Jamey Johnson Goes From ‘Lonesome’ to Loved:

Jamey Johnson has been one of country music's hottest singers in 2009 and Huntsvillians will get a chance to see why Wednesday night.

Last week, Johnson - who is performing with Randy Houser at the Von Braun Center Concert Hall - picked up his second Country Music Association Song of the Year Award for "In Color," co-written with James Otto and Lee Thomas Miller. He won the CMA's Song of the Year in 2007 for George Strait's "Give It Away" with Bill Anderson and Buddy Cannon.

"I never thought y'all would even let me come to stuff like this," the scruffy-bearded Johnson said during the show. "Thank you for listening to my music and letting me do what I do."

He also was nominated for CMA's New Artist and Music Video of the Year.

The big win comes on the heels of his nominations for five Academy of Country Music Awards in February, winning Song of the Year for "In Color." In 2008, he was nominated for three Grammy Awards for the album "Lonesome Song," which became Johnson's first gold record (selling over 500,000 copies).

Prior to this year's big win, Johnson had been primarily known for the hits he'd written for others. Besides Strait's song, he also co-wrote Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" and "Ladies Love Country Boys."

"It takes all kinds to make life and make country music," Johnson said. "Ask my little sister, who's going through a divorce now. There are people who never want to hear another song like 'Badonkadonk.' And there are people who know that's exactly what they want to hear."

Johnson grew up in Montgomery and got his voice training in church. He got inspiration from Hank Williams Sr., often playing at his grave site in Montgomery after drinking a few beers. He had to follow the straight and narrow path when he spent eight years in the Marines, but the biker beard and rebel attitude were back when he got a Nashville deal in 2005.

"Think about my life: I got right out of high school, then it was eight years in the Marine Corps," Johnson said. "I never got to go through that college experience where most kids get to go buck wild. Then I opened a construction company, got married and had a daughter.

"I've had responsibility galore on me for years, so when I got that record deal, that was my party. Me and my friends would go take over a bar. We were just as wild as hell and having the time of our lives."

Things backfired for the party boy. He got a divorce and lost his label, but after he hit rock bottom, he quit drinking and started writing again. The result was "Lonesome Song."

"The thing that really carried me through all of that was the writing success," Johnson said. "Trace Adkins and George Strait kept money in my bank account and kept my name out there."

http://www.al.com/music/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1258625773269030.xml&coll=1

SINGER/SONGWRITER JAMEY JOHNSON WINS BIG AT THE 43^rd ANNUAL CMA AWARDS AND ON BILLBOARD’S TOP COUNTRY ALBUMS CHART

Nashville, TN…..Sales of Jamey Johnson’s critically acclaimed, That Lonesome Song, jumped 286% after winning CMA Song of the Year for “In Color” and performing “Between Jennings & Jones” with Kid Rock. This makes Johnson the CMA performer with the biggest album sales percentage increase of the week on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Johnson’s performance impacted his overall album sales and significantly increased digital sales of “Between Jennings & Jones” and the award-winning “In Color.”

“Playing live is where it’s at for me,” says Johnson. “Even though ‘Jennings and Jones’ wasn’t a single, it’s really cool that people responded to our CMA performance by going out and laying their hard earned money down. I’ve swung a hammer for seven bucks an hour so I appreciate every single person who supports country music.”

Johnson is also celebrating the fact that his name is among legendary songwriters who have collected two or more CMA Song of the Year awards. The list includes Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Bobby Braddock, Curly Putman, Don Schlitz, Paul Overstreet and Max D. Barnes. “Winning CMA Song of the Year for ‘Give It Away’ was an incredible moment for me and Bill and Buddy,” says Johnson of the 2006 win. “Then hearing my name called three years later for “In Color” with two more of my friends, James Otto and Lee Thomas Miller, was very humbling. When someone showed me the list of songwriters who have won two CMA Song of the Year awards, I was floored that my name was next to those legends.”

Johnson is currently in the recording studio working on a new album and headlining the CMT tour with Randy Houser through the end of the year.

CMA Nominees Johnson, Houser play Saenger Thursday:

Last week, Jamey Johnson and Randy Houser appeared at the Country Music Association Awards. Tomorrow they appear at the Mobile Saenger Theatre.

Houser had a stint at the microphone, during which he directed the cameras to the place in the crowd where the kid who stole the show in his “Boots On” video was sitting. Johnson did a duet with Kid Rock on “Between Jennings and Jones.” (And yes, true to its title, Johnson’s new-old-school approach did kind of split the difference between Waylon and George.)

Johnson had two CMA nominations and Houser had two; both men were nominees for best new artist of the year. Johnson won the song of the year award for “In Color,” his second time to win the category.

This week finds them back on the ground, burning up the road on the CMT Tour. It’s a roadshow whose previous stars include Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Jason Aldean and Trace Adkins — in other words, an impressive array of top-tier talent.

Johnson and Houser seem poised to meet that standard.

Johnson’s charting singles include “The Dollar,” “High Cost of Living” and the Top 10 ballad “In Color.” Before Houser scored with “Anything Goes” and “Boots On,” he wrote “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” for Adkins.

Houser said he and headliner Johnson both bring a no-nonsense approach to this tour.

“I’m pretty sure most people are going to come to see Jamey, and then they’re going to get to know me by accident,” he said.

