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Press
Release: June 6, 2019
With T. Graham Brown, Shelby Lee Lowe,
Ronnie McDowell and Wade Hayes
The
festival that honors those famous “fainting” goats of Marshall County,
Tennessee returns to Lewisburg, TN this October 11 and 12 with another great
lineup of entertainment and activities for the whole family to enjoy.
On
Friday, the festival really kicks into gear with Fainting (Myotonic) and Boer
Goat shows, kids’ games and rides, arts and crafts, vendors, food and musical
entertainment.
Friday
night features a Tennessee Legend and a Hometown Star-on-the-Rise when Ronnie
McDowell and Shelby Lee Lowe take the Rock Creek Park Stage.
Following the death of Elvis Presley in 1977, Ronnie McDowell came
out of nowhere to dazzle the world with his heartfelt and self-penned tribute
song “The King Is Gone” on the independent Scorpion label. The record took off
immediately, gaining airplay on country and pop stations across the country and
around the world. To date, “The King Is Gone” has sold more than 5 Million
copies.
All of a sudden, the young Vietnam Veteran from Portland,
Tennessee was a star, and he quickly proved that he wasn’t just a one-trick
pony. McDowell scored a second hit for the Scorpion label titled “I Love You, I
Love You, I Love You” before being wooed and signed by CBS Records – Epic label
in 1979.
Ronnie McDowell charted a string of hit singles and albums for
Epic between 1979 and 1986. Every single release with the exception of just one
became a Top 10 Hit including the chart toppers “Older Women” and “You’re
Moving to Curb Records in 1986, his current label to date,
McDowell scored a Top 10 hit with “It’s Only Make Believe,” a duet with Conway
Twitty on what was Twitty’s breakthrough hit from 1958. Two years later Ronnie
teamed up with Jerry Lee Lewis for a rocking duet that McDowell wrote titled, ”You’re
Never Too Old To Rock N’ Roll.” He also recorded yet another Top 10 hit with
his version of the pop standard “Unchained Melody,” which also became a #1
country music video. To date, McDowell has scored over 30 top ten records. His
entertaining abilities soared and he began to draw larger crowds. He started
appearing in larger venues and touring with artists such as Conway Twitty,
Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn before headlining his own shows.
From
the hills and hollows of Possum Trot, TN, you can almost hear the whispers of
traditional country music that springs from Shelby Lee.
When
you’re born just an hour from Music City, it’s hard not develop a love for the
Country music scene. And when you’re raised on Elvis, Three Dog
Night and Sly &
The Family Stone you quickly build a taste for great-feeling songs.
But when you mix all that with the relentless drive of a football player you’re
set on a trajectory like none other.
Shelby
Lee Lowe is a Modern Country artist heavily rooted in Neo-Tradition. Listeners
can quickly hear echoes of Bakersfield blended with contemporary lyrical styles
and Indie-Rock influence. As a singer-songwriter, Shelby puts enormous
conviction into the songs he writes and performs, a principle only enhanced
after graduating with a degree in Music Business from MTSU and signing his first
publishing deal with Banner Music in
Nashville, TN. In 2016 he released his self-titled debut record on Banner Music Records. The release
signaled a national tour hitting venues from coast to coast and small towns in
between. When off the road he filled his calendar with co-writing with
experienced hit-makers learning how to maneuver his way through the difficult
obstacles of the music industry, all the while honing his craft and preparing
himself for a long music career.
Some
of the highlights of Shelby’s short career have included opening for major acts
such as Charlie Daniels, Brett Young, Michael Ray, Chris Janson, Cowboy Troy, Sister Hazel, Jordan Rager, Darryl Worley and Big Smo. Along with performances
for NASCAR previously
at Bristol Motor Speedway and
at the Circle K Speed Street presented
by Coca-Cola before NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 as well as
events at/for the Atlanta
Braves, Jack
Daniel's, Sturgis, CMA Fest, Big Foot Music, Outdoor
Fan Jam, the Harley
Davidson Independence Day Bash, SC Air & Ground Expo, and was a Pepsi Southern Original Regional Winner.
In
early 2019, Shelby released his upbeat single “All We Need” which was
passionately accepted by fans and Spotify play-listers alike garnering 11,000
Spotify plays in just 7 days. More focused than ever before, he began writing
for a new project with Nashville Songwriter/Producer Andrew Scott Wills (Jerrod Niemann, Stephanie Quayle) with plans to record
in the spring of 2019 concentrating on his influences of Merle Haggard, Waylon
Jennings, Brothers Osbourne and Dwight Yoakam.
Saturday
night, the Goats, Music and More stage welcomes another musical legend and a
rising star with T. Graham Brown and Wade Hayes.
The
inimitable T. Graham Brown began his musical journey in 1973 while attending
the University of Georgia in his hometown of Athens. After moving to Nashville
in 1982, the Grammy-nominated, CMA award, Diamond Addy award for excellence in
advertising, back to back prism award winning chart topper honed his skills as
a songwriter after signing with EMI publishing company. At the same time, he
began to sing songwriter's demos and the writers and producers began to hear
the power and soul in his singing and his dynamic ability to interpret words
and music through a perfectly pitched voice. The Nashville music business knew
his was a talent to be reckoned with. Within two years of arriving in music
city, capitol records signed him to an exclusive recording contract and what
would become a long list of albums that took country music by storm. He has
also recorded for Warner Brothers and Sony and now has a recording relationship
with Sony Red and a retail partnership with Cracker Barrel Old Country stores.
