SCOTCOUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

LISA McHUGH and her Band has been invited to perform a one hour show on Ireland's TG4 TV’s latest Glor Tire series at 10.30pm on Wednesday March 6th with a repeat the following Saturday. Having first gained recognition on the Glor Tire 2009 series as a contestant finalist Lisa has went on to greater things with her new band. This year she is invited as mentor to Grainne Gavigan on the latest 15 week Glor Tire series . Grainne who is one of nine contestants hails from Ardara Co. Donegal and is currently a first year student studying Health and Social Care at Letterkenny IT
Lisa also has a Scottish date on Sunday March 3rd at The Cinema in Newton Stewart., and is back in Glasgow for Ireland West Music TV's weekend at The Crowne Plaza, on Saturday March 13th.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have announced a series of European tour dates in May in support of their forthcoming duets album Old Yellow Moon, the first official collaboration from the duo since Crowell joined Harris’ Hot Band as guitarist and harmony singer in 1975. These special ‘An Evening With Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell’ shows will feature the acclaimed artists (and long-time friends) performing material spanning their vast catalogues, backed by an distinguished group of musicians including Steve Fishell, Jedd Hughes, Byron House, Gerry Roe and Chris Tuttle. The duo play Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall on Wednesday , May 15th. Tickets are on sale now.
Produced by Brian Ahern, Old Yellow Moon includes four songs written by Crowell as well as interpretations of songs such as Hank DeVito’s ‘Hanging Up My Heart’, Roger Miller’s ‘Invitation to the Blues’, and Allen Reynolds’ ‘Dreaming My Dreams’, among others. The 12-track duets album features world-renowned musicians including Stuart Duncan, Vince Gill, and Bill Payne, as well as members of the original Hot Band. Old Yellow Moon will be released March 4 on Nonesuch Records.

The acclaimed folk/bluegrass group, Southern Tenant Folk Union have a few dates in Scotland coming up, including the Cumbernauld Theatre on Saturday April 6th. The 8 piece band are also playing Downstrairs at The Canongate, Edinburgh, March 13th, and Paisley Arts Centre , March 16th..

Lucinda Williams has included a Perth Concert Hall gig on her worldwide tour for her new album Blessed.
On Friday 21 June – a month before this year’s Southern Fried Festival – Lucinda makes a welcome return to the venue where she declared her 2009 Southern Fried appearance: “My favourite gig of the entire UK tour! I love Scotland!! ”.

The Country music world is mourning the tragic loss of singer Mindy McCready, at the age of 37.
Mindy, who had a string of hits in the 1990's including "Ten Thousand Angels", "Romeo" and "Guys Do It All The Time", has led a troubled life of late, well reported by the tabloid press. She had reportedly tried to take her own life before, and on Sunday, McCready was found dead at her home in Heber City, Ark. from a single gunshot wound that a representative from the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office said appeared to be self-inflicted. Tragically, McCready’s boyfriend, producer David Wilson, died in January at the same house in Arkansas..

Belfast maybe entertaining Nashville songwriters this week, but next week it's Scotland's turn to welcome Music City songwriters, as part of a package headlined by Irish singer DOMINIC KIRWAN,
The show features VICTORIA SHAW, who has songs on albums which have sold over 65 million albums and is an EMMY and CMA award winner, has written many hits such as ‘I Love the Way You Love Me’,  ‘The River’ and ‘She’s Every Woman’
JOEY & RORY return, after their appearance at last year's Caithness Festival. The couple, who had a huge hit, "Cheater,Cheater" after appearing on the TV talent show,"Can You Duet", recently released their third album. Rory has written songs for several big names, including Clay Walker & Charley Pryde.  
Rory's daughter HEIDI FEEK was also at Caithness last year, and is joined by a new up and coming young star from Nashville KYLIE ROTHFIELD.
The show is topped off by the one and only COLM KIRWAN, now Nashville based and  who is now an accomplished and sought after singer, songwriter going from success to greater success with his newly released album and US concert appearances with Don Williams.
The tour kicks off in Inverness next Thursday, Aberdeen on Friday, Glasgow's Pavilion on Saturday & Dundee on Sunday.

Lanarkshire's Tom Clelland will be performing at this month's acoustic night at The Meeting Place @ Stonelaw Church, Rutherglen this Friday, Feb 22nd ,starting 7.30pm

In advance of her visit to the Northern Nashville Caithness Festival next month, Grand Ole Opry legend Connie Smith will be talking to Stewart Fenwick on Celtic MusicRadio this Sunday.

Glasgow duo Raintown, who headline their own gig at Glasgow's Oran Mor next Saturday (Feb 23rd, are off to Belfast this week to play at the Belfast Nashville Songwriting Festival. Dumbarton's Brian Hughes also plays the event.
Then Raintown are off to London next month to play the new c2c festival at the o2 Arena, where Vince Gill, Tim McGraw and Leann Rimes are appearing.

Dorothy lets us know that the band for Alloa's Prairie Star Club's next club nite has been changed from 'Grassroots' to 'Clay County' just due to unforeseen circumstances on the bands' side.
Tickets will be on sale for the 25th anniversary nite on 6th April, 6pm-12am with Tequila, Carson City and Bill Alexander, just ask me to book yours!