DAVE'S DIARY - 3/8/09 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 9 - SERIES 12
AFL STAR IN CHEATING VIDEO
AFL star
Andrew Welsh plays a cheating cad in Ronnie Rae Rivers' new video Running
On Fumes on Nu Country TV this Saturday - August 8 - at 9.30 p m on
C 31.
The femme fatale dumps the Essendon defender's character, a nocturnal
escapee, in a show hosted by Hawthorn supporter Mid Pacific Bob Olson
and repeated at 3.30 p m on Wednesday.
Mathematics lecturer Olson spices up the show with another hot recipe
from his Beer Can Hill Delta kitchen.
Bob has cooked up a Four Star Chilli beans and Margarita meringue pie
- not to be consumed in the same sitting.
Expat Californian Olson introduces two fellow expats, enjoying living
further down south, with their new videos.
Texan Doug Bruce, ensconced with Australian wife Jodie near Bendigo, debuts
here with What I'm Drinking About.
And Alabama-born Kimber Sparks, now completing her MBA in Queensland,
returns with her video for new single Moving On.
Mississippi young gun Randy Houser debuts with the video for his new single
Boots On and prolific Golden Guitarist Adam Brand takes time out from
Dancing With The Stars to showcase his new video for single Blue Sky
Cathedral.
RONNIE RAE RIVERS
 |
Perth
singer Ronni Rae Rivers was a mistress of marketing when she chose
Essendon defender Andrew Welsh to play the Lothario in her new video. Welsh's video debut was aired on the Nine Network's huge rating Footy Show during his appearance as a panellist. Although former Geelong star forward Billy Brownless used the dated C & W cliché to describe Ronnie's music it was an invaluable free kick. |
Rivers' riveting
country is a welcome oasis from refried rock, rap and disco polluting
mainstream TV.
It's a sequel to a stimulating era when former Geelong captain Michael
Turner revved up team-mates playing Hank Williams Jr hits Born To Boogie
and A Country Boy Can Survive before games.
Running On Fumes, replete with grounded aeroplane and topless sports
car, is one of many highlights of Rivers second album Whole Heart To
Give.
Rivers, 28,
wrote five songs on the Shock Records disc and is renowned for her fiddle
playing.
Her dad is a Texan, full of Irish & Cherokee blood.
He met her mum - an actress of Welsh and Scottish descent - in Sydney.
They raised Ronni between Perth and Texas before she used her university
degree in Astrophysics to launch a music career.
CLICK HERE for
a Ronnie's CD review from the Diary on December 23, 2008.
DOUG BRUCE - SON OF ANOTHER
TEXAS GUN
 |
When Texan
Doug Bruce left the Lone Star State and moved here with his Bendigo bride
Jodie it was a case of déjà vu.
Doug's bassist dad Dale toured here in the late seventies with western
swing maestro Red Steagall & The Coleman County Cowboys.
Steagall's band played Cross Keys Hotel, Essendon, three decades before
the nearby oval became a double homicide Underbelly crime scene.
Red's brother Danny was also a guest on former Hit & Run singer Danny
Robinson's 3RRR-FM country show.
But that's history and unlike the Bruce family patriarch, drummer Doug
is here for the long haul.
Doug and band, featuring pedal steel guitarist Dave Moore, filmed their
video for his original What I'm Drinking About at Dederang Hotel
near Wodonga in the scenic Kiewa Valley.
They're touring to promote Doug's debut album All I Need.
Bruce adds an international flavour when he plays the long running Red
Hill Country Music festival on Sunday January 3.
Doug hails from small Texan horse town Aubrey and joined Dallas band Cheyenne
who played Fort Worth venue Billy Bob's - the largest honky tonk in Texas.
They opened for Travis Tritt, Jerry Jeff Walker and Rascal Flatts but
split in 2001 as Doug moved to Nashville with band singer-songwriter Brit
Stokes.
They played Douglas Corner, French Quarter and other gigs while Doug freelanced
with diverse bands and worked sessions.
Bruce expanded his writing and joined Billy Yates' band before meeting
wife Jodie in Guitar Town and following her back to Australia.