Simultaneously, he started a long and successful career singing advertising
jingles. He was the "face and voice" of Taco Bell's wildly successful
"run for the border" t.v. campaign for over four years. His wide
range of vocal ability could also be heard on national music ads for
McDonald's, Burger King, Hardee's, Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper, 7-up, Almond Joy,
Kentucky Fried Chicken, Ford, Dodge, Harrah's casinos and dozens more.
He
has hit the billboard, cash box and Christian music charts 35 times with hits
such as "I tell it like it used to be", self- penned "Hell and
high water", and "Darlene". Also, he wrote the multiple award
winning song, "Wine into water", which has been recorded over a hundred
times by artists all over the world. Most recently by country superstar
Loretta Lynn on her latest critically acclaimed album, "Full Circle".
As
a recording artist, songwriter, performer and producer, Brown has scored
multiple number one songs in the country, blues and gospel fields.
Over
the years, "his T-ness" has recorded with many other artists. His
duet partners have included Grammy winners the Beach Boys, Tanya Tucker, Vince
Gill, George Jones, Delbert McClinton, Jason Crabb, Brad Davis, the Oak Ridge
Boys, and rock and roll hall of fame members Michael McDonald, Steve Cropper
and Leon Russell.
Brown's
latest album and his first gospel effort is the Grammy-nominated, critically
acclaimed "Forever changed".
"He'll take care of you", the first single from that project,
a duet with Vince Gill, became a gospel hit.
T.
Graham Brown has performed on the iconic stage of the Grand Ole Opry hundreds
of times and he maintains a busy touring schedule all over the U.S. and Europe.
He'll tell you with a grin , "I've got a band and a bus and I'll keep
taking the music to the people as long as God lets me. It's what I love to
do"!
Country music’s power has always been in its
ability to reflect real life, and few artists have a stronger gift for
capturing both heartache and hope than Wade Hayes. In the past few years, the
singer/songwriter has navigated a complicated journey that has produced some of
the most potent songs of his already impressive career. Surviving stage IV
colon cancer, not just once, but twice, has given Hayes a unique perspective of
the fragility of life and the strength of the human spirit. Those lessons
learned are embodied in the songs on “Go Live Your Life.”
Far
from being a heavy manifesto on pain and survival, “Go Live Your Life” is
actually a vibrant tapestry that is both poignant and playful. The title track
is an upbeat anthem that celebrates living life to the fullest while “Dirt
Road” pays homage to his Oklahoma roots and “Remember the Alimony” is a
tongue-in-cheek slice of advice to a friend on the precipice of another
romantic mistake. “She is Home” is a tender love song about life’s true
priorities while “If the Sun Comes Up” is a powerful ballad about moving on.
Anchored by Hayes insightful songwriting and brought to life through his warm,
rich baritone, the songs on Go Life Your Life are steeped in country’s best
traditions yet have a contemporary edge.
Hayes
co-produced the album with longtime friend Dave McAfee. “Dave and I got
together and listened to songs and honed it down to what we thought fit on this
project,” says Hayes, who wrote or co-wrote all but one song on “Go Live Your
Life”. “I’m very fortunate getting to this next step. After getting through the
years of ill health and bad luck, I’m kind of laser focused right now. Getting
sick has changed me immensely. It’s as if I’m looking through different
eyeballs now. “I appreciate everything so much more. I realize how much I took
for granted.”
Hayes
was in his early 20s when he began churning out such enduring hits as “Old
Enough to Know Better,” “I’m Still Dancing with You,” “On a Good Night” and
“What I Meant to Say.” A second generation country singer from Bethel Acres,
Oklahoma, Hayes grew up watching his dad perform. The young guitarist’s dream
was to be the next Don Rich, Buck Owens’ revered guitar player and one of
country music’s most legendary sidemen . “I was a big fan of Don Rich and I
thought that’s what I wanted to do,” he recalls. “That’s what I moved to
Nashville for.”
Hayes
began realizing that goal when Johnny Lee tapped the young musician to be his
lead guitarist, but he just wasn’t meant to be a sideman. “Record label people
started coming to watch me play and the next thing I knew everything was
happening fast,” says Hayes, who landed a publishing deal just nine months
after moving to Nashville, and a contract with Columbia Records soon after. His
debut single, “Old Enough to Know Better,” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country
Singles & Tracks chart and Hayes was nominated for the ACM’s Top New Male Vocalist
honor. Two of Hayes’ four major label albums have been certified gold by the
RIAA, and hits such as “Don’t Stop,” “The Day That She Left Tulsa (In a Chevy)”
and “How Do You Sleep at Night” continue to be fan favorites in his shows.
If
the goats are your thing, you can watch Fainting and Boer Goat shows each day
of the festival in the goat show tents. Or, just come and enjoy all the
activities including the 5K Goat Gallop, the Three-legged Goat Triathlon, Goat
Yoga, lots of kids games and rides, arts and crafts and plenty of great food.
The
Goats, Music and More Festival has three times been named as one of the Top 20
Events to see by the Southeast Tourism Society. People from all fifty states, 5
countries and 80 counties in Tennessee have come each year to enjoy everything
this festival has to offer in beautiful Lewisburg, TN – just 50 miles south of
Nashville.
So,
mark your calendar now for the 17th Annual Goats, Music and More
Festival taking place October 11-12, 2019 at Rock Creek Park in Lewisburg, TN. To
find out more, log onto www.goatsmusicandmore.com or
download the app at http://my.yapp.us/GMMFEST
