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This website brings you the latest Australian country music news. News releases can be sent to news@countrymusicbulletin.com.au |
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2018 Kirsty Lee releases Hannah's song video Kirsty Lee Akers has released the official music video to House Full Of Flowers, the song she wrote with Jerry Salley dedicated to Hannah Rye who died a year ago this month from Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer.
“I was so incredibly lucky to have Hannah in my life and I hope everyone that hears this song and sees the music video can get a glimpse into what an amazing young woman she was." House Full Of Flowers (Hannah’s Song) is on Kirsty Lee’s fifth album – Under My Skin – released lastr month. The album sees Kirsty in the producer’s seat for the first time, “marking her evolution as an artist,” the spokesman said. “It contains 10 masterfully crafted tracks, embodying her distinctive sound, powerful lyrics, and musical influences.” Weblink – www.kirstyleeakers.com. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2018 The Hay Balers “Shout The Land A Drink” The Hay Balers is the brain child of Golden Guitar winner Matt Scullion who, together with Charles Alder from Rural Aid/Buy A Bale, decided to record a song Matt had written called Shout The Land A Drink.
It is now available at iTunes, Googleplay and Amazon Music. Click here for links. TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2018 Kaylee wins Unsigned comp Kaylee Bell has won the Country section of this year's Unsigned Only Music Competition.
Unsigned Only is designed for solo artists, bands, and singers all over the world who are looking for exposure, recognition and a chance to be noticed by industry professionals. "The goal of Unsigned Only is to find an outstanding, talented performer: a band, singer, or solo artist...a newcomer or veteran...raw or polished – the 'gem' that needs to be discovered." Conceived of and produced by the team who organise the International Songwriting Competition (ISC), Unsigned Only is described as "a fresh and novel approach to other music competitions" with "great prizes, recognition, exposure, and the chance to be heard by a group of judges consisting of high-profile recording artists and industry professionals. Weblink – unsignedonly.com. MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2018 Vale – Bluey Francis Bluey Francis – well-known Aussie bush balladeer and founding member of the Australian Bush Balladeers Association – has died. He was 81. Bluey was born in Gol Gol, NSW. As a drover and shearer, he loved listening to the country music of the likes of Billy Blinkhorn, Tex Morton and Buddy Williams.
Bluey started entertaining friends in his Mum’s backyard and he became a sort of hero to his friends. From there he started singing and playing on 3MA in Mildura. After leaving school he got to know Stan Gill from the Stan Gill Rodeo and started singing at rodeos. He would have to ride two buckjumpers and sing three songs to earn a meagre wage. In later years, Bluey met up with Buck Carson and they put a country music show together called the Buck Carson Show. Not long after, they were joined by Gordon Parsons and Bill Jackson who was a comedian. They toured for a couple of years starting in Victoria and travelling up through NSW to Queensland and then back to Victoria. After leaving the Stan Gill Rodeo he travelled to Dubbo to record four albums with C & M Records with Lindsay Butler as the producer. In 1980, Bluey toured with Rick & Thel in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. He also did a few shows with Paul Lester. A 17 year break from recording was spent opal mining at a place called Grawin near Lightning Ridge. After meeting Joe Daly of Trumby fame, he was introduced to Nev Molloy and his studio where he recorded another four albums. One of these albums made the finals at Bungendore. From there, Bluey mainly sang in pubs and at parties. Wherever there was a song to be sung he was there with his guitar. In the late ‘90s, he instigated a club that played Australian bush ballads only, that organisation is now known as ABBA (the Australian Bush Balladeers Association). Along the way, Bluey was to help a number of younger balladeers on their career paths, the likes of Nathan Charlton and Anita Ree. Bluey died on Wednesday August 11. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2018 Special award for Rob The late country music industry heavyweight Rob Potts, who died unexpectedly and tragically as the result of a motorcycle accident in Tasmania in October last year, was posthumously awarded the American Academy of Country Music's Jim Reeves International Award on Wednesday night.
