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This website brings you the latest Australian country music news. News releases can be sent to news@countrymusicbulletin.com.au |
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2018 Alex is Tamworth's Queen of Country Music Alexandra Kellahan is Tamworth's 2018 – and the 34th – Queen of Country Music.
Alexandra was sponsored by H&L Plastering, Cheyanne by Plush Hair Designs, Samantha by Tamworth Aboriginal Lands Council and Julie by Tamworth Regional Council. A total of 12 young ladies were a part of the 2018 Queen of Country Music Quest which was organised again this year by Tamworth Zonta. In addition to the title holders named above, the entrants were Tamara Ferguson (Ruralco Property Davidson Cameron Real Estate), Ashley Ginn (sponsored by The Northern Daily Leader), Eedi Jennar (Kirinari Community Services), Jade Johnston (Challenge Community Services), Jessica Anne Kaizer (Kirinari Community Services), Brittany Meissner (AELEC: Tamworth Regional Council), Eliza Simpson (Challenge Community Services) and Jessica Joan Lloyd (House With No Steps).
The Queen of Country Music Quest was launched in 1984 by the Tamworth & District Chamber of Commerce & Industry as a promotional event for local business involvement in the annual country music festival. It aims to find two young women to act as ambassadors for the Tamworth region and the Tamworth County Music Festival. The Quest is not a beauty pageant. Entrants are judged on their presentation, personality, participation, deportment and knowledge of the Tamworth region and the country music festival. Among quest prizes are an all expenses paid trip to Tamworth sister city Gore, New Zealand for the Queen and Princess, for that city's annual country music festival. Top photo: 2018 Queen and Princess Alex and Cheyanne (second and third from left, respectively) pictured with last year's Queen Taylor Fletcher (left) and Princess Tara Grant with Gore District Ambassador Tyler Dowling. TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018 Tamworth busking champion The 2018 Toyota LandCruiser Country Music Busking Champion is Haystack Mountain Hermits. The family band of six – Kerrie Gambley, husband Dave Church and children Ella, Jackson, Lachlan and Marcus – hail from Mt Tamborine in Queensland and have been winning a swag of awards since organising as a musical outfit in 2011.
These include the the Qld Regional Busking Championships last year which led to the Australian National Busking Championship title of Best Band in November. Between them, they play accordion, bass, double bass, drums, guitar, harp, mandolin, resonator guitar, ukulele and xaphoon... and they sing. Fellow finalists in the Busking Championship final were Shania Bonita, Andrew Cousins, Jimmy Davis, Embers, Charlie Fittler, Simon Gudgeon, Horizon, Emmagen Rain and Zac & George. Hundreds of buskers signed up to the Tamworth event. Tamworth Regional Council Country Music Manager Barry Harley said the Busking Championships was a great launch pad for aspiring musicians and one of the most vibrant and exciting parts of the Toyota Country Music Festival Tamworth. "Busking in Tamworth is a key part of the country music journey,” he said. “It is perfect for aspiring musicians as it helps them get their music out there to a large audience. It also helps them build a solid foundation in Tamworth and set themselves up to take on other opportunities...” As winner of the 2018 Toyota Landcruiser Busking Championships, Haystack Mountain Hermits took home prizes including a number of performance opportunities. Weblink – www.facebook.com/HaystackMountainHermits. Cavalcade winners The other major event that takes place on the main Saturday of the Tamworth Country Music Festival is the giant street parade, the Country Music Cavalcade. Almost 100 individual floats made their way down Tamworth's Peel Street on Saturday morning to the cheers and applause of thousands of fans lining the street. Winners in the commercial section were Ballet Stars (first), Tamworth City Dance Academy (second) and Dance Dynamics (third).
In the non-commercial section, Filipino Association of Tamworth (pictured) took out first place with Fire & Rescue NSW second and The Northcott Society third. In the non-vehicle/equine section, King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge was first, High Velocity Trick Riding came second and Australian Representative Tent Pegging Team was third. In addition to the official placings, two entrants received "highly commended" from the judges, Australian Air League Cadet Group and Tamworth Pipe Band. Weblink – www.tcmf.com.au. MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018 Tamworth Champions Tayla Clavarino and Rory Phillips are Country Music Capital's Champions of Champions as determined by the Capital Country Music Association (CCMA).
The CCMA inited all solo winners of known talent quests in Tamworth this January to compete on Saturday afternoon (the main day of the country music shindig) for the titles of junior and senior Tamworth Champions of Champions. These included winners of the CCMA's own SongStars songwriting competition as well as the junior and senior talent quests conducted in the Tamworth Town Hall during the week. As well as the "champion" titles, Tayla and Rory won scholarships to the Australian Academy of Country Music. Photos: Tayla above left with CCMA President Steve Newton and (right) Rory Phillips with Steve and CCMA Jamboree compere Marg Campbell. SUNDAY, JANUARY 28, 2018 Kasey on the rock Kasey Chambers is the 51st inductee to the Country Music Roll of Renown, at 41, the youngest yet to be elevated to Australasian country music's highest honour. From the age of 10 when she joined her parents, Bill and Diane Chambers, in their Dead Ringer Band, Kasey has been behind a microphone. In making the presentation during last night's Golden Guitar Awards, last year's winner Troy Cassar-Daley said Kasey had earned the admiration and respect of both her industry peers and her multitude of fans all over the world.
Accepting the Award, Kasey paid a special tribute to her parents Bill and Diane and to her brother Nash her long-time record producer. "I probably wouldn't have got to first base without my family and their involvement," she said. Born in Mount Gambier on June 4, 1976, Kasey grew up on the Nullarbor, sharing the music that infused the lives of parents Bill and Diane and brother Nash. Kasey's first solo album, The Captain, released in 1999, was a national sensation, hailed as fresh inspiration for Australian country music. Kasey has released a string of highly awarded recordings including some with other artists, all featuring her distinctive vocals, powerful lyrics and unique contemporary approach. Acclaimed in Australia, she has also gathered a large following in the USA. At last nights Awards, Kasey's album Dragonfly won the Golden Guitar for Alt Country Album of the Year (to add to her current tally of 14 individual and 12 shared Golden Guitars). Dragonfly also took out the ARIA Award for Best Country Album in November. The Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown was launched when the Father of Australian Country Music, Tex Morton, was honoured in Tamworth in January 1976. The Roll itself comprises large bronze plaques mounted on a cluster of giant granite boulders in front of the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre. The full list of inductees (in chronological irder) is Tex Morton, Buddy Williams, Smoky Dawson, Slim Dusty, Shirley Thoms, Tim McNamara, Gordon Parsons, The McKean Sisters, Reg Lindsay, Rick & Thel Carey, Johnny Ashcroft, Chad Morgan, John Minson, The Hawking Brothers, Stan Coster, Barry Thornton, Nev Nicholls, Shorty Ranger, Jimmy Little, Ted Egan, Dusty Rankin, John Williamson, Rocky Page, Brian Young, Rex Dallas, Arthur Blanch, The Schneider Sisters, Frank Ifield, Kenny Kitching, The Webb Brothers, Athol McCoy, The Singing Kettles, Reg Poole, Lindsay Butler, Kevin King, Geoff Mack, Jean Stafford, Slim Newton, Anne Kirkpatrick, Phil & Tommy Emmanuel, Terry Gordon, Wayne Horsburgh, Norm Bodkin, Les Partell, Lee Kernaghan, Ray Kernaghan, Graeme Connors, Troy Cassar-Daley and now, Kasey Chambers. Photo: Kasey at this morning's unveiling of her Roll of Renown plaque with (from left) Tamworth Mayor Col Murray, Tamworth and country music industry identity Max Ellis and the Member for Tamworth in the NSW Parliament Kevin Anderson. 2018 Golden Guitar winners Winners in the 2018 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards - the 46th Country Music Awards of Australia – were announced in Tamworth last night.
