The Scene
New CD Available For Pre-order!
Grasstowne's latest
project, "The Other Side Of Towne" is now available for
pre-ordering here in the CD Store! Pre-order today and take
advantage of the special price of $14 and FREE SHIPPING! Special
ends on release date; October 6th, 2009.
Dale Perry Moves To 'Towne
Grasstowne is pleased to
announce the addition of veteran bluegrass musician Dale Perry to the
band, playing upright bass and singing harmony. Dale has a long
list of credentials including stints with the Bluegrass Cardinals, The
Lonesome River Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and David Parmley
& Continental Divide.
Leadbetter Nominated Again
Phil has made the final ballot in the IBMA awards nominating process for the Dobro Player of the Year award.
#1 on Prime Cuts
The single "Big, Big Heartaches" from the upcoming
Grasstowne CD "The Other Side Of Towne" has hit #1 on the new Prime
Cuts Of Bluegrass chart. Thanks to all the DJs, fans and radio stations
for making this happen!!
Alan And Phil Pick Up Two More SPBGMA Awards
Alan
Bibey wins another SPBGMA Mandolin Player of the Year award and Phil
Leadbetter was again voted Dobro Player of the Year in Nashville, TN.
at the 2009 awards show.
Grasstowne Hires Travis Greer
Grasstowne
is proud to welcome Travis Greer to the band playing acoustic upright
bass and singing harmony. Travis is 24 years old, and makes his home in
Chilhowee, VA. He was a former member of Michelle Nixon and Drive. He
is also a semi-pro drummer. He is an awesome player, and was chosen
from a list of many who auditioned for the job. We are proud to have
Travis in our band, and you will hear him on the latest Grasstowne CD
when it is released to radio in March 2009.
Pickin’ - A Bluegrass All-Star Jam
On
Thursday, January 8, the Pickin’ A Bluegrass All-Star Jam is
coming to Raleigh. The lineup for this one-night only concert reads
like a “Who’s Who” of bluegrass musicians, featuring
almost 20 multi-award winning artists, including Rob McCoury, Terry
Baucom, Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland, Josh Williams, Dale Ann
Bradley, Steve Gulley, Kim Fox, Rob Ickes, Missy Raines, Alan Bibey,
Mike Compton, Phil Leadbetter, Kenny & Amanda Smith, Tim Stafford,
and Mike Bub. These incredible musicians will take the stage together
in a song-circle format hosted by Cindy Baucom, the 2005 IBMA
Broadcaster of the Year for the nationally syndicated radio show
“Knee Deep in Bluegrass.” Please join us for an
unforgettable night showcasing some of the best in bluegrass music!
The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Meymandi Concert Hall at the Progress
Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. Tickets
range from $20-$30 for PineCone members or $25-$35 for the general
public. You can order tickets by calling the PineCone box office at
919-664-8302 (tickets ordered through the PineCone box office are
subject to a $5 per order handling fee). You can also order tickets at
http://www.ticketmaster.com.
Thank you, and we hope to see you there!
This concert series will take place in many other venues across the
country in 2009! For a complete schedule, visit the Pickin' web sites
at:
http://www.pickonejams.com
http://www.myspace.com/bluegrassallstarjam
SPBGMA Awards: 10 Nominations
IBMA
winners Steve
Gulley and Tim Stafford are nominated for an award for Songwriter of
the Year at the SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Awards and National Convention
to be held February 12th - 15th, 2009 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel
in Nashville, TN. Grasstowne has earned 9 other nominations:
Bluegrass Band of the Year (Overall)
Instrumental Group
Vocal Group
Male Vocalist (Contemporary)- Steve
Guitar Player - Steve
Dobro Player - Phil
Mandolin Player - Alan
Banjo Player - Jason
Bass Player - Jamey
IBMA Awards: Steve Gulley Wins!
Steve
Gulley and co-writer Tim Stafford received the 2008 Song of the Year
award for "Through The Window Of A Train," which was recorded by Blue
Highway.
IBMA Awards: Final Nominations
Grasstowne
has been nominated for the Emerging Artist of the Year award and Jason
Davis' solo project, "Steppin' Out," has been nominated for
Instrumental Album of the Year. Also, Phil Leadbetter gets a
nomination for Dobro Player of the Year. The IBMA awards show
will be held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, October 2nd, 2008.
IBMA Awards: Round 2
The 2nd round IBMA candidate nominations are in. We REALLY need your votes to get
to the final ballot. Grasstowne is eligible in almost all categories.