Rob cultivated a country music connection between Australia and the United States bringing American artists to Australia to perform and supporting a number of Australian acts in their tilt at the American market, including Morgan Evans and Keith Urban. With his business partner Michael Chugg, Rob established the brand of CMC Rocks leading to events like CMC Rocks the Snowy, CMC Rocks the Hunter and CMC Rocks Qld. The latter became the first-ever sold-out country music event in Australia with 18,000 tickets sold for the 2018 staging. Rob worked for many years in his Allied Artists booking agency and for a time was heavily involved in the Country Music Association of Australia. The award was accepted by Rob's son Jeremy Dylan. Morgan Evans performed a tribute to Rob on the night. Past recipients of the Jim Reeves International Award have included Garth Brooks, Dick Clark, Roy Clark, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Buck Owens, Dolly Parton, Rascal Flatts, Roy Rogers, Dinah Shore, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Jeff Walker and Jo Walker-Meador. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018
Morgan Evans has scored his first "number one" in America. The Newcastle singer/songwriter's Kiss Somebody hit the top of the Country Aircheck and Mediabase charts this week, one of the nation's leading country airplay charts. The single is featured on Morgan's self-titled EP released on August 10. It was co-written by Morgan with Chris DeStefano and Josh Osborne. Previously, Kiss Somebody had reached number one on SiriusXM The Highway's Hot 30 Countdown, made it on to Spotify's Global Viral 50 list and reached number four on the iTunes Top Country Songs charts after he performed the song on the US version of television's The Bachelorette. "The idea of performing and traveling to America, as well as having a chart-topping single in country music, was a dream," Morgan said. He shared with Digital Journal that he was overcome with gratitude and thanked his fans and everybody at country radio for the love they had given Kiss Somebody. Weblink – www.morganevansmusic.com. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2018 Texas Roundup A big line-up of artists has been announced for this year's Texas Country Music Roundup coming up next month.
Bush poets John Best, Jack Drake and Gary Fogarty will also appear. The Roundup will be held at the Texas Sports Complex from Monday to Sunday, September 24 to 30. Pictured (from left): Ashleigh, Pixie and Brian. FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2018 Southern Stars finalists Finalists have been announced or the 2018 Australian Independent Country Music Awards, also known as the Southern Stars.
Allan Caswell features in three finalist placings, two in his own right in Album and Male Vocal and with The Weeping Willows in Single of the Year. Three acts have two finalist placings each... Dianne Lindsay (in Bush Ballad of the Year and Female Vocal), Dean Perrett (in Bush Ballad and Male Vocal) and newcomer Kevin Sullivan (in Single of the Year and Male Vocal). A full listing of finalists is shown below. The 2018 Southern Star winners will be announced during the 32nd Mildura Country Music Festival which runs from Friday September 28 to Sunday October 7. Awards night is Saturday October 6. Tickets can be obtained by calling 1800 039 043. Weblink – milduracountrymusic.com.au. APRA/AMCOS Australian Independent Country Music Single of the Year
APRA/AMCOS Australian Independent Album of the Year How It Used To Be – Amber Joy Poulton Qantas Australian Independent Bush Ballad of the Year. He Talks Of Going Back – Dean Perrett CRS Australian Independent Rising Star Male Angus Gill with Hands Are Clean CRS Australian Independent Rising Star Female Chantell Alexi with Lucky Girl Capital News Australian Independent Male Vocalist of the Year Allan Caswell with Knowing That You’re There Capital News Australian Independent Female Vocalist of the Year Kristy Cox with Cry Me A River Australian Independent Group/Duo of the Year Destiny with Streets Of Old Kilsyth WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2018 Gympie next week Australia’s largest country music charity event, the Gympie Music Muster, kicks off next week. Months of preparation by an army of dedicated volunteers have ensured that the Muster site in the Amamoor State Forest south of Gympie is ready to welcome the expected 22,000 patrons. Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Lori Hoffmann said hundreds of dedicated campers had already set up for the event with numbers set to swell considerably in coming days. Headine acts at this year's Muster include Troy Cassar-Daley, Beccy Cole, Lee Kernaghan, Melinda Schneider, Sara Storer, John Williamson and The Wolfe Brothers.
