Tag: Artists

Introducing Sun Records Inspired Diner in Nashville

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Back in 1952, a tiny, independent record label was started in Memphis, Tennessee by a young businessman named Sam Phillips. He called the label Sun Records, and it would go on to become one of the most famous and iconic labels in American music. Legendary performers like Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis, among others, were all discovered by Phillips and signed to Sun Records between 1952 and 1969. A famous photograph taken at the Sun Records Studio of Perkins, Cash, Lewis, and Presley all sitting around a piano was nicknamed the “Million Dollar Quartet” – a name which has endured when talking about the four performers during their time at Sun Records.

And now, a new TV series premiered on CMT last night called, Sun Records, based, of course, on Sam Phillips and his historic record label. But, I’m not here to talk about that new series today… instead, I’d like to tell you about another Sun Records inspired attraction – a new eatery in Downtown Nashville called the Sun Diner. Continue reading →

Recap of the 59th Annual Grammy® Awards: Country Edition

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If you spent any amount of time this past week watching TV or scrolling through your social media feeds, you know that everyone was buzzing about the 59th Annual Grammy® Awards, which premiered on CBS, February 12th.

British pop music sensation, Adele, opened the show with a beautiful performance of her hit song, Hello. She also closed the show by winning the highest honor and last award of the night… the coveted Album of the Year award. Other standout mainstream music moments included a performance by Ed Sheeran, a tribute to Prince that featured Bruno Mars, and another tribute to the Bee Gees, featuring a memorable arrangement of their iconic hit, Stayin’ Alive, performed by Demi Lovato.

Although pop music and pop artists seemed to monopolize most of the night, country music had plenty of great moments as well. Continue reading →

Artist in Retrospect: Bobbie Gentry

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I have always enjoyed learning more about the musical artists I like, even those that have fallen out of the public eye. This past summer, I stumbled across an article published by the Washington Post about the popular 1960’s country artist named Bobbie Gentry, and how she hasn’t been seen or heard from since the late 80’s. I was immediately interested in finding out all I could about this mysterious artist.

Bobbie Gentry, born Roberta Lee Streeter on July 27, 1944, was most known for her song, Ode To Billie Joe. Like most fans, this was the only song I knew by her, and, to be honest, I knew it best from hearing other artists cover it live, like Jeannie Seely at the Grand Ole Opry. Most of Gentry’s songs were based on her hometown in Mississippi. Continue reading →

New Label Launches Its Signature Songwriter Series with Country Newcomer Zack Dyer

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Nashville’s reputation as “Music CIty” was built on the backs of its songwriters. To quote the motto of the popular songwriter’s association based in Nashville, NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International), “It All Begins With A Song“. And fortunately, many of Music City’s “Movers and Shakers” haven’t forgotten the importance of its songwriter community. One such company is a brand new, independent label in town called Silverado Records, which just launched the first volume of its Silverado Signature Songwriter Series yesterday, January 6, 2017.

Silverado Records created the series to showcase the great songwriting talent of the artists on their roster. Starting with the release of this first volume, the record label plans on releasing more volumes in the future, featuring a different artist on each edition. Each volume will be released as an EP, and will contain several songs written by the featured artist. Volume 1 showcases a talented singer/songwriter by the name of Zack Dyer. Continue reading →

Emily’s Pick: Top 3 Favorite Country Christmas Songs & Albums

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It’s that time of year when everyone just wants to enjoy the holiday season by gathering around a fire, drinking some hot chocolate, and listening to their favorite holiday songs or albums.

The holidays mean something different to everyone, and I know every person has their own favorite holiday music (or lack of it), but, I’m definitely in the group of people I described in the first paragraph. So, I thought this is the perfect opportunity to make a list of MY top favorite Christmas songs and albums.  Continue reading →

A Songwriter’s Perspective – Bobby Tomberlin Releases “Out of Road”

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Bobby Tomberlin is a renowned songwriter, who has racked up plenty of credits in his career, including Grammy®, CMA and ACM nominations. But now, the Nashville hitmaker has released his own album project, featuring many of the songs already made famous by some of Country Music’s greatest legends.

This new album, Out of Road, gives music fans the chance to hear the true insights and emotions directly from the songwriter, who has allowed a truly diverse collection of artists to interpret his songs, including Willie Nelson, Barbra Streisand, Blake Shelton, Faith Hill, and Kenny Rogers.

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