NEWS IN BRIEF John Michael Montgomery Launches New Label Mon. November 05.2007 6:54 PM EST
John Michael Montgomery has created his own record label, Stringtown Records, and will serve a chief executive officer of the new company. The first scheduled release is a new album Montgomery will record with producer Byron Gallimore, who produced his 2004 album, Letters From Home. Sessions have not begun on the project, and no release date has been set. During his tenure on Atlantic Records, Montgomery enjoyed seven No. 1 singles, including 1993's "I Love the Way You Love Me" and 2000's "The Little Girl." Former Decca Records head Shelia Shipley Biddy will serve as Stringtown's president while continuing to work as an artist manager at Hallmark Direction Company, which also represents Montgomery. The new label is expected to sign other artists after the release of Montgomery's album. CMT Teams With American Idol Producers for Can You Duet? Mon. November 05.2007 1:11 PM EST CMT has ordered 11 one-hour episodes of Can You Duet?, a music competition show developed by FremantleMedia North America, the producers of American Idol and America's Got Talent. Scheduled to premiere in the spring of 2008, the weekly series is designed to find the best country music duet in America. Auditions will take place through open casting calls, showcases and videotaped submissions. Unlike other talent competition shows, each contestant will compete as part of a duo, working with different partners as the competition progresses. The judges, to be announced later, will critique each performance and decide who will advance, be sent home and ultimately win the competition. The judges will also serve as mentors to guide, groom and develop the duet singers. Country Music Pioneer Hank Thompson Retires Mon. November 05.2007 1:11 PM EST Country Music Hall of Fame member Hank Thompson has announced his retirement from a career that has spanned seven decades. Thompson, 82, was released from the hospital Wednesday (Oct. 31) after being diagnosed with an undisclosed illness. He is recovering at his home near Fort Worth, Texas. A honky-tonk singer and leader of his band, the Brazos Valley Boys, Thompson scored a total of 29 Top 10 singles, including "The Wild Side of Life," which spent 15 weeks at No. 1 in 1949. Other hits include "Humpty Dumpty Heart," "Rub-a-Dub-Dub" and "A Six Pack to Go." Thompson, who has canceled all of his tour dates, last performed on Oct. 8 in Waco, Texas, his birthplace. Kay --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
