hurry. "We'll be heading to Tamworth in January and can't wait to see who takes out the top honours at the final. It's an amazing head start for any emerging artist and they should be grabbing the opportunity with both hands." Prior to the semi-final event, all 18 artists took part in an intensive two-day music development "boot camp" where a network of music industry professionals, including songwriters, publishers, established artists and industry organisations, shared their knowledge and experience. The Telstra Road to Discovery final is the culmination of a six-month search around the nation that included 12 live music performance heats, one digital online heat for performers in remote and regional areas and a separate on-line category for songwriters. Tailored to suit each winner's musical aspirations, the prize package includes access to a network of music industry professionals, a studio recording session, domestic and international gigs, co-writing appointments, digital marketing, video production and more. Photo (by Ted Sealey) - front row (from left): Andrew Redford, James Blundell (semi-final compere), Mia Wray; middle row: Kelly Menhennett, Christy Wallace, Mollie McClymont, Brooke McClymont, Sam McClymont, Bart Thrupp, Melody Feder, Alice Plumb; back row: Hayden Calnin, Mardi Pannan, Trent Williams. Click on the image for a larger version. Weblink – www.telstra.com/trtd. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011 Keith to be a judge on Australia's "Voice" It has been confirmed that following a successful throat surgery, Keith Urban will join the Australian version of the hit television show "The Voice" when it debuts on the Nine Network next year.
During auditions for the show, the famous judges face away from the hopeful contestants, judging them only on the sound of their voice rather than their looks and personality. If one or more of the celebrities turn around, the contestant officially makes it through to a team, and the given judge becomes their mentor through the duration of the competition. "The Voice" has become a universally popular idea with unique versions of the show in Brazil, Spain, Sweden and South Korea, among others. The American version kicks off a second season following the Super Bowl on February 5. The Australian version is also expected to begin early next year Keith is reportedly "doing fine" post-surgery, so he should be back to 100 percent by the time his new television slot hits the air. Darren McMullen, last seen as host of "Minute To Win It" in Australia, is said to have landed the hosting role on "The Voice". Shine Australia is producing "The Voice" for Nine. Craig wins Country ASAI Craig Morrison has won the Country category of the Australian Songwriters's Association 2011 Songwriting Contest with his composition Hot Kinda Love.
Now based in Nashville, Craig said it was a great honour to be recognised by the ASA. "To be recognised as a singer/songwriter and take first place in Country for the Australian Songwriter’s Association is the biggest accomplishment yet in my musical career," he said. The ASA contest celebrated its 31st year on Wednesday night with a glittering awards ceremony. Play To Win by Paul Owen, Sabrina Alison & Roger Corbett placed second in the Country category while Bob Corbett's Slow Dancing was third. Craig's current single Fences has been following up on the success of Hot Kinda Love. It has already made its way into the Top 30 of the Country Tracks Chart and also into the Top 30 on the Country Music Channel. Craig has been treading the boards of the Australian music industry since he was a youngster. His father is Lucky Starr who is counted as a founding member of Australian and had the major hit with Geoff Mack's I've Been Everywhere. Lucky often took his son on stage, bringing him up on a solid diet of performing. It was a natural progression for Craig to move into music as he became an adult, but initially he pushed himself in another genre direction entirely, forming pop-rock band DeMont in the 1980s. Yet country music was always in Craig's blood. He felt a resonance with the genre, from a perspective of writing and performing and found himself dabbling in writing country songs. His country album release Heaven Knows under the guise of Craig Morrison Little Cowboys was well-received by the industry and this only further cemented his determination to carve a niche for himself in the genre. Moving to Nashville seemed like the next natural step, and so earlier this year Craig packed up his life and moved to the America's country music capital. He is currently recording his self-titled album in Nashville with Grammy award winning producer and Aussie ex-pat Mark Moffatt. Craig toured throughout Australia during November and returns to Nashville this month to put the finishing touches to the album. Weblink – www.craigmorrisonmusic.com. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011 New single from Troy, a pre-cursor to Home Troy Cassar-Daley released a single yesterday from his new album – Home – that is set for release in March. Country Is is the name of the single which has been made available to radio and is available for purchase at iTunes.
