DAVE'S DIARY - 23/12/2008 - PREVIEW EPISODE 3 - SERIES 11
NU COUNTRY TV ECLECTIC 2008 FINALE
Expatriate
Australasian superstar Keith Urban nurtured the career of the young stone
country singer who headlines the final 2008 episode of Nu Country TV this
Saturday - December 27.
Urban befriended Ashton Shepherd and introduced her to actress wife Nicole
when she opened for him on a U.S. tour.
Our host Mid Pacific Bob Olson also introduces twice divorced Canadian
singer Terri Clark who toured here several times.
Also on the show, screened on C 31 at 8 pm, are one of the Red Hill Country
Music festival headliners - Mornington Peninsula band The Distance.
Former jackeroo-stockman James Blundell returns on the eve of release
of new CD Portrait Of A Man.
And Teddy Thompson - son of UK folk legend Richard and Port Fairy folk
festival guest - and Ronni Rae Rivers - also appear this week.
ASHTON SHEPHERD PILLAGES PAIN
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Alabama stone
country singer Ashton Shepherd is an oasis in the rock and pop desert.
The soulful chanteuse from tiny town Leroy is well qualified to sing Takin'
Off This Pain from second album Sounds So Good.
She picked peas and sold them from the back of a truck after losing a
brother in a car wreck when she was only 13.
And, at 15, she made her recording debut with an indie CD recorded in
the hometown of former super group Alabama.
"It was 12 songs I had written," Shepherd, 22, and recent touring
partner of multiple CMA Award winner Sugarland, revealed.
"I was 15 years old when I made the CD. I went to Cook Studios in
Fort Payne, Alabama and put 12 songs that I had written on a CD. We took
all the pictures ourselves - me and my mama did."
It's a similar saga to fellow Dixie diva Elizabeth Cook who cut her debut
CD at 9 and soon appears on Nu Country TV.
Shepherd was born in Coffeeville, population 360 and 90 miles north of
Mobile, and lives in Leroy on the Tombigbee River - which doesn't even
list a population.
Ashton wrote seven of the 11 tracks on her new CD solo and co-wrote three
with her brother-in-law, Adam Cunningham.
CLICK HERE for
a Shepherd feature from the Diary.
TERRI CLARK CLEANSES RECORD COMPANY WASHES
 |
Canadian
chanteuse Terri Clark also has plenty of roughage to ignite her music. The twice-divorced singer, raised near Medicine Hat in Alberta, performs recent single Dirty Girl from her ninth album My Next Life on this week's show. Her mum suffered cancer, her dog died and she got divorced a second time. "I used that drama to channel into the music," Clark, now 40, revealed. "I saved money in therapy hours by writing songs. I was living a country song when I made this record." |
And to bookend
her trauma Clark, a prolific Australian tourist, lost her record deal
shortly after she released the prophetically titled disc.
Clark struts her stuff as a truckie and troubadour on the farm in her
video clip - sharp- eyed viewers may discern a maple leaf tattoo under
the grease.
CLICK HERE for a Clark
story from the Diary on December 15, 2003
RONNI RAE RIVERS
 |
Perth
singer Ronni Rae Rivers proves her genetics are a powerful weapon
in her lunge at fame in Australia. Rivers was born in Sydney, raised in Perth and Texas and graduated from university with a degree in Astrophysics. Ronni's dad is a Texas raised military man with Irish and Cherokee blood. He met her mum - an actress of Welsh and Scottish descent - in Sydney. |
Rivers performs
in a video clip of new single Cowboys Come Home off her third album
Whole Heart To Give.
The singer also plays fiddle and piano and wrote five songs on her album,
released here by Shock Records.
Further info - www.ronniraerivers.com
CLICK HERE for
a CD review from the Diary.
JAMES BLUNDELL - THE OTHER TEXAS
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It's
many moons since James Blundell was knee high to a cane toad but he
recalls what it was like to be four feet tall - when he grew up near
Texas. Texas, Queensland, that is - the town Blundell's little mate Lee Kernaghan sang about before he met Rick Perry - Governor of the Lone Star state. Blundell performs with a collage of childhood memories in an evocative video of his song Four Foot Tall. The locale was the Blundell family farm north of the NSW border at Stanthorpe - the singer's rocking horse still resides on the veranda of a homestead occupied by brother Peter. Blundell filmed the video to promote the song from his 8th album Ring Around The Moon. James launches ninth album Portrait Of A Man - not a four-foot tall lad - in country music capital Tamworth this month. |
CLICK HERE for a feature on James in the Diary on February 1, 2005.
THE DISTANCE TO RED HILL
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Mornington
Peninsula country rock band The Distance has recorded with yet another
James - Reyne - Blundell's duet partner in 1992 on The Dingoes hit Way
Out West.
But this time the lads perform in a video clip for their song Coming
On Fast off their second indie album Grounded.
The Distance, with 12 original songs on its album, is one of the headliners
at the 21st Red Hill County Music festival at the historic mountain top
showgrounds on Sunday January 11.
The quintet, admired for making a brace of video clips to promote its
music, has won national fans and TV exposure for it's sequel to debut
disc Don't Look Back - also a collection of originals except for
a duet with Johnny Chester on Bill Anderson hit Get A Little Dirt On
Your Hands.