Album of the Year went to The McCymonts for Endless (produced by Andy Mak), adding to previously announced wins for Contemporary Album Of The Year and Group of the Year. Alt Country Album of the Year was won by Kasey Chambers with Dragonfly (produced by Nash Chambers and Paul Kelly) while Traditional Album of the Year went to Ashleigh Dallas with Lighthouse (produced by Brett Dallas). Bluegrass Recording of the Year was presented to the Davidson Brothers with Back Where I Started together with Instrumental of the Year for Evelyn's Kitchen. Shane Nicholson was announed as Male Artist of the Year with Love And Blood while Alecye Simmonds was crowned Female Artist of the Year with More Than Meets The Eye. Dean Perrett took out Bush Ballad of the Year with Henbury Blues (written by Neville Anderson) and New Talent of the Year went to Brad Butcher with Well Dressed Man. Tom Curtain and Luke O'Shea won both Heritage Song of the Year and Video Clip of the Year with Never Never Land. They also wrote the song and directed the video clip. The collaborative efforts of Travis Collins and Amber Lawrence were recognised with their win of Vocal Collaboration of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year for Our Backyard. The song was by Amber and Travis with Matt Scullion). Clare O'Meara was named Musician of the Year and Kasey Chambers was elevated to the Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown. Lee Kernaghan had been previously announced as winner of the "top selling" award for his 25th Anniversary album. Pictured (standing, from left) – Clare O'Meara, Brett Dallas, Brad Butcher, Ashleigh Dallas, Luke O'Shea, The McClymonts (Sam, Mollie and Brooke), Shane Nicholson, Aleyce Simmonds, Kasey Chambers, Amber Lawrence, Matt Scullion, Dean Perrett; (kneeling) – Andy Mak, The Davidson Brothers (Hamish and Lachlan), Tom Curtain, Travis Collins and Lee Kernaghan.
SongStars winners Tayla Clavarino and Kasey Kilsby have taken out the Capital Country Music Association (CCMA) SongStars talent quest.
Tayla, from Victoria, won the Senior SongStar title while Tamworth's Bruce O'Hara was runner-up. Kasey, from Queensland, won the Junior SongStar title with Lili Crane from the Newcastle area was runner-up. As well as their SongStar titles, Tayla and Kasey now compete in the Champion of Tamworth Champions at the Town Hall this afternoon against other talent quest winners from this year's festival. The Senior and Junior Champions will each win a scholarship to the Australian College of Country Music next January. Photo (from left): Bruce, Lili, Tayla and CCMA President Steve Newton. Junior winner Kasey left the event before the announcement of winners to honour a performance committment. Weblink – www.ccma.net.au.
The 2018 Mt Franklin Junior Talent Quest wrapped up at Wests yesterday wirh Hattie Oates and Rory Phillips (pictured) taking top honours. Hattie won the Senior section from runner-up Finnian Johnson. Rory won the Junior section with Albina Niceforco in second place. Hattie and Rory also have the opportunity to compete in today's Champion of Tamworth Champions event. This year's Mt Franklin quest attracted dozens of entries.
People's Choice winners Winners in this year's Australian Country Music People's Choice Awards were announced in Tamworth last night. Popular bush balladeer Graham Rodger (pictured at right) took home two trophies, for Best Male Vocal and Best Song with Waltzing Matilda No More (written by Graham with Marc Glasby).
Gina Timms (pictured here receiving her trophy from presenter and fellow award winner Dale Duncan) was named Best Female Vocal winner. Paul Costa took out the Best Album category with his latest release Whisper In The Crowd. Dale Duncan won Best Bush Ballad for Just Like Your Dad, written by Allan Caswell and Manfred Vijars.
Rising star Blake O'Connor (pictured at right) beat a strong field to win Most Promising Future Star. In the broadcast categories, it was a double for the NSW Central Coast's todayscountry94one which was named Most Popular Country Music Radio Station while Alan Gilmour, one of the station's leading on-air identities, was named Country Music DJ of the Year from his program the Australian Country Songwriters Show.
Finalists and winners Brothers3, Paul Costa, Dale Duncan, Cassidy Rae Gaiter, The Long & Short Of It, MICKS, Blake O'Connor, Ali S, Steph Penrose, Graham Rodger, Gina Timms and Jim Williams performed during the gala Awards concert. Moving tributes were paid during the night to three legendary broadcasters who passed away during the past year... John "Mr Hoedown" Minson, Wally Sparrow and Frankie T Thatcher. Weblink – www.peopleschoiceawards.com.au. Allan added to Galaxy of Stars Lading Australian songwriter Allan Caswell was announced as the 2018 addition to Tamworth's Galaxy of Stars. With more than 600 songs recorded by artists including James Blundell, Graeme Connors, Dale Duncan, Slim Dusty, Anne Kirkpatrick, Chad Morgan and Jasmine Rae, Allan is recognised as one of our most prolific and successful songwriters.
The Galaxy of Stars was introduced in 2000 with Slim Dusty. John Williamson and Arthur Blanch were added in 2002 followed by Lee and Tania Kernaghan in 2005, Graeme Connors and Gina Jeffreys in 2006, Smoky Dawson and Joy McKean in 2007, Troy Cassar-Daley and Jimmy Little in 2008, James Blundell and Beccy Cole on 2009, Adam Brand and Felicity Urquhart in 2010, The Bushwackers and Tommy and Phil Emmanuel in 2011, Ted Egan and Chad Morgan in 2012, Adam Harvey and The McClymonts in 2013, Colin Buchanan The Galaxy of Stars was introduced to formally recognise the achievements of outstanding country music stars. The actual "star" plaques are displayed in the forecourt at Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre.
Country Entertainer of the Year winners Jorja Dalton and New Zealand's M.A.C. Trio – Michelle Hendriks, Angela Landrebe & Campbell Landrebe – have taken out the 2018 Aristocrat Country Entertainer of the Year quest. Staged annually at Wests Diggers, the quest carries prizemoney approaching $3,000 plus recording time.
Jorja was judged winner of the junior section while the M.A.C. Trio won the senior section. Alison Jensen was judged second in the senior section, Outback Opry (comprising Jorja Dalton & Harriet Kelly) came third. Finnian Johnson was runner-up in the junior section, Kasey Kilsby third. Matthew Munro was presented with the Nathaniel O'Brien Encouragement Award (Nathaniel, a previous Entertainer of the Year winner, died tragically in a motor vehicle accident while still very young). Photo (by Bob Mcgahan) from left, standing: Alison, Matthew, Finnian, Jorja and Harriet; front: Michelle, Campbell and Angela; with Aristocrat representative Peter Henderson. Tracy's album launch
The album will be launched at Wests Diggers (in the upstairs showroom) at 10am. Tracy will be joined at the launch concert by fellow balladeers Jeff Brown and Glenn Jones which will double as a tribute to the late Stan Coster, Tracy' Coster Country Take II features duets with the likes of Beccy Cole, Adam Harvey, Anne Kirkpatrick, Lee Kernaghan, Chad Morgan and John Williamson.
Song awards Tamworth Songwriters' Association announced the annual Songwriter Salute Awards and National Songwriting Contest winners last night. Key among the accolades was Greg Champion's elevation to the ranks of Song Maker, Australia's country music songwriting hall of fame. In the Salute Awards... Contemporary Ballad of the Year and Country Song of the Year went to Life’s About The Little Things by David & Merelyn Carter, Samantha Bellamy, John Collins, Mary V I Harrison, Robyn Hull & Shirley Lynn. Traditional Bush Ballad went to A Thousand Different Pictures by Shaton Heaslip. Contemporary Song of the Year was won by Chloe Styler with Control.