The concert went ahead, however, to keep faith with his fans and Troy and so he could tell everyone that he and his fellow Queenslanders were down but not out. Troy did his own show, couldn't resist hopping up for a couple of guest spots at friends shows and then flew straight home to get stuck into the cleanup for not only his place, but his friends and neighbours. He also played numerous under-the-radar benefit gigs to assist those struggling financially. As well as being one of the headline performers, Troy was also invited to be the right hand man for Prince William at the Spirit Of The Country show held in Toowoomba in March. Since then Troy has toured with Kenny Rogers, headlined his own shows and performed at music festivals across Australia. In amongst all of these commitments, he wrote, co-wrote and demo’d a stack of new songs. In October, Troy travelled to Nashville to record and produce his new studio album. "My farm has been a huge part of my writing since we've owned it," Troy said. "After the floods went through in January, we thought it would never be the same but we were wrong. Even with a bad flushing dunny, no carpet and mud stains still on the kitchen floor, Col Buchanan and I wrote some tunes we are really proud of. "Country Is is about what country is to us," Troy said, "and what it does for your heart to have warm loving people who would give you the shirt off their back... that's what 'Country Is' to me." Home will be Troy's eighth studio album. The video for Country Is was shot and directed by ace director Duncan Toombs in Tamworth. In other news from Troy, the star was named the NSW Clarence Valley’s "Ambassador" for 2011. The presentation was made in Grafton in October. This is the first year of the award and Troy was thrilled that he was bestowed with the honour saying he would always remember his home town and what Grafton gave to him. The award was presented by Mayor Richie Williamson at the Grafton Art Gallery. Troy closed the event performing Going Back Home. Weblink – www.troycassardaley.com.au. The Bushwackers Bush Christmas Legendary Australian country/folk band The Bushwackers are featuring in a Bush Christmas at The Burning Log venue in Dural in Sydney's Hills District this month.
The event is somewhat of a hark back to the 1980s, say the show promoters, when The Bushwackers played gigs at The Vicar of Wakefield in Dural, The Blue Gum Hotel in Waitara and countless other venues around Sydney. "While most of those fans are somewhat older and wiser in 2011, The Bushwackers have kept playing their fiery brand of electric Aussie bush rock and taking it around the country and beyond." The Bushwackers were in Nicole Kidman's first movie "A Bush Christmas" in the early '80s, appearing as themselves, and also provided the music throughout the movie. "Their upcoming Christmas show will incorporate some reflections on Christmas in Australia and also feature all the usual Bushwackers repertoire with all the great Australian songs, wild instrumentals and dance tunes they are famous for." "This show is for all the family to enjoy," said The Bushwackers Roger Corbett. "We've lost count of the number of youngsters who come along to the shows specifically to tell us how their childhood memories are of our music on car trips and holidays! "People often recount their favourite Bushwackers moments to us at dances, pubs, clubs and Festivals. It's great to have been a part of their lives." The Bushwackers are celebrating their 40th year this year. Weblink – www.thebushwackers.com.au. Click here for recent news |
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Hundreds of people responsible for making the giant Tamworth Country Music Festival the success it is today will come together to celebrate their efforts at a special party next Sunday.
"This concert hosts an amazing roster of LBS talent and is without a doubt one of the biggest traditional country music concerts in Australia with over 20 leading recording artists, backed by The Butler Showband," said an LBS spokesman.
Twenty finalists spent yesterday rehearsing for the elimination finals that get underway at 12:30pm with grand finalists to be chosen to compete in the grand final tonight from 7:30pm in the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre.
Contributions of $50,000 from Tamworth Regional Council and a $10,000 donation from the NSW government have kickstarted the appeal (NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell made his announcement also from the opening concert stage).
The announcement was made during a star studded concert in the famous Tamworth Town Hall by the Mayor of Country Music Capital Col Murray. Terry was presented with his plaque by fellow Roll of Renowner Lindsay Butler.
To be held in the Tamworth Town Hall from 2 o'clock this afternoon, the concert will include the announcement of this year's inductee or inductees to Australian country music's highest honour, the Roll of Renown.
Every year, the Hall of Fame hosts a series of "Meet The Pioneers" sessions at 10:30am daily during the main festival week. This year, the sessions will feature bush balladeer Tom Maxwell on Monday (23rd), all round country entertainer and comedian Terry Gordon on Tuesday (24th), leading female country artist Lynette Guest on Wednesday (25th), Roll of Renowner "Tangletongue" Geoff Mack (pictured) on Thursday (26th) and country balladeer Gavan Arden on Friday (27th).
The local country 
Local Golden Guitar winners Lindsay Butler, Andrew Clermont, Tracy Coster, The Crosby Sisters, Rex Dallas, Pixie Jenkins and Lawrie Minson will appear, together with didgeridoo virtuoso Mark Atkins, 2011 Toyota Star Maker winner Luke Dickens, 2011 Telstra Road to Tamworth winner Harry Hookey and 2011 Southern Stars Australian Independent Award winner Ryan Sampson.
Originally from Coonamble, NSW, Tony
This year's concert will be staged at the Light City Church performance venue at the corner of Anne and Kathleen Streets in South Tamworth getting underway tomorrow night from 7pm.
A key plank of the promotion, especially with visitors in mind, is a competition with a $35,000 Jayco caravan as the prize.
They are...
In the Amateur, Contemporary section... Noreen Kane & Siobhan Skates with Following My Heart, Emma Leigh & Peter Bailey with Your Smile, Emily Markham with I'm There For You, Charlotte Reid with You Were Meant For Me and Lisa Scelzi with Where The Angels Fly.
Organisers of Caboolture's Urban Country Music Festival have announced the event's 2012 line-up.
Announcing the line-up, Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Allan Sutherland said the Urban Country Music Festival would also continue to support up-and-coming talent with the winner of Tamworth's Toyota Star Maker contest also to be included on the bill.
