Monday, August 31, 2009

OSU alumna releases CD, pursues career in music

By Jaclyn Cosgrove

Online Editor

Published: Friday, August 28, 2009

Updated: Friday, August 28, 2009

Zach Gray/O'Collegian

Sherree Chamberlain recently released her first album called “A Wasp in the Room.” Chamberlain graduated from OSU in 2008 and has been writing music since she was about 14. She will play an outdoor show at Eskimo Joe’s on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Zach Gray/O'Collegian

Sherree Chamberlain planned to become a high school English teacher when she graduated but after teaching for a year she decided writing music was what she needed to do.

Sherree Chamberlain’s mother remembers buying her daughter a guitar for her birthday — a gift she didn’t initially want.
Until that moment, Sherree’s father had always played guitar for her.
“She didn’t want a guitar at all,” Angela Chamberlain said, adding she thought her daughter was a bit mad at her parents for the gift. ‘But we knew better. We thought, ‘It’s time for you to start doing it.’”
It wasn’t until the 2008 OSU graduate experienced her first teenage heartache that she began really expressing herself through music.
“I started writing music because my first boyfriend broke up with me when I was 14,” said Chamberlain, who grew up in Edmond.
It’s been nine years since she wrote her first song, and Stillwater musician Sherree Chamberlain hasn’t stopped.
She has performed at the Norman Music Festival and DFest in Tulsa.

CHAPTER ONE
Chamberlain recently came out with her first and long-awaited album, “A Wasp in the Room.”
The album’s name came after Chamberlain wrote a blog post titled “A Wasp in the Room” because there was actually a wasp in her room.
One of the band members of Other Lives, formerly known as Kunek, then mistook it for Chamberlain’s upcoming album’s name and started telling others about it.
Then another Other Lives band member told Chamberlain he loved what she named her album, and she was a bit confused.
Even though it started as a joke, “A Wasp in the Room” seemed fitting for the album that, at times, seemed like it was never going to be made.
“It was really appropriate because this took so long,” Chamberlain said. “In some ways, it was a nuisance, just like if a wasp is in your room, it bothers you.”
Chamberlain started working on the album about three years ago, recording it with Jonathon Mooney of Other Lives.
But after a year of work, a hard drive crashed, meaning Chamberlain had lost everything.
She decided to move her operation to Blackwatch Studio in Norman.
Chamberlain never expected that musicians who worked with Sufjan Stevens, Bright Eyes, Nine Inch Nails, Beck and Jimmy Eat World would first, be in Norman and second, help with her album.
After two years of working on the album in Norman, Chamberlain has about 1,000 CDs in boxes in her room, just waiting for an eager fan to take a listen.
Even though she just released “A Wasp in the Room,” Chamberlain isn’t slowing down.
Chamberlain graduated from OSU in May 2008 with plans of becoming a high school English teacher.
But after teaching for about a year, she found herself longing to write music.
“I don’t feel whole unless I’m creating,” she said.

CHAPTER TWO
Now, living on her waitressing paycheck at the Wedge pizzeria with no health insurance, Chamberlain has the whole starving-musician-trying-to-make-it thing down.
Even though her parents have a healthy level of concern about their daughter, they agree — it’s now or maybe never for their daughter to pursue her passion for music.
A teenager of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Sherree’s father Rick Chamberlain was a member of “several bands that you’ve never heard of.”
At one point, he thought about pursuing a career in music.
“And then I got into it enough to realize, ‘This is kind of a crappy business. I don’t really want to do this,’” Rick Chamberlain said. “But it’s fun and something I enjoy.”
Sherree’s father shared that passion for music with his family.
Sherree and her sister, Jenna, had informal piano lessons with their dad — he played as they placed their hands on top of his.
The family also had frequent jam sessions with musician friends. Everyone came to the Chamberlain household just to play music for a few hours.
A young Sherree was at these jam sessions, picking up an instrument here or there.

CHAPTER THREE
Sherree’s mother Angela Chamberlain said her daughter always had an interest in music, but the songwriting didn’t come until later.
But when Sherree was about 5, Angela noticed just how talented her daughter was.
Angela and Rick were practicing for an upcoming performance at church, and Sherree and Jenna were singing along with their parents.
“I started listening and realized Sherree was singing harmony – pitch perfect,” Angela said. “Then, I knew — because little kids don’t just pick up harmony.”
Throughout the next few years, the Chamberlains performed as a family in church events among other places — even as a bluegrass group at the Oklahoma State Fair.
Angela said she and her husband wanted to keep Sherree grounded, even though they knew their daughter was talented.
“She can be in a pretty crowded bar where she starts singing, and everyone gets quiet,” Angela said. “She can captivate an audience — she did that at 8.”
Meanwhile, Sherree said she feels like she’s in some sort of inside joke.
“It’s like – when is everyone going to figure out these songs aren’t that great?” she said.
The fans who have played her songs on Myspace about 235,000 times might disagree.
Eric Kiner, who plays electric guitar in her band, first met Sherree while doing sound for one of her shows.
Chamberlain paid him in chocolate chip cookies, and the two have been working together ever since.
Kiner said he feels a dedication to Chamberlain’s music and tries to help in any way he can.
He said Chamberlain’s music is easy to identify with, one of the reasons so many people enjoy listening to her songs.
On “A Wasp in the Room,” Chamberlain sings about, among other things, having her heart broken, feeling lost and also losing a friend to suicide.
Chamberlain said at first, these moments were hard to share with thousands of strangers.
But she has learned that even though her music is a way for her to express her own emotions, it’s something even bigger than that.
“If I can comfort someone or put words and music to something that they didn’t know how to express — but maybe I do — well, that’s what music is all about.”

