Canadian Women in Country ...

Some great Canadian country has been released recently thanks to our 'women in country'. Victoria Banks new CD - When You Can Fly - includes her current hit - The Wheel. This week - The Wheel - is the fastest rising Canadian song on the charts. The CD will be released in April. You can pre-order on her web site http://www.victoriabanks.net/ ... Misty Lee Olsen's new single - Little Bit of Love - is starting to make some strong moves. Check her out at http://www.mistyleeolsen.com/ ... and how come Samara Yung (photo) has not been grabbed by one of the major labels. She has a great voice. The variety of songs and themes on her album is refreshing. And the production is superb! The album - Show Me The World is available through her web site at http://www.samarayung.ca/ ... and Samara's new single - Big ol' Monday Morning - will be added to our playlist this week. PS: She is nominated in four categories at the 2009 Saskatchewan Country Music Awards: Rising Star, Female Vocalist of the Year, Song of the year and Single of the year!

John Rich (Shutting Detroit Down) says that Garth Brooks is the 'greatest country performer ever!' In an AOL.com interview Rich said, "I want to write and record an album with Garth Brooks. I've only met him briefly and have never had a conversation with him. But if Garth would ever allow me to record with him, to write a couple of songs and just stomp a hole through the floor in the studio with him, that would be a really big deal to me. I think he'd like me if he ever got to know me. A guy who swings on a rope but then can turn around and make 50,000 people bawl their eyes out . . . he's the greatest country performer of all time."

JB

Let's have some fun ...

WE"VE GOT A WINNER ... THANKS FOR ALL YOUR ENTRIES!

Congratulations to Dolores Rys from Pittsburgh, PA! She sent the first email with the right answer: WOLD by Harry Chapin!

Okay ... let's find out who is reading this blog ... I am taking liberties with a song that was a hit back in 1974 ... the FIRST person to identify the song ... and name the artist and the actual (original) title ... will WIN 3 Canadian country CD's ... if you're from here you can pick them up ... if you're from away I will mail them to you ... okay here goes ... good luck!

* I am the afternoon DJ on 1035 The Eagle
* Playing all the hits for you wherever you may be
* The bright good afternoon voice who's heard but never seen
* Feeling all of fifty-eight going on fifteen

Email your answer to jay.bedford@eagle1035.com

JB

Rest in peace ...

Dan Seals, the former pop singer who notched 11 No. 1 country hits between 1985 and 1990, died Wednesday (March 25) following treatments from lymphoma. He was 61. Seals was one-half of the pop duo, England Dan & John Ford Coley, which earned a major pop hit in 1976 with "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight." As a solo artist, Seals won a CMA Award in 1986 for - BOP - the same year he and Marie Osmond won a CMA vocal duo award for their No. 1 hit, "Meet Me in Montana." (from CMT.com)

JB

Some more stuff ...

This year the CCMA's big four day event will be held in the same city as the Juno's - Vancouver BC. Mark your calendar, Canadian Country Music Week will be held September 10th till 13th. If you're a big country fan and you want to show your support for our incredible country music industry: join the Canadian Country Music Association at http://www.ccma.org/

Tracy Lawrence was involved in an accident on Sunday while returning to Nashville from a gig in Nevada. When the tire on his touring bus blew, the bus lurched into the opposite lane, but there was no on-coming traffic at the time. The driver pulled the bus to a stop and everyone walked away unscathed.

The Kennedy Center's Spring Gala is copming up on May 3rd in Washington. This year it is being billed as 'A Celebration of Women in the Arts'. Country will be well represented with LeAnn Rimes and Reba McEntire among the ladies that will attend the event.

JB

Country shorts ...

John Rich’s Son Of A Preacher Man album comes out on Tuesday, and he led up to the big day by shooting a video this week for the CD’s gang buster single "Shuttin’ Detroit Down."

On March 29, Trace Adkins will be the grand marshal and honorary starter for the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 in Virginia. That means Trace will lead a group of 500 men, women and their families selected to serve as honorary grand marshals ... from Bob Kingsley's web site ... http://ct40.com/

Mac McAnally signed a record deal with Show Dog Records, founded and operated by Toby Keith. Mac earned his first No. 1 hit as a part of a duet with Kenny Chesney called 'Down the Road.' Although, never a performer, Mac has written Alabama's 'Old Flame,' Ricky Van Shelton's 'Crime of Passion,' Sawyer Brown's 'All These Years' and Kenny Chesney's 'Back Where I Come From.' ... also from Kingsley's website!

JB

Shediac ...

Chris Leblanc may live in Calgary but his heart and his roots are in the Maritimes! Chris is a native of Shediac New Brunswick. He was recently nominated for “Country Recording of the Year” at the ECMA's in Cornerbrook (losing out to Tara Oram). His current hit - And Then Some - is from his debut album 'Too Much Nothin'.

More books from country artists! So Sara Evans is releasing a series of novels and now Garth Brooks is releasing a book called - The Garth Factor - on May 28th. The book will examine Garth Brooks' career in country, and also take a look at his family life.

And last Sunday, Garth performed another private show in Calgary for the (NHL) Flames to thank them for giving to his Teammates for Kids Foundation.

By the way Garth is on tonight's Tonight Show With Jay Leno! ... that looks weird: "tonight's Tonight show" ... but that is what it is ...

JB

Play Misty For Me!

We welcome singer / songwriter Misty Lee Olsen to our playlist with her new single - A Little Bit Of Love. Misty hails from Barrie, Ontario and is attracting attention from both sides of the border; as a writer in Nashville and as a singer in Canada! LeAnn Rimes producer, Joel Feeney, is producing her debut CD, ‘The Story of a Girl’. It will be released on Canada's largest private label - Royalty Records. In July 2008, Misty's song, "Stay Away" was featured in the Hallmark Channel, made-for-TV movie "Every Second Counts", airing to 85 million households in the U.S., which garnered her lots of buzz state-side.

And ... tonight is the night: Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley and Randy Travis are set to perform on American Idol. The three stars are appearing as part of the hit show's Grand Ole Opry Week. Brad will perform his new single - Then. Carrie and Randy will sing a duet of her current single, "I Told You So," a No. 1 hit for Travis in 1988.

JB