Beccy will launch her new album at this year's Muster. All in all, dozens of established and rising stars will appear. And the Muster Talent Search will showcase many future stars of Australian country music. The Muster has been a long-time supporter of people causes on the land and this year, with the severe prevailing drought, is no exception. Over the year's, the event, "run by the community, for the community," has raised in excess of $15 Million for charities Australia wide. It also gives a multi-million dollar boost to Queensland’s tourism sector every year, providing an economic boom for the region. In relation to the drought, the Muster's Lori Hoffmann said: "Depression and isolation become more prevalent, spending in regional towns decreases and the knock-on affect is widely felt. "(Events like) the Muster help to alleviate some of that pain by bringing like-minded people together for a mental break and giving them the chance to relax for a few days. They also help to draw money into our regional communities at a time when it’s needed most. "The Muster has always been about community coming together and we are privileged to be able to continue that tradition in a meaningful way again this year." In the lead-up to this year’s event, the Gympie Music Muster donated 30 four-day festival tickets to Drought Aid to bring drought-affected landowners to the event, and will also "shout them a feed" at the Muster’s "Biggest Ever Bloke’s Lunch" hosted by 2018 charity partner Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia. The Gympie Music Muster runs from Thursday August 23 to and including Sunday August 26. Weblink – www.muster.com.au. FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 2018 People's Choice voting opens Voting in the 2019 Australian Country Music People's Choice Awards is now open. The Awards annually attract around 10,000 individual votes and recognise Australia's leading exponents of country music "as voted by the people".
"In addition, we recognise popularity in the Australian country music broadcasting sector," said Bob Kirchner of the Country Music Bulletin and Capital Country Radio, co-organisers and presenters of the Awards. Voting is open in eight music categories... Best Male and Female Vocal, Best Grouo or Duo, Best Song, Best Bush Ballad, Best Album, Best Video and Most Promising Future Star and the two broadcast categories, Most Popular Country Music DJ and Most Popular Country Music Program or Radio Station. Award winners will be announced in January during the 2019 Tamworth Country Music Festival. Votes can be submitted online via the People's Choice website www.peopleschoiceawards.com.au. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2018 Roger's induction into Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame Roger Knox is to be inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) Hall of Fame this Saturday. The Music Metwork reported that Roger's induction is to take place as he celebrates a career spanning more than three decades.
For the first time ever, the NIMA Hall of Fame inductee will be celebrated in the Australian Music Vault, who will create a special display for Roger including awards, artwork, rare photographs and performance footage, posters and precious mementoes from Roger’s own personal collection which celebrate his musical history and work as a community advocate. "I am humbled to be invited to tell my story at this years Music Vault in Melbourne," Roger said, "it is a great privilege." Australian Music Vault senior curator Carolyn Laffan said: "We’re extremely proud to be able to share Roger’s story with visitors to the Australian Music Vault. "For more than 30 years, Roger’s music has brought joy and healing to audiences in remote areas of Australia, in prisons and correctional centres and at festivals across Australia and North America. "His story of survival and resilience has already been an inspiration to many and we hope this display will encourage a whole new audience to fall in love with his music and stories." The 15th National Indigenous Music Awards will be staged this Saturday, August 11, at the Darwin Amphitheatre. Kasey Chambers & Alan Pigram and Busby Marou will be among featured artists on the night. Weblink – nima.musicnt.com.au. FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018 Vale – Ted Legarde Ted LeGarde – one half of The LeGarde Twins with brother Tom – has died in Nashville after a brief illness at age 87.
