Michael Nesmith. Photo: Rhino Records
Obituaries for Michael Nesmith, who died Friday (Dec. 10) have understandably focused on his fame as a member of The Monkees, but he was also one of the most influential musicians of the country-rock movement.
During Nesmith’s 1965-70 tenure in The Monkees, the group starred on a national TV series and scored major pop hits with “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m a Believer,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “Daydream Believer” and more. However, his longer lasting impact was as a video visionary who led the way to MTV, as well as a singer-songwriter who created such country-rock classics as “Joanne” (1970), “Silver Moon” (1970), “Nevada Fighter” (1971) and “Rio” (1976).
Born Dec. 30, 1942, the native Texan was raised in San Antonio. His mother invented liquid paper (marketed as White Out), which eventually made the family independently wealthy. As a teenager, he migrated to L.A. to try to forge a career as a recording artist and film actor. Sometimes billed as “Michael Blessing,” he played The Troubadour and other folk clubs. In 1961-66 he recorded a string of unsuccessful solo singles for such labels as Highness, Eden, Omnibus and Colpix.
In 1965, Nesmith auditioned for a TV role as a member of a zany, fictional pop group. This was The Monkees, an act patterned on The Beatles, as seen in their madcap movies A Hard Day’s Night and Help! of 1964-65. The other three members of The Monkees were Davy Jones (1945-2012), Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork (1942-2019). Only Nesmith and Tork were professional songwriters who played instruments.
Michael Nesmith initially thought of the group as mainly a theatrical vehicle, and The Monkees did win the 1967 Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series. When it became clear that the producers intended to showcase lots of music, he began to lobby for a greater say-so in the creation of Monkees records. The first Monkees album in 1966 included his song “Papa Gene’s Blues.” Following this hard-won breakthrough, Nesmith placed songs on all eight of the Monkees LPs released while he was a member. In 1967, the band had a top 40 hit with his song “The Girl I Knew Somewhere.” Both he and the group became genuine pop-culture phenomena.
In all, the multi-million-selling Monkees recorded more than a dozen of his songs, including the late-career singles “Listen to the Band,” “Good Clean Fun” and “Tapioca Tundra.” His Monkees song “Mary, Mary” was popularized by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1966) and, later Run DMC (2002). Nesmith also wrote such hits as “Different Drum,” which launched Linda Ronstadt’s career in 1967, and “Some of Shelly’s Blues,” which The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band scored with in 1971.
Although he wrote pop hits, Nesmith never lost his fondness for the country music he’d grown up with. He began recording in Nashville in 1968, blending his Texas/California sensibilities with Music Row’s finest session professionals. In 1970, he formed The First National Band and signed with RCA Records. The group pioneered a sound that would later be dubbed country-rock. Its three LPs, Magnetic South (1970), Loose Salute (1970) and Nevada Fighter (1971) defined the melodic, smoothly produced, steel-dominated West Coast style. So did Nesmith’s Second National Band, which issued its lone LP in 1972.
In addition to reviving such country classics as “I Fall to Pieces,” “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “Bonaparte’s Retreat” and “She Thinks I Still Care,” Nesmith introduced his own yearning, soaring ballad “Joanne.” It became a hit on the pop charts, plus a top-10 smash on the A/C chart. The same was true of his uptempo heartache tune “Silver Moon.” These early-1970s discs were revered in the Nashville songwriting community. They also influenced Poco, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, Gram Parsons, The Byrds, The Eagles and The Flying Burrito Brothers, all of whom became far better known as California country-rock trail blazers.
Of all the West Coast country rockers, Nesmith was the most “country.” But like the others, he was ignored by the mainstream country-music industry at the time. Rolling Stone once dubbed his sound, “the best music never heard.”
For his 1976 single “Rio,” Nesmith created an accompanying promotional film, setting the stage for the industry’s widespread production of music videos in the 1980s. While touring to support the record, he noticed TV stations in Australia programming similar short music films in blocks. Back in the U.S., he put together a half-hour music show called Popclips, consisting of video-promotion items. He pitched it to Warner Amex, who bought both the show and its concept. Four years later, Popclips was reborn as MTV.
In 1981, Nesmith created a “video record” entitled Elephant Parts, which mixed comedy and music. The following year, Elephant Parts won the first-ever video Grammy Award. He also produced such cult movies as Repo Man, Timerider, Tapeheads and Square Dance, as well as the NBC TV series Television Parts. He created short films for such shows as Saturday Night Live and Fridays.
