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Don
Ledford
Auto Park presents
Moo-sic on the Menu
by 101.7 WLAR Radio |
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10 a.m. |
Sean
Patrick McGraw
Website |
Music
Described as
“Lyle Lovett singing Bruce Springsteen song
wearing Dwight Yoakam’s hat,” Sean Patrick
McGraw is a true over-night success decade
in the making. McGraw arrived in Nashville
in the mid nineties slugging away as a
bartender and construction worker before
landing his first publishing deal with King
Lizard. In the years following he’d bounce
around to several publishing houses and
producers, join a few bands and make ends
meet as a sideman with the likes of Dean
Miller (son of Roger) and Steve Holy (Good
Morning Beautiful, Brand New Girlfriend).
In 2003 McGraw responded to the cattle-call
auditions of USA Networks “Nashville Star.”
winning the regional competition at the
Wildhorse Saloon, yet enjoying only a brief
stint on the televised portion of the
series. In the wake of much local news
coverage, McGraw began touring in earnest
around the radius of his hometown in upstate
New York, venturing first to Southern
Ontario, Pennsylvania and Ohio and
eventually throughout the US, Canada, and
the UK. Since 2006 the award winning
singer-songwriter ( Independent Music Awards
2006, Great American Song Competition,
Mountain Stages New Song Festival) has
earned himself a reputation as the “hardest
working unsigned act in Country Music”
averaging over 150 dates a year, traveling
in an SUV pulling a trailer. |
11 a.m. |
Bradley
Matthew
Website |
Music
Bradley
Matthew was born October 2, 1979 and grew up
in a small town in southwest Missouri. He
was raised listening to Southern Gospel and
Country music and was heavily influenced by
greats from both industries like Merle
Haggard, Keith Whitley, Vern Gosden,
Jonathan Wilburn, and Jason Crabb. Like many
artists, he got his start singing in church
and although his dad is a Baptist preacher,
Bradley didn’t start singing at an early
age. Even though his younger sisters started
at the ages of eight and nine, they
performed as a duet for several years until
Bradley joined them in 1998 to form the
southern gospel trio The Praters. As the
group’s baritone, Bradley and his sisters
traveled all across America singing at
churches and festivals, averaging 200 dates
per year. In 2004, The Praters pulled off of
the road and quit traveling full-time.
Those that have traveled singing know it’s
hard to quit once you’ve gotten use to the
smell of diesel and the sound of the miles
passing beneath the bus tires. However, the
bills wouldn’t pay themselves, so to make
ends meet, Bradley got his Class A CDL and
worked a stint with the highway department
and hauled milk for a dairy. It didn’t
matter that he wasn’t formally on stage, he
kept honing his craft, working hard to
develop his style and increase his vocal
range. It didn’t take long for his work to
pay off and for him to realize he wouldn’t
be happy unless he was performing full time
again. With the encouragement of his
friends, family, and loyal fans, Bradley
quit his job in the Summer of 2010 to pursue
a solo career. His first solo album, Common
Man, combines the realities of everyday life
and working hard with the Christian values
and hope of the American spirit. Having
experienced both, this album offers a
picture of who Bradley Matthew is. |
12 noon |
Madonna
Nash
Website |
Music
Madonna
Nash, winner of the 2010 Female Country
Artist of the Year at the Carolina Music
Awards, has been singing for as long as she
can remember.
“As a child, I used to do shows in my
backyard for all the other neighborhood
kids,” she said. “And I started writing
songs when I was a teenager”.
Nash comes from a very musical family. Her
father toured the country playing guitar,
and her mother was an honors graduate in
music from East Carolina University. Nash’s
great great uncle was Connie B. Gay,
founding president of the Country Music
Association (CMA).
"My songs are definitely country, but when
you listen to them, you’ll find hints of
rock, pop, and blues, too. It’s just good,
fun music," she said.
She’s performed with numerous popular acts
such as Gretchen Wilson, Gloriana, Josh
Thompson, Sarah Buxton, Jason Michael
Carroll, Cravin’ Melon, Danny Gokey, Edwin
McCain, and more. |
1 p.m. |
Jaclyn Graves
Music
A native of
Milan, Tennessee, Jaclyn Graves is a
Nashville girl at heart. As she sings, “You
can take the girl out of Tennessee, but you
can’t take Tennessee out of me!” Jaclyn’s a
rising country music artist known for her
distinct country rasp, charming sense of
humor, and empowering lyrics that celebrate
true country women and the men they love.
A Nashville Star Regional Finalist, Jaclyn
has opened for Gary Allan, Jamey Johnson,
Phil Vassar, Eric Church, Justin Moore, Josh
Thompson, Buddy Jewell, The Carter Twins and
more. She has been a featured entertainer
and has headlined shows at The Kentucky Opry
and Goldie’s Best Little Opryhouse. Abroad,
Jaclyn has performed at Euro Disney and the
Notre Dame Cathedral. A former WBKR radio
personality, Jaclyn has made the jump to the
other side of the dial. Instead of spinning
country music, she’s singing it. Jaclyn
Graves has a “story to tell and a mic in
(her) hand.” She’s truly a “country girl who
found her band!” |
2 p.m. |
James
Allen Clark
Website |
Music
Born in
Portsmouth, Ohio, James Allen Clark fell in
love with music as a young child listening
to his family play and sing around the table
after supper. His home was filled with the
sound of gospel, bluegrass, and country
music. Growing up surrounded by that music
he taught himself how to play the guitar,
piano, and sing those tunes.
