In The Country with Dave Woods

HoneyGrass formed in the summer of 2005 when two of the founding members met at the River Valley Bluegrass Festival in beautiful Northern Ontario. The group showcased at the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association’s “World of Bluegrass” conference in Nashville, and won the "Most Promising Band" of the year award at the 2007 Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards (CCBA). They received three CCBA...

Victoria Banks - the Canadian Country Music Association's Female Artist of The Year for 2010 - joins me on the show to talk about her latest single (a duet with Jason Blaine), her recent tour with Reba in Western Canada, & much more. Along with writing and recording her own successful songs, Victoria has penned hits for One More Girl (When It Ain't Raining), Johnny Reid (Dance With Me), Jessic...

Born and raised in San Jose, California, Josh Damigo grew up in a very strict household. Only allowed to listen to KFRC, the local oldies station in the Bay Area, he found himself influenced by bands like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and much of the old-time, lyrically driven style of music. In first grade, his mother signed him up for piano lessons. "I absolutely hated piano because my teacher ke...

When she was just 12-years old, Atascocita, Texas Country artist Susan Hickman cold-called a talent agency and scheduled an audition. Why? "My mom told me I'd have to convince her that I was sure I wanted a career in music before she'd let me pursue it,” she recalls. “Making that call was my way of showing her that I was serious. She's been behind me every step of the way, ever since." Fast forwar...

Rik Reese & Neon Highway earned a 2010 ECMA nomination for Country Album of The Year for their debut release, "Mama Raised A Good Boy". The band is made up of Rik, Pete King, Wayne Gallant & Jim Messer. The boys deliver what is called "Canada's Untamed Country/Rock Show". Tune in to hear Rik tell us all about that and much more - plus you'll hear some great songs from this talented New Bru...

Born in Belleville, Ontario – now based in Stoney Creek, ON - the past seven years have found Country singer/songwriter Brad James on a musical journey since discovering his first acoustic guitar. “My friend left a guitar in my trunk and I started messing around with it. I learned a couple of chords and really came to enjoy it,”he recalls. “Working at a country bar, I got to know some of the bands...

On his 5th album titled “These Days”, Canadian-born/Japan-based artist Kelly Pettit showcases exactly what makes his music so appealing. He is equally skilled at writing a great lyric as he is at creating a catchy and memorable melody. And his voice delivers the songs with believability and emotion. Ballads like "Into The Sea" & "You, The Melody" go straight to the heart while the title-track...

Eastern Ontario's Greg Hanna grew up on a dairy farm, and is just as happy working cattle as he is performing on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans. From the first time he laid eyes on that old Sears guitar hanging in his aunt’s cold storage room, he knew he had to be on stage. But his heart is never far from the kind of lifestyle he grew up knowing. "If I wasn’t pursuing a music career...

In the world of country music, there’s a lot to be said for family support. Talented Barrie, Ontario Country artist Derek James Tilley can attest to that. It was his sister who encouraged him to showcase his abilities at a singing competition in his hometown. “I can’t thank my sister enough for her encouragement”, says Derek. “That day, she changed my life.” He quickly became a fan favourite and e...

Country artist Rhonda Towns made her debut as a country music singer on Ed McMahon’s Star Search as a champion female country music artist. She soon after attracted the attention of producer Norro Wilson (Kenny Chesney/Reba McEntire/Sara Evans/Shania Twain) after sending in a demo of cover tunes to the A&R Department of Mercury Records. “Shannon Scott (at that time Shannon Finnigan) set up a m...

Born and raised in Jonesville, Virginia, Kelley Nelson was exposed to traditional Country and Bluegrass music throughout her childhood. She began singing in her church choir when she was eight years old and performed with her high school chorale group for four years. After high school, Kelley continued to sing in church as she attended college and graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psyc...

St. Catharines, Ontario-born Country artist Marshall Dane won Country 95.3 FM’s “Big Break Competition” in July 2009. He had been ready, willing and able to make sure that if this was going to be his ‘big break’, he was prepared to deliver. Since winning that competition, Marshall has performed with Alan Jackson, Emerson Drive, Michelle Wright, Shane Yellowbird, and many other top Country artists....