Anzac Song of the Year went to Through The Eyes Of A Boy by Wendy Wood (pictured, photo by Robmac). Gospel Song of the Year was Little Old Church On The Hill by Dale Duncan & Lola Brinton. The Alt Country/Blues/Bluegrass award went to Wendy Phypers with Highway 39. The Tex Morton Award was presented to Amber Lawrence. TSA's prestigious New Songwriter Award was won by Noeleen Smith with The Bottle. In the songwriting competition... Ray Rusty Strings Smith won the Novice category with Follow The Wind. Colin Buchanan took out Open Traditional with That Old Bloke. Becci Nethery won Open Contemporary with Just Not Today. Ian Burns was announed the winner Alt and Blues and Bluegrass with Best Friend Is Whisky. The Lyrics Only section was won by Lloyd Clarke with Eureka and the Youth Songwriting Award went to Sam Dyball with Million Ways. Weblink – www.tsaonline.com.au. New faces for CMAA Board The Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) added five additional members to its Board at the Association's annual general meeting in Tamworth yesterday. Although some have been involved at Board level before, the "new" faces are artist manager Dan Biddle, artist manager, publicist Tom Inglis, Kix Country Program Director Justin Thomson and ABC Music & Events General Manager Natalie Waller. Association Chairman Dobe Newton and current Director Lachlan Bryan were re-elected.
These members join current directors Rebecca Belt, Roger Corbett (Vice Chairman) and Meryl Davis (Secretary) and Ross Johnson (appointed Treasurer). Retiring Directors (who did not seek re-election) are Allan Caswell, Peter Hebbes and Paul O'Gorman. Pictured (from left): Dan, Lachlan, Tom, Dobe, Justin, Natalie. Weblink – www.country.com.au. TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018 Beccy stars on Adelaide's Walk of Fame
The Centre hosted a gala concert on the occasion featuring Paul Blackwell, Greta Bradman, Rhonda Burchmore, Beccy, Peter Combe, Slava Grigoryan, Nancye Hayes, Tim Minchin, James Morrison, Niki Vasilakis and the Australian Dance Theatre. Adelaide's "In Daily" reported that, together with host Todd McKenney, a show that was entertaining, amusing and moving was produced. The Walk of Fame features a selection of stars from the Festival Centre’s 40 year history with 130 names initially and more to be added. Weblink – www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au.
If Tamworth identities Warwick Bennet and Max Ellis had been able to collect a 10 cent royalty every time anybody took a picture of the Country Music Capital's Big Golden Guitar, they reckon they would have a pile of cash.
It was January 22, 1988, when Slim Dusty, the King of Australian Country Music, together with the head of NSW Tourism, Commissioner Paul Crombie, supported by a huge crowd of enthusiastic fans, officially unveiled the 12 metre high, fibreglass Golden Guitar in front of the newly built Country Collection with its Wax Museum and souvenir shop beside the Longyard Hotel. Modelled on the already famous Golden Guitar trophies of 2TM's Country Music Awards, the Big Golden Guitar, was made in Tamworth by Len Surtees, closely following the original design by Harry Frost.
Acclaimed as one of Australia's most recognisable "Big" icons, it shares the spotlight with a handful of other famous big statues such as the Big Merino at Goulburn and the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour. Over the past 30 years, it's been featured in countless newspaper, TV, radio and magazine stories, advertisements, tourism books and material and even telephone directory covers and at least one movie. Since Warwick, a former Mayor of Tamworth and tourism chief, and Max, one of the founders of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, built the Golden Guitar with Margaret Bennet managing the shop, it's been owned and operated by Wendy and Noel Bennet and is now owned by Tom Coulton and managed by Caroline Singleton. It is a major tourism centre and attraction now with a wax museum, a cricket museum, a busy cafe and country music souvenir merchandise. Importantly, it is one of the attractions that provides Tamworth with a year round country music presence. Max and Warwick are pictured acknowledging the 30th anniversary of the Big Golden Guitar.
Brad wins Toyota Star Maker Brad Cox from Jindabyne (NSW) has been judged the winner of Toyota Star Maker 2018, the 39th recipient of Australia's most prestigious country music talent search title. Brad trumped fellow finalists... Tanya Cornish, Emily Joy, Heath Milner, Tammy Moxon, Taylor Pfeiffer, Cassidy Rae Gaiter, Jake Sinclair, Chloe Styler and Hayley Wilson to win the coveted Star Maker crown in Tamworth last night.
Judges this year were artist managers Dan Biddle and Roxanne Brown, Adam Eckersley, Toyota Ambassador Brooke McClymont, HSF Artist Manager Tom Inglis, ABC presenter on Australia All Over and Saturday Night Country Scott Lamond, Craig Power from The Pub Group and KIX Radio Program Director Justin Thomson. Star Maker Co-ordinator Cheryl Byrnes said: "Toyota Star Maker continues to unearth exciting new talent and tonight is no exception. Brad has a unique country spirit. "Everyone knows just how difficult it is to judge any competition, however one as significant as Toyota Star Maker has an expectation to the industry and fans to introduce a brand new star who is going to go all the way, and they want to travel with them. "Many of the benefits of being part of Toyota Star Maker family are intangible – but absolutely priceless. The networking is extraordinary. You can’t put a price on that," she said. Brad's victory sees him take home a prize pack including the use of a Toyota RAV4 for 12 months with an unlimited fuel card, Maton, Fender and Jands products, guaranteed performances at major festivals throughout Australia including at West Tamworth League Club and The Pub Group plus a return trip to Nashville in June for the annual CMAFest (Country Music Association America Music Festival) by courtesy of Chris Watson Travel... and more. Brad thanked his family and friends for coming out to cheer him on "all the way" from Jindabyne, NSW. "I'm incredibly thankful for all of their support and also to Toyota Australia for making my dream a reality tonight." Brad said. Toyota Australia Senior Manager Marketing Integration Andrew Wearing was delighted to see Brad join the Toyota Star Maker family. "We’d like to congratulate Brad and the rest of the Toyota Star Maker finalists for showcasing the amazing talent that Australian country music has," he said. "Toyota Australia also wants to thank Rachael Fahim, 2017 Toyota Star Maker winner, who has truly made the most of her crown and is making her way into the country music industry." Weblink – www.starmaker.com.au. It's all-in at Tamworth It's true to say there's nary a venue that works in Tamworth that doesn't have some sort of activity running during the January country music festival. Pubs, clubs, major theatres, local halls, church halls, the main street of town and most of the shopping centres.
As most previous Festival visitors from recent years would be aware, the main attraction at Shoppingworld is one of Australia's best known country pioneers, Chad Morgan. Chad – aka "the Sheik from Scrubby Creek" – kicked off his regular series of performances on Friday and continues every day up to and including Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30pm. Supporting Chad are a number of well known acts and up and coming stars of country, including James Blundell, Brewn, The Bushwackers, Melanie Dyer, Germein Sisters, Angus Gill, Kerrie Hayward, Johanna Hemara, Hillbilly Goats, Hurricane Fall, Michaela Jenke, Jetty Road, Troy Kemp, Ben Leece, Tyson Lucas, Josh Needs, The Pigs, Josh Setterfield, Whistle Dixie Band and Jim Williams. Dare 2 Dance linedancing demonstrations will be conducted all of this week, Monday to Friday, from 2pm to 4pm. All shows at Shoppingworld are held in the centre food court area and there is no charge for admission.
Hands of Fame inductees announced Seven new hands will be added to Australia's Country Music Hands of Fame in Tamworth next Saturday following an announcement at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Tamworth yesterday. They are Don Costa and Paul Costa, Hugo Fitz-Herbet, Graeme Hugo, Nev Molloy, Peter Simpson and Kevin Sporer.