OK Music Hall Inductees 2009OK Music Hall Inductees 2009

OKLAHOMA MUSIC HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2009 INDUCTEES

Honorees to perform at a special concert Sept. 17

Muskogee, OK – 2009 ACM Entertainer of the Year, 4-time Grammy winner and Oklahoma
music icon Carrie Underwood will be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in
September, along with Oklahoma artists and performers Rocky Frisco (pictured) and Ramona Reed.
The Class of 2009 Inductees will join other music performers and artists who have been
recognized by the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame since 1997, including Vince Gill, Toby Keith,
Merle Haggard, Wanda Jackson, Hank Thompson, The All American Rejects and David Gates.
The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame announced its newest inductees at a news conference at the
Tulsa Press Club. The three will perform at the 13th Annual Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony & Concert Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. The event is at the Muskogee Civic Center,
405 Boston Street in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

“All three of this year’s inductees are worthy recipients of this honor. Each is recognized world
wide for their musical talent, and we are proud that each calls Oklahoma home,” said Max
Boydstun, Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame Board Chair. “We are especially proud to induct our own
Oklahoma idol Carrie Underwood and to offer the public a chance to experience the performances
of all three inductees to celebrate their contribution to Oklahoma music history and culture,” he added.

To date, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum has honored more than 50 individuals or
groups for their talents and contributions to the music industry, including inductees into the
prestigious Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.
In addition to the Class of 2009 Inductees, the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame announced it will
present C.H. Parker with the coveted Governor’s Award, an honor given only three times in the
past.

Reserved seats for the Concert & Induction tickets will be on pre-sale to existing members of the
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame between Aug. 18 and 21. If you would like to join the
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and participate in early ticket sales, go to www.omhof.com or
www.oklahomamusichalloffame.com to complete an application form. Or call 918-687-0800 for
membership information.
Tickets for reserved seating will be offered to the public starting Aug. 22. Tickets will be
available online at www.omhof.com and at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum
office by calling 918-697-0800. Ticket prices range from $39.95 to $79.95, plus handling
charges.
VIP tickets, which include an invitation to a VIP reception prior to the Concert & Induction
ceremony, also are available. Call the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame at 1-918-687-0800 for
details. Sponsorship packages are also available.

Carrie Underwood, the reigning ACM Entertainer of The Year, 3-time reigning ACM and
CMA Female Vocalist of The Year and 4-time Grammy winner, will release a new album on
November 3 on 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville with producer Mark Bright, who helmed 2007’s
hit-filled Carnival Ride, as well as seven tracks including four #1’s from Underwood's
blockbuster 2005 debut, Some Hearts.
Earlier this year, Underwood became the first country artist in history to achieve 10 #1 singles
from their first two albums when “I Told You So” became the fifth consecutive chart-topper
from Carnival Ride, which also included the smash, “Just a Dream,” and three hits Underwood
co-wrote: “So Small,” “All-American Girl,” and “Last Name.” To date, Underwood is the U.S.
best-selling American Idol winner with album sales over 10 million.

Rocky Frisco is a 1955 graduate of Central High School in Tulsa, where he met singersongwriter
J.J. Cale. Frisco has played piano for some of rock’s most lauded visionaries,
including the great and hugely influential Cale. He played in Cale’s band throughout his life. He
also has played with Flash Terry, the Gene Cross Band, Clyde Stacy, Danny McBride, Tom
Skinner’s Science Project and many others. He had a limited movie career, which included
appearing in the 2003 remake of Where the Red Fern Grows. He once rode a Schwinn bike from
Tulsa to Killeen, Texas, as a publicity stunt for KOME Radio to do an interview with Elvis
Presley. He also jammed privately with Elvis Presley while there.

Ramona Reed
was raised on a ranch near Talihina and was yodeling by the time she was
talking. From an early age, Reed knew she wanted to have a career in music. In 1947, Reed
participated in the Ted Mac Amateur Hour television program, perhaps the American Idol of its
day. She earned a spot in the semi-finals and eventually earned 5th place.
Using the stage name Martha White, Reed began her career on the Grand Ole Opry where she
worked with such greats as Hank Williams Sr, Roy Acuff, Red Foley and Minnie Pearl.
She started working for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in 1951, and performed at the Bob
Wills Ranch House and toured with Bob Wills on a regular basis. Reed is the only female singer
to record a duet with Bob Wills, MCA’s “Little Girl, Little Girl.” Reed continues to perform
with the Texas Playboys and has been invited to share the stage with Asleep At the Wheel on
numerous occasions.
Reed has been honored by the Western Swing Hall of Fame the and was designated as a
Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame Pioneer.

