DAVE'S DIARY - 12/12/2023 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 2 - SERIES 58
TIM MCGRAW HEADLINES NU COUNTRY
Singing actor Tim McGraw headlines Nu Country TV on Saturday December 16 at 6.30 pm.
Fellow singing-songwriter actor Lukas Nelson and prolific Louisiana born award winner Lainey Wilson boomerang to the show, repeated Tuesday at 1.30 am.
Golden guitarists Felicity and Waifs singer Josh Cunningham also return to the program filmed and edited by our loyal producer and co-host Laith Graham.
Tennesseans Russell Dickerson and Brandon Maddox and Queensland Voice graduate Bella McKenzie also appear this week.
Nu Country TV is a highlight of C 31 streaming list on Digital 44.
Further info - https://www.c31.org.au/
STANDING ROOM ONLY FOR TIM
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Veteran movie star Tim McGraw and singing spouse Faith Hill won a huge following on their Australian tours.
So it's apt that Tim, now 56, returns to our show with his Remember Me Well video from his 18th album Standing Room Only.
The treble Grammy winner released another EP Poets Resume in November.
Fans recall Tim and former St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt kicking footballs into the Rod Laver Arena from their concert stage in 2019.
 Photo credit Carol Taylor |
The Louisiana born singer, actor and pilot played the father of Michael Oher, lineman drafted by Baltimore Ravens in National Football League in award winning 2009 movie The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock cast as Oher's mother.
Tim and Lori McKenna wrote Gravity for Free Solo documentary and duet with Faith on Keep Your Eyes On Me for 2017 movie The Shack starring British born Australian actor Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer.
He starred in other movies Country Strong, Flicka and Tomorrow Land .
CLICK HERE for a Tim McGraw interview in The Diary on April 29, 2019.
CLICK HERE for his live review in our Concert section on October 6, 2019.
LUKAS NELSON AND LAINEY WILSON BOOMERANG
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When Lukas Nelson returns to Australia he wants to earn a pilot's license so he can fly into the outback to explore Uluru and other locales.
Lukas, who celebrates his 35th birthday on Christmas day, and Louisiana born star Lainey Wilson, 31, performed Dolly Parton-Kenny Rogers hit You Can't Make Old Friends at Leslie Jordan's tribute concert in their Nu Country return.
Lukas, one of three sons of Shotgun Willie Nelson, now 90 and on the road again released his 12 th album Sticks & Stones this year.
Lainey has won eight major country music awards after releasing her fourth album Bell Bottom Country.
Lukas and Lainey previously fronted our show with their More Than Friends video.
Nelson also appeared on Nu Country with videos for Movie On My Mind, Forget About Georgia , Just Outside Of Austin , Find Yourself, Bad Case, Healing Hands Of Time and My Tears Fall.
CLICK HERE for a Lukas Nelson CD feature in The Diary on July 29, 2019.
CLICK HERE for his live review in our Concert section on April 17, 2019.
Further info - https://laineywilson.com/
FELICITY AND JOSH RETURN
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Revered TV and radio host Felicity Urquhart and Waifs co-founder Josh Cunningham return to our show this week.
Felicity, 47 and mum of 2 daughters, met Josh after the tragic death of guitarist husband Glen Hannah
They perform their Size Up video from their second duet album Birdsong that follows seven Felicity solo albums, two with Kevin Bennett and Lyn Bowtell, and Josh's five albums with The Waifs.
“Growing up in a poor family, meant that wearing hand me down clothes and putting another hole in the belt, were just a part of life”, Josh revealed of his song Size Up.
“But more than that, my siblings and I were encouraged to be resourceful by making do, making things from scratch, or repurposing things to fill a need. The old saying that necessity is the mother of invention, certainly rang true in our home.”
CLICK HERE for our Felicity interview in The Diary on April 29, 2019.
CLICK HERE for an historic Waifs interview in the Diary on March 31, 2004
BELLA MACKENZIE VOICE GRADUATE
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Queensland teenager Bella Mackenzie debuted on The Voice when all judges turned their chairs when she sang Taylor Swift hit Anti-Hero.
Bella hails from Moranbah near Mackay and debuts on Nu Country with her 1,2,3 You And Me video - one of her first singles.
Bella wrote the song with Bryce Sainty that was produced by Rod McCormack.
“Inspired by some of my favourite things living in the country, pickup trucks around a fire, country music blaring and that one crush that you can't help but want to talk to, that is the story of 1,2,3 - You and Me ” revealed Bella who received mentorship from Gina Jeffreys.
Further info - https://bellamackenzie.com.au/
BRANDON MADDOX PRAISES FARMERS
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Tennessean Brandon Maddox celebrates rural heroes in his Nu Country debut.
Maddox rides tractors and trucks as he sings praises of farmers in his Last Farm In The U.S.A . video.
He sang of the importance of small farmers feeding families and friends.
“This song and video is a plea of the American farmer for the public to realize how important small family farms are to the history and the future of Feeding America and the dangers of conglomeration in the farming sector,” Maddox explained.
“This dirt is the blood running through my veins/ this ground is my family name/ yesterday we fed this nation today/ it's cut-throat corporations/ tomorrow our very way of life might slip away.”
Brandon wrote his first song, aged just 10, near hometown Chattanooga.
The monster truck artist of year's previous hits included Dixie Chaser and Drive Me To Drink.
Further info - https://brandonmaddoxmusic.com
RUSSELL DICKERSON THANKS GOD FOR A GIRL
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Fellow Tennessean Russell Dickerson, 36, thanked God for giving him a girl in his debut on our show.
That girl was his wife Kailey who joined him at the kitchen table in his video.
God Gave Me A Girl is on third self-titled album re-released on November 3 as a deluxe edition.
In addition to 15 original tracks Russell Dickerson: The Afterparty Deluxe includes 10 additional tracks, including five unplugged acoustic versions four live recordings of favourite tracks and new track featuring Need to breathe.
“This deluxe album is a more complete picture of this record and of me as an artist,” Dickerson revealed.
“Getting to dive deeper into who I am and showcase live recordings in a way I haven't done before. It's almost as if the self-titled album wasn't finished yet and the deluxe completes this record and this moment in my life.”
He also recently released his summer EP 3 Months, 2 Streets Down.
Further info - https://russelldickerson.com/
WIN WAYLON, GEORGE JONES AND MERLE HAGGARD
Help us celebrate being Nu Country TV members and win albums by late Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, George Jones and Highwaymen by becoming a Nu Country member or renewing your membership.
George, Waylon, Merle and Willie Nelson were among country historian Barbara Dowling's favourite Texans.
The Waylon, Highwaymen , Merle and George discs were donated by Barbara who died at 77 in December, 2020.
She co-hosted Long In The Saddle in our Nu Country FM era and was pioneer Australian and Victorian country music awards judge.
Barbara was admired for rising above losing her sight as a young woman and her country passion with annual trips to Waylon's birthplace in Littlefield, West Texas.
Waylon died at 64 on February 13, 2002, and is survived by singing spouse Jessi, now 80, and son Shooter, 44.
WIN KEITH URBAN CDS ALSO
We have expatriate Australasian superstar Keith Urban's chart topping 12th album The Speed Of Now - Part 1.
Also BR5-49 CD Big Backyard Beat Show and Billy Ray Cyrus's historic 1992 album Some Gave All featuring Achy Breaky Heart.
We have other CDS by major artists you can win by becoming a Nu Country TV member or renewing memberships.
They include Brad Paisley, Eric Church, Kip Moore, Carrie Underwood and late larrikin legend A.P. Johnson.
CLICK HERE for our Membership Page for details.