CMA Interviews: Frontman RICHIE MCDONALD

It was a pleasure to sit down with CMA/ACM/BMI award-winning singer/songwriter Richie McDonald.  This very accomplished artist has so much talent and credentials tucked under his belt I felt honored to pose with him!  

At first meeting, Richie wouldn't speak and kept a grim face.  I thought,  "Oh no, this is going to be a tough one to pull info out of....help!"  But, alas, Richie is also a comedian and was playing hard-to-get for the first 5 minutes - after that, I realized he was sweet, easy to chat with, and was not that impressed with himself, even though I was more and more impressed with his family love, funny demeanor and amazing drive to continue to write and perform.

Richie McDonald is the former frontman/singer/writer for well-known country band Lonestar.  Their award-winning 9 albums were not just trophy winners, they included 6 gold and platinum albums.  When this stint finally ended Richie just couldn't put the pen down.   He went on with solo work to create a Christmas record and two further endeavors.   One, just released in January, 2011, is "Slowdown," an album he worked on for 2 - 3 years, which he is very proud and content with.  He admitted that all of the songs on this CD were written and cowritten by himself over the last 10 years.  Whether a love song or a "quirky little diddy"  he says that they are passionate and is amazed at how the project turned out, explaining it should really reach out and touch lives.  

He remembers once when his 4-yr. old son (who is now 15) would greet him when he would call from tour asking, "Dad, when are you coming home?"  He would hang up and deeply touched with this love - would write a song about.

He now is daddy to three - oldest son again is 15, Molly, 12, Masey, 10, calling them his "little singers."  His oldest son is now even learning guitar.  His family has kept him grounded despite the fame of his notoriety, and encouraged him to keep current touring to include trips home in between.

The "Slowdown" promotion tour begins in July, including Nevada, Utah, Texas, Missouri, Louisiana and ending in Alabama.  Part of this tour will be a titled act "The Front Men," featuring three front men Richie, Larry Stewart and Tim Rushlow.

McDonald was again a pleasure to get acquainted with, his accomplishments totally ignored by himself in this interview, which goes to show that he still has drive to continue to do more.....and this blogger stronger feels that he will continue working and writing as long as he is inspired.   
 

CMA Week Interviews: DJ Miller

Going to my very first CMA Country Music festival Week was eye-opening, hot, interesting, crazy and above all educating.  Working my way through to the Media center for interviews was definitely an experience, but once there I expected to meet many egos.  My very first interview, DJ Miller, proved me wrong.  

A self-proclaimed farm boy, DJ wields from small town Idaville, Indiana.   At 21, he already appears to have all "the right stuff:"  looks, charisma, drive and talent.  But yet when interviewing him I begin to realize he's right:  this singer is still a farm boy at heart.  


He has been a volunteer at the local fire department for years and prefers a motorcycle as opposed to wide rims on an SUV.  His weekends are a whirlwind of fair performances, radio station interviews, and touring, but come Monday morning he has a full load of duties on the farm.  For someone so young, he has a good start on how to stay grounded.


Hitting over 210 radio stations since July 2010 and performing in over 35 states currently, DJ is working at full-speed to get his current single "Whatever It Takes" into the ears of all country fans nationwide.  His excitement over the impending future is present:  "I'm so excited, this is craaazzzy!"  he exclaims grinning ear-to-ear.

DJ's first performance in Nashville was at Tootsies, and their reaction?  "They wanted me to move down here right away," he remembers.   Since then, things have been moving faster and faster.   Producer Johnny Morse saw the potential in DJ and started moving his career forward quickly.

How did this all begin?  He laughs about childhood days when he would take the bathroom plunger and use it as a mic while playing a toy guitar in front of mirrors in his home.  Garth Brooks was a constant idol, and he says there was a tape he had of Brooks running across stage during performance smashing guitars while belting out tunes.  He played that tape over and over.


While he doesn't appear to be a guitar smasher, DJ seems to have everything working right in the fast lane......  he feels comfortable already hanging around idols and established artists.    Still, it is amazing when he gets a call, for instance, from a friend visiting Mexico and hearing DJ's song on the radio there.

His goal currently?  To go on tour with a big-name act.  His current regional tour would be a good lead-in to that. 


Finally, as leaving I noticed three initials tattooed on his arm on the underside.   He explained that a good friend at 16 died in an accident.  It was a perfect way to again remind me of how DJ Miller has all "right stuff" but already knows how to stay grounded.




 

CMA Week In Nashville

This past week was quite an experience for me.  I had just gone on a 2-wk. vacation home in Orlando, FL, which I hadn't done for 4 years (or taken ANY vacation, for that matter).  We spent 9 of those days in a cute little house across the street from the beautiful Cocoa Beach.  We had a non-tourist, more secluded area, and aside from the thousands of jellyfish in the water (which got National news) we had a relaxing beach time.

