In The Country With Dave Woods

According to her parents, Florida singer/songwriter Heather Leigh started singing in the crib before she could talk. Her grandpa put her on the piano bench in his church when she was four years old. She belted out "Amazing Grace" and has been addicted to performing ever since! She has performed with such prestigious choirs as the Ruth Eckerd Hall Choir and the Walt Disney World Candlelight Procession at EPCOT Center. Heather began writing her own songs in her teens. "I believe music can reach across cultures, language, age and time, reach past hurts and fear, and grab someone in the depths of their soul. I believe it can change and transform, comfort and sooth, evoke passion or pain." She has just released Second Chances, an EP of inspirational songs straight from her heart. The title cut is dedicated to everyone who's ever needed a second chance in life. "What She Didn't Know" is a song about random acts of kindness and how we never know how our actions can change the course of history and the lives around u

Country artist Stacey Lee began singing before she could talk - and ever since then her life has been grounded in the music business. She is a sought after session vocalist for lead and backing vocals alike at studios throughout Canada. Formerly a member of the Juno-nominated Country sensation, LACE, Stacey had the opportunity to tour all across Canada, the U.S. and into Europe - and has performed at the George Strait Country Music Festival, the Calgary Stampede and many other North American music festivals. This talented Canadian has shared the stage with endless legendary artists including Merle Haggard and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. She is also known for her CCMA-nominated duet with John Landry called “My Heart Says Yes (But The Hurt Says No)". Her voice can be heard featured on one of Jason McCoy's hit songs, "I Lie". Currently, Stacey is a member of the popular group The Western Swing Authority, performing an eclectic mix of Western swing and jazz standards with 6 other top Canadian musicians. Tune in a

Canadian Country artist Aaron Pritchett has proven himself to be one of the hardest working and sought after artists in the business. With numerous hits, music videos, tours with Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and Brooks & Dunn, Aaron has gained a significant following across Canada. He won a CCMA for Independent Male Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year in 2007 for the anthem Hold My Beer. His 5th album entitledIn The Driver's Seattouches on more serious themes with songs like Coming Clean and She’s Goin’ Somewhere, but also features Aaron's high energy, rock & roll side in songs like Pinch and Light It Up. Growing up in Northern BC, Aaron drew his earliest musical influences from 80's Rock, but the transition to Country Music came naturally: "It was based on being able to relate to the stories that Country songs told. Those stories were a lot like mine. I was going fishing, camping, and riding buses to hockey tournaments in even smaller towns than my own. Life was a lot more Country than rock &am

In 2005, Saskatchewan Country artist Jess Moskaluke was awarded the title of "Most Promising Entertainer" at a local talent competition, and she went on to win 2nd place the following year. In 2007, she was crowned the champion once again at another local talent contest. From there, she placed in the Top 200 at the 2008 Canadian Idol competition. Unfortunately, she was unable to compete due to a severe case of laryngitis. Jess is the reigning champion of the 2010 Painted Hand Idol and the 2010 620 CKRM Big Country Talent Search. In June of 2010, Jess made her first trip to Nashville. It was on this trip that she was approached by Artist Development Agency and Publishing Company, Identical Entertainment. They took no time in signing her to an artist development/publishing deal. In addition to the excitement of her deal with Identical Entertainment, Jess partnered with “You Tube Phenom” and recently signed recording artist, Tyler Ward to release a cover song and her first single, “Amen Hallelujah.” She is also

Stephanie Beaumont's career path has taken her from corporate marketing in Toronto, to singing on stages around the world, to broadcasting on TV and radio stations across the country - and now back to her hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is the producer and creator (with assistance from a great team) of www.SeaAndBeScene.Com - an entertainment based, magazine style website designed to celebrate the 4 Atlantic Provinces. The site's mission is to profile all the people, places and things that make Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island so very special. Through her blogs & video interviews, you'll learn a lot and be entertained too! Stephanie joins me on the show to talk about all aspects of her exciting careers - and she'll share with us her big Country hits from the 90s - "It's Not A Matter Of Love", "Already In Way Over My Heart", & "My Greatest Love" - her duet with former Boy Howdy member & current hit songwriter Jeffrey Steele.

Houston, Texas Country artist Mary Sarah will release her debut album, "Crazy Good", this month. To anyone who has ever heard this 15-year-old singer/songwriter/entertainer perform, that is a very fitting description. Her career began a few short years ago as a KidzBop Kid. She toured on a 40-city KidzBop World Tour where she was a featured soloist and ensemble performer. She's equally comfortable singing a Country classic like "Leavin' On Your Mind" as she is singing a Pop classic like "Don't Stop Believin'". Recently, she was a featured guest of the Oak Ridge Boys at one of their concerts where she sang an 'a capella' version of "Where The Boys Are". When asked at age 10 what her goals were, Mary responded with a comment that displays maturity beyond her years: “I want to be a voice for those who don’t have one.” She actively supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, World Vision and other organizations for those in need. Tune in to hear this talented Texas artist talk about her start in music, so

Glasgow, Scotland's Raintown has put their own unique spin on Country Music and come up with catchy hooks and dynamic male/female harmonies delivered with passion and heartfelt sincerity. Their influences come from the best of Pop/Standards (Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Otis Redding) & the best of Country (Don Williams, Charley Pride, Patsy Cline). The duo - Paul Bain & Claire McArthur - recently released their debut CD "Hope In Troubled Times" featuring their exciting Pop/Country sound as well as their songwriting. On "Picture Of Us", their emotional delivery is sure to move listeners after just the first few lines while the uptempo "Love's Got a Hold On You" brings to mind the magic of classic uptempo Country duets. This talented duo joins me on the show - on the line from Scotland - to talk about their music career, their new CD and much more.