“We’re just kinda bringing our band of country music,” he said. “it’s something we’ve done together for a long time and we’ve been wanting to tour together for a long time.”

Houser said listeners can expect a show long on songs and short on frills.

“Don’t expect a big light show and all that stuff,” he said. “We’re songwriters, and we come to play music. And we’re not running around on stage and having choreographed moves and all that. It’s not like a typical country show where you see all that crap. We’re songwriters and we’re coming to play songs. That’s what we do.”

“I think that people will find it refreshing, that it’s not the same old thing,” he said.

For his part, Houser said, they can expect to get a better sense of who he is than they might have gotten from his first album.

“I’m doing a lot of new stuff, actually. I’m getting ready to make a new album, so I’ve been playing lots of new stuff,” he said. “It’s constantly changing because I’m trying out new songs I’ve written and just kinda seeing what the reactions are.”

One other tip: These guys have played a lot of clubs together, and they’re not going to act like strangers on Thursday.

“They can expect us to play together for a while at the end,” Houser said.

The bottom line: he just wants folks to have a good time.

“The crowd makes or breaks the show,” he said. “I hope they get drunk and hope they get home.”

Between a Rock and a Hard (Country) Place

By Alison Bonaguro
November 13th, 2009

I already blogged a little bit about loving the collaborations on Wednesday (Nov. 11) night's CMA Awards, especially when Jamey Johnson and Kid Rock sang Johnson's "Between Jennings and Jones." They sounded good together. Not good like a duo would. But good like two guys with their own sounds coming together. While Johnson has that outlaw moan to his voice, Rock's is more of a gritty Southern rock thing. The twist at the end of that song -- how it's not just his sound but also the spelling of his last name that would put his records literally between Waylon Jennings and George Jones -- gets me every time. Since hearing the CMA performance, I keep thinking that someday, maybe 10 or 20 years from now, some new artist who was inspired by both their styles of country will sing about being right there between Johnson and Rock.

Jamey Johnson is up for four Country Music Association awards, including for his album "That Lonesome Song."

What: Country Music Association awards

When: 8-11 p.m. Wednesday

Where: ABC

Hosts: Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood; they'll also perform.

Beyond country: Dave Matthews will sing "I'm Alive" with Kenny Chesney; Chris Daughtry will sing "Tennessee Line," backed by Vince Gill; also, Kid Rock will sing with Jamey Johnson.

More performers: George Strait, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Billy Currington. Also, these duos and groups: Brooks & Dunn, Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band

The Country Music Association awards return Wednesday, offering the full Nashville experience.

There will be silly songs, sweet songs, somber songs. Then again, you could get all of that just from the recent years of Jamey Johnson.

"Ain't that the way that life goes down at us?" Johnson asked.

Perhaps, but few people encompass the full range. Johnson - who is up for four CMA awards and will duet with Kid Rock on the show - does.

His first hit, "The Dollar," was Nashville at its most sentimental, with a boy gathering up his coins so his dad wouldn't have to work so much. The songs he co-wrote for Trace Adkins - "Honky Tonk Badonk Adonk" and "Ladies Love Country Boys" - are suitable for bars and parties, cranked up loud. His current, CMA-nominated album tells of drunkenness, divorce and despair.

It takes all kinds to make life and make country music, Johnson said. "Ask my little sister, who's going through a divorce now .... There are people who never want to hear another song like 'Badonk Adonk.' And there are people who know that's exactly what they want to hear."

Johnson seems to cover the full range of experience. He's had formal music training, but uses a raw, gritty style. He's up for best new artist, but already won a CMA award two years ago.

This was the songwriters award for "Give It Away," the George Strait hit co-written by Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon and Johnson. He was expecting to let Anderson - a country legend who had just turned 70 - do the accepting, the way it had worked out when the song won other awards.

"I don't put that much effort into award shows .... Me and Buddy were content to stand there and let Bill do the talking," Johnson said.

Instead, he got a chance. He found himself saying his ex-wife probably deserved half the award.

That was just a tribute to "the kind of person she is," Johnson said. She may not have specifically said "give it away," but she said things like that. And the post-divorce period launched his best writing.

"Shooter Jennings and I were agreeing on that the other day," Johnson said. "We don't make records for the people buying them; I make a record for myself .... When God tells me what songs to write, he tells me through my natural instincts."

Those instincts have involved a lot of country living. He grew up in Montgomery, Ala., and sang in church, before he had his baritone voice. "I was probably around 12 .... I sang tenor with my dad."

Later, he came to Nashville, rather quietly. "I spent 10 or 11 months just watching and listening."

He tried his own songs, and Cannon, a producer and songwriter, became a fan. Johnson got a 2005 deal. On Billboard's country charts, "The Dollar" was No. 14 for singles, No. 20 for albums.

That was during Johnson's hottest stretch as a songwriter. "Give It Away" and "Ladies Love Country Boys" hit No. 1; "Badonk Adonk" reached No. 2.

He was also in "Nashville," a 2007 Fox reality show that vanished after two weeks and is criticized by many people, including Johnson. "Nashville doesn't want a whole lot of fake," he said. "We've had enough fake around here."

Things went downhill, with Johnson reeling from the divorce, being dropped by the record company and more. In "High Cost of Living" - which is mostly autobiographical, he says - he sings of pot, cocaine and more. "The high cost of livin'/Ain't nothing like the cost of livin' high."

