Opry superstar Charley Pride honored with new statue
By Preshias Harris
Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe and Little Jimmy Dickens are together again at the Ryman Auditorium.
In a special outdoor ceremony April 13, the new life-size bronze statue of Charley Pride was unveiled to join those of Lynn, Monroe and Dickens previously positioned at the Ryman Auditorium’s Icon Walk. Artist and sculptor Ben Watts created all four of the bronze likenesses now at the location.
Pictured L-R: Colin V. Reed, Executive Chairman, Ryman Hospitality Properties; Hortense Ransom, Head of Operations, CECCA Productions; Rozene Pride; Ben Watts, sculptor; Dion Pride; Dennis Quaid. Photo credit: Catherine Powell
Charley Pride’s widow Rozene and his son Dion Pride were joined at the unveiling by friends and colleagues from the world of music, along with local dignitaries and fans.
During her introductory remarks, Gina Keltner, Director of Opry Talent Scheduling & Logistics at Grand Ole Opry, noted that the concept for the Icon Walk began in 2015 as the vision of Ryman Hospitality Properties Executive Chairman Colin Reed.
Clint Black, Marty Rabon, Bellamy Brothers add their voices
By Preshias Harris
Buddy Jewellcaptured hearts and ears across America when he emerged as the fan-voted winner of Nashville Star’s inaugural season – ahead of second placed Miranda Lambert.
His prize included a record deal with Columbia Records and an album to be produced by country superstar Clint Black, as he recounted in an interview with me at Center Stage Mag here.
The self-titled album quickly earned Gold certification, and the debut single, “Help Pour Out the Rain,” became the highest-debuting single by a new country artist since Nielsen SoundScan began tabulating charts.
The second single from that self-titled album was “Sweet Southern Comfort” penned by Rodney Clawson and Brad Crisler, released in October 2003, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks the following year.
Celebrating the song’s twentieth anniversary, Jewell has now recorded a new version of the hit song and he invited some famous friends to join him on the track: Clint Black, Marty Rabon of Shenandoah and the Bellamy Brothers.
I caught up with Buddy Jewell during Country Radio Seminar in March and he told me the story behind the original 2003 recording and why Clint Black had to be part of the new version too.
Jewell has certainly earned his place in the spotlight, recording 5,000 demos as an in-demand demo singer for ten years before the Nashville Star opportunity came along. But when he could finally record his own albums, “singing all those demos really helped a lot,” he told me.
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com@PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
(L to R): Mark Hudson, Garth Brooks, Victoria Shaw on the Musicnotes Stage, Analog/Hutton Hotel. Photo credit: NSAI
If you were able to attend the history-making 2023 Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival, then you were a lucky human. From hearing the stories behind the songs that included: ‘The Dance”, “Amazed”, ‘Check Yes or No”, “The Most Beautiful Girl”, “Ships That Don’t Come In”, “The River”, “Beer With Jesus”, “Daddy Wasn’t The Cadillac Kind”, “She Had Me At Heads Carolina”, “All About That Bass” “Whiskey Glasses” and I could go on for days… :D. If there was a place where GOOSEBUMPS came from, it might be a Tin Pan South show…
Garth Brooks tells the story behind the song at CRS
by Preshias Harris
Garth Brooks became the inaugural recipient of the Country Radio Broadcasters’ Garth Brooks No Fences Award, named after Brooks’ ground-breaking No Fences album. It recognizes an individual in the country music industry who boldly demonstrates innovation, creativity and tenacity.
During this year’s Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in March, Brooks was interviewed by CRB’s RJ Curtis. Read my full report of the in-depth interview at Center Stage Mag here.
Garth Brooks talks with Country Radio Broadcasters at CRS 2023. Photo: Preshias Harris
At one point, Curtis put up a screenshot showing a string of Garth Brooks hit songs in a thirteen-month period across 1989 and 1990. The songs were: “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)”, “If Tomorrow Never Comes”, “Not Counting You” and “The Dance”.
However, Brooks was not among the rising artists selected to appear at the New Faces of Country Music show at the 1990 CRS. To the amazement of the ‘standing room only’ audience, Brooks never played the New Faces show.
In the interview, Brooks frankly described how his monumental hit “Friends in Low Places” very nearly became Mark Chesnutt‘s hit single, rather than his. Brooks had actually cut the demo for the songwriters while he was a shoe salesman in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, moonlighting as a demo singer.
He went on to explain his prolonged absence from music to be with his family and how: “it was probably the most selfish move I ever made in my life.”
Read my full report of the in-depth Garth Brooks interview in the ‘Preshias On The Row’ section of Center Stage Mag here. #CenterStageMag
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com @PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
The current edition of my monthly music column, Inside Track on Music Row, is now posted and ready to read at Nashville Music Guide here.
