We are proud to announce the Inaugural CountryMusicIsLove Concert benefiting City of Hope. The intimate, acoustic show featuring Johnny Bulford, Carter Twins, Whitney Duncan, Adam Gregory, Mallary Hope, Jason Jones, Jesse Lee, Caitlin Lynn, Gwen Sebastian, and Matt Stillwell will be held at The Rutledge in downtown Nashville on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 7pm. Jon Anthony from Kenny Chesney’s “No Shoes Radio” will emcee the event!
Tickets are $15 and 100% of the proceeds will benefit City of Hope. Tickets are on sale now HERE.
UPDATE: The Rutledge is an 18 & up venue…Because this show is for charity, they have opened it up to all ages, but there are restrictions. Anyone under 18 MUST be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The parent/guardian must stay with their child at all times. Anyone who violates this rule will be removed from the venue.
If you’re coming from out of town for the show, please consider staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites Nashville/Downtown. The hotel is within a block of The Rutledge and they’re offering a special, discounted rate for everyone who is attending the show. Click the logo below to reserve your room.
Nashville/Downtown
About City Of Hope: City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest honor bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope’s research and treatment protocols advance care throughout the nation. City of Hope is located in Duarte, Calif., just northeast of Los Angeles, and is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer and urology by U.S.News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics. For more information, visit www.cityofhope.org.
We’d like to thank all the artists who have volunteered to give their time and talent for this event. Without them, it wouldn’t be possible. We’d also like to thank our friends at Country Music Cares for their support.
Get To Know The Artists:
Johnny Bulford
Talk about life imitating a great country song! Rising country sensation Johnny Bulford’s wild and incredible 2009 truly lived up to “Livin It Up,” his infectious new song that’s also the title track to his upcoming third indie album.
Representing radio station WWKA Orlando, the charismatic Central Florida based singer/songwriter was named “Best New Act In Country Music” at the 27th Annual Colgate Country Showdown, which was hosted by superstar LeAnn Rimes at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and is being syndicated across the country last spring.
“It’s the best thing that’s happened in my career so far, and it seemed like everybody in Nashville was watching the show, so people wanted to know why I wasn’t jumping up and down and acting more excited,” says Bulford. “I guess I deal with this kind of thing differently, and I was in shock a little bit. When they announced my name, my legs started shaking and all I could think about was not falling down and not saying something silly. I thought back to when I first started listening to country music, when my grandmother popped in a cassette of Garth Brooks when I was 11 and thought, wow, it’s been quite a journey. Yet really, it’s only beginning.”
Bulford has already opened major shows for Collin Raye, Josh Turner, Emerson Drive, Chris Cagle, Diamond Rio, Tracy Lawrence, Montgomery Gentry, Blake Shelton, Justin Moore, Jamey Johnson, and Jason Michael Carroll, just to name a few.
Bulford recently scored a highly coveted endorsement deal with manufacturing powerhouse Taylor Guitars and a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.
This whirlwind of activity is leading up to the highly anticipated release of Livin It Up, which features tracks written or co-written and produced by the singer and collaborations with renowned Nashville songwriting heavyweights, the Grammy nominated Charlie Craig (Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton) and Robert Arthur (Brad Paisley, Mark Chesnutt). Many of the songs are currently available on his MySpace, and a pre-release of the album is for sale online and at his live performances.
Carter Twins
Growing up in Akron, Ohio, 19-year-old twins Josh and Zach Carter were surrounded by music from the time they were born. Their mother worked in country radio and encouraged their interest – Zach stole time at her piano, while she taught Josh “Stairway to Heaven” on the guitar.
The family recently relocated to Nashville from South Carolina so the twins could pursue their music career full-time under the development of CMT and Meteor 17. Still settling into their new digs, Josh and Zach spent the summer working with some of Music City’s best songwriters and crafting as many as 60 songs in just six months. Their debut album has collaborations with Charles Kelly (Lady Antebellum), Liz Rose (Taylor Swift), Tia Sillers (“I Hope You Dance” and numerous #1 hits) and a host of other top tunesmiths.
Their first single, “Heart Like Memphis,” garnered national attention, making them one of the fastest-rising new artists on the digital charts. The Carter Twins are outselling over the current country chart titles on downloads, out streaming nearly all new country acts on My Space, out searching over half the current country acts on Google – thus showing they totally connect with audiences, both on the radio and live.
