NashvilleGab - Nashville news and country music gossip

David Lee Murphy does a good deed

David Lee Murphy fan, Christie, wanted me to pass on this bit of good that David's doing for a little boy with a horrible illness.

David Lee Murphy auction items will be a part of the "Benjamin the Brave" Robinson Dinner/Dance/Auction to be held on Saturday, August 01st, 2009. Any donation to the Benjamin Robinson Fund would be most appreciated by his family and friends. For more information see the posted information below. Please keep Benjamin in your thoughts and prayers!

"Benjamin the Brave" Robinson Dinner/Dance/Auction

Saturday, August 1st, 2009: DuQuoin VFW - 2215 US Rt. 51

Benjamin Robinson was hospitalized in early May and was diagnosed with a medullablastoma - a cancerous brain tumor. Due to Ben's ongoing medical care, Ben's family has incurred substantial expenses related to Ben's medical care, lost work and travel costs.

YOU CAN HELP.

A benefit is being held in Ben's honor at the DuQuoin VFW. The benefit will include a dinner, dance and silent auction.

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT THE BENJAMIN ROBINSON FAMILY:

• Mail your donation to:
  • Regions Bank
    PO Box 426
    DuQuoin, IL 62832
    (payable to Benjamin Robinson)
• You or your business can make a donation to the auction.
• Tickets for the event are available at the door or at the following locations:
  • Regions Bank in DuQuoin, IL / Adult: $20
  • Coulterville Care Center / Children 10 & under: $10

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Roxanne Kohlbrecher (618) 974-9621, Julie Nuernberger (618) 972-4376 or Lee Ann Fancher (618) 318-0824.

Please tell me where I can sign up

Seattle apparently has a Cardboard Tube Fighting League.  Please tell me this will soon be going nationwide because I soooo want to join. 

EzraJane would like a little help

EzraJane have a great foundation called The Raining Season which helps children in Africa.  The pair are now launching a new project and hope to raise the funds to purchase a building in Freetown, Sierra Leone that will eventually become The Covering, a children's home which will house 86 children.

The talented duo are looking for at least 200 people to make the tax deductible donation of $100. Their goal is to raise at least $20,000 by September 1st when the girls travel back to Africa.

Read about EzraJane and The Raining Season here:

www.EzraJane.com

www.TheRainingSeason.org

Because there can never be enough songs about STDs

Yep, every time I hear the name Billy Bob Thornton my ears perk up because seriously, you never know what's going to come out of the man's mouth.  Well he's gone and made me scratch my head again.  On a recent visit to Sirius XM radio Billy Bob and his Boxmasters debuted a song from their upcoming album called It Only Hurts When I Pee. 

Wanna venture a guess as to what it's about? 

Well from Billy Bob's own lips, he says, "On the next record... we actually have a song coming out about venereal disease, which I think needs to be talked about, and it's a song called It Only Hurts When I Pee."

Not sure if the song is from personal experience or he's hoping for a late-night condom commercial endorsement deal.  Here's a couple of videos of Billy Bob visiting "Real Time with Bill Maher."  You can hear him talk about the song at the 3-minute mark on the second video. 

Crystal Shawanda embraces her roots, heads out on Native-American tour

Talk to most people and they'll claim to have Native American somewhere in their bloodlines, a grandma here, a great, great grandfather there - but for the most part it's pretty much not true in most people.  For Crystal Shawanda, however, it's 100% true.  And she's owning it.

Crystal will be hitting the road in August and September for the Native Music Rocks Tour, the first-ever collection of Native American artists performing rock, country, roots rock, native folk, gospel, blues and reggae on a major cross-country trek.  The month-long tour will coincide with the debut of the Native Music Rocks! line of apparel at Hard Rock Cafes around the world and will wrap up with a special November show celebrating “Native American Heritage” Month. 

The Native Music Rocks! Tour will feature headliner Micki Free’s American Horse (featuring former Lenny Kravitz drummer Cindy Blackman), along with Crystal Shawanda, Casper, Martha Redbone, Levi & The Platero’s, Hank Nelson Jr. and Paula Bowers Sanchez.

 

“There has never been anything like the Native Music Rocks! Tour,” Free says.  “This is a history-making event: Native American musicians touring the Hard Rock Cafes, which are now owned by Native Americans (The Seminole Tribe of Florida). I am honored to be involved as one of the musicians chosen to lead the way.”

 

Sounds like an interesting and unique tour.  You can check out more information on the tour's website www.nativemusicrocks.com.  And here's the dates you can check the tour out for yourself.   

