Lonestar Announces New Lead Singer

 Posted by at 9:11 pm on March 8, 2021
Mar 082021
 

In the aftermath of Richie McDonald’s second departure from Lonestar, a replacement has been quickly announced.  Drew Womack, a hit-songwriter and formerly of the band Sons of the Desert, has been tapped to fill McDonald’s shoes as the lead singer.

Lonestar says, “We are thrilled to have Drew joining us. We have been friends and have admired his work and outstanding voice for many years. It will be an exciting new chapter in our storied career and know he will be welcomed by the industry and fans alike. Fans will hear more than 22 combined hits, between the amazing catalog of Lonestar and Sons Of The Desert, and even hit songs written by Drew for such iconic country artists as Kenny Chesney.”

Drew Womack is a CMA and ACM-winning singer as well as a hit songwriter.  He first hit the national scene with his band, Sons of the Desert out of Waco, TX.  They enjoyed top 10 hits at country radio for Sony and MCA Records.  Additionally, they collaborated with Lee Ann Womack (no relation) on her crossover hit “I Hope You Dance.”  He also co-wrote with Craig Wiseman the 4-week number 1 song for Kenny Chesney “She’s Got It All.

“I can’t adequately express just how excited I am to join these guys and create and make music with Dean, Keech, and Michael.  I’ve known and respected them since (Sons Of The Desert) played the same circuits and it’ll be an honor to be on stage with them,” says Womack.

Lonestar has amassed RIAA-certified sales in excess of ten million albums since their national launch in 1995 and achieved ten #1 country hits including “No News,” “Come Crying To Me,” “I’m Already There,” “What About Now,” and their crossover smash “Amazed” (which was also #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first record since 1983’s “Islands in the Stream”, to top both charts). The band’s awards include 1996 ACM Top New Vocal Group, 1999 ACM Single of The Year for “Amazed” (the song also won “Song of the Year “), 2001 CMA “Vocal Group of the Year and 2002 ACM Top Vocal Group.  With an average of 80 dates worldwide per year, they are celebrating over 25 years together.

Interview with Tom Mackell

 Posted by at 8:55 pm on March 8, 2021
Mar 082021
 

photo credit: Taylor Flynn

Our latest interview is with Tom Mackell, who just released his new single “Maybe Tonight” this past Friday!

Artist Name: Tom Mackell
Hometown: Charleston, SC

What project(s) are you currently working on?

I am putting the final touches on a handful of new recordings as well as acoustic versions of both new and old songs to release later this year.

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

My friends and family introduced me to music at a young age. I started going to concerts in the greater Philadelphia area as a teenager and
immediately fell in love with live music. My older siblings would buy me CDs from the mall, and I would trade them with friends at the lunch table in elementary school. My friends and I picked up instruments early on and started forming bands. When we started recording music in our parents’ basements in the 5th and 6th grade, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in music. High school was tough to keep a band together, so I started chasing my dream of becoming a singer-songwriter during my junior year.

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

I would probably be working in some other sector of the entertainment industry with a focus on digital marketing.

What is your favorite downtime activity?

Hanging with friends, surfing, fishing, skiing, or cooking.

Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

Margot Robbie

Who is your favorite sports team(s)?

Philadelphia Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, Sixers.

What is the last movie that you watched?

“Captain Phillips”

What is the last album you listened to?

“Evening Machines” – Gregory Alan Isakov

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

Jackson Browne’s “Late for the Sky”

What is the greatest country song of all time?

“Mommas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” – Willie Nelson

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

Boston, MA

What is your favorite meal?

Pasta

Who is your dream duet partner?

Alicia Keys

Who would you like to go on tour with?

John Mayer

What is your ultimate career goal(s)?

