DAVE'S DIARY - 12 JANUARY 2005 - PREVIEW EPISODE 1 - SERIES 5

PAUL KELLY HEADLINES NU COUNTRY TV RETURN

Prolific singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and bluegrass band Stormwater Boys headline the return of Nu Country TV on C 31 at 9 p m this Tuesday - January 17.

Kelly's combo perform a live cut of They Thought I Was Asleep at Sydney's Enmore Theatre - the locale where Texan country super group the Dixie Chicks debuted.

The song also features on Kelly's new bluegrass disc Foggy Highway.

Kelly hooked up with multi-instrumentalist and prolific producer Rod McCormack for his 19th album - a sequel of sorts to 1999 disc Smoke with Uncle Bill.

The Adelaide born singer, famed for his sporting songs, has also penned a tune for the Commonwealth Games.

Kelly won international acclaim when Austin country singer Kelly Willis recorded his original songs.

Willis, mother of twins, is wed to Bruce Robison whose song Wrapped is a highlight of Too Far Gone - second album by former Newcastle singer Catherine Britt.

Britt, touring Victoria during an east coast over summer to promote her new disc, will be featured on Series #5 of Nu Country TV, produced by Sofie B.

Both Robison and Kelly recorded Wrapped from his deep song catalogue that has also produced hits for the Dixie Chicks and fellow superstars George Strait, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Bruce co-wrote the Dixie Chicks #1 hit Travelling Soldier with brother Charlie - long time husband of the trio's banjo player Emily Robison.

CLICK HERE for a Kelly story from the Diary on July 12, 2005.


SAMANTHA MCCLYMONT

Grafton born Samantha McClymont is a hot tip for best new talent Golden Guitar at the 34th Australian Country Music Awards in Tamworth next week.

So it's apt the 2005 Starmaker winner debuts on Nu Country TV with a video of her single Heart Of A Man.

Samantha, just 19, cut the ABC Music single as part of her Starmaker prize after she graduated from the Tamworth College of Country Music.

She promoted her recording debut on a high profile national tour with multi-award winning Geelong born country star Adam Harvey.

Samantha and sisters Brooke and Mollie are Grafton's hottest exports since major star Troy Cassar-Daley and songwriting partner Don Walker.

They performed a duet with Jimmy Little on Pearls of Wisdom and backing vocals for two other tracks on his Down The Road album.

Samantha recorded Heart Of A Man and sister Brooke's collaboration with Rick Price on Cooking in My Kitchen for her Starmaker single.

Samantha and younger sister Mollie have a brace of Tamworth gigs before the awards show but have no immediate plans to join Brooke in Nashville.

Brooke won a development deal with major label Universal at 17 when she followed Britt, Kylie Sackley and other expatriate Aussie females to the music mecca.

Brooke has written with seasoned songsmiths including Dean Miller and Paul Begaud and landed Come Back Baby on Sam Hawksley's second album Anything You Want.

SUZANNAH ESPIE

Singer-songwriter Suzannah Espie enjoyed healthy international exposure when she performed with Git in Austin - the Texas country music HQ made famous by Willie Nelson and his outlaw peers.

But right now in the summer of 2006 she is promoting debut solo disc A Few More Days.

Suzannah performs her tune Cruel To Me - one of seven originals on her indie 11-track disc.


MIA DYSON

ARIA Award winning Surf Coast singer and slide guitarist Mia Dyson debuts on Nu Country with the title track of her second album Parking Lots.

The Torquay troubadour has been touring nationally to maximise exposure from ABC JJJ-FM network and community radio airplay.

Dyson has been blessed with major print media exposure as she strives to counter lack of commercial airplay in her homeland.

Mia plans to host an episode of Nu Country in a break in her hectic touring schedule.

CLICK HERE for a Mia Dyson feature in the Diary.


HIRST & GREENE

Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst and former Olympic track and field athlete Paul Greene have created a unique hybrid with their album The Stealth Of Summer.

Hirst wrote the Oils book Willie's Bar & Grill and Green played in rock band Ghost Writers after meeting on a project for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

The duo performs a video clip for the Hirst tune Comfort In Her Own Skin from their ABC music project that they promoted at the Port Fairy Folk festival.

TRIPOD HOST

East Burwood reared singing comic Scott Edgar of Tripod hosts the first episode of Series #5. Edgar is one of a diverse cast of hosts chosen by new producer Sofie B.

The singing guitarist also performs his tune Met My Match to close the show.

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