Greetings to all of our global Country music fans and friends.  For your viewing pleasure, our fall edition of the 2011 Aristo International Report is now available!

In this issue, we wrap up the 2011 Canadian Country Music Awards, held in September in Hamilton, Ontario.  Canadian stars Johnny Reid and Dean Brody were big winners, but American acts Ronnie Dunn and Luke Bryan were certainly highlights, too.

The Australian invasion of Nashville’s Americana Music Festival is in full swing once again.  Last year’s six Aussie acts went over so well that this year they brought 20 artists to the roots party.

Part of the big success of the growing international Country audience can be attributed to the increase in video shows and networks around the world.  You might be surprised to find that even countries like Romania and Bulgaria have Country video shows!

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will tour for the first time together outside North America when they travel to Australia for their 2012 shows Down Under.  And Ireland is finishing up a strong 2011 with recent and upcoming shows from artists including Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Tommy Emmanuel, Alison Krauss and more.

Our Q&A this edition is with former CMA executive and current VP at Country Aircheck, Jeff Green.  Jeff shares his insights on Spotify, satellite radio and the Green Book of Songs, among other things.

And, you can always check out the International Report over at  Music Row.  Be sure to visit their site for the very latest news and coverage on Nashville’s industry happenings.

Thanks for reading!  Be sure to drop us a line with feedback or potential items we might include in our next issue.  Also, please note that the Aristo International Report is best viewed using the latest Firefox browser.

View the Report here.

Panels on Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams to Highlight Event

(Nashville, TN – Apr. 8, 2009)  The 26th annual International Country Music Conference will be held May 21-23, 2009 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

The event features appearances by some of the top historians and scholars in country music and includes presentations of The Belmont University Book Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award and The Charlie Lamb Awards. This year’s conference will also include special panels on legends Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams, as well as address the topic of how to define country music.

The panel “Defining Country Music: What It Is and Does It Matter” will be hosted by Dr. Don Cusic, author of “Discovering Country Music,” Ronnie Pugh, author of “Ernest Tubb: Texas Troubadour,” Dr. Jocelyn Neal, author of “The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers,” as well as Dr. Erika Brady and Dr. Patrick Huber.

“The leading scholars in country music will be in Nashville for this conference,” says ICMC co-chair Don Cusic. “We’ll have panels with authors and writers who have written significant books and articles on country music, as well as contributors from Australia and other parts of the world.  For those who study and teach country music, this is the place to be.”

Special papers on Hank Williams will be presented by Jim Murphy, Tom Wilmeth and Colin Escott.   Additionally, Barry Mazor, Dr. Tim Wise, Dr. Anthony Lis, Dr. Jocelyn Neal, Dr. Nolan Porterfield and Dr. Catherine Davies will present papers on Jimmie Rodgers.

The event will be co-chaired by James Akenson and Cusic.  Registration is $100 and checks should be sent to James Akenson, Box 5042, Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, TN, 38505.

The 2008 ICMC Program Schedule can be found here: www.internationalcountrymusic.org/schedule.html

For more information, visit: www.internationalcountrymusic.org

Contact:
Don Cusic – ICMC – 615.460.5438 – cusicd@mail.belmont.edu