DAVE'S DIARY - 26/12/11 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 4 - SERIES 17

OSCAR WINNER ON NU COUNTRY TV

Oscar winning singing actor Jeff Bridges and Eric Church headline Nu Country TV this Wednesday - December 28 - at 10 p m on C 31.

Bridges, 61, has just released his second album in a career dating back to the fifties.
Expatriate Australian duo O'Shea also returns to the show as a prelude to appearing at the 40th Tamworth Country Music Awards.

And Londonderry diva Jayne Denham showcases her new video clip on the eve of her return to Red Hill Country Music Festival on Sunday January 8.

Former Hootie & The Blowfish singer Darius Rucker also returns to the show, edited by Ashley Hall.

Melbourne quintet Little John makes its debut - all are reprised when the show repeats on Tuesday at 2 am.

JEFF BURNS NO BRIDGES

Veteran actor Jeff Bridges won an Oscar for his powerful portrayal of Bad Blake in the 2009 Crazy Heart movie.

Now, aged 62, he has released his second solo album produced by fellow Oscar winner T Bone Burnett.

Bridges utilised talents of Texan T Bone, 64, and mature aged go-go boy in the video for What A Little Bit Of Love Can Do from his self titled album.

Texans Gary Nicholson and the late Stephen Bruton - co-producer of the Crazy Heart soundtrack - wrote the entrée song, also the first single.

Fort Worth born Bruton, who died of cancer at 60 in May, 2009, at fellow Cowtown refugee Burnett's Los Angeles home also wrote Nothing Yet, featuring Rosanne Cash.

The prolific writer coached Bridges on guitar for his Crazy Heart role - reportedly a composite of Billy Joe Shaver, Kristofferson and the late Waylon Jennings.

Bridges wrote Falling Short and Tumbling Vine and collaborated with Burnett on Slow Boat for the disc.

Burnett and New Mexico born Ryan Bingham also shared an Oscar for writing The Weary Kind from Crazy Heart.

Jeff, son of late movie and TV star Lloyd and Dorothy Bridges, debuted aged two, with his big brother Beau in his mother's movie The Company She Keeps in 1951 and Lloyd's Sea Hunt TV series.

He has since appeared in 80 movies and TV series - he starred in Larry McMurtry movie Texasville and 1998 film The Big Lebowski that also featured country music including the late Texan Townes Van Zandt on its soundtrack.

Other more recent movies include Sea Biscuit, The Men Who Stare At Goats, True Grit and Tron: Legacy.

Bridges also released his debut solo album Be Here Soon in 2000.

Further info - www.jeffbridges.com/

ERIC CHURCH A HOME BOY

North Carolina country star Eric Church debuts on Nu Country TV with the video for his satiric social comment song Homeboy.

Church, 34, filmed his video about a young brother who goes off the rails at the old Tennessee state prison.

It's the same gaol where the late Porter Wagoner filmed his video for the Johnny Cash song Committed To Parkview.

Homeboy is on Church's third album Chief - it sold 145,000 copies in its first week.
Although the song is about a young rural raised brother running off the rails in the city the singer says it's not specifically about his brother.

"This song is about one brother helping the other brother realise he's on the wrong track and that if he doesn't change his ways, he's going to end up in a much worse place," Church revealed.

"I do have a brother. He's been arrested. But it wasn't really about him, quite honestly. I knew a lot of people who have been on the path they shouldn't have been on. I think we can all relate to that."

Church also name checks the late Waylon Jennings in Like Jesus Does and Johnny Cash in Country Music Jesus - a satiric swipe at critics exposing faux outlaws.

CLICK HERE for a Church feature in the Diary on October 18 2011.

O'SHEA OK

Expatriate Australian duo O'Shea returns here in January to promote its debut Sony-BMG CD Mr And Mrs.

Queensland born Mark O'Shea and South Australian born singing spouse Jay perform their video for single Meant To Be on this week's show.

Mark, youngest of nine children from Dalby, wed former Adelaide singer Jay after enjoying solo careers overseas.

The duo scored its break after being finalists on American reality TV show Can Your Duet?

O'Shea play the 40th Tamworth country music festival in January, Whittlesea festival in February and return to CMC Rocks The Hunter in March.

Mark's debut album landed him two Golden Guitars for Best New Talent and Video.

Shortly after becoming engaged the duo's careers took them to different parts of the world.

Jay's Aussie Open Singing Championships $75,000 prize enabled her to move to London for a Warner Chappell publishing deal.

She penned a #1 pop song in Europe and toured as a backing vocalist for Australian rock legends, INXS.

But it wasn't until marrying and moving to Nashville in 2007 they made music together.

They recorded EP Live At The Blue Bar Version 2.0, and toured with Phil Vassar, Jimmy Wayne, Sara Evans, Oak Ridge Boys and Gretchen Wilson.

Jay and Mark write songs individually and as a duo with hit-makers Dave Berg, Tim Nichols, Warren Brothers and Shawn Colvin.

Further info - http://www.facebook.com/therealoshea

JAYNE DENHAM - FARMER'S WIFE

Londonderry singer Jayne Denham returns as one of the headliners of Red Hill Country Music Festival on Sunday January 8.