#1 song on the charts + world tour

Today’s New Music – March 8th, 2021

 Posted by at 8:13 pm on March 8, 2021
Mar 082021
 

This Week’s New Singles

  • ABBY – Travis Denning
  • Bitter – Bailey James w/ Mia Morris
  • Forever After All – Luke Combs
  • Hill’s I Love – Christina Christian
  • In His Arms – Miranda Lambert w/ Jack Ingram & Jon Randall
  • Old School’s In – Heath Sanders
  • Villain – Lily Rose
  • Woman in Black – Jenn Ford

Today’s New Music – March 5th, 2021

 Posted by at 4:48 pm on March 5, 2021
Mar 052021
 

New Music

Today’s New Albums

  • Alyssa Trahan – Baby Blues and Stilettos
  • Brandy Clark – Your Life is a Record:  Deluxe
  • Kristian Montgomery & The Winterkill Band – Prince of Poverty

Today’s New Singles

  • A Song You Can Drink a Beer To – Gary Pratt
  • Church on Cumberland Road – Sammy Sadler
  • Dead Man Walking – The Highway Women
  • Handyman – Raleigh Keegan
  • He Ain’t Worth the Makeup – Lindsay Adamson
  • Like the Moon – Matt Jordan
  • Many Worlds Theory – B.B. Palmer
  • Maybe Tonight – Tom Mackell
  • Next Ex-Wife – William Wallace
  • Pessimist – Bri Fletcher
  • Run Baby Run – Andrew Farriss
  • Settled – Stevie McKim
  • Smoke in a Bar – Travis Tritt
  • Sunroof – Brooke Eden
  • The Outlaw – Mo Stroemel
  • Without a Roof On – Michael James
Mar 052021
 

Richie McDonald, best known as the lead singer of Lonestar, has announced his departure from the band for the second time in it’s history.  He originally left the band in 2007 to pursue a solo career that failed to yield a Top-50 hit before rejoining them in 2011.  This time, he leaves the band to dedicate his time to what was a side project, a band called The Frontmen of Country.

The Frontmen of Country is comprised of McDonald, Tim Rushlow who was once the lead singer of Little Texas, and Larry Stewart, the lead singer of Restless Heart.

“I’ve been with Lonestar for almost 30 years and have enjoyed my time with the guys,” explains McDonald. “With everything that has happened in the past year, it has made me think about other things I want to do in life. This opportunity with The Frontmen came up and I’ve decided to go a new direction. I’ve always enjoyed performing with Tim and Larry and I can’t wait to see how this new chapter unfolds. I want to thank my bandmates Dean, Keech and Michael for a great run. I wish them nothing but the best.”

As The Frontmen, the three lead singers have performed together many times through the years. Restless Heart’s Larry Stewart is thrilled about hitting the road with McDonald and Rushlow, backed by a full band for the first time.

“The three of us have proudly performed for our country on battleships USS Bush and USS Truman, in the Middle East and even the Presidential Inauguration,” says Stewart. “Touring the United States for country music fans coast-to-coast, backed by a world class band, performing hit after hit, will be exciting and something we have never done together. I’m looking forward to hitting the stage with these two great singers!”

“We are ecstatic to have this amazing opportunity to bring this show on the road and celebrate the music of three of the biggest bands from the ’90s in one night,” adds Rushlow. “I don’t know that I have ever seen three lead vocalists on a tour like this. There’s a common thread that runs through our collective catalog of hits and it will be awesome to sing them all in one concert event!”

The band has announced a series of 2021 tour dates, check them out below to see if they’re coming to a town near you.

The Frontmen of Country 2021 Tour Dates:

April 16 – Grant, OK – Choctaw Casino Resort
April 17 – Sonora, TX – JL Bar Ranch and Resort
Sept 18 – Orange Park, FL – Thrasher-Horne Center for the Arts
Sept 25 – Farmington, NM – Farmington Civic Center Theatre
Sept 27 – Yakima, WA – Central Washington State Fair
Oct 1 – Flint, MI – The Capitol Theatre
Oct 2 – Bristol, VA – The Cameo Theater
Oct 8 – Eau Claire, WI – Pablo Center at the Confluence
Oct 9 – Springfield, MO – Gillioz Theatre
Oct 23 – Tracy, CA – Grand Theatre Center for the Arts
Oct 29 – Buda, TX – Buck’s Backyard
Oct 30 – Hinton, OK – Sugar Creek Casino
Nov 4 – Whitecap, SK – Dakota Dunes Casino
Nov 5 – Calgary, AB – The Grey Eagle Event Centre
Nov 6 – Rama, ON – Casino Rama Entertainment Centre
Nov 11 – Green Bay, WI – Meyer Theatre
Nov 12 – Milwaukee, WI – The Northern Lights Theater
Nov 13 – Tonawanda, NY – Riviera Theatre and Performing Arts Center
Nov 14 – Warsaw, IN – Wagon Wheel Theatre