C.H. Parker is a longtime music instructor and director at Northeastern State University (NSU)
in Tahlequah. For years, he coordinated its summer country music program Downtown Country,
a regular live-music event featuring student performers that included Carrie Underwood. It was
during that time that she and Parker came to know each other. Parker has produced the
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame Concert & Induction ceremony since its inception in 1997.

About the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
Oklahomans have always had a rich and profound impact on the world’s music culture. In 1995,
recognizing the need to educate the public about the influence Oklahomans have had in the
music industry, the vision for the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame was born.
On an annual basis since 1997, Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame has been honoring some of the
world's most notable talents whose gifts and musical styles are as breathtaking and diverse as the
Oklahoma landscape. The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame & Museum is a 501c (3) nonprofit
organization. For more information, visit www.oklahomamusichalloffame.com.

Rock On!

VIDEO: Mike Hosty - “Oklahoma Breakdown”

Here is an excellent video of Mike Hosty playing his original song “Oklahoma Breakdown” to a live and rowdy crowd at the Deli in Norman. The video was shot by Grant Slater of Long Telegram Productions over two nights in August 2009.

Popout

Stoney LaRue’s cover of this song may have catapulted him to the top of the red dirt scene, but Hosty’s original version is still the best.

Catch Mike Hosty performing this song and many others every Sunday night at the Deli in Norman.

Singer's Surprise: Underwood Unveils $117,000 Gift in Checotah

By Jennifer Chancellor, Tulsa World, Okla.

Aug. 29--CHECOTAH -- Carrie Underwood's hometown sang the country music superstar's praises Friday morning.

More accurately, they screeched them.

Hundreds of young Checotah Public Schools music students screamed with glee as Underwood shocked them with $117,000 worth of instruments for the band and vocal music programs.

"I love my job," said intermediate music teacher Kathy Cooper from the auditorium stage in the small high school from which the singer graduated. Underwood's fifth-grade music teacher joined her and the youngsters to make a surprise announcement.

"I've had most of you sitting out there. ... You never know, we might have some more stars out here," Cooper teased with a smile. The jam-packed arena hushed. "It's my greatest pleasure to introduce ..."

A collective gasp swept across the assembly. From those gasps erupted deafening howls of joy as the kids realized who had joined Cooper onstage.

"To the teachers, I'm sorry I completely disrupted your classes," Underwood said. "To the students, you're welcome!" she finished, then laughed.

The 26-year-old singer and Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year, along with ACM Lifting Lives director Erin Spahn, pulled back the blue velvet curtain behind them, revealing 31 shiny new

band instruments.

"Mrs. Cooper gave me my first chance to perform on stage," said Underwood. "The music program is so important. ... My career has given me this opportunity to give back."

Underwood and her recently founded nonprofit --Checotah Animal, Town and Schools, or CATS -- joined ACM's Lifting Lives program to make the donation possible. Underwood's charity name is a spinoff of her school mascot, the Wildcats, she said.

Fifth-grader Kenedee Rittenhouse, 11, captivated students before the assembly when, on a whim, she stood on a chair to the side of the auditorium and sang Underwood's hit "So Small." Underwood, backstage at the time, took note.

The superstar called Rittenhouse to the stage for an impromptu duet while Underwood's keyboardist "broke in" the new electric piano.

As they sang, Rittenhouse shook. Then Underwood shook.

Rittenhouse cried. Underwood's eyes brimmed with tears as she placed her hand over her heart. Applause filled the auditorium.

"Take this stuff. Do what you love and love what you do," Underwood later said. A group of girls in the back yelled, "We love you Carrie!"

Rittenhouse returned to her seat and wept with joy. "Oh. My. Gosh," she said. "All I knew this morning was that we were having an assembly. We didn't know she would be here."

She wiped her eyes and smiled. "Singing with her was a one in a million opportunity and it was so awesome. ... She hugged me after and said 'Great job.'

"Yeah, I was a little bit nervous," the girl admitted.

She wasn't the only one.

"Carrie told me backstage that she's never been so nervous," said Brian Terry, Checotah High School principal, after the presentation. "She said that she can perform in front of thousands of people, but this program is very important to her.

"Our band program is both very good and very competitive. This gift has been in the works for months," said Terry.

All instruments were purchased through Yamaha Corporate Artist Affairs at a special philanthropic rate, said Brook Primero, senior director of publicity and marketing for the Academy of Country Music.

Instruments included tubas, saxophones, woodwinds, horns, a guitar and more.

Afterward, Underwood said hello to her former teachers and stood for pictures -- lots of pictures.

"I think it's great for kids to see that they can do anything," said Underwood. "I want to help teach them to be responsible for their futures, to be great and to follow their dreams."