Born in Mackay, Qld, the identical twins (pictured in their earlier days, Ted is on the left) began touring on the national rodeo circuit with Buddy William's Wild West Show before their singing career took off as "The Yodelling Stockmen" and they left Australia for Canada and eventually Hollywood and Nashville. They were signed to the Rodeo label from 1950 to 1952, after which they released a string of hits on Regal Zonophone Records. After a number of years working in the US, the LeGardes returned to Australia in 1963 to develop their own television show but this proved unsuccessful. They returned to America in 1965 to fulfil TV commitments there. In 1966 they were hired to play androids in an episode of Star Trek, which led to a guest role as twin river pirates in an episode of the Daniel Boone Show. Much later, in 2009, Ted starred solo in the film D4 as Old Man Dalton. The LeGarde Twins worked consistently through the 1960s and early ’70s around the US. The late ’70s saw them have some minor hits with a cover of True Love and the original song I Can Almost Touch the Feeling. In more recent years, the LeGarde Twins opened the LeGarde Twins Country Music Theatre in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and then became regular performers at the Quality Inn Hall of Fame Hotel in Nashville. In 1987 they were inducted into the Country Music Hands of Fame in Tamworth. They were active in the music world until about 2010. Recently, the twins released a book of stories on their rise to fame titled "Showbiz Hustlers" "telling of how two rough and tumble boys from a Queensland sugar cane farm became country music stars," according to one reviewer.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2018 Vale – Hedley Charles Hedley Charles – broadcaster, researcher, discographer, record reviewer and writer – died yesterday at his home in Burnie, Tasmania.
He retired some years ago from his day job as a locomotive driver but music, and particularly country music, was his passion. A close friend mentioned in the days leading up to his death, Hedley had been listening intently to the likes of The Hawking Brothers, Tex Morton and Buddy Williams. He judged the Golden Guitars for a totel of 17 years and had more than 20 years experience as a record reviewer and writer. Hedley was also Country Music Co-ordinator of FM Country on Coastal FM and was inducted into the Australian Country Music Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2002. In an interview recorded with Rob Wills in 1999, Hedley spoke of his love of music, originating as far back as when he was a child listening to a battery radio with a particular early interest in "hillbilly music" and bush ballads. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2018 Star line-up announced for Ballina Fest The key artist line-up for the 2018 Ballina Country Music Fest – running over three days – Friday to Sunday November 2 to 4 – has been announced.
Adam Brand headlines the 2018 event on the Saturday night while Stuie French and Daniel Thompson will present a Johnny Cash tribute show titled "Walk The Line" on the Friday evening Festival Benefit Concert. The Viper Creek Band is another major artist on the line-up with more to be announced. As well as the major Cherry Street Sports Club venue, free entertainment will be provided by other participating venues including the Henry Rous Hotel, Shaws Bay Hotel and Westower Tavern. This year's festival is supported by major sponsors Ballina Shire Council, Cherry Street Sports Club, the NSW Government, True Sound Productions and participating venues. Weblink – www.ballinacountrymusic.com. |
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Kaylee – Toyota Star Maker 2013 – won with her recording of Getting Closer.
He bought his first guitar around 14 years of age and learned how to tune the guitar from a Gordon Parsons book. The same book told him how to play the chords. From there he learned to play along with the songs being played on the radio.
The honour – presented to an artist or industry leader for outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world – was announced during the ACM Awards in Nashville.
Morgan's first US number one
The artist line-up, in alphabetical order, is... Ashleigh Dallas, Pixie Jenkins, Shaza Leigh, Brian Letton, Peter "Smokie" Dawson, Graham Howle, Bobby Howson, Jase Lansky, Rosanna Ruddick, Lindsay Butler, Ashley Cook, Peggy Gilchrist, Kylie Castle, Justin Standley and Rachel Summerell.
Amber Joy Poulton and Tom Curtain are standouta with three finalist placings each... Amber in Single of the Year, Album of the Year an Female Vocalist of the Year, Tom in Single, Album and Male Vocalist of the Year.
In Your Wildest Dreams – Amber Joy Poulton
It is the only country musi awards scheme in Australia that allows members of the public to vote for any artist, band, song, album or video and determine the final outcome.
"It is really deadly and a great honour to be inducted into the National Music Awards Hall of Fame, alongside heroes like Uncle Seaman Dan and my brother Kutcha Edwards," Roger said.
The annoucement of Ted's passing "just a few moments ago" was made on The LeGarde Twins facebook page early yesterday morning Australian time which would have been Wednesday evening in Nashville where the duo has been based for many years.
An early, and long-term, judge of the then fledgling Australasian Country Music Awards (the Golden Guitars), Hedley had been ill for some time.
This year is the seventh festival which, in preceding years, has brought a significant influx of locals and visitors to Ballina with more than 100 artists providing free entertainment on six stages in various venue locations throughout the city.