He was Grammy-nominated for a new-age record in 1994. Nesmith was also a pioneer in surround-sound recording. His Pacific Arts company was his record label as well as the distributor of PBS home videos (The Civil War, I Claudius, etc.) and other top films. In addition, Nesmith was a novelist and a scriptwriter.
His eclectic country-rock sound was eventually documented on more than 20 albums. Along the way, he collaborated with such country greats as Charlie McCoy, Chet Atkins, Harold Bradley, Felton Jarvis, Area Code 615, John Hobbs, Sonny Osborne, Larry Butler, Billy Sanford, Joe Chemay, Linda Hargrove, Weldon Myrick, Lisa Silver and Billy Joe Walker Jr.
Michael Nesmith underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery in 2018. He died at home in California at age 78.
Styles Haury Slates Debut Album ‘One Life Ain’t Enough’ For January
/by Lorie HollabaughStyles Haury. Photo: Jessica Amerson
Styles Haury is gearing up for the release his debut album, One Life Ain’t Enough, on Jan. 28. In anticipation of the new album, Haury has released “Country Kids Do,” the latest in a series of autobiographical singles from the forthcoming debut project.
Written by Haury, David Frasier, Mitch Oglesby, and James Kelly, the new track paints a picture of the lifestyle Haury knows from growing up in northeast Ohio, including memories with his father hunting, fishing, riding motorcycles, playing music, and more.
“Country Kids Do” is the follow up to Haury’s debut single, “A Man That Didn’t Know Nothin,” written by Haury, Jeremy Bussey and Bobby Hamrick.
“It’s really the story of my life so far, and the journey it took to get where I am today,” Haury says of the upcoming album. “I am about to be 27, and I know that may not seem like not a long time… I’ve lived a quarter of a life. But that’s a quarter of a dollar.”
After forming his first band in the 4th grade, Haury continued to write country music out of his dad’s garage. He has earned opening tour slots with Jake Owen, Brantley Gilbert, Brett Eldredge, Chris Jansen, Dwight Yoakam and Darius Rucker.
Lady A, Chris Janson, Sam Hunt, More Added To Nashville’s New Year’s Eve Bash
/by Lorie HollabaughLady A, Ingrid Andress, Breland, King Calaway, Riley Green, Sam Hunt, Chris Janson, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce and Lainey Wilson have been added to the list of performers on tap to help ring in the New Year in Music City during New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash.
Hosted by radio and TV personality Bobby Bones and Entertainment Tonight‘s Rachel Smith, the celebration will air live from Music City on Dec. 31 from 7-10 p.m. and 10:30-12:30 a.m. CT on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
The previously announced star-studded lineup includes Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Cole Swindell and Zac Brown Band. The five-hour broadcast will feature more than 50 back-to-back performances and cross multiple time zones, with Nashville counting down with the east coast at midnight and keeping the party going through midnight Central Time with the city’s renowned Music Note Drop.
The show will include collaborations between artists and special guests throughout the night, with collaborations stacked throughout the lineup. More details on the celebration will be announced in the coming weeks.
Recalling The Country-Rock Sound Of Michael Nesmith
/by Robert K OermannMichael Nesmith. Photo: Rhino Records
Obituaries for Michael Nesmith, who died Friday (Dec. 10) have understandably focused on his fame as a member of The Monkees, but he was also one of the most influential musicians of the country-rock movement.
During Nesmith’s 1965-70 tenure in The Monkees, the group starred on a national TV series and scored major pop hits with “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m a Believer,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “Daydream Believer” and more. However, his longer lasting impact was as a video visionary who led the way to MTV, as well as a singer-songwriter who created such country-rock classics as “Joanne” (1970), “Silver Moon” (1970), “Nevada Fighter” (1971) and “Rio” (1976).
Born Dec. 30, 1942, the native Texan was raised in San Antonio. His mother invented liquid paper (marketed as White Out), which eventually made the family independently wealthy. As a teenager, he migrated to L.A. to try to forge a career as a recording artist and film actor. Sometimes billed as “Michael Blessing,” he played The Troubadour and other folk clubs. In 1961-66 he recorded a string of unsuccessful solo singles for such labels as Highness, Eden, Omnibus and Colpix.
In 1965, Nesmith auditioned for a TV role as a member of a zany, fictional pop group. This was The Monkees, an act patterned on The Beatles, as seen in their madcap movies A Hard Day’s Night and Help! of 1964-65. The other three members of The Monkees were Davy Jones (1945-2012), Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork (1942-2019). Only Nesmith and Tork were professional songwriters who played instruments.