Their album, set for release in early 2010, is being produced by Frank Rogers, Billboard magazine’s #1 country producer of the Year (25 #1 singles). Their touring agent is CAA Nashville chief Rod Essig and the rest of CAA who are deeply involved working on all aspects of the twin’s multimedia career. Their media and career direction is being helmed by Spencer Proffer and his staff at Meteor 17. Their career publicist is Diana Baron, former A&M publicity chief who works in a similar capacity for artists such as Alan Jackson, Colbie Caillat and handles all press efforts for the Special Olympics, amongst other clients.
The Carter Twins were in the select nomination group for this year’s CMT Awards, being in the nomination pool for Best New Duo as well as Breakthrough Video of The Year.
Click HERE to visit the Carter Twins’ official website.
Whitney Duncan
For Whitney Duncan, it’s always been about the right relationships. They helped shape her as a young girl nurturing her passion for music in a small Tennessee town. They were there to support her efforts to break into the upper reaches of the music business as a teenager. And, not long ago, when her path seemed uncertain, she knew she would find them again.
“There were times when I wondered, ‘Is this going to work?’” she says, “and times when I was frustrated, but I realized a lot of people go through this. ‘I’m young,’ I thought. ‘I still have time. I don’t need to freak out and get impatient. Eventually the time will be right.’”
Her patience paid off, and the breakthrough came, as it often does, from a serendipitous introduction.
“My booking agent introduced me to Mark Bright and said, ‘He’s a guy who will totally get what you’re wanting to do,’” says Whitney. Her first meeting with Bright, whose production credits include Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Sara Evans, would be a major career turning point, although at the time it felt more like a therapy session.
The two kindred spirits had recorded three sides when the final piece of the relationship puzzle fell into place in the form of John Shanks, known for his work with Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban and Kelly Clarkson. Shanks was working at the time with Bon Jovi, and had stopped to visit Bright at his offices. Bright, says Whitney, “went on like a proud parent” to Shanks, who asked if he could write with her then and there.
“What are the chances?” she says with a laugh.
The three-way combination–with Shanks and Bright co-producing–resulted in Right Road Now, a debut album that introduces Whitney as an intriguing new voice in contemporary country music, a woman who matches her vocal prowess with songwriting of real depth and breadth. She wrote every song on the CD, in conjunction with Both Bright and Shanks, as well as top-drawer Nashville tunesmiths like Hillary Lindsay, Brett James, Chris Tompkins and Gordie Sampson.
“I’ve been down a few wrong roads musically,” she says, “but it all feels right now–the right writers, the right songs, the right producers, the right team–the right road. It’s really the perfect title for this record.”
To learn more about Whitney Duncan, visit her official website.
Adam Gregory
Although still a relative newcomer to the U.S. and Nashville, Adam Gregory is certainly no stranger to success in Country music. Since his early teens, Gregory has enjoyed a celebrated career as an artist in Canada. At only 13 years old, the Edmonton, Alberta, native had secured his first major label record deal, and by the time he made the move down to Nashville in 2007, he was a Gold-selling artist in his home country. Now 24, Gregory is well on his way to making a name for himself in the States as well.
Not long after making the move to Music City, Adam met several Nashville songwriters that would have an immediate impact on his career. Collaborating with fellow songwriters like Lee Brice, Kyle Jacobs, Keith Follese and Joe Leathers, Gregory crafted a number of songs that helped propel him onto the airwaves. His first single, “Crazy Days,” would turn out to be one of the most memorable summer anthems of 2008, as well as a Top 30 hit on the charts. After signing to Big Machine Records, Gregory’s second single was the more personal “What It Takes,” a song that helped secure a national promotional tour with mobile carrier, Cricket Communications. By the end of the year, Gregory had established himself as one of the rising stars in Country music, with three different performances on the Grand Ole Opry, performances at the CMA Music Festival and red carpet appearances at the CMA and ACM Awards.
In 2009, Gregory extended his heavy touring schedule as he partnered with nonprofit group Soles4Souls, playing shows across the U.S. and raising thousands of dollars and shoes for the underprivileged. The young singer also made his acting debut, landing a prominent role alongside John Schneider in the faith-based film, “What Would Jesus Do.” In March 2009, Gregory released Crazy Days. Produced by Brad Allen and Keith Follese, the album was received to wide critical acclaim in Canada, but an alternate U.S. version with a different track list was delayed at the last minute and remains in the works.
