Country Music People January 2017 | Page 3

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Duncan Warwick talks to the retro brotherly act ahead of their UK dates this month .

he Cactus Blossoms have come a long way since their debut album in 2011 . That was a low budget selfreleased effort , but it still managed to make people sit up and take notice due to its wonderful harmonies rooted in the classic vintage sounds of country sibling melodiousness at their most notable . Names like The Wilburn Brothers and The Louvins were brought to mind on both their original songs and carefully chosen period covers plucked from suitably obscure LPs by the heroes of Page Burkum and Jack Torrey , aka The Cactus Blossoms , which they attribute to being “ partly out of curiosity and deep appreciation .”

Growing up many degrees of latitude further north than the traditional home of their unashamedly hillbilly sound , Page and Jack had built up a sizeable local following in their home state of Minnesota by playing pre-1960s tunes of varying degrees of familiarity to appreciative fans at a residency the duo had secured at The Turf Club in St . Paul , Minnesota .

The duo ’ s repertoire grew over 18 months in the club to include their own material as well as the obscurities . Taking great pleasure

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Walt Trott pays tribute to the musician and songwriter who passed away recently .

could be attributed to his tearing up the rulebook while making music , culminating in his being inducted into both the Rock - and Songwriters ’ Halls of Fame ( 2011 ). Sadly , we lost this phenomenal talent Nov . 13 , which also meant losing his celebrated country alter ego Hank Wilson .

According to wife , Jan Bridges , Leon had been recovering from heart surgery since last July , and died in his sleep at their suburban Nashville home . The 74-year-old entertainer had been looking forward to performing again in March ( with the Tedeschi Trucks Band at the Ryman Auditorium ).

Russell ’ s Southern boogie-styled piano playing inspired no less than Elton John and Joe Cocker , while his writing skill produced such songs as A Song For You , This Masquerade , Delta Lady , Superstar , Lady Blue , Hummingbird and Shootout On the Plantation .

Family , friends and fans assembled at Victory Baptist Church in nearby Mt . Juliet , Nov . 18 , for a memorial service . In from L . A . came soul singer Claudia Lennear , who worked with Leon on Mad Dogs & Englishmen , Leon Russell & The Shelter People and George Harrison ’ s Concert For Bangladesh . The lady , who reportedly inspired The Rolling Stones ’ Brown Sugar , acknowledged she will “ eternally be grateful for Leon , for his wonderful music , his great leadership .” Earlier Claudia explained , “ Leon is probably the most incredible musician on this planet . He ’ s not only just an incredible musician , he ’ s the most creative arranger and bandleader that I ’ ve ever met . Leon has a way of taking something old and recreating it and making it so current and so plausible to music listeners in the here and now . For example , his re-arrangement of ( Dylan ’ s ) Girl From the North Country . It ’ s such a wonderful tribute , in my view , from Leon to Bob Dylan , to upgrade that song the way he did . They ’ re both beautiful tunes . I ’ m not discrediting Bob Dylan by any means . I think Leon ’ s version was funky . When I say funky , I mean it had a groove .”

She pointed out how groovy Leon ’ s rendition of Jumpin ’ Jack Flash had been , literally electrifying some 40,000 fans for The Concert For Bangladesh , aiding the UNICEFsponsored benefit program for refugees from

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1971 East Pakistan , at Madison Square Garden ( prompted by Harrison and Ravi Shankar ). Russell shared a ’ 72 best album Grammy for his participation .