My blog cohort, who has agreed to accompany me to many of my show reviews, works for a French magazine specifically and only about country music.  That just proves to you that there IS a magazine out there for everything and EVERY kind of music all over the world.  Come to find out - the people of France LOVE country music, and even though that doesn't probably match our images of France and its inhabitants, it does prove that we cannot ever classify any humans in any stereotype in this day and age.

My friend, the journalist, had asked me to tag along with her on CMA/CMT Week here in Nashville, which began on June 7.  She thought it would be good to "open up" my heart and knowledge of country music, plus she wanted a photographer as she interviewed.  Of course, with pad and pen always available, I also interviewed these people she was set up with.

This post will mostly explain the event.  My following post will be my first two interviews, up-and-coming DJ Miller and the already well-known Richie McDonald.


Anyone who is in the Nashville area during this week of festivities would know how grueling it was --- the temperature started off each day around 80 and then climb upwards in the low 100s F.  Therefore, even a Floridian like myself fresh off the beach with salty, moist breezes all day had trouble coping with getting around during the day downtown.

The CMA Week brings people from all over the US and the world.  There were many dialects I was unfamiliar with, and was amazed the array of style I saw walking the downtown streets of Music City.  It was definitely a one-of-a-kind spectator-watching event for me!  I would pass "hippies," Elvis lookalikes, Johnny Cash-style dressers, modern country and of course the tourist shopper, complete with their idols written all over their newly-purchased shirts.  The modern country girl dress fascinated me the most; this would consist typically of a cute, flowery top, denim miniskirt, mid-calf-high cowboy boots, cowboy hat, and - most important - a guitar.  Yes, many would walk around carrying their guitars up and down the busy city streets without even a case to carry them in the heat.  Many were hurrying from venue to venue for their side performances.

This event was events within the events within the events.......make sense?  Yes, there were the big-name signings and camera-posing events which then would mean stage performances, from the Bridgestone Arena to the Riverfront stage (outside) to the Acoustic Center (located inside the Convention Center) to LP Field, the Titans' stadium.  On top of that, there were smaller stages located all over downtown - Fort Nashville, Hard Rock Entertainment Stage, the Power Zone Stage, the Bud Light Stage, the Chevrolet Stage, even Centennial Park had a stage.  Then, every downtown venue in Nashville (i.e, Tootsies, Bluebird Cafe, Wild Horse Saloon, etc.) all had some constant live performances.  Finally, every little watering hole in Nashville has something, someone, some band playing live music.  This week is a dream-come-true for someone wanting to have 24/7 country music anywhere they went!

What I really will remember the most, as a new country music lover, is that these people who come to the festivities, which also have food galore, kids' activities and games, even electronic game buses are all happy as a whole.  There didn't ever seem to be discord anywhere I went.  The heat seemed to not deter these tried and true fans.........they stuck it out!

My time at the event was spent 90% in the Convention Center upstairs in the Media Only (Press) section.  This section was press pass only, and featured several large rooms for large press announcements and smaller rooms and areas for 2 - 10 people interviews, which is what we were doing.  One day when we arrived we came in at the tailend of a press event featuring newly crowned American Idol winner and his runner-up Country singers Scotty McCreary and Lauren Alaina.  It was hard afterwards as the television followed them out to the elevators and didn't allow snapshots, but I did manage to catch Lauren from behind in a backhead shot.  BTW:  this young lady is dropdead gorgeous, with the tiniest little waistline!

Another time I was able to catch Keith Urban posing with media as we arrived, and I caught him in one shot as he looked right over my way.  These two pics are included in this article.

This experience, thanks to the heat, was exhausting..........  but exhilarating!   I would get home everyday wiped out but incredibly happy.  The biggest thing this past week has done to me?  Well, guess who's into Country music a little now?  Yes, this pop-rocker Karen Kozy is now finding herself on GAC and CMT channels watching videos and looking at more interviews. How's that for a week putting such an impression on me???

Finally, yesterday  my new monthly issue of high-fashion magazine W arrived.  I love fashion and love how couture is so big even during a struggling economy.  There is an article in the magazine on pages 40 & 41, written by Marshall Chapman entitled "Nashville Rising."  This article speaks of how Nashville has become the new Los Angeles or New York, take your pick.  There is more music, art and fashion in each square foot of the Music City than the other two megatropolis' have nowadays.  I believe it!  It is worth reading, especially after "doing" the CMA Week!

I will write about my first two interviews next:  DJ Miller & Richie McDonald.

In Chord and love of music,
Karen Kozy
XOxoKK