Waylon, Willie and Kris were country music renegades -- but music royalty helped pave the way for their rebellion By Michael Streissguth.
The musical freedom that Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson yearned for in the late 1960s seemed out of reach in the sterile new office buildings and sagging bungalows that housed the record business on Music Row. The corporate enclave ruled every country artist in town. Except for Johnny Cash, who under the cover of midnight darkness lugged his guitar and his band into the studios of Columbia Records.
Cash followed his own rules in the studio, uncorking classic records that dealt with war, the plight of the American Indian, and other thorny topics—a departure from more traditional subjects of love and heartbreak. Cash’s producers let Cash be Cash, which meant throwing away the studio clock, leaving his backing band the Tennessee Three alone, however calcified its boom-chicka-boom rhythm had become, and standing by without complaint while Cash ploddingly chose songs and worked out arrangements—A&R tasks that elsewhere on Music Row would have been completed days before the session. When Waylon Jennings demanded and got such freedoms from RCA-Nashville in the early 1970s, many proclaimed that he was the first. In truth, as with so many things in that town, Cash—the godfather of Nashville’s outlaw movement—had gotten there first.
Bob Dylan came second. He arrived in Music City on February 14, 1966, to record “Blonde on Blonde” and, like Cash, presided over sessions that were the antithesis of Nashville Sound. With the exception of multi-instrumentalist Charlie McCoy, who had traveled to New York in 1965 and unexpectedly played guitar on Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited,” none of the Nashville musicians on “Blonde on Blonde” had worked big-label sessions that were so free and easy. Throughout six days of recording, interrupted midway by a few live shows, Dylan wandered into Columbia in the evenings, spent hours scribbling down lyrics and a few more on music, then recorded in the morning. Songwriter Billy Swan was in the final days of the engineer’s assistant job that he would soon give to Kristofferson during those sessions. He admits that he had only haphazardly followed Dylan’s career up to that point, but in between his gofer tasks, he began to see the light. “What was coming back from those speakers was so fucking good: his singing, his performing. That whole album is fantastic.”
Excerpted from "Outlaw: Waylon, Willie, Kris and the Renegades of Nashville"
As part of the Broadbeach Country Music Festival Jupiters Hotel & Casino will take on a country vibe on Saturday June 22, 2013 with a special concert featuring some of Australia’s finest country music talent, Adam Harvey, Beccy Cole, Gina Jeffreys and Sara Storer.
Country On The Coast will see the multi-award winning quartet bring their chart-topping country
prowess to Jupiters Theatre for the inaugural Broadbeach Country Music Festival.
With a career spanning 10 years, three Gold albums and eight Golden Guitar Awards, Adam Harvey is one of Australia's most accomplished country music performers. His infectious charismatic style, honesty and humour, has won him the hearts of country fans not only in Australia but abroad too. It wasn’t long into his career that Adam’s name reached Nashville, sparking new relationships with prolific musicians and songwriters in the US and Canada.
Adam’s close friend, Beccy Cole, has been at the forefront of the Australian country music scene for more than two decades with a string of prestigious accolades to her name, including 9 Golden Guitars and two Entertainer of the Year awards. The country songbird has toured with an impressive list of industry heavyweights including Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Glenn Campbell and Don McClean.
Gina Jeffreys shot to fame after winning the iconic Star Maker Quest in 1991 and hasn’t showed signsof slowing down more than 20 years on. Striking all the right chords with country enthusiasts and industry icons alike, Gina’s genuine, down to earth style has seen her garner a strong reputation for unbeatable live performances.
Sara Storer carved her name in the country music history books in 2004, breaking Tamworth Country Music Festival records by winning seven Golden Guitars, the most awards ever won in one year in the awards’ 32-year history. Well-renowned for her authentic style and originality, Sara captivates her audiences with her unique flare for story-telling.
Tickets to Country On The Coast on sale now at Ticketek or on 132 849.
Ticket Price
Show Only $69
Dinner & Show - The PA $79
Dinner & Show - Spinners $89
Dinner & Show - Food Fantasy $99
Dinner & Show - Zen $119
Dinner & Show - Vivo $119
Dinner & Show - entwine $129
More details here
Broadbeach Country Music Festival
Ben Sorensen is taking his signature Brigalow hat and Australian wit to the US during next month’s CMA Music Festival. The popular Australian radio personality and host of REAL Country has been invited to host The Aristo Global Show on Tuesday, 4 June in Nashville.
