Born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and raised in Latimer, Iowa, Jaida Dreyer was a “horse-crazy” little girl who grew up showing competitively and won her first of many world championships at 5, getting an early education in the sort of work ethic required to reach success. Before she turned 18, Dreyer had lived in seven states, including Iowa, Florida, Wisconsin, and Tennessee, with the bulk of her time spent between Texas and Georgia. During those gypsy years, Dreyer says, music and songwriting remained a constant, and when forced to retire from riding at 17, she took the biggest risk of her life: “The only other thing I knew how to do was write songs,” Dreyer says. “Growing up on the road, I learned that life isn’t a fairy tale,” Dreyer says. “It gave me a lot to write about, and a story that most 17 year old girls don’t have. I look at it as a blessing. My crooked road has given me a career.”
Dreyer didn’t grow up intending to become a country music artist, but to hear the story of her crooked road to Nashville, it’s clear she was meant to be here all along. Her unmistakable voice, bubbly personality, and eclectic, insightful songwriting scored her a publishing deal with Grammy Award-winning producer Byron Gallimore (Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Sugarland) at the precocious age of 19; this February, Gallimore announced the creation of his own label, Streamsound Records, and threw his full support behind Dreyer’s career. “I’m proud for her to be our flagship artist,” says Gallimore. “She’s the real deal. I couldn’t feel stronger about anybody.”
As the flagship artist on Streamsound Records, she released two singles to country radio in 2012, “Guys Girl” and “Confessions.” The year proved to be a busy one for her as she has been traveling the country on a coast-to-coast radio promotion tour, where she has made stops at over 80 radio stations.
She has made quite an impression at radio with early support shown by major stations including KILT in Houston, KASE in Austin, KNTY in Sacramento, and KUPL in Portland among others. She and Gallimore have been working meticulously on her debut album, set for release in the coming months. A talented songwriter in her own right, Jaida will have a hand in writing or co-writing all of the songs on her debut release.
For more information on Jaida and to check out live performances from her radio tour you can go to www.jaidadreyer.com.

Singer-songwriter Mindy Smith has joined forces with Women Rock For The Cure to release a special “Pink” edition of Mindy Smith, in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and her upcoming performance on “Opry Goes Pink.” A portion of the sales proceeds will benefit the charity.

A live rendition of “One Moment More,” will be available exclusively here through Oct. 31. The track will be available as a single song download and as a bonus track within the special “Pink” version of Mindy Smith. Written for her mother Sharron, whom she lost in 1991 to breast cancer, the song was the title track to her debut album.

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Bucky Covington is teaming up with local and national fire officials and residential fire safety product manufacturer, Kidde, to promote safety awareness. Covington, Kidde President Jim Ward, and fire officials, will launch the campaign, “Be a Hero, Save a Hero” on Thurs. Nov. 1 at 10:30 am at the Nashville Fire Dept., Station #9, located at 601 2nd Ave S.

Built upon the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s (NFFF) original program, this campaign urges Americans to pledge to take some simple home fire safety steps. Kidde will also donate 500 of its new Worry-Free smoke alarms to the Nashville Fire Department. For each person who takes the pledge and shares their support through social media, Kidde will donate $1 to NFFF and Help the Good Guys, organizations dedicated to helping the families of injured and fallen firefighters. Kidde expects to donate up to $10,000 to each organization.

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Collin Raye has started a new foundation that will kick off following the CMA Awards next week. Country artists Jamie O’Neal and John Berry among others are scheduled to perform with Raye after the CMA Awards at aVenue in downtown Nashville on Nov. 1. The event will include a premium bar and gourmet food and serve as the official launch for The Haley Bell Blessed Chair Foundation.

The Haley Bell Blessed Chair Foundation is in memory of Raye’s granddaughter and helps families purchase expensive motorized wheelchairs for their children who have special needs. The newly formed foundation is named from lyrics in the song “She’s with Me,” a song Raye wrote about Haley when she was alive. Collin sings about her “Blessed Chair” which carried Haley everywhere with the family and greatly improved the quality of her life.

Visit here for more information.

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Alabama‘s Randy Owen joined other top songwriters earlier this month at Lucy’s Country Café in Blue Bar to benefit the Charley Foundation, the Nashville-based non-profit organization that provides support to charitable agencies addressing the critical needs of children. The event took place during songwriter Bobby Pinson‘s weekly “Sing for Your Supper” acoustic show.

Performers included Owen who played a round with Bridgette Tatum, Marc Beeson, Lisa Carver, Sarah Davidson, David Lee, LoCash Cowboys, Danny Myrick, Bobby Pinson, Jon Stone, Adley Stump, Chad Warrix, Trent Willmon and others.

(L-R): Chad Warrix, Bobby Pinson, Carolyn Miller (MPR Entertainment head and Charley Foundation founder), Bridgette Tatum, Randy Owen, Kelly Owen and John Oates. Photo: Karen Will Rogers

Lizzie Sider’s debut single, “Butterfly,”  is a whole lot of country with a hint of pop. It’s available on CDX 555 and Play MPE. The single is available for download on iTunes, while her in-studio “Butterfly” music video is currently being played on GACtv.com and TCN (The Country Network television station). Her debut album will be released in 2013.

“I draw a great deal of inspiration from the artists I’ve always looked up to and admired, both as musicians and as people. My songs come from my personal experience,” said Sider.

Sider has opened shows for Jamie O’Neal and Aaron Tippin, among others. She recently performed as the featured artist at the Ocala, FL Rodeo, and will perform at the upcoming Inverness, FL Rodeo. Additionally, Lizzie has played writer’s nights at Nashville venues such as both Hotel Indigo, The Red Rooster, Rooster’s BBQ and was a featured artist at the Commodore Lounge this summer. Lizzie recently performed at the Waldorf Astoria at Couture Fashion Week in NYC. She has hosted two episodes of Breaking Out, TCN’s show that showcases up-and-coming country artists. Sider will open for Big & Rich in November 2012 in Davie, FL and is slated to play a writer’s round at the Bluebird Café in early 2013.

The industry loves working with Lizzie. She is clean cut, a breath of fresh air, a little old fashioned in certain ways, wholesome, fun loving, and very respectful of others. Lizzie is a genuine sweetheart.