Years later after high school, James Allen
Clark moved just north of his home town to
Columbus, Ohio. There he furthered his love
from the familiar music of home and began
singing with a gospel group. After a few
years of traveling the country with that
group James Allen Clark headed out west to
Phoenix AZ. Initially he had a difficult
time gaining a foothold in the music
industry spending five years without making
any real headway.
James Allen Clark decided it was time to
moved from out west and head to music city,
Nashville Tennessee, where he began singing
at local venues and developing his fan base.
Just after his second year in the music city
a great friend who had the faith in James
Allen Clark wanted to help by financially
backing him. Thus in 2008 was born his four
song promotional album “First Attempt” with
the single “If I Didn’t Know Better.” |
3 p.m. |
Melanie
Denard
Music
Melanie
Denard has been entertaining audiences
around the country since 2002 with her
soulful stylings of "edgy" country, slammin'
rockabilly, scorchin' southern rock, and
steamy delta blues. Known by her fans for
her abiding love of all things rustic and
"down home", ....Melanie.... is widely
hailed for her powerful, earthy voice and
her penchant for "Melanizing" songs to
transform them into extraordinary listening
experiences.
Melanie makes her home in the Nashville
area. She hails originally from the historic
Kennesaw Mountain area of Northwest Georgia.
|
4 p.m. |
Jackie
Arredondo
Website |
Music
After years
of helping hundreds of vocalists achieve
their dreams, taking their talents to the
next level as one of the music and
television industry’s top vocal coaches,
Jackie Arredondo is emerging from behind the
scenes and launching her highly anticipated
solo career as a Country music artist.
Jackie was raised in Florida and from a very
young age, she started singing with
different local bands. As a student of Music
at Miami University, her teachers discovered
her talent to teach others. This is when
Jackie’s career took a turn and her dreams
of becoming a recording artist were placed
on hold to pursue a new career as a vocal
coach. However, Jackie never stopped
dreaming about Nashville, the Grand Ol Opry
and Country music, the music that has been
her passion since the age of 5. The music of
Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton,
Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Rascal
Flatts and Keith Urban has been an integral
part of her life and she counts their CDs
among her most valuable possessions.
Frank
Ortega
Website |
Music
With a
decidedly organic vocal sound lending
substance to his signature style, Frank
Ortega navigates his way through the Music
City machine very thoughtfully in order not
to sterilize his charisma, energy and raw
emotion. “I think when you look at some of
the great country heroes—Johnny Cash, Waylon
Jennings, and Buck Owens—none of those guys
got with the program and there is something
very interesting to me about that.” Like
them, Frank’s forging his own path.
Frank aims to be defined by the more
introspective, personal songs that explore
the nature of a man and his place in this
world with his own contemporary take on
traditional country music. “I like
everything about country music, I like the
traditional vibe when it comes to country
music. “ This Latin tattooed American
country singer knows exactly where he wants
to be in life and is truly all about the
travel, not his destination. “I am not a
cowboy, most men you see wearing cowboys
hats are not either but we share our belief
in what the American cowboy stands for…
independence.” Frank will continue to carve
his own path as he always has, and will
continue to believe that things are always
said best through a country song.
|
5 p.m. |
Rachel Holder
Website |
Music
In a town full
of attractive Country stars, it takes a lot
for a young female singer to stand out and
catch the attention of Nashville’s music
industry crowd. Eighteen -year-old Rachel
Holder is up to the challenge.
“I’ve already learned that it takes more
than a few good songs to make it in
Nashville,” says Holder. “These days, I
don’t think that there’s any one formula for
success, necessarily, but I know you have to
have faith in yourself, passion for the
music and a serious will to succeed. And
great songs!” she emphasizes.
Though still in her teens, Rachel’s talent
as an artist matured fairly quickly. As a
child performer, Rachel split time between
attending school in Chattanooga and
performing theater shows in Pigeon Forge,
one of Tennessee’s most popular tourist
destinations. By the time she was old enough
to drive, she had added more than 800
Broadway-style shows to her resume, often
performing two or three shows a day to
packed houses. With the experience she
gained on the small stages of Pigeon Forge,
the teen singer-songwriter decided it was
time to make the jump to the big stages of
Music City. With a new single out and a
debut album in the works, Rachel is poised
to be a star in Country music, and perhaps
beyond. |
6 p.m. |
Amber Hayes
Website |
Music
Amber Hayes
was born an entertainer. She was singing,
performing, even hosting her own 30-minute
Country music show, “Amber and Friends” at
state fairs, private parties and corporate
events by the time she was eight. Over the
years, Amber’s talent and performances have
garnered recognition and awards. She was
chosen as one of “America’s Ten Most
Beautiful Children” by Globe Magazine,
crowned “Junior Miss of Oklahoma,” was a
National Finalist in “America’s Kids,” and
most notably was a finalist for Disney’s
television show, “The Mickey Mouse Club”
along with Justin Timberlake, Christina
Aguilera, and Britney Spears.
Since moving
to Nashville a few years ago, Amber has had
many opportunities to share the stage with
some of country music’s hottest new stars
like Rodney Atkins, as well as legendary
artists Marty Stuart, T.G. Sheppard, Jeannie
Seely and others. Amber’s latest achievement
is nabbing the coveted role of Kathy Twitty
in the national touring play, “It’s Only
Make Believe,” a story featuring the life
and music of Conway Twitty. The play
recently debuted to rave reviews and a sold
out crowd at the Tennessee Performing Arts
Center in Nashville. |
*Artist
and schedule subject to change |
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Be sure to check our
entertainment line-ups for both stages on Saturday & Sunday. There is
something for everyone! |
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