This Date in Country Music History

• 2021 – Walker Hayes released his single “AA”
• 2021 – Morgan Wallen’s double album Dangerous was certified Double Platinum
• 2019 – Blanco Brown made his Grand Ole Opry debut
• 2018 – Jon Pardi’s album California Sunrise was certified platinum
• 2017 – Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member Mel Tillis passed away at the age of 85
• 2016 – Brooke Eden made her Grand Ole Opry debut
• 2016 – Keith Urban scored a #1 hit with “Blue Ain’t Your Color” for the first of 16 weeks on the Billboard charts
• 2012 – Dustin Lynch released his single “She Cranks My Tractor”
• 2011 – The Marshall Tucker Band made their Grand Ole Opry debut
• 2007 – Martina McBride surprised Charlie Daniels with an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry
• 2002 – Shania Twain released her album Up!
• 1994 – Mary Chapin Carpenter scored a #1 hit with “Shut Up And Kiss Me”

HCM Content

• 2024 – HCM Daily Country Music News – November 19th, 2024
• 2021 – Today’s New Music – November 19th, 2021
• 2021 – HCM Daily News – November 19th, 2021
• Today’s Birthdays – November 19th

Mary Chapin Carpenter has announced tour dates for 2023!

Artist Name:  Tamara Stewart

What project(s) are you currently working on?

New Single and New album are imminent. I’m excited about those finally happening.  I also am in the process of recording a new podcast series that kicks off in a few weeks called “Heal My Story’ . It’s a deep dive into the ways Creativity can be utilized for healing and it’s an absolute combination of my favorite subjects- Creativity and Personal Growth.

What inspired you to pursue a career in music and when did you know?

Mum says from when I was about two, my grandmother would say “she’s going to be an entertainer this one!” and she was right. I was always writing poems or singing songs and trying to make people laugh or cry with music. I started writing songs at 10 and hit the stage for the first time at 11.

The tornado really kicked off for me at 10 when I heard Dolly Parton on the radio and I had no idea who it was but I remember the way her voice and songs struck me in that instant- I wanted to do or be or go whatever and wherever THAT was coming from.  Now I live in Nashville and write and sing songs for a living.

If you weren’t pursuing a career in music, what would you be doing for a living?

Painting. I’d be an artist, I think. I deeply love it and still do paint on the side, or maybe move into the mental health world, I’m passionate about that too, but Art is definitely my second love.

I’ve only recently re-introduced it into my life and have my own art studio to work in, in Nashville and trying to keep it in my weekly schedule.

What is your favorite downtime activity?

I love paddle-boarding and spending time with my fave people. I am also extremely happy in my own company, and love to sit in the solitude of my life and zone out on the couch. I’m also an avid walker and do ridiculous amounts of steps each week. The gym is a passion, especially when I’m in the groove if it.

Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

Ha! I’m not sure about that. I think Harry Styles is an incredible human. I am a sucker for an English or Irish Accent too, so that helps.

Who is your favorite sports team(s)?

Geelong Cats! Australian Rules Football. Nashville has an Aussie Rules team called “Nashville Kangaroos” I need to get on board with those guys and go to some games.  And I am about to sign up to the Nashville Predators for Hockey and I think I’m going full-fledged Titans fan now too. (American Football)

What is the last movie that you watched?

Oh my. I went to the cinema and saw “The Whale”. It is still with me. Achingly beautiful and deeply touched by it. Brendan Frazer is beyond Oscar worthy for his role in that.

What is the last album you listened to?

I can’t get enough of Taylor Swift’s most recent new albums. Midnights, Evermore and Folklore are masterpieces. I also have just discovered “Ren” and he has a song out called “Hi Ren” that is a stroke of human genius.

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Yikes. Don’t make me do it. That question is too hard.  Something James Taylor-esque.

What is the greatest country song of all time?

“This Shirt” by Mary Chapin Carpenter. And also one million others that are slapping me in the face for not choosing them. “Picasso and Me” by Gretchen Peters… so many.

What has been your favorite city/town that you’ve visited out on the road?

Hmm. I adore London. I think I lived there in another life.  Nashville, of course, then eventually made it my home. I love Boise, Idaho and I played a songwriters Festival a few times in Key West, Florida that is an absolutely gorgeous part of the world. Too many to mention but those come to mind.

What is your favorite meal?

When I’m indulging, a good Indian Curry! I don’t eat meat, but Pescatarian so Seafood is on the menu.  Anything with Prawns/Shrimp or I can get just as excited about a kick ass salad with fried tofu. I am an avid Whole30 compliant gal, so I love clean eating.

Who is your dream duet partner?

I’d love to sing with Wynonna Judd or one of my childhood hero’s. But in today’s climate, I think for me dream collaborations are more about writing songs and I’d give my last plectrum away to write with Lori McKenna. Like me, she writes a lot on her own and I’m curious what we would come together and trust each other to say in song.

Who would you like to go on tour with?

Lori Mc Kenna, Brandy Carlisle – if it was the 3 of us on one show I would explode into a ball of glitter every night. I think it’s fair to end that sentence with “Literally!”

What is your ultimate career goal(s)?

At this point, after being blessed by a career of music for over 20 years, just to be able to keep doing it in a way that feels authentic and inspiring. The longer I am in this business the deeper my gratitude runs for staying ppen to wherever this darn journey takes me!

Shantell Ogden – photo by Angie Miller

Artist Name:  Shantell Ogden
Hometown:  Richfield, UT

What project(s) are you currently working on?

I just released my new single “Breaking Something Wild” – it’s about a cowgirl who falls in love, but stays true to herself. I’m also getting ready for a UK tour in September I’m really excited about. I’m also always working on licensing music through my sync company – SO-Sync.com for film/TV.

What inspired you to pursue a career in music and when did you know?