Johnson seemed to disappear for a year. "I wrote songs and tried to get my life back together," he said.

The result is "That Lonesome Song," up for album of the year. Anderson, indirectly, had a key role.

Lee Miller was talking about Anderson's ability to pick up old, black-and-white photos and tell the rich stories behind them. "I said something like, 'Yeah, should've seen it in color,' " Johnson recalls.

That day, Miller and Johnson had a songwriting session and James Otto joined them. "We ended up writing it about our grandfathers," Johnson said.

Now "In Color," up for best song and best single, offers warm portraits of life going down at us.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20091110/ENT03/911100334/

Bang a drum: Matthew McConaughey is 40 years old

"The 30's were good to me and I'm really looking forward to my 40's, 'cause I'm a late bloomer," the actor writes on his Celebrity MySpace page. "Got everything I need for a perfect 40th ... a happy and healthy lady, son, and another baby on the way."

McConaughey celebrated the milestone Tuesday night at a big birthday party featuring country musician Jamey Johnson. The bash went on until 4:30 a.m. "There were some epic stories told, lot of laughs and definitely some roasting," he writes. "Somehow, no blood or glass broken.

As for the first day of his fifth decade, McConaughey says he plans to "spend some more time with my family and friends today, grillin' steaks and sippin' beers, celebratin' more to live for."

Jamey Johnson, Montgomery Gentry + More to 'Throwdown'

Get ready for a Throwdown, country fans!

Billboard reports that Jamey Johnson, Montgomery Gentry, Little Big Town and Jack Ingram will embark on the first annual Country Throwdown tour beginning May 13, 2010, and continuing until June 20.

Three stages will be set up at each venue, with additional artists getting in on the action, including Eric Church, Eli Young Band, Jonathan Singleton & the Grove, Lost Trailers, Ryan Bingham and Emily West. More artists will soon be announced.

The tour, which will hit amphitheaters across the country will also feature lifestyle attractions and vendors, an affordable ticket price, and pre-show tailgate parties. Also on site will be the Bluebird Café Tent, which will feature nine singer-songwriters in an intimate "in-the-round" setting.

A unique ticketing situation, called Ticket Takeover, will give fans the opportunity to score the best seats for one fair ticket price, instead of the traditional front-to-back tiered ticketing -- where fans who pay more get closer. Throwdown will split the seats down the middle and for a limited time during pre-sale -- beginning in February, anyone who buys early can get the Ticket Takeover-priced ticket and be as close as the front row. Regular tiered ticketing will still be available for purchase for half of the amphitheater seating. Pre-sale date announcement more information will be available at countrythrowdown.com.

Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser Offer Postcards for USO During CMT on Tour

October 22, 2009

Jamey Johnson and Randy Houser have partnered with CMT One Country to support the USO (United Service Organizations) during CMT on Tour. At each concert, fans may fill out a postcard thanking the troops for their service and making their own pledge of community volunteering. After the tour concludes, memorabilia from Johnson and Houser will go up on CMTauctions.com with proceeds benefiting the USO. "Those guys in the field need some emotional connection to home, and I think this project will bring a little bit of home to them," said Johnson. "Regardless what your political beliefs are about the war, you have to respect the fact that another human being in your country is willing to give their life for your freedom." Houser adds, "Any way that we, as entertainers, can provide comic relief, music relief or any kind of support to our troops is worth making because of the effort they make for us every day."

Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser Bring Outlaw Country Back to New York City
No Compromises Made During CMT on Tour Date at the Bowery Ballroom

By: Jim Allen
October 12, 2009

NEW YORK -- It wasn't until the last part of Friday night's (Oct. 9) performance at Bowery Ballroom that Jamey Johnson responded to the audience's shouted requests by stating laconically but unequivocally, "We're gonna stand up here and play whatever the f*** we want to." But it was clear all through the show that this is the hard-country hero's guiding principle.

For all the (justified) Waylon Jennings comparisons he's earned, it's this ethos that marks Johnson as a true inheritor of the Outlaw mantle. Here he was in New York City, kicking off a high-profile headlining tour sponsored by CMT, while still doggedly pursuing his muse to the seeming exclusion of commercial concerns. Not only did he leave 2005 Top 10 hit, "The Dollar," off the set list, he pretty much ignored his first album entirely, opting instead to intersperse new, unreleased songs in between the tunes from his second album, That Lonesome Song.

Things kicked off at the Lower East Side concert hall -- a venue usually reserved for rock bands -- with a rabble-rousing opening set by up-and-comer Randy Houser, Johnson's old buddy and occasional co-writer, who freely mixes country, soul and Southern rock. After one of the quickest equipment changeovers ever seen, Johnson casually but authoritatively took the stage, and before he'd finished his first song, "The High Cost of Living," the stark contrasts between him and his pal were obvious.

The two came up together playing Nashville bars and working with the same basic set of musical influences. However, their approaches couldn't be more different. Where Houser wholeheartedly worked the crowd, Johnson spoke not a word to the audience until his aforementioned comment about three-quarters of the way through the night. Where Houser pushed his big, bold voice hard, often twisting it around the melody like a soul man and raising intensity by rising to the top of his range, Johnson maintained his trademark earth-shaking rumble throughout his set, keeping his phrasing unadorned and his dynamics evenly understated.

