DAVE'S DIARY - 14 JULY 2014 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 7 - SERIES 23
RODNEY CROWELL AND EMMYLOU HARRIS HEADLINE NU COUNTRY TV
Iconic country stars Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris headline Nu Country TV Thursday July 17 at 10.30 pm on Channel 31 with a classic song that was once a hit for the late Texan Waylon Jennings.
Eleanor Whitmore - daughter of Delta Airlines pilot Alex who flew from Texas to the rescue of our radio station after it burned down on June 26 in 2000 - debuts with her singing spouse.
And Kentucky nouveau bluegrass star Sturgill Simpson returns to the Digital 44 show hosted by Mid Pacific Bob Olson and repeated Monday 5.30 am and 2.30 pm and Thursday 2.30 am.
New Mexico born latter day Texan Josh Grider also debuts on the program filmed and edited by Laith Graham.
Sandringham born jillaroo Harmony James also returns with her a coffee preference while Hunter Valley vamp Hayley Langley makes her debut.
Nu Country TV has been added to the C 31 streaming list on Digital 44.
Just follow this link on your computer or mobile phone - http://www.c31.org.au/program/view/program/nu-country-tv
DREAMING THEIR DREAMS OF WAYLON
 |
Texas born Rodney Crowell and Alabama belle Emmylou Harris perform their version of Dreaming My Dreams from recent award winning album Old Yellow Moon.
The song, penned by Allen Reynolds, was also a hit for the late Waylon Jennings.
Emmylou, now 67, has won more than 12 Grammys in a career dating back to her folkie days in New York and California
She has made more than 30 studio and live discs, DVDS and two albums with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton as The Trio .
Emmylou has toured here five times dating back to 1984 - she last toured here in 2012 and played the St Kilda Palais .
Crowell, 63 on August 7, played the Prince of Wales in St Kilda on his 2009 Australian tour with guitarist Will Kimbrough. Rodney was a long-time member of Emmylou's Hot Band in an era when she also employed Ricky Skaggs, Emory Gordy Jr, Hank DeVito, Albert Lee, James Burton, Glenn Hardin and Tony Brown.
Emmylou's third ex-husband Paul Kennerley - brother-in-law of Aussie TV host Kerri-Anne, produced her revered concept album The Ballad of Sally Rose in 1985.
Harris's soul brother Vince Gill, who first toured here with Albert Lee, also played with Crowell in the Cherry Bombs .
Rodney, married to Rosanne Cash from 1979-1992, toured here two decades after Cash, 59, who later wed fellow singer-songwriter John Leventhal.
The latter day Tennessean wed singer Claudia Church in 1988 and poached expat Aussie guitarist and singer songwriter Jedd Hughes from Patty Loveless's band about a decade ago.
CLICK HERE for a Rodney Crowell feature in the Diary on June 1, 2014.
CLICK HERE for Anne Sydenham's concert review of Rodney on April 16, 2009.
CLICK HERE for an Emmylou feature in the Diary on March 28, 2006.
THE MASTERSONS FLY SOUTH
 |
Texan husband and wife duo The Mastersons debut on Nu Country with their video for One Word More from their debut CD Birds Fly South .
Houston born Chris Masterson and Denton raised singing spouse Eleanor Whitmore flew south to support seven times wed Texan raised latter day New Yorker Steve Earle on his recent Australian tour.
The duo also play in Steve's band who followed Redneck Woman Gretchen Wilson at the historic Forum in April with Kasey Chambers.
They enjoyed successful careers as supporting musicians before marrying in 2009.
Eleanor sang harmony and played mandolin and fiddle on albums by Shooter Jennings - son of late outlaw icon Waylon.
They played on each other's solo records in 2009 and joined Earle's touring band, The Dukes and Duchesses , in 2011.
In 2012 they became The Mastersons and recorded Birds Fly South in Texas with Grammy winning engineer Steve Chrisensen, bassist George Reiff and drummer Falcon Valdez.
They are now based in Brooklyn, New York, near Earle and singing spouse Allison Moorer.
The duo recorded second CD Good Luck Charm in Southern California with producer/engineer Jim Scott who worked with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers , Wilco and Dixie Chicks and released it on July 8 .
Eleanor is one of two musician daughters of Delta Airlines pilot Alex who flew from Terlingua, Texas, to the rescue of our radio station Nu Country FM with a crate of CDS after it burned down on June 26 in 2000.
Alex and singing spouse Marti - a former opera diva - also perform in a Terlingua duo.
Eleanor began playing fiddle at four and studied with legendary Texas fiddler Johnny Gimble.
She and singer-songwriter sister Bonnie played in family band Daddy & The Divas with Captain Alex - revered songwriter and pilot.
Alex performed Never Gonna Get Texas Out of You live on High In The Saddle on PBS-FM and Elwood Health Food store on his whirlwind 2000 Aussie visit.
