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UKCountryRadio.com Awards
Presented at our 7th Birthday Party
Special programme featuring finalists
The excitement's building as our voting panel gets to work this month on deciding who should win our inaugural UK Country Artist Of The Year Award. The Award, for outstanding achievement demonstrated by a UK country music artist, will be presented to one of eleven finalists chosen by you, our listeners, earlier this year.
The voting panel is made up of UKCountryRadio.com's presenters and staff, together with our long-term subscribers. Each finalist has been invited to make a short submission to the voting panel for them to consider as they prepare to cast their vote for the winner. The winner will be announced at our Seventh Birthday Party And Awards on Saturday 13th September.
 The event will also see the presentation of our annual Listeners' Club Song Award, for one of the songs promoted through UKCountryRadio.com last year.
Earlier this year, you voted five UK based artists or writers into the final, and each will perform their nominated song at the Seventh Birthday Party and Awards evening.
Everyone attending on the night will be able to vote for their favourite song, with all the votes being received added to those in the first round of online voting.
The winner will be the song with the most votes in total.
Join Martyn Williams at 1pm on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th August, for a special programme featuring the finalists for both awards. You'll hear their music, along with interviews and exclusive live acoustic tracks. You can also hear the programme at 8pm on Friday 29th August and 4pm on Saturday 30th August.
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Introducing Grand Prairie
Grand Prairie are a six-piece country rock band who were formed 30 years ago. They are fronted by Jenny Ormonde, originally from Ireland, and Rob Wilson from New Zealand who met in London in the 1970s and have worked together ever since.
The band plays mainly on the functions circuits at venues including Goodwood House, Sussex, and Grosvenor House Hotel, London. They have also played shows at Twickenham Rugby Stadium and The Oval. They tour the US every year, and have performed in Monterey, California, San Diego, Phoenix, New Orleans. They are regulars at a festival in New Hampshire where, in the last few years, they have opened shows for Willie Nelson, Clint Black, Alabama, Aerosmith and Diana Ross.
Listen out this month for "A Little Bit Of Nice Boy" from the band's latest album "This Ain't Reno". It was produced by Steve Elson who co-wrote the original tracks on the album with lead singer Rob Wilson. Steve also fronts the Rolling Stones tribute band Counterfeit Stones.
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More artists to be announced for our Birthday Party
In the next few weeks we will announce at least two more artists who will perform at our Seventh Birthday Party and Awards on Saturday 13th September at the Best Western Premier Yew Lodge Hotel, Kegworth, Derby.
They will join the existing line-up which includes special guests...
* Gary Quinn
* Thorne Hill with Arizona Storm
and Listeners' Club Song Award Finalists
* Interactive Murcia
* Kelly Michelle
* Lucy Zirins
* Suzanna Shore
* Wayne Jacobs
With the presentations of our inaugural prestigious UK Country Artist Of The Year Award and our Listeners' Club Song Award, and a three-course celebratory dinner, this really is shaping up to be our best event ever.
Tickets are selling well, with already more people booked in to celebrate seven years of UKCountryRadio.com than came along to celebrate our Sixth Birthday Party last year. There are still a few remaining, so click the button below soon to book your place at our biggest night of the year.
And, as always, we guarantee to let you know before anyone else when we announce the remaining artists who will be performing on the night. Look out for an extra special Newsletter with the details in the middle of August.
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Introducing Mr.Plow
Mr.Plow are a four-piece band from the midlands. They play what's been described as "murderbilly", "gothic country" and "Americana noir". The band's made up of Mr.Plow on vocals and guitar, Sgt.Thorley on guitar, The Crusher on drums and Flame Boy on bass. Got the idea?
They've been receiving rave reviews... Mark Lamarr invited them for a live session on BBC Radio 2, the Alternative Root website's rated them one of Europe's most intriguing Americana acts, while the Sunday Times described them as "Leicestershire's Own Man In Black".
Listen this month for "Dwight's Roadside Grave" which comes from Mr.Plow's third album "Not The Beginning, Not The End". It's been released on limited edition coloured 12-inch vinyl. Follow the links on their new page on our website to get your copy which also comes with a CD version.
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Ray Price: Beauty Is
Join us at 8pm on Tuesday 12th August and Wednesday 13th August for a special programme about the making of Ray Price's final album. The country music legend recorded "Beauty Is... The Final Sessions", just before he died from cancer in December last year.
Ray knew he had not long to live during the recording of the 12-song collection, and he was determined to make it his lasting testament. The programme is presented by Ray Benson, the lead singer of the Western swing band Asleep At The Wheel.
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More Line Dancing
Our Line Dance presenter Alan Perkins tells me the line dance scene is so busy at the moment, with lots of new dances to choose from, that he can no longer fit everything into his monthly show.
