Merritt, British Columbia, Canada will once again be hosting one of the most antici-pated and celebrated event of the summer with the 14th Annual Merritt Mountain Music Festival, July 13-16th, 2006, and this promises to be better than the rest. The organizers have kicked it up a notch and have put together a stellar all star line up of both legends and rising artists to round out this solid week of fun.
Moutainfest brings Martina McBride to the stage this year, Martina McBride (born Martina Schiff) was born July 29, 1966, in Sharon, Kan., and grew up on a farm sing-ing country music from the moment she could tiptoe up to a mike. Before launching her own career on RCA Records, McBride learned about life on the road by selling T-shirts at Garth Brooks concerts.
Her first album, 1992’s The Time Has Come, stumbled, but the 1993 follow-up “The Way That I Am “introduced her to the country audience with the upbeat single and video “My Baby Loves Me.” Another single from that album, “Independence Day,” failed to crack the Top 10. However, by singing about spousal abuse without coming off as preachy, the song has since become McBride’s signature song. The video earned a CMA award in 1994, and McBride has rarely released a single since then without an accompanying video.
The title track from 1995’s “Wild Angels” became her first No. 1 hit, and she joined the Grand Ole Opry that same year. She contin-ued to rack up hits -- including “A Broken Wing,” “Happy Girl,” “Wrong Again,” “Whatever You Say, “I Love You” and “Love’s the Only House” -- and captured her first CMA female vocalist award in 1999.
Other stars that will be shinning at this year’s Merritt Mountainfest include Big & Rich, Randy Tavis, Travis Tritt, Little Texas, Blackhawk, Restless, Darryl Worley, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Michelle Wright, The Road Hammers, Dr. Hook and much more.
Carolyn Dawn Johnson remembers asking her mother when she was young how anyone could live without music,” recalls the Canadian-born singer-songwriter. “Music made me happy, made me cry; it soothed me. It did then and it does now. Music still takes me to places nothing else can.” It is this perspective on music, combined with Carolyn’s exposed lyrical candor and crystal vocal brilliance, that provide the soul and pas-sion behind “Room With A View”, her debut album on Arista Nashville. Carolyn’s career is not only a testament to the power music has had upon her, but it is also a personal asser-tion of what goal setting and remaining true to one’s self can bring about.
Raised on a farm in Deadwood, Alberta, Carolyn’s dreams of music continually colored her emotional landscape. She was surrounded by music from a young age, listening to her parents’ Jim Reeves and Don Williams’ records; singing at church functions and school plays, playing piano and continually singing around the house. As she got older, Carolyn found herself drawn to a wide range of artists from Charley Pride and Marty Stuart to Fleetwood Mac, Jann Arden, Abba and Matraca Berg. She would write songs, make her own recordings at home and attend every concert she could. In college she studied non-music courses, but continued to sit-in with hometown bands at night. Finally, the encouragement from local musicians began to make her think, “Maybe I can really do this. Maybe I am good enough.”
Randy Travis: Born on May 4, 1959, Randy Bruce Traywick was the second of six children. His father Harold, raised turkeys, bred horses, and ran a construction busi-ness, and his mother Bobbie, worked in a textile plant. Randy’s father always wanted him to become a country singer, filling the house with the sounds of Hank Williams and Stonewall Jackson albums. Harold bought his four sons western outfits and guitars, and pro-moted them locally as the Traywick Brothers. By the time Randy was ten years old, he and his brother, Ricky, had their own duo, playing throughout the South at fiddler’s conventions, private parties, VFW halls and anywhere and everywhere they could draw a crowd. Even at his young age Randy’s voice startled people with its resonance. He dropped out of school in the ninth grade, and after that-fast cars, drinking and drugs lead to a series of scrapes with the law.
Turned down by nearly every record label in Nashville, often more than once, Randy was finally signed to Warner Brothers Records in 1985. Record company executives changed his name to Travis, and Randy’s first recorded effort for his new label was “Prairie Rose,” on the soundtrack to the film, “Rustler’s Rhapsody.” It was followed by the release of the album, “Storms of Life” in 1986, and the rest is country music history. The first single, “On the Other Hand,” was a perfect slice of Randy’s authentic country talent. “1982” fol-lowed, and with that hit, Randy established himself as a singer and performer in the grand tradition of George Jones, Lefty Frizell, Merle Haggard and a handful of others. The success of both singles led to wide-spread demand for live shows, and Randy next set out on an extensive and ongoing tour, taking him across the United States and Canada before record-setting crowds.
Travis Tritt: Over the course of his 15-year career, the Georgian has delighted fans and disarmed critics by exploring his deep love of hardcore country, flashing an ability and affinity for bluegrass, revealing unexpected sensitivity as a balladeer, winning respect as a formidable songwriter and, most emphatically, drawing widespread recognition as one of the best vocalists the genre has ever known.
In his personal life, Tritt spent the early part of his career living up to the outlaw image he projected, and has been very candid about his excesses. But since his 1997 mar-riage, his third, he has settled in as a devoted husband and doting father of three. And it is against this backdrop of expansive artistry and harmonious home life that Tritt has recorded the most unapologetically aggressive and single-minded album of his career.
Moutainfest an event you will definitely want to include in your summer activities, meet up with your friends enjoy great music, there is something for everybody. Merritt Mountain festival not only lends itself to some of the greatest country music talent, but on site you will find, a variety of conces-sions, great entertainment and nightlife , the best pancake breakfast and the best camping and RV’ing this summer. Get your tickets now at all ticketmaster locations or by calling 604-280-4444.
For more information visit the website at www.mountainfest.com or call 604-525-3330.Don’t miss the fun at Moutainfest 2006! See you all at the Mountain!
