Willie Nelson-Merle Haggard Headline Nu Country TV
Octogenarian Shotgun Willie Nelson and the late Merle Haggard headline Nu Country TV on Saturday November 23 at 9.30 pm on Channel 31/Digital 44 on a trip down memory lane.
Willie’s late partner Waylon Jennings’ grandson Whey Jennings boomerangs to our show repeated at 3 am on Monday.
South Carolina singing actor and songwriter Josh Turner and North Carolina chart-topper Luke Combs return on the program filmed and edited by Laith Graham.
Prolific Golden Guitarist Kasey Chambers and 2024 Tamworth Starmaker winner Wade Forster make their return.
Nu Country TV is a highlight of C 31 streaming list on Digital 44.
This series is dedicated to late Nu Country TV host and treasurer Mid-Pacific Bob Olson and Vice President Rod Browne.
Further info – https://www.c31.org.au/
Willie And Merle Ride A Horse Called Music
Willie Nelson, now 91 and on the road again, and late Merle Haggard saddle up for the first of our church songs.
They filmed at Willie’s western town Luck with its own church outside Austin.
Merle died at 79 on April 6, 2016, but his music lives on with a little help from his friends.
A Horse called Music was Willie’s 1989 album title track.
Willie showcases his love of horses at Luck town where he stables horses at his rescue ranch.
The four times wed dad of eight children is on the road again to promote his 152nd album The Border and his 153rd LP Last Leaf On The Tree.
His sons Lukas and Micah join him on his albums and tours that include many festivals including his annual July 4 picnics.
Willie also found snakes among his horses as he traced his journey in recent Nu Country videos Made In Texas and Ride Me Back Home.
Nelson released albums with the late Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash famous Highwaymen whom he toured here with.
Willie and the recently deceased Rhodes Scholar Kris Kristofferson played golf on the banks of the Yarra on one of those tours.
They adopted the Dead Livers song I’d Love To Have A Joint With Willie on his pre-show sound system’s recorded theme song on his 1981 Australasian tour.
Nelson has also appeared in more than 30 movies including The Electric Horseman, Honeysuckle Rose, Barbarosa, Coming Out of the Ice, Songwriter, Red Headed Stranger, The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James, Stagecoach, Once Upon a Texas Train and Beer For My Horses.
CLICK HERE for a Willie & The Wheel feature in the Diary on July 4, 2009.
Whey Jennings Singing And Sinning
Whey Jennings, now 42, and grandson of Willie’s late duet partner Waylon Jennings and singing spouse Jessi Colter returns this week.
Waylon died at 64 on February 13, 2002, and Whey continues the family’s outlaw tradition.
Whey performs in his If It Wasn’t For The Sinning video – his 2022 EP title track.
Jennings has now released his debut album Jekyll & Hyde.
Whey previously fronted our show with Ten Day Run, Just Before The Dawn – title track of his third EP released on September 22, 2023.
He also appeared on Nu Country with Texan outlaw Creed Fisher, 50, on famous Waylon hit Don’t You Think This Outlaw Things Done Got Out Of Hand that was cut by Waylon as second single on his 1978 album I’ve Always Been Crazy.
He writes and sings about his personal struggles with addiction, finding sobriety and redemption through faith, family and friends.
“Out of 42 years on this earth I lived 38 of them in the darkness,” Whey revealed.
“I was pretty well a functioning drug addict and an alcoholic. I found the light three years ago by the grace of God and my Momager, Tammy. I have a beautiful wife who has also stood by my side, and six beautiful children who continue to love me. I’ve decided to dedicate this EP and my life to them.
“My story is a little different than most. Even though my grandfather was Waylon and my uncle is Shooter, I didn’t initially chart a life course at being a full time musician or recording artist, even though I was on the road with my family as a young child.”
Further info – https://www.wheyjennings.com/
CLICK HERE for our membership page to discover how you can win Waylon CDs by becoming a Nu Country TV member.
Josh Turner Down In Georgia
South Carolina singing actor and songwriter Josh Turner returns in the first of our Behind Bars Carolina double shots.