So - from this month, The Line Dance Show will now be on air twice a month. Join Alan on the first and third Fridays of each month at 8pm. The show is repeated the next day, Saturday, at 5pm. The first show will continue to include our monthly Top 10 Dances in the UK, while the second show will have a leaning towards more features on the artists, writers, people and venues of the UK line dance scene.
As a result of this, Carolann B's Ladies Night will now air on the fourth Friday of each month at 8pm (repeated the next day at 5pm), and, from September, Bob Preedy's All Album Show will move to the second Tuesday of each month at 8pm (repeated the next day at 4pm).
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The search continues for UKCountryRadio.com's Greatest Stars - the top 30 country artists of all time as chosen by you. Thank you to everyone so far who has sent in their all-time favourite three country artists. Such as...
Bob Bentley who lists:
* Shania Twain
* Linda Rondstadt
* Don Williams
And Sid Hartman who chooses:
* Jim Reeves
* Vince Gill
* Randy Travis
Who are YOUR all-time favourite three country music artists? Please do what Bob and Sid have done and email them to us at greateststars@ukcountryradio.com, or simply reply to this Newsletter email.
Join us at 5pm on August Bank Holiday Monday, 25th August, for another chance to hear the all-time favourite three country artists chosen by some of our presenters.
And, at the end of the year, we'll reveal the countdown of UKCountryRadio.com's Greatest Stars - the top 30 country artists of all time as chosen by you.
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Exclusive Listeners' Club Competition.
In this month's competition, you can win five albums from UK country artists. The prize includes....
Links - The Celia Bryce Band (pictured)
Here, There And Everywhere - Charlie Landsborough
Ghost Of Song - Jones
Drinking With The Angels - Don Kesson
Morning Star - Faith Morley
To win - simply tell us which area of the UK do the Celia Bryce Band come from?
Email your answer to us at club@ukcountryradio.com or simply reply to this email Newsletter. The closing date is 10th August, and the winner will be notified by email shortly afterwards.
Congratulations to last month's winners Cassey Rowe from Basildon and June Sawyer from Stretham who won tickets to see Dwight Yoakam live in London.
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Welcome to the following who are all receiving our Newsletter for the first time...
Melissa Pointing, Tracy Jacques, Stuart McConnell, Peter Wilson, Jules Clark, Ronnie Call, John Ross, Marlene Clarke, Stein Ramlo, Sherenne Wells, Rebecca Lawrence, Carmel Mannion, Emma Lane, Don Kesson, Stu Edwards, Dave Brown, Grazia Clarkson, Joy Strachan-Brain, Chris Earl, Larry Jordan, Jack Olchawski, Sally Cudmore, Pete Meyrick, Margaret Bardon, Mark Nenadic, Allison Taylor Turner, Ian Roland, Marcus Leary, Rodney Harrison, Joanna Rowling, Stevie Walton, John Firminger, Dorothy Couper, Jules Clark, Dayna Wills, Terry Muller, Ruby Darnell, Chris Logan, Maggie May, Jamie Spencer, Kevin Davenport, Jane Allison Stannes, Andy Wain, Ann Cameron, Peter Windsor, Bradley Buxton, Alex Hall, Sara French, Martin Samuel, Fred Harris, Faith Morley, Lacey Mai, Ellie Rees and Teri Sullivan.
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If you enjoy what we do, and want us to keep on doing it, then please consider subscribing to UKCountryRadio.com. Our subscriptions are entirely voluntary - you can listen without one - but they are crucial to helping us make ends meet.
The reality is, due to the ridiculously unfair system operated by the music licensing authorities, that every time someone listens to a song on UKCountryRadio.com, we get a bill. The more people that listen, the higher the bill will be.
Subscriptions start from just £2 per month - less than one of those rip-off high street coffees - and help us cover our ever-increasing costs.
Subscribers also benefit from priority seating at our events including our Birthday Party and Awards and Live Music Nights. And, long-term subscribers can also vote for the final winner of our UK Country Artist Of The Year Award.
So - if you can spare that £2 a month to keep us on the air, simply click the button below to go to our subscription page.
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Americana Success
What a superb weekend we had mid-July at Americana International. It was a new venue for Europe's biggest American lifestyle event and what a smart move by Chris Jackson and his family. The atmosphere was fantastic at the new venue of Prestwold Park.
Our live broadcasts on Saturday and Sunday included all of the country music artists, and we also gave more coverage this year to the American car, motorbike and fashion competitions.
Highlights for me included finally getting to meet UK country sensations Ward Thomas, watching Chas & Dave perform live on the main stage, standing in for Tony Wall as his piano player, and discovering up and coming UK country band Next Of Kin.
Thank you for all your comments on our Facebook page throughout the weekend. We have been asked repeatedly since whether there will be a highlights show and the answer is yes there will. However, we have so many interviews to choose from that it is going to take some time to make the show. As soon as it is ready and we have it scheduled, I'll let you know in this Newsletter.
