Correction to URL for Web orders of Twangfest tix
We (we this time being not the Twang Gang, but me) inadvertently included some ASCII formatting junk in the URL you can use to order Twangfest 3 tickets online through Village Records. Try this: http://villagerecords.com/cgi-bin/villager/scan/mp=0/sf=artist/se=twangfest/ sf=title/se=st I tried this out, and it works great. Sorry for any confusion! --Your red-faced Twang Gang representative aka Mark Wyatt [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.twangfest.com
Twangfest 3: Advance Tickets, More News, and Much, Much Less!
That steady "thump, thump, thump" you're hearing, ever increasing in intensity?
No, it's not Excedrin Headache #43, brought on by the latest P2 dustup, it's
just us (us being your Twang Gang) beating the drum for Twangfest 3. We're a
mere seven weeks away from the blessed event--June 10-12--and so we're going to
try to keep you informed on all the latest happenings just as often as you can
stand it.
### ADVANCE TICKETS ###
First off, thanks to our kind sponsors Miles of Music and Village Records, we
have advance tickets available for the first time in our short history. With
headliners like the V-Roys, Damnations TX, and Dale Watson, not to mention all
the great P2 bands, you'd have to be crazy to risk waiting until the last
minute to get your ducats! Here's the scoop:
Tickets are $10 per night. A shipping/handling charge will be added to each
order.
For phone or mail orders from Miles of Music, here's the skinny:
MILES OF MUSIC
toll free phone #: 888 766-8742
20929-47 Ventura Blvd. #286 Woodland Hills CA 91364
fax 818 992-8302=20
url: http://www.milesofmusic.com/order.html
To order via the web, go to the Village Records web page:
http://villagerecords.com/cgi-bin/villager/scan/mp=3D0/sf=3Dartist/
se=3Dtwangfest/sf=3Dtitle/se=3Dst
You can also contact Village Records at the following addresses and numbers and
such:
VILLAGE RECORDS
12156 W 63 St
Shawnee Mission, KS 66216, USA
Answering Machine or Fax:
913-631-6369
1-800-327-5264 (USA Canada)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
### TWANGPIN ###
Due to popular demand, or at least no unified opposition, we are bringing back
Twangpin for the second year. It will be held on Friday June 11th from 12 noon
til 5 pm. And while you might think that just bowling would be enough, we do
not, mesdames and messieurs. This year, Twangpin will also be the site of the
CD release party for this year's Edges From the Postcard 2, which is appearing
this year on Hayden's Ferry Records. Hayden's Ferry is also sponsoring this
party, which will feature the following combos, live and in bowling shirts:
*The Sovines
*Belle Starr
*Buck Shots
*Even more surprise musical guests!
Bowling will start right around, with the swingin' bands cranking it up at 1
PM. We'll have more details soon on this event; for now, contact Marie
Arsenault at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
### MUCH LESS! ###
Yep, that's about all the news for now. For all the pertinent stuff in one
place, you can't beat www.twangfest.com, our info-licious corner of the web.
More to come!
Muchas smooches,
Your Twang Gang
Twangfest 3 update
Brace yourselves, folks, there'll be a lot more of these, but we (we being your Twang Gang) want to keep you apprised of all the latest regarding the last Twangfest of the millenium. First off, it looks like the Oak Grove Inn is, at least temporarily, sold out-- due to reservations made by two different wedding parties, as well as the T'fest rooms reserved so far. More rooms may be made available by the Oak Grove after May 11, but in the meantime, we suggest giving Motel 6 a call (314-894-9449). Their rates are the usual reasonable Motel 6 rates, and it's just a stumble away from the Oak Grove. Secondly, we're going to have a super sale of last year's P2 and Twangfest 2 T-shirts; check out the Twangfest web site for details (www.twangfest.com). Details on the Twangfest auction will be forthcoming, and we're rapidly approaching the deadline for items to be donated for bidding. Contact Marie Arsenault ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) or Meshel Watkins ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) for more info on how to donate. And please consider becoming a Friend of Twangfest; we've got three hellaciously cool days planned for y'all, and we sure could use some help paying for it. Details are given on the web site, natch. Speaking of that site, you'll want to keep checking there often, as it's being updated frequently and will continue to be kept current right up to T-day, June 10th. Lots more news to come, folks, including details on the second Twangpin event on the afternoon of Friday June 11, and the expanded P2 picnic on Saturday afternoon of that weekend at the historic Jefferson Barracks. Almost exactly two months to go...damn, this is going to be fun! Stay tuned. Muchas smooches, Your Twang Gang
And you think earthquakes and floods bite...