The EP was recorded in Sydney with Golden Guitar winning producer Matt Fell.
The venue, on Goonoo Goonoo (Sydney) Road, will feature five full days of entertainment aimed at catering to a range of musical tastes.
The bush ballad singer/songwriter says he us excited to have received so many nominations.
Titled For You, the song, co-written with Monty Powell, is the first Keith has written and recorded specifically for a motion picture.
Specifically released in time for the Tamworth Country Music Festival, the three CD set comprises...
His widow and driver of the Reg Lindsay Rodeo held each year, Ros Lindsay, is leading the project which aims to raise $75,000 to create the statue.
The brothers are Paul and John Field, formerly of the hit-making '80s pop band The Cockroaches.
The author, who was also well known as a songwriter, record producer and record label operator, died in The Cedars Nursing Home at Casino in northern NSW on Sunday night.
Toyota's Concert in the Park has been a major feature of the Festival for the past five years on the main Friday night (this year the 27th) attracting crowds of around 15,000 to Country Music Capital's Bicentennial Park.
That original album, released in 1998, featured an eclectic mix of Australian artists including Troy Cassar-Daley, Kasey Chambers, Paul Kelly, Mental As Any
Among the bush poets appearing will be a number of finalists for this year's Awards.
Highly sought after Golden Gumleaftrophies will be presented in five categories...Book of the Year, Published Poem of the Year, Album of the Year, Single Recorded Performance of the Year and Children's Poem of the Year.
Entries were received from across the nation and judges were reportedly "very impr
The announcement has been delayed this year due to the large number of votes and the time taken for the important process of validating and cross-checking ballots, said Awards spokesman Bob Kirchner.
Recognised as one of the world's biggest Festival publications the "Official Guide" is billed as "the original and definitive Tamworth Country Music Festival guide featuring the official day-by-day program and an exclusive A to Z artist directory.
It's the 10th release from the ban
Beccy Cole's Shiny Things is at two while Adam Harvey's Falling Into Place edges up one to three and Carter & Carter's Dance In The Rain is at four.
The statue, which is destined to become a Country Music Capital landmark, will take place on Australia Day, Thursday, January 26, at 12 noon in front of Tamworth Regional Council's headquarters, Ray Walsh House, in the city's main street, Peel Street.
Potential entrants in the songwriting section of the talent quest only have until the end of December to get their entries in while those wanting to be involved in the performance sections have until January 23 to enter, but organisers say the sooner people enter, the better chance they will have to be included if the event runs out of available time with too many entrants.
Jetty Road's I'm A Dreamer is up one to number two while Beccy Cole's number one from last week, Shiny Things, is at three and Graeme Connors' I'm Travelling At The Speed Of Life is up two to four.
The $5,000 Award is sponsored by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and is awarded each year to recognise and further the professional development of emerging original music artists or bands in the state. Melody plans to record her next album with the money from the Award.
"Businesses are very keen to be involved but don't always have suitable candidates within their own establishment," said 2012 Quest Co-ordinator Marjolyn Thomas of the Tamworth Business Chamber.
To operate daily during the 2012 Jayco Tamworth Country Music Festival – Friday January 20 to Sunday January 29, the "Festival Express" will be available from 7am to 3am with unlimited travel for a one-off "wristband"
price of $10.
In alphabetical order by title of work, they are...
Tori's signing to Ardline and its managing director Mark Spillane puts her in fine company, according to the media release announcing the deal, alongside other artists such as Syndicate, Beyond December, My So-Called Life, DJ Lethal and others.
Carter & Carter's Dance In The Rain has edged up one place to number two while Jetty Road's I'm A Dreamer jumps two more places to number three and Harmony James' number one for the last six weeks, Pride, is at four.
The two industries will come together at the inaugural Country Music Radio Seminar Australia on January 26 in Tamworth, an activity organised by the Nashville headquartered Country Music Association (CMA) Australian Advisory Group and the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Winners will be announced at the TSA's gala awards concert to be staged at West Tamworth League Club in the evening of Tuesday January 24. 
The DVD is being promoted as "reliving the great atmosphere that his Tamworth Sessions at The Pub (one of Country Music Capital's leading venues) have become famous for".
As an endorsed supporter of Legacy, Nicki is also donating a percentage of the CD proceeds to that organisation to help support soldiers injured in war and the families of deceased Australian servicemen and women.
Beccy Cole's Shiny Things and Carter & Carter's Dance In The Rain remain at two and three, respectively while Jasmine Rae's I Faked It edges up one to number four.
Bec Hance (pictured) won the Female Vocal award with her track Only In Australia while Graham Rodger took out the Male Vocal award with Such A Shame.
Kalesti Butler, Allan Lavender, Dianne Lindsay & Peter Simpson, Norma O'Hara Murphy and Dean Perrett feature strongly with two finalist placings each.
Keith will act as a celebrity judge and mentor in the competition with other celebrity judges including Delta Goodrem and American stars Seal and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte.
The song is from Craig's highly anticipated forthcoming album due for release in January.