Author Archives: HaleighT

About HaleighT

HaleighT grew up in rural Sallisaw, Oklahoma, completely immersed in the country music lifestyle. She works with CMNB as our field assignment journalist, gathering concert reviews and exclusive interviews from every artist she can. When she's not out on the road, she's in our web studio filming "Takin' a Break With HaleighT" a short weekly opinion and news segment that launched in 2011.

Tyrone Vaughan Releases Downtime

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Tyrone Vaughan Set to Release Downtime in September! Tyrone Vaughan’s album Downtime is set to be released in September. The son of blues guitarist Jimmie Vaughan and nephew of legend Stevie Ray Vaughan, has made this album true to his country roots, including his well-known family guitar capabilities. Along with “Downtime“, the record gives us “9 Times Out of 10“, “Buzz Kill“, “She Could Have Had Anything“, “The House Feels So Empty“, “Next Stop, Texas“, and “Wanna Hear You Sing“. Throughout the record we get a touch of rock, blues, and R&B. “It’s country all day long, but it also rocks, there’s blues – I can’t deny it. I keep the Vaughan guitar in there, but with fiddle, banjo, and steel guitar in there as well. So it’s this whole different vibe.” Vaughan is the latest artist with Kick It Up Music and Records and “Downtime” has been released as his first single!

Turnpike Troubadours Headline Diamond Daze

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Turnpike Troubadours Dazzle While Headlining at Diamond Daze! The Turnpike Troubadours were welcomed to the Diamond Daze Festival in Sallisaw, Ok this past Friday, there I had the opportunity to sit and talk with them. Fittingly, their band name comes from living and traveling up and down the turnpikes of Oklahoma and sharing their love of music. Band members are Evan Felker, lead vocals and acoustic, R.C. Edwards, bass and backing vocals, Kyle Nix, fiddle and backing vocals, Ryan Engleman, lead guitar, and Giovanni “Nooch” Carnuccio, drums and backing vocals. Reading about them I found that, “isolation can be the mother of originality”. Coming from small towns, the guys of the band realized that they were able to do things their way. Not having to conform or compare to others made them who they are today, a mixture of folk, country, and pure talent! The Troubadours have many influences including Steve Earle, Old 97s, and Flogging Molly. When I asked who they would like to have an informal jam session with, dead or alive, they quickly replied with The Band, Bob Dylan’s former band or themselves ten years from now. The second answer must have left an intrigued look on my face because lead vocalist Evan Felker and bass player R.C. Edwards went on to explain how the impossible opportunity would give them a chance to learn from experiences and show a glance of what the future held. They shared with me their excitement for larger venues, like Fort Worth’s Billy Bob’s. Shows with 150-200 people always seem to be a fun time with tons of crowd enthusiasm. They have made some memories while joining artists like Jason Boland and Cross Canadian Ragweed on stage and once opened for legend Randy Owen of Alabama! At the same time they love a small town festival, fiddle player Kyle Nix said seeing a little kid singing along to their songs gives a different kind of satisfaction. Knowing that someone truly likes the songs and isn’t just looking for a good bar with live music must be a proud moment for any band. The song “Whole Damn Town” is a crowd pleaser, usually resulting in plenty of energized fans afterwards. Trying to dig for some crazy stories, all the guys agreed that after a while nothing shocks them, it all becomes the norm. The Troubadours have two albums, Bossier City and Diamonds and Gasoline. They are currently promoting the later of the two where they worked closely with Mike McClure. One goal of theirs is to put out a new album every year, they will be going into the studio next month to work on their third. Local band Sherman Conelly and War Pony opened for the Turnpike Troubadours Friday and Saturday the festival hosted The Brandon Butler Band, James Wesley, and Josh Gracin. Wesley is an up and comer already having his single “Real” on the country charts. Josh Gracin played many cover songs, along with some originals including “Nothing To Lose” Continue reading Turnpike Troubadours Headline Diamond Daze→

It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere!