In the meantime, Adam continues to split time between Nashville and his hometown in Edmonton, playing shows and collaborating on new songs with artists like Billy Dean, Lee Brice and Due West’s Tim Gates. Regardless of the status of Crazy Days, Gregory remains busy and has already begun work on his next project.
“I’ve learned so much and met so many amazing people during this whole experience,” says Adam. “I believe God put me on this earth to sing. He’s blessed me with a gift, and I’m so humbled to share it with people. Right now, I’m just moving forward and really excited about what the future holds for me.”
Check out Adam’s official website for more.
Mallary Hope
Country-music newcomer Mallary Hope has pursued her dream with a single-minded determination for as long as she can remember. That dream is coming true with the release of her debut single, the powerfully emotional “Love Lives On.”
It began when she was a little girl singing in her father’s church in little Cohutta, Georgia. At age 9 she traveled with her family to Nashville and talked her way on stage at The Nashville Palace to sing “Unchained Melody” and “Daddy’s Hands.” She formed her first band when she was just 12 years old. Mallary wrote her first song when she was 15. She sang it at a talent competition, won first prize and subsequently made her first CD single and music video.
By the time she was a sophomore in high school, Mallary Hope was performing 150 shows a year. Her determination was so intense that her entire family pulled up stakes to move to Music City when she was 17 in order for her to pursue her dream fulltime. She finished her education as a home-schooled student while en route to signing a song-publishing contract and recording more than 500 “demos” as a Music Row session singer. Last November, at age 21, Mallary signed a recording contract with MCA Records.
Mallary speaks with a soft Georgia accent and is a lovely brown-eyed brunette. As a songwriter, there is real depth in her lyrics, as any listen to “Love Lives On” reveals. The song is told from the point of view of a widow with a child, missing the man she loves.
The lyric sprang from a conversation that Mallary had with her older sister. Mallary’s brother-in-law is in the Army and was just deployed to Iraq on August 3, 2009. The couple has a baby boy and when Mallary’s sister was pregnant, she asked her if the baby was planned.
“When your husband is in the military, always in the back of your mind is the thought that he might not come back home,” she replied. “If you lose him, having a baby to remind you of him and your love might make it hurt less.”
As a result of that conversation, an intensely moving song was born.
Click HERE for more information on Mallary.
Jason Jones
Jason Jones grew up in Wakulla Station, a small town just south of Tallahassee, FL. His parents divorced when he was three so he spent most of his childhood traveling back and forth between Georgia and Florida for holidays, school breaks, etc. Jones has two older sisters, a younger brother, and a handful of stepbrothers and sisters.
He admits he was a pretty shy and quiet as a kid; he never cared much for being the center of attention. His dad bought him his first guitar when he was 13. After receiving the guitar, Jones quit playing sports and made sure to make good grades so he wouldn’t get his guitar taken away.
He spent countless hours playing the guitar listening to songs on the radio and learning how to play by ear and learning how to read and write music. When he was fifteen, he put his first band together in high school. Jones convinced his dad to let them use an old house on his property as their ‘Band House’. They practiced, put on shows and of course threw a crazy party or two in that old house.
After High School, he spent two years at Tallahassee Community College and a semester at FSU, but fate brought him to Texas for a talent competition. After that trip, life put him on the path to Nashville, where he ultimately decided he needed to be.
Jones is now in Nashville writing songs everyday and surrounded by a band of amazing musicians and friends. He recently started recording his first album for Warner Bros.
Click HERE to learn more about Jason Jones.
Jesse Lee
Jesse Lee relies on a simple philosophy to create music: she writes and sings what she knows best. By doing so, she has not only remained true to herself, but she’s also captured the feelings of a generation of young women who are finding their place in this world.
Her debut album on Atlantic Records serves as a musical diary of her life’s adventures, vividly describing the excitement and heartbreak that has come her way. There’s a chorus of twenty-something women seconding those emotions everywhere she turns.
