http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/ en gcurry@thecornernews.com Copyright 2009 2009-04-15T17:31:39+00:00 http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/julianne-hough1/ http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/julianne-hough1/#When:17:31:39Z You may know 20-year-old Julianne Hough (pronounced “Huff”) as the two-time winner of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” but she has recently fulfilled her dream of becoming a country music singer.You may know 20-year-old Julianne Hough (pronounced “Huff”) as the two-time winner of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” but she has recently fulfilled her dream of becoming a country music singer. “I’ve always wanted to sing country music,” Hough says. “I’ve grown up with country music. I love how real everybody is, not just the artists, but the fans.” Hough was born in Utah. When her parents separated, she was 10-years-old, she threw herself into dancing. She soon took the opportunity to study performing arts in London. After five years, Hough decided that she wanted to pursue music back in the U.S. “I really wanted to sing and I knew if I stayed in London, I wouldn’t be able to do that,” Hough says. “I would only be dancing, so I had to make a really tough decision.” - “‘Do I stay here and pursue a career that I know I’m going to succeed at? Or do I go back home, start from scratch and pursue what I really want to do?’ A lot of people told me that I was crazy and that I’d never make it.” Hough moved to Los Angeles, knowing she could earn her living as a dancer while pursuing her musical dreams. She then started making trips to Nashville on her time off where she met producer David Malloy. The two recorded “Will You Dance With Me” for an American Red Cross fundraising project that benefited Kansas tornado victims. “It was so amazing,” Hough says of the experience. “The song received quite a reaction on iTunes and peaked at number eight on their country charts despite never being released to radio.” Hough then landed a deal with UMGN and a spot on the Mercury Nashville roster, which also represents Hough’s influences, Reba McEntire and Shania Twain. Her self-titled debut album was released in May 2008, debuting at number one on the Billboard Country Album chart and number three on the Billboard 200. Hough’s debut is a collection of songs about the joys and challenges of everyday life. “I love story songs and message songs,” Hough says, referring to the songs on the album. “But I also love quirky, fun, up-tempo songs that make you want to just get up and move.” Hough sites the song “Help Me, Help You” as one of her favorite songs on the album. “That’s a message song and it’s pretty intense,” she says. “It’s about a girl who is trying to help her friend who is an alcoholic. It says what I’d want to say to a friend in trouble.” Hough recently received an American Country Music award for “Top New Artist.” Hough says that she is right where she wants to be. “I was scared that people would say, ‘Just because she got a little bit of recognition on the TV show, she thinks she can make a record,’ ” she says. “But I’ve been wanting to do this a long, long time and I hope the music speaks for itself.” sticks 2009-04-15T17:31:39+00:00 http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/rodney-atkins-living-his-dream/ http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/rodney-atkins-living-his-dream/#When:17:16:38Z Rodney Atkins has known that he wanted to be a country singer since he was around 6 years old. “I just didn’t know that it was really possible,” Atkins says. Then Atkins sang in church in elementary school and it ended up being his first paying gig. Rodney Atkins has known that he wanted to be a country singer since he was around 6 years old. “I just didn’t know that it was really possible,” Atkins says. Then Atkins sang in church in elementary school and it ended up being his first paying gig. “The woman who played organ at church, Ms. Bebe Campbell, gave me two dollars,” Atkins says. “She said I did a good job, and made good grades on my report card. So I got $2.” Atkins’s musical journey began as a sick infant. He was adopted twice and was brought back to the orphanage where he once lived because the burden of caring for the sick baby was so great. Then Allan and Margaret Atkins took him in. “From what I understand, I became more sick than I had ever been during that time,” Atkins says. “But it just never crossed their mind to take me back.” Atkins grew up to be healthy and learned to play guitar in high school. Soon after he headed off to college, he began making regular trips performing in Nashville. Atkins credits Garth Brooks as a huge inspiration for him. “He made me get how music could be magic,” Atkins says. “He really made me see how it could touch folks’ lives.” Atkins was soon signed to Curb Records and debuted his first album, “Honesty,” in 2003. Atkins had a hit single with the song “Honesty (Write Me a List).” In 2006, Atkins released his second album, “If You’re Going Through Hell,” and had two hits with “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows),” and “Watching You.” “I think the songs on the ‘Going Through Hell’ album are life songs,” Atkins says about the success of that album. “They are songs about real life and it wasn’t an attempt for me to be cool or hip. I think there are a lot of folks who live lives pretty similar to mine. I think they are intelligent songs about everyday things. They are songs about celebrating life and the struggles in life – good and the bad.” On March 31, Atkins released his most recent album, “It’s America.” The album’s title track has already hit the top of the charts. “We pushed the envelope groove-wise on some of the songs and tried some different things lyrically a little bit, but it’s still pretty consistent with what we did before,” Atkins says of the new album. “That’s part of being an artist. You don’t try to trick people, but you occasionally might