JD Micals Betty Harper Publicizing Entertainers & Entertaining Our Readers
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Country Entertainment USA STAFF CONTENTS 4 Jett Williams Headlines 33rd Annual Hank Williams Festival 5 JD Micals More Than A Radio DJ Managing Editor, Marketing, Sales & Distribution Manager: Roy Skropits Editor: Cindy Gordon Writers: Brenda L. Madden Holly Marie Tong CD Reviews: Brenda L. Madden ADVERTISING & RATES: ads@countryentertainmentusa.com PH: (615) 474-0162 GENERAL INFORMATION: info@countryentertainmentusa.com 6 Riley's Reviews {Music Videos} 7 IndieWorld Chart 8 Betty Harper A Lifetime Passion 11 CD Reviews 12 Writer Nights, Festivals Museums and Theatres 14 Music Venues PRESS RELEASES: editor@countryentertainmentusa.com By Mail Country Entertainment USA P.O. Box 100985 Nashville, TN. 37224 Office (615) 474-0162 DISCLAIMER: Country Entertainment USA is not liable for any inaccuracies submitted by freelance writers, advertisers or publicists. Opinions and claims made by advertisers and writers are their own, and do not represent Country Entertainment USA Magazine or Publisher. PG 3
Jett Williams Headlines 33rd Annual Hank Williams Festival Georgiana, Alabama, June 1-2, 2012 Jett Williams will once again take the stage in honor of her father for the 33rd Annual Hank Williams Festival in Georgiana, Alabama. The event will take place June 1-2, 2012 at the Hank Williams Music Park and will feature free karaoke (May 31), Hank s boyhood home and museum, arts & crafts, a food court and lots of good country music. Jett Williams will be headlining the mini-opry on Saturday (June 2) which is the highlight of the outdoor event, and also features Moe Bandy, Larry Gatlin, and Jeremy Parsons. Advanced tickets for the weekend festival are $30.00 and available through May 25th. Ticket order forms are available online at www.hankwilliamsfestival.com and for more information please call 334-376-2396. "I have had the pleasure and the honor to participate in the Georgiana tribute to my dad for decades now, explains Jett Williams. Seeing his boyhood home and hearing that lonesome whistle come down the tracks is like a time travel machine for me. I enjoy being able to take a traditional country music show there, and share the talent of my friends and colleagues with the fans of The Great One. At the same time, fans also will be able to experience my dad s boyhood home and community. Come join us, you won't regret it. www.jettwilliams.com PG 4
JD Micals, More Than A Radio DJ Who is JD Micals? He is a radio DJ that can be heard live weekdays on WPJM 800 AM from 1-5pm in Greer, SC and streaming 24/7 at www.jdmicals.com. JD is more than just a radio DJ, with his cast of characters and voices, he entertains his audience, while keeping traditional country music alive and well, from the legends to todays country artists. JD Micals, & Ronnie McDowell Leona Williams & JD Micals JD Micals, George Jones & Sheila Miles A man of many talents, that a lot of people don't know about but soon will, JD Micals is also a Country Artist/Songwriter with a voice that needs to be heard, he has been compared to the Legendary Jim Reeves. JD Micals recently signed with Pretty World Records and thanks Charlie Ammerman for everything he has done. The album "JD's Friends & Memories" is scheduled to be released in May. On this album, JD recorded with legendary country artists including Leon Everette, Leona Williams, Heather Myles, Johnny Lee, Billy Joe Royal, Narvel Felts, Emily Portman Drake, Jan Howard and Mac Arnold. JD Micals first single "Mom's Old Wooden Chair" is #26 on the Indie World Chart. www.jdmicals.com PG 5