He released six solo albums including Bar Farcist and Tale By The World (WMP Records ).
Alex also produced Bonnie's album Picking up Pieces that made the ballot for the 2005 Grammys in eight categories.
CLICK HERE for a Mastersons CD review in The Diary.
STURGILL SIMPSON RIDES RAILROAD OF SIN
 |
East Kentucky raised bluegrass buff Sturgill Simpson is well qualified to perform Railroad Of Sin from his first album High Top Mountain.
The multi-instrumentalist was a train conductor in a previous life on Union Pacific .
Trains are not just a metaphor for Simpson but a monetary wheel spinner.
I worked for Union Pacific , Simpson revealed recently.
I started out as a conductor at an intermodal switching facility outside of Salt Lake City. We'd pull in trains from all over the country, break them apart, consolidate the freight and build other trains. It was great until I screwed up and took a management position. Then it became no fun very quickly.
I hit complete soul-sucking rock bottom, and for the first time in years, I started getting the guitar back out. Finally my boss said, I know you're miserable, so why don't you give music an honest go.' I had my wife's full support. We sold everything and moved to Nashville about four years ago. I don't regret it so far.
Sturgill hails from the hills and hollers of East Kentucky and shook hands with snake handlers in his local Pentecostal church as a younger man.
We featured serpents in Seattle in his video last month for Turtles All The Way Down on his second album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music .
Simpson, 36, was accosted after a show in Wisconsin by a woman who accused him of promoting Gnosticism with his song.
Initially, he was taken aback by the accusation.
"This lady paid for a ticket and sat through the entire show just to tell me that," Simpson revealed recently.
"But I'm not a Gnostic, and that's not what that song is about. I thought for a second to explain it to her but realized it would only make the situation even more awkward and difficult. She had made up her mind."
It's not every country singer who gets accused of Gnosticism - or claims the late Waylon Jennings as a mentor.
It's really the only thing that ever saved me, says Sturgill - a former U.S. Navy seaman and bluegrass buff.
It made me wake up and really aspire to be a better human being. And every day, it still does. You met someone who sees past your faults and encourages you to believe in yourself - that is the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced in my life. We all need that.
Further info - http://www.sturgillsimpson.com/
JOSH GRIDER CRUISING
 |
When Josh Grider was born near Las Cruces in New Mexico it was the perfect source for his song Smallest Town On Earth .
But both Las Cruces and life have changed for Josh who met his wife at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and moved to Nashville to promote his music career.
Las Cruces may have been the launch pad for Josh but it's now the Virgin Galactic HQ of Richard Branson's Spaceport America.
It's located in the Jornada del Muerto desert basin just west of the White Sands Missile Range .
The space HQ is 45 miles north of Las Cruces and 20 miles southeast of Truth or Consequences and was officially declared open on October 18, 2011.
The site has been described as "the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport" and houses Virgin Galactic, Space X, UP Aerospace and Armadillo Aerospace .
Meanwhile Josh is back to earth to promote the song on his recently released fifth album Luck & Desire .
Further info - www.joshgrider.com/
JAMES FINDS HARMONY IN A SKINNY FLAT WHITE
 |
Former jillaroo Harmony James was rescued by the Flying doctor after being bucked from a wild horse in outback Queensland in her outback era.
Now the Sandringham born singer-songwriter rides the range with another train song metaphor in her Skinny Flat White video from her third album Cautionary Tales.
Harmony, 36 and fifth of 12 children of a Baptist preacher, is produced by former Ted Mulry Gang icon Herm Kovac.
CLICK HERE for a new Harmony CD feature in The Diary.
HAYLEY LANGLEY RIDES MILBRODALE MOUNTAIN
 |
Hunter Valley teenager Hayley Langley rides high in the saddle in her video for Milbrodale Mountain Ride . The video was filmed south of Singleton by Paul Denham - spouse of Blue Mountains star Jayne. Hayley wrote the song with Gina Jeffreys - it was produced by Gina's husband Rod McCormack and mastered by his brother Jeff. Further info - https://www.facebook.com/hayleylangleyartist |
HOW TO KEEP NU COUNTRY ON AIR
We need your support as we celebrate our 23rd series of Nu Country TV .
Australian record companies and artists have joined forces to ensure our survival.
We have new CDS by major artists you can win by becoming a Nu Country TV member or renewing your membership.
They include singing actors Willie Nelson and Tim McGraw, Voice judge Blake Shelton, Ashley Monroe, Brad Paisley, Gary Allan, Toby Keith, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Chris Young, Charley Pride, Slim Dusty, Rosanne Cash and more.
We also have the latest John Denver all-star tribute album and DVDS by Lady Antebellum.
CLICK HERE for our Membership Page for full details.