In the meantime, enjoy the following photos from Americana - there are more on our Facebook page.....
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Introducing Love Street
Love Street are a five-piece country, folk and rock band from Cornwall. They're named after a street in Sheffield where lead singer Jules Clark's brother Greg used to rehearse in the hope of one day making the big time in a band he intended to name after the street. When Greg died aged just 37, his brother Jules decided to launch the band in his memory, taking the same name.
As well as Jules on lead vocals, keyboards, mandolins and bouzouki, the band comprises Cat Leonard on fiddle, Andy Borders on bass, John Davies on guitar and Chris Johnson on drums.
Listen this month for their new song "Movin' On" which is written with Cornwall very much in mind. It refers to the county's main industries including fishing, tin mining and sheep farming, and is about taking the chances that life gives you and going with the flow.
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Same Roots Different Troops
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One. So, for one week only, Bryan Chalker's popular weekly programme Same Roots Different Fruits is being renamed Same Roots Different TROOPS.
Join Bryan at 8pm on Thursday 7th August for an extended edition of the programme devoted to World War One and other global conflicts in which we remember all those who made so many sacrifices. Bryan has sourced many rare songs, some dating back to 1909 and featuring some truly great names from the past.
The programme will begin with Bryan's former fiddle player and guitarist Tony Renney singing "Do You Recall The War To End All War?" which Bryan originally wrote as a poem in 1984. As well as the Great War, Bryan will feature music associated with World War Two, Korea, Vietnam and the American Civil War, as many of its songs survived into the 20th and 21st centuries.
There is a second chance to hear the two-hour programme at 4pm on Friday 8th August.
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New album from Emma Jane
Scottish singer-songwriter Emma Jane has just released her third album of original songs, "Workhouse". It's the follow-up to "Silver Streets" (2013) and "Penilee Songs" (2012) and we'll be featuring "Run" from the album later this month.
There'll be more exciting news from Emma soon as she is about to head to Nashville and Memphis. While there, she'll play several live shows, including an appearance at the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, and she'll be recording some songs for her next album at the historic Sun Recording Studios in Memphis.
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Live Music Night: Sam Hollyman
Join us on Sunday 17th August for our next Live Music Night featuring the UK's newest country star, Sam Hollyman. Fresh from his appearance at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville in June, Sam joins us at Kenny's Fish & Chip Restaurant, Conisbrough, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
Admission is £13, but you can save £2 by booking in advance. To book your place, click the button below or call Kenny's on 01709 863030. The price includes a main course of Kenny's top notch fish & chips.
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Meet The Team: Martyn Williams
Born in Solihull in the West Midlands, Martyn now lives in London where he works for the BBC. He enjoys many different genres of music and has played in many bands and orchestras over the years with his piano and cello.
Martyn presents the afternoon programme, Monday to Wednesdays from 1pm. Join him for three hours of news and music kicking off with an hour of Number Ones at One, two classics from our Country Music Goldmine, a Duet of The Day and a track from our Album Of The Week.
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What's On The Wall
Here is some more country music news, obtained by clicking The Bricks on the UKCountryRadio.com Wall....
* Dancing Ken at Walls Country Music Club in Gloucester is a real character. To see what I mean, check the new video the club's posted on its Facebook page of a night last year raising money for cancer charities.
* The Ian Highland Band's gigs this month include Cotswold Country Music Festival (August 2nd), Lazy K Country Music Club, Haverhill (3rd), Texas Star Country Music Club, Dorchester (9th), Harlow In The Park (10th), Smokestack Country Music Club, Seavington St.Mary (16th), Smith & Rogers Festival (24th), Tamworth Festival (30th), Acorn Country Music Club, Hemsby (31st).
* "You're The Reason", "Let's Just Steal Away", and "Just Leave Me Here By the Jukebox" are just three of the many original songs available for artists to record from Yorkshire songwriter Vic Holdroyd.
Visit The Wall yourself to find out more, and, if you have a country music-related website, just click here to get your own brick.
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Spotlight UK Artists
These are the artists we will be featuring each weekend during August....
Aug 1-3: The Dirty Beggars
Aug 8-10: My Darling Clementine
Aug 15-17: Glenn Williams
Aug 22-24: The Annie Duggan Band (pictured)
Aug 29-31: Tim Howard
You can hear each artist's music throughout the weekend, and an interview with them on the UK Country Showcase, presented by Richard Edeson, on Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes from 12noon.
Then, Simon Large gives you a chance to win their music on The Lyric Competition from 2pm.
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Final Word
Thank you for reading everyone. August is the month for holidays, and I hope you manage to enjoy your break if you're getting one.
We're continuing to work on making our Seventh Birthday Party and Awards our best event ever. As a result, there'll be an extra Newsletter around the middle of this month to let you know first about the extra performing artists.
Until then, enjoy the weather and the music.
Best Wishes,
Allan Watkiss,
UKCountryRadio.com
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