Restless Heart to begin yearlong 35th Anniversary Tour
February has just started and the country music industry is in full swing. Many albums coming out, tours are kicking off, while there are also anniversaries and awards ceremonies being planned.
Restless Heart, the legendary country music group has announced the first round of live concert dates for its ‘35th Anniversary Tour.’ This will be a yearlong celebration that will take the band across the country performing the hit songs that launched them into stardom more than three decades ago.
Over a dozen of performances have been announced with stops in Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky, with more to come.
“35 years… far more than we could have ever imagined or hoped for, and still an absolute privilege to share the stage with all of our original members,” says Restless Heart’s Dave Innis in a press release. “That is something to be grateful for and it’s in thanks to all our amazing fans, old and new, who have become friends and family to us throughout the years.”
Larry Stewart, the band’s lead singer, adds, “I’m so honored to hit the stage with my original bandmates every night, and I believe we’re as good as we’ve ever been. To see our fans continue to support us and to see so many new fans attend our shows, it’s humbling. Thank you to our RH family for remaining loyal fans!”
John Dittrich, Greg Jennings, Paul Gregg, Stewart, and Innis, the five original men who make up Restless Heart, have enjoyed one of the most successful group careers in country music history.
The band has placed over 25 singles on the charts with six consecutive No. 1 hits, four of their albums have been certified Gold by the RIAA and they have won a wide range of awards from many organizations, including the Academy of Country Music’s ‘Top Vocal Group.’
New lead singer for Steeldrivers Chris Stapleton announced in April 2010, that he was leaving the band to focus on a solo career. He was replaced by former Mercury Records artist Gary Nichols on lead vocals and guitar for a while.
Now The Steeldrivers announced that Kelvin Damrell has officially joined the group as lead singer and guitarist. The Grammy winning Rounder Records act had a record year in 2017, touring across the country and selling out six shows in Nashville alone. The band shared this message on their Facebook page:
“Hello folks. We have some great news to share tonight. We are officially announcing that Kelvin Damrell will be our new singer and guitar picker! Most of you know that we had to part ways with our longtime partner Gary Nichols last year.
“It took us a while to heal up and get it together. To be honest, we didn’t know for sure if we’d ever be able to replace such a massive talent. But we eventually found this young fella from the hills of Kentucky who can absolutely rock the grass!
‘We’re thrilled to have Kelvin join us. We’ve done a handful of shows with KD so far and those who’ve seen him have loved him. He got a rousing standing ovation on his very first show! We hope you will welcome KD into the Steelhead Nation. He rocks Kelvin Damrell y’all.”
A native of Berea, Kentucky, Damrell grew up in a family of bluegrass gospel singers, but he says his father, who worked in construction, is his greatest musical influence. “I started out as a drummer but quickly switched to guitar once I found out my dad and I could jam together. I found my voice as a child in a little country church. My first song was ‘I’ll Fly Away,’ sang hidden behind Juanita Hounshell’s piano.”
Damrell added, “I was a big fan of The Steeldrivers before I got the call. Coming on board with such amazing musicians is an honor and a dream come true.”
The Steeldrivers is composed of Mike Fleming, Tammy Rogers, Richard Bailey, Brent Truitt, and recently Kelvin Damrell. They are a talented group of seasoned musicians, each distinguished in his or her own right.
The group’s bluegrass roots combine with country and soul influences to create a refreshing, contemporary sound. This is new music with an old feeling. The Steeldrivers released their fourth Rounder Records album, The Muscle Shoals Recordings, in 2015. The band will soon be back in the studio to work on their next project.
Reba as Colonel Harland Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken announced that it has selected the first ever globally known music superstar to play the role of Colonel Harland Sanders. Beginning January 28, ads featuring multiple Grammy Award winning entertainer Reba Mcentire will air on television and computer screens nationwide to promote KFC’S new Smoky Mountain BBQ fried chicken.
An iconic entertainer, Reba Mcentire is the first female celebrity to play the role in KFC’S rotating Colonel advertising campaign. The multi-faceted ‘Queen of Country’ is a lover of fried chicken and has plenty of Southern charm, making her the perfect fit to promote Smoky Mountain BBQ.
“I grew up with Kentucky Fried Chicken. It’s part of my story, and I’m so excited to now be part of theirs,” said Mcentire in a press release. “I’ve held a lot of roles in my life — sort of like the Colonel himself — but this is certainly the most unique one yet.”
For more information, please visit: http://www.kfc.new-mediarelease.com/reba_mcentire/.
I can honestly say that this left me speechless! But as usual, no matter what Reba does, she does it perfectly.
Just a reminder for local shows February 3, they celebrate Valentine’s Day at Burrough’s Falls dance hall from 1 until 6 p.m. Great live country music, dancing, and good food.
February 8, Canadian country music singer Gord Bamford and special guest Aaron Goodvin will grace the stage at Centennial. Don’t miss anything! I’ll see you there!