Hugo is also well-known for publishing, in 1998, “Reaching For The Stars” which he calls “a technical reference book about festivals” and for facilitating music related workshops at a number of festivals. He was presented with an OAM (Order of Australia Medal) in 2008 for service to country music and to the community.
Graeme has helped many up and coming artists gain experience within the industry and has helped raise money for numerous causes including Isolated Children, SIDS, Kids with Cancer, Aged Care, Angel Flight, Variety Clubs and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
In September, Nev released a collaborative CD with Kate Daniel and Bob Gregory titled Along The Track with 18 tracks, four of which were either written or co-written by Nev.
He is very well respected for his guitar playing, and especially for his bush ballad style playing, and as an award-winning songwriter.
Kevin worked as a long-distance transport operator for a period before working as a professional musician. At one time, he wrote and recorded for the then RCA label and had his own country band, The Hilltones. The 2018 hand imprinting ceremony will be held at the Hands of Fame, next Saturday (January 27) from 10:30am. Broadcaster inductees
Three names are being added this year... Marge Graham (pictured), John Slaven (pictured) and Wally Wray who, between them, have been playing country music on the radio for more than 35 years. Marge is a long-time broadcaster on community radio on the NSW north coast, John has been associated with a number of community stations in the Newcastle area (including 2NUR FM) while Wally has been broadcasting since the 1980s on 3MBR FM in Victoria.
The final award announced yesterday at the Hall of Fame was the Eric Watson Literary Award, named after one of Australia's most prolific country music historians. Pioneer country music writer and historian Ian Hands was presented with the honour. Ian is particularly known for his concentration on recording the history of our early country music pioneers.
In a surprise announcement yesterday afternoon in the Tamworth Town Hall, leading Australian country music journalist and writer Anna Rose was recognised for her service to Tamworth via country music. The special award is simply known as The Tamworth Award and has been presented by Noel and Dawn Smith (theyre the folk who organise the Golden Guitar trophies every year, among other things!) every year for many years. Long-time broadcaster and country music personality Brian Howard makes the presentation annually on behalf of Noel and Dawn.
Cowboy Up a highlight Highlights of day two of the 2018 Tamworth Country Music Festival include Cowboy Up, a rodeo-horse-sports oriented fundraiser for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter service.
Organisers say the event features "elite bull riding, saddle bronc riding and Australia’s smallest cowboys in the mini bull ride". Billed as a family event, Cowboy Up will also include a two hour concert starring American singer and recording artist Eric Lee Beddingfield (pictured) and a ute and truck show. Eric was a key supporter of the inaugural staging of Cowboy Up in Tamworth last January. TFSS fundraiser Another special fundraiser will take place this evening under the stars in Toyota Park (Tamworth's Bicentennial Park) in Kable Avenue, for Tamworth Family Support Service. It gets underway at 6:30 and will feature Homegrown, Finnian Johnson, Amber Lawrence and Thompson & Arna Georgia.
Word has it there will also be special appearances by Elsa from the movie Frozen and Belle from Beauty & The Beast, especially for younger members of the audience. Pictured: Homegrown, Finnian, Amber. New ABC Tamworth Festival partnership A new broadcast partnership has been announced by the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) and Tamworth Country Music Festival. The partnership includes ABC Landline's Facebook Livestream of the Golden Guitar Awards next Saturday night, including red-carpet arrivals, plus Awards highlights on ABC TV and ABC iview.
"As Australia’s leading source of information and entertainment, we are thankful to have such a cooperative relationship with the ABC, and we look forward to working together to show the rest of Australia, and the world, the wide array of incredible country music talent we have on offer in Tamworth each January." The Tamworth Country Music Festival runs until next Sunday. The 46th Golden Guitar Awards will be staged next Saturday night at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre. Fans who can’t make it to Tamworth can catch "all the action" from the Golden Guitar Awards via the ABC Landline Facebook Page. A "best moments and highlight performances" coverage will go to air the following day – Sunday January 28 – on ABC TV in addition to an exclusive collection of videos on ABC iview. Hands of Fame inductees
Handprints will be set in concrete the following Saturday at the Hands of Fame cornerstone at the corner of Kable Avenue and Bridge Street. Other announcements, all taking place at the Country Music Hall of Fame at the corner of Murray and Peel Streets, will include inductee/s into the Australian Country Music Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Eric Watson Literary Award. Amber Lawrence will host the announcement event from 10:30 with entertainment from Zeta Burns, Dianne Lindsay, Reg Poole and The Rattling Brown Sisters with the Gorgeous Grannies from Goonoo Goonoo. FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018 Tamworth Festival underway Forty-six years ago this month, the established Capital Country Music Association (CCMA) Talent Quest and Jamboree were joined by the very first Golden Guitar Awards and the Tamworth Country Music Festival was born.
From a talent quest, winners concert and gala recording awards presentation, the annual January shindig has grown to become Australia's biggest music festival, the second biggest country music festival and one of the top 10 music festivals in the world. The variety of country music is endless during the 10 days with more than 700 performers and 2,800 shows across 120 different venues in and around Tamworth, Australia's Country Music Capital. Bush poets come to town, buskers, bluegrass players, singers, songwriters, broadcasters and industry people all converge on Tamworth for the annual music fest and unofficial industry "convention". All culminating in a giant weekend which still features the CCMA Jamboree, the glitter of the Golden Guitar Awards and one of the many new events, the massive Country Music Cavalcade along Tamworth's "boulevarde of dreams".
Stars on this year's Opening Concert will include Mark Atkins, Travis Collins, Paul Costa, 2017 Toyota Star Maker Rachael Fahim, Tori Forsyth & The Spurs, Judah Kelly, Troy Kemp, 2017 Tamworth Busking Champion Tim Scanlan, Simply Bushed and Gretta Ziller & Andrew Swift. For full program details, visitors can buy a Festival Guide from numerous locations and/or download the Festival app from the Apple App Store of GooglePlay for android users. Pictured (top, from left): Mark, Travis, Rachael and Judah; above: Chris & Paul from Simply Bushed and Gretta Ziller. Weblink – www.tcmf.com.au. Throughout the Festival, the Bulletin will be covering all the news with talent quest and award winners and all other aspects that need reporting. Updates will be posted to our facebook page as we report... THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2018 Country Music Capital Milestones There are many subjects that one of Tamworth’s Festival founders, Max Ellis, is passionate about, but two in particular have been exercising his mind recently.
The other is the recording of the history of Australian country music since its inception by Tex Morton, the acknowledged "Father" of the uniquely Australian version of the genre, in 1936. By co-incidence it was also the year of Max's birth so he can claim that his entire existence has run parallel to Australian country music's life line. In 2005, Max set up a website called historyofcountrymusic.com.au and since then it has been expanded and augmented to carry not only the story of country music but also many stories of the people, events and circumstances that created it.
Now he has produced another Milestone, or rather a series of Milestone events and happenings since Tamworth first took notice of country music way back in the 1930s. "It's a special series on historyofcountrymusic.com.au which allows anyone to check the dates and circumstances of any of the significant events in Country Music Capital's vivid and busy history," Max said. He has researched and compiled the list of hundreds of events and happenings which have shaped the Capital and placed them in chronological order, often with background material to assist with an understanding of their importance. "Tamworth Milestones, as it is called, is a permanent reference to how and when country music has made such significant and valuable impact on Tamworth, an influence that continues today and will continue to enrich the city both economically and culturally into future generations," Max said. The feature also references a list of both 2TM staff and country musicians from the early period of the Awards up to the 1980s. Max insists it's a work in progress so if anyone has any comments, corrections or omissions they are concerned about, he'd love to hear from you, at info@historyofcountrymusic.com.au. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018 Artist line-up announced for People's Choice Organisers of Australia's annual Country Music People's Choice Awards today announced the line-up of finalists who will perform at this year's gala presentation. In alphabetical order, they are Paul Costa, Dale Duncan, Cassidy Rae Gaiter, The Long & Short Of It, MICKS, Blake O’Connor, Steph Penrose, Graham Rodger, Ali S, Gina Timms and Jim Williams (all pictured below).
