DAVE'S DIARY - 20 JULY 2011 - PREVIEW EPISODE 7 - SERIES 16

TEXAN TURNS THE TABLES ON NU COUNTRY TV

Texan honky tonker Sunny Sweeney returns to Nu Country TV this Saturday - July 23 - at 10.30 pm with her latest video clip.

Singing actor Gwyneth Paltrow also showcases the video for the title track of her movie Country Strong.

Her co-star Tim McGraw debuts the video for his recent single on a show edited by Ashley Hall.

Frequent Australian tourist - New York born Kieran Kane - reprises a video filmed on the mean streets of Brunswick.

And fellow native New Yorker Randy Montana makes his debut on Nu Country on a show that is repeated on Friday at 2.30 a.m.

Ezra Lee, who played Jerry Lee Lewis in the Australian stage show The Ultimate Rock 'N Roll Jam Session, also debuts.

SUNNY SWEENEY - FROM A TABLE AWAY

Sunny Sweeney harvests hay from heartbreak of divorce on her second album Concrete.

The Longview born singer reprised songs from her recent EP for the album, produced by Brett Beavers whose clients include Dierks Bentley and Catherine Britt.

Sweeney, 34, performs in the video for her first Top 10 single From A Table Away - that captures the eternal triangle from the eyes of the other woman.

It's not her former husband who scored her dog Merle in the divorce - Sweeney lost Merle but kept her other dogs Dolly and Nash.

She has since released another single Staying's Worse Than Leaving.

Sunny also performed a duet with Waylon Jennings widow Jessi Colter on Good Hearted Woman on the third tribute disc to the late Texan outlaw.

She recorded expatriate Van Diemen's Land diva Audrey Auld tune The Next Big Nothing on her 2007 debut album Heartbreakers Hall Of Fame.

CLICK HERE for a Sunny interview in the Diary on March 27, 2011.

KIERAN KANE ABLE ON BRUNSWICK TABLE

Kieran Kane and some Aussie mates helped make his video for his song Anybody's Game a true international effort on his 10th tour down under.

They filmed the video in Brunswick with help from son Lucas and other touring partners Kevin Welch and Fats Kaplin.

Anybody's Game is from Kane's seventh solo album Somewhere Beyond The Roses.

Kane, 61, also released four albums with Jamie O'Hara as The O'Kanes and others - including a live disc - with Welch, Kaplin and the Dead Reckoners.

Kane, Lucas and David Francey returned here earlier this year for gigs and sold paintings, photos and CDS at a local art gallery.

They are now touring the U.S. as a trio - Go Jane Go.

CLICK HERE for a Kieran Kane feature interview from the Diary on July 25, 2006.

TIM MCGRAW - AT WAR

Louisiana born singing actor Tim McGraw has been performing concerts in the U.S. with a broken foot after a stage accident.

McGraw, 44, is also locked in a protracted legal battle with record label Curb over the release of his 11th studio album Emotional Traffic.

McGraw says Emotional Traffic is his "absolute last album" with Curb and while it has been finished for 12 months a release date has yet to be issued.

"All the songs have been done for a long time, and the label has had it," McGraw said.

"It's the last album that they have of mine, so they're trying to hold on to it as long as they can."

Instead Curb released seven greatest hits album by McGraw - husband of singing actress Mississippi born singing actress Faith Hill.

McGraw performs in the video this week for Felt Good On My Lips - it was set to be on Emotional Traffic but was added to his latest greatest hits album.

McGraw, father of three daughters, has also made eight movies including Country Strong with Gwyneth Paltrow - wife of Coldplay singer Chris Martin.

He has since made another new movie Dirty Girl but pulled out of South African filmed Denzel Washington movie Safe House - because of tour commitments.

CLICK HERE for our exclusive Tim McGraw interview in the Diary on May 25, 2010

GWYNETH PALTROW

Gwyneth Paltrow changed genres when she played the singing spouse of Tim McGraw in Country Strong.

She performs in the title track of the movie in which McGraw played her husband-manager.

The movie opened in the U.S. in December but you don't have to visit a theatre to see it here.

It's already in local video stores.

Gwyneth and Tim also performs a duet Me And Tennessee in the movie that features acclaimed singer-songwriter and guitarist Jim Lauderdale in the house band in the final scene.

Jennifer Hanson, Tony Martin and Mark Nesler penned the title track and Martin was the sole writer on Me & Tennessee - two of three songs that Paltrow performs in the movie.

Fellow cast members Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meister also feature on the soundtrack.

Other artists included are Faith Hill, Ronnie Dunn, Trace Adkins, Lee Ann Womack, Hank Williams Jr, Sara Evans, Patty Loveless and Chris Young.

