DAVE'S DIARY - 30/1/2024 - PREVIEW OF EPISODE 9 - SERIES 58

REBA MCENTIRE HEADLINES NU COUNTRY TV

Oklahoma born singing actor and TV show host Reba McEntire headlines Nu Country TV on Saturday February 3 at 6.30 pm on Channel 31/ Digital 44.

Prolific Launceston born Golden Guitarist and ARIA Award winner Casey Barnes and expat Gunnedah born dual Golden Guitarist Katrina Burgoyne boomerang to the show hosted, filmed and produced by Laith Graham and repeated Tuesday at 1.30 am.

Texan outlaw Creed Fisher returns to Behind Bars and Melbourne duo Minor Gold and Missouri minstrel Ken Domash also return this week.

Nu Country TV is a highlight of C 31 streaming list on Digital 44.

Further info - https://www.c31.org.au/

REBA HEAVENLY PROMISE

Reba McEntire reveals her heavenly desires after the death of her mother Jacqueline.

Reba, now 68, reveals what she would do in her first seven minutes in heaven.

McEntire has sold more than 50 million records.

Seven Minutes In Heaven is on her 37th album Not That Fancy - also title of her sixth book.

Reba returned to Oklahoma to film previous Nu Country video Back To God with her late mother at her family church of choice in hometown Chockie at ripe young age of 62.

“Music conjures up great memories and goes hand and hand with us McEntires,” Reba revealed of her church video and 32nd album Sing It Now.

The singer, who toured here with Kenny Rogers in 1998 and Troy Cassar-Daley in 1999, recruited her mother and sisters for her new project.

“Mama, Susie and Alice even came into the studio with me to record I'll Fly Away , all of us gathered around an old hymnal straight from the Chockie church.”

Reba elaborated on influences and eternal help from guardian angels for her album inspiration.

The double-disc project highlights traditional hymns of faith in first 10 songs with more contemporary tracks of hope on the back half.

Sing It Now was the perfect title for this album because the message and melody throughout the song connects the dots between the traditional hymns I grew up on and new music that has been uplifting for me in challenging times,” McEntire explained.

Reba's heart and friends help guide song selection including the first tune she ever sang in public - Jesus Loves Me.

She also adopted a former co-star's suggestion of Oh Happy Day and introduction from a close associate to From The Inside Out.

Reba produced it with Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts in his home studio with band leader/musical director Doug Sisemore.

She also collaborated with Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood on Softly and Tenderly.

Reba and her mother returned to the McEntire ranch at Chockie in an evocative tribute to family patriarch Clark who died at 86 on October 23, 2014.

They both fronted Nu Country in February 2016 in Just Like Them Horses - the song she sang at her dad's funeral.

Reba starred with Kevin Bacon in 1990 movie Tremors and North in 1994 and joined Kenny Rogers and Burt Reynolds in TV movies, The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw and The Man From Left Field.

She shot a pilot in Madison , Georgia , for new southern Gothic soap opera TV show Red Blooded - based on a July 4 parade terrorism plot.

She plays Ruby Adair, a sheriff in small-town Kentucky whose views are challenged and starts to see the world differently after a young FBI agent of Middle Eastern descent enters the picture to help with a case.

“I'm a dark character,” McEntire says of her role.

“I've got a lot of flaws and demons, and I'm having a lot of problems in my personal life. My town is being disrupted, and I'm having to deal with it all. I'm under a lot of stress.”

It's a vast contrast to her roles in Malibu County and her own sit-com.

CLICK HERE for a previous Reba story in the Diary on December 9, 2003.

CASEY BARNES PERFORMS MIRACLES

Prolific ARIA Award winner and Golden Guitarist Casey Barnes creates miracles on his Nu Country return.

Casey, 45, performed his new video Miracles, penned with Nashville writers Kaci Brown and Sam Gray who joined him on his hits God Took His Time On You, We're Good Together and Sparks Fly.