He then returned to Nashville for a tour earlier this year.
Further info - www.dougbruce.com.au
KIMBER SPARKS MOVING ON
 |
Alabama
born Kimber Sparks arrived down under before Bruce and mixed her MBA
studies with bar tending and rodeo MC at Lee Kernaghan's former hotel
The Great Western in Rockhampton. The singer, living on the Gold Coast, cut debut solo disc It's Her Turn under tutelage of producer Bill Chambers. She emerges from the sleep of the just to farewell a lover in the video for Movin' On. It's the follow-up to her video for Strait & Jackson - her tribute to Murder On Music Row superstar singers George Strait and Alan Jackson. Sparks CD includes a duet with late country singer Vern Gosdin on his CMA Award winning hit Chiselled In Stone. The Bachelor of Business and Marketing has a return tour of the U.S. with gigs in her hometown Cordova, Alabama, then Burnsville, Mississippi. |
She'll play
the famed Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Nashville - a venue she visited with
Gosdin - and The Water Hole - her Uncle Joe's honky-tonk in Marlin, Texas.
Kimber tours with fellow country artist Dallas Steele, who plays the leading
man in Movin' On, and her guitarist Dave McKeowen.
CLICK HERE for a
Kimber Sparks CD review from the Diary on February 9, 2009.
RANDY HOUSER
 |
Mississippi
born singer-songwriter Randy Houser debuts on Nu Country with the video
for his second hit Boots On from second album Anything Goes.
Houser, 33, was raised in Lake Mississippi - a town of about 500 outside
the famed song locale Jackson.
Randy's parents divorced when he was 7, and he spent summers with his
dad - a professional singer and musician.
The rest of the year, he lived with his mother in public housing until
she remarried, which was followed by a move to the country.
He was playing Mississippi clubs when he was 15 and after his father passed
away he moved to Nashville and quickly found work as a demo singer.
Randolf Mack Houser, died at 46 of what the singer said was "basically
alcoholism." That was 1997 and Houser was 21.
When he lost his father, Houser said he lost motivation to play music
for about a year.
Houser landed a publishing deal at Windswept Music and joined Jamey Johnson
as a co-writer of Honky Tonk Badonkadonk - a big hit for Trace
Adkins.
The singer cut an unreleased album with famed producer James Stroud for
MCA and rebounded to Universal South Records.
Houser takes no credit for using guitarist Drake, aged four, in the video
that finds the singer locked out of his car at a service station.
"It was my record's label idea," Houser says.
"I honestly can say I can't take credit for that wonderful idea.
I kind of fought the label a little bit because Drake's video had already
been seen by everybody on the Internet. And to take that video and put
it into the video wasn't my idea, only because it had nothing to do with
the lyrics of the song. I wrote the song and it just didn't match up with
the song. But Drake, who was an awesome little guy, did great. And although
I initially wanted something that matched up better with the song, luckily
there's some people a heck of a lot smarter than I am around at the label."
Further info - www.randyhouser.com
ADAM BRAND BLUE SKY CATHEDRAL
 |
Perth-born
Adam Brand returns to Nu Country with a biblical parable off his
seventh album Hell Of A Ride. He honoured toddler nephew Harrison, who died two years ago, by having his name tattooed on his forearm. |
Adam cut
Hell Of A Ride in Nashville with revered producer Richard Landis
and A team session players.
He wrote several new songs in a hunting cabin owned by late legendary
songwriter Harlan Howard.
Brand stayed in the cabin near the famed Jack Daniels whiskey distillery
with fellow writers Travis Meadows and Mark Stephen Jones.
CLICK HERE for an exclusive
interview with Adam about his Nashville sojourn and album in our Diary
on March 31, 2009.
WIN
DIERKS BENTLEY CD
EMI Records has provided Nu Country TV with Arizona born Dierks Bentley's
fifth chart topping CD Feel That Fire.
Bentley won an enthusiastic following on his debut Australian tour in
May with superstars Brooks & Dunn.
Feel That Fire has already produced two U.S. #1 hits - the title
track and Sideways.