Houser's set was full of brash, up-tempo tunes, while Johnson seemed almost obsessed with working the small-scale drama of slow-and-lowdown ballads. And most tellingly, where Houser seemed intent on establishing a rapport with the New York crowd, Johnson made it clear he was there strictly to pour his heart into the music. And if some folks happened to be on hand while that happened, well, that was all well and good for them.

Something else that quickly became apparent was Johnson's ongoing evolution, which seemed to be occurring right before the audience's eyes and ears, as he abandoned his early songs in favor of newer, emotionally richer, more personal tunes that haven't even been released yet, like the wry-but-rueful "Nothing Is Better Than You" and the moody "Back to Macon." No country singer worth his salt ever completely abandons his roots, though, and from his covers of Jennings' "The Door Is Always Open" and "Dreaming My Dreams" to his Willie-esque acoustic guitar solo on the latter, Johnson remained proudly and undeniably the product of his inspirations. Still, when the crowd took the lead vocal for virtually every word of Johnson's biggest single, "In Color," it was plain that the Alabama Outlaw has become a star in his own right.

Star status and multiple Grammy nominations be damned, though. After finishing a full set of music, Johnson brought out Houser for what might have been a quick encore. However, it turned into another whole set, with the two pounding out the kind of cover tunes they both used to play in those beer joints back in the early days.

"We came to New York for two reasons," Johnson declared, "to get drunk and to play some f***ing country music." And with that, he and Houser traded vocals on what amounted to a honky-tonk/Outlaw country jukebox -- with the pair tearing through Merle Haggard's "Ramblin' Fever," the Charlie Daniels Band's "Long Haired Country Boy," the Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See" and more by the likes of George Jones, Johnny Paycheck and other renegade forebears.

By the time they finally said goodbye to the crowd -- a mix of awed, respectful admirers and drunk-as-a-skunk revelers -- with "Give It Away," the George Strait hit co-written by Johnson, there was the distinct feeling that everyone had just experienced something that couldn't be manufactured by any amount of marketing. Somehow, an honest-to-God artist had managed to wander through the workings of the music business without getting the soul squashed out of him. The proof had just been laid out for all to witness, and now there was nothing to do but pray that he manages to keep his high-wire act aloft.

Jamey Johnson at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday.

By Nate Chinen
October 9, 2009

Jamey Johnson was drawling his way through a rueful country waltz at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday night, and his audience, small but boisterous, just kept up the din. Not that he seemed to mind. On reaching the end of the tune — “Dreaming My Dreams With You,” one of two Waylon Jennings covers on his most recent album, “That Lonesome Song” (Mercury Nashville) — Mr. Johnson raised his plastic cup and flashed a crooked smile.

“Did you ever think you’d see me in Brooklyn?” he said with a chuckle (and saltier language). Then, after waiting for the responding roar to subside: “Me neither.”

It was kickoff night for CMT on Tour, a package presented by Country Music Television, now in its eighth year. And in this unlikeliest of settings, Mr. Johnson gradually made himself at home, loosening up as his set rolled along. By the time he called his fellow headliner, Randy Houser, to join him at the microphone, he had led a singalong and accepted an offering — whiskey shots, it seemed — from the foot of the stage. What came next was an affirmation of core values: proud-hearted songs by Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels and the Marshall Tucker Band, along with “Still Doin’ Time,” a hit for George Jones.

Mr. Johnson, an inveterate stoic, has rooted his own songwriting career in a particular country music lineage: “Somewhere Between Jennings and Jones,” as he puts it in the final track on “That Lonesome Song.” Here he played just about every other song from the album, digging into bleary remorse, bitter retribution and, in “The Last Cowboy,” a brew of unsweetened nostalgia (“Ever since Waylon/I can’t find no one/To buy into sad country songs”). Whatever the song, he trusted the gravity of his voice, rarely straining against the dimensions of a plainspoken, deep-chested baritone.

And the two songs he previewed from his forthcoming album, due next year, suggested a natural extension of his style. “Back to Macon” had his five-piece backing band stomping through a Southern-rock groove, with room for thoughtful embellishment from the steel guitarist Eddie Long.

“Nothing Is Better Than You” took the shape of a brokenhearted plaint, emotionally reserved until the onset of the bridge, which opened up a vein:

We once had it all
Together, at least
That’s what I thought
Til I wound up alone.

Like most of Mr. Johnson’s confessions, this one suggested a granite exterior, against which only the harshest tide of feeling ever manages to make an impression.

Mr. Houser, in an opening set, aired his share of sentiment too. But he’s a far more affable presence than Mr. Johnson, as much a crowd pleaser as a ruckus maker. So his signature ballad — “Anything Goes,” though not in the Cole Porter sense — felt conspicuously mannered.

He was in stronger form at the end of the night, belting “Can’t You See,” the Marshall Tucker Band song. But that was with Mr. Johnson at his side, making a counterweight of ruthless understatement and hardened restraint.

Gretchen Wilson, Jamey Johnson Give Farm Aid A Country Feel

(RTTNews) - Gretchen Wilson, Jamey Johnson and the legendary Willie Nelson paid tribute to the American farmer Sunday in St. Louis, joining an all-star lineup at Nelson's annual Farm Aid benefit.

Gretchen Wilson's wild, raucous anthems gave the country fans in the audience a chance to sing out loud for a great cause.

