Moondance Jammin' Country FEst 2008

~Presents Country Music Stars~

Trace Adkins · Gretchen Wilson · Gary Allan

Miranda Lambert · Sara Evans · Jo dee Messina
Diamond Rio · Luke Bryan · Sawyer Brown
Trent Tomlinson · Jack Ingram · Cross Canadian Ragweed
Whiskey Falls · Rockie Lynne · Bomshel
Lady Antebellum · TelluRide · The Wayne Renn Band

2008 Jammin' Country Artist's Bios

Trace Adkins

As he has gained autonomy, Trace has proven his ability to cut consistently first-rate country music that is both aesthetically and commercially viable, and the resulting trajectory is unmistakable. He has entered elite territory as an entertainer with over a decade of hits. Trace has put twelve songs into top ten country charts with two going to #1, "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing" and "Ladies Love Country Boys", along with his four #1 albums and the cross chart smash hit "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk". You can hear Trace's baseball innuendo hit "Smash" at ballparks around the country, he has been on scores of television shows over the years including an upcoming appearance on Celebrity Apprentice and he has been nominated and won numerous awards from CMA, ACM, CMT and others. Needless to say, Trace packs the house wherever he plays across the country and the fans love it whether he's playing an old hit like "I Left Something Turned on at Home" or a new single like "You're Gonna Miss This".

Gretchen Wilson

To all appearances, Gretchen Wilson went overnight from talented obscurity to phenomenon. Her meteoric rise, the kind experienced by only a handful of artists in the past few decades, was that rare instance where talent and moment meet to form a cultural tidal wave.

Her first single, "Redneck Woman," spent six weeks at #1; her debut album, Here For The Party, sold more than five million copies; she won across-the-board awards including a Grammy and ACM, CMA and AMA nods for best female vocalist; and she toured to large and raucous crowds around the world. Since then all of her albums have hit #1 on the Country Albums charts and have been in the top 5 of the Billboard 200 chart fueled by the top ten singles "Here for the Party", "When I think About Cheatin'", "All Jacked Up" and "Homewrecker".

Gary Allan

It's raw and emotional. It's freight-train-to-nowhere lonely. It's hard-rockin', no-apologies country music that has traded in its twang for a gravelly growl millions of fans recognize as the voice of Gary Allan. Over his career, Gary Allan has put up six top ten albums (two #1) and nine top ten hits including the #1 hits "Man to Man", "Tough Little Boys" and "Nothing on but the Radio". The sexy swagger of his live show tempered with a rugged yet warm voice has earned him legions of loyal fans. In mass they flock to concert halls across the country where Allan is on a streak, breaking attendance records from California over to Kentucky and down to Texas. Always on his own terms, Allan has remained true to his musical identity and his one-of-a-kind style.

Sara Evans

Whether dominating country radio airwaves with one of her many hit singles or attracting a new legion of fans with her spirited turn on “Dancing with the Stars,” Sara Evans’ drive, talent and determination have placed her in an elite class of artists who transcend musical genres to become a household name.

She’s won numerous accolades, among them the Academy of Country Music’s Female Vocalist of the Year and the Country Music Association’s Video of the Year for “Born to Fly”. She was named 2006 Female Vocalist of the Year in the R&R Reader’s Poll and has been celebrated as one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People.”

Evans has earned numerous #1 hits, two of which she co-wrote, including “Born to Fly,” “No Place That Far,” “Suds In The Bucket” and “A Real Fine Place to Start,” which spent two weeks at the top of the country charts. Of the five albums Evans has released, her sophomore set, “No Place That Far,” has been certified gold; 2001’s “Born to Fly” is double-platinum and 2003’s “Restless” and 2005’s “Real Fine Place” are both platinum.

Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert first exploded onto the scene as a finalist in the 2003 season of the NASHVILLE STAR television series. Even thought she didn't win, she got the best of both worlds – Columbia Nashville signed Lambert to a deal and gave her the time and opportunity to make the album that she really wanted to make.

Her confidence and firepower were evident in KEROSENE: it debuted at #1 on the country charts (only the sixth time a new artist entered in at the top), and went on to earn Lambert nominations for the CMA’s Horizon Award and the ACM’s Top New Female Vocalist Award. It also earned her a Grammy nomination and has since gone platinum.

To date, Lambert has five Top 40 country hits to her credit: "Me and Charlie Talking", "Bring Me Down", "Kerosene", "New Strings", "Famous in a Small Town". "Gunpowder and Lead" will be her next single released.

Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Messina is an award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist that has given her heart and soul to find success. She’s had nine #1 singles, has been honored by The Country Music Association, The Academy of Country Music and The Grammy Awards and was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week #1 songs from the same album. Some of Jo Dee's #1 singles include: "Bye Bye", "I'm Alright", "Stand Beside Me", "That's the Way", "Bring on the Rain" and "My Give a Damn's Busted".

Sawyer Brown

After 23 years, 3500+ shows, gold and platinum albums, a smattering of awards and more long odds than any act you can think of, Sawyer Brown remains a band you can count on. Never ones to get above their raising, they have a deep appreciation for the heart of small towns, rural realities, lives lived in common places and truths so basic they go unnoticed.

"We came out of the notion we were there to entertain people, to make sure everybody had a good time," concedes creative catalyst Miller, known as much for his hyperkinetic performances as for writing "Some Girls Do," "The Dirt Road," "Hard To Say," "Step That Step," "This Time," "The Boys & Me," "Thank God For You" and "The Walk." "You're looking at a bunch of blue collar people here, who were raised to put the work in, to make sure the people are satisfied and who really love being on that stage and seeing the people letting it all go. Somebody once told me `If you can't have fun at a Sawyer Brown show, you can't have fun...' I don't know, but it would sure be nice if it was true."

Luke Bryan

Listen to Luke Bryan talk, and the natural twang in his voice tells you he’s from as deep into the rural South as a young man can be. Listen to Luke Bryan sing, and the true-as-dirt details tells you he writes about who he is and what he knows.

This Capitol Records Nashville artist is a straight-up, down-home country boy, and his music makes that as clear as a sunny day on his family’s Georgia peanut farm. His debut album hit #2 on the country charts pushed by the singles "All My Friends Say" and "We Rode in Trucks".

“Even my friends in Nashville laugh sometimes at how country I am,” says the strapping singer-songwriter in his good-natured drawl. “I’ve lived in Nashville now for more than four years, but I’m still adjusting to it because I can’t do the things I’ve done my whole life. I go stir crazy, because I can’t just walk out my door and go fishing or hunting or do something outdoors.”

Diamond Rio

Diamond Rio was the first band to have their debut single go to #1 and for the past 15 years their mix of bluegrass, modern country and a touch of rock and roll has warranted them not one, but two greatest hits albums. Diamond Rio's vocal harmonies and playing style garnered two Top Vocal Group awards from the Academy of Country Music, four Vocal Group of the Year awards from the Country Music Association, thirteen Grammy nominations and 33 singles including the five #1 hits "Meet in the Middle", "How Your Love Makes Me Feel", "One More Day", "Beautiful Mess" and "I Believe".

Cross Canadian Ragweed

Whenever Cross Canadian Ragweed gets asked if they’re a country band or a rock band, they just laugh and offer up a resounding “Yes!” Lead singer Cody Canada, rhythm guitarist Grady Cross, drummer Randy Ragsdale and bassist Jeremy Plato figured out a long time ago that their job was to make great music and let everybody else figure out what to call it.

These lifelong friends spent years developing their sound in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and then with a relentless tour schedule they became kings of the Red Dirt and Texas music scenes. They grew their audience the old fashioned way—one fan at a time. It has paid off with three top 10 country albums and the billboard singles, "17", "Constantly", "Sick and Tired", "Alabama", "Fightin' For", "This Time Around" and their latest "I Believe You".

Lady Antebellum

The sound that Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood cooked up while hanging at the Nashville-area home of Charles’ brother throughout the summer of 2006 is a unique blend that mingles classic country, 1960s R&B soulfulness and the heart-on-the-sleeve openness of 1970s singer-songwriters, all presented with a razor-sharp contemporary edge. It’s a sound that had Lady Antebellum, as the threesome dubbed itself, generating deafening buzz as one of modern country’s brightest hopes even before the release of their new self-titled debut album.

Already the trio has been nominated for “Top New Group” at the 2008 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards. They’ve watched the group-penned first single from Lady Antebellum, “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore,” soar up the country radio charts, while its video has become a staple on CMT and GAC. They’ve performed on the legendary Grand Ole Opry, served as the opening act on Martina McBride’s 2008 arena tour, and opened shows for Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner, Phil Vassar, Rodney Atkins and Little Big Town. Outlets like Billboard, Country Weekly, MSN Music and the Boston Globe included Lady Antebellum among their annual shortlists of artists to watch in 2008, and Nashville Lifestyles magazine flat-out called them “the next big thing.”