Among the news items in the column…
Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks will host the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, May 11, streaming on Prime Video…
HARDY is treating fans to three ‘reimagined’ tracks amid his sold-out mockingbird & THE CROW tour…
Country-rock band Exile, now in their 60th year are being honored with a showcase exhibit at Regions Bank on Music Row…
Ian Munsick‘s new album, White Buffalo, stampedes in as he headlines his Long Live Cowgirls tour…
In Bluegrass News, singer-songwriter Dalton Harper bursts out of the gate with “Highway of Love”, his first single as a solo artist…
The Swon Brothers deliver their new single “If Whiskey Could Talk” with a turnabout view on the age-old spirit…
Barbara Fairchild, adored by fans for more than six decades, releases a rare collection of never-before released recordings in an album titled And I Love You So…
Memphis Blue-eyed Soul legends, The Box Tops, inducted into the prestigious Memphis Music Hall of Fame…
Juna N Joey “Slip Out the Side Door” on new single
By Preshias Harris
Brother and sister duo, Juna N Joey, caught the world’s attention as viral sensations. They chalked up around 8.5 million collective views on YouTube and a viral 10 million views on Tik Tok; their rendition of Mariah Carey’s Holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas is You” landed them on Instagram’s Best Covers of the Year list for 2022.
Then came two singles and a debut EP ahead of their current single “Slip Out the Side Door” that takes full advantage of their peerless sibling harmonies.
During Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in March, Juna N Joey sat down with me to talk about the new single and their upcoming EP. You can read the full interview at Center Stage Mag here.
In the interview we talked about their songwriting process and their experience of being in the studio recording “Slip Out the Side Door.” All their previous recording had been during Covid. “With this record,” Joey told me, “I felt that everybody was together and had ideas while we were in the same room so there was more of a connection.”
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com@PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
Combines twin passions with new single, upcoming EP
by Preshias Harris
Bryan Ruby grew up with two passions that have stayed with him to this day: baseball and country music, as we discussed in my interview posted at Center Stage Mag.
An outstanding athlete, he played baseball throughout his school years in Pennsylvania. But when he went on to higher education it was on a vocal music scholarship at Vassar College in New York’s Hudson Valley.
Even so, Bryan led his college team to First Team All-Conference honors and went on to play pro baseball in the USA and overseas.
Now he makes Nashville his home as a singer-songwriter, and we met up during Country Radio Seminar (CRS). He talked about his new, just-released single, “Baseball Country”, his musical influences and his 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, Proud To Be In Baseball, that supports LBGTQ kids who want to play baseball.
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com @PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
Dallas and co-writer honor “Uncommon Man” farmer dads
By Preshias Harris
Dallas Remington and her co-writer Courtney Bumbacher both grew up in farming families and they know farmers are often America’s ‘unsung heroes.’ Together they wrote “Uncommon Man” – even calling their farmer dads while in the writing session to be sure they captured the right phrasing.
I caught up with Dallas during this year’s Country Radio Seminar and you can read the full interview at Center Stage Mag here.
Dallas also told me the story behind the song “Steal Your Dad” and how it racked up thousands of views almost instantly on Tik Tok. “A lot of people like the goofy songs,” she told me.
In the interview, she also shares the reason she decided to record a ‘countryfied’ version of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” Check out the “Preshias On The Row” section at CenterStageMag.com for more stories and interviews.
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com@PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
Brady Seals is part of a legendary musical clan that encompasses pop, rock and country. Perhaps best known as part of the iconic band Little Texas and the anthem he co-penned, “God Blessed Texas”, Brady was also a founding member of Hot Apple Pie, known as ‘Nashville’s Super Group.’
Now Brady is out on the road with Lua Crofts with their project, Seals & Crofts 2.
Brady sat down with me for an in-depth interview, sharing memories of those early days with Little Texas and his current projects that show no sign of slowing down. You can read the entire interview at Center Stage Mag here as part of the ‘Preshias On The Row’ series.
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com@PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
David Adam Byrnes came to Nashville from his native Arkansas seeking success as a singer-songwriter. But it wasn’t until he left Nashville that he found success.
That success came to him in Texas where it felt “just like a glove that fit perfectly,” as he said, in an interview with me during Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in March. He found a true connection with the culture and the music in the Lone Star State – and an audience that embraced his genuine love of traditional country music.
In the interview, Byrnes told me that, as a songwriter in Nashville, he seemed to be on the edge of success when five songs he had penned were on hold or about to be released by recording artists. But all those potential cuts evaporated, forcing him to reevaluate his career path.
You can read my full interview with David Adam Byrnes at Center Stage Mag here. He talks about how that potential career-end became a golden opportunity with a string of No. 1 hits in Texas and a new album, Keep Up With a Cowgirl. #DavidAdamByrnes
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com@PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