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I Think I’ll Just Call It A Day! I was thinking of what I wanted to write about today when I stumbled upon some history facts… Eight years ago on this day, June 2, Alan Jackson released his legendary duet with Jimmy Buffet to radio! “It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere” has been hitting the airwaves since 2003, putting smiles on faces all over the world. The single came from Jackson’s Greatest Hits Volume II adding to his classics like “Chattahoochee“, “Little Bitty“, “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” plus many more! So the task at hand is simple, let’s honor Jackson and Buffet! Kick back, relax, have a cocktail (or five) and waste away because “It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere”! Hope everyone has a great weekend, mine is starting early!

Flatts Fest Tour Checklist

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Flatts Fest Tour Checklist 2011! Rascal Flatts‘ summer tour is going to be eventful to say the least! Not only will Justin Moore, Easton Corbin and Sara Evans be joining them on the road, venues will host action-packed afternoons. There will be a Flatts Fest Fan Zone hosted by Mossy Oak that will include a Rascal Flatts Museum. Inside they will have life-size cutouts and a prize wheel! You can’t miss the Flatts Fest Scavenger Hunt, just download a free app or use a wi-fi hotspot! Every person who participates will be entered to spin the prize wheel right before the show starts. A Karaoke Challenge will begin at 3:00pm the day of the show and the winner will get to go backstage to meet Rascal Flatts, see their winning performance on the jumbotron during the show, and will be entered for a chance to win the grand prize! Fans will vote and on their 23 show in September the winner will be announced and then get to record an album and open for a select Rascal Flatts show in 2012! For more information on the festivities click here. Remember the group is nominated for three CMT Music Awards: Video of the Year, Group Video of the Year, and Collaborative Video of the Year! There is less than a week left to vote, if you haven’t click here!

East Texas Crawfish Boil Raises Money!

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Big Bird Boil Raises Money For St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital! Last weekend I took the rainy journey to Linden, a little East Texas town, where I paticipated in a local effort. County Road 1617 takes you to a piece of land that hosts the “Birg Bird Boil” , an annual crawfish boil benefiting the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The rain cleared just in time and the delicious affair went off with out a hitch for the 14th year in a row, raising over $15,000 for the cause! There was a live auction, raffle prizes, food (chicken quarters, hamburgers, hotdogs, and all the fixings were also served), entertainment, and happy faces all around! The day began bright and early preparing for the fast approaching long lines of mudbug, corn and potatoe lovers! The night ended with local entertainment, Roadside Saints, Stray Bullets and the Rodney Whatley Band. Don Henley, a former resident of the area and member of The Eagles, was very generous in donating many items to be auctioned off, including some autographed Eagles’ CDs (one went for over $400!). The Big Bird Boil was started in 1997 and to date has raised over $145,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Each year the event is dedicated to a community member who lost their life tragically. It is ran by some Texan families with big hearts who give their all in working towards success, beating their previous goal year after year! “I trully hope that we have helped the ones that need it the most.” Randy Webster, contributing member Almost every person you talk to these days, has known someone who is, or has battled with cancer. This is a terrible disease that needs as much attention and research as possible! For more information on St. Jude and their efforts click here. The Big Bird Boil is held on the third Saturday of May each year and has no end in sight. So if you like cajun crawdads and love supporting a good cause head on down May 19, 2012, they would love to have yall! I hope everyone has a fun-filled Memorial Day Weekend! Be safe and keep those who have been affected by the recent tornadoes in your thoughts and prayers!

Craig Morgan Hosts Benefit

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Craig Morgan Hosts 5th Annual Celebrity Dirtbike Ride and Concert! Country star Craig Morgan will once again host the 5th annual Celebrity Dirtbike Ride and Concert August 6 and 7. This charity event will take place in his hometown of Dickson, Tennessee and will benefit Billy’s Place, a home for temporarily displaced children. The foundation was thought up by Morgan while serving as an Assistant Sheriff’s Deputy in Dickson and later he made it a reality. Saturday morning will have a dirtbike exhibition and will be followed by a group trail ride and lunch. Sunday morning will be the first ever celebrity skeet shoot and later that evening Morgan and some fellow country artists will take the stage for an acoustic show. All events are family-friendly and tickets can soon be purchased here. Celebrity participants will be announced at a later time.