Others at the local service commenting on links to Leon included Steve Ripley ( The Tractors ), an Okie who bought Russell ’ s The Church studio in Tulsa , to perform in Tulsa clubs as a teen , he had Okla ., recalling nostalgically , “ Leon was the an older friend get him a phony I . D ., depicting first person to record there . They brought “ Leon ” as the first name , which became part him and took over . He loved being back in of his stage monicker ( along with his middle that old studio and having his friends drop name ). Young Leon had his own band The by and say hello .”; and Dr . Jim Halsey , artist Starlighters , and once opened for Jerry Lee manager , who proclaimed , “ Leon was a pure Lewis in Tulsa ’ s Cain Ballroom . Reportedly , and true genius . Part of what he did was offer Lewis was so impressed he took the band on healing to the world .” Too bad more VIP pals tour with him for over a year . didn ’ t attend , including Willie Nelson , John Following graduation from Will Rogers Cowan and Jackie DeShannon , though some High , however , Leon lit out for Los Angeles , sent messages to be read , primarily Sir Elton where he began hitting the club circuit and John , whose long-distance eulogy included even studied guitar under James Burton . the Pinterest , “ I can ’ t imagine a world without Soon , he worked his way into session playing , Leon ’ s music ,” adding with impact , “ He was becoming fair-haired boy at A & M Records , everything I wanted to be as a pianist , vocalist eventually part of the elite Wrecking Crew . and writer .” Another funeral farewell took His keyboard ’ s heard on the discs of such place Nov . 20 at Oral Roberts University ’ s notables as Herb Alpert ’ s Tijuana Brass , Mabee Center in Tulsa , which longtime buddy The Byrds and The Ronettes . That ’ s Leon Bruce Hornsby attended , after missing the playing on Jan & Dean ’ s Surf City , Bobby Nov . 18 event .

Pickett ’ s Monster Mash , and The Beach Boys ’ Leon was born Claude Russell Bridges , California Girls .

April 2 , 1942 , in Lawton , Okla ., suffering a

In 1965 , Leon ’ s Everybody ’ s Talking ’ Bout birth injury to his vertebrae that resulted in a The Young marked his first solo single for Dot slight paralysis to his right side that affected Records . By then , he was also expanding his later stage style . In reference to his birth into production , including arranging the # 1 defect , he later mused , “ It gave me a very This Diamond Ring for Gary Lewis & The strong sense of duality ; it gave me an outlook Playboys , for whom he wrote the successful into this plane that we live on , and if I hadn ’ t singles Everybody Loves A Clown and She ’ s had that , I ’ d probably be selling cars in Paris , Just My Style . He also toured with The Texas .”

Playboys and Leon ’ s credits would include From age four , the youngster began tinkling a wide array of artists he performed with , the piano keys , maybe getting a sense of the among them Delaney & Bonnie , Doris Day , road that lay ahead . Underage and anxious Eric Clapton , Ringo Starr , Barbra Streisand , attempt to achieve something that he believes in strongly ’ to take the meaning of ‘ crusader ’ literally . Initially offered a Nashville deal more than a decade ago , Owens declined , as it was a singles only deal . Then in 2005 he was approached by another label , which folded just as his single , Bottom Of The Fifth , was picking up traction , and his album , titled Let ’ s Get It On , was available for less than 100 days .

In 2009 Owens was once again the victim of circumstance when another label closed up shop , but that time around he was able to maintain ownership of an album he had recorded with James Stroud producing . That album now forms the basis of his new release – Where I ’ m Comin ’ From – which has been augmented with some newly recorded songs , including a guest

Duncan Warwick meets the clean living traditional singer who is hoping that it ’ s the third time that ’ s a charm . Photos : Jim Shea

Ahead of the mega-band ’ s headline spot at C2C , harmony vocalist and multi-instrumentalist John Driskell Hopkins tells Douglas McPherson about the origins of a band that told Nashville ’ s top brass where to go .

ake a spin through the freewheeling repertoire of the Zac Brown Band and you ’ ll find acoustic , campfire-style sing-alongs , Jimmy Buffett-flavour beach songs , arena scale ballads ... and the odd shard of something harder . With Heavy Is The Head , the eightpiece band became probably the only multiple country chart-toppers to score a number one on the mainstream rock chart . On stage , they ’ re even likely to throw in a Metallica cover , as they did at C2C in 2014 .

So where on the country to rock scale do this hirsute band of outlaws place themselves ?

“ We ’ re a southern rock band ,” states harmony vocalist and multiinstrumentalist John Driskell Hopkins . “ And that includes so much acoustic music ; guitars and fiddles and banjos and things like that .