Jesse’s first single, the light-hearted female anthem “It’s A Girl Thing,” pokes fun at the differences between the sexes: “We love romance, and candlelight/ You like a cold beer, we like a fine wine/ You hardly talk, we can talk all night/ You wanna fix it, we just wanna cry/ It’s a girl thing.” She says, “This song is my personality in a nutshell. It most represents who I am not only as an artist, but as a person.”
Perhaps there is no better testament to her talent and promise than the list of those who are lining up to work with her. Her debut album was produced by Grammy Award winners Mark Bright (Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts), Paul Worley (Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride) and Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift). She’s already amassed an impressive catalog of songs, most of which remain to be heard, and her co-writing sessions read like a Who’s Who of Nashville hitmakers. She’s written songs with American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, as well as Hillary Lindsey, who co-wrote “Jesus, Take the Wheel” for Carrie Underwood, and Liz Rose, who co-wrote “Teardrops on My Guitar” with Taylor Swift. She’s also created compositions with Luke Laird (Underwood’s “Last Name”), Chris Tompkins (Underwood’s “Before He Cheats”), and Rachel Proctor (McBride’s “Where Would You Be.”)
While growing up in Northern California’s Palo Alto, she was surrounded by music. Her father was a rock guitarist and her mother was a torch singer. Jesse’s early influences were Garth Brooks, LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain and Reba McEntire.
By age 11, Jesse was performing 30-minute sets at state festivals. At age 13, her family moved to Florida where she enrolled in a performing arts high school and thrived in the supportive community of teens who shared and understood her passion and drive. Soon she began opening shows for artists such as Willie Nelson, Ronnie Milsap and Clay Walker.
Jesse Lee made her first visit to Nashville at age 14 to record a demo. By age 15, she was spending extended periods of time in Music City, where she was readily embraced by the songwriting community and gained performance experience at such venues as the historic Ryman Auditorium.
After high school, she enrolled in Belmont University’s music business program. She took classes only on Tuesdays and Thursdays so she would have more time to write songs and perform at Nashville songwriters clubs such as the legendary Bluebird Café.
Her big break came when she was discovered at a Jacksonville fair and shortly after was invited to perform for an Atlantic Records executive. She performed four songs and was signed on the spot.
“I have been blessed with an opportunity that not many people in this life are given, and the last thing I’m going to do is waste it. As long as someone cares enough to listen, I’ll keep doing what I was born to do – music. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!”
Visit Jesse Lee’s official website to learn more.
Gwen Sebastian
Gwen Sebastian, the Midwestern raised singer, brings a captivating performance to the stage with a honeysuckle sweet personality. A talented songwriter and experienced entertainer, you’d never guess this sassy singer comes from such a dirt road background.
Growing up on a farm in Hebron, North Dakota with a population of under 800, she spent the summers rounding up cattle on the family ranch and tossing flour with her mom in the kitchen. Gwen and her younger brother are just two of 117 grandchildren; consequently, she had a captive audience when she started digging her heels in the music scene. “Before I could even walk, I would sit beneath the organ as my grandma played. I would watch her feet play the pedals,” recalls Gwen. When she was only 4 years old Gwen entered her first talent contest, by age 11 she became the local church organist, and by her early teens she was regularly performing on stages alongside her parents at local weddings, fairs and bars around North Dakota.
After high school, Gwen enrolled in nursing school, but quickly hung up her scrubs to pursue a career in music. During her first semester she attended a music conference in Nashville, and with the encouragement from several A&R representatives, Gwen decided to leave school and move to Nashville. “My first performance in Music City was at the famous Bluebird Café,” smiles Gwen. “It was at that moment when I knew I made the right decision.”
Once in Nashville, Gwen became a regular performer at the world-renowned Wildhorse Saloon, and moved on to play at fairs, festivals, casinos and clubs all over the country. She has opened for acts including Taylor Swift, Sugarland and Phil Vassar. She enjoys the creative songwriter community in Music City and the opportunity to co-write with hit songwriters including Wendell Mobley (Kenny Chesney’s “How Forever Feels,” Rascal Flatts’ “I Melt” and “Fast Cars and Freedom”) and Dean Miller (son of Roger Miller, King of the Road). “I want my fans to really connect with me and I feel that through my songwriting is the best way they can,” explains Gwen.