She reminisced about her favorite music teacher.

"Last night I was looking at old videos of me singing on stage. I was yay high, 6 or 7 years old," she said, then smiled. "Mrs. Cooper thought it was a good idea to sing all by myself.

"Mrs. Cooper's always been such a positive influence," said Underwood.

Nearly a decade after Underwood last performed on that very stage, the busy singer also talked about her upcoming album release, due this fall. "It'll be my third album -- that's hard to believe," said the multiplatinum-selling musician.

"Then next year comes another big tour. I'll be back home for that. I love coming home.

"Every show stop gets louder the closer I get to home. After, I can sit on my porch with my dog and cat and just be home.

Tickets on sale for Hall of Fame concert Carrie Underwood will be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame on Sept. 17, along with Oklahoma artists and performers Rocky Frisco and Ramona Reed. All three will perform. Tickets are now on sale.

Underwood is the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year, an "American Idol" winner, four-time Grammy winner and an Oklahoma music icon. The class of 2009 inductees will join the roster of former inductees, including Vince Gill, Toby Keith, Merle Haggard, Wanda Jackson, the All-American Rejects and more.

C.H. Parker, longtime music instructor and director at Northeastern State University, will be honored with the Governor's Award.

The induction and concert is 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Muskogee Civic Center, 405 Boston St. in downtown Muskogee.

Reserved seat tickets to the concert and induction ceremony are available at tulsaworld.com/OMHoF or call (918) 687-0800 for information. Tickets are $39.95 to $175, plus fees.

The gift On Friday, Carrie Underwood's Checotah Animal, Town and Schools foundation and the Academy of Country Music's Lifting Lives charity donated 31 instruments to the Checotah Public Schools' music program:

--4 cornets

--2 sousaphones

--2 concert tubas

--2 marching baritones

--2 concert baritones

--2 French horns

--2 tenor saxophones

--2 alto saxophones

--2 bass clarinets

--2 flugelhorns

--1 baritone saxophone

--1 oboe

--1 set of concert bells

--1 xylophone

--1 marimba

--1 vibraphone

--1 electric guitar

--1 guitar amp

--1 clavinova (electric piano)

On TV Country crooners Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley did so well their first time hosting the Country Music Association Awards in 2008, they got the gig again. The pair will host the awards 7 p.m. Nov. 11 on ABC, live from Nashville's Sommet Center.

Nominations for the 2009 awards will be announced in September.

The pair has plenty of CMA wins. Paisley has 11 CMA trophies; Underwood has five.

Jennifer Chancellor 581-8346 jennifer.chancellor@tulsaworld.com

'Tennessee Waltzing' with Patti Page
CONVERSATIONS With Ricky Lo (The Philippine Star) Updated August 30, 2009 12:00 AM

Photo is loading...
‘Tennessee Waltz is by far my personal favorite among my songs. It’s also my father’s favorite. It brings back many beautiful memories about the people I’ve met and the people I still keep and love up to now.’

I was dancing with my darlin’

To the Tennessee Waltz

When an old friend I happened to see.

I introduced her to my loved one

And while they were dancing

My friend stole my sweetheart from me.

I’m not sure how old I was at the time but I remember dancing (what passed for one) to the Tennessee Waltz while the song was being played by a neighbor back in good old Las Navas, Northern Samar. I didn’t know what the song’s title was and who the singer was but I remember how “danceable” that song was. It still is. Thanks to Patti Page, America’s original ageless and timeless Singing Sweetheart, who also has a string of other enduring hits to her name.

Next Sunday, Sept. 6, at the Araneta Coliseum, my friend Raoul Tidalgo and I will swing to that song again, even only in our minds, during Patti’s concert. It’s back to yesterday when, to paraphrase a Beatles song, all our troubles seem so far away...

For the information of today’s generation of music-lovers, between 1950 and 1953, Patti racked up several No. 1 singles, includingI Went to Your Wedding, (How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window and Mockin’ Bird Hill. Among her other songs areChanging Partners, It Had To Be You and For Sentimental Reasons.

Later, bowing to the influence of country music, she shifted her career in that direction and became a success at it as well. To date, now in her 80s and still actively touring and performing, Patti is one of the few artists who have made it to the country charts in five separate decades. The others include Eddy Arnold and George Jones, both traditional country singers.

Patti capped her achievements with being inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 1997. Ten years later, in 2007, she joined other music industry icons inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, which honors recording artists from all venues and walks of life. Inducted along with her that year were Paul Anka, The Beatles, Tony Bennett, Pat Boone, the Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Chubby Checker, Nat “King” Cole, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Neil Sedaka and Frank Sinatra.

Last Thursday, I had the rare chance of “Tennessee Waltzing” with Patti Page on the phone and what a “dance” we had! She was cheerful and playful. I thought, “This lady couldn’t be into her 80s.” Yes, she sounded like an excited 18-year-old.

What have you been doing these past years?

“Well, just the same old thing — singing and taking care of two little children.”