“ In lots of ways we ’ re an Americana group ,” continues Hopkins , who incidentally prides himself on being one of the writers of the aforementioned Heavy Is The Head .

“ In lots of ways we ’ re a country group . But at the end of it , I think our heart and soul is that of a Marshall Tucker or an Allman Brothers or a Lynyrd Skynyrd - a band that has rough edges and a lot of determination and a lot of grit .

“ We also really cling to our vocal harmonies , like the Eagles . One of my favourite bands growing up was

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appearance by John Anderson and lists comfortable . I ’ m more comfortable now Randy Travis as an executive producer . than I ’ ve ever been . I guess it ’ s because

Randy Travis also appears in the video I ’ ve been through all the trials and all for Owens ’ aptly titled single Country the hardships that the business bestows Never Goes Out Of Style , and the Alabama upon artists . Like I say , looking back traditionalist recalls , “ That was his first now I ’ m glad I went through all of that cameo appearance since his stroke and because what ’ s happening now has been Randy has believed in the project since worth all the hardships we ’ ve had . day one . I grew up on his music and I “ You know , I tell everybody that can remember the first time I ever heard if it was easy everybody would do it . 1982 on the radio and I thought , ‘ Man , I It ’ s a long , hard process and we ’ re so wanna be like this guy . That ’ s the kind of thankful to be where we ’ re at today , singer I want to be .’ And he ’ s just been a but I ’ ve had a couple of opportunities great friend and he has just got inducted with different labels to record with and into the Country Music Hall Of Fame , then for management purposes and for which I got to witness personally and he different reasons it just didn ’ t work out . enjoyed that . It ’ s just been a great part I ’ ve always run against the grain as the of my career to have him be apart of it . saying goes , and just been so fortunate He ’ s a legend … What a wonderful career to be where we ’ re at today with this he ’ s had , and like I say , I ’ m glad to be third chance . You know they say that able to call him a friend .” third time ’ s a charm . We ’ re hoping that ’ s The perseverance by Owens has been where it is .” remarkable , and the singer himself

Randy Travis says that , “ Shane has admits he is personally in a better successfully merged yesterday and today place now than when he first garnered to remind us that country will always be record company interest . “ I feel more in style ,” and Owens is convinced that ,

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Duncan Warwick talks to the up and coming California traditionalist whose impressive debut belies that he is just 16 years old .

hear me sing and so I sang her Mama ’ s Haggard , George Jones , y ’ know , just actually lived every word they Don ’ t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be super old-school traditional country wrote and sang most of them Cowboys . and that ’ s the kind of country I love .” would be in prison by now , or “ And she didn ’ t run away from me And that particular style of oldschool country has also rubbed off on at the very least have been married so it kind of went from there . I played more than thirty times . Johnny Cash in different gigs just around town McNeal ’ s own writing style , with his would have served at least one life and did some open mics . Then we own songs perfectly complimenting sentence just for “ Shooting a man finally talked to this girl in Nashville , those of his musical heroes . “ I wrote in Reno just to watch him die .” You Kim Copeland , she was a producer and co-wrote five of them . There ’ s don ’ t have to have ‘ actually ’ lived it to and then we got up there and she ten songs on there and one of them put it across in a meaningful way , and brought in some crazy musicians for my uncle wrote back in the 80s , that if further proof were needed then the album . People like Joe Spivey ( The was Beer Drinkin ’ Woman . I ’ m trying look no further than the traditional Time Jumpers ), Shawn Fichter ( Tim to write as much as I can but it ’ s California newcomer Charlie McNeal , McGraw ’ s drummer ) and yeah , just different just because … It ’ s hard to whose impressive debut album – some really , really great musicians explain . I like writing a lot .” Remember The Time - belies his and that ’ s really what made the record As alluded to earlier , McNeal ’ s youth . At just 16 years of age he great . Kelly Schoenfeld , he was the material is country music for grownups , and frequently deals with sings of drinking , smoking pot , child mixer and the engineer for the album custody battles , lost love , and even and that was a big part of it too .” ‘ mature ’ themes , but the young singer his “ cocaine lovin ’ woman ” with the A little over a year ago Charlie laughs at the suggestion that some authority of someone three or four McNeal was , like many an American people might not be comfortable with times his age who has made several teenager , listening to the country hits a 16-year-old singing about cocaine , trips around the block . of the day . “ My dad really was the women and whiskey . “ Yeah , that ’ s