In an attempt to reverse the faux cowboy "cleansing" of our nation's west coast--I'll bet you think Roy Rogers and Gene Autry died of natural causes, don't you?--the Rangers will be singin', playin', eatin', and sleepin' out that way August 12-23. We've got gigs in the LA area on Saturday Aug 14 and a bluegrass festival in Hood River, OR on the succeeding Saturday and Sunday (Aug 21-22), in addition to a club gig in Independence, OR on Aug 20. I'm hoping I can tap into the collective brain trust of P2 to get more bookings in the week in between--Aug 15-19. San Diego on the 13th is not for sure, either. Those of you with ideas--or better yet, who work for/are friendly with clubs--please contact me OFFLIST. House concerts would be fantabulous, too. Please don't force me to play accordion on the street... Thank you kindly. ___ Mark Wyatt * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * One Riot One Ranger * Columbus, OH http://members.aol.com/oneriot/oneriot.html ** "That ain't no part of bluegrass... that ain't no part of nothin'" (Bill Monroe) **
Twangfest accommodations
Looks like you early birds got the best rooms, as the Oak Grove Inn, the official Home Away From Home of Twangfest, tells us there are no more rooms available with two double beds for the weekend of June 10-13. They do have rooms with one bed still available, so hop on it (1-800-OAK-GROV) if you want to stay there. Be sure to mention Twangfest for the best rates. Luckily, you have another good option for rooms, as there is a Motel 6 right across the street from the Oak Grove Inn (314-892-3664). This may be even a better option for those of you who travel with your dog, cat, ferret, ocelot, etc., as this particular Motel 6 accepts pets. Watch where you step. Don't forget we have our very our Queen of Airline Travel in Jo Wendland (1-800-208-4158), who will be happy to set you up with airline tix for St. Louis. She has a special deal on TWA flights, and it just so happens St. Louee is a hub for that airline. Be sure to mention Twangfest with her as well. Coming soon...we announce ALL the bands who will be playing Twangfest 3 and some of the other fun-type activities we've got planned for that weekend! Muchas smooches, Your Twang Gang
The Blue Chip Radio Report 3/29/99
THE BLUE CHIP RADIO REPORT News, Charts, Show Prep, Sales Info March 29, 1999 Bill Miller Editor Publisher The Blue Chip Radio Report is a free weekly newsletter for people in the radio and music industries.To add your name to our e-mailing list, or to remove your name, send your request to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks! The Blue Chip Song of the Week: "Some Broken Hearts" by Bellamy Brothers. Writer: Wayland Holyfield. Producers: Bellamy Brothers and Randy Hiebert. Label: Intersound Country and Bellamy Brothers. CDX: volume 207. The original country hat act, the Bellamys come from left field with this arrangement of the 1977 Don Williams hit (under the title "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend"). This song has a reggae beat, much more hip and jiggy than some of the second-rate pop music flowing out of Nashburg these days. Most importantly, the lyric is timeless. After all, some broken hearts never mend. Two more of radio's heavy hitters from the past year are without labels this morning. Toby Keith has left Mercury Nashville as Tracy Byrd exits MCA. The news is better for Doug Stone and for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Stone returns to the major label arena with an Atlantic Nashville deal. He had a long string of fine country hits for Epic before sliding into a rock sound that was greeted with a collective yawn by the radio and music public. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has signed with Dreamworks. Their first release, scheduled for May 4th, will be "Bang Bang Bang", an album recorded for the defunct Rising Tide label a year ago. Ray Price was arrested on charges of possession of drug paraphenalia and marijuana last week near his Texas ranch. He posted a $ 500 bond, pleaded no contest to the possession of drug paraphenalia charge, and paid a $ 200 fine. The 73-year-old member of The Country Music Hall of Fame is expected to go to court at a later date on the possession of marijuana charge. It's not unusual for a radio station to react to a downturn in ratings by cutting the playlist. When the pressure's on, "Play the biggest hits more often" is always a line that a P.D. or consultant on shaky ground can sell to the men and women in the large, carpeted offices. How bad are things? Trini Triggs broke into R R's Top 50 with only 8 reporting stations playing "Horse To Mexico". That number broke the previous low record of 22 stations on a LeAnn Rimes tune of awhile back. You may recall that former California Governor Ronald Reagan pardoned Merle Haggard for his felony convictions after The Hag achieved stardom. Through the generosity of North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt, Randy Travis now enjoys the same pardoned status. As a troubled teen, Travis was convicted of larceny, burglary and weapons charges at various times in his home state. Quoted in Seventeen magazine, The Dixie Chicks' Martie Seidel said that men haven't started throwing underwear at the group, but they'd prefer boxers, not briefs, if and when the phenomenon develops. Chad Brock has worked as a car salesman and as a pro wrestler. He was on the WCW circuit using his real name and wearing cowboy togs as his gimmick. Brock says he wrestled 19 times on TV, including one appearance against Paul Wight, a.k.a. The Giant. Rumors are that Brock may still want to hide soap and bottle caps in his trunks. Some speculate that he may combine his new-found singing stardom with a return to the WCW ring. He'll be the good guy, no doubt. Welcome to our new subscribers, including Rick McCracken, MD at WSOC/fm in Charlotte NC; John Nichols of WKMH/fm in Cullman AL; Jim Murphy, Director of Operations at Jones Radio; Catherine Gollery with Spinner.com; Diny Schapendonk of CENTRAAL FM in The Netherlands; and, Joel Denver. Brock Speer of gospel music's Speer Family died earlier today (3/29/99) in Nashville. Speer joined his brother Ben and Gordon Stoker of the Jordanaires on Elvis Presley's first Nashville session for RCA Victor Records in 1956, according to The Tennessean. The brothers also contributed to other Presley sessions, but the family is legendary in gospel music circles. Speer was a former president and chairman of the board of the Gospel Music Association. Brock Speer was 78 years old. Charles Sawtelle, a founding member of the bluegrass group Hot Rize, died March 20th from complications of leukemia. Charles Sawtelle was 52 years old. Inspiration is everywhere. The Bellamys said on Crook and Chase awhile back that they got the idea for the reggae arrangement on "Some Broken Hearts" from a bar band- a beach bar band, in fact. In the Miami area, the brothers walke
Twangfest web banner
Just a quick note from your Twang Gang to let you know that we've got a spiffy new animated GIF banner announcing Twangfest 3 for your personal or business web page. Placing this li'l gem on your web page will help get out the word on Twangfest (be sure to hot-link it to www.twangfest.com!) and will earn you substantial rewards in the next life. Here's where to go: http://www.nashvegas.com/~tfest/logo.html For those of you without a WYSIWYG-type web page program, the necessary source code to hot-link the thang is given, too. Thank you kindly. Your Twang Gang [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.twangfest.com P.S. Stay tuned for some mighty big Twangfest announcements this week.