Michael Nesmith initially thought of the group as mainly a theatrical vehicle, and The Monkees did win the 1967 Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series. When it became clear that the producers intended to showcase lots of music, he began to lobby for a greater say-so in the creation of Monkees records. The first Monkees album in 1966 included his song “Papa Gene’s Blues.” Following this hard-won breakthrough, Nesmith placed songs on all eight of the Monkees LPs released while he was a member. In 1967, the band had a top 40 hit with his song “The Girl I Knew Somewhere.” Both he and the group became genuine pop-culture phenomena.
In all, the multi-million-selling Monkees recorded more than a dozen of his songs, including the late-career singles “Listen to the Band,” “Good Clean Fun” and “Tapioca Tundra.” His Monkees song “Mary, Mary” was popularized by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1966) and, later Run DMC (2002). Nesmith also wrote such hits as “Different Drum,” which launched Linda Ronstadt’s career in 1967, and “Some of Shelly’s Blues,” which The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band scored with in 1971.
Although he wrote pop hits, Nesmith never lost his fondness for the country music he’d grown up with. He began recording in Nashville in 1968, blending his Texas/California sensibilities with Music Row’s finest session professionals. In 1970, he formed The First National Band and signed with RCA Records. The group pioneered a sound that would later be dubbed country-rock. Its three LPs, Magnetic South (1970), Loose Salute (1970) and Nevada Fighter (1971) defined the melodic, smoothly produced, steel-dominated West Coast style. So did Nesmith’s Second National Band, which issued its lone LP in 1972.
In addition to reviving such country classics as “I Fall to Pieces,” “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “Bonaparte’s Retreat” and “She Thinks I Still Care,” Nesmith introduced his own yearning, soaring ballad “Joanne.” It became a hit on the pop charts, plus a top-10 smash on the A/C chart. The same was true of his uptempo heartache tune “Silver Moon.” These early-1970s discs were revered in the Nashville songwriting community. They also influenced Poco, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, Gram Parsons, The Byrds, The Eagles and The Flying Burrito Brothers, all of whom became far better known as California country-rock trail blazers.
Of all the West Coast country rockers, Nesmith was the most “country.” But like the others, he was ignored by the mainstream country-music industry at the time. Rolling Stone once dubbed his sound, “the best music never heard.”
For his 1976 single “Rio,” Nesmith created an accompanying promotional film, setting the stage for the industry’s widespread production of music videos in the 1980s. While touring to support the record, he noticed TV stations in Australia programming similar short music films in blocks. Back in the U.S., he put together a half-hour music show called Popclips, consisting of video-promotion items. He pitched it to Warner Amex, who bought both the show and its concept. Four years later, Popclips was reborn as MTV.
In 1981, Nesmith created a “video record” entitled Elephant Parts, which mixed comedy and music. The following year, Elephant Parts won the first-ever video Grammy Award. He also produced such cult movies as Repo Man, Timerider, Tapeheads and Square Dance, as well as the NBC TV series Television Parts. He created short films for such shows as Saturday Night Live and Fridays.
He was Grammy-nominated for a new-age record in 1994. Nesmith was also a pioneer in surround-sound recording. His Pacific Arts company was his record label as well as the distributor of PBS home videos (The Civil War, I Claudius, etc.) and other top films. In addition, Nesmith was a novelist and a scriptwriter.
His eclectic country-rock sound was eventually documented on more than 20 albums. Along the way, he collaborated with such country greats as Charlie McCoy, Chet Atkins, Harold Bradley, Felton Jarvis, Area Code 615, John Hobbs, Sonny Osborne, Larry Butler, Billy Sanford, Joe Chemay, Linda Hargrove, Weldon Myrick, Lisa Silver and Billy Joe Walker Jr.
Michael Nesmith underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery in 2018. He died at home in California at age 78.
Tonight: Nashville’s Basement East To Hold Kentucky Tornado Relief Benefit Show
/by Lydia FarthingAfter the devastating storms that passed through much of the south and midwest this past weekend (Dec. 10-11), Nashville’s Basement East will host the Kentucky Strong Tornado Relief Benefit show tonight (Dec. 13) at 7 p.m. CT. All proceeds will go towards Kentucky tornado relief.