Not only does Charlie McNeal pull one who turned me onto country , old part of it . Some people they just … it off convincingly , but his album is country , in the first place because I Most people take it as a good thing all the more impressive considering used to listen to Florida Georgia Line just writing it in a song , as long as you his tender age , that he has had a and Luke Bryan and all that . Nothing haven ’ t lived it , y ’ know ! hand in writing half of the songs , and against them , but when my dad

“ I never get much of a problem that he has gone from singing for his showed me Waylon Jennings it was a from people . My producer said , ‘ It ’ s girlfriend to releasing his first record different sound that I really liked .” all about making people believe that in such a short period of time .

McNeal has picked up that classic you wrote it and that you lived it .’

On an early morning phone call country ball and run with it , from When you ’ re writing songs that you ’ re prior to heading to school McNeal his own one-yard line all the way singing , if you ’ re singing it like you acknowledges that , “ It ’ s all been to a touchdown , to take the football lived it then that ’ s what people want .” going pretty fast . This first year has analogy even further . Remember The Although McNeal confides that been crazy ,” before sharing the initial Time is soaked in traditional values he has ‘ tried ’ some whiskey , the moment of inspiration . and an Outlaw attitude yet utterly perennial problem of being too young “ I first started , actually , because fresh . “ Yeah , I ’ m listening to a lot of to drink in , or even legally enter many my girlfriend at the time wanted to old country — Waylon Jennings , Merle of the establishments in which he

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Frank Sinatra , Bob Dylan , Ray Charles and The Rolling Stones .

A highlight for Russell was co-producing Joe Cocker ’ s self-titled second LP on which Joe sang Leon ’ s Delta Lady . That number also appears on Leon ’ s Shelter Records ( which he co-founded with British music man Denny Cordell ) debut album , Leon Russell , in 1970 , along with A Song For You and Hummingbird . That same year , Leon served as bandleader for Cocker ’ s legendary “ Mad Dogs & Englishmen ’’ tour . Fans loved his colorful costumes , complete with top hats .

Artists who have recorded Russell songs include Willie Nelson , Ray Charles , Natalie Cole , B . B . King , The Carpenters , Neil Diamond , Rita Coolidge , Luther Vandross , Cher , Sonic Youth and The Motels . George Benson ’ s track of Leon ’ s This Masquerade won a Grammy as best recording in 1976 , and earned kudos as the first song ever to occupy # 1 spot on the jazz , pop , and R & B multiple charts .

Nelson on their revival of the Elvis Presley signature song Heartbreak Hotel ( 1979 ), off their # 3-ranked LP One For the Road ( right ), which crossed into pop charts and earned CMA ’ s best album award . Nonetheless , Leon can claim chart accomplishments , notably his recording Tight Rope (# 11 , 1972 ), Bluebird (# 14 , 1975 ) and Slipping Into Christmas hitting # 4 on Billboard ’ s Christmas chart ( 1972 ).

Four of Leon ’ s solo albums were certified Gold : 1971 ’ s Leon Russell & The Shelter People , 1972 ’ s Carney ( which hit # 2 on the pop chart ), 1973 ’ s three-disc set Leon Live , and in 1975 Will O ’ The Wisp .

An Oklahoman , Russell had a natural feel for traditional country , having heard heroes like Bob Wills and Hank Thompson . In homage to all this , Russell released a 1973 album Hank Wilson ’ s Back !, featuring such fare as A Six Pack To Go ,” “ Rollin ’ In My Sweet Baby ’ s Arms and I ’ ll Sail My Ship Alone . He engaged such Nashville troupers as Melba Montgomery , Billy Byrd , Charlie McCoy , Pete Drake and fellow Okie J . J . Cale , and garnered favorable reviews . It topped out at # 15 country and crossed over as a # 28 pop entry .