After bumper shows throughout the Tamworth Country Music Festival and Urban Country Music Festival, he has been invited by AristoMedia to take part in the CMA Music Festival, the 42nd Fan Fair in Nashville. He’ll be welcoming fellow Aussies Morgan Evans and Richie Scholl onto the stage as well as country stars from Canada, Sweden and the UK.
“Morgan Evans is a great performer who is going to wow the crowds there and as can’t forget fellow Queenslander Richie Scholl is on the bill too - it’s just a taste of the great line up!” Sorensen said.
“We’ve had a great year, kicking off with our Peel Street stage in Tamworth doing interviews throughout with the likes of Lee Kernaghan, O’Shea and the Golden Guitar winners, just to name a few. “For me it’s really about supporting not only Australian country music, but country music as an evolving genre, and exposing people to good quality music!”
From there Ben was invited to MC the Urban Blaze stage at the Caboolture Urban Country Music Festival featuring the Wolfe Brothers.
“It’s great to do shows from communities, you get to talk to locals and the listeners are loving the roving shows – especially since they are all available on demand via our iTunes podcast!”
“Nashville is going to be great! Working with AristoMedia and all the gang from the CMA Fest will be awesome and I’ve already got some extra interviews lined up and a few surprises in store for the shows!”
REAL Country has been growing in popularity over the past few years, with the weekly show being aired on over 100 radio stations in five countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Europe, and the USA.
The podcast is the number 1 country music podcast in the world, reaching dedicated weekly listeners in the US, Europe and New Zealand.
“It’s been a wild ride,” Ben Sorensen says.
“When I moved from doing breakfast radio to start my own show and then offer that back to stations, it was a big step, it’s great that the show is becoming so well-known and to be invited to Nashville really tells me we are going in the right direction.
“It’s a great opportunity to show how we Aussies do it!”
Ben Sorensen will host the AristoMedia Global Show on 4 June with other acts including Canadians Madison Kozak, Jason Hastiel and Greg Hanna as well as Hicks from Sweden, Ward-Thomas and David Bradley from the UK and Switzerland’s Two Rocks Band.
“One of the most exciting things is that listeners can follow and interact with my trip to the USA on Facebook, and via the show – technology is just fantastic!”
Ben has a long history as a witty, fun personality, having worked on television with Channel 9, with 4BC in Brisbane, and 3AW in Melbourne and as an MC for Pfizer, Crown Casino, Roche International, Stockland, Google, BHP Billiton and BMW.
His program, REAL Country, is taken by stations and networks around Australia and the world weekly and the podcast of the program is available through iTunes.
Follow Ben’s journey and experience REAL Country for yourself at search for Ben Sorensen’s REAL Country on iTunes.
ONE WOMAN, ONE INSTRUMENT – Jess Holland hits the road with her regional Queensland tour throughout Jun and July 2013. One woman, one instrument, one mesmerizing performance: fast-rising Australian country star Jess Holland is heading out on the road for a tour that’s all about the music.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever toured on my own,” says Jess, whose debut album, Introducing …, has scored rave reviews from critics and fans alike. “In past when I’ve toured I’ve always taken the band, but in this case it’s very different. Quite literally, this is me putting everything I need in the car, hitting the road, and then heading up the coast and out west.”
The tour, running through June and July, will find Jess playing venues well away from the big centres throughout regional Queensland – in Eulo, Ipswich, Kingaroy, Moura, Blackwater, Tieri, Dysart, Mackay and Barcaldine.
“It’s a true country tour,” she says. “That’s what I wanted to achieve. Everyone visits the larger centres. I wanted to get to places where the real country music scenes are. Small places don’t have the same opportunities to hear live music – yet that’s where the true country fans live. I just want to get out there amongst it all. I’ve got my guitar, my mandolin and my banjo. That’s it: a full boot, and hit the road.”
The unadorned nature of the new tour is in stark contrast to the last time Jess Holland was in full performance mode – at this year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival. There, she led not one but two bands – her regular group, The Silver Spurs, and a three-muso side-project, The Hickory Sisters, which paid tribute to the classic women of country such as Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette. The new tour will find Jess performing songs from both set-lists, as well as previewing new songs destined for her second album, which she will record later this year.
“There will be some old country music, some new country music – it’ll be high energy and a lot of fun,” she says. “Fun is definitely the aim.”
Indeed, for Jess Holland, the tour represents something of a celebration, and a reward for personal courage. Earlier this year, she took the gutsy decision to leave her job as an agronomist and become a full-time musician. Such a choice is tricky enough in a big metropolis – but in regional Australia, where Jess is based and everyone is doing it hard, it’s immensely brave.
