Bill Kirchen (1948- ) plays a diverse style of American roots music. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he currently lives in the Washington DC area. In addition to his own band, Kirchen appears on recordings by dozens of other artists. Most notably, he served as the guitarist for Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen in the late 60s and early 70s.
Donovan Chapman is an American country music artist born in Farmerville, Louisiana. At age seventeen, Chapman enlisted in the United States Air Force. He spent ten years in the Air Force, including five years in the Air Force Pararescue. During his leave time, he met Mike Curb, head of the Curb Records label, and was soon signed to the label. Chapman's first single, "There Is No War", was released in 2003. The single was dedicated to families of American soldiers who had died overseas. Chapman recorded two albums for Curb Records, shortly before returning to duty in Afghanistan.
Jay Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of two critically-acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond his established talents as a songwriter, he is a well-regarded guitarist, harmonicist, and a distinctive vocalist. His music is an informed expansion of traditional American roots music.
Godsmack is a hard rock/alternative metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States which formed in 1995. They are often mis-categorized as post-grunge or nu metal. The band comprises founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its formation, Godsmack has released five studio albums, one EP, four DVDs, and one greatest hits collection.
Eric Church is a country music singer and songwriter who released his third studio album, Chief on July 26, 2011, debuting at #1 on both Top Country Albums and the Billboard 200. The Homeboy Songfacts explains that the album's title refers to a nickname of not only the singer's grandfather, but also Church's own pet name among friends and family. Eric grew up in Granite Falls, N.C., in an area known as one of the world's furniture capitals.
Shawn Colvin (born January 10, 1956 in Vermillion, South Dakota) is an American musician. Best known for her hit single "Sunny Came Home" from the album "A Few Small Repairs". Colvin's formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age of 10. Her first public concert was at age 15 at the University of Illinois campus. Colvin cites Joni Mitchell as a primary influence on her music, and her initial performances closely mirrored Mitchell's inflections and guitar tunings.
Teddy Thompson was born in London, England in 1976 and is the son of Linda Thompson and Richard Thompson (Richard & Linda Thompson), and the brother of singer Kamila Thompson. Teddy's style is difficult to categorize, because his influences are varied. Growing up around folk music, he listened to a musical gamut that covered Hank Williams, Jimi Hendrix, Sam Cooke and gospel. As he fell in with other musical progeny, most notably close friend Rufus Wainwright, his sound developed into his own combination of country/western, rock, and his father's folk-rock.
The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir band hail from Calgary, Alberta. Consisting of Bob Keelaghan (guitars and vocals), Judd Palmer (vocals, banjo, guitar and harmonica), Vlad Sobolewski (upright bass) and Jay Woolley (drums and percussion), they play a "ferocious combination of traditional blues, appalachian folk, and ragged gospel".
Wanda Jackson (born Wanda Jean Jackson, on October 20, 1937, in Maud, Oklahoma, United States) was the first female rock and roll singer in the United States, releasing her debut record in 1956. She is often hailed as the "Queen Of Rockabilly." Jackson was still in high school when country singer Hank Thompson heard her sing on an Oklahoma City radio show and asked her to record with his band in 1954.
Alejandro Fernandez (born April 24, 1971) is a popular Latin Grammy-winning Mexican singer nicknamed as "El Potrillo" ("The Little Colt") by the media and his fans. ] Alejandro originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk and country music, such as mariachi and ranchera. However, his more recent work has focused on mainstream pop music. He is the son of Vicente Fernández, also a popular Mexican country singer.