Barnes drove a mate's pick-up truck and also played guitar and sang on the back of it

Miracles follows his seventh album Light It Up.

Casey was born in Launceston - same town as his manager and septuagenarian tour promoter Michael Chugg.

Barnes now hangs his hat with his family on Queensland Gold coast.

Casey won his ARIA and Golden Guitar awards for Light It Up.

He also fronted Nu Country with Small Town and Get To Know Ya that he showcased in Yarra Park for the annual AFL Geelong-Essendon game expo on a Victorian visit with western Sydney Golden Guitars nominee Imogen Clark.

He also sang Waltzing Matilda on the MCG main oval to launch the Geelong-Essendon game.

Casey ascended from 2009 American Idol finalist to international tourist and performer of Seven Network footy theme song Sparks Fly .

CLICK HERE for his Yarra Park concert review on March 19, 2022.

CLICK HERE for a recent Melbourne concert review on September 22, 2023.

KATRINA BURGOYNE FINDS HUBBY IN A HONKY TONK

Gunnedah born belle Katrina Burgoyne turns a real life love story into a song and video on her return.

Katrina, now 35, calls Nashville her second home after she moved there in 2017 and recovered from sinus surgery.

It was where she met her husband Steve Kinney in a bar.

It inspired Hubby In A Honky Tonk and follows two albums.

Katrina and Kempsey export Troy Kemp also fronted Nu Country with Before Summer Starts To Fall.

The duo, who both call Nashville and Australia home, released it on September 24, 2021.

The video is directed by Katrina's husband-producer-videographer Steve Kinney.

CLICK HERE for a Katrina story in The Diary on January 16, 2012.

MINOR GOLD RIDE A TUMBLEWEED

Melbourne duo Minor Gold recently returned to Australia after a world and national tour.

Tracy McNeil and Dan Parsons first played together in bands 20 years ago.

Tracy, now 49, cut five solo and Good Life band albums with Dan.

But their cats and dogs only joined them at their local venues in their latest video.

Tumbleweed is on their debut duo disc Minor Gold recorded in Brisbane .

They also fronted our show with Mona Lisa, Cannonball and Don't Change.

Further info - https://www.minorgoldmusic.com/

CREED FISHER HANK HOMAGE

Texan outlaw singer-songwriter Creed Fisher performs his Hank homage on his Nu Country TV return.

Creed, now 51, has released six albums.

He hails from Odessa in West Texas near where the late Waylon Jennings once hung his hat.

His Hank Williams video follows Rebel In The South .

Fisher also fronted Nu Country with videos for Creed, Nashville, High On The Bottle, People Like Me, This Town, Life Of A Working Man, Life Of A Working Man, Hankles and Jesus, Haggard & Jones.

Creed describes his music as “a rollercoaster of emotions, laughs, cheers with drinks and songs that will make you want to cry. I hope fans walk away knowing that I'm still in the trenches fighting this battle for real country music. We haven't lost a step; if anything, this album is stronger than ever and shows that Creed Fisher is a force to be reckoned with in Outlaw Country Music."

Further info - https://creedfisher.net/

KEN DOMASH RODEO

Missouri minstrel Ken Domash was an architect for 14 years before following his musical dreams.

Ken, now 56, escaped building bosses to hit the bars and stages in his latest video.

He had a choice of top shelf liquor and barmaids in Drink About That his second album Welcome To My Rodeo.

Domash honoured his late dad who changed the singing architect's early love of karate and magic to music in his previous video.

Ken's wife Aimee played his love interest in another Nu Country video If I Was A Beer.

In February 2009 he wrote Spinning Around for an acquaintance who died of leukemia.

“When I finished,” Domash recalled, “they asked me to play it again. By then one guy was weeping and I was almost in tears myself. It was one of those moments. They all looked at me, and one of them said “You need to go record that song. Within a month, I was in Nashville .”

Domash returned to Nashville in June 2009 and cut six songs of his album Countrified completed in January, 2010.

Further info - https://www.kendomash.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.

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