Country music broadcaster and a previous winner of the Most Popular Country Music DJ award Jane Kellaway will compere the event with special surprise guest hosts and award presenters.
"We are delighted with the line-up of performers again this year," said Bob Kirchner, spokesman for the organisers. "Especially as we have a host of new stars to showcase to our audience together with a number of well established acts." The People's Choice Awards provide recognition and encouragement to artists and country music announcers as voted by the people. "We opened the voting earlier this year," Bob said, "and as a result many more thousands of individual votes were cast. "The thing we are particularly proud of with these Awards is that we don't ask people to vote for a pre-determined list of finalists – anyone can vote and they can vote for anyone. "As a result, we usually see hundreds of artists, songs, albums and videos nominated by our voters – a marvellous result in any estimation." This is not a criticism of other more established and longer running awards, Bob said, "like the Golden Guitars which are peer-judged and peer-voted". The People's Choice Awards have been running continuously since the turn of the century. Further information, including a complete rundown of finalists and a link to ticket sales, can be obtained from the website... www.peopleschoiceawards.com.au. TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018 Anniversary time for James In 2017, James Blundell celebrated a career milestone of 30 years since winning the prestigious Star Maker talent search in Tamworth, the same event that launched the highly successful careers of Lee Kernaghan and Keith Urban among others. To mark the occasion, a special album – 30 Years Of Pride – A Tribute To James Blundell– will be released in February celebrating three decades of the iconic artist’s music and songwriting. James is acknowledged by many as the act that single-handedly shaped modern Australian country music. The first single from the album has been released – a reworked version of James' biggest chart hit Way Out West, his duet of The Dingoes original with James Reyne in 1992 that shot to number two overall on the national ARIA mainstream singles chart. In 2018, James is joined on the recording by established artists Adam Brand, Paul Costa, Tania Kernaghan and Bec Lavelle and rising stars Brewn and Ben Ransom. Weblink – www.jamesblundell.com.au. MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2018 52nd CCMA Jamboree Tamworth's Capital Country Music Association (CCMA) will stage it's 52nd Country Music Jamboree on Saturday January 27.
"This also has to be something of a record," he said. "We've researched worldwide and the closest activity to ours that we've been able to find is a local talent quest in Chicago that has been running for around 30 years." The CCMA has issued a challenge to try and determine if there are any still continuously running talent quests that have been going longer than the National Talent Quest. A change to CCMA activity this year sees the Jamboree re-badged as the Champion of Tamworth Champions which will be an invitational for the winners of all solo-entrant talent quest activity taking place during the January Country Music Festival. This event will determine senior and junior champions, each of whom will win a scholarship to the Australian Academy of Country Music in January 2019... in the Senior and Junior Academies, respectively. This year sees a rationalisation of the National Talent Quest which moves back to the Tamworth Town Hall where it all started back in the mid 1960s as a part of the Coca Cola Country events run by Tamworth Regional Council (and formerly by Fairfax Rural Events). The CCMA is still directly running one section of the talent quest, the senior and junior songwriting sections under the banner Battle of the SongStars.
The first 2018 Festival activity for the CCMA will be it's annual Jam at the South Tamworth Bowling Club two days before the official start of the Festival this Wednesday evening (January 17) from 6:30pm. Special guest at the Jam will be leading singer/songwriter Wendy Phypers (pictured) from The Cartwheels (and formerly The Sparnetts). Weblink – www.ccma.net.au. SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2018 Friends together again for June Four friends (or five to be precise) of the late June Smyth are coming together for two special concerts during this year's Tamworth Country Music Festival to honour June's life.
The long-time host at Tamworth's famous Longyard Hotel, and more latterly the country music specialist at Tamworth Council, June died tragically in November 2015 after retiring to the NSW coast some years earlier. For eighteen years they sang and played together at The Longyard: from 1991 to 2008... (pictured above from left) Colin Buchanan, Jane Saunders, Michael Fix, Colin Buchanan and Gary Carruthers. Colin, Gary, Greg and Jane will perform at the first show at 2pm on Thursday January 25 and Gray, Greg, Michael and Jane will perform at 2pm on Saturday, January 27. Both concerts will staged at The Cattleman Sundance Park, Goonoo Goonoo (or Sydney) Road just south of the AELEC (Australian Equine Livestock & Events Centre. Colin, Greg and Jane were mainstays at The Longyard in its early days. June’s passion for Aussie-style songwriters saw her give a huge kick start to numerous Tamworth and country careers, not the least of which were Champs, Bucko, Jane, Fixy and Gary. Tickets here. SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018 Country Music Capital Bluegrass A number of special bluegrass events will be staged during this year's Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Returning by popular demand for the fourth year, the show will feature Bluegrass Golden Guitar winners Kristy Cox and Pete Denahy with the Karen Lynne Band, The Weeping Willows and newcomers Montgomery Church as well as "a few extra special guests". More information on this event can be found here. Pete Denahy will also host his infamous Bluegrass & Comedy Breakfast at Wests daily at 8am from Friday January 19 to Sunday January 28. In the famous Tamworth Town Hall through the main Festival week, Cpca Cola Battle of the Bluegrass will run. The 2018 event will seek out four finalists in each section, Fiddle, Banjo and Guitar with the winners to receive a number of special prizes to determine junior and senior Tamworth bluegrass champions. Photo (from left): Kristy Cox, Karen Lynne and Pete Denahy. FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2018 Aussie country song in dispute Ed Sheeran, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are among the targets of a US copyright lawsuit launched by two Australians who claim their country song was ripped off. The Industry Observer reported...
Sheeran, along with co-writers Johnny McDaid, Steve Mac (real name Steve McCutcheon) and Amy Wadge and their respective publishing firms were named. McGraw and Hill sing on the disputed track and are identified in the suit, as are industry heavyweights Sony/ATV, Universal Polygram, and others.
Carey and Golden claim in their lawsuit that the two songs are musically, lyrically and thematically similar. Specifically, the lawsuit says, the songs are "substantially similar in bars 1-8 of both songs" and a detailed analysis of chord structure and melody are presented in the paperwork. Photo: Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Ed Sheeran. They are seeking at least US$5 million in damages and for a permanent injunction blocking the use of the song. THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018 Country turns pink
This year's Country Turns Pink Concert will be held at West Tamworth League Club on Sunday, January 21. Stars of the show will include Lyn Bowtell, Mike Carr, Matt Cornell, Adam Harvey, The Hillbilly Goats, Libby O'Donovan, Stuie & Camille and Gina Timms. Darren Coggan will host the event that will also showcase new and rising stars. Proceeds from the event go to The McGrath Foundation. Pictured (from left): Lyn, Mike, The Pigs, Libby and Darren.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2018 Country Muster for Gunnedah
Muster stars will include Rex Baldwin, Rob Breese, Trevor Coombes, Jed & Trudi Hintz, Brian Letton and Val Williamson. Event organisers have allocated camping at the Gunnedah Showground (sites from $10 per night, unpowered). Further information, including booking detail, can be obtained via www.gunnedahshowsociety.com.au. TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2018 The Balladeers Homestead One of the most popular venues at the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival is the Balladeers Homestead, set up and run by the Australian Bush Balladeers Association (ABBA).
