Artists, Warner Music Canada take home hardware from CCMAS
Brandt inducted into Hall of Fame
said Warner Music Canada President Steve Kane. “It’s an honour that the artists on our label entrust us with the privilege of bringing their music to the world. These awards are a testament to their art and the hard work our staff puts in to making sure that their songs are heard,” he said in a press release.
The celebration started at the Saturday night gala dinner and awards, where Brett Kissel won the award for Interactive Artist of the Year.
A little while later Warner Music Canada’s name was called as Record Company of the Year. It was the first time since the late 80s that the label had won the award and the first major label named since the early 90s.
The gala reached an emotional high with the tribute to Paul Brandt, who was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. Brandt was originally signed to Warner in the mid-90s where he scored major hot singles right off the bat with ‘I Do’ and ‘My Heart Has A History’ which has the distinction of being the most played Canadian country song ever.
Brandt spent the first decade and a half of the 21st century as a successful independent artist but has since resigned with Warner Music Canada. His recently released a single ‘The Journey’ is a prelude to his new album coming in 2018.
On the nationally broadcast CCMA Awards on Sunday night, Kissel won the award as Male Artist of the Year. He also won Video of the Year for the moving ‘I Didn’t Fall In Love With Your Hair.’ Kissel and his band took to the stage for an electrifying debut performance of his latest single ‘We Were That Song.’
Meghan Patrick was named Female Artist of the Year. It was a first CCMA Award for the singer from Bomanville, Ontario, but it wasn’t the last. She also won the prestigious Rising Star Award. Earlier in the show, Meghan and her band performed a breathtaking version of her hit ‘Be Country With Me.’
Other Warner Music Canada performers on the broadcast included High Valley, who opened the show with the No. 1 hit ‘I Be U Be.’ The Washboard Union, who will be performing at the Centennial Theatre on Sunday, November 26, got the crowd on its feet with a sparkling performance of their latest hit, ‘Shine,’ and Blake Shelton gave Canadians the world premiere live performance of his new single ‘I’ll Name The Dogs.’
The Warner celebration didn’t conclude with the end of the broadcast. At an after-show reception, Warner Music Canada President Steve Kane presented Aaron Goodvin his first gold record for the infectious single ‘Lonely Drum.’
High Valley were presented with a plaque commemorating the fact they are the Canadian country group to have a No. 1 single in the Nielsen BDS era. Blake Shelton was handed a gold award for his the 2016 album If I’m Honest and another commemorating 14 consecutive No. 1 singles at country radio, a feat that is without equal at any format in Canadian radio during the Nielsen BDS era (since 1995). Nielsen BDS creates its charts from monitored radio airplay.
Fifty years as an Opry member ‘Miss Country Soul’ Jeannie Seely celebrated 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry last Saturday night. Exactly 50 years to the day she was first inducted on September 16, 1967, Seely performed her Grammy-winning classic ‘Don’t Touch Me’ and other favourites before being joined on stage by fellow Opry member Bill Anderson and Opry General Manager Sally Williams to mark the occasion with gifts and presentations.
Seely becomes the sixth woman in country music history to reach the milestone, joining Minnie Pearl, Jean Shepard, Wilma Lee Cooper, Loretta Lynn, and Connie Smith with that distinction.
“Jeannie Seely lives and breathes the Grand Ole Opry,” Williams said in a release. “It is an honor for all of us to celebrate such a talented, dedicated, trailblazing member of our Opry family. Watching her perform tonight, I think we can all agree she’s just getting started.”
“The Opry has been my life for more than 50 years,” said Seely. “I feel so blessed to be a part of this Opry family, tonight was just the icing on the cake,” she said. The Pennsylvania-native first found success with her hit single, ‘Don’t
Touch Me,’ which won a Grammy Award for ‘Best Country Vocal Performance by a Female’ in 1966.
Along with dozens of accolades — including awards from Billboard, Cashbox, and Record World — Seely has achieved No. 1 songs as a solo artist, as a duet partner, and as a songwriter. Her songs have been recorded by country legends such as Merle Haggard, Dottie West, Ernest Tubb, and Ray Price.
Most recently Seely released the album Written In Song, a collection of 14 tracks that she wrote or co-wrote. Distributed by Smith Music Group, Written In Song brings back the traditional country sound that fans have been longing for.
Standout tracks include ‘Leavin’ & Sayin’ Goodbye,’ featuring special guests Kenny and Tess Sears, ‘Senses’ with guest Connie Smith and Marty Stuart, and ‘We’re Still Hangin’ In There Ain’t We Jessi’ with Jan Howard and Jessi Colter.
Sadly enough the album can’t be found around here, just like many others CDS you want; you have to order them on www.amazon.com.