Bentley, 33, has scored seven #1 hits since leaving Phoenix for Nashville
as a teenager.
Dierks trails only expatriate Australasian superstar Keith Urban as most
played male artist on U.S. country radio so far this year.
The father of two is currently blitzing the U.S with West Virginia born
star Brad Paisley on his American Saturday Night tour.
Bentley plans to return to Australia for a second tour to capitalise on
his growing fan base.
The singer has broadened his music by including bluegrass - featuring
the famed McCoury family - on albums dating back to his indie debut Danglin'
Rope.
He has also recorded duets with prolific Grammy winner Alison Krauss and
Texan chanteuse Patty Griffin.
Win Feel That Fire by becoming a member of Nu Country or renewing
membership.
It only costs $20 including postage.
Please email us first at music@nucountry.com.au
We will then send you the CD on receipt of your cheque or money order
made out to Nu Country Music.
WIN SLIM DUSTY CLASSIC BOX SET
We have more
good news for viewers - EMI Records has given us an invaluable collectors'
item - a brace of the 4 Box sets by late Australian country legend Slim
Dusty.
Sittin' On 80 features a lost, classic track discovered by Slim's
widow Joy McKean.
Joy found Give Me Room from a 1997 recording at their home studio
Columbia Lane.
It was written by one of Slim's favourite writers John Dohling - outback
station hand and good mate who passed away in November last year.
Sadly he never heard the final version of Slim's recording of his classic
trucking song.
It has now been released as a single and included on Sittin' On 80.
Slim's legendary Travelling Country Band played on the song that has been
digitally re-mastered by Australia's mastering guru Don Bartley.
All you have to do to win Slim's 4 CD Box set is become a member of Nu
Country TV or renew your membership.
It only costs $20 and includes postage.
Please email us first at music@nucountry.com.au
We will then send you the CD on receipt of your cheque or money order
made out to Nu Country Music.
WIN BROOKS & DUNN CDS
Sony-BMG
has also given us extra copies of the Cowboy Town tour souvenir
CD and bonus Greatest Hits CD.
Viewers who become members or renew membership for just $22 including
postage can win the double CDs.
Please email us at music@nucountry.com.au
with your pledge.
Important note - please email first - don't send your membership until
you have been confirmed as a winner.
Brooks & Dunn have sold more than 30 million album since releasing
their debut disc in 1991.
TAYLOR SWIFT FEARLESS CD OFFER
Universal
Music has donated copies of teen sensation Taylor Swift's huge selling
second album Fearless to Nu Country TV.
Viewers who become members or renew their membership can win the Fearless
CD.
Swift, 19, played capacity audiences on her debut Australian tour in March
and plans to return in 2010.
Please email us at music@nucountry.com.au
with your pledge.
Important note - please email us first.
Don't send membership cheque until you have been confirmed as the winner.
WIN
CATHERINE BRITT CDS
MIKE BRADY TOO
We have Catherine
Britt's third CD Little Wildflower for viewers who wish to become
members or renew membership.
Catherine, Adam Brand and Mike Brady were among artists who donated their
talent to the Whittlesea Bushfire benefit on Saturday April 4.
Brady donated autographed copies of his Country To Country CD to
viewers who become members or current members who renew their membership.
Mike was also a VIP guest host of Nu Country TV during our eighth series.
So for your membership you can win Mike's CD Country To Country
or Catherine Britt's Little Wildflower CD.
WIN JASMINE RAE & STEVE FORDE CDS
We have the
following CDS for viewers who email our web page and pledge $22 membership
at music@nucountry.com.au .
Telstra Road To Tamworth winner Jasmine Rae's debut CD Look It Up.
We also have Steve Forde's fifth album Guns & Guitars.
Both Rae and Forde performed at the CMC Rocks The Snowy festival at Thredbo.
Jasmine also supported Brooks & Dunn and Bentley on some of their
Australian concerts.
KACEY JONES CD, DVD, POSTER & 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.
We also have other CDS in our library as rewards for your valued membership
- we rely on membership for our survival.