color outside the norm of what you do. But this is the territory I sing about and this is what people expect. My family and I are just regular folks, just trying to get through the day and do the best you can and pay the bills, and that’s who we’re singing to.” Atkins has toured with Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, and Brad Paisley, and is currently headlining his own tour taking him coast to coast in 2009. He has earned the Academy of Country Music’s “Top New Male Vocalist” award, plus five other ACM nominations and two Country Music Association nominations. Atkins said that he’s looking forward to performing at Sticks. “It’s always a good time. Everybody just hanging out, singing along – it’s always fun,” he says. “It’s just great to get to come out, with folks camping, hanging out, everybody listening to music all day long.” sticks 2009-04-15T17:16:38+00:00 http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/whiskey-falls/ http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/whiskey-falls/#When:05:45:19Z When the four members of Whiskey Falls first heard the blend of their voices, they immediately knew what they wanted to do – take their combined passion for music and meld it into one unique sound. Having musical influences that range from The Eagles, Alabama, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Johnny Cash, U2 and Queen, just to name a few, their “Cala-Bama” music – which they describe as “Hotel California” meets “Sweet Home Alabama” – certainly caught the ears of many record labels in Nashville. Seven Williams and Wally Brandt began making music together early on in their youth and eventually became proud co-founders of We 3 Kings – an acclaimed film and television music production company out of California. They soon found themselves back and forth to Nashville where they teamed up with some of the town’s top writers including Don Schlitz (“The Gambler”), Frank Meyers (“I Swear”) and Stephanie Bentley (“Concrete Angel”). Raised on the music of the South – Gospel, Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Southern Rock – Buck Johnson grew up singing gospel music with his family. Years later he ventured into the world of songwriting where he found a new level of success when Carlos Santana recorded “Just Feel Better” – a tune which Buck wrote with now bandmate Damon Johnson. Damon, who grew up playing Merle Haggard and Hank Jr., knew from an early age to be as diverse as possible when it comes to music. That paid off for him throughout his musical career, particularly as the singer, songwriter and guitarist for southern rock band Brother Cane. After taking the suggestion of a mutual friend, Buck and Damon, who knew each other from the Birmingham music scene, met up with Seven and Wally in California where the four were introduced. When they heard the blend of their voices, they knew they were sitting on something bigger than life. “It was magical and we felt it,” Seven says. “A lot of times we say it is like singing in one breath when we sing together. There’s something very similar in the way that our tones and voices kind of match.” With no record label involved, Whiskey Falls, named after a national park in northern California, began writing and recording their songs with no intentions but to record the music pouring from their hearts. After seeing the band perform live as unsigned artists at an industry event, independent label Midas Records signed Whiskey Falls and put them on the road only three days later. More information at whiskeyfallsmusic.com 2009-04-15T05:45:19+00:00 http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/mark-chesnutt/ http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/mark-chesnutt/#When:05:43:13Z Mark Chesnutt is one of Country’s true musical treasures. Critics have hailed him as a classic Country singer of the first order and some of Country music’s most elite entertainers from George Jones to George Strait echo this sentiment. Mark Chesnutt’s stature is easily gauged; he has 14 No. 1 hits, 23 top ten singles, four platinum albums, five gold records and he maintains his steady presence with a hefty tour schedule year after year. Country music reviewers and fans alike need look no further when it comes to Country music basics. If you ask Mark Chesnutt he’ll tell you, “It’s the music and the fans that have kept me around this long.” In a world that sometimes confuses style with substance, Mark Chesnutt possesses both. Remaining true to himself as a traditional country artist while keeping the pace with the ever-changing country recording landscape, Mark Chesnutt has a knack for picking great songs, delivering them with his world-class vocals with real heart-felt emotion. Mark has set the bar for his generation. Mark Chesnutt’s personal integrity as well as his principal to record a genuine country song has made him a fixture on radio and in the honky tonks. More information at markchesnutt.com 2009-04-15T05:43:13+00:00 http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/craig-morgan/ http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/craig-morgan/#When:05:40:46Z When Craig Morgan was ten years old and on a school field trip to Nashville, he sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” well enough to catch the ear of a distinctive older lady in the crowd. “She walked up to me and said, ‘Son, someday you’re gonna be a famous singer,’” Morgan remembers. Two-plus decades later, he’d be looking at a picture of the woman—Minnie Pearl—in the Ryman Auditorium dressing room that bears her name, getting ready for his first performance on the Grand Ole Opry. What Minnie didn’t know was that before his moment in the spotlight finally came, Morgan would be an EMT, a contractor, a sheriff’s deputy and a Wal-Mart assistant dairy manager. He’d also spend ten years serving his country in the U.S. Army. But THAT’S WHY Morgan is one of country music’s most beloved performers. It doesn’t matter if he’s jumping out of airplanes, putting gallon jugs