 

Date                  City                   Venue

Wed, Aug 26     San Diego, CA     Hard Rock Cafe

Thurs, Aug 27   Hollywood, CA     Hard Rock Cafe

THE NMR FASHION SHOWCASE TOUR DATES:

Date                  City                   Venue

Tues, Sept 1       Tampa, FL         Floyds/Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Wed, Sept 2        Orlando, FL        Hard Rock Cafe

Thurs, Sept 3      Hollywood, FL     Hard Rock Cafe

Tues, Sept 8       New York, NY     Hard Rock Cafe

Wed, Sept 9        Ledyard, CT       Hard Rock Cafe @Foxwoods Casino

Sept TBA            Las Vegas, NV    Opening of New Hard Rock Café

October 31          Naples, FL         NATIVE MUSIC ROCKS! Celebrates Native American Heritage” Month

Concert for the Cure fan story

 

Jessica sent me these pictures and review of the Concert for the Cure benefit concert which featured Jason Aldean, Jake Owen, Ashley Ray and Luke Bryan last month and I'm just getting to it.  I feel bad because the review and pictures are top notch, I've just been so slow getting to everything in my email.  Sorry Jessica.  Anyway, enjoy her teling of the concert and then you can visit her Facebook to check out the rest of her awesome pictures.

My roommate, Heather, and I got to the Wildhorse Saloon about 6:00pm to wait in line so we could get good seats as everything was general admission.  At first we were told we would have to go to the 2^nd or 3^rd floor and fill in, but once we got inside we realized everyone was crowded around the stage, so we joined the crowd.  We ended up about 3 or 4 people back which was awesome.

 

 

Ashley Ray took the stage right at 10:00 and rocked it!  She is a new singer/songwriter from Kansas who was recently out on tour with Eric Church on his Young and Wild Tour and that’s how I knew who she was.  She sang songs such as “Hurricane” and “Next Time I Fall in Love” and did a cover of Tom Petty’s “I won’t Back Down” and “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon.  She talked about how this show was kind of a celebration as her mom had been battling breast cancer and was finally able to get out of the house, so Ashley flew both of her parents in for the show. 

 

After her set, Lance Smith, who was host for the night, came back out and interviewed Ashley for a few minutes.  She had mentioned during her set how during the Eric Church tour she had couch surfed with fans to cut the cost of getting a hotel room all the time.  Lance asked her about this and asked what one of the craziest stories she had was.  She said it was too inappropriate, so she proceeded to talk about the very first night of the tour.  She told how she was couch surfing with a fan and there was a card board cut-out of Alan Jackson.  They had been drinking that night, so to be goofy, she put “Alan” in bed with her and “slept” with him.  The video is up on her myspace page (www.myspace.com/ashleyray).  Well, it just so happened that when that incident happened, she was couch surfing at Heather’s parents’ house.  Heather and I knew from the beginning what story she was going to tell, so we were dying of laughter in the audience.  Ashley told Lance that the fans she had couch surfed with were in the audience and pointed to Heather and I.  Lance told us it was our fault she “slept” with Alan Jackson.

 

After Ashley, Luke Bryan took the stage.  I have seen Luke several times in concert and he never disappoints.  He performed his set acoustically with the help of one of Jake Owen’s guys on drums.  He did not have a set list, so he just kind of went with the flow and sang whatever he felt like singing and even took a few requests.  He sang a brand new song about how he would never do something again and then doing it again.  It was awesome! He sang his current single “Do I” by request and his hits such as “Country Man” and “We Rode in Trucks.” Jake Owen joined him on stage to help sing “Good Directions.”  He closed his set with his hit single “All My Friends Say.” I was very disappointed when he was finished as I could watch him perform all night long.

 

 

Jake Owen took the stage next.  He played “Yee Haw” and his new single “8 Second Ride” which I am partial too since one of my friends helped co-write with Jake.  His parents were side-stage, so before he sang “Don’t Think I can’t Love You” he talked about when he wrote the song he had his parents in mind.  It was cute to watch his parents while he sang that song.  He also did a rap and freestyle to “Fresh Prince of Belair.”  He finished his set with a cover of Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight.”

 

After a short break, Jason Aldean came on to rock the stage.  He kicked off his set with the title track of his new album, “Wide Open” and then went into “Crazy Town” which happens to be one of my favorite songs on his album.  He then sang his hit and first #1 single, “Why.”  Then, he sang a cover of “Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty which he credits as one of his favorite bands.  Right before he sang his newest single, “Big Green Tractor,” he brought a guy on stage to make a very special announcement.  I thought he was going to talk about the Susan G. Komen Foundation which is what the Concert for the Cure benefits, but he didn’t.  He talked about a woman (who was Jason’s Mother-in-Law) he met 4 years ago and how much she meant to him.  Then he got down on one knee and proposed to her as the crowd went crazy.  It was a very cute moment.  Then Jason told them he had a very romantic song for them and performed “Big Green Tractor.”  He played several songs from his 2^nd album, including “Johnny Cash,” “Relentless,” and others.  He finished his set by rocking out to his last single “She’s Country” and “Hicktown.” I was disappointed there was not an encore, but the way he finished the show was awesome. 

