DAVE'S DIARY - 1 JULY 2019- PREVIEW OF EPISODE 6 - SERIES 40

BELLAMY BROTHERS HEADLINE NU COUNTRY TV

Veteran Floridian duo The Bellamy Brothers headline Nu Country TV on Saturday July 6 at 9.30 pm on Channel 31/44.

Brothers Osborne and frequent Australian tourist and singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale also return to the show repeated Monday 7.30 am and Wednesday 9 pm.

Blue mountains minstrel Jed Zarb debuts with a moonshine remedy and Kiewa Valley singer Gretta Ziller and former South London busker Mark Lucas appear on the program filmed and edited by Laith Graham.

Nu Country TV is a highlight of C 31 streaming list on Digital 44.

Further info - https://www.c31.org.au/

BELLAMYS VISIT CACTUS TREE MOTEL

This week frequent Australian tourists David and Howard Bellamy prove why they enjoy a 45-year plus career.

They revived a psychedelic country staple in a Studebaker en-route to the Cactus Tree Motel in a Texas desert.

The boys perform in front of animated cacti and sing of their hero's love for his female lead who may have been a child of the man in two versions of their classic Old Hippie hit.

They were raised on music on their southern Florida family citrus farm and dairy fields and last toured here in October 2014.

They perform If You Ever Leave - a theme explored by Aussie band Mental As Anything - on 34th album Over The Moon , released in February.

The duo appeared on Nu Country with risqué video Boobs from three-song EP Boobs/Texas Girls on May 27, 2014.

They filmed a bevy of beauties and rapper at a ranch in Weatherford, Texas, in a provocative party.

The duo released its 40th anniversary album in 2015 - the two-disc set featured 15 new songs and 15 #1 hits from a career with multi-platinum sales for Let Your Love Flow, If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me, Redneck Girl and Old Hippie .

They pioneered country rap long before Colt Ford, Kid Rock, Bubba Sparx and Big & Rich .

Their 1987 Country Rap single - 11th studio album title track - ignited a storm.

“I'm not sure if they're giving us credit or blame but we did record Country Rap in 1987,” Howard Bellamy, 73, revealed.

“I guess we were ahead of our time by 27 years.”

But the brothers are no longer fans of that music.

“We were bro-country when bro-country wasn't cool,” says David Bellamy, 68.

The duo also bridged country-reggae hybrid with Get Into Reggae, Cowgirl .

David exuded humour when he co-hosted High In The Saddle during its halcyon era on 3RRR-FM.

On another occasion your diarist gave them travel advice before they aborted an Australian tour after appearing on Mike McClellan's ABC-TV show.

He later interviewed them live to air from the Lone Star Café in New York City for Malcolm T Elliott's 2UE show after a Bob Seger concert in Meadowlands, New Jersey ,

CLICK HERE for their Palms at Crown Casino review in our Concert section on October 18, 2014.

BROTHERS OSBORNE HOME GROWN

Maryland born duo Brothers Osborne return to a legalized marijuana plantation at Terrapin station, Colorado , to perform A Couple of Wrongs Making It Alright live in Behind Bars.

It's one of several alternate versions of songs showcased from second album Port Saint Joe recorded in Bellamys home state Florida and released on April 20, 2018.

Brothers John, 35, and T.J. 32, also played 2018 CMC Rocks Queensland festival at Ipswich .

They left Maryland for Nashville as songwriters and won the 2017 CMA Awards best vocal duo.

Their album features Weed, Whiskey & Willie and Drank Like Hank that they performed live on Seth Meyers TV variety show and the Grand Ole Opry.

The duo tours with Arizona born singer-songwriter-pilot Dierks Bentley after appearing at Joshua Tree on his Burning Man video from his 11th album The Mountain.

Brothers Osborne also performed 21 Summer from debut album Pawn Shop and Shoot Me Straight and Pushing Up Daisies on Nu Country.

Further info - http://www.brothersosborne.co

JIM LAUDERDALE RETURNS BEHIND BARS

North Carolina born Presbyterian minister's son Jim Lauderdale showcases a well-read music library in his live return to Behind Bars.

Dual Grammy winner Jim, now 62, hosts TV and radio shows in Nashville and joined Florida Georgia Line at 12th CMC Rocks Queensland festival in Ipswich in March.

Jim headlines sixth Out On The Weekend festival at Seaworks, Williamstown, on Saturday October 12.

His video for The Secrets Of The Pyramids on 32nd album From Another World was directed by Jeremy Dylan - son of our late benefactor Rob Potts.

Jeremy manages Jim, whose mum was church organist in Troutman , North Carolina .

Dylan now operates CMC festivals and national tours with Michael Chugg who shared his home state of Tasmania with Rob.

He also released Jim Lauderdale And Roland White - bluegrass classics recorded in Earl and Louise Scruggs' Nashville home basement in 1979 when Jim was 19.

The master tapes were lost for 39 years until rediscovered at the bottom of a box by White's wife.