New Additions to the Country Entertainment USA "Riley's Review" Steven B. Riley from CMG Nashville will start reviewing your music videos. We hope to have this addition in our June issue of Country Entertainment USA. Send in your video links to: videoreviews@countryentertainmentusa.com We look forward to hearing from each and every one of you and having your videos on Riley's Review. NOTE: We do not review pocket or cell phone camera videos. Another addition to look out for is the up-and-coming episodes on the Country Entertainment USA website where Riley and co-host will be interviewing independent artist along with some of the legends of country music. www.ceusamedia.com Let Us Help You Make The Right Choice. PR Service PG 6
Risin' Hot Pick of The Week Hi-Debut Monthly Top 40 Chart - Ending April 2012 www.indieworldcountry.com 1999 As Reported By The IndieWorld Panel Network LW TW 2 1 WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT US Erica Nicole - CDX / MP3 / Heaven Records 3 2 MY DASH David Wood - MP3/DeW Note Records 4 3 JESUS HEARD EVERY WORD (I Never Said) Allen Karl/DonnaCunningham-Allen/Martel/RonBob 5 4 ABOVE AND BEYOND Joy Adams - Stagecoach Music 6 5 THERE S A WHOLE LOT ABOUT A WOMAN Jack Greene & Nathan Osmond - Pretty World 7 6 HAVE A LITTLE FUN Michael Lynne - WHP Records 9 7 TRAVELIN MAN Stephen A. Love - James Allen Promotions 10 8 SCREAM Katie Armiger - Cold River Records 8 9 WANNA MAKE YOU LOVE ME Andy Gibson - R & J Records 12 10 QUIT THE DRINKING Chuck Thomas - MP3 13 11 CALDO DE POLLO Brant Miller - Airplay Access/ MP3 15 12 ORANGE BLOSSOMS IN PHOENIX Michelle Turley - Victorio Records 16 13 YOU IN MY LIFE Bobby G. Rice - Midland Records 1 14 AMEN Edens Edge - Big Machine Records 18 15 EVERYBODY HAS A PRICE Vern Stovall - Pretty World Records/MTM/CRD 19 16 IN SLOW MOTION Erin Hay - WHP Records 20 17 OUT THERE IS YOUR WORLD Leon Everette - Pretty World Records/ MTM 21 18 WHAT S IN IT FOR ME Lori Smith - 615 Records 17 19 DON T MAKE ME Kelly Parkes - Edge/LCR Records 25 20 ONE IN THE WORLD Jeff Cook - MP3 LW TW 24 21 IN MY MIND Steve Adkins - James Allen Promotion Team 23 22 FINISHED WITH YOU Ashley Robertson - Ind. Records 28 23 YOU DON T KNOW JACK Rod Richmond-Red White & Blue Records 22 24 IT AIN T EASY Julie Richardson - MP3/Marty Martel 27 25 TOUCH MY HEART Michael B. Rowe - WHP Records 26 26 MOM S OLD WOODEN CHAIR J. D. Micals - Pretty World Records/MTM/CRD 30 27 HAPPY TOWN Christine Van Hoy - Big 7 Records 29 28 TENNESSEE WHISKEY Randolph Mchaud - WHP 33 29 YOU STILL GOT IT Darryl Worley - Stroudavarious 35 30 IN YOUR ARMS Rachel Holder - Curb Records 31 31 OLD FREIGHT Andy Budd - Red Bush Records 32 32 OLD DREAMS DK Davis - Route66 Records 34 33 LITTLE BIG SKY Susan Cattaneo - Jersey Girl Music 36 34 PEOPLE LIKE ME Justin Haigh - Apache Ranch Records 37 35 LONELY LOVE Joey Canyon - Glo-Dot Records 39 36 LET GO Holly Kay - Roycroft Records 38 37 JIGS & REELS & FARRIS WHEELS Katy Boyd - Porgy Records 40 38 TOO MANY MONDAYS Brad Wolf - Evergreen Records HI Debut 39 THE FLAG Texas Bobby Dean - Pretty World Records Debut 40 YOU HAD TO PICK ON ME Matt Kennon - Road Dawg Records Rankings are based on reports from Country Radio, Promoters, Labels, Artists, Managers, and PR Agencies. Promotional advertising is accepted in order to maintain this weekly review of Independent Country Artists. Advertising Rate Details: (615) 683-8308 IndieWorld P.O. Box 130 Brush Creek, TN 38547 (615) 683-8308 awayne@dtccom.net IndieWorld is a weekly publication. IndieWorld is where you will find the world s foremost Indie Country Artists, and their music. Rankings are produced by IndieWorld, which is solely responsible for the content of this site.