Members have travelled throughout Australia to events diverse as Gympie,
Barmah and Deniliquin Musters and opened for Catherine Britt on her 2008
Geelong gig.
Blue mountains belle Jayne Denham rides south to the festival that has
outlived many rock and country rivals in the district.
Further info - www.thedistance.com.au
TEDDY THOMPSON
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English
folkie Teddy Thompson proves the eclectic reach of the show by performing
his country song Change Of Heart from his album Up Front
And Down Low. Teddy joined his extended family for an Amnesty International family Christmas show in London on December 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hall. |
Richard penned
Tear Stained Letter - a 1989 hit for Louisiana country-Cajun singer
Jo El-Sonnier and Kentucky born stone county singer Patty Loveless in
1996.
He was a band-mate of late Richmond folkie Trevor Lucas who once worked
the local scene with former Wild Cherries, Virgil Brothers and Hit &
Run singer Dan Robinson who now practices as a luthier in Anakie - north
of Geelong.
Lucas also produced expatriate Kiwi country singer-songwriter and raconteur
Peter Caulton who hosted country music shows on 3RRR-FM in the slipstream
of Robinson and Geoff King.
Further info - www.teddythompson.com
WIN
NEW CDS BY BEING A NU COUNTRY MEMBER
TAYLOR SWIFT, JASMINE RAE & STEVE FORDE
Nu Country
TV celebrates its 11th series with a brace of prizes to celebrate the
CMC Rocks The Snowy festival and the national tours by superstars Brooks
& Dunn, Dierks Bentley and Taylor Swift.
We have the following CDS for viewers who email our web page and pledge
their $22 membership at music@nucountry.com.au
Taylor Swift - huge selling second album Fearless.
Jasmine Rae - debut CD Look It Up by the Telstra Road To Tamworth
winner and touring partner of Brooks & Dunn and Bentley.
Steve Forde - fifth album Guns & Guitars by the tour mate of
Brooks & Dunn and chart topper Gary Allan.
ADAM BRAND CD-DVD PRIZES
We have more
good tidings for viewers wanting to join Nu Country TV and keep us on
air in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and New Zealand.
Major independent label Compass Brothers has donated autographed copies
of Adam Brand's seventh disc Blame It On Eve for viewers who become
Nu Country members or renew their membership.
The CD has a bonus DVD of the making of the album and the video clip of
Get On Down The Road that we aired on our show.
Adam also did an exclusive interview with Nu Country TV that we broke
up into two episodes during Series #10.
We have limited supplies of Adam's big selling CD-DVD so please email
us first at music@nucountry.com.au
so we can allocate your reward.
CLICK HERE for the Adam
Brand interview from the Diary on March 3, 2008.
KACEY JONES CD, DVD, POSTER AND TEE SHIRT PRIZES
Internationally
renowned country comedienne, singer-songwriter and producer Kacey Jones
has given us a box of autographed merchandise for viewers and members
who renew their membership.
A highlight is her acclaimed tribute disc Kacey Jones Sings Mickey
Newbury that is scheduled for Australian release in July.
We have autographed collectors' copies of the CD for viewers who want
to become members of Nu Country TV.
She also autographed tee shirts and posters for Nu Country members.
For your $22 membership and postage you can take your pick of Kacey memorabilia.
We have limited supplies so please email us at music@nucountry.com.au
first.
WILLIE NELSON EXCLUSIVE BOOK
We also celebrate
Shotgun Willie Nelson's 75th birthday on April 30 with a special giveaway
of his collectors' book.
We have limited stock of Willie Nelson - The Collected Writings Of
A Living Legend - The Facts Of Life And Other Dirty Jokes.
The book, featuring yarns, jokes and Willie Nelson song lyrics, is the
latest addition to out prize treasure trove.
It's available for viewers wanting to become members or current members
wishing to renew their membership.
Please email us at music@nucountry.com.au
for a chance to win a copy of this book with your membership.
MIKE BRADY MUSIC FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP
Internationally
acclaimed singer-songwriter Mike Brady volunteered to become a VIP guest
host of Nu Country TV during our eighth series.
Brady hosted an episode that also featured an exclusive interview about
recording the album in Nashville with expatriate Australian producer Mark
Moffatt.
Mike has also donated autographed copies of his brand new CD Country
To Country to viewers who become members or current members who renew
their membership.
The generous singer donated his autographed CDS to attract your membership
to ensure our survival.
So for your $22 membership including postage you can win Mike's CD Country
To Country.
We have limited supplies so please email us first at music@nucountry.com.au
so we can allocate your reward.
TANIA KERNAGHAN AUTOGRAPHED CDS
Tania Kernaghan
has offered autographed copies of her fourth album Higher Ground to
viewers who either become new members or renew their membership.
The album was produced in Santa Monica, Franklin, Nashville and the Gold
Coast with Daniel Kresco.
Tania recorded 11 songs written by younger sister Fiona and producer Kresco
on the acclaimed disc.
If you wish to be rewarded for your membership with Tania's new CD please
email us at music@nucountry.com.au.
We also have other CDS in our library as rewards for your valued membership
- we rely on membership for our survival.