SCOTCOUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

This years White Horse CMC Festival will once again be held Aug 26/27th at Cranberry Moss Community Centre, Cambusdoon Place, Pennyburn, Kilwinning.
On Friday evening, 26th August, the club's Band of the Year "Kickin' Country", will start the week-end at 8pm until midnight. ....then on Saturday at 1pm the day will start with the fab "Wayne Stewart Duo".
The band, which was voted the 'Festival Band of 2010', namely "Rockin' Horse" will continue.
Next its time for 5-piece "Nashville Union", very ably fronted by Colin McPheat of 'Silver'-fame, and with Nigel Slater on drums. I promise you that this band is something very special.
The evening will start at 7pm with "Kickin' Country", the White Horse Band of the Year, followed by another set of "Nashville Union" and finishing at midnight with "Willie & the Poor Boys".
If last year's event is anything to go by, its going to be a great week-end again, especially if we once again get the same good weather.
If you haven't got your tickets booked yet, please call Brigitte SOON (01294-552094)

Fresh from making history, as the first Scottish act invited to perform at the prestigious CMA Global Artist Party at CMA Fest 2011 in Nashville - Tennessee, hotly tipped duo, Raintown, have released their brand new single ‘Picture of Us.’ The track is available for a limited time for FREE! Just go to their website
The duo are being hailed as the UK’s answer to US super-group Lady Antebellum. Great song-writing, passion drenched delivery and dynamic male/female harmonies; it’s easy to see and hear why they are the hottest new act in Contemporary Country Music.
Check them out.

The Grand Ole Opry will honor Vince Gill on his 20th anniversary as an Opry member on August 13. Emmylou Harris, Martina McBride, John Anderson , The Time Jumpers, Vince’s wife Amy Grant and his daughter, Jenny Gill, will be on hand for the celebration.
Besides celebrating 20 years in the Opry family, Vince will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year. He is also scheduled to release a new song late this summer with a new album, Guitar Slinger, to follow this fall.

Marshall Grant, the last surviving member of Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Two, passed away Sunday, August 7 in Jonesboro, Arkansas after an aneurysm and stroke. He fell ill after rehearsing for a concert to raise funds for the restoration of Johnny Cash’s boyhood home. He was 82.
Marshall, Johnny Cash and guitarist Luther Perkins shaped the unique sound heard on songs like “I Walk the Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire,” “’Big River” and “Cry Cry Cry.” They happened upon their sound almost accidentally when Marshall and Luther, who were both mechanics in Memphis, were introduced to Johnny by his brother, Roy Cash. Since all three of them couldn’t play rhythm guitar, Luther borrowed a Fender Telecaster and Marshall bought a Kay bass. From there, their sound evolved.
According to Rosanne Cash “There was none of that ‘boom chicka boom’ without Marshall. You can’t separate the three of them at that point when it all started. It was one thing. You know, they’re united again, the three of them.”
Rosanne spent the last days of Marshall’s life with him in Arkansas. They had reconnected last Wednesday during rehearsals for a Johnny Cash Festival appearance that served as a fundraiser to help restore Cash’s childhood home in Dyess. Marshall fell ill and the Johnny Cash Festival was held without him, attracting George Jones and Kris Kristofferson. She says Marshall’s contribution to her dad’s success is undeniable.
Marshall played bass with Johnny Cash until 1980. He then began a career in management, handling The Statler Brothers until they retired in 2002 and later writing the autobiography I Was There When It Happened. He and Luther Perkins were among the first inductees into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville in 2007.

This year’s Highland Radio invasion of Scotland takes place over the weekend of September 16-18th. Each year, the Donegal radio station brings several busloads of listeners from Letterkenny & Derry over to Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza Hotel, down by the SECC, with some of Ireland’s top Country stars.
There are concerts at the hotel on Friday & Saturday nights and a dance on the Sunday.
This year’s entertainment comes from Brendan Quinn, who’ll have his new album, “Gotta Get To You” released by his visit, Lisa McHugh, Mike Denver, Frank McCaffrey, Louise Morrissey, and newcomer Derek Ryan will be there on the Friday night only.
The weekend will be a homecoming for Glasgow girl, Lisa McHugh, who now lives in the Highland Radio area. Lisa has appeared as a special guest in recent years, but this is the first year that she’s officially been on the bill. Lisa has a new single just released, “Court Of Love”.
Glasgow folk can join the fun, with tickets for individual nights vailable from the hotel closer to the event.

Bluegrass roads lead to the Dumfries & Galloway village of Moniaive this September for the 3rd Michealmas Bluegrass Festival over the weekend of September 23-25th.
This years event is headlined by Johnny Button, who is in the Guiness Book Of World Records, for being the fastest banjo player. Johnny will be with his band, Telegraph Road.Martha Spencer & Jackson Cunningham, from the US will also be there. Completing the line up will be Longway, Home Made Jam, Appalachian Mist & Highspeed Grass.
More info at www.moniaivebluegrass.co.uk.or from paullyttle@hotmail.com

Elsewhere, there will be three bluegrass events at the Linlithgow Folk Festival in September. Popular band, Longway will be playing in the Queen Margaret Hall on Friday September 9th, with Dapper McDanns & Home Made Jam taking to the stage at the same venue, on the Saturday night.
Then there is the annual Free Bluegrass Gospel singalong on the Sunday morning in the Royal burgh's Masonic Hall.

The Winchester, VA., home where Patsy Cline lived before becoming a country star opens for public tours Tuesday (Aug. 2). Cline lived with her mother and two siblings at the house at 608 S. Kent St. from November 1948, following her parents' separation, through June 1957, except for a period during her first marriage.
The modest home was purchased by a local nonprofit organization, Celebrating Patsy Cline Inc., which spent about $100,000 on renovations.

George Jones’ Nashville home is officially on the market. The 9,700 sq. ft. property sits on 78 acres and includes four bedrooms, six full bathrooms, stables and lots more. The asking price is $15 million.

That’s the title of a new book by Stella Parton which is now available on Amazon.
Although not an autobiography, it includes glimpses of Stella’s life as she shares her “memories, music and miracles”, including her own abuse and kidnapping.
She has also released a companion CD with “Tell It Sister, Tell It”, comprised of self-penned songs written at different stages in her life, blending her influences of gospel, country, blues and Appalachian music.

On July 8th, Little Jimmy Dickens walked onto the stage of the Grand Ol’ Opry dressed as William Lee Golden, complete with beard, and surprised The Oak Ridge Boys by announcing that they were shortly to become the newest members of the show. See the video here.
The official induction will take place this weekend, August 6th.