Sequels of sorts include the millionseller One For the Road with Willie Nelson , charting 40 weeks ; and Hank Wilson , Volume II ”( 1984 ), boasting tracks such as Wabash Cannonball , Heartaches By the Number ” and I ’ m Movin ’ On . He also founded a new label Paradise Records , after a less than composition If It Wasn ’ t For Bad earned harmonious split with Denny Cordell . Among them a 2010 best pop collaboration Grammy Paradise acts were The Tractors , but Leon nomination . The following March saw Russell also released his 1976 Wedding Album , honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame , and made with then-wife Mary McCreary ( Little a few months later , come June 2011 , he was Sister ), co-produced with Bobby Womack on inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame . Paradise . ( Mary and Leon were divorced in In his sunset years , Leon ’ s opted for a 1980 ). mountain man image , sporting mustache ,

Continuing into the ’ 90s , he released wild and wooly gray hair that fell down into Anything Can Happen , produced by Leon and his lengthy white beard , usually topped by a Bruce Hornsby in 1992 for Virgin Records . He cowboy hat ( or occasionally a knitted wool followed that up with 1998 ’ s Hank Wilson , Vol . cap ). The last Russell studio album we heard 3 : Legend In My Time and in 1999 , Face In was Life Journey , executive-produced by The Crowd , for which he penned every song . Elton John and released in 2014 , featuring

In 2002 , his ( and Mary ’ s ) son Teddy Jack the Grammy winner spanning several genres released a self-titled album on dad ’ s new LRR performance-wise with bone-chilling effect . label , as Leon produced his own Moonlight In 2015 , two re-releases were marketed : & Love Songs , with the Nashville Symphony Prince of Peace : Radio Broadcast 1970 , Orchestra . and Riding The Northeast Trail : The New In 2006 , Russell was inducted into the Jersey Broadcast 1979 ( With Willie Nelson ).

Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame . T-Bone Then this year along came The Homewood

Burnett ’ s production The Union paired

Sessions : Live & Pickling Fast ( With The New Elton John with his hero Russell , whose Grass Revival , which we ’ ve yet to hear . cmp

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contents

January 2017 cmp

Features

12 Zac Brown Band

Ahead of their headline appearance at C2C Douglas McPherson finds he likes his country Chicken Fried .

18 Shane Owens

Duncan Warwick meets the singer hoping it ’ s the third time that ’ s a charm .

24 The Cactus Blossoms

The harmonic siblings talk to Duncan Warwick ahead of UK dates this month .

46 Charlie McNeal

We meet the 16-year-old California sensation .

49 Critics ’ Choice

The ultimate review of 2016 with the best of the year from CMP ’ s contributors .

60 Leon Russell

The late songwriter and musician is remembered by Walt Trott .

62 CMP Index

All the albums reviewed last year and their star ratings .

Reviews

30 CD Reviews 44 Book Reviews

Regulars

4 News 8 Tour Guide 11 The David Allan Page 22 Nice To Meet Y ’ all - Dallas Moore 28 Nice To Meet Y ’ all - The Western Flyers 45 Americana Roundup

Charts

64 Americana & UK Country Charts 65 Billboard Country Charts

Courtesy of Billboard Inc .

Chicken Fried

COUNTRY

THE CACTUS BLOSSOMS

T

“… super old-school traditional country ... that ’ s the kind of country I love .”

LEON RUSSELL

eon Russell ’ s legendary status

L

1942-2016

ZAC BROWN

BAND

T

Shane Owens

Clean Livin ’

“ The thing I like about country music the most and pride myself on is that I write songs about everyday life that people can relate to and stuff that I actually live .” hane Owens thinks of himself as a crusader for traditional country music , and

Shis country music career has certainly been ‘ a long and determined

f every country singer had

I

ot known primarily for chart

Nsuccesses , Russell shared a # 1 Billboard top country single with Willie

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CHARLIE McNEAL

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