Five-time GRAMMY®, nine-time CMA and seven-time ACM Award-winning iconic duo, The Judds, will join Eddie Bayers, Ray Charles and Pete Drake as 2021 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Country Music has a long history of family ties, and the genre has never had another family like The Judds. One of the most successful duos in Country Music history, mother Naomi and daughter Wynonna scored 20 Top 10 hits, including 14 No. 1s, between 1984 and 1991. Those recordings —“Mama He’s Crazy,” “Why Not Me” and “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘bout the Good Old Days)” among them —stood out not only because of Wynonna’s disarming voice and Naomi’s unique approach to harmonies but also for their way of combining folk, bluegrass and blues into a sound like nothing else at the time. "When we moved to Nashville in the late 70s, still struggling to make ends meet and dressing Wy and Ashley in thrift store dresses, I could've never imagined the success we achieved as The Judds. I am beyond thrilled and humbled for this incredible recognition. There's no greater pinnacle in Country Music than the Country Music Hall of Fame," Naomi shared. “This moment takes me back to 1983 when Mom and I first started. We would get in the car and visit multiple radio stations a day. It kind of feels like I’ve hit the lottery. It is so surreal. John Lennon always said that he just wanted to be remembered, and now we’re truly part of history, or I should say HERstory. What an honor,” Wynonna said. Now she and Naomi have found a permanent home in the cathedral. Be sure to follow The Judds on Facebook.
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Elizabeth Lyons has released her new song, “Settle Down Chicago”, you can check it out here. Lyons was born and raised in the Midwest but currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Growing up, Lyons played piano, sang in a church choir where she earned her first solo and had many roles in various musical theatre productions. Lyons grew up surrounded by country music from her parents but “it wasn’t til high school that I started to grow to love it myself after an ex-boyfriend burnt me a CD with country music on it.”
At just 18 years old, Lyons moved to Nashville, was an intern at a music publishing company where she learned as much as she could about the music industry. Before she graduated from Vanderbilt University, she released her first EP which topped the iTunes charts and became an Album All-Time Bestseller. Lyons loves artists like Taylor Swift and Dolly Parton and if she were to describe the sound on her latest music she would say “If Kacey Musgraves, Ellie Goulding and Taylor Swift had a baby this would be the album”. Lyons loves all aspects about performing but most notably, “the fans who become friends, the hardworking people who are behind the scenes making it happen and making people happy through my music.” Lyons has collaborated with many well-known people including country artist Hardy, Jonathan Roye (Kelsea Ballerini, Jana Kramer, and more), and mastered by Daniel Bacigalupi (Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum and more). Elizabeth Lyons wants aspiring artists to know that “Its (Nashville) a ten-year town be willing to work harder than anyone else and have patience, perseverance and persistence”. You can find more information on Elizabeth Lyons at www.elizabethlyonsmusic.com Kayley Bishop has released her brand-new song “Just Here”, you can check it out here. Kayley Bishop was born in Bristol, Tennessee, but ended up moving to Fort Myers, Florida in Middle School. Bishop always had a love for bluegrass and country music. While her parents were very supportive, they did not know how to get into the music industry. Bishop went to university at the Boston Conservatory because she always felt called to performing. “Performing and music is in my DNA, [but] it sometimes felt like getting through a brick wall with a spoon”. In her in senior year of university, Kayley had a lead role in a musical where everyone was hyped up about it except her. Kayley started songwriting that final year and never looked back. She has been living full time in Nashville, Tennessee since 2018.
Kayley loves all kinds of artists like Allison Krauss and Stevie Knicks but especially loves Dolly Parton and Aretha Franklin because they are always “both so present in their songs. They sing from the heavens, not their heads”. While on an appearance on the hit NBC show “The Voice” she worked with country singer Keith Urban who told her that “Nobody sounds like you. Your voice is a mix of Jewel, Natalie Maines and Celine Dion”. When performing, Bishop loves playing a concert in a backyard and connecting with the audience, “the people in the community come to listen, I have played great venues, but they may not be their just for me”. Kayley has been working with producer Eric Torres (Jimmie Allen and Matt Stell) recently and wants aspiring artists to know that the “Quicker you become authentic, the richer your career will be. People come to Nashville thinking they are Carrie Underwood and the quicker you realize who you are is what makes you different”. You can check out Kayley Bishop on Instagram @kayleybish and for more information visit her website. Canadian country artist Emily Clair has launched “Songbird Series” to empower women in country music. Clair was born and raised just outside of Toronto, Canada. She grew in a music loving family where her parents noticed at just 2 years old, Emily sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” as she would fall asleep. Emily listened to Christina Aguilera, Sara McLachlan, and Nora Jones growing up, and was not aware of country music until her grade 8 teacher told her to listen to Shania Twain and The Chicks. Clair became fascinated with the genre, and started going to lots of concerts, where she always had the thought of “that has to be me on that stage”.
Clair released her most recent song, “Drive Me Home” in May 2021. “I wanted to sing about a woman’s perspective of taking her man home from the bar. You always hear men singing about meeting women at the bar, but you do not really hear a lot of women singing about this topic." You can check out the music video here. Clair started co-writing a few years ago and loves it because “three heads are better than one!" Clair often works with Canadian country producer Shawn Moore. When performing, Clair prefers to play intimate venues where she can connect with the audience, “I love when its quiet and you can hear a pin drop”. Clair dreams of one day playing Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Canada, a venue where she has seen The Chicks, Chris Stapleton, and Miranda Lambert with Little Big Town previously. Since the pandemic began, Clair started “Songbird Series”, and plans to host writer’s rounds with an all-female lineup as soon as it is safe to do so. Stay tuned for new music from Emily in the fall! You can check out Songbird Series on Instagram @thesongbirdseries and for more information on Emily Clair, visit her website. Don’t be fooled, Emily Kidd is here to stay. Her latest single “Everyone Fooled But Me” is about seeing through the lies. Written from personal experience, Emily met a lot of men who raised red flags before meeting her boyfriend Alex Ricchiuto who produced the track. A relatable song, she warns listeners to not ignore the red flags. Watch the official music video below. Emily grew up in a musical family, her dad an actor and singer himself. Encouraged to participate in the arts, she started singing in church at the age of nine. Her sound blends country and Americana, a sound fans of George Jones, Emmylou Harris, and Margo Price will enjoy. During the pandemic, Emily wrote songs as a cooping mechanism. She also used the free time to learn how to play the guitar. A frequent performer in Nashville’s honky tonk scene, Emily has had the opportunity to perform at The Valentine and Whiskey Row. She enjoys performing and tells us, “Performing is what I’m meant to do.” You can find Emily’s music on Spotify and Apple Music here. |
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April 2024
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