Re: Inflammable Material on WXDU Playlist
As Chad was saying: Soft Boys/Yodelling Hoover/Wading Through a Ventilator Does anyone know if it is possible to find Soft Boys albums anywhere? I have been searching for a while for anything I can find on CD or LP on the web and in used record stores and special order stores, but no no avail. If anybody can find this for you, Jeff Weiss at Miles of Music can (www.milesofmusic.com). I s'pose you could try EveryCD, too, if Jeff has to punt (www.everycd.com). The 2-CD set on Ryko that came out a while back is phee-nominal, even for a fella that owns *all three versions* of "A Can of Bees" such as myself. All the essentials, and boatloads of rarities. And I should add that your show was pretty damn phee-nominal, too, Steve. Although I think I would have played "My Baby Does Good Sculptures" from that Rezillos album... Good move getting the first Dead Boys record this time around, too. Makes that second LP sound like an aural turd, don't it? ___ Mark Wyatt * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * One Riot One Ranger * Columbus, OH http://members.aol.com/oneriot/oneriot.html ** "That ain't no part of bluegrass... that ain't no part of nothin'" (Bill Monroe) **
Re: Boot recommendations
With all due respect to you mad dogs and (one) Englishman, I can't believe nobody has mentioned El Paso's own Tony Lama. My first pair (black iguana) were TL's, and I still wear them 12 years later. For sheer pointy-toedness, though, you can't beat the pair of Chisholms I've got; you could kill a gnat stuck in the business end of a pastry funnel with 'em. Way uncomfortable, but I will always suffer for fashion, as the P2 partygoers at NEA will attest. ___ Mark Wyatt * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * One Riot One Ranger * Columbus, OH http://members.aol.com/oneriot/oneriot.html ** "That ain't no part of bluegrass... that ain't no part of nothin'" (Bill Monroe) **
More on Twangfest/Plea for Donations
Sometimes we P2 lifers forget that there are a heck of a lot of you out there who don't really know the origins of Twangfest, the Twang Gang, etc., so it's high time to give a little history here. In early 1997, it was becoming evident that a fair amount of P2-ers were in bands--good bands, too, but combos that many of the far-flung subscribers never had a chance to see because they weren't seasoned touring outfits for the most part. So, Matt Benz, Dave Purcell, Roy Kasten, and Kip Loui, among others, tossed around the idea of having a show in some central location that could serve as a sort of get-together and a happenin' musical thing to boot. People on P2 hopped on this notion enthusiastically, and the band members who suggested the idea in the first place organized the event, with St. Louis being picked as the central spot. It didn't seem too much to ask that the bands who organized the event *play* at the event as well, and that's pretty much the way things stayed through the second Twangfest, too. What became evident to us last year, though, is that due to the growing interest in T'fest, the old framework of choosing bands wasn't going to work. Too many good bands that were submitting deserved a shot at playing what was becoming the antithesis of the weasely showcase events that have proliferated across the country over the last five years or so. Unlike those events, we don't make a nickel from the proceeds, and we actually pay the bands and give them all a motel room for the night. Hey, lots of us in the Twang Gang are *in* bands, and that's how we'd like to be treated. But let's get back to band selection. This year, the Twang Gang set up a separate band selection committee--five members, two of whom are in the Gang, three of whom are not, NONE of whom are in a band. This seemed the best way to keep Twangfest a P2-centric event, but still make the selection as fair to everyone as possible. We just thought you ought to know. We'd like to take this opportunity to remind you again that YOU can be a sponsor of this grass-roots thing, and get some pretty good loot to boot, by being a Friend of Twangfest. For $100, which is less than some of you spend every time you hit a record store, you get a three-day pass to Twangfest 3, a copy of this year's new "Edges from the Postcard 2" CD, and a Twangfest 3 T-shirt. AND, since Twangfest is now a real-deal non-profit organization, you can deduct your donation to us from your taxes to the maximum extent allowed by law. Your donation will help us directly pay for this event, *and* it will help us in our quest to get money from larger sponsors who look for this sort of individual support when they make up their minds on who deserves their cash the most. It's funny that way--donations breed more donations. Contact Marie Arsenault at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for more info on where to send your cash, checks, and krugerrands. Please be aware that ANY donation will help; we're just unable to offer the bonuses below a $100 donation. It's really pretty exciting to think that what started out as a sorta half-cocked party is turning out to be one hell of a good music event AND a chance for all of us to see each other in person and hoot and holler til dawn. If you're reading this, then you're already hooked on the looniest mailing list on the net. Complete the experience, help us out with a donation if you can, and most importantly, COME TO TWANGFEST June 10-12 in St. Louis. Write us at [EMAIL PROTECTED], and keep checking www.twangfest.com for updates. Muchas smooches, Your Twang Gang Marie Arsenault, Junior Barnard, Matt Benz, Amy Haugesag, Kip Loui, Dave Purcell, John Wendland, and Mark Wyatt P.S. Yes, the Damnations TX are confirmed for Twangfest. Stay tuned for more announcements...