Oh, two little children. How old are they?

“One is 16 and the other is 13.”

Your children?

“No, they are my daughter’s children. I’m their guardian.”

Oh, your daughter’s children. How many grandchildren do you have?

“Well, I have about 15 between my husband and myself.”

By how many children?

“How many children? We have five.”

Did any of your children follow in your footsteps?

“No.”

Oh, what a pity!

“What a pity? Hehehehe! Yes, what a pity! But one granddaughter that lives with me is a good singer.”

Do you make your grandchildren listen to your songs?

(Laughs mildly) “No. I think they are proud of me but they don’t have to listen to my songs.”

How’s your life now? Semi-retired or still performing?

“Well, I guess you could say that I am semi-retired. I don’t work as much as I used to. There are not so many places to work in.”

Where do you live?

“In Southern California, in San Diego County.”

Oh, San Diego. A lot of Filipinos live there. How do you spend your time now?

“Well, I spend my time picking up the phone.” (Sound of a phone hitting the floor) Hehehehe! I just dropped it. Yes, I spend my time with my children. You know, I lost my husband this year.”

Sorry to hear that. Please accept my condolences.

“Thank you.”

After how many years of marriage?

“Twenty.”

You’ve been to Manila several times?

“Yes, five times.”

What do you remember most from those five visits?

“Well, what I remember most is the Araneta Coliseum. That was quite a place.”

That’s where you are performing (next Sunday, Sept. 6).

“Yes, that’s true. I’m looking forward to it.”

Your fans are eager to hear you sing especially your old songs.

“Yes. Hehehehe! Really old songs.”

Are you going to sing those songs the same way you did years ago?

“Well, as far as I know...yes. We have the same arrangements. Yes, I remember that about Manila...the Philippines! I assure them that I will sing those songs the same way I sang them years ago.”

You sound so beautifully on the phone, very musical. How do you take care of your voice?

“Well, I don’t know. I don’t smoke and I don’t drink, except for a little glass of wine once in a while but that’s about it. And I get plenty of rest.”

Do you sing in the bathroom as some singers do and most ordinary folks do?

“No, I don’t. Hehehehe! I never do. I clear my throat as I walk out of stage.”

Which six of your songs are closest to your heart?

“Well, I’ll always be very close to Tennessee Waltz. That’s very special because it’s my father’s favorite, so I always think of him. We recorded it at a studio in New York even if we didn’t even have an arrangement for it. Another is Cape Cod. I think it’s beautifully written. I have a lot of favorites that I recorded in albums but they were not big songs for me.”

Such as what?

“Well, such as I Remember April.”

Any significance to that song?

“No. I don’t believe so.”

What about Mockin’ Bird Hill?

“Well, I enjoy that because it was so good to me and different things have happened because of it. I remember when it first came out, Mercury Records was in Chicago and at a big record store in Chicago they were coming in and they were asking for my record and not the one recorded by another singer.”

What about (How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window?

“Well, that was done for a children’s album and they promised that they wouldn’t release it but they released it anyway and I’m glad.”

Is the doggie still in the window?

“Yes, it’s still in the window. Hehehehe!”

Do you love dogs?

“Yes, I do. I have an Australian terrier and his name is Zeus, the great god.”

When you look back, anything in your life and career that that you would have done otherwise?

“No, I don’t think so. Now that I think about it...not that I think about it quite often...I don’t think that I will change anything. It has been a good life and a good career.”

I agree. Have you always wanted to be a singer?

“Well, I didn’t really want to; it was all handed to me, really. Hmmmm, my manager who heard me in church in Oklahoma told me, ‘You’re gonna be a singer!’ I said, ‘Okay.’ That was it.”

If you had a choice, what would you have been?

“I was studying to be an artist; I wanted to be a painter. I won a scholarship to the University of Tulsa and that’s what I thought I was gonna be — an artist. I haven’t done much of it, though.”

Now that you have all the time, you can always take up painting again.

“No, I haven’t and I don’t know why. I just never thought I could do it. I know some singers who do. Tony Bennett for one; he’s a great artist. I don’t think I’m halfway as good as he is.”

Do you listen to the new breed of singers? What can you say to the music of today which some people say is “all noise”?

(Laughs a bit) “I haven’t had much time to listen to the music of today but I guess there’s room for all kinds of music.”

Compared to songs of yesteryear, what can you say about today’s songs?

“Today’s songs? I don’t think there’s a lot of substance there but I’m sure some are okay.”

Which of today’s singers do you see yourself in? Which of them sounds like the great Patti Page?

“Well, I don’t know if any of us sound alike but I guess I’d have to pick our country singers because, you know, that’s where I was brought up. I wasn’t into country music but that’s where my roots were.”

Are you in touch with your contemporaries?

“Not really. I live in San Diego, far from the maddening crowd. Hehehehe!”

Which of your songs do you want to be remembered for?

“Well, I think Tennessee Waltz.”

Do you dance to that song?

(Laughs and laughs) “No, I’m not a very good dancer.”