Denham is promoting her video Farmer's Wife from second album Shake This Town.

Jayne's video pays tribute to the long-suffering rural spouses who share hefty workloads with the sons of the soil.

The characters' roles on quad bikes and ride-on mowers may seem fun for suburban sisters.

But they also practice bovine castration, fencing and feeding and suffer fire, drought, floods, suicide and exorbitant fuel prices.

Luckily Jayne has a trucking company as sponsor to ferry her to gigs and adorn her video clips.

Click Here for a Denham story from the Diary on August 17, 2009.

DARIUS RUCKER

Former Hootie & The Blowfish singer Darius Rucker is home in a library - even if the blonde model appears to be leaving home in his new video I Got Nothing.

The song is the third hit from Rucker's third album Charleston, South Carolina, 1966 - named after his hometown.

"I love that song," Rucker, 45, revealed.

"I've been there, where you wanted to say something and you knew you could say something. But there was that part of you thinking, "Dude, it's over. Just shut up. Don't be that guy who rescues it again." At the end of it, when she goes, "He's got nothin'," that for me is the most important part of the song because he knows how shitty his life is going to be. But he's still letting it go. I like that about that song. It's very realistic. If you haven't been that guy, you've been on the other side. You've wanted that person to say something. Say anything. I'll stay if you say anything. If you say, "Please stay," I'll stay. But nothing."

Rucker co-wrote all 11 songs on the 2010 album.

Writing partners include Brad Paisley, Kara DioGuardi, Chris Stapleton, Radney Foster and Casey Beathard.

Rucker has good reason to nurture children - his dad was absent from his own childhood in South Carolina.

The singer performed with The Blowfish at the wedding of golf champ Tiger Woods and solo at the funeral of the golfer's father.

Now, with more than two million albums sold, his soulful country is sweet solace.

Rucker hopes to emulate success of his former band that sold more than 25 million albums in their 22-year career that started at college in South Carolina in 1986.

When Rucker scored with Don't Think I Don't Think About It he was the first Afro-American to top country charts solo since Charley Pride's 29th smash Night Games in 1983.

The late Ray Charles was the last black artist to have a No. 1 country single - duet with Willie Nelson on Seven Spanish Angels in March 1985.

More info - www.dariusrucker.com

LITTLE JOHN - BIG HANDS

Melbourne quintet Little John debuts on Nu Country with new single Put Your Hands On Me.

Redfish bluegrass singer John Dickson fronts the band, formed in 2009.

The country folk gospel group cut its album on Saturday afternoons in a backyard studio in Preston - home of the VFL Bullants.

Little John also features double bassist Brooke Penrose, guitarist Damo Hooper drummer Bill Deeble and Greg Field on mandolin and fiddle.

Further info - www.myspace.com/littlejohnmusician


JACKSON AND LAMBERT PRIZES

There's great news for fans of Georgian born superstar Alan Jackson and quadruple CMA Award winning Texan star Miranda Lambert.

We have their latest CDS as prizes for viewers who renew Nu Country TV memberships or become members.

Sony-BMG promotions chief Emma Smith also gave us Miranda's new DVD - Revolution: Live By Candlelight.

Alan's 34 Number Ones features his biggest hits including his duet with Zac Brown Band - As She's Walking Away.

The bonus tracks also include his cut of the late June Carter Cash-Merle Kilgore written Johnny Cash hit Ring Of Fire and rare track Look At Me.

Emma also donated Miranda's huge selling 4th CD Revolution.

And as a bonus there is Miranda's new DVD featuring rare acoustic cuts of six songs White Liar, The House That Built Me, Love Song, Heart Like Mine, Love Is Looking At You and Rolling Stones country classic Dead Flowers.

WIN KEITH URBAN CDS

Expatriate Australasian superstar Keith Urban is recovering from throat surgery.

To celebrate, Keith's record company EMI-Capitol has great news for Nu Country TV viewers.

Promotions ace Bianca O'Neill donated autographed copies of his huge selling ninth album Closer To You.

She also donated new compilation The Very Best Of Slim Dusty and CMAA Winners - 2011.

All you have to do to win Jackson, Lambert, Urban and Dusty CDS or the Lambert DVD is become a member of Nu Country or renew membership.

It costs just $20.

Please send a cheque or money order made out to Nu Country Music to us at P O Box 625 - Northcote - 3070.

We also now have electronic banking for membership payment and renewal.

But email us first at music@nucountry.com.au as stocks are limited.

Other prizes on offer include -

Eric Church - Chief
Luke Bryan - Tailgates & Tanlines.
Taylor Swift - 2ND CD Fearless.
Tim McGraw Southern Voice Tour CD with 11-bonus video clips.
Felicity - Landing Lights
Air Supply singer Russell Hitchcock - Tennessee - The Nashville Sessions CD and DVD
Slim Dusty Sittin' On 80 Boxed Set
The Very Best Of Slim Dusty
Catherine Britt - Little Wildflowers.
Various compilation CDS.

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