Re: Grammyszzzzzzzzz....
oh, come on, compared to Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks are the Carter Family... -Original Message- From: Bob Soron [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, February 24, 1999 10:30 PM Subject: Re: Grammysz At 12:32 AM -0500 on 2/25/99, Mitch wrote: THE DIXIE CHICKS WON? Oh God, country's answer to The Spice Girls gets an award for Best Cleavage--Country Duo or Group (couldn't be for their talent, or lack thereof). That's a great line, but -- although I liked the previous Chicks much better than the current incarnation -- Laura was the highlight of an otherwise quite talented band. The sisters and the rest of the band weren't exactly dragging Laura down, and if they're fluffier and less interesting than they once were, let alone submerging the full range of their talent in their quest for financial success, they're still better than a lot of what's out there. Great line, though. I'll give you this -- they need fashion tips a lot more than they need music lessons. Bob
Re: Grammyszzzzzzzzz....
there was a steel guitar back there in the bank of synthesizers. Patsy Cline woulda worn a vinyl bustier if they were available. Sure she would! -Original Message- From: vgs399 [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, February 24, 1999 10:54 PM Subject: Re: Grammysz Not to beat a dead horse, but could someone who saw Shania's performance tonight, puh-leeze explain to me what she's got to do with country music? Oh it must be the twin fiddles in the band. g Jim, smilin' Label affiliation? I suspect Nashville would easily let her go as one of "theirs" if it were not for the millions she generates in sales. She has done some songs which are more country than her current output - Any Man Of Mine and Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under for instance, but a lot of her "charm" IS with the pop audience. She's a marketer's dream, don't you think? With Lange in tow, it could be a bit like Pygmalion and Galatea g. Anyway, what I personally think is that so much "bad" press ( people said she can't sing etc;) only fueled the interest of those who probably wouldn't have taken a second look anyway. Yet, if she's able to stir interest in more people delving into country music, then I don't see any harm. I do know several people who never listened to country music before, but since Twain and some others with a pop/rock bent came along, they're now looking into other kinds of country music... But, what I wonder...if she had been originally marketed as "pop", sans fiddle in the mix, would she have ever charted? Was Nashville just a convenient vehicle? Tera
Re: Gag reflex
Hey, the guy's an artist. he's got principles. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, February 24, 1999 3:12 PM Subject: Re: Gag reflex One time I was running sound for The Lettermen (you know, "There's a Summer Place..."), and since they were more entertainment than music (a few gags thrown in about their age, blah, blah, blah), another stagehand and myself had to run around to our friends that afternoon to find an acoustic guitar for one of their "skits", but it had to be a name brand (Martin, Guild, Gibson), not some hokey thing. He didn't plug it in and faked the strumming, but he wouldn't use my Yamaha or another guy's Lotus. Mitch Matthews Gravel Train/Sunken Road (GT hitting the road tomorrow around noon, see y'all soon)
Re: cheap flights
believe it (or William Shatner) or not, but www.priceline.com rules. I got a ticket from San Francisco to Dusseldorf (on Lufthansa - who are definitely a frills airline) for the price I set of $400. That's about $300 cheaper than normal. -Original Message- From: Terry A. Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Tuesday, February 23, 1999 6:28 AM Subject: Re: cheap flights travelocity.com has worked for me, though sometimes it's sort of complicated to get registered on it. Or maybe I'm just an idiot. Now let me know off-line, how to get hooked up to northwest's site, if you've got time. [EMAIL PROTECTED] northwest.com? duh np Paul Kelly's Words and Music. Interesting stuff, reminds me of a cross between Richard Thompson and Lou Reed. Guy's got a bad attitude. I love it.