“Contemporary country with spunk” is how she would describe her music which features influential stylings from Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Pink and Sheryl Crow. Recently signed to Lofton Creek Records, Gwen is hoping to reach an even broader audience with her music. Her debut single, “Hard Rain,” was released to country radio in October 2009.
With what little spare time she has, Gwen enjoys cooking and spending time with her family and friends. “I love to eat almost as much as I love to sing,” laughs Gwen. “My band affectionately calls me ‘lunchbox.’” With a sound that deserves a home on country radio, the confidence to command a stage, and a natural talent that flows effortlessly to her audience, Gwen proves to have all the ingredients necessary to create a recipe for success.
Click HERE to learn more about Gwen.
Matt Stillwell
Matt Stillwell’s move to Nashville was the ultimate eye-opener.
“I watched friends do showcases and hope someone would show up,” he says. “I watched them being promised record or publishing deals that might or might not happen. So I made the decision that what I needed to do was to eliminate the ‘no’s, and the way to do that was to go build a following.”
A man with a work ethic as big as his talent, Matt did just that, and in this age of American Idol and viral videos, he has built his following the old-fashioned way–one city, one club, one crowd at a time. Now, with the release of his new CD, Shine, fans nationwide can experience the magic that Matt brings to bear every time he steps in front of a microphone.
Shine showcases a performer who can be rowdy and side-splittingly funny as well as passionately engaging, who can get an audience laughing, crying and singing along, and for whom music is simply an extension of his personality.
“I love real music,” he says, “something I can believe in and relate to.”
He can comfortably take that reality in either direction.
“My shows are pretty big parties,” he says, flashing his trademark grin, “but I have a lot of serious songs and a lot of storytelling I do.”
He grew up in Sylva, North Carolina, an outdoors paradise that is home to some of the best bluegrass, country and Southern gospel music anywhere.
For much of high school, athletics was a higher priority than music. Matt was in chorus and in school productions until his senior year, when he left them behind to take part in football, basketball, track, and, most passionately, baseball, heading for a batting cage after practice for other sports. In college, and was part of the Southern Conference-winning Western Carolina University baseball team, playing both infield and outfield. That, ironically enough, led him back into music.
“We would go parties and I would sing, which impressed the girls–and that got my attention,” he says. “That’s how it really got started for me.”
By his junior year, he was being touted as a probable major league draft choice, but when that didn’t happen he had to look at his priorities.
“I could have chased the dream and went and tried out and played independent ball,” he says, “but I thought, ‘If I’m going to chase something,’ I’d rather it be music.”
His first professional experience was singing gospel, but he soon realized he wanted his music to have a broader appeal. During a visit to Nashville, he says, “I took a walk downtown, going to the Ryman and other places. I was supposed to be selling real estate, which was the job I had at the time, but instead I wore blisters on my feet. I couldn’t get enough of it. That kind of got my juices flowing.”
Three months later, he had an apartment in Nashville and was attending Belmont University, the music business school that nurtured Trisha Yearwood, Brad Paisley, Lee Ann Woman and Josh Turner, among others. After one full semester, he realized he just wanted to learn enough guitar to be able to write and sing demos.
Stillwell drew enthusiastic crowds in Knoxville, Sylva, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Statesboro, Chapel Hill, and Asheville.
His lifestyle at first was a Spartan one–just him, his car, his guitar, and the couches of friends in each town. Word spread, the crowds got bigger, and he began opening for acts like Luke Bryan, Lee Brice, Chris Knight, Zac Brown and Corey Smith, and working festivals with the likes of Trent Tomlinson and Jake Owen.
He made use of e-mail lists and text messaging to spread the word–the perfect mix of new technology and classic talent.
His first, self-produced recordings carried his music further, and as his audience grew, he attracted a group of believers who form the production and promotion team around the current project.
These days, Matt does both full-band and solo, acoustic gigs.
“There aren’t that many people who can walk on the stage with a thousand or two thousand people and pull off a solo acoustic show,” says his manager Dennis Kurtz. “Matt is just one of those entertainers who can make it work.”
“Someday I’d like to sell out the Ryman for a gig that was just me and my acoustic guitar,” he says. “I think that would be the ultimate gig ever.”
Given his abilities as both a dreamer and a worker, there’s little doubt one day we’ll see it happen.
Click HERE to visit Matt Stillwell’s official website.