A wide range of traditional country music concerts and showcases will be staged from Friday to Friday January 19 to 26. Artists appearing this year include... Kylie Adams-Collier, Big Al & Graeme Double Day, Greg Bain, Anthony Baxter, Terry Bennetts, Owen Blundell, Garth Brand, Bev Branson, Jeff Brown, Zeta Burns & Ian Hands, Jeanette Parsons Cains, Laurel Calvert, Kylie Castle, Tom Chesterfield, Michael Clare, Peter Coad & The Coad Sisters (Lynette and Virgina), Ashley Cook, Len & Jeanne Connor, Ernie Constance, Dennis Costigan, Ginger Cox, Greg Dillon, Malcolm Doyle, Dale Duncan, Dianne & Bob Easter, Col Edmonds, Ray Essery, Alita Fahey, Angus Gill, Terry Gordon, Marcus Greene, Bob Gregory & Kate Daniel, Johnny Greenwood, Lynette Guest, Lindsay & Gail Hammond, Kevin Harris, Gus Helm, Jim Hermel, Kate Hindle, Henry Hollis, Wayne Horsburgh, Shirrelle Jackman, Keith & Caitlyn Jamieson, Graeme Johnson ("The Rhymer from Ryde"), Tom & Tahlia Kennedy, Anne Kirkpatrick, Lachie & Georgia, Allan Lavender, Cheryl Lethlean, Brian Letton, Trevor Letton, Dianne Lindsay, Sandra Lindsay, Ken "Chainsaw" Lindsay, Sam Lovell & Rodney Rivers, Lyn Manning, Tom & Phil Manning, Tom Maxwell, Allan Morgan, Chad Morgan, Chad Morgan Junior, Dorrie Muller, Len and Jeanne Connor, John O’Dea, Jim O’Neill, Rod & Rhonda Owen, Bill Murray & Ann Penman, Taylor Pfeiffer, Dean Perrett, Lorraine Pfitzner, Evan Platschinda, Reg Poole, Ray Pratley & Samantha Bellamy. Sandra Rasmussen, Rebel, Anita Ree, Runaway Dixie, Ron Sadler, Wally Sanderson,, Paul Seils, Peter Simpson, Alisha Smith, John & Christine Smith, Pete Smith, Chris Strohfield & Laurel Calvert, Col Taylor, Trevor Tolton, Rodney Walker, Vicki Walsh, Rob Walters, "Chooka" Williams and Geoff Williams. The Salvation Army Canteen provides food and hot and cold drinks at the venue and there is plenty of parking for patrons. During their stay in Tamworth, the Association will be running its annual general meeting on Saturday, January 27 at 2pm. Photo: Runaway Dixie (the Coad Sisters Sisters with Jim Hermel) outside the Homestead. For a full rundown of shows, visit www.bushballadeers.com.au. MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018 New from Tracy Balladeer Tracy Coster is set to release a new album during this year's Tamworth Country Music Festival. Titled Coster Country Take II: A Tribute To My Dad, the album will launch on Australia Day at Wests Diggers.
"I was so surprised when approached by the (Hall of Fame) to see if I would like to have a display of my memorabilia and tell the story of my country music career," Tracy said. "It is such an honour to stand among the greats; our country music forefathers. I have dedicated a lifetime to country music, loved every minute and would not change a thing. "Now I get to hang with my dad (Stan), Slim, Buddy, Tex and more. I can’t stop smiling." The Hall of Fame said they wanted to recognise all generations of Australian country music artists and Tracy was part of the middle to younger generation currently being featured. Hall of Fame volunteers said Tracy’s father was so well known and she was also a balladeer like Stan, so it was time she was honoured. Tracy’s exhibit features the outfit she wore when she won the Golden Guitar for Vocal Collaboration of the Year with Anne Kirkpatrick for Back To The Saltbush Plains in 2005, the Golden Guitar, and one of her guitars. Weblink here. SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 2018 TSA finalists Following the release last month of semi finalists, the Tamworth Songwriters' Association has now announced top five finalists for the Salute Awards and National Songwriting Contest.
Alt / Blues / Bluegrass... Highway 39 by Wendy Phypers. The Hole by Luan Baldwin, Over Again by Harvey Russell, Southbound Train by Virginia Hermel and The Wish by John Murphy Anzac Song of the Year... Coat Of Arms by Kalesti Butler & Anita Ree, The Last Anzac by Anne Doherty, Joh Doherty & Errol Ingram, Stretcher Bearer by Brendan Smoother, Such A Shame by Terry Bennetts and Through The Eyes Of A Boy by Wendy Wood. Bush Ballad... A Thousand Different Pictures by Sharon Heaslip, The Clarence River by Dale Duncan, Ray Essery & Keith Jamieson,Dad’s Younger Days by Sharon Heaslip, Mother Nature by Keith Jamieson,We Still Sing Three Rivers Hotel by Ian Quinn. Comedy/Novelty... Looney Bin by Patricia Thompson, Matilda The Boxing Kangaroo by Gerard Hintz, New Age Computer Man by Ian Quinn & Roger Corbett, Nobody Uses The Camp Kitchen Anymore by Brian Stitt and Wherever You Are by Allan Caswell & Michael Carpenter, Contemporary Ballad... Bourbon Every Time by Allan Caswell, Just Down The Hall by Lola Brinton & Kevin Bennett, Life’s About The Little Things by David Carter, Tori-Rae (Davies), Jason Forsyth, Donna Mathews, Iona Grace, Merelyn Carter & Samantha Bellamy, Little Country Town by Brian Stitt and Mountains To The Sky by Gerard Hintz. Contemporary Song... Cars And Guitars by Rory Phillips & Roger Corbett, Control by Chloe Styler, Karma Cafe by Wendy Wood, Keep This Old Truck Tickin' by Greg Champion & Johnny Chester, My Midnight by Luan Baldwin, Not Where I’m Supposed To Be by Wendy Wood and Stand Tall by David Carter & Merelyn Carter.
Finalists for the New Songwriter Award are Lloyd Clarke with Threading The Eye Of The Needle, Dane Owen with Inner-City Daze and You And Me and Noeleen Smith with The Bottle and Since You Came Along. In the TSA's National Songwriting Contest, the finalists are... In Alt Country / Blues & Roots & Bluegrass... Ian Burns with Best Friend Is Whisky, Spike Flynn with The Gypsy Dancer and It’s The Travelling Through (More Than The Where You’ve Been), Sean Griffiths & Catherine Nona with Fall To The Ground and Brendan Smoother with Love Street. In the Lyrics Only section... Lloyd Clarke with Eureka, Dianne Coombes with Get Us Through Winter, Kevin Pye with Backroads, Merv Webster with Will It Really Happen, Dad? and Allan West with Hooroo Uluru. In Novice... Dennis Blackford with Darwon Town and White Water, Aurelle Brunjes with Cowboy Blues, Tony Kennely with Hot Ice And Bourbon and Ray Rusty Strings Smith with Follow The Wind. In Open Contemporary... Catherine Dobson with A Break In The Clouds and Jericho Rose, Sam Dyball with Million Ways, Paul Kostal with Please Come Back and Becci Nethery with Just Not Today. In Open Traditional... Terry Bennetts & Keith Lethbridge with Station Minderoo, Marie Bowden & Mike McClellan with The Gloucester Song, Colin Buchanan with That Old Bloke, Brendan Smoother with Burrumbuttock Hay Runners and Wendy Wood with Library On Livingstone Street. In the Youth section... Sophia Chesworth with Shine On Me, Sam Dyball with Million Ways, Matthew Munro with Everything Happens For A Reason and Lucy Parle with Dancing With The Wrong Girl and Wrong. The TSA is showcasing a number of finalists in the Association's weekly program "TSA Showcase" on Capital Country Radio Tuesday evenins at 9 and Saturday mornings at 6. Award and competition winners will be announced in Tamworth on Tuesday January 23 at The Longyard Hotel. Photo: a regular winner in the TSA Awards Allan Caswell (left) pictured with Pat Drummond when he was presented with the Association's Song Maker award. Weblink – www.tsaonline.com.au.