The benefit will feature a lineup of Nashville-based songwriters and artists, including Liz Rose, Filmore, Emily Weisband, Alana Springsteen, Dylan Schneider, James Barker, Dallas Wilson, Phil Barton, Greylan James, Jordan Minton, Erin Kinsey, Faren Rachels, Josh Kiser, Dylan Marlowe, Jordan James, and more. For tickets, click here.
There will be a COVID entry requirement in place for the night’s event. Patrons must present either proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test obtained within 48 hours of the event.
Early Saturday morning (Dec. 11), an intense line of storms rolled through the southern region of the U.S., with the worst of the storms taking place across the state of Kentucky. With 64 confirmed deaths as of reporting time and many more still missing, some cities, such as the small town of Dawson Springs, has seen as much as 75% of the community wiped out. The weekend’s storms spawned at least 50 tornadoes across eight states, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center. Currently, there are over 300 National Guard troops that have been deployed to help with recovery efforts.
Eric Church, Jonas Brothers, More To Ring In The Holidays In White House PBS Special
/by Lorie HollabaughEric Church. Photo: Anthony D’Angio
PBS will ring in the holiday season with the premiere of In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season, featuring Eric Church, Jonas Brothers, Norah Jones, Pentatonix, Billy Porter, Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli, Camila Cabello, the United States Marine Band and more on December 21 at 8 p.m ET.
Hosted by actress Jennifer Garner, the hour-long special will feature performances from historic White House rooms, including the East Room, the State Dining Room and the Blue Room, home of the Official White House Christmas tree. Audiences will also see the First Family’s Gifts from the Heart-themed holiday installations currently on display throughout the White House.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the holiday season with this special musical performance at the White House,” says Paula A. Kerger, PBS president and CEO. “As an important part of our mission, PBS and our member stations will continue to share the very best of theater, music and dance with audiences across the country.’’
“We are pleased to support In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season,” adds Pat Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. “Although we are still dealing with the pandemic, it is important to take this time to count our blessings through music and song and come together as a nation during this season of celebration and remembrance.”
Produced by WETA Washington, D.C., the public broadcaster in the nation’s capital, in association with Ken Ehrlich Productions, Inc., the special is part of the Emmy Award-nominated PBS In Performance at the White House series and will also be broadcast at a later date via the American Forces Network to American service men and women and civilians at U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world.
RECORDS Nashville Taps Josh Easler & Joe Fisher For Leadership Positions
/by LB CantrellRECORDS Nashville has appointed Josh Easler as Executive Vice President of Promotion and Commercial Strategy, and Joe Fisher as Executive Vice President. Both Easler and Fisher will report to Barry Weiss, RECORDS’ Co-founder and Partner.
Easler comes to RECORDS from Sony Music Nashville, where he most recently served as Vice President of Promotion at Arista Nashville. While at Arista, Easler achieved two No. 1 country radio hits for RECORDS Nashville/Arista Nashville’s Matt Stell in the last two years, including the Platinum “Prayed For You” and Gold “Everywhere But On.” With this news, Stell becomes an exclusive RECORDS Nashville artist.
Based out of the company’s Nashville office, Easler will oversee all radio promotion as well as all commercial strategy which includes all DSPs, commercial platforms, and the like for RECORDS Nashville artists Stell, Erin Kinsey, George Birge, Chris Bandi and more.
Fisher joins RECORDS Nashville having previously spent most of his career at Universal Nashville, where he rose to VP of A&R under Luke Lewis. Most recently, Fisher has been working with Justin Timberlake on his Villa 40 Nashville label venture. Additionally, Fisher founded Boom, a publishing company with Keith Urban and Ross Copperman in 2017.
In his new role, Fisher will oversee the signing, developing, and cultivating of new talent for the label.
“We are so excited to be leveling up and raising the game with our efforts in Nashville and country music,” says Weiss. “I can’t think of two better executives to take us forward and achieve this task than Josh Easler and Joe Fisher. They’re both established superstars in their respective fields in country music with great pedigree and substantial track records.”
“Barry has assembled one of the most dynamic teams in the business and an incredible roster of new talent. I’m excited to work with this amazing group of executives on breaking the next vanguard of country artists,” shares Easler.
Adds Fisher, “I’ve respected Barry from afar for my entire career. He’s a true music man and one of the industry’s most visionary executives. The only thing more impressive than his track record is his passion for music. When he called, there was only one answer. I’m immensely honored to join the RECORDS team and kick off this new chapter.”