Emma Jacob grew up in Costa Mesa, California, and as a child, she enjoyed listening to Aretha Franklin and Patsy Cline. She took vocal lessons from the legendary Seth Riggs - she once ran into Ray Charles at a lesson - and earned a spot as first soprano in the Pacific Symphony Children's Choir. At age 11, she sang an Aretha song, "You're All I Need to Get By," on Showtime at the Apollo and received a standing ovation. The family was living in Colfax, California when Emma and her parents took over the ownership of a local theatre owned by her grandfather. Music producer Paul Worley heard her perform there and encouraged her to move to Nashville. Worley also pitched a song that would become the teenager's first single, "What If We Fly," included on her debut album, "Breaking All the Rules", in 2008. Her new EP is entitled "Strong Like Me" and she'll share a couple of the songs from it on the show. About choosing Country Music as her genre to sing, Emma explains: "The thing I love about Country so much is that i

British Columbia Country artist Damian Marshall got his start when he won the 1996 Search For The Stars contest through Nornet Broadcasting, which bolstered his confidence in his ability to sing. With that encouragemet, he auditioned for his first country rock band based out of Edmonton, Alberta and got his first gig as a professional singer/acoustic guitar player. The band was called The Alamo and they travelled throughout Canada playing the club circuit. Eventually, Damian went solo and found sucess with one of his first singles, "Don't Say Anything At All", which was co-written by Lisa Brokop and produced by Tom McKillip. The song reached the Top 30 on Canadian Country radio. The single also garnered a nomination from the Star Radio Awards in 2004 for Best New Artist. More singles followed including the hits "Why Don't We", "Not Even A Little" & "Built To Last". He also earned a CCMA nomination for the 2006 Chevy Truck Rising Star Award, and 9 BCCMA nominations between 2006 and 2007. This talented Cana

Mark Lorenz’s passion for music started early. While traveling throughout North America competing in horse shows with his parents, he would sing along to recordings of Marty Robbins, George Strait & Merle Haggard. Mark's first studio experience was brought about by a dare to record a country song for a friend’s birthday. Fast forward to 2011, Mark has released several singles (and filmed two videos) from his CD "Route 72". The new single "Someday" (which we'll feature on the show) was the 5th most active Indie download for the week it was released and has been added to 27 stations across Canada. Along with his solid Country voice, Mark excels at songwriting and entertaining. Tune in to find out all there is to know about this talented Calgary, Alberta Country artist.

Evan Westerlund is a former hockey player, radio personality & programmer, turned singer-songwriter who moved from his home country of Canada to Sweden in a whirlwind romance. It brought him to the shores of the country of his ancestors and relatives dating back as far as the records go into the late 1600s. He grew up listening to Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, Ferlin Husky, Don Williams and others in his father's record collection, along with sounds of the 1970's southern rock scene of The Eagles, Allman Brothers, and the Marshall Tucker Band. Fast forward to present: Evan has just released a new album, his second, entitled "Still Crazy". The album is produced by Larry Marrs (once longtime bass player & harmony singer for Marty Stuart's Hillbilly Band) who also produced his debut project. The musicians playing on the album are some of Nashville's best and all songs were written by Evan with a few select co-writers from his new hometown in Sweden. As Evan explains, "I think the 11 songs balance a good

My guest on this edition of In The Country is Dr. Kent Gustavson - the author of "Blind But Now I See: The Biography of Music Legend Doc Watson". Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. Despite losing his sight before his first birthday, he went on to become a legendary figure in music. He has won six Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. My guest Dr. Gustavson earned his PhD from Stony Brook University in New York, where he now teaches music, leadership, and language. He speaks around the world on both music and publishing.

When Country artist Jason Sturgeon sings about the simple life, he’s not just painting a picture of small town America. He’s describing who he is. Born and raised in Petersburg, IN, (pop. 3500), he grew up in a family of coal miners, oilmen and farmers who literally made their living off the land, and still do to this day. Running wild and free as the quarter horses he learned to ride and compete on from the time he was 14, he grew up listening to Country Music artists like Kenny Rogers, Alabama, George Strait as well the outlaws but indulged his rowdier side through acts like Pantera, Rage Against The Machine, and Godsmack, and all of those influences collide on his latest CD, the aptly titled, “That’s Me.” Jason visits In The Country to talk about his start in music, songwriting, his CD & more.