Keith is our top seller for 2017 It's no surprise that Keith Urban has topped the chart of Australia's top selling country albums for 2017. Not only is Keith's latest studio album – Ripcord – at number one, he has three other albums – two "best of" collections and his previous studio album – Fuse – in the top seller list... and the figures are impressive. Ripcord alone has been in the chart, compiled by ARIA, the Australian Recording Industry Association, for 87 weeks; The Story So Far (at number eight) has been in 293 weeks (almost six years) and Greatest Hits: 18 Kids (at number six) has been in a massive 476 weeks (just over nine years). Lee Kernaghan's 25th Anniversary Album (35 weeks in to date) comes in at number two while Kasey Chambers' Dragonfly is at number three for the year, the second in the Great Country Songbook series (this one by Adam Harvey and Beccy Cole) is at number four and The McClymonts' most recent studio album – Endless – is at five. The Very Best Of Slim Dusty, at number seven, is a perrenial seller, notching up a mighty 976 weeks in the chart as of this week. If it remains as popular as it looks like it's going to, the "best of" release will pass 1,000 weeks (almost 20 years) in early July. Judah Kelly – "The Voice" 2017 winner – comes in at number nine with Count On Me and John Williamson's His Favourite Collection rounds out the top 10. The top seller list includes Lee Kernaghan's Ultimate Hits (at 11) and Spirit Of The Anzacs (16), John Williamson's A Hell Of A Career! (20) and Anthems – A Celebration Of Australia (22), Adam Brand's Get On Your Feet (13), Graeme Connors' 60 Summers (18), Troy's Things I Carry Around (19) and The Wolfe Brothers This Crazy Life (at 23). The full listing of the 23 Australian entries in the ARIA Australian international country chart can be viewed here. Interestingly, country fared better than "pop" in the respective 2017 charts. Half of the country top 10 were Australian acts compared to no homegrown hits in the 10 of the broader Australian international albums chart. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2018
A preliminary rundown of artists scheduled to appear at the popular Toyota Fanzone in Tamworth during this month's country music festival has been announced. The line-up will be headlined by Golden Guitar winners Kevin Bennett, James Blundell, Lyn Bowtell, Travis Collins, Ashleigh Dallas, Davidson Brothers, Tania Kernaghan, John Krsulja, Amber Lawrence, Fanny Lumsden, The McClymonts and Sara Storer. Sharing the bill will be a number of rising stars including Casey Barnes, Rachael Fahim, Tori Forsyth, Germein Sisters, Kaylens Rain, Judah Kelly, Missy Lancaster, Jasmine Rae, Caitlyn Shadbolt, Aleyce Simmonds and Gretta Ziller. The 2018 Toyota Star Maker winner will also appear. Pictured (from the top): Travis, Ashleigh, Judah and Jasmine. Situated in the heart of the city's central business district, the Toyota sponsored activity features a continuous program of free entertainment with established and rising stars alike. Festival Manager Barry Harley said "Toyota Fanzone is the perfect place for musical discovery with different acts every 30 minutes," as one of the Festival’s free curated stages. "The main difference with Toyota Fanzone is that it not only showcases great live music, it also engages the audience by offering up close and personal performances and experiences including the opportunity to meet country music stars following their performances inside the Toyota Fanzone building." Over the years, Toyota Fanzone has grown to be one of the most popular destinations for artists to get close to their fans. "It’s also been a great spot for up and coming artists to showcase their talent and encourage fans to follow their journey’s," Barry said. Fanzone operates from 9.30am each day on the Post Office corner, an intersection that now features a new plaza type setting in the bottom section of Fitzroy Street constructed recently by Tamworth Regional Council at an initial projected cost of $4.5 million (photo below).
Bush poets at Tamworth A large concentration of bush poetry will be a highlight again at this year's Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Other venues featuring bush poetry will include Econolodge (Frog & Toad), North Tamworth Bowling Club, Peel Inn Nundle and West Tamworth Sports & Bowling Club. The Australian Bush Poets Association, meantime, will be running its Golden Damper Performance Awards from January 23 to 27, a competition that has long been the starting point for many careers in the bush poetry world. Two sections will be open – Original and Established (Modern or Traditional). A choice of day is offered to competitors as there are three heats before the finals on Saturday January 27. The first heat is Tuesday January 23, the seond, Thursday, January 24 and the third Friday January 26. Sessions kick off at 10.30am and will be held at St Edwards Parish Hall, 72 Hillvue Road, South Tamworth. Entry forms are available from the ABPA website abpa.org.au/event. Entries will close when all sessions are filled. For the second year, the Frank Daniels Walk Ups Award will run at the same location with heats on Saturday 20th, Sunday 21st, Tuesday 23rd with the finals on Thurs 25th. All sessions from 2pm to 4pm. This year, the Bush Poets Association will be running two workshops both on Monday January 22 and also at the Hillvue Road venue. A Writer's Workshop will be presented by Tom McIlveen and Bill Kearns. A Performance Workshop will be presented by Rhonda Tallnash (pictured, bottom) and Jack Drake. All presenters are award winning poets with "a wealth of tips and information to share". The Writer's Workshop will run from 10am to 12 noon, the Performance Workshop from 2pm-4pm. THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018 The Winners 2018 The 2018 Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) Winners compilation, showcasing finalists from the 46th annual Toyota Country Music Awards (Golden Guitars), will be released next week.
The double album has 33 songs representing all Awards categories. "It is a wonderful achievement for an artist to be a Golden Guitar Awards finalist," said Roger Corbett, Vice-Chairman of the CMAA. "(The Awards) represents the best in country music across the industry for the past year and we congratulate every artist named." The CMAA partners with Tamworth Regional Council in presenting the Awards, billed as the pinnacle event of the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival, on Saturday 27 January. Weblink – www.country.com.au. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2018 Vale – Frankie T Thatcher Frankie T Thatcher – a long-time broadcaster on and life member of community radio 2MCR 100.3 FM in Sydney – has died. He was 87. Frankie was well known for his support of many young up-and-coming country music artists and established acts, providing them with opportunities for wider exposure of their music. He was a staunch supporter of numerous country music activities as well as charities like the Fred Hollows Foundation and was an ambassador for research into prostate cancer. Macarthur Community Radio President Rodney Simpson said Frankie joined the group on January 21, 1998, providing more than 20 years of service on community radio in the Macarthur Region. "With his Monday morning 'Aussie Country Music' program, along with his own style of presentation, Frankie T made everyone welcome, either as a listener or a participant on air. "His hard work as Treasurer for many of those years has built a solid foundation, his Legacy will be never forgotten." TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2018 New from Adam & Brooke Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont are combining professionally as well as maritally in 2018. The couple has been married for around eight years, but up until now they’ve mostly kept their musical lives separate from each other. Babies have meant Brooke and her sisters are taking time out from The McClymonts allowing more time for making music with Adam.
