Jack Ingram becomes Next GAC Star judge
Sunday, July 13, 2008 – Jack Ingram will be a celebrity judge of 6 hopeful finalists during the finale of Great American Country's Next GAC Star Sept. 10.
"It's never easy to act as an expert and 'judge' someone else whose music style or approach may be different from yours, but I think I can assist these artists by providing feedback they can take into consideration and use to better their music," said Ingram. "I'm honored GAC asked me to contribute my experiences and that I can help them as they provide aspiring artists an opportunity to receive critiques and national television exposure."
The network has announced 10 of 16 semi-finalists, 5 chosen by national voting online and 5 chosen by music industry insiders. On Sept. 3, the network will present a one-hour special on the six finalists who are vying to win a record deal with Original Signal Recordings, a Gibson Hummingbird Guitar and a music video, which will air on GAC. Ingram will join songwriters Desmond Child and Victoria Shaw during a live 90-minute program on Sept. 10 that will broadcast from Nashville and feature finalist performances and viewer voting to name the Next GAC Star.
The show is similar to Nashville Star.
More news for Jack Ingram
CD reviews for Jack Ingram
Big Dreams & High Hopes
Jack Ingram spent much of the '90s polishing his star in the organic, stripped-down Texas music scene before leaving it behind for the allure (and chance for a larger career) that comes with Nashville's pop-country sound. Ingram's music has become sleeker, with drums and electric guitar thrown to the forefront in true Nashville style, but even that can't hide his slightly rugged vocals.
A bitter, darker version of honky-tonk rocker Barbie Doll was released on his 1999 album "Hey You. »»» |
This is It
Before slapping the sellout tag on Jack Ingram for recording Hinder's poppy power ballad "Lips of an Angel" or chalking it up to a new record company's desperate move to make its star male sound hip and contemporary, give it a listen. Like Ingram says in the liner notes, a good song is a good song.
Problem is, if it becomes his trademark song, much like Mark Chesnutt just can't shake "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" despite everything else he's done, »»» |
Live - Wherever You Are
Jack Ingram is one of a group of modern-day ultra-cool country artists who are adored in Texas and virtually unknown in the rest of the country. Ingram distinguishes himself with fantastic songs and a stage energy that's palpable on this live recording.
The album's title track is one of two new songs here, Ingram's first since 2002. It's an incredibly catchy song laden with nature imagery illustrating a man's simple appeal to a woman he still loves. "Biloxi" is fantastic - it starts out sounding »»» |
Editorial: American Idol's Carrie Underwood can sing –
If anyone saw the Super Bowl – what a great great game that was – they would have heard American Idol winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood sing the National Anthem. Underwood did with her voice what Kelly Clarkson did last week with her written words – give it to Scott Borchetta, the head of Big Machine Records,, who tried defending Taylor Swift by knocking American Idol performers. »»»
Concert Review: McBride, Adkins shine sometimes –
As Martina McBride pointed out, the pairing of the country singer with Trace Adkins on their current jaunt was surprising. After all, she's of diva-quality voice, petite, non-controversial unless you call singing songs that empower women controversial. Adkins, on the other hand, has not been afraid to speak his mind with a kick butt attitude.... »»»
Concert Review: Eilen Jewell wears her musical hats well –
Eilen Jewell wears a lot of musical hats. The Idaho native, who now lives in Boston, fronts the Eilen (ee-lin) Jewell Band, a pretty much traditional country band. She's a member the Sacred Shakers, an octet doing gospel country with a country beat. And she has yet another project, Butcher Holler, covering Loretta Lynn songs.... »»»
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Here it is the top 30 for 2009. This isn't authoritative in case you thought otherwise. It's just one man's opinion about his favorite CDs of the year, which seemed a cut above everything else. It was incredibly hard figuring out a number one CD for the year between the Avett Brothers, Brad Paisley and George Strait. All three were great albums from different perspectives of country and roots music, and at any one time over the past few days, each was my favorite. Come back in a few days, and who knows? Maybe the order will change.... »»»
Haywire
There are two versions of Josh Turner's fourth CD - standard and deluxe. The deluxe has the same 11 tracks as the standard, plus (among other goodies) live versions of previously released songs Long Black Train and Your Man . But don't spend more money than you have to; if it's redundancy you're looking for, there's plenty to be had on the standard version. »»» |
Somewhere in Time
If Rascal Flatts is country music's clean cut, commercially palatable Beatles, then Reckless Kelly is the genre's Rolling Stones; grittier, more authentically influenced, rawer at the core even when their output is every bit as polished. The brainchild of Idaho brothers Willy and Cody Braun, Reckless Kelly was crowned Austin's Best Country Band in the city's 2008 music awards, an incredible honor. »»» |
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