Ontario Country artist Jamie Warren recently released his sixth album entitled "Howl At The Moon". Over the years, fans and radio have made him a popular name in Country Music with hits like "One Step Back", "What A Womans To Hear" and "Sunny Day In The Park". His interest in music was likely genetic, since his mother sang and played piano, and his father played guitar and mandolin. Jamie had piano lessons at age 5 and guitar lessons at age 8, and by the time he was 10 years old, it was traditional for the Warrens to entertain after Saturday night eukre games. His earliest influences were whatever his parents listened to on the radio, and the only thing his parent’s radio seemed to play was Country Music. To this day, he’s still a huge fan of Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette and Patsy Cline. Tune in for great stories & great songs from this talented Canadian Country artist.

Stephanie Spence has big aspirations when it comes to her passion for singing Country Music. This BC girl has made up her mind that she will strive to become the very best at what she loves to do: sing live and record great songs. Her debut CD "Still Wanna Love You" was produced by Darcy D. former lead vocalist for Canadian Rock Group "Prism", and boasts some of the best talent in the business today. The musicians on this project have recorded with some of the biggest names in Canadian Country Music. The songs were written by some of the industry’s most prolific writers; people like Ron Irving (Boutique Records), Kathleen Higgins (The Higgins), Lynda McKillip (McKiller Music), Eden Langworthy and Darcy D. Stephanie joins me on the show to talk about her start in music & her debut album.

Ryan Cook is an award-winning Atlantic-Canadian songwriter from Yarmouth, NS. He performs a blend of folk, roots, jazz and country. Ryan has performed more than 260 performances since the release of his "Hot Times" album in the spring of 2008 which won the Country/Bluegrass Recording of the Year at the 2008 Music Nova Scotia Awards and was named the 8th best Canadian Country album of 2008 by Country Music News. He has performed on stages across Canada as well as at the Ryman Auditorium and the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree in Nashville. He also stars as Hank Williams from time to time in the play "Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave". In 2010, Ryan recorded & released his current album entitled "Peaks & Valleys".

Award-winning bluegrass group The Grascals have enlisted help from their musical friends on their latest CD of classic Country songs appropriately titled "The Grascals & Friends". Those friends include Brad Paisley, Charlie Daniels & Joe Nichols - and the songs covered include "Folsom Prison Blues", "Tiger By The Tail" & "White Lightning". Also on the CD is a new song entitled "I Am Strong" - an inspirational song - with guest vocals from Dolly Parton. Tune in as Terry Eldredge from The Grascals joins me to tell us all about the making of the CD. And there'll be no shortage of great music - I'll be playing 3 of the new tracks.

At only 13 years old, Alberta Country artist Adam Gregory had secured his first major label record deal, and by the time he made the move to Nashville in 2007, he was a Gold-selling artist in Canada. He climbed the radio and video charts with songs like "Only Know I Do", "Big Star", "The World Could Use A Cowboy" - to name just a few. He even recorded a duet with Billy Ray Cyrus entitled "When I Leave This House". Not long after making the move to Music City, Adam began writing with some of Nashville's finest hitmakers. Together, they crafted a number of songs that helped propel him onto the airwaves. His first single, "Crazy Days," was a Top 30 hit on the charts. After signing to Big Machine Records, Adam's second single was the more personal "What It Takes," which earned him even more popularity with radio & fans. "I've learned so much and met so many amazing people during this whole experience," says Adam. "I believe God put me on this earth to sing. He's blessed me with a gift, and I'm so humbled to s

Tara Lyn Hart's self-titled debut Country album was released on October 5, 1999. The lead single, "Stuff That Matters," soared up the Canadian country singles chart. At the 2000 Juno Awards, she was nominated for Best Country Female Artist, and the all-genre Best New Solo Artist. In April 2000, she was invited to perform on the Grand Ole Opry. When the nominations were announced for the 2000 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards, she received six nominations. Tara Lyn won the FACTOR Rising Star Award at the September 11, 2000 ceremony. She also picked up a nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2001 CCMA Awards, competing against Lisa Brokop, Terri Clark, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Michelle Wright. She capped off 2001 with a SOCAN award for "Save Me," a song she co-wrote with Hal Draper and David Quilico. Her other hits include "I Will Be Loving You" and "What He Used To Do". Tara Lyn joins me on the show to discuss her music career and her brand new (and first-ever) Christmas album.

Shane Chisholm's country crooning can be dated back to a time when his mother put him on stage with his two siblings singing Country Classics in three part harmony. Shane commanded the bass lines with his deep and rich *two year old* voice. Growing up in a rural area outside of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, he found ways of expressing his creativity by singing and writing about future heart breaks. Shane has toured Canada with his own band as well as performing as a bassist and backup singer for many of Canada’s biggest Country Stars including Aaron Lines, Gil Grand, Aaron Pritchett & Steve Fox. He's been nominated for CCMA bass player of the year in 2003, 2004 & 2007. On the line from Alberta where he now calls home, Shane will talk about his music career and share a couple of his songs with us including a new one entitled "Christmas In The Country".