Further info - www.gwyneth-paltrow.org

BILLY'S BOY RANDY

Randy Montana - son of hit writer Billy Montana - debuts on Nu Country with the video for his song Love Has A Thousand Faces.

The singer performed in the video filmed in heavy traffic at a busy city intersection.

It's on his self-titled debut album that features harmonies by Emmylou Harris on his song Last Horse.

Randy, 25, wrote most of the songs - he penned Love Has A Thousand Faces with Tim McGraw hit writer Tom Douglas.

Montgomery Gentry, performing at the Gympie Muster in August, also recorded Randy's song Can't Feel the Pain.

Randy's dad Billy wrote Garth Brooks' hit More Than a Memory, Sara Evans' Suds in the Bucket and Grammy-nominated Jo Dee Messina hit Bring on the Rain.

Randy was born in Albany, New York, and moved with his family to Nashville in 1988 when Billy signed a record deal with Warner Bros.

"I always grew up around music, watching him do it," Randy says.

"He was always playing gigs or writers' nights. I kind of grew up next to a stage. Anytime the family got together, the guitars came out. We grew up listening to Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Jackson Browne for road trips. I grew up around that stuff, listening to that, and I think that's a pretty good place to start."

He started playing guitar at age 10, writing songs at age 16 and performed his first song publicly at one of his father's writers' nights at age 17.

Randy was a high school quarterback and goalkeeper in soccer, landed a football scholarship but instead opted to play college soccer.

After a year at Nashville's Trevecca Nazarene University he transferred to Middle Tennessee State University but left after two years for music.

He worked roofing houses, waiting tables and bartending while writing songs until he landed a Sony publishing deal in 2008.

Randy's inspirations included Steve Earle, Chris Knight, Hank Williams, Jr., Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Wallflowers and Counting Crows.

Further info - www.randymontana.com

EZRA LEE - PIANIST - NOT SUB MARINER

Newcastle pianist Ezra Lee played Jerry Lee Lewis in stage show The Ultimate Rock 'N Roll Jam Session.

So it's fitting he debuts with his live footage of Rock' N Roll Piano Man.

Fellow cast members included James Blundell, Dave Larkin, Dave Folley and Nick Barker.

Ezra, 23, cut his debut solo album in 2009 at Graham Thomas's Preston studio in the North-western Melbourne suburb Pascoe Vale.

Lee went on the road at 15 and performed with Johnny Green's Blues Cowboys for six years.

He also guested on albums by The Re-Mains and Neil Murray.

The pianist shares stage name with an American soldier who commanded the Turtle submarine on September 6, 1876, when it launched a strike on British Admiral Richard Howe's flagship HMS Eagle in New York Harbour.

Although Sgt Ezra Lee didn't sink the Eagle his commander - George Washington - rewarded him with a long career in the Secret Service until he died on October 29, 1821, and was buried in Duck River cemetery in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

The Newcastle born Ezra Lee has not emulated the historic submariner but his publicity photos were taken at Childers Cove near Port Campbell on the Victorian Shipwreck Coast.

Ezra is the son of Ed Matzenik - pedal steel guitarist in a Sydney version of outlaw country band Hit & Run that featured Wild Cherries and Virgil Brothers singer Dan Robinson, born in 1947 due west of Childers Cove at Warrnambool.

Rod Coe - bassist and producer for late Slim Dusty and daughter Anne Kirkpatrick - and expat Scot guitarist Mick Liber of Python Lee Jackson also played in Hit & Run.

Further info - www.myspace.com/theezraleeshow

JACKSON AND LAMBERT PRIZES FOR TOURS

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

We have the duo's 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 the newly wed Miranda's huge selling 4th CD Revolution.

And as a bonus there is Miranda's new DVD featuring rare acoustic performances 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.

Jackson played Rod Laver Arena on Friday March 4 before headlining CMC Rocks The Hunter on March 5 and 6.

WIN KEITH URBAN CDS ALSO

Expatriate Australasian superstar Keith Urban returned for a triumphant tour with chart-topping mates Lady Antebellum in April.

And Keith's long time 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 Get Closer.

She has 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 -
Taylor Swift - 2ND CD Fearless.
Tim McGraw Southern Voice Tour CD with 11-bonus video clips.
Dierks Bentley - Feel The Fire.
Felicity - Landing Lights
Slim Dusty Sittin' On 80 Boxed Set
The Very Best Of Slim Dusty
Steve Forde - Guns & Guitars
Catherine Britt - Little Wildflowers.
Mike Brady - Country To Country.
CMAA Winners 2011 and other compilation CDS.

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