Brittney Spencer’s ‘Perfect World’ Takes Over Nashville’s Basement East
/by Lydia FarthingBrittney Spencer. Photo: Catherine Powell
Vocal powerhouse Brittney Spencer‘s “In A Perfect World Tour” took over Nashville’s Basement East last night (Dec. 9) as she delivered a stacked set of over a dozen tracks.
With only a handful of songs actually released on music platforms, Spencer gave the audience, which included a wave of Nashville music industry executives, a heavy helping of new music slated to come in 2022. With vocals that command an audience’s attention with every note and powerful lyrics to match, the crowd hung on to each honey-soaked word and falsetto-filled run.
Brittney Spencer. Photo: Catherine Powell
Spencer kicked things off with a song drenched in gratitude titled “My Stupid Life,” which reminisces on the whirlwind year she’s had, singing: “Man, I must be living right. Man, I love my stupid life.”
“I put out my first EP this past December, and I can’t believe that it’s been a year already. I call myself a quarantine child because, for whatever reason, I released music during a pandemic for the first time in my life,” Spencer joked with the demographic-spanning crowd.
She continued: “I wrote this next song because I felt like people were putting boxes around me and telling me who I could be, what I couldn’t do, and I was taking all that shit in. One day I woke up and thought, ‘What would Jay-Z say?’ He would say, ‘Allow me to reintroduce myself.’ So I told myself that everyone was wrong. I had to figure this thing out and reintroduce myself to everybody else, but also to myself. I believe that you can do whatever you want, we can be whoever we want.” Spencer then shared her aptly named “Damn Right, You’re Wrong.”
Bringing a unique combination of jazz and R&B mixed with country sensibility, organic instrumentation and a spice of pop relatability, Spencer wowed the crowd with a full spectrum of genre-defying songs. Her set included a soul-filled cover of “Man’s World;” the rocking “Bad Habits;” a dreamy, up-tempo track titled “When I Think About Love;” and the vibey drinking song, “Party Problems,” which also featured a medley of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” Niko Moon’s “Good Time,” and “I Should Probably Go To Bed” from Dan + Shay.
Brittney Spencer plays the Basement East in Nashville, Tennessee on Dec. 9, 2021. Photo: Catherine Powell
Paired with pitch perfect harmonies from her band, the songstress, who first came to Nashville 8 years ago and got her start busking on Broadway, also toned things down for a stripped down version of her change-inspiring track “Compassion,” as well as her own shimmering version of The Highwomen‘s “Crowded Table.”
“In October of 2020 my life changed in a very weird and wonderful way when I posted a cover of this song. I love The Highwomen with all of my heart. They’re incredible women in my life, both musically and as people. I’ve learned so much from them and [they’ve made me feel less alone]. No one really gives you a manual about artistry when shit happens, so it’s really nice to have people in your corner who can be your friend and be there,” she explained. “I’ve learned so much about holding the door open for other people because of The Highwomen, Mickey Guyton, and so many artists who have given a damn about little ole me–this girl from Baltimore, Maryland. I just want to do the same for other people.”
In a standout performance from the night, the singer-songwriter showcased her clever lyrical prowess on “Bigger Than The Song,” which serves as an ear worm tribute to some titans of the radio such as Reba McEntire, Beyonce, Whitney Houston, Brittney Spears, Janet Jackson, Maren Morris, and more. What’s sure to be fan-favorite, Spencer belted the catchy chorus, offering: “Be fancy like Reba, a Queen like Latifah, and love like Johnny & June / Get mad like Alanis, scream like Janet, do it all like Dolly would do / It’s more than a three minute listen when the radio’s on / It’s bigger than the song.”
Brittney Spencer & Lindsay Ell. Photo: Catherine Powell
Spencer closed the show with special guest Lindsay Ell who backed the killer vocals with her signature guitar riffs on the unreleased “Thankful.”
2021 has been quite a monumental year for Spencer who has celebrated the release of her Compassion EP, performed alongside Guyton and Madeline Edwards at The 55th Annual CMA Awards, was a featured performer at the 2021 ACM Honors, and was named a part of MusicRow‘s Next Big Thing Artists Class of 2022, among other impressive accolades.
The “In A Perfect World Tour” will pick up after the holidays with a stop at Tuffy’s in Sanford, Florida, on Jan. 14, followed by a two-day stay at the 30A Songwriters Fest in Walton Beach, Florida, on Jan. 15-16.