Betty Harper A Lifetime Passion by Brenda L. Madden Elvis Presley s voice and face are known the world over - but behind many of those intimate portraits is artist Betty Harper, who gives us new glimpses of The King, with her remarkable and inspiring renditions. An unassuming little girl, Betty Harper, the daughter of a career military man, moved around the world constantly during her formative years. She attended seventeen high schools not only in the United States, but Europe as well, graduating from Dreux American High School in France. According to her parents, Betty was always doodling, but her first recollection of drawing was in her fifth grade class at a school in Kansas. She remembers intently watching the boy seated in front of her, who was drawing all the time. Finally she asked him to teach her. He simply said he couldn t teach her, but to watch him and then do it herself. Betty recalls, So that s what I did. I just started drawing everything. When the Sunday comics came in the paper I would draw the Phantom and everybody in the comic strips. I was obsessed. Absolutely obsessed. But I just drew everything around me. Never dreaming that her passion would become a lifetime career, Betty just followed her heart and continued to do what she loved. After drawing just about everything under the sun, a classmate in Columbus, Georgia asked her if she had ever thought about drawing faces - and that generated an even greater enthusiasm for her art. Betty comments, I hadn t thought about that and it sounded interesting. The very first face, Betty ever drew was that of cowboy legend, Roy Rogers. From there she started to draw Jack Parr on the Tonight Show and then turned to rock n roll artists, including Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley. But as she drew more and more people, it was Elvis that kept her attention. Betty notes, I always tended to lean more toward drawing Elvis. And over the years, I realized I d draw somebody and after three or four times they just seemed to look the same. But it seemed like every time I drew Elvis he always looked different. Looking back, she realizes, There were kids my age that were better at doing drawing than I was, but they didn t practice. I think that my interest in the music and in Elvis kept me practicing enough years and kept me going to get good at what I was doing. And good is definitely an understatement - from being the official artist for Elvis Presley Enterprises to exhibiting work at the American Pop Culture Gallery in Washington, DC and the Ashburton Art Galley in New Zealand - Betty has taken her work around the world! Although she has received much recognition for her drawings of Elvis, her credits and accomplishments run much deeper. Ironically it was at the insistence of the Jordanaires, Ray Walker that she moved to Nashville, Tennessee where her she began doing album covers for artists like James Dean, Archie Campbell, Kitty Wells, Jim Reeves and PG 8
Loretta Lynn. Over the years, she has been commissioned by RCA Records, Columbia Records, Jack Daniels Distillery, and Felton Jarvis, just to mention a few. And in addition to Elvis Presley Enterprises, she is also an artist for Jadei Graphics in Los Angeles. In observance of the 35th year of Elvis passing, The Center for Southern Folklore in Memphis will be displaying several of Betty s pieces including an incredible timeline of her Elvis drawings. Not only is Elvis career chronicled, but her own as well from those early sketches to her present collection. The exhibit will run from August 1, 2012 - October 19, 2012. There will also be an exhibit at the Birthplace of Elvis in Tupelo, Mississippi from November 1, 2012 - January 15, 2013. For more information, visit: www.bettyharper.com. With over 10,000 drawings of Elvis, numerous awards and accolades, four books, album covers, book covers, countless