Josh headed south from Carolina to perform his video for Down In Georgia from his 10th album This Country Music Thing.
Josh, 46, played George Beverly Shea in 2008 film Billy: The Early Years about late evangelist Billy Graham
Josh and singing spouse Jennifer – his pianist and duet vocalist on tours – have four children.
They sing and write songs in a log cabin on their farm.
The family took viewers on a bus trip to the bush and river with their faithful canine in their new video.
Josh fronted our show with Your Man – title track of the second of his 10 albums, Country State Of Mind, live gospel tribute I Serve A Saviour at Gaither Studio in Indiana.
Turner recorded faith-based music on albums including The Answer, For The Love of God and Me and God – collaboration with Ralph Stanley – midst country hits.
His albums feature Sonya Isaacs harmonies on I Saw The Light and How Great Thou Art and Bobby Osborne on I Pray My Way Out Of Trouble.
His song The River of Happiness was penned by his wife and oldest son, Hampton.
All four children – Hampton, Colby, Marion and Samuel – sing on the track.
CLICK HERE for a Turner CD review from the Diary on December 11, 2007.
Luke Combs Honours His Family
North Carolina star Luke Combs, now 34, honours his two sons Tex and Beau and wife Nicole in his Nu Country TV return.
He performed in a studio with his band on Little Country Boys from his fifth album Fathers And Sons that was released on June 14 after his sold-out 2023 Australian tour.
Luke headlines more shows at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on February 7 and February 8 next year.
His local audiences included footy icons Eddie Betts, Brisbane Lions premiership star Charlie Cameron and rugby retiree Billy Slater.
He previously fronted our show with his videos including Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma, All I Ever Do Is Leave, Hunting By Myself, Loving On You, Six Feet Apart, Does To Me, Fast Car and Without You.
His debut deluxe disc This One’s For You 2 was #1 for 44 weeks on Billboard and broke Randy Travis’s record for Always And Forever that was #1 for 43 non-consecutive weeks in 1987-1988.
CLICK HERE for Luke’s What You See Is What You Get CD feature in The Diary on November 25, 2019.
CLICK HERE for his concert review on August 20, 2023.
Kasey Chambers Back With Backbone
Prolific Golden Guitarist and TV star Kasey Chambers, now 48, revisits her childhood memories in her return to our show.
She also visited the outback in more modern times in her video for Backbone The Desert Child – her 13th album title track.
Kasey, mother of three children, recently released new book Just Don’t Be A Dickhead with her intro penned by fellow star and expat Australasian Keith Urban.
Chambers was born in Mt Gambier and grew up in the outback with her singer-songwriter father Bill, bassist mother Diane and brother Nash and recorded six albums with their Dead Ringer Band.
Chambers previously fronted our show with her Satellite video filmed at artist David Bromley’s Daylesford studio.
Kasey has 14 ARIA Awards, 24 Golden Guitars, 10 APRA Awards, two Americana Music Awards nominations and 10 APRA Awards and lives at Copacabana on the NSW central coast.
CLICK HERE for a feature on Kasey’s 11th CD Dragonfly in The Diary on January 30, 2017.
CLICK HERE for a previous Kasey CD review in The Diary on September 22, 2014.
Wade Forster Makes Chemistry
Winton born 2024 Tamworth Starmaker winner Wade Forster exudes his brand of chemistry on his return to our show.
Wade sang of a woman who ghosted him on a bus trip after he won the Starmaker crown.
Wade’s fiddle player and multi-musician singer-songwriter Felicity Kircher joined him in his video.
Chemistry followed his Off The Drugs video from his 2022 album In The Beginning.
Wade joined American star Tyler Hubbard on his Australian November tour and Texan fellow rodeo rider singer-songwriter Cody Johnson’s tour in March.
He also plays the 2025 Calgary Stampede tour over four days in Canada.
Click Here for the Tyler Hubbard-Wade Forster live review in our concert section.
Further info – https://wadeforster.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.