"George Strait is my hero. I can die happy the day I get to shake his hand", jokes Jessica Ridley. This talented Alberta singer/songwriter also cites Reba, Shania Twain & Loretta Lynn as strong musical influences. Along with a great voice and songwriting skills, Jessica plays piano and guitar. Her debut album entitled "Fit To Be Tied" - produced by Nashville's Billy Simon - features her songwr...

Saskatchewan's Codie Prevost is continuing to see his star rise in the Country Music world with the release and success of his latest CD "Get Loud". It's the follow-up to his previous two albums "The Road Ahead" and "Spin (6 Pak Volume 1)". The CD features 12 tracks - fun party tunes and beautiful love songs - produced by famed producer Tom McKillip. The first single (and video) "Rolling Back To Y...

Hemingway Corner was formed in 1992 by two established singer-songwriters, David Martin and Johnny Douglas. They had hits on the Canadian pop charts with "Man on a Mission" and "Love, Love, Love", and received a Juno Award nomination for "Best New Group" in 1996. Eventually, Johnny formed another group. While working on a Neil Young tribute album, the Skydiggers introduced David to Scott Dibble (f...

Texas-born singer/songwriter Doug Bruce now resides in Bendigo, Australia. He's been impressing die-hard country fans and new converts alike with his rich voice and natural affinity for the southern country sound. Doug was awarded 2009 Best Male Vocalist in the well regarded Tamworth Independent Artists Recognition Awards (TIARAs). His music career began almost 20 years ago, performing primarily a...

Tommy Gilham was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama in a home filled with love and southern hospitality where gospel and country music filled the air. Each Sunday afternoon all of the relatives would gather to pick up their instruments and play their hearts out. Tommy headed to Nashville after he won a songwriting contest, and immediately received a publishing deal with Polygram. While there h...

Mark Wayne Glasmire writes and sings with a depth of understanding that only a well-traveled troubadour can. It is obvious that he's lived life to the fullest - and taken notes along the way. His newest CD, Life Goes On, is a 12-song collection that includes 10 originals and two outside tunes. Mark's lyrics cover it all: heartache and jubilation, despair and love, disappointment and hope. "Most of...

At the age of 17, Vicksburg, Mississippi Country artist William Michael Morgan is a fresh, exciting new voice in traditional Country Music. Just one listen and you'll know this young singer is on the verge of being the next big thing. His MySpace music player has surpassed the 2 million plays mark & MySpace 'street teams' are helping spread the word about this rising star. Currently, he's work...

Country artist Ashley Gearing is no stranger to hard work or the demands of the music business. At the young age of 12, she made history by entering Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart, eclipsing a 46 year-old record previously held by Brenda Lee. Her version of "Can You Hear Me When I Talk to You" gave Ashley immediate national exposure by displaying a talent well beyond her years. Now, at the...

Calgary, Alberta Country artist Sarah Beth Keeley is currently enjoying airplay for her song "With Your Goodbye" taken from her CD "Reinventing Myself". She's also excited to be working towards writing & recording her 3rd album. SBK joins me on the show to share some songs from her current album & catch us up on all her latest news. This show will mark the 200th episode of In The Country!...

London, Ontario Country artist Stacey Zegers performs over 100 shows a year - which she books and finances herself! Her current CD entitled Famous is getting lots of attention especially for the current single "Livin' The Dream." When asked about the importance of music in her life, Stacey says "It's the air I breathe and the every thought that crosses my mind." She even made it to the final round...

Ontario Country artist Nikki Shae has been singing since the age of three and writing songs since the age of eleven. Even though she didn’t play an instrument until later, Nikki always found that writing lyrics and creating melodies came very naturally to her. After high school, she studied Entertainment Management in Toronto to gain a thorough understanding of the music business so she would be a...

Cobourg Country artist Daynah Johnson joins me on the show to talk about her music career and her passion for Country Music. She's been focusing on songwriting and has also recorded songs written by some of Nashville's best including Victoria Banks and Gretchen Wilson. She's no stranger to performing live - you can catch her at various venues around her hometown. Her top 3 favourite Country artist...

Patricia Conroy is one of Canada's finest singer-songwriters. You know her songs - 'Bad Day For Trains', 'Blank Pages', 'Mary On The Dashboard' and many more. She's had 8 number one singles at radio and 5 number one videos on CMT. When she's not singing her own hits, she's writing them for other artists. Patricia is currently enjoying big success as a writer with the smash hit for Steel Magnolia "...