Please remember, this is ONLY 2nd round, and not the final
ballot:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
VOCAL GROUP OF THE
YEAR
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
SONG OF THE YEAR ("DIXIE
FLYER")
ALBUM OF THE YEAR ("THE ROAD HEADIN' HOME")
INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF
THE YEAR / JASON DAVIS ("STEPPIN' OUT")
EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
MALE
VOCALIST OF THE YEAR / STEVE GULLEY
BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR / JASON
DAVIS
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR / JAMEY BOOHER
DOBRO PLAYER OF THE YEAR /
PHIL LEADBETTER
GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR / STEVE GULLEY
MANDOLIN PLAYER
OF THE YEAR / ALAN BIBEY
Please give us consideration when filling out
your 2nd round ballots. You MUST be a professional member of the IBMA to vote. If you are not, you can join the IBMA at: http://www.ibma.org
Thanks for all the
support of the band!!!!
"Roads" CD #1 Again!
"The Road Headin' Home" has once again hit the number #1 spot on another
music chart. This time it is The Roots Music Report which is a huge chart for
roots music. The album has been on this chart for nearly a year, but just moved
to the #1 spot last week.
New Sponsor Announced
We are very proud to announce that we are now a proud sponsor of
KEL Microphones. KEL Mics are made in Canada, and are the best mics we have
ever used. We are very happy to be working with KEL Audio.
SPBGMA Award Nominees Announced
The SPBGMA nominations have been announced for 2008, and Grasstowne shows up in 11 categories!
VOCAL GROUP OF THE
YEAR
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
BLUEGRASS BAND OF THE YEAR
GOSPEL GROUP OF THE YEAR (Contemporary)
ALBUM OF THE YEAR (The Road Headin' Home)
SONG OF
THE YEAR (Dixie Flyer)
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
(Steve)
BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Jason)
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(Jamey)
DOBRO PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Phil)
MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(Alan)
The awards show will be held on Sunday, February
3rd in Nashville, TN. All SPBGMA Nominees for 2008
Solo Project From Jason Davis
Jason
Davis' new CD, "Steppin' Out" from Pinecastle Records is now available
for purchase in the Sound Gallery! Mp3 samples are also
available! Also, check out the Bluegrass Blog article here.
"Road" CD Tops Charts!
The
#1 bluegrass CD in America is "The Road Headin' Home!!" After just four
months on the Bluegrass Unlimited charts, the CD has taken over the top
spot for December! The single "Dixie Flyer" has moved up to #5.
GT Welcomes New Sponsors!
We are very happy to have Dunlop USA and Saga as new
sponsors of Grasstowne.
Both of these are major musical
supply companies and are both known
worldwide. Please check their websites and support them if you can. We are
looking forward to a long relationship with both of them.
A Few Of Our Sponsors At IBMA
We would like to invite all our fans to visit the GHS Strings / ETA Bluegrass
Cruise booth during IBMA Week in Nashville, TN. Come by and find out why you
need to join us on this once in a lifetime criuse on the world's
largest cruise ship!
New Segment - Road Journal
GT
would like to invite you to stop by their new "Road Journal" section
where you can read first-hand "road reports!" Visit by clicking here or use the menu to the left.
Gulley CD Makes Chart Debut At #4
Steve Gulley's solo project, "Sounds Like Home," has debuted at #4 on the Roots Music Report and this week (8/19) has moved up to the #3 spot.
Phil Leadbetter Nominated For IBMA Award
Uncle
Phil has once again been nominated for the Dobro Player of the Year
award! The IBMA Awards show will be held in Nashville, TN on
October 4th and hosted by Sam Bush. The show will once again be
broadcast LIVE by XM Satellite Radio.
"Road" CD In Stores Now!
The
new Grasstowne CD "The Road Headin' Home" is in stores and available
everywhere really good music is sold! The project, along with
others, is also available here in the City Limits. Visit the
Sound Gallery to get your copy today!!
Grasstowne Enters BMP Charts At #1
The new Grasstowne CD has debuted on the Bluegrass Music
Profiles Chart at #1 and the single "Dixie Flyer" has
debuted at #2. The CD is scheduled for release on 8/7.
Second Round List Of Award Candidates
Grasstowne has made it to round 2 of the IBMA Awards balloting process in many categories:
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: STEVE GULLEY
BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JASON DAVIS
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JAMEY BOOHER
DOBRO PLAYER OF THE YEAR: PHIL LEADBETTER
MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR: ALAN BIBEY
The 2nd round will determine the final nominees in each category. We will have further updates as the process rolls on.
"The Road Headin' Home" Is Headin' Towards You!
Grasstowne's
new CD "The Road Headin' Home" is now available to ship. All
orders placed prior to today (April 28) will be shipped ASAP!
