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| Kim | Sep 6 2008, 10:54 AM |
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September 4, 2008 Dierks Bentley leads CCMA star list By DAVID SCHMEICHEL- Sun Media WINNIPEG - You'll have to forgive Nashville superstar Dierks Bentley if he looks a little distracted during his performance at the Canadian Country Music Awards this Monday. The tow-headed CMT-fave isn't up for any nominations (not surprising, since they're typically reserved for Canadians), but he and his wife Cassidy Black have still been busy clearing space for a new addition to their household. Black -- whom Bentley has known since high school, and been married to since 2006 -- is pregnant with the couple's first child, and is due to give birth later this fall. "Right now we've got two dogs, who we think of as kids," says Bentley during a brief, static-filled phone call from Colorado. "We're looking forward to a real one ... just really excited about everything." Bentley says he's also looking forward to a brief respite from touring, having logged countless miles on the road over the last six years. This past summer alone, he played in London, Ireland, Norway and France, not to mention a slot as the lone country act at the alt-rock fest Lollapalooza in Chicago. "I'm always up for venturing into unexplored territory ... even if it's a little uncomfortable at first," says Bentley, 32, who was also tapped to play the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee last year. This weekend, Bentley will head north to join his many Canuck friends in Winnipeg, where he'll help close out the Country Music Week festivities Sept. 5 - 8. It's familiar territory for the former Phoenix native, who cut his teeth playing country bars with local act Doc Walker, before graduating to the bigger venues on the strength of his self-titled debut (in 2003) and its followup, Modern Day Drifter, in 2005. In fact, after sharing a stage at Cowboy's with the Doc Walker crew in 2005, Bentley handpicked the band to open for him on a Canadian tour in 2007. "I love those guys," says Bentley, who moved to Nashville at the age of 19, and worked as a video librarian at TNN before breaking big in the music biz. "It's going to be good to catch up with all my Canadian friends." Between all the touring and baby preparations, Bentley (who also played Dauphin's CountryFest in 2007) somehow found time to write and record a new album -- which should hopefully be released in February. But he's not above asking for a little help. Earlier this year, Bentley farmed out some of the engineering duties on his greatest hits comp Every Mile a Memory, allowing more than 3,000 fans to vote on the disc's title, cover art and track listing. "That was a lot of fun," laughs Bentley, just before losing reception for the umpteenth time. "But we needed pages and pages of liner notes, just so we had room to thank them all." Other stars to watch for this weekend * Kellie Pickler: The American Idol also-ran is no stranger to Manitoba, having once dated Nashville Predators Jordin Tootoo (born in Churchill, once played for the Brandon Wheat Kings). The relationship fizzled, but not before Pickler issued the following cringe-inducing statement: "I am this country bumpkin and he's an Eskimo ... I'm going to build an igloo!" * Crystal Shawanda: Her last name is Ojibwe for "Dawn of a New Day," which also happens to be the title of her recent debut album. Nominated for two CCMAs (single of the year, female artist of the year), this 27-year-old fan of Loretta Lynn and Hank Williams documented her move from Manitoulin Island to Music City in the series Crystal: Living the Dream. * George Canyon: Another veteran of reality TV, lantern-jawed crooner Canyon was a contestant on Nashville Star 2. He placed second, but the exposure helped reinvigorate his career, and in recent years, he's taken home a best country recording Juno, plus four CCMAs, including male vocalist of the year and the prestigious fan choice award. * Emerson Drive: This Alberta quintet suffered through a tragic case of life imitating art last year, when their bassist committed suicide months after their monster hit Moments -- about a homeless man who convinces a distraught narrator not to jump off a bridge -- began rocketing up the charts. But they bounced back at last year's CCMAs, where the song scored them five trophies, including single and video of the year. * Jessie Farrell: At last year's awards show, Alberta songstress Jessie Farrell nabbed noms for female of the year and Chevy's Rising Star honour. A month later, her debut album Let's Talk About Love dropped -- an effort that helped her earn seven spots on this year's nominations list, where she's up for female, album, single and songwriter of the year, among others. * Jaydee Bixby: You probably remember Jaydee Bixby as the bleach-blond moppet who turned in a surprisingly passable Elvis Presley imitation on last year's cycle of Canadian Idol. According to Wikipedia, Bixby just turned 18 a few weeks ago, so if you see the kid hanging out at Cowboy's over the weekend, buy him a beer. * Darius Rucker: Formerly the frontman of Hootie & the Blowfish, South Carolina-born Rucker (who plays a private industry bash at The Pyramid) is reaping the rewards of a recent Nashville makeover. The onetime Burger King shill made his Grand Ole Opry debut in July, and scored a Top 20 hit with Don't Think I Don't Think About It, the first single from his pending country disc Learn to Live. Copyright © 2008, Canoe Inc. |
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| 2008 CCMA Awards · Canadain Country Music Awards | |
12:12 PM Nov 27
