SCOTCOUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

The nominations for September's Canadian Country Music awards are out ,and newcomer Jessie Farrell leads the nominations with a total of seven, including Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, CMT Video of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Top New Talent of the Year – Female and her previously announced nomination for Fans’ Choice.
Doc Walker earned a total of six nods, including Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Songwriters of the Year, CMT Video of the Year, Group or Duo of the Year and a Fans’ Choice nomination.
Other multiple nominees include Paul Brandt with five, Gord Bamford with four, George Canyon, who will also be performing on the CCMA Awards and Deric Ruttan with three each and Ambush, Crystal Shawanda, Johnny Reid, Emerson Drive and Ridley Bent all up for two awards each.
One of this year’s nominees for female artist of the year and last year’s Fans’ Choice Award winner Terri Clark will host the show, which will feature performers Jessie Farrell, George Canyon, Dierks Bentley, Doc Walker, Emerson Drive and Johnny Reid on September 8 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
All CCMA Award nominees are available online at http://www.ccma.org

Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks gave birth Friday (July 25) to a daughter, Harper Rosie Maguire, in Austin, Texas. According to the band's Web site, the baby weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Maguire and her husband, actor Gareth Maguire, were married in 2001. Their twin daughters, Eva Ruth and Kathleen Emilie, were born in April 2004.

Beloved big-band singer Jo Stafford, who enjoyed a couple of major country hits in the 1940s, has passed away. She was 90.
Jo died of congestive heart failure on July 16 at her home in Los Angeles, according to her son. Her sentimental pop songs were favorites among servicemen in World War II and the Korean War, who dubbed her “G.I. Jo.” She reached No. 5 on the country chart in 1947 with “Fuedin’ and Fightin,” and guested on the No. 2 country hit “Temptation” with Red Ingle & The Natural Seven the same year. She retired from music in 1970 to raise her two children.
Canadian singer Susan Graham lost her 2 year battle to multiple myeloma this week. Susan was surrounded by her husband Bruce and family and her doctors at the Tom Baker Cancer Clinic in Calgary, Alberta.
Ironically, her 2004 single (the last we heard from her) was called "Life went On".

The Canadian Country Music Association have announced the nominees for the Fans’ Choice Award: Paul Brandt, George Canyon, Doc Walker, Emerson Drive and newcomer Jessie Farrell. No place for reigining queen Terri Clark!
Beginning Friday, July 25 until Sunday, September 7, the public can vote online at CMT.ca for their choice. The winner will be announced during the CCMA Awards in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Monday, September 8, 2008.

Thw Wilders blow back into Scotland this week, with dates at Perth's Southern Fried Festival on Aug 2rd, Glasgow's Tall Ship on August 3rd, and from Aug 4-10th at Edinburgh's Spiegeltent
When they fly back in to Scotland, they will be bringing a brand new CD with them - “Someone’s Got To Pay” – recorded in Louisiana, produced by the legendary Dirk Powell, and currently riding high in the Roots of Country Top 50 in the USA.

Dont forget Southern Fried, a three day festival of Americana being held in Perth's Concert Hall & Theatre between 1st-3rd August. The Friday night features a concert by Nanci Griffith & Dean Owens followed by a late show with Elizabeth Cook & The Coal Porters.
On the Saturday night there's an evening of The Songs Of Hank Williams, and a late show with Rachel Harrington & The Wilders.
Celtic Music Radio's "Celtic Country" will preview the event this Sunday. Listen between 2-5pm UK time at www.celticmusicradio.org, or, if around Glasgow, on 1530 AM.
A full schedule is on the www.myspace.com/southernfried website.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand is one of 12 albums nominated for the Mercury Prize, the annual award determined by a panel of judges in the British music industry. The winner will be announced on Sept. 9. Other nominees for the prestigious honor include Adele, British Sea Power, Burial, Elbow, Estelle, Laura Marling, Neon Neon, Portico Quartet, Rachel Unthank & the Winterset, Radiohead and the Last Shadow Puppets.

Alan Jackson has surpassed the 50-million mark for album sales. He released his debut album, Here in the Real World, in 1990. His 17th album, Good Time, was released earlier this year.