pieces of memorabilia, and commissioned portraits to her credit, Betty Harper could stop and rest on her own laurels, but that is not her style. With a new portrait of Muhammad Ali in the works as well as numerous other projects, she is as busy as ever. What makes Betty Harper s work stand out above the rest is not only her talent, but the detail she adds to each and every piece. Her love for life and her sincere interest in people brings forth the best qualities in all her subjects. An honest and humble heart, mixed with a passion to draw and an extraordinary talent - that is Betty Harper! www.bettyharper.com PG 9
Save Money Advertise with Us Place Your Ad Today Call (615) 474-0162 or E-mail ads@countryentertainmentusa.com Available for the First Time Online Adonda Produced by Harrison Tyner Engineered by 8-time Grammy winner Tom Pick www.cdbaby.com/cd/starrjohn PG 10
by Brenda L. Madden Mail CD's or DVD's for Reviews To: Country Entertainment USA P.O. Box 100985 Nashville, TN. 37224 We Review Movies Too So Send Us Your DVD's Up To 7 Star Rating Ann Claire Honkytonk Princess www.princessannclaire.com Ann Claire s CD/DVD, Honkytonk Princess is a snapshot of what this real-life princess is about - writing eight of the twelve cuts - she captures a modern country sound. Particularly intriguing is the title cut, Honkytonk Princess and Let s Go to Mexico. This princess should be welcomed into the country music kingdom by country music fans around the world. Scott Carey Long Road To Nashville www.scottcareymusic.com Scott Carey s CD Long Road To Nashville opens with Little Bit A Country, a very modern country number heavy on the rock n roll guitar. Once he settles into a more solid country style, his talent begins to shine. Writing or co-writing all the songs, his interpretation is honest and real particularly on Smile and Love Me Again. A very commercial and radio friendly CD. Mark Wayne Glasmire Mark Wayne Glasmire www.markwayneglasmire.com Mark Wayne Glasmire s self-titled seven-song EP includes material written or co-written by Mark. There is a variety of songs from I Like You which has a Jimmy Buffet feel to the more personal anthem, The Last Of A Dying Breed. There is a refreshing simplicity to this project yet he delivers his vocals with a great deal of emotion and believability. Mike Rodgers Down For The Taking www.myspace.com/mikerodgersmusic The Down For The Taking EP by Mike Rodgers is an edgy, rock-oriented album, complete with five of Mike s self-penned tunes. There is a unique depth to his writing and his vocals convey those lyrics with passion. So We Run stands out and is a good indicator of his musical talent. John Prestia It s Only Me www.myspace.com/johnprestiamusic An aptly titled album, It s Only Me, features only John Prestia - songwriter, singer and musician. While the production is sparse and was recorded in hotel rooms and nooks and crannies along the way on the 2011 Tim McGraw Emotional Traffic tour, it s a welcomed rough and raw look at how John envisioned his songs. A nice bluesy songwriter s album.
Bobby s Idle Bar 1028 16th Ave S., Nashville, TN. 37212 Thursday s Nights, 7pm to? (615) 726-0446 The Commodore Grille 2613 West End Ave., Nashville, TN. 37203 Tue, Wed, Thur & Sun Nights, 7-11:30 pm Hosted by Debi Champion www.debichampion.com Douglas Corner Cafe 2106 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37204 Open Mic / Writers Nite, Tues, 8pm to? Hosted by Donnie Winters www.douglascorner.com Festivals Beale Street Music Festival May 4-6, 2012 - Tom Lee Park, Memphis, TN www.memphisinmay.org/musicfestival Hangout Music Festival May 18-20, 2012 - Gulf Shores, AL www.hangoutmusicfest.com 33rd Annual Hank Williams Festival June 1-2, 2012 - Georgiana, Alabama www.hankwilliamsfestival.com Free Press Summer Festival June 2-3, 2012 - Eleanor Tinsley Park, Houston, TX www.fpsf.com For Listing Information: E-Mail: info@countryentertainmentusa.com Veteran Artist & Mississippi Native Howard Lips is at it again with this Adonda recording produced by Tom Pick and Harrison Tyner. Fused with traditional country, blues, and gospel influences it takes us back while being timeless. www.cdbaby.com/cd/howardlips PG 12