 

 

  

This was my 17^th Jason Aldean show and it was by far one of the best.  After the show, Heather and I and a few friends went around behind the Wildhorse hoping to catch Jason or even just his band members.  Just before the band came out (no Jason), Lance Smith came out.  Heather caught him and we started talking to him.  He made a comment how normally at events like this he is side-stage or backstage and doesn’t normally get to watch the show, but tonight he went out front to watch.  He said Jason was awesome and “Jason Aldean is going to be huge.  He could very well be the next Kenny Chesney.” To hear someone like Lance say that about Jason made my night and made me remember why I love Jason so much.

Nicole has a few questions for Keith

Keith and Nicole got a rare day off together and took to the streets of the New York City on Sunday, July 12.

This picture made me chuckle because it looks like Nicole's interviewing Keith. 

Missing from the picture was little Sunday Rose who turned 1 on Tuesday, July 7th.  The couple celebrated the birthday with a little cake at home and a video for the couple's family back home in Australia.   

"My wife made a beautiful video that covered her first year and we gave that to all the family," said Urban .

Keith also says that Sunday's taking after her mom more and more every day. "She has got all Nic's good features. The eyes are probably like mine but she has got Nic's skin and hair, and long legs."

Well if she's got her mom's Hollywood looks and her dad's golden pipes, I'd say the girl's probably got a charmed future in the entertainment business.

A few Taylor Swift do's and dont's

Just in case you were wondering what Taylor would do in certain situations, here she is telling you.

A contest fit for a King

Oh I may very well have a brand new pair of CDs.  Sorry Taylor, Brad, and Hank Williams, Jr., but Elvis is still King to me. A couple weeks ago I was given the opportunity to preview the new From Elvis in Memphis: Legacy Edition,a collection of two CDs stuffed full of Elvis awesomeness.  Here's what the email I had gotten said:

In 1969 Elvis Presley returned to Memphis to record his first hometown session in 13 years. He returned to Memphis with renewed focus and ambition sparked by his wildly successful TV comeback special the previous month. In just two weeks of sessions he made some of the most memorable and artistically satisfying music of his career. 

This burst of inspired creativity resulted in the critically acclaimed album From Elvis In Memphis and its companion Back In Memphis. "Suspicious Minds," "In The Ghetto," "Don't Cry Daddy" and "Kentucky Rain" were among the unforgettable hits that resulted. This 40th anniversary Legacy Edition contains every track from the sessions recorded at American Studios in Memphis in January and February of 1969.

Oh you guys, it's so great hearing all these wonderful Elvis classics in one - well two - CDs.  If you're an Elvis fan like I am, it's a must have.  Luckily I've been given the opportunity to give away three copies to other Elvis fans.  But you're going to have to work for these CDs.  This go around we're going to have a trivia contest.  The three readers who answer the most questions right will win the collection.

In the meantime, if you'd like to buy your own copy which will be available July 28th, you can preorder yours here .  You can also take a listen here.  

Now for the contest.  It'll run from today until next Sunday, July 19.  All you have to do is answer the questions below and send the answers to me at blogginmomma@hotmail.com.  The three people who answer the most questions correctly will win.  Feel free to Google, Yahoo, call in a friend, whatever you have to do to win.  Oh, you can also just read the press release after the jump to find the answers.  Just email me your answers and you'll be entered to win.  Good luck guys.

TRIVIA QUESTIONS:

1. How old was Elvis at the time of these sessions in 1969?
2. What year did Elvis move to Memphis? What church did the Presleys attend when they moved to Memphis?
3. Which famous old Hank Snow song (also recorded by The Rolling Stones) was included on the first of the Memphis albums? After Elvis left Sun records in 1955, he didn’t record in Memphis until the year?  
4. What is the title of the first song to hit the charts from these sessions? 
5. What was the name of the studio where the recordings took place? 
6. The fourth single hit from the sessions has the name of a U.S.state in it’s title. Which state? 
7. Elvis had a big hit in 1970 with “The Wonder Of You”. The b-side was from the Memphis sessions. What was the title?

I'm so totally screwed

Not 100% sure why it is that every few years some big company or group of companies decide it's time get some money from the little folks.  The little folks may not even know what they're doing is wrong, but bam, it's time to pay up.

Well it's that time again and now it's ASCAP that wants their cut and they want it from YouTube users.

ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) licenses the performance rights for music, collecting royalties for its songwriter members when their songs are played in certain contexts.  Well it seems ASCAP and YouTube have been going rounds for a while now about the use of ASCAP artists' music in videos on the site, but then ASCAP decided to take it one step further and started sending out bills for fees to website owners who used YouTube videos which contained the music of ASCAP artists.  YouTube had told these people who got bills to refer ASCAP back to them, but then a judge told Google - who owns YouTube - that they owed $1.6 million to ASCAP while the court battle drags on.  Which probably means that if a person gets one of these bills for fees now, they're probably on their own. 

The only good news about this story is that as of now ASCAP is only worried about the big websites who use YouTube videos with ASCAP artist music, but how long until they decide the smaller websites should pay too?  And how in the world is a person such as myself supposed to know what's safe to use and what's not?  Talk adding stress to something as simple as posting a video.