Old Crow Medicine Show return to the UK in early September in support of their brand new Don Was produced CD, ‘Tennessee Pusher’ released on Sept 22. From busking in the streets of Nashville to headlining the historic Ryman Auditorium, Old Crow Medicine Show (OCMS) have come full circle playing their own brand of American roots music with a rock and roll attitude. Catch them Thur, Sept 4 at Edinburgh's Liquid Room

Mark Cool and Lou Vargo are touring Scotland over the next month
Catch Lou's Upcoming Shows
1 Aug 2008 20:00 The Loft at East Grange Farm Kinloss, Scotland
2 Aug 2008 19:00 Village Sunsets at Village Hall Collieston, Scotland
3 Aug 2008 21:00 The Maple Court Hotel Inverness, Scotland
5 Aug 2008 20:00 The Tartan Heart Fringe @ Tin Hut Sessions Gartly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
6 Aug 2008 21:00 "Groot Roots at Hoots" @ Hootananny’s Inverness, Scotland
8 Aug 2008 15:00 Potting Shed Stage @ Belladrum Festival Belladrum, Scotland
10 Aug 2008 15:00 MacSorley’s Pub Glasgow, Scotland
12 Aug 2008 19:00 Leith Folk Club Edinburgh, Scotland
Mark Cool will be playing the State Bar, Glasgow on 14th August alongside Glasgow's the Lonesome Hearts.

Legendary singer-songwriter Hank Cochran is recovering at a Nashville hospital following surgery to remove cancerous tumors from his pancreas and lymph node. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1974, his songwriting credits include Eddy Arnold's "Make the World Go Away," Ronnie Milsap's "Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me," Vern Gosdin's "Set 'Em Up Joe," Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces" and "He's Got You" and George Strait's "Ocean Front Property" and "The Chair." His songs have also been recorded by Elvis Presley, Ray Price, Linda Ronstadt and many others. Cochran, 72, is expected to remain hospitalized for several weeks.

Rachel Harrington has aseries of dates in Scotland next week, kicking off at The String Jam Club in Galashiels on Saturday 26th. On Sunday, she's at the Bute Sunday Sessions at 4pm, and The Vale in Glasgow (just outside Queen Street Station) at 10pm.
On Tuesday 29th, she's at Leith Folk Club and Elgin's Red Shoes on the 30th.
Next Friday, August 1st, she's at Woodend Arts Centre Banchory, and finishes her tour on Saturday, 2nd at Perth's Festival of American Roots Music. She joins Eddie Reader & Tam White for the main concert devoted to the Songs Of Hank Williams, and then does the Late & Southern Fried late show.

Billy Joe Shaver has cancelled his appearences at Perth's Southern Fried Festival and the Dungannon Festival in Northern Ireland, as he's taking part in a Common Thread benefit in Austin Texas the same weekend.

The San Quentin C&W Club kicks off the month with Reunion visiting the Polmont Golf Club on Friday 1st. Polmont Linedancers have a visit from Carson City at the same venue on the 22nd.
Across in alloa, The Prairie Star welcom Tequilla to their Weirs Club venue in Alloa on Saturday 16th.

Well travelled Olivia Newton-John, who has just walked The Great wall of China, married businessman John Easterling during a private ceremony on June 21 in Cuzco, Peru, followed a week later with a second ceremony in Jupiter, Fla. However, she did not announce the wedding ceremonies until last Thursday (July 10) on her official Web site. It is the second marriage for both. Easterling is the founder and CEO of Amazon Herb Company, a Florida-based company that sells botanical supplements from the rainforest in South America. English born, Australian raised Newton-John had a string of Top 10 country hits in the early 1970s and was named the CMA female vocalist of the year in 1974.

An exhibit honoring Kitty Wells will open Aug. 15 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Wells will be interviewed at the museum on Aug. 16 and will also sign autographs in the museum store. Wells joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976. She is best known for singing the groundbreaking country song, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels." The exhibit will run through June 14, 2009.

The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame will induct Prairie Oyster, artist manager Brian Ferriman and broadcaster Wes Montgomery during Country Music Week in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in early September. The superb Prairie Oyster, lead vocally by Russell deCarle, has won six Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards for group of the year. Ferriman, whose management clients have included Michelle Wright,and western singers Brenn Hill & RW Hampton, has won the CCMA award for manager of the year eight times. Montgomery was a popular morning radio show host who died in 2005.

Following Jewel's Country music success, Dukes of Hazzard movie star Jessica Simpson will release her first country album, titled Do You Know?, on Sept. 9 on Columbia Nashville. She recorded the album in Nashville with producers Brett James and John Shanks. The title track was written for Simpson by Dolly Parton, who also harmonizes with Simpson on the song.

The San Quentin have an American Independence Day club night at Polmont Golf Club, Maddison, with a visit from Toe The Line. The following night (July 5th), Alloa's Prairie Star, back on dry land, after last week's cruise, welcome Hillbilly Deluxe to their Weirs Club home.
The Prairie Star have another show on July 26th with a debut visit from Crossfire.
The No Angels girls bring Calico to Glen Village Bowling Club on July 18th.