When you listen to Tennessee Waltz, what comes to your mind? What memories does it evoke?

“Well, lots of fond memories. People that I’ve met through the years, people that I still keep in touch with, my loved ones, my family, and a lot of nice memories.”

(Note: Presented by All Access Productions, RJ 100-FM and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office with The Philippine STAR among the sponsors, Patti Page: The Greatest Hits Tour will also be mounted at the Grand Pacific Ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City on Friday, Sept. 4. Tickets to the Araneta Coliseum show are priced at P4,000 for Patron A, P3,500 for Patron B, P3,000 for Lower Box, P1,800 for Upper Box A, P1,000 for Upper Box B and P600 for General Admission. For inquiries, call SM Ticketnet outlets at 911-5555.)

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)

New Oklahoma City Radio Station Seeks Local Music for Airplay

New Oklahoma City Radio Station Seeks Local Music for Airplay

Metro Radio Station is reaching out to the Oklahoma indie music community for locally produced music for airplay.
Oklahoma City, OK, August 30, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Radio OKC a locally owned "Adult Alternative" radio station is looking for submissions from Oklahoma based artists and bands for airplay on the station.

The station's music library features artists like U2, Elvis Costello, R.E.M, The B52's, Elvis Costello, The Cure, Angels and Airwaves and Bad Religion.

Owner and Program Director Chris Torrick launched the station on June 1st and is excited about the growth of the station over the first 90 days. Torrick states "in a project like this it is normally a slow go, but people are telling their friends about us and the growth has been more than I ever expected." The station not only has listeners in the Oklahoma City but has a growing International audience including France, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.

Torrick admits "it's pretty cool to receive a e-mail from a listener saying I found your station last week and I've been listening on my I-Phone ever since. Internet Radio stations like mine have become just as accessible as a AM or FM station and we're filling a void because most local stations are now being operated from another city. Local DJ's have become fewer and fewer in number and local artists have nearly no chance of any significant airplay and exposure."

The station would like to have up to 30% of it's playlist featuring music from Oklahoma bands and artists that mix well with their adult alternative format.

Some of the Oklahoma artists currently receiving airplay include Ali Harter, The Starlight Mints, and Hush Hush Commotion.

Artists, Bands and their Managers are encouraged to submit professionally produced MP3 formatted recordings to the Radio OKC website for consideration.

###
Contact Information
RadioOKC.COM
Chris Torrick
405-225-8492
radiookc@gmail.com
www.radiookc.com

Cross Canadian Ragweed CD Release TONIGHT

Ragweed says: CD release party tonight at the Wormy Dog, OKC; featuring the Fabulous Disasters and Seth James

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Susan Herndon

Greetings!
Hope this finds you well.
And, hey, "you're in pretty good shape for the shape you are in!"*
Here's where we're playing this month...
Love to see you!
xxooo
~Susan

(for gigs without blurbage, scroll down...)
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Big Fish. (414 South Main, Grapevine, Texas.) Saturday, 29 August, 7 pm. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish*... BIG FISH! GO FISH! hope to see you then and there, I WISH! I WISH!
Girouard Vines. (817 E. 3rd Street, Tulsa.) Tuesday, 2 September. This is a private party i'm playing, so you're not really invited... but you might could crash it, i suppose... anyway, thought you might like to know about this cool Oklahoma wine thang... here's the website: www.girouardvines.com
Doe's. (1350 E. 15th Street, Tulsa.) Friday, 4 September & Friday, 11 September, 7 pm. It's been a while... so, lemme just say: Mare's eat oats, and DOES eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy, a kidd'll eat ivy, too, wouldn't you? Playing ON THE PATIO! (weather permitting)
French Hen. (7143 South Yale Ave, Tulsa.) On Saturdays, 7 pm, (when i'm in town)... et, "mon enfant, ma soeur, songe a la douceur, d'aller la-bas vivre ensemble, aimer a loisir, aimer et mourir..." Come out, and I'll translate it for you.
Grape Ranch. (6 miles south of Okemah off I-40.) Sunday, 6 September & Saturday, 19 September, 2 pm. "Did you ever fly a kite in bed? Did you ever walk with ten cats on your head?* Have you leaned your head back with flowers in your nose? Have you yet tried the Grape Ranch's Frozen Rose? (little known Dr. Seuss verse :-)
Crow Creek Tavern. (3534 South Peoria Ave, Tulsa.) Tuesday, 8 September & Tuesday, 22 September, 9 pm. Come one, come all! I'll be hosting this, the first installment of our Songwriters Night and Open Musician Jam... (may be some Jelly, too.) Come with songs to share, instruments to play, or come on out and support your town's great artists. We can't do it without YOU!
Inn at Price Tower. (510 South Dewey Ave, Bartlesville, Oklahoma.) Friday, 18 September, 7 pm.
There are not enough great great things to say about this special special place. I feel very fortunate to be playing and staying here, in this incredibly unique creation of Frank Lloyd Wright's only sky-scraper-- right here in Oklahoma. You must experience it yourself to believe... the transformative power of Art and Architecture. (Kinda makes you feel you're a ROCKSTAR with such accomadations...) www.pricetower.org


The Chouse. (717 West Boyd, Norman, Oklahoma.) Saturday, 3 October. With Bob Livingston and Terry 'Buffalo' Ware. We're back at our favorite place in Norman, with our favorite Normanites, with new songs and surely, new animals. The Princess Jackie PI Freckle-Butt Shadow, Goddess of Joy-God the Destroyer Snuggle Bunny of Love, Warrior of the Road will be there...with bells on. Thanks, in advance, to Mary Katherine for hosting this concert.