Twangfest 3 update
Lest you think your Twang Gang is employing the House impeachment manager method of news dissemination, we thought we'd better let y'all in on what's been going on with plans for Twangfest 3 (June 10-12 in St. Louis, as you'll recall), rather than just let things sorta leak out. (1) Headliners: Yes, we have confirmed a date with the Damnations TX for Twangfest. They'll be headlining on Friday June 11. We've got offers out to some other great folks, too, so the fireworks ain't over yet. (2) Other Bands: The band selection committee is questioning their sanity as we speak, as they pore over the nearly 50 submissions for the remaining Twangfest performance slots. Lots of great bands stepped up to the plate, so we should have one hell of a lineup to announce at the end of the process. Stay tuned. (3) Non-Profit Status: Yes, with the aid of some generous pro bono legal aid, we are indeed applying for our humble cause to be a non-profit organization. This shields the committee members from personal liability, and more importantly, it means that all donations to Twangfest are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. Which leads me to... (4) Sponsorship: The kind folks at No Depression Magazine have already signed on to be a sponsor of Twangfest 3, and while we doubt they'll go for our suggestion of changing their name to No Twangfest Depression, they will be giving us even higher visibility than we've had previously. If you know of a deep-pocketed, or even medium-deep-pocketed organization or company who would like to market themselves to the twang community, please pass along the info to Marie Arsenault at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Once again, we emphasize that all money given to Twangfest will be TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. (5) Friends of Twangfest: This year, we'd like to make it possible for you to help defray the ever-increasing costs of staging Twangfest--*and* save money on your taxes next year. For a $100 donation, you will be an official Friend of Twangfest, which will get you a pass for all three days, a Twangfest 3 T-shirt, and an "Edges From the Postcard 2" CD. Not only that, but your name will be announced from the stage of the Off Broadway club by one of our dashing emcees. Donations of *any* amount will be most welcome, though, and any dough you part with will be...you guessed it, TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Contact Marie Arsenault at the address above for more details. (6) Web site: Yes, we're in the process of making the www.twangfest.com web site even more informative than ever. Right now you can see the brand-new Twangfest 3 logo, which will be emblazoned over all our ads, posters, T-shirts, and condoms. We even have a slogan this year: "Wanna Sit In?", which won out over such suggestions as "Wanna Have A Warm Beer?" and "Wanna Help Me Drag Alex Millar Out Of His Room?" There will be lots more info to come, but in the interest of X-Files style full disclosure, we thought we ought to fill you in on at least this much. If you've got questions or suggestions, please direct them to us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Muchas smooches, Your Twang Gang [EMAIL PROTECTED] * www.twangfest.com
The Blue Chip Radio Report 2/8/99
THE BLUE CHIP RADIO REPORT News, Charts, Show Prep, Sales Info February 8, 1999 Bill Miller Editor Publisher The Blue Chip Radio Report is a free weekly newsletter for people in the radio and music industries.To add your name to our e-mailing list, or to remove your name, send your request to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks! The Blue Chip Song of the Week: none. The mysteries surrounding Tammy Wynette's life aren't over. Nashville officials are expected to meet this week with the daughters of Tammy Wynette. The daughters have formally requested that Wynette's body be exhumed and an autopsy performed, according to Nashville's Channel 5. Wynette's personal physician signed her death certificate and listed a blood clot in her lung as the cause of death. No autopsy was performed and the Nashville Medical Examiner's office didn't investigate the death. Forensic experts say that only an autopsy can confirm a blood clot as a cause of death. Reportedly, the singer was taking prescription drugs at the time of her death. News reports also say that the daughters want to know if the drugs were a factor in her death. Also being questioned are events which may or may not have taken place on the day of Wynette's death last April. Music row was humming last week