on a refrigerated shelf or singing hits like “Redneck Yacht Club,” “Almost Home” and “Tough”—his honesty, humility and work ethic stand out as strongly as his talent. THAT’S WHY, the long-awaited follow-up to 2006’s Little Bit of Life, is Morgan’s fifth album and BNA Records debut. From the evocative and instantly familiar single “Love Remembers” to the rural rally cry of “Sticks” to the church-choir epic “Ordinary Angels,” it’s the sound of an artist soaring to new heights as both a vocalist and songwriter, but with his steel-toed boots still firmly on the ground (the same cannot be said, however, for the tires of his Kawasaki motorbike). As Music Row’s Bob Oermann wrote, “Craig Morgan is country music’s champion of the Everyman—a loyal husband and father, unblushingly sentimental, tough enough to kick your butt if you cross him, and the kind of friend everyone would like to have.” More information at craigmorgan.com Craig Morgan   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos 2009-04-15T05:40:46+00:00 http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/rodney-atkins/ http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/rodney-atkins/#When:05:37:58Z More information at rodneyatkins.com 2009-04-15T05:37:58+00:00 http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/gretchen-wilson/ http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/gretchen-wilson/#When:05:34:15Z To all appearances, Gretchen Wilson went overnight from talented obscurity to phenomenon. Her meteoric rise, the kind experienced by only a handful of artists in the past few decades, was that rare instance where talent and moment meet to form a cultural tidal wave. Still, she knows better than anyone the simple force that fueled it. "The reason I've been successful is that I've been genuine from the get-go," she says, "and I continue to try to do that. I'm an open book." It helps that the identity she wears so guilelessly is one that resonates strongly with fans of country and Southern rock--the independent, take-no-guff, hard-working and hard-partying country woman. Gretchen's ability to inhabit that persona publicly, as well as her flair for tailoring songs as gorgeously rough-edged as she is, have given her the kind of "I am what I sing" originality few women in country music history--Loretta, Tammy, Dolly and Tanya chief among them--have ever been able to achieve. Set as it was within the broader scope of the Muzik Mafia, a talented and audaciously original ensemble, and like-minded entertainers from Kid Rock to Hank Jr., her rise was part of a genuine musical and cultural groundswell. Her first single, "Redneck Woman," spent six weeks at #1; her debut album, Here For The Party, sold more than five million copies; she won across-the-board awards including a Grammy and ACM, CMA and AMA nods for best female vocalist; and she toured to large and raucous crowds around the world. Her second CD, All Jacked Up, rode enthusiastic reviews to platinum status as Gretchen's accomplishments continued to stack up. Over the last three years, she has been featured on “60 Minutes,” “Dateline NBC,” “20/20 Primetime” and CNN’s “People In The News,” and she has appeared on virtually every morning, noon and late-night television show on the air. Magazine covers and major news features could paper an entire wall. Such is her cross-medium viability that her first book, the autobiographical “Redneck Woman: Stories from My Life,” landed her on the prestigious New York Times Best Seller List. Now, with the release of her third album, One Of The Boys, Gretchen Wilson solidifies her position as one of contemporary country's most original and multi-faceted female artists, a woman in whom ambition and ability come together in every aspect of her career. More information at www.gretchenwilson.com Gretchen Wilson   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos 2009-04-15T05:34:15+00:00 http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/adam-grant-robert-e/ http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/adam-grant-robert-e/#When:05:32:04Z More information at randaproductions.wetpaint.com 2009-04-15T05:32:04+00:00 http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/shenandoah/ http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/shenandoah/#When:05:26:47Z Shenandoah   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos More information at shenandoahband.com 2009-04-15T05:26:47+00:00 http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/granger-smith/ http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/features/granger-smith/#When:05:24:38Z Sill in his 20's having played two tours in Europe, two tours in Iraq and Kuwait for the American Soldiers, and two shows at the White House, including a performance for President Bush, Granger Smith will never say he didn't "Live life to the lees." "Music is what I do" says Smith. "If I can help someone get lost in the moment of a song long enough to forget the worries of the world or long enough to remember what's most important, then I've done my job." Granger's musical contributions are not limited to the exotic travels or remote locations. Since his early teens, the native Texan has been writing, singing and honing his craft as a musician. At 19, his work paid off by landing him a deal with EMI Music Publishing in Nashville. Smith, a former member of the Cors of Cadets at Texas A&M, followed his dream on what would be a five year stay in Tennessee. "That experience at 19 years old was critical in developing who I am today as an artist," says Granger. "I tried to soad in the craft of songwriting like a sponge from the older guys I was paired with. I credit so much of my learning to those mentors." Granger is an adept presence both on the stage and through the speaker, and with the continued rise of popularity will soon be seen and heard throughout America. However, the imminent question must be asked: Is the world ready for Granger Smith? More information at grangersmith.com 2009-04-15T05:24:38+00:00