This project is only available at the web site or at all concerts
beginning May 4th. The actual street date is Aug. 7th, 2007. 1500
copies were sent out to radio yesterday and should be in the
rotations early next week.
Grasstowne Set To Perform At Fanfest 2007
Grasstowne
has been selected to perform at this year's IBMA Fanfest on October 5th during the 2007 World Of Bluegrass
event in Nashville, TN. They have also been selected as a
"Showcase" band! The International Bluegrass Music Association
(IBMA) hosts a week long series of events each year that include a four
day business conference, the Bluegrass Music Awards Show, and the
Bluegrass Fanfest. This year's festivities will take place
October 1 - October 7.
Jamey Booher Joins Grasstowne
Grasstowne welcomes its new bass player to towne! Jamey
Booher will join the group beginning April 9th and will be the
permanent upright acoustic bass player. Jamey resides in East
Tennessee. You can read more about Jamey in the Players section.
New Sponsor Announced
Grasstowne's
latest sponsor to come on board is one of the best cabin rental
providers in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Sunset Cottage Rentals
can help with all of your cabin/condo rental needs with over 250 units.
Please stop by their web site for a visit and you'll see what we
mean! Welcome aboard Sunset!!
Jason Davis Solo Project
Jason Davis is in
the studio working on a new banjo solo CD for Pinecastle. He is
recording at Riverside Audio in NC. The CD should be completed sometime
this summer. Also, Jason will be on the cover of an upcoming issue of
Banjo Newsletter.
Hear Dixie Flyer.... Right Now!
Check out the new Pinecastle web site and get a listen to Dixie Flyer by Grasstowne!!
The Road Headin' Home
That will be the title
of the new CD that is currently being mixed and should hit the streets
in June. Photography work has been completed by photographer Christian Lange. Stay tuned to this site for more info as it becomes available!
Grasstowne Single Sent To Satellite Radio
"Dixie Flyer" from the
new Grasstowne CD has been mixed and shipped to Sirius and XM Radio. It
will also be shipped to Prime Cuts Of Bluegrass to be included in their
May edition.
Gulley's Solo Project Coming In April
"Sounds Like Home" will
be released to the public on April 17th. Originally set for a February
release, the new CD will now have a chance to be promoted to radio and
retail outlets.
Grasstowne In March Edition Of BMP
Phil Leadbetter and Steve Gulley talk to Bluegrass Music Profiles magazine about forming the new band and what fans can expect.
Meet Lizzie Lou! Grasstowne Mascot?
On their way to Bloomingdale, GA to
see Grasstowne in concert, the Ross' bought a new puppy. A cute little
dog at that! Once the guys took the stage and broke into "Lizzie Lou",
the little puppy had a name! Jimmy Ross says, "This photo was just
after her first bluegrass concert and she was named during Grasstowne's
first song 'Lizzie Lou'. Thanks guys!"
Alan Bibey Mandolin Player Of The Year
Congrats to the 2007 Mando
Player of the Year, Alan Bibey! Alan picked up the award Feb. 4th in
Nashville, TN at the 33rd annual SPBGMA Awards Ceremony.
In The Studio!
The band will be in the studio
this week (1/15) to begin recording for their first project. This
CD should be released in June and available to radio by May. Stay
tuned here and in the Towne Forum for updates!
Grasstowne Members Part Of All-Star Jam
Steve and Phil will be performing at the 2nd Annual "Pickin At The Paramount" which
will take place at The Paramount Theater in Bristol, TN on January 20th 2007.
The all-star jam features many of today's best known musicians and singers. More
info at: http://www.bluegrassroad.com/news.htm
Pinecastle Records Signs Grasstowne
Grasstowne
signed a 3 project deal with Pinecastle Records last week. Leadbetter
had this to say; "We are very excited to get things rolling! Pinecastle
has always been good to me during my career, and they have been the
same with Alan. It just seems like the natural place to be. They have a
great staff, and are working hard to be one of the top bluegrass labels
ever. We sure appreciate their interest in us, and also the priority
they have given to this new group!"
Grasstowne will be
working on their first project in early January, and should have it out
by festival season. Looking like a release sometime in late June. Stay
tuned for more details!!
Grasstowne Hires Banjo Player Jason Davis 
One week after forming the new band
Leadbetter, Bibey, and Gulley bring in Jason Davis to play banjo.
Jason is from Ford, VA and has worked with Bibey in the past.
You can learn more about Jason in the "Players" section.
The four musicians got together on Dec. 14th to make it official and
hold a rehearsal.
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