with the news that Trisha Yearwood has replaced long-time manager Ken Kragen with her long-time publicist, Nancy Russell. Kragen is a high-profile power figure in the entertainment industry- the country music side is just part of his kingdom. Yearwood has a reputation for keeping emotion out of her business decisions. Vince Gill's "Live By Request" show pulled the biggest numbers in the A E series' history. The concert averaged 1.65 million households, had 1.3 million telephone requests, and 200,000 visits to the simultaneous webcast. Blackhawk's Van Stephenson is recovering from surgery for skin cancer (malignant melanoma). He's expected to make a full recovery. Trace Adkins broke his ankle a few days ago while trying to move his truck out of the mud on his property. In addition to the fracture, Adkins suffered serious tendon damage to the ankle. Freddy Fender got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last Thursday (2/3). Add Shania Twain's name to the artists who will take a long vacation from the road. Shania and hubby/producer Mutt Lange plan to take a long rest when they move to their new home in Geneva, Switzerland this summer. Meanwhile, Shania 'fessed up on the Letterman show. Not only is she not upset with The Backstreet Boys for that episode on her TV special, she's a big fan of the dancing teens. She said she pumps up the volume on the The Backstreet Boys album to pump herself up before going onstage. Welcome to our new subscribers, including Robert Shiflet with KSCS 96.3 in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Alan Le Boeuf of Baillie The Boys, Tony Guidroz of Big Country 99.7 in Abilene TX, Marvin Rainwater, Dave Durocher with Bug Music, and Jesse James from Radio Zenith in Brugge, Belgium. Newcomer Andy Griggs grew up in Monroe, Louisiana. George Strait will sell several of the quarter horses raised on his South Texas Ranch. The horses will be sold Saturday night (13th) during the San Antonio Livestock Exposition and Rodeo. Cathy Martindale from WSM and NASCAR Country points out that WSIX had help in falling from 1st to 4th place in the Nashville ratings. WSM/fm ranked # 2 behind behind urban-formatted WQQK/fm. WSM/am, a country oldies station, also performed well. Counting Garth and Shania as country, the country concert gross was up 23 % in 1998 over the previous year. Outside the top 10 acts, the numbers dropped off dramatically. Johnny Paycheck's health continues to improve. The word is that his full recovery will take some time. Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will appear on the new Hollywood Squares. The shows are to be televised next week (15th-19th). EXIT/IN: Daryle Singletary exits the Giant Records roster and has left the management wing of Lib Hatcher Travis and Randy Travis. Woody Bowles is now handling Singletary's career.Suzy Bogguss has left Capitol RecordsKevin Sharp is out of the Asylum Records lineup.Ronna Reeves and River North Records have parted ways.According to The Tennessean, John Fogerty is looking for a house in Nashville. The Dixie Chicks are flying. Seems like yesterday when they hit the 1 million mark for "Wide Open Spaces". The album has now sold over 4 million and going stronger than ever. The long-awaited Trio II album is set to hit the stores tomorrow (the 9th). The Dolly Parton/Linda Ronstadt/Emmylou Harris album will be released on Asylum.
Tennessee...I hear you calling me
Had to use that subject line, now that the King of Bluegrass is in the hospital... Believe it or not, I have been told that I don't pimp my band nearly often enough in this hallowed forum--which was kind of a surprise, since I feel that my whole life has been dedicated to the pursuit of shameless, wanton self-promotion--so here goes. THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11 - Bird's Eye View Pub and Coffee House, Knoxville, TN (www.birdseyeviewpc.com) - 9 PM FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12 - Station Inn, Nashville, TN (www.extravaganza.org) - 12 midnight I view the latter show, which places the Rangers in the epicenter of bluegrass in Music City, to be a sign that the Last Days are truly nigh. Deal with it. P.S. Did anyone else see Riders in the Sky on Penn and Teller this past week? A tape of that will someday be the Video Daily Double answer to the question "What is surrealism?" ___ Mark Wyatt * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * One Riot One Ranger * Columbus, OH http://members.aol.com/oneriot/oneriot.html ** "That ain't no part of bluegrass... that ain't no part of nothin'" (Bill Monroe) **