************************************************************
(all locations Tulsa, unless otherwise noted...)
Saturday, 29 August: Big Fish/Grapevine, Texas
Tuesday, 2 September: private party...
Friday, 4 September: Doe's on Cherry Street/Songwriters Night and Musician Jam
Sunday, 6 September: Grape Ranch/Okemah, Oklahoma
Tuesday, 8 September: Crow Creek Tavern
Friday, 11 September: Doe's on Cherry Street
Friday, 18 September: Price Tower/Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Saturday, 19 September: Grape Ranch/Okemah, Oklahoma
Tuesday, 22 September: Crow Creek Tavern/Songwriters Night and Musician Jam
Saturday, 3 October: The Chouse/Norman, Oklahoma
For further info, go to: www.susanherndon.com and for up to date events listings, go to: http://profile.myspace.com/susanherndon

Sweetwater Jam at the Mayor's Blues Ball, Sun. Sept. 6, Medicine Park, Ok

Sweetwater Jam will be doin' their thang at the Mayor's Blues Ball in Medicine Park, Oklahoma on Sunday, September 6th. Our show will start at 4:00 Sunday afternoon. This is a really great event that provides two full days (Sat. Sept. 5th - Sun. Sept. 6th) of nonstop Blues and Rock from several of the local bands as well as some hefty talents from all over the country. Saturday's featured artist will be Malford Milligan, who many of you will recognize as the former lead singer for Storyville. Sunday night will feature Cedric Burnside & Lightnin' Malcom.
The music starts at 2:00 pm Saturday and Sunday and goes until midnight so bring your lawn chairs and sit back and enjoy some great music and some great people in beautiful Medicine Park, Oklahoma. Remember, Sweetwater Jam's show will be from 4:00 to 5:30 Sunday, Sept. 6th. We hope to see you there. Take care.
Steve Gowan
Sweetwater Jam.
P.S. Please take the time to thank our Son's and Daughters who are currently serving or have served in our military forces. As the father of a U.S. Navy Sailor I understand now more than ever the importance of reminding THEM that we are thankful for each and every one of them.. God bless America.

Friday, August 28, 2009

OklaFilm & OklaMusic
Friday, August 28, 2009

Tulsa to feature Red Dirt and Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo

As summer draws to a close, Tulsa’s most famous live music venue plays host to some of the most well-known Red Dirt rockers while the city’s home to independent, art house and homegrown films welcomes a film about Oklahomans by Oklahomans.

The Red Dirt Rangers will host a benefit concert at Cain’s Ballroom Friday night at 7 p.m. Known as one of the original bands to spawn the Red Dirt genre, a combination ofcountry, blues, and rock, the Red Dirt Rangers have been a scene staple for twenty years. Tonight, they join forces with friends, the Medicine Show and Turnpike Troubadours, to raise money for musicians in need.

The Red Dirt Relief Fund is hoping to raise over $30,000 from donations during the concert. Donated funds will go to local musicians facing health issues or those with large medical debts.

Guitarist and vocalist Brad Piccolo did not want to give away any of the surprises of tonight’s show, but hinted that this concert will be a veritable Red Dirt who’s who.

For more information about the Red Dirt Relief Fund, please visit

http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=269&articleid=20090826_270_D4_JohnCo742702

On Friday and Saturday night, the Circle Cinema will host Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo with screenings at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. both nights. A Q&A between screenings will feature director Brad Beesley, producer James Payne, as well as some of the women profiled in thee film.

The film follows female inmates as they journey to the 2007 Oklahoma State Penitentiary Rodeo. As the public and guards applaud, the women get a chance to take a break from prison life and become rodeo champions.

For information regarding Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo, please visit

http://sweetheartsoftheprisonrodeo.com or http://www.circlecinema.com/

Hello!

Hello!

Purchase securely here:
Amazon: http://fburls.com/73-keVZgvvK - iTunes: http://fburls.com/25-IOFxDjx9 - emusic: http://fburls.com/31-hLu6Ux1W
Hey Stan,

First of all, are you are friend on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mama-Sweet/27478171221)? If not, you should be!!

Next, come join us at the Deli in Norman, OK tonight. Our very special and beautiful friend, Camille Harp, will be joining us!! Did I mention that this girl can sing!!

Tomorrow night (Saturday), we are heading on down to Dallas to play The Granada! We will be sharing the stage with The Gourds and The O's. The O's go on at 8, we go one at 9, and The Gourds take the stage at 10:30.