Brooke said they were both surprised there were no arguments about chord progressions or riffs and thrilled how smooth the process was. "We were quite aware this working together might be a challenge and so kept the bar pretty low," she said. "It was certainly better than we anticipated," Adam added. "The album overall reflects that, the challenges and the positive nature of being in a relationship and kids and all that sort of business. We’re not 18 anymore... it’s a bit of a snapshot of our life and our friends." The pair believes the country music scene is strong and growing. "People still need live music, I reckon it’s still important for people to go and have a good time on a Friday [and] Saturday nights and shake it loose," Adam said. He likened the relatability of today’s country songs to that of great Australian hits from the '80s and '90s by "real musicians with real stories". The couple's five-year-old daughter Tiggy starts school next year which could prove interesting around tour time, as mum and dad are scheduled to be away each weekend from February to May. "We’re still working (that) out," Brooke said. "We’re kind of like ‘oh, okay, this is going to change things a little bit’ – it hasn’t stopped us before, we’ll work something out." Weblink – facebook.com/adamandbrooke. |
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Time and time again, Troy said, she has demonstrated her extraordinary ability to connect with country and mainstream audiences in both Australia and overseas. "She's certainly one of a kind," he said.
Conducted as a part of the CCMA's revised talent quest schedule (most sections running in the Tamworth Town Hall in conjunction with Coca Cola Country competitions, the SongStars session was conducted as a Facebook live activity out of Tamworth's Enrec Studios on Thursday.
Mt Franklin winners
Whitsundays based MICKS was voted the winner of Best Video for her clip Everything Will Be Alright, produced by Joshua Stoll, directed by Tommy Medveczky and edited by James McQualter.
An almost capacity crowd attended the gala Awards presentation which was hosted by Jane Kellaway and Paul Grierson and Chris Rieger from Simply Bushed. 
He was first recognised in 1980 with the New Talent Golden Guitar for his recording of his own song King Of The Rodeo, picking up Song of the Year in 1981 (with brother Brian) for One Armed Bandit, in 1983 (with Keith Potger) with Used To Be A Gold Song and then again in 1986 for The Garden.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018
Among numerous albums being launched this Tamworth Country Music Festival is Tracy Coster's new album Coster Country Take II.
Ian Quinn & Roger Corbett took out Comedy/Novelty Song of the Year with New Age Computer Man.
Beccy Cole is one of the inaugural inductees to the new Walk of Fame at the Adelaide Festival Centre.
"Of course it's only a guestimate," Warwick said, "but since we opened the Big Golden Guitar 30 years ago, "we estimate there could have been more than a million pictures taken of our baby."
"It's hard to believe now, but when the project was announced, there was a short flurry of negative publicity, mostly from one nearby resident, but that quickly subsided and today, the Big Golden Guitar has become a much loved symbol of Country Music Capital." Max said.
Brad says he was inspired to pursue his country music career after a month-long songwriting trip to Nashville in 2015. He recorded his debut album of which his first single, Too Drunk to Drive, debuted at number two on the iTunes country chart.
The shopping centre with the most activity is Tamworth Shoppingworld off Bridge Street, West Tamworth, which hosts a big program of entertainment for nine days of the Festival.
Based on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, Don Costa has been one of our best known independent entertainers for many years. He has a number of recordings under his belt, has performed at numerous country music festivals and has been inducted into the SA Country Music Hall of Fame. For many years, he performed with brother Paul as the Costa Brothers. 
Since deciding to pursue solo careers, Paul Costa has built an impressive list of awards and accolades including numerous finalist nominations in the Golden Guitar Awards. He has four successful albums to his credit including Wheels & Steel which debuted at number two on the ARIA Country Albums chart.
Long involved in country music, especially in Queensland, Hugo Fitz-Herbet started in the business playing drums for the Webb Brothers but played professionally in Sydney during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Moving back to Brisbane in 1973, he rejoined the Webb Brothers, “and so began the busiest 10 years of music in my life,” he said.
Graeme Hugo began his music career in 1972 at the age of 18 and continues to this day. South Australian based, he has toured throughout Australia several times with a number of high profile artists and has performed at numerous notable venues including the Sydney Opera House.
Hailing from Forbes (NSW), Nev Molloy is well known particularly for his guitar playing prowess. Apart from his work as a musician, Nev has also run an independent recording studio which has recorded numerous artists over the years.
Peter Simpson has become more known in recent years for his marital and musical collaboration with Dianne Lindsay but prior to that partnership, he has had a long and successful career of his own.
South Australian based Kevin Sporer has performed throughout Australia as a guest artist and musician, including support for artists like Bill & Boyd, Lee Conway, Johnny Mac, Chad Morgan and Kevin Sheggog. He has a number of his own recordings.
Eric Watson award
Anna honoured
Cowboy Up, being staged for the second year running, kicks off at 6 this evening at the AELEC (Australian Equine & Livestock Events Centre) Arena.
Daily live radio broadcasts from the Festival will also take place as well as live broadcasts from Tamworth of Saturday Night Country and Australia All Over on Sunday morning.
The 2018 inductees into Australia's Country Music Hands of Fame will be announced this morning at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Tamworth.
But for Day 1 (as an indicator of the days to come) the activity kicks off at breakfast time with the Big Breaky Show in Red Cross Hall, Kable Avenue at 7:45, Pete Denahy's Bluegrass & Comedy at Wests at 8, Darren Carr's Ballads & Belly Laughs at Wests Diggers and Wild Bill Davey's True Grit Breakfast Show at the Tudor Hotel in Peel Street from 8:30.
Dozens of shows and performances run through the day – far to many to list – concluding with the Australian Academy of Country Music Graduation Concert at Wests from 4pm and the Official Opening Concert from 7pm (although visitors should arrive much earlier to claim a seating area). 
Country Music is always in his thoughts and, over the years, his passion has seen the development of not only the Festival itself, but a wide range of activity which has stimulated and encouraged the growth of the genre and industry that goes with it, all over Australia.
The Awards will be held at the Tamworth Services Club in Marius Street from 7pm on Thursday, January 25.
This January celebrates another major achievement for James... 30 years since he was awarded his first Golden Guitar at the Country Music Awards, for New Talent of the Year.
"It's an amazing accomplishment for a small volunteer organisation," said CCMA President Steve Newton paying tribute to the hundreds of committee members and helpers and the thousands of entrants who have received a "leg up" via Australia's National Country Music Talent Quest.
This will be conducted as a "facebook live" event at 2pm on Thursday January 25.
Bluegrass Comes To Tamworth: A Celebration Of Acoustic Music will be held in the city's Capitol Theatre on Australia Day at 10am.
The complaint was filed on Wednesday (January 10) in New York federal court by ex-Thirsty Merc guitarist Sean Carey and keyboardist-producer Beau Golden who say the McGraw/Hill work The Rest Of Our Life, released through Arista Nashville in 2017, is "blatant copying" of their own 2014 piece When I Found You, performed by Jasmine Rae (pictured at right) and released by ABC Records.
"The copying is, in many instances, verbatim, note-for-note copying of original elements of the song, and is obvious to the ordinary observer,” states the complaint.
The town of Gunnedah, near Tamworth, will be running its Country Music Muster this year on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 22, 23 and 24.
The Homestead is located in the Salvation Army Complex on Tamworth's Goonoo Goonoo (Sydney) Roadand has been running duccessfully as such for a number of years now.
Tracy is doing double duty this January and for most of this year as she is now featuring in the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame and will do so until November.
In the Songwriter Salute Awards, the finalists are...
Gospel... Across The Jordan Wide by Peter Christie, Born Again by Peter Christie & Roger Corbett, God, Guitars & The Open Road by Peter Christie, Allan Caswell & Roger Corbett, Little Old Church On The Hill by Dale Duncan & Lola Brinton and World Full Of Angels by David Carter & Merelyn Carter, 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 2018
Tamworth Golf Club will feature the well known Marco Gliori (pictured, top), Alan Glover and Murray Hartin and The Longyard Hotel will host Neil McArthur (pictured middle) with his Bush Poets Breakfasts.
Friday January 12 is the release date of what is number 26 in a series that launched with the CMAA's first staging of the Awards in 1993.
The duo's first album together – Adam & Brooke – is to be released in February along with a number of east coast shows.