The singer's band started the set with a brief medley of classic rock fist-pumpers, bridging the intro to Tom Cochrane's "Lunatic Fringe" with the Scorpions' "Rock You Like A Hurricane" before Wilson came on stage and launched into "Here For the Party."

From there, the band roared through a rousing version of "There's A Place In The Whiskey," into which the band ably interpolated segments of ZZ Top's "La Grange."

Wilson's set also included the songs "California Girls," which she dedicated to Paris Hilton, "Redneck Woman" and "Politically Uncorrect," after which the band played a dueling-guitar version of "The Star Spangled Banner."

At one point, Wilson pulled from a bottle of whiskey before ripping through a version of "All Jacked Up" that brought the audience to its feet, dancing and swinging their beer cups and bottles high over their heads.

Earlier, Jamey Johnson played a relaxed, easy-going set filled with country twang.

Johnson and his band played a brief, three-song set, having already filled in for Billy Joe Shaver, who missed his scheduled performance.

The set's highlight came during Johnson's final song, "In Color," when his vocals infused the song's plaintive lyrics with a sense of heartbreak and loss as his band provided a multi-layered, harmonic backdrop in the music.

Throughout the set, Johnson and his band played ably, bringing a Lynyrd Skynyrd-influenced edge to the music, especially in the guitar leads.

Master of ceremonies Willie Nelson brought Farm Aid to a fitting end, turning the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre into a country juke joint with some classic hits.

Joined on stage by a band that included his sister, Bobbie, and his son, Lukas, Nelson tore through versions of "Whiskey River," Shoeshine Man," "On The Road Again" and "You Were Always On My Mind."

Willie was also joined by other acts from the bill for a full-scale Gospel revue.

Country Music Fest returns to Grant Park with hot lineup
10/2/09
BY BOBBY REED

Call it a homecoming. The Chicago Country Music Festival returns to Grant Park this weekend with 32 acts on four stages, plus a fifth stage devoted to dance instruction. The fest temporarily moved to the Soldier Field Parkland last year, drawing more than 100,000 fans. Now the fest is back where it was held every summer from 1992 to 2007 (as part of the Taste of Chicago).

CHICAGO COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL
• 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
• Petrillo Music Shell and other stages near Jackson Boulevard and Columbus Drive
• Free
• (800) 745-3000; www.centerstagechicago.com/festival/countrymusicfest.html

This year's fest could be dubbed a celebration of the songwriter. Many country stars primarily rely upon professional tunesmiths to provide them with songs, but that isn't the case for the four acts performing at the Petrillo Music Shell.

All the Petrillo acts are known for writing their own material: philosophical outlaw Jamey Johnson (6 p.m. Saturday), Texas firecracker Miranda Lambert (7:30 p.m. Saturday), alt-country icons the Flatlanders (6 p.m. Sunday) and John Rich, who rose to fame as half of the duo Big & Rich but will play with a full band to promote his solo album "Son of a Preacher Man" (7:30 p.m. Sunday).

Jamey Johnson lives to sing about it

Johnson was country music's most unusual breakout star of 2008. With his dark-tinged album "That Lonesome Song," he pulled off the elusive feat of pleasing critics, radio programmers and industry powerbrokers. And he did it with music strongly influenced by Waylon Jennings, and lyrics that reference marijuana, cocaine, prostitutes and incarceration. This ain't fluffy kid stuff.

Johnson's roller-coaster career has including crushing lows and stellar highs. While he was struggling to make it as a musician in Nashville, he worked in construction. At one point, he vowed to try for six more months and if nothing happened, he'd move back to his home state, Alabama, to pursue another profession.

"I would've given up on it," Johnson said via telephone from Nashville. "You beat your head against the wall for as long as you can hack it, and then you just quit and start focusing on something else. Music is nothing to stress out over. The music business, on the other hand, can just about kill you if you let it."

Johnson eventually got signed by a major label, BNA, but his troubles weren't over. His debut, 2006's "The Dollar," was an uneven but commercially viable effort, and its title track was a hit single. Despite this success, BNA dropped him. After a reclusive period of lying low, he recorded a group of songs and posted them on his Web site. Executives at Mercury Nashville liked what they heard, signed Johnson and released "That Lonesome Song" last summer.

Between the release of those two albums, Johnson entered a phase of introspection and creativity that would drastically alter his life.

"I had quit drinking probably a month or two before I got dropped from BNA," Johnson recalled. "I was in the middle of a divorce, and I didn't want to wake up one day and feel like I had made a bunch of horrible decisions because I had stayed drunk all the time. If you're going through something like that, and you're putting too much alcohol in your system, you might be hurting yourself worse than you realize. So I laid off of it. I didn't hang out in bars with all my friends. I just stayed at the house. I wrote my songs. I dealt with life and the things that were going on around me, as opposed to trying to hide from them. By the time it was all finished, [the 14 songs on] 'That Lonesome Song' were there."

Johnson's single "In Color" climbed into the Top 10, and he became an unlikely star, heralded as a voice of authenticity.

Johnson dominated the Nashville Scene's 2008 country music critics' poll, and he is nominated in four categories at this year's Country Music Association awards show, taking place Nov. 11.

Jamey Johnson surrounds himself with some lovely ladies

I don't know but it looks like Blake Shelton better be watching his back because it appears Miranda Lambert's got a thing for hillbilly ticklers facial hair. Of course Jamey Johnson looks a little confused so maybe Blake doesn't have anything to worry about after all.