Festivals Bonnaroo June 7-10, 2012 - Manchester, TN www.bonnaroo.com CMA - Music Festival Fan Fair June 7-10, 2012 - Nashville, TN www.cmafest.com BamaJam 2012 June 14-16, 2012 - Enterprise, AL www.bamajam2012.com Country Fest June 21-24, 2012 - Cadott, WI www.countryfest.com Museums The Hank Williams Museum (334) 262-3600 118 Commerce Street, Montgomery, AL 36104 www.thehankwilliamsmuseum.com Country Music Hall of Fame Museum 222 5th Ave S, Nashville, TN. 37203 www.countrymusichalloffame.com Tennessee State Museum 505 Deaderick St., Nashville, TN. 37243 www.tnmuseum.org Adventure Science Center (615) 862-5160 800 Fort Negley Blvd., Nashville, TN. 37203 www.adventuresci.com Theatres The Belcourt Theatre (615) 383-9140 2102 Belcourt Ave., Nashville TN. 37212 www.belcourt.org Tennessee Repertory Theatre (615) 244-4878 161 Rains Ave., Nashville, TN. 37203 www.tennesseerep.org WWW.RSSERVICES.COM Custom Designed Websites Business or Personal Photo Design & Touch Up Service (615) 474-0162 Affordable & Quality Service Website Management and Maintenance Service Available Get More Customers & Fans Great Rates & Service Call (615) 474-0162 or E-mail ads@countryentertainmentusa.com Country Entertainment USA PG 13
Music Venues John A's (615) 885-1540 2421 Music Valley Dr, Nashville, TN. 37214 Barefoot Charlies 125 Sanders Ferry Rd,. Hendersonville, TN 37075 Basement (615) 254-8006 1604 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN. 37203 B B Kings Blues Club (615) 256-2727 152 2nd Ave, N., Nashville, TN. 37201 Bluebird Cafe (615) 383-1461 4104 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN. 37215 Bobby s Idle Bar (615) 726-0446 1028 16th Ave S., Nashville, TN. 37212 Bourbon Street Blues Bar (615) 242-5837 220 Printers Alley Nashville, TN. 37201 Cadillac Ranch (615) 742-9078 305 Broadway, Nashville, TN. 37201-2005 The Commodore Grille 2613 West End Ave., Nashville, TN. 37203 Coyote Ugly (615) 254-8459 154 2nd Ave N, Nashville, TN. 37201 Douglas Corner Café (615) 298-1688 2106 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37204 Dan McGuinness (615) 252-1991 1538 Demonbreun St., Nashville, TN. 37203 Fiddle and Steel Guitar Bar (615) 251-9002 210 Printers Alley, Nashville, TN. 37201 Legends Corner (615) 248-6334 428 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 Losers Bar (615) 327-3115 1911 Division St. Nashville, TN. 37203 Music City Bar (615) 883-2367 2416 Music Valley Dr., Nashville, TN 37214 PG 14
Music Venues Nashville Nightlife (615) 885-4747 2416 Music Valley Dr., Nashville, TN. 37214 Nashville Palace (615) 884-3004 2611 McGavock Pk., Nashville, TN. 37214 Rebar (615) 345-6298 1919 Division St. Nashville, TN. 37203 Red Rooster 1530 Demonbreun St., Nashville, TN 37203 Rippy's 429 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 Robert's (615) 244-9552 416 Broadway, Nashville, TN. 37203 Ryman Auditorium (615) 458-8700 116 Fifth Ave. N., Nashville, TN. 37219 Second Fiddle (615) 248-4818 420 Broadway, Nashville, TN. 37201 Smeraldo's (615) 865-6533 701 Gallatin Pike N., Madison, TN. 37115 Stage (615) 726-0504 412 Broadway, Nashville, TN. 37203 Station Inn (615) 255-3307 402 12th Ave. S., Nashville, TN. 37203 Tin Roof (615) 313-7103 1516 Demonbreun St., Nashville, TN. 37203 3rd & Lindsley (615) 259-9891 816 3rd Ave, Nashville, TN. 37210 Wildhorse (615) 902-8200 120 2nd Ave, Nashville, TN. 37201 Tootsie's (615) 726-0463 422 Broadway, Nashville, TN. 37203 Winners Bar (615) 340-0004 1913 Division St., Nashville, TN. 37203 PG 15
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