DAVE'S DIARY - 23 AUGUST 2006 - PREVIEW EPISODE 7 - SERIES 6

DOLLY HEADLINES NU COUNTRY TV

Singing actress Dolly Parton celebrated her 60th birthday early this year by joining expatriate Australasian superstar Keith Urban as ambassadors for Tennessee.

Now she headlines Nu Country TV this Saturday - August 26 - with the video of her hit Travellin Through from the soundtrack of the Transamerica movie.

Jim Lauderdale & Ralph Stanley, Heather Myles, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Duncan Sheik, Larry Sparks, Lucinda Williams and Wylie & the Wild West Show also appear on the movie and soundtrack.

The show, hosted by fellow sexagenarian Mid-Pacific Bob Olson, screens on C 31 in Victoria at 8.30 p m and in South Australia at 6.30 p m on Sunday

Parton, fourth of 12 Parton children, was born at Locust Ridge near Sevierville in the Smoky Mountains.

She also performed her original song, commissioned for Transamerica, on the 78th Academy Awards in March.

Dolly earlier teamed with Urban, now enjoying marriage in Tennessee with another actress Nicole Kidman, on Johnny Mathis hit Twelfth Of Never on her 2005 duets disc Those Were The Days.

Fellow expatriate Catherine Britt, appearing in the Sydney Johnny Cash tribute show Walk The Line also appeared in a Country Radio Broadcasters celebration of Dolly in Nashville.

Britt opened the Parton segment with To Daddy - the Parton composition that became a 1977-78 hit for Emmylou Harris.

She followed with Dolly's 2001 bluegrass album title track Little Sparrow with Randy Kohrs on Dobro and Jennifer Wrinkle on fiddle and harmony vocals.

CLICK HERE for a Parton feature from the Diary on November 11, 2003.

NATALIE HOWARD

Gold Coast singer Natalie Howard joined Urban, Britt, Sherrie Austin, Jamie O'Neal, Greencards, Jedd Hughes and others in the Australian Nashville invasion.

Natalie performs the clip for Is It Just Me - the fourth single from acclaimed album Yesterday's Make Up that has been repackaged and released in the U.S.

Ms Howard filmed her fourth video in Civil War towns Lebanon and Franklin, near Nashville with Australian director Ross Wood.

It also features singer Tonya Watts and daytime soapie star Brian Gaskill from As The World Turns, The Bold And The Beautiful and Port Charles.

Natalie also performs on the finale song Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman on Melinda Schneider's fifth album Stronger with fellow expatriate Australian Janine Le Claire.

Natalie recently returned from Key West Songwriters Festival where she performed with major writers and was interviewed by U.S. TV show Great American Country that also features her live.

She again performed in Nashville during CMA week in June at Wild Horse Saloon and on other festival stages.

Natalie and U.S. writing and duet partner James Dean Hicks performed on Words & Music: The Showcase for Nashville's Songwriters on News Channel 5+.

CLICK HERE for a Natalie Howard story from the Diary on July 5, 2005.

Visit www.nataliehoward.net for more info on Natalie's career.


SARAH LEE GUTHRIE AND JOHNNY IRION LIVE AT PORT FAIRY

Sarah Lee Guthrie and singing spouse Johnny Irion perform a live song from the 30th Port Fairy folk festival.

The duo toured here to promote first duet disc Exploration after releasing solo albums in the U.S.

Sarah Lee, 28, is one of the singing granddaughters of Woody Guthrie and daughter of Arlo Guthrie.

Her younger sister Cathy recently performed at Shotgun Willie Nelson's July 3 and July 4 picnics in Carl's Corner and Fort Worth, Texas, with Amy - one of Willie's daughters in the duo Folk Uke.

CLICK HERE for a Sarah Lee Guthrie-Johnny Irion feature from the Diary on May 17, 2005.
CLICK HERE for Anne Sydenham's Guthrie-Irion concert Review on April 9, 2006.

BILL CHAMBERS LIVE ALSO

Bill Chambers and his hot band also perform their version of Randy Newman classic Rider In The Rain from the Port Fairy folk festival.

The song is from Chambers second solo album Frozen Ground, produced by his son Nash.

Joe Ely and Reckless Kelly, the Texan band who took its name from famed Australian bush ranger Ned Kelly, also perform the song on tribute disc Sail Away - The Songs Of Randy Newman (Sugar Hill-Shock.)

The Ely-Kelly version features Cody Braun on fiddle-banjo and pedal steel guitarist and producer Lloyd Maines - revered sire of Dixie Chicks singer Natalie.

SOVEREIGN HONOURS HOME TOWN BRIAGALONG

Gippsland country group Sovereign was the hottest export from Briagalong until the tragic shooting death of Private Jake Kovco in Iraq.

The band, winners of several major awards at the Victorian Country Music Awards in Whittlesea, debuts with a video of Briagalong tribute song, It's My Town.

Sovereign performed the song on its second independent album Wild One - sequel to debut album Too Hot To Handle.

The band also recorded Ross Wilson hit Eagle Rock on ABC Music album Crossing The Tracks.

Sovereign comprises South Australian coastal born singer Steve Eales, bassist Steve Hartley and his drummer brother Andy Hartley.

Visit www.sovereignmusic.com.au for info on the band's music and touring schedule.


LEE KERNAGHAN AKUBRA AND CDS FOR MEMBERS

You can win autographed copies of Lee Kernaghan's hot huge selling album The New Bush, Tania Kernaghan's fourth CD Higher Ground and Catherine Britt's second disc Too Far Gone by becoming members of Nu Country TV.

We also have CDS by Arizona country singer Billy Wyatt, Gretchen Peters, Robert Earl Keen and others as membership rewards.

The contest is also open for Nu Country members who renew their membership.

All financial members go in the draw for the Lee Kernaghan Akubra at the end of the series in October at a star-studded showcase on Saturday October 7 at Hotel Kew.

Phil Younger & Country Brew, Ruckus, Silver String Outlaws and VIP guests perform at the Hotel Kew showcase.

We'll also have tickets to concerts by Lee, sister Tania and The McClymonts.

CLICK HERE for full details on our membership page.


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