Carrie, Kellie, Miranda, Jamey, and Lee Ann Womack all attended the ACM Honors last night in Nashville along with other greats such as Randy Travis, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams Jr. as well as many, many others.

From: NASHVILLEGAB.COM

Jamey Johnson Driven By Fans, Not Awards

Jamey Johnson is the envy of a lot of fellow artists right now. Nominated for four CMA awards, including New Artist and Album of the Year, it's certainly an honor to be recognized by the industry. But for Jamey, it's really all about the fans.

"When we go out on the stage every night, we never know what to expect, but every night there they are," he tells Michigan radio station B93. "They're excited, they're passionate, they're enjoying this music for the same reason that we do. And we are them. We're not prima donna musicians that came to Nashville and got everything handed to us. These guys have had to hang drywall, paint and cut grass. When you've worked for it that way, you appreciate it so much, standing on that stage and delivering that music to people who are delivering it right back by singing along with every song that we do. That's worth more to me than any awards show or ceremony or plaque. The only thing that drives me and my guys is those people. Why else would you do it?"

Jamey also believes there are more than a few artists out there who try too hard. His philosophy is not to try pleasing everyone else. "I just think when it comes to music, the most original stuff you're gonna get is the stuff that just happens," he reasons. "You can't go back in and ... suck out the vibe of it, or suck out the spontaneity of it. It's not going to work."

Next up for Jamey is a special performance at the 2nd Annual ACM Honors event, Sept. 22 in Nashville. Performing three songs by one of his musical heroes, Hank Williams Jr., Jamey will be joined by Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Randy Houser.

The Jam has a history of presenting stars before they're stars. Rascal Flatts, Phil Vassar, the Dixie Chicks and a few others are in that category. This year's installment is Jamey Johnson. The Dixie-born Johnson looks like a Matthew Brady photo of a 25th Alabama Infantry Civil War soldier. But man, you should've seen him "In Color.'' His voice, his songs, his delivery, his stage presence, everything just screams star. It's not fair to say that his set was worth the price of admission; it IS fair to say it was worth twice that. Lyrics like "What the hell did I do last night? / That's the story of my life. / Like tryin' to remember words / To a song nobody wrote,'' which come from "That Lonesome Song,'' prove Johnson isn't a songwriter; he's a poet who writes in 4-4 time.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE FESTIVAL REVIEW

Jamey Johnson was recently announced as a performer at the 2nd annual ACM Honors to be held September 22^nd in Nashville. The 2^nd annual ACM HONORS, is an evening of musical tribute performances and special presentations celebrating the special honorees and non-televised category winners from the 44^th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, held earlier this year. Jamey Johnson will perform 3 Hank Jr songs.  The night will also feature performances by Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill, Randy Houser, Miranda Lambert, Jim Lauderdale, Patty Loveless, Brent Mason, Carrie Underwood & more! Below is a list of the nights honorees.

Special Awards recipients:

• Jerry Reed (posthumously), Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis & Hank Williams Jr – recipients of the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
• Merle Haggard & Harlan Howard (posthumously) – recipients of the Poet’s Award
• Dolly Parton – recipient of the Jim Reeves International Award
• David Young – recipient of the Mae Boren Axton Award
• “Beer For My Horses” – recipient of the Tex Ritter Award (produced by Showdog Productions, in conjunction with CMT Films – executive producers: Leslie Belzberg, T.K. Kimbrell, and Jeff Yapp; producers: Toby Keith and Donald Zuckerman; director: Michael Salomon)

Winners of the MBI (Musician/Bandleader/Instrumentalist) categories:

• Chuck Ainlay – Audio Engineer of the Year
• Tony Brown – Producer of the Year
• Tom Bukovac – Top Guitarist of the Year
• Eric Darken (Tied) - Top Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year
• Dan Dugmore – Top Steel Guitar Player of the Year
• Aubrey Haynie – Top Fiddle Player of the Year
• Jelly Roll Johnson (Tied) – Top Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year
• Greg Morrow – Top Percussionist/Drummer of the Year
• Gordon Mote – Top Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
• Glenn Worf – Top Bass Player of the Year

Winners of the Industry Awards categories:

• Fran Romeo, Romeo Entertainment – Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
• Louis Messina, The Messina Group – Promoter of the Year
• Joe’s Bar (Chicago, IL) – Nightclub of the Year
• The Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN) – Venue of the Year
• Turning Stone Casino (Verona, NY) – Casino of the Year

Jamey Johnson returns to The Intersection in Grand Rapids

by Jack Leaver | The Grand Rapids Press
Thursday September 10, 2009, 6:13 AM

GRAND RAPIDS -- Award-winning singer and songwriter Jamey Johnson is passionate about his art and doing things his way.

"I reached a point where I realized that if there was a shackle around my ankles, then the only one who put it there was me," Johnson said in a recent phone interview from Texas. "And if that's the case, then the only one that can take it off is me."

The 34-year-old Alabama native, who will make a return engagement at The Intersection on Friday, is referring to his somewhat rocky road as a recording artist. In 2005, the singer released his debut album "The Dollar" on BNA Records, only to find himself dropped from the label when his singles failed to generate enough enthusiasm.

However, the determined Johnson stuck to his guns, recording several albums worth of material, including his Grammy-nominated album "That Lonesome Song," which he first released online in 2007. The album sold well, attracting interest from several record companies in Nashville.