“I’ve actually managed to do it,” says Jess, laughing. “These days I am officially a full-time muso, and it’s going well. It’s definitely the best move I’ve made. It was pretty scary at first – it was a big move – and it took a while to get my head around it. But I’ve been pretty busy ever since, especially writing the songs for the new album. They are pretty much all done and dusted now, and I’m really looking forward to playing them on the tour.”
Most of the new material, she says, has been written since the start of the year. Although she’s happy with the songs, they still face trial by fire – or trial by audience – before she will fully commit any of them to the new album.
“Writing new songs isn’t a slow process for me, not really, but I like to make sure each one is one hundred per cent Jess Holland before I’m fully satisfied,” she says. “I won’t release anything that I’m not proud of it.”
That commitment to quality – along with an approach to live performance that is both boisterous and searingly honest – marks Jess Holland as one of the most exciting country musicians in Australia today! But don’t take our word for it. If you happen to be in Roma or Tieri or Dysart over the next few weeks, pop by the local pub and check things out yourself.
Jess Holland’s latest single Cigarettes and Whiskey from her debut album Introducing… Jess Holland is also due for release to radio in June to coincide with her regional tour.
Saturday 15th June 2013
Showgrounds, Eulo Polo Cross, EULO QLD
Pitherty Road, Eulo
Sunday 16th June 2013
Commonwealth Hotel, ROMA QLD
75 Wyndham Street, Roma | ph: (07) 4622 1286
Friday 21st June 2013
Porters Plainland Hotel, Ipswich QLD
Warrego Highway, Plainland | ph: (07) 5465 6547
Saturday 22nd June 2013
Commercial Hotel, KINGAROY QLD
167 Haly Street, Kingaroy | ph: (07) 4162 1380
Thursday 27th June 2013
Coal & Cattle Hotel, MOURA QLD
63 Dawson Hwy, Moura | ph: (07) 4997 1511
Friday 28th June 2013
Blackwater Hotel Motel, BLACKWATER QLD
14-16 Railway Street, Blackwater | ph: (07) 4982 5133
Saturday 29th June 2013
Tieri Brolga Hotel Motel, TIERI QLD
11 Malvern Ave, Tieri | ph: (07) 4984 8555
Sunday 30th June 2013
Jolly Collier Hotel Motel, DYSART QLD
14 Queen Elizabeth Dr, Dysart | ph: (07) 4958 1155
Monday 1st July 2013
Hotel Mackay, MACKAY QLD
179 Victoria Street, Mackay | ph: (07) 4951 1120
Tuesday 2nd July 2013
Blacks Beach Tavern MACKAY QLD
Cnr Blacks Beach Rd & Slater Ave, Mackay | ph: (07) 4944 4800
https://www.facebook.com/BlacksBeachTavern
Friday 5th July 2013
Artesian Hotel, BARCALDINE QLD
85 Oak Street, Barcaldine | ph: (07) 4651 1691
Jess Holland
[video]http://youtu.be/RQ4Lm6nJL1s[/video]
Adam Brand, Travis Collins and Matt Cornell can truly resemble some Dirt Track Cowboys. The song with the same name appeared on Adam Brand's first album back in 1998 and quickly became one of the most memorable tunes. It was adopted as a firm favourite by Ute drivers and bike riders Australia wide!
2013 marks a return for Adam to his roots with his rockin' "Dirt Track Cowboys" show touring Australia. He is joined by his mates Travis Collins and Matt Cornell - it is a high energy show! Check our the dates for a gig near you.
May 24 Wrestpoint Casino - Hobart, TAS
May 25 Country Club - Launceston, TAS
May 29 Friends - Perth, WA
May 30 Ettamogah Pub Cunderdin, WA
May 31 The Ravenswood Mandurah,
Jun 01 Charles Hotel North Perth Wa,
Jun 02 Discovery Darwin, NT
Jun 06 Wellers Restaurant - Kangaroo Grounds, VIC
Jun 07 Hallam Hotel Hallam,
Jun 08 Gateway Hotel Geelong,
Jun 09 Commercial Hotel, South Morang Vic,
Jun 13 Armidale Services Club, Armidale Nsw,
Jun 14 Taree RSL & Golf CLub, Taree Nsw,
Jun 15 Yamba Golf Club Wooloweyah,
Aug 02 Kedron Wavell, Kedron,
Aug 03 Twin Towns Services Club, Tweed Heads Nsw,
Sep 14 Glengarry Muster, Port Douglas, Qld
Adam Brand
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