Tickets To 57th Academy of Country Music Awards On Sale Dec. 13
/by Lydia FarthingThe Academy of Country Music along with production company MRC Live & Alternative have announced ticket on-sale information for The 57th Academy of Country Music Awards.
ACM Awards pre-sale tickets will be available beginning 12 p.m. CT on Monday, Dec. 13 to ACM A-List subscribers. General on-sale will be available beginning 12:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at Ticketmaster.
The 57th Academy of Country Music Awards will take place on Monday, March 7 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and will stream live on Prime Video. This will mark the first time a major awards show has livestreamed exclusively.
“We are thrilled to welcome back a live audience as we prepare to bring Country Music’s Party of the Year to Allegiant Stadium,” says Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “We look forward to seeing the stadium filled with tens of thousands of country music fans celebrating and joining in on the biggest party yet to come!”
First Taste Of Music From New Country Music Drama ‘Monarch’ Out Now
/by LB CantrellArista Records/Monument Records, the official music partner of FOX Entertainment’s upcoming country music drama series Monarch, has released the first taste of music from the show.
The new country music drama is executive produced in part by Nashville executive Jason Owen (Monument Records, Sandbox Entertainment), and follows “America’s first family of country music.” Monarch premieres Sunday, Jan. 30 immediately following the NFC Championship on FOX. The series continues with its time period premiere on Tuesday, Feb. 1 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).
The first song released from Monarch, a cover of Hank Williams Jr.‘s “A Country Boy Can Survive,” is available everywhere now. The song is performed by multi-Platinum singer and series star Trace Adkins.
“Trace’s voice is one in a million and sets the tone for everything else we do musically on the series,” says the series’ executive music producer Adam Anders, who co-produced the track along with Peer Åström. “[Adkins] grounds the show so much, and I love every time an ‘Albie’ song is on the slate.”
Adkins plays Albie Roman, the patriarch of country music’s first family.
“I’ve lost count how many times I’ve listened to Hank Jr.’s ‘A Country Boy Can Survive,’” shares Adkins. “Having the opportunity to record such an iconic song has been both exhilarating and daunting. I wanted to honor the original version while putting my own ‘spin’ on it. I’m excited for this to be the first release from Monarch and for fans to hear all of the music we have coming out.”
Joining Adkins on the Monarch cast is Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon, who plays the talented but tough country music queen Dottie Cantrell Roman, as well as Golden Globe nominee Anna Friel who plays the heir to the country crown, Nicolette “Nicky” Roman. The three navigate the intricacies, and drama, that comes along with a country music dynasty.
Monarch is 100% owned and produced by FOX Entertainment. Screenwriter Melissa London Hilfers serves as creator, writer and executive producer. Jon Harmon Feldman serves as executive producer and showrunner. Owen serves as executive producer along with Gail Berman and Hend Baghdady (The Jackal Group), and Michael Rauch. Jason Ensler directed the series premiere, on which he also serves as an executive producer.
Dennis Quaid Launches Production Company, Announces Upcoming Charley Pride Biopic
/by Lorie HollabaughDennis Quaid. Photo: Derrek Kupish
Dennis Quaid, Laura Quaid and Ben Howard are launching a new production company called Bonniedale. The entity will focus on aspirational and inspiring stories of real people and real life.
The company’s first feature film, a biopic on Charley Pride named American Pride, will be in partnership with producer Craig Brewer and Third Coast Content.
“As an actor, I have always gravitated toward roles of the underdog—the person who achieves great things against even greater odds,” says Quaid. “I think all of us are drawn to stories of people who are willing to get up, again and again, to do whatever it takes to finally break through. We love to cheer for the fighter, the underdog, the hopeful dreamer. In many ways, this is my own life. That’s why I’m excited to turn my attention to Bonniedale, where we will find and drive stories that are meaningful and that matter.”
American Pride, written by Diane Houston, captures the passion and determination of Pride who started out as a minor league ballplayer, and became the first African American country music superstar. The film will focus on the love story between Charley and his wife, Rozene, as well as his ascent to fame as an artist and entrepreneur during a challenging time in American culture.
“Charley Pride was more than a superstar, icon or legend. Charley was a beautifully talented man who believed with his entire heart in the greatness of the American dream, and was determined to claim his place within it. With all of the talk today about what is and is not American, Charley Pride’s life story is a reminder to us all of what being an American is all about,” says Houston.
Bonniedale will be represented by Darren Boghosian at UTA, George Freeman at Brillstein Partners, and Scott Adkins at Adkins Publicity.