Trent Tomlinson

Trent was involved in every aspect of song selection and production on his debut album which is unusual for a new artist. That level of involvement is testament to his ability to turn the long hard road to stardom to his advantage. Although, he had written songs for Emerson Drive and Blue County, among others, Trent's career had amounted to a frustrating series of publishing deals until he had a breakthrough about two years ago with the release of his first single "Drunker than Me". He had scored a Top 20 country hit on his first try and afterward released "One Wing in the Fire" which also crossed over into the Billboard charts. "Just Might have Her Radio One" is the latest hit for Tomlinson.

Whiskey Falls

Whiskey Falls popped up out of nowhere with a crazy fresh sound that, at the same time, is as comfortable as an old pair of jeans. This. Is. No. Ordinary. Band. Start with the vocals. Four-part harmony -- is there such thing as four-part lead? -- running from the first verse to the final chorus. Then there’s the song itself, "Last Train Running". Smartly crafted and emotionally mature from a new band that writes all its own material. The musicianship is world class. The arrangement, tight.

Whiskey Falls recently customized their "Load Up the Bases" video for the Atlanta Braves' pre- and post-game show, Braves Live, on FSN South.

Jack Ingram

Texas native, Jack Ingram knows a thing or two about what is and isn't country music. While he's a new face to some, he began his career over a decade ago in the hardscrabble honky-tonks and dancehalls of Texas. He quickly earned the respect of his peers - not to mention his heroes. Waylon Jennings called him "an incredible talent," while Billy Joe Shaver pronounced him "one of the best performers around." Nonetheless, Ingram bounced between independent and major labels, none of which exposed him to the masses. He finally decided to sign with Big Machine and his debut single "Wherever You Are" went #1 on all of the Country charts. Since then, "Lips of an Angel", "Love You" and "Measure of a Man" have all landed within the top twenty spots on the Country Singles charts.

Rockie Lynne

He has been everywhere and is now emerging as an up and coming guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Rockie grew up in North Carolina, but he is a military man and graduate of the Guitar Institute of Technology in L.A. He spent a couple years in Myrtle Beach, Nashville and then toured around the country singing his original songs. He finally decided settle down Coon Rapids, Minnesota and built a strong fan base. Eventually he was doing 200-300 dates a year and had sold 40,000 copies of his CD when he was discovered by chance at St. Patrick's Tavern in Prior Lake, Minnesota by the CEO of Universal Music Group Worldwide. This led to his signing with Universal, releasing a major label debut album and charting the singles "Lipstick", "Do We Still" and "More". His next single is "I Can't Believe It's Me".

Bomshel

As the country duo Bomshel, Kelley Shepard and Kristy O. are about as subtle as two sticks of dynamite.

A potent combination of youthful vitality and hard-won experience, Bomshel unites powerhouse singer Kelley Shepard with fiery fiddler Kristy O. Alone, both are guaranteed to be the most colorful woman in any room they enter. Together, they create a sound that grabs country music by its roots and jerks it into the 21st Century.

Bomshel’s aggressive sound combines Nashville song craft, rock dynamics and funk rhythms, all served up with a steel-magnolia spirit. The music ranges from heart touching to hard rocking to booty shaking with boots on the dance floor songs like “Bomshel Stomp” or the stunning and inspiring “Power of One”.

At its core, this is what Bomshel represents: The joy that comes with letting down your guard and being yourself, no matter how wild, silly or serious you may feel at any given moment.

TelluRide

The five young men of the country band TelluRide have rocketed to overnight prominence in the ultra-competitive Nashville music scene. Formed just over two years ago, the group has already played more than 300 concerts on the road. TelluRide has achieved national attention in the CMT video contest Music City Madness 2 with its clip of “Phone Song.” The recording of the band’s debut album is nearly complete. Even without a record, TelluRide’s music has been heard on radio stations. And despite its youth, the group has been invited to open shows for top stars such as Diamond Rio, Joe Nichols, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lonestar, LeAnn Rimes, Jo Dee Messina and even REO Speedwagon, Night Ranger and Men at Work. No other country group has risen this far, this quickly

The Wayne Renn Band

Wayne Renn is a country singer who rocks out on guitar and can play the fiddle like crazy. Wayne has recently recorded and completed a video with Doug Kershaw for his latest song “Prisoner of Love.”