"I wasn't able to get a deal for it at the time with my efforts,” Jim revealed.

“Several years later I thought the time was right and called Roland to get the masters.

"Roland said, 'I thought you had them.' We couldn't find them anywhere. A few months ago, as Roland was leaving stage after sitting in with me at the Station Inn , he said, 'I think my wife found our tape at the bottom of a box.'"

CLICK HERE for a Lauderdale interview in the Diary on January 19, 2002.

CLICK HERE for a Lauderdale CD review in the Diary on December 14, 2006.

GRETA ZILLER – FROM KIEWA VALLEY TO CARLTON

Kiewa Valley born singer-songwriter Gretta Ziller proves she is a woman with a van and a plan to get out of town on her new video.

Gretta performed live at the Curtin room in Carlton with Berwick dual Golden Guitarist Andrew Swift.

Mornington Peninsula singer Lachlan Bryan filmed her video for Go On - fifth single from her debut disc Queen Of Boomtown.

Lachlan also played the international CMA showcase in March at the historic Athenaeum Theatre in Collins St , Melbourne.

Gretta showcased her Celtic and German heritage in her previous candle lit video Hunt For Love.

She was accompanied by her dog and horse in the song she wrote for five track EP Hell's Half Acre named after her trip to Alberta , Canada.

Ziller also co-founded old time bluegrass band Orange Blossom but her biggest audience was with Johnny Farnham at the 2009 AFL Grand Final.

That was the year Geelong won its eighth flag despite Harry Taylor breaking his hand.

Gretta, a 2011 Academy Of Country Music graduate, grew up in Thologolong near Wodonga in the Upper Murray.

She dabbled in musical theatre after learning violin, cello, double bass and bagpipes and was Pipe Band Coordinator at Scots School Albury where she studied from 2004-2010.

Ziller headed to Melbourne and studied a Bachelor Degree in Voice that landed her in the Trinity College Choir (2000-2002).

Further info - http://grettaziller.com/

MARK LUCAS FROM SOUTH LONDON TO SYDNEY

Expatriate South London busker Mark Lucas has worked on and above Sydney 's mean musical streets since arriving here more than 25 years ago.

He's well qualified to parody the mercenary urban spreads that clog our cities and suburbs in his live video for Shopping Town from his 10th album Prisoners Of The Heart .

The 20-track CD includes diverse original songs from previous albums inspired by his time and travels.

Lucas appeared on Nu Country with The Ghost of Lost Creek Road that was inspired when he was stuck in a traffic jam with his young family on Pacific Highway south of Bellingen after a truckie crashed into a gully.

Lucas released his new album after an overseas jaunt in Southern California and concerts in San Francisco , Dublin and UK.

Mark recorded with the Parwills and his Dead Setters and was entertainment booker for Petersham Bowling Club from 2008.

It was where he opened for fellow expat Englishman Albert Lee - guitarist in Emmylou Harris's famed Hot Band - who toured here in the eighties in a duo with Oklahoma born star Vince Gill.

He also supported legendary Danny O'Keefe - writer of Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues and songs covered by artists diverse as Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Willie Nelson, Mel Tormé, Dwight Yoakam, Jerry Lee Lewis, Cab Calloway, Leon Russell and Waylon Jennings.

CLICK HERE for a Lucas interview in The Diary on August 14, 2016.

JED ZARB FINDS MOONSHINE IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

Blue Mountains minstrel Jed Zarb showcases his moonshine remedy on horse back in his Nu Country debut.

He made sure his band was ready to pour and roar as he and duet partner - former Alice Springs journalist Dani Young - led moonshiners in liquid celebrations in debut video Hillbilly Cider.

Jed has performed 2500 concerts including multiple tours to Solomon Islands to entertain the troops and three headline slots at Ballina Food & Wine Festival .

Hillbilly Cider is on solo album Mountain Man that reflects his life in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney .

It features fiddler Pixie Jenkins, Imogen Clark on backing vocals, Barb Webb on Cajun fiddle and Jed's brother John on mandolin.

“You can really feel the love in the sessions,' says Zarb, “and I'm blessed to have such close, talented muso friends playing on the track.”

Zarb produced Mountain Man with musician/engineer Saul Santilli in his Riverstone studio.

“I grew up on the flats, cattle farms and cowboy hats, wondering if there's more in life for me,” Zarb sings.

Further info - https://www.facebook.com/jedzarbmusic/

HOW TO KEEP NU COUNTRY ON AIR

We need your support in Nu Country TV's 40th series with Australian record companies and artists teaming to ensure our survival.

You can join Watling & Bates as members and win their 13 track CD Small Town Tales.

Also Kip Moore's third album Slowheart , thanks to EMI promotions chief Dave Parker, and Blake Shelton's 12th CD If I'm Honest from Karen Black and Tony Midolo at Warner Music.

We also have other CDS by major artists you can win by becoming a Nu Country TV member or renewing membership.

They include Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church and late larrikin legend A.P. Johnson.

CLICK HERE for our Membership Page for details.

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