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UNITED STATIONS ANNOUNCES ALL STAR LINEUP
FOR SALUTE TO GEORGE STRAIT |
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Program is Titled:
"Country By George: A Tribute To George Strait"
4-Part Series Airs The First Four Weekends Of October
New York, NY - September 23, 2004 -- United Stations Radio Networks, Inc.
(USRN), a leader in the network radio programming, today announced the final lineup of celebrity hosts for its special four-week, eight hour radio
series, Country By George: A Tribute To George Strait. The series
showcases Strait, one of country music’s leading men with a complete career retrospective featuring this living legend who changed the face of modern country music forever with his traditional sound and true country roots.
Country By George will air the first four weekends in October with each show hosted by a different high-profile Country music star. United Stations VP/Programming Andy Denemark makes this announcement today at the network’s New York headquarters.
The Country By George broadcast schedule is as follows:
Episode One: Weekend of October 2 -3 Host: Dierks Bentley
Episode Two: Weekend of October 9-10 Host: Sara Evans
Episode Three: Weekend of October 16-17 Host: Jamie O’Neal
Episode Four: Weekend of October 23-24 Host: Clay Walker
As a limited run series, Country By George features new exclusive interviews with the private but affable Strait, who is considered one of the only true 'singing cowboys' in County Music today.
The programs will take listeners
back to the beginning of his momentous career and include insight about Strait’s youth in Texas, the songs that have launched his career, the stories behind his 50 Number One Country Hits, as well as interviews with his producer, Tony Brown. Also covered will be Strait’s annual high-profile tours, as well as the inside scoop from many artists befriended and influenced by Strait, including Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Randy Travis. Country By George is being produced for United Stations by Neil Haislop’s Country Forever Productions.
During the course of his career, George Strait has earned numerous awards,
accolades and honors. He is the proud recipient of 25 platinum album
certifications, 15 CMA Awards which result from his record-holding 73 CMA nominations, 11 Academy of Country Music honors and countless other industry
acknowledgments. October 2004 also marks the release of Strait's latest
collection of hits, 50 #1's, which compiles all of his top-charting hit songs in one two-disc collection.
HOST MINI-BIOS
Dierks Bentley grew up in Phoenix listening to George Strait with his dad and moved to Nashville at the age of 19. By day, he worked at the TNN television network researching classic country music and, by night, he worked on his demos. In 2003, he released his self-titled debut album which featured his successful first single, "What Was I Thinkin'?"
Sara Evans started performing in her home state of Missouri with her family's
band at the age of four and started her recording career in Nashville
several years later. Her debut album, Three Chords & the Truth, was
released in 1997 and quickly established her as one of the most respected vocalists of her generation.
Jamie O’Neal may be an Australian native but her voice and songwriting talent has catapulted her into the position of one of the most popular female vocalists in America. Her country pop debut, Shiver, was released in 2000 and nominated for three Grammy awards, and her songs have been recorded by LeAnn Rimes and Chely Wright.
Born and raised on a farm in Beaumont, Texas, Clay Walker fell in love with country music when his father gave him his first guitar at age nine. His first two singles reached number one upon their release, quickly establishing him as a commercial success, and, by the end of 1998, his first four studio albums were each certified platinum.
The series producer, Neil Haislop, is recognized as one of Country Radio’s leading writers, researchers and producers. His nine-year association with United Stations includes his role as producer of the Country Giants series
as well as several popular seasonal specials. Haislop is also the author
of The Giants of Country Music from Billboard Books.
United Stations Radio Networks, Inc. is the nation’s largest independently owned and operated radio network. The company services an array of format specific programming to over 4000 rated radio stations across the country and maintains sales offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas.
The New York-based company was founded in 1994 by radio pioneers Dick Clark and Nick Verbitsky.
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