Make sure you come on out and see us this weekend. It will be your last chance to see us until October! Don't worry, we won't be sitting back relaxing. We will be hard at it in the studio working on our new album and we will be getting things set and mapped out for our future world conquest.

Hope to see you,
MS
Purchase securely here:
Amazon: http://fburls.com/58-HSKMxIcZ - iTunes: http://fburls.com/64-mxxIiiUs - emusic: http://fburls.com/66-zbf3BS2

Tulsa band set to play for river regatta

Greg Spears of Tulsa is bringing his band, Something Steel, to Muskogee from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. today to River Rumba Regatta held today and Saturday at Three Forks Harbor on the Arkansas River near U.S. 62.

The band plays all over the state bringing music of the islands with their own blending of steel drum sounds, guitars and percussion.

“Something Steel’s music will get your body moving with rhythms from the Caribbean and the islands,” he said.

They perform at many outdoor festivals like Mayfest and Greenwood Jazz Festival, private parties, and even at Tulsa Driller Stadium for the annual Margaritaville nights.

The band as it is today started in 2002 and plays feel-good sounds specializing in the music of Jimmy Buffett. They play a combination of instrumental music and vocal music.

All the band members have an extensive background in music including music degrees, according to a media release.

• Band leader, bass player and vocalist Spears has a music performance degree from the University of Tulsa, and performs regularly with ensembles and symphonies in Northeastern Oklahoma.

• Steel drum players Chris Harris and Steve Craft are also band directors in Owasso and Bartlesville respectively. Craft also has played percussion with many symphony orchestras around the country and received his training at Louisville University. Harris received his music education degree from The University of Oklahoma.

• His wife, Marti Harris, also sings vocals for the band and has performed professionally for many years.

• Guitarist John Ford and drummer Russell Grant are full-time musicians and have performed with many top artists in the Tulsa area. Ford has a degree in music performance from Oral Roberts University, and performs with many groups in the Tulsa area. Grant received his training from TU.

If you go

WHAT: River Rumba Regatta.

WHEN: 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday with the band, Something Steel, performing at 7:30 p.m. today.

WHERE: Three Forks Harbor on the Arkansas River near U.S. 62.

Radney Foster – “Revival”

radney-foster-revival

With the lead single from his upcoming album of the same name, singer-songwriter Radney Foster celebrates moments of great promise and renewal, moments shot through with love and hope for a better tomorrow.

There’s seemingly precious little that doesn’t fit with this general theme: Foster finds room for references to baptism, the transformative power of music, Jerusalem, Tiananmen Square, how much he loves his girl, and more. While the way Foster flits from one thing to the next does seem a bit unfocused–the sudden personalization in the “my miracle moment was giving you my heart” line is particularly jarring – the expansive quality of the lyric is actually well matched to the unrestricted feel of the arrangement, which seems to reach for the heavens even as it remains grounded in a polished Texas rock aesthetic.


Click headline to read full article.. below to listen to Foster

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Listen: Radney Foster – “Revival”

Reba McEntire reinvents herself; new album becomes chart topper

BY BRANDY McDONNELL
Published: August 28, 2009

Superstar Reba McEntire keeps breaking new ground more than three decades into her
music career.
The Oklahoma native made history this week as her new record, "Keep on Loving You,”
her first solo studio album in six years, debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top
Country Albums and Top 200 Albums charts.
"Keep on Loving You” is McEntire’s second straight album and first solo effort to top the
cross-genre Top 200 chart. Her 2007 album "Reba: Duets,” which paired the songstress
with stars Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson and fellow Oklahomans Vince Gill and
Ronnie Dunn, also reached No. 1 on the Top 200 and Top Country Albums lists.
McEntire’s new album, her first for Valory Music Co., is the highest debut from a female
country artist for 2009, according to a news release.
"I have had a blast working with my new Valory Music Co. team, along with my
Starstruck (Studios) family, on this record,” McEntire said in the release. "To have this
success at this time of my life and career means everything to me.”
With "Keep on Loving You,” McEntire now holds the record as the female artist with the
most No. 1 albums on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, which launched in 1964.
Eleven of her albums have ascended to the No. 1 spot. McEntire previously shared the
record of 10 No. 1 albums with Loretta Lynn.
"Keep on Loving You” also achieved a milestone for the country genre. It marks the
third straight country album to hit No. 1 on Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. It is the
first time in history that three country albums in a row have topped the chart. New
albums from Sugarland and George Strait held the No. 1 spot the previous two weeks.
McEntire, 54, said her willingness to continually reinvent herself is one of her secrets to
long-term success.
"Every time, anytime is a good time to reinvent yourself. I mean, you’ve just gotta find
new things to do, new ways of doing it. That’s very important,” she told The Oklahoman
in a 2007 interview.

Toby Keith to perform at FFA convention

Oklahoma country music star Toby Keith will kick off the 82nd National FFA Convention as he performs for 55,000 FFA members Oct.