Meet HaleighT, Staff Writer!

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First off…HI! I’m HaleighT and this kicks off my first weekly editorial! I just wanted to share a little to maybe show what I’m about…so here we go! I may be the newest member of the CMNB team, but I am no newcomer to the country music lifestyle. Growing up in Eastern Oklahoma and spending my summers in Northwest Arkansas, I basically lived a country song. I was brought up with a strong faith, was taught to show love, be respectful and work hard by some of the greatest people on this earth, my family. A group of individuals with huge hearts and out of this world personalities! Making them proud is a goal that I will always work towards and hope to always achieve. I also have some of the best friends a girl could ask for, we believe in having a good time rain or shine! I love a good plate of BBQ, a cold beer and the sound of a steel guitar (or fiddle!). It’s best to TRY and not stress the small stuff that won’t matter a year from now, Tracy Lawrence taught me “the only thing that stays the same is everything changes“. I’m a devout fan with a respect for all performers, big or small, as long as they stay true to themselves. I love country music for the simple reason that each song tells a story. Close to home lyrics can make you cry, smile, get angry or move on! They can help get you through a tough situation or remind you of a crazy night out with friends. Go ahead, go make a soundtrack to your life, it’s fun! There are people who have world maps with colored push pins, each representing places they have been and places they would love to go. In comparison, I have a list instead of a map, with three columns instead of push pins. A column for the artists I have seen, a column for the artists I want to see, and a column for the artists I can only dream of witnessing up there beyond those pearly gates one day. I feel honored to have seen country legends Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr. and George Strait along with dozens of others. I look forward to someday (sooner than later) getting the chance to see George Jones, Garth Brooks, Don Williams, and Loretta Lynn, along with many, many more! And only in my dreams I have been front row center to many late greats including Conway Twitty, Keith Whitley and Patsy Cline! I am loving my job as an assignment journalist! Basically, my role is to meet as many people as possible, go to as many live shows as possible, and put out the most information as possible for country music fans in a journalistic style. The past couple months have been great and I can not wait to see what is in store for the months to come! I have made it my Continue reading Meet HaleighT, Staff Writer!→

Craig Campbell New Single “Fish”

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Craig Campbell Releases New Single “Fish” . “Fish” is the second single off of Craig Campbell‘s self-titled debut album. After great success with “Family Man”, a close to home story for many Americans, “Fish” takes a more upbeat twist. The lyrics tell listeners about a boy and a girl going on a late night fishin’ trip and their enthusiasm for the sport. The song is most certainly not the same message as Trace Adkins‘ “Just Fishin“, a sweet tale of a father and daughter “drownin’ worms and killin’ time.” Campbell will be joining Willie Nelson and the boys on the Country Throwdown Tour that kicks off May 27 in Philadelphia and will be running throughout the summer. Keep your ears open for “Fish” on your local radio stations!

Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors Returns

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“Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors” Season Two Coming Soon! Craig Morgan and Outdoor Channel have teamed up to give the hunting viewers what they want! After a very successful first season the hit reality show will return to television for the premier on June 25. The Saturday morning show will have 13 new episodes that give an inside look at Morgan’s travels with his crew as they cover North America looking to have a great time while scoring some great game! Other country artists, motocross stars and pro-athletes will join Morgan on each episode to try their luck in the woods as well as give viewers a few laughs. The captivating show is sure to give a “wish you were there” feeling for all hunters and country music fans alike! Be sure to watch Saturday mornings at 11 am (EST) on Outdoor Channel!

The Voice-New Episode!

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The Voice-New Episode Tonight on NBC! Everyone be sure to catch the new episode of The Voice tonight 9/8c on NBC! Things might get a little heated when coaches Blake Shelton, Adam Levin, Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green compete against each other to pick the final members of their team! You won’t want to miss the contestants who are looking for a spot! Tune in to see someone one step closer to achieving their dreams! THIS JUST IN! Reba is coming to the show! According to GACTV, Reba McEntire is joining The Voice! Tune into the show to see which coach Reba will pair up with to help contestants up their game!