He settled on a deal in 2008 with Mercury Records, and the label subsequently re-released "That Lonesome Song," which has sold more than 500,000 copies. The album's first single, "In Color," this year won Song of the Year honors at the Academy of Country Music Awards.

"We got several offers," Johnson said. "I even turned down two or three offers on the way to accepting the one at Mercury, just because I didn't want people coming in the studio and telling me what to do.

"I don't play that way anymore. Music is too personal to me. It means too much to me, and it's too damn important to let somebody else come in and start tossing out orders and things like that."

Before "That Lonesome Song" made its splash on the country music scene, Johnson enjoyed success penning songs for George Jones, Joe Nichols and Trace Adkins, among others. In fact, Johnson co-wrote superstar George Strait's smash single "Give It Away," which took Song of the Year honors in 2007 from the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

Johnson credits his character and integrity to his upbringing in a poor, but musical, family and eight years of service in the Marine Corps Reserves. While his wild stage persona early in his career earned him a reputation as a country "bad boy," Johnson maintains he was always professional, delivering the goods in live performances.

Happy now, with his new record label, Johnson said he does not harbor an attitude towards the Nashville music industry.

"I treat people the way I expect to be treated, and if I treat somebody well and they mistreat me, we're going to have problems," he said.

CMA nods to Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town, Mac McAnally

Posted by Mary Colurso
September 09, 2009

Just call them the usual suspects. Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town and Mac McAnally, all of whom have Alabama ties, have been nominated for 2009 Country Music Association awards.

We've seen their names several times before, in nomination and award lists from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Television and the Grammys. Johnson, in particular, has gained widespread acclaim for his 2008 disc, "That Lonesome Song," and its breakthrough single, "In Color."

Here are their CMA nods and details on their links to our state:

Johnson: new artist of the year, single of the year for "In Color," album of the year for "That Lonesome Song," song of the year for "In Color" (with Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto. He was born in Enterprise and raised in Montgomery.

Little Big Town: vocal group of the year. Jimi Westbrook, a key player in the harmonizing group, is from Sumiton. Two other band members, Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, met while attending Birmingham's Samford University.

McAnally: musician of the year, musical event of the year for a duet with Kenny Chesney on "Down the Road." McAnally, born in Red Bay, has a home and studio in Sheffield.

The CMA Awards will be presented at 7 p.m. Nov. 11, during a ceremony broadcast live on ABC.

ROARING OUTLAWS JAMEY JOHNSON AND JAMES OTTO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENT IN KENTUCKY

During the Daniel Boone Pioneer Festival in Winchester, Kentucky this past weekend, country music fans were treated by the talents of James Otto and Jamey Johnson. Both have performed in Kentucky several times but this show proved to be one for the record books. According to festival organizers, around 15, 000 of fans attended the concert that proved that traditional country music is back on the market.

Opener Jennifer Webb and Uncle Elijah took to the stage early on as fans in the crowd gathered in the field. They sang the current hits of country music with their own flavor to get the crowd ready. Uncle Elijah has performed at the Daniel Boone Festival each year and has become a country standard each year.

James Otto followed up with a country groove that made the women swoon. Taking on the style of Conway Twitty and Ronnie Milsap, Otto sang hits off his latest album, as well as his soon to be released, Since You Brought it Up. The crowd was on its feet during the hour set featuring songs, "Ain't Gonna Stop," "Drink and Dial". He also added a little bit of Ronnie Milsap with the crowd singing along to "There's No Gettin' Over Me." Otto concluded his set with the most played tune on radio, "Just Got Started Lovin' You." With a promising career, country music fans should take note to the talent that Otto has both on record and live.

With country as pure as the white shirt he was wearing, headliner Jamey Johnson wasted no time getting down to business. Picking up his guitar and strumming the opening strands of "High Cost of Living," fans knew they were in for a country adventure. Doing what he does best, Johnson went straight into one song after another with very little talk. Instead, he let the music speak volumes to the fans. Johnson sang all of the cuts off of his "That Lonesome Song" album while intertwining them with cover hits and unreleased material. The only thing missing was his latest radio hit, "My Way to You," in which he opted to play "Back to Macon." Fellow songwriter, Lee Thomas Miller from Nicholasville joined Jamey on stage to perform on guitar on "In Color," a song that Miller, Johnson, and Otto cowrote and received many accolades. Johnson invited the Kentucky audience to join in and sing along to the lyrics midway through the song.

After performing for two hours, Johnson simply sat his guitar down and raised his cup to say thanks for coming. However, with the ongoing chant of "Jamey, Jamey", fans were greeted once again by the band and Johnson. They performed an encore over an hour filled with hits such as "Tulsa Time," "Old Habits," "Dinosaur," "Midnight Rider," "Outlaw Women," "Give It Away," and "For the Good Times." The crowd was completely silenced as they heard the powerful vocals during the tune Johnson sang as a child in church, "Near the Cross." Johnson concluded the show with a powerful reindition of "The Ride," as made famous by David Allan Coe.

Johnson and Otto proved to take fans on the perfect ride down the country music trail. The show will be one that fans will be talking about for years to come.

