Chris Stapleton
- Kentucky-born singer, songwriter and producer Chris Stapleton has quickly
become one of Nashville’s most respected and in-demand songwriters. Stapleton
burst on the scene in 2000 as the lead singer and guitarist for the bluegrass
band The Steeldrivers. Since then, he has written five No. 1 songs for George
Strait, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker and Josh Turner and
contributed cuts to several major motion picture soundtracks. He’s also been
nominated for three Grammy Awards and, with the Steeldrivers, won the
International Bluegrass Music Association’s “Emerging Artist of the Year”
award. His songwriting credits span all genres and artists from Adele to Jason
Aldean and he’s recorded with everyone from Miranda Lambert to Don Williams.
Mercury Records recently released his much-anticipated full-length, solo debut,
“Traveller.”
Joan Osborne -
A Kentucky native, Joan Osborne’s singing career took off while she was
attending NYU’s film school. Inspired by singers like Billie Holiday and Etta
James, Osborne’s gutsy, passionate vocals turned “One Of Us,” a track from her
major label debut, into a massive MTV and radio hit. The disc went on to sell 3
million copies and led to numerous Grammy nominations. Osborne actively
supports causes like “Rock the Vote” and “Planned Parenthood” and recorded “I’m
Just A Bill” as a duet with Isaac Hayes for a “Schoolhouse Rocks The Vote”
benefit album. In 2003, Osborne joined forces with the surviving members of the
Grateful Dead when they regrouped to tour as The Dead. She also sang with
Motown's legendary Funk Brothers in the 2002 documentary “Standing in the
Shadows of Motown,” and produced two albums for the legendary blues trio the
Holmes Brothers. Osborne has shared stages with artists ranging from Bob Dylan,
Stevie Wonder, Emmylou Harris and Patti Smith to Melissa Etheridge, Taj Mahal,
Luciano Pavarotti and the Chieftains. More recently, she toured and recorded as
a member of Trigger Hippy, which also includes rising Americana star Jackie
Greene and Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman. Her 2012 release, “Bring It On
Home,” was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Blues Album” category. “Love and
Hate,” the seven-time Grammy nominee's eighth studio album, was released in
2014.
Rock My Soul
Featuring: The Fairfield Four & the McCrary Sisters - This pairing of
two legendary gospel groups is not to be missed! Known for their appearance in
the film “O Brother Where Art Thou,” and on the film’s soundtrack, The
Fairfield Four continue to sing in the traditional African American a cappella
gospel style they have been known for since the group's inception nearly 100
years ago. In 1997, the group was tapped by John Fogerty to sing on the track
“A Hundred and Ten in the Shade” from his LP “Blue Moon Swamp.” Founded
in 1921 in Nashville, the Fairfield Four have earned Grammys for “Best
Traditional Gospel Recording,” and “Album of the Year” for the “O Brother”
soundtrack. The group also received two Lifetime Achievement Awards and were
inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999. Nashville’s McCrary
Sisters have recorded with Stevie Wonder, Bobby Jones, Wynonna, Ray Stevens,
Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. The four sisters
are the daughters of the late Rev. Samuel McCrary, who was a founding member of
The Fairfield Four. Ann began singing at age three while Regina toured with Bob
Dylan for six years and recorded three albums with him. Their last release,
“Our Journey,” featured cameos by Buddy Miller Delbert McClinton, and Patty
Griffin.
Joe Ely - For
nearly four decades, Joe Ely has epitomized the rugged Texas singer/songwriter
tradition. As a member of the legendary ‘70s band the Flatlanders - which also
featured fellow Texans Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock - he helped
pioneer the alt-country genre. In the early ‘80s, Ely’s fame spread across the
Atlantic, thanks to a tour opening for the Clash. His songs, a gritty
combination of storytelling and hard-bitten life experiences, have influenced a
new generation of singer/songwriters. Ely’s “Bonfire of Roadmaps,” a collection
road journals and sketches (published by University of Texas Press) was
released along with a companion CD titled “Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch.”
His last release was titled “Satisfied at Last.” Ely was recently named
the “Official State Musician” for 2016 by the Governor and Legislature of
Texas. Meanwhile, he has been touring with longtime collaborator, accordionist
Joel Guzman. Recently, Ely issued his first novel, “Reverb: An Odyssey,” and a
single he recorded in Linda Ronstadt in 1987. In spring, 2016, Ely will be
inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame along with Roy Orbison, J.D.
Souther and Will Jennings.