I have always been a storyteller, and I’ve always loved music. We always had the radio on at the farm growing up. When I tried bringing storytelling and music together in 2002, I found it was like pulling on a pair of comfortable boots…it just fit. It was at that time that I knew I would pursue music.

If you weren’t pursuing a career in music, what would you be doing for a living?

I actually have a job doing change management for a steady paycheck, and I love it because it is basically storytelling for businesses. Right up my alley as a songwriter!

What is your favorite downtime activity?

I love ‘cuddle sessions’ with my fur kid Thelma Lu. We just watch TV together sometimes and it’s the best.

Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

Andrew Walker is in a lot of my favorite Hallmark movies, and he has a nice smile.

Who is your favorite sports team(s)?

 I went to school in Boston at Berklee College of Music and I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for the Boston Red Sox.

What is the last movie that you watched?

Maverick – I loved the original Top Gun and still watch it every year.

What is the last album you listened to?

 I’m more of a song kind of person, rather than an album person, and I really like the new Scotty McCreery “Damn Strait.”

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?

It would have to be a mix tape with some of my favorite songs.

Artist Name: Celine Ellis
Hometown: Prestatyn (that is a small town on the north coast of Wales in the UK!)

What project(s) are you currently working on?

I’m currently promoting my latest single ‘Leave The Light On’ as well as writing a new album! Its the first time I have ever been writing songs specifically for an album, so it’s kind of new to me. Previously I have written songs that just ended up on records, but this feels different to be specifically writing for an album. I have been developing my sound over the past year and now feel like I have hit a sweet spot where all these songs are coming from and how they are going to sound. I can’t wait to take them to the next stage which will be demoing them all over the next month or so. I can then listen and share them to my closest people, ready to trim them down to the ones that will make it to the studio.

What inspired you to pursue a career in music and when did you know?

From a very early age I have always dreamed of being able to make a living with my guitar, but its hard and even in the best of times has so many ups and downs. so its strange that a global pandemic is what its actually taken to get me back in the saddle and making music again after some years away. Being an older, wiser ’emerging artist’ does have many benefits though – I’m certainly a lot more savvy when it comes to what I want to achieve and definitely have a LOT more life experience which I think shows in my songs.

If you weren’t pursuing a career in music, what would you be doing for a living?

I would probably be doing something totally different. I have a degree in Biology so I’m sure I would be stuck in a laboratory somewhere being fairly miserable if I didn’t have music!

What is your favorite downtime activity?

I love traveling and exploring new places in the world. Its something me and my wife try and do as often as possible. It normally ends up with us sampling local food and drinks mainly, hahaha. I love taking my dog for a walk on a summers evening, and I have been enjoying some wild swimming in the local rivers this summer. Hanging out with my friends and family as often as I can is important too.

Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

I have always had a massive crush on Sheryl Crow, from way back when I discovered ‘Tuesday Night Music Club’. She has definitely aged better than me though hahaha

Who is your favorite sports team(s)?

I’m not a massive sports fan, but I went to University in Leicester, so I do follow the Leicester Tigers Rugby team!

What is the last movie that you watched?

I watched ‘Gray Man’ on Netflix just the other night – an action film with Ryan Gosling that was really good. And as a child of the 80’s I went to the cinema to watch Top Gun Maverick on the big screen recently too!

What is the last album you listened to?

My friend Stephen Tanner has just released an absolute gem of an album called ‘Enough’ so I listen to that today – he’s an amazing songwriter and its a great listen. I’m also totally in love with Zach Bryan’s album ‘American Heartbreak’.

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Oh this is HARD!!!! ‘Dancing with the Beast’ by Gretchen Peters or ‘Girl Going Nowhere’ by Ashley McBryde would be up there for sure, but I think I would go back to my all time favourite songwriter and an album that inspired me to write my own songs back when I discovered it which is Mary Chapin Carpenter – ‘Come On Come On’. It really was one of the catalysts for me starting to write songs back in the 90’s – I had discovered country music around the same time, and it was probably the closest thing to an epiphany I have ever experienced.

What is the greatest country song of all time?

Oh that has got to be Jolene by the angel that is Dolly Parton. It just sums up country music to me in 2 minutes and 40 seconds. Captivating guitar riff and groove, an engaging and relatable story, a totally catchy chorus to sing along with. Just epic!

What has been your favorite city/town that you’ve visited out on the road?

Ive been so lucky to get out on the road again this year and play shows up and down the country. I played a songwriters round to an amazing crowd in London a few months back that was special. The other artists, Tara Henton and The Jackson Line, just got on so well and it was a real pleasure to play songs and share stories in the round with them.

What is your favorite meal?

I’m a huge Mexican food fan – give me tacos, quesadilla, burritos and all that! Ive been to Mexico a couple of times now and am really over due another visit for sure! we get decent Mexican food here in the UK, but it doesn’t match up to the real deal!

Who is your dream duet partner?

Oh this is another hard one! There are so many artists that I would not even blink before saying YES to a duet with, but if I had to choose one, then I think I would probably go with Katie Pruitt. I could see us smashing out a high energy duet with some killer harmonies.

Who would you like to go on tour with?

I would absolutely love to go on tour with a band like Midland, Old Dominion or Bros Landreth. I think I could learn so much and have the best time touring with those guys!

What is your ultimate career goal(s)?

I love sharing my songs and telling my stories, so I’m just working on being able to do that to new people as much as possible. I’d love to head over to the U.S. for some dates at some point, and I’d love to do some bigger shows here in the UK as well as some of the killer country festivals we have. I’m definitely more interested in connecting with people and being able to continue doing that for as long as possible! I feel I am have found a great team of people I’m working with, and I’m going to be looking to up the stakes in the near future as I start to form a band as well. So many things to look forward too!