Final nominees for the 2009 CMA Music Awards were announced earlier this morning and Jamey Johnson received 4 nominations!  Jamey was nominted in the  SINGLE OF THE YEAR & SONG OF THE YEAR categories for his hit, "In Color."  Jamey was also nominated for NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR, and his album, That Lonesome Song, was nominated for ALBUM OF THE YEAR.  Tune in to watch Country Music's Biggest Night, the 43rd annual CMA Music Awards, airing Wednesday, November 11th at 8/7c on ABC.

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Country Faces Cancer (CFC) is an industry-wide effort led by Great American Country's Nan Kelley, a proud lymphoma survivor. CFC will help raise awareness and support to advance the mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) through its Light The Night Walk.

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Register HERE to walk with the growing list of country music leaders already committed to the CFC effort

TOP SINGLES: Jamey Johnson “My Way to You”
4 Stars

By Will Hermes

A guilt-scarred tune by country’s top outlaw that begins like a honky-tonk hangover and ends like a hair-metal power ballad. Johnson’s tenor reeks of sin: When he says he’s “ridin’ on the white lines,” he doesn’t mean truck driving.

Jamey Johnson – My Way To You

I’ve always been a huge fan of Jamey Johnson and for me to like this new release “My Way to You” is no surprise. Johnson seems to capture his true authenticity and really release his raw emotions in this single. His music will make a lasting impression. I’m really looking forward to a new album from Johnson.

The debut single from Jamey Johnson’s forthcoming album is entitled “My Way To You.” The song, co-written by Johnson and Charlie Midnight, is available now as a free download at www.jameyjohnson.com. On August 11, the digital e-single will be available for download at iTunes and all other digital partners.

The follow-up album to Johnson’s critically acclaimed That Lonesome Song will hit stores this fall and will also be released on vinyl. “Man, that’s how I listen to music. It’s my favorite, number-one preference at home, to go put a vinyl record on my great grandmother’s old record player. Which reminds me, I need to get somebody to do some maintenance on it. It needs a new needle.”

“CMT ON TOUR” HITS THE ROAD THIS FALL WITH

HITMAKERS JAMEY JOHNSON AND RANDY HOUSER

First Round of Tickets On Sale Now in Select Markets

NASHVILLE – July 28, 2009 – After years of writing songs together, longtime friends Jamey Johnson and Randy Houser join forces on the road as headliners of CMT’s eighth annual tour. CMT ON TOUR ’09: JAMEY JOHNSON AND RANDY HOUSER launches in October, and will hit 30 markets across the country.

Tickets in select markets are on sale and available at www.cmtontour.cmt.com and www.ticketmaster.com. The tour continues through December, with additional stops to be announced. Previous tours have featured such superstars as Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland and Keith Urban.

“This tour is about 50 combined years in the making,” said Houser. “I’ve been playing on the road since I was 15 — Jamey and I both have been picking these guitars as long as we’ve been able to hold ‘em — this is a chance to show the rest of the world how far we’ve come.”

CMT ON TOUR ’09: JAMEY JOHNSON AND RANDY HOUSER is produced by AEG Live. Dates for the first leg of the tour follow, with more to be announced:

He could be basking in his songwriting accolades, but Jamey Johnson remains a restlessly creative maverick. Since the release of his critically acclaimed Mercury Records debut, That Lonesome Song, Johnson has been featured in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Los Angeles Times. 2009 is proving to be a banner year for Johnson. He garnered three Grammy nominations, his hit single, “In Color,” won Song of the Year honors at the ACM awards and That Lonesome Song went on to become Johnson’s first gold album. But Johnson shows no signs of slowing down now. He has a brand new song out entitled “My Way To You.” It is the first single from his forthcoming album, which was written by Johnson and Charlie Midnight. The song will be available August 3 as a free download at www.jameyjohnson.com. When Johnson isn’t in the studio working on the new album, he is on the road performing for sold-out crowds. “The road is where it’s at,” says Johnson. “I love it. That’s where you take country music. You don’t get the message out there by sitting at the house.”

Los Angeles Times says Universal South’s Randy Houser is adding “grit to the genre” on his exceptional debut album Anything Goes, which has positioned the Mississippi-born, soul-drenched country singer and songwriter to become one of the next big artists to emerge in the genre. Houser received a great response from both fans and radio programmers with his first single, the gripping, strikingly emotional ballad, “Anything Goes,” which catapulted into the Top 20 after an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman. His current hit single, “Boots On,” is currently No. 6 and climbing the Country radio charts, while the hilarious music video featuring a talented toddler rocking out to the song with his toy guitar has become a YouTube sensation. Both the music video and current single are available on www.randyhouser.com. As a recording artist and live performer, Houser has quickly earned a reputation for having one of the strongest voices in Nashville and is the only new male artist that has reached Top 10 since February 2008.

For more information, visit cmtontour.cmt.com.

Finding My Way to Jamey Johnson
July 28th, 2009
By: Alison Bonaguro

I adore Jamey Johnson’s new song, “My Way to You,” so much that I’m seriously considering going to hear him do it in St. Louis. He’s playing Farm Aid there on Oct. 4 (along with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp, who I also love for their hardcore, genuine approach to songwriting). And while I know it sounds absurd to go all that way to hear one song, Johnson’s voice is just kind of a magnet that way. This particular song is especially mesmerizing because, like his other tunes, this one takes you to places you normally don’t go (down the wrong road, living by the wrong code and living fast as hell). But it does so with some more haunting instrumentation. And what I love the most about seeing Johnson live is that I always get that feeling he’s singing just to me.