FRIDAY!  FRIDAY!  FRIDAY!  And it is a long weekend Friday which makes it even more awesome!

Let me paint a somewhat comical scene for you.  I am sitting in a coffee shop in my neighbourhood.  The coffee shop is notoriously “hipster” (ahem, Starbucks, ahem) and the neighbourhood I live in is well-known in my city for being “alternative”. What does that mean?  You see everything from artists, to business men to squeegee kids. It is a very trendy neighbourhood.  So here I am, in the mecca of urban life, listening to and writing about country music.  The only way I could make this any more of a juxtaposition is if I was wearing my Cabela’s baseball cap and my Browning camo fleece!

Well, everybody, it is Riser Friday and I have one heck of a treat for you so let’s get down to it!

 CELEBRITY NEWS:

In an interview with People, Dustin Lynch said although climbing trees for hunting was within his comfort zone, he had to admit “I’m deathly afraid of heights.”  What prompted the conversation?  Well perhaps it was the fact that the popular singer took some fans to the observation deck of the Empire State Building in New York City following an appearance on NBC’s Today.  From 86 stories above Manhattan, Lynch serenaded the group with acoustic versions of “Hell Of A Night” and “Where It’s At”.  The question was posed to Lynch if he required a little “Dutch courage” to make the trek up there for the performance.  He replied, “Not when I ‘m up that high.  I need all my senses about me.”

There is a lot of negative news out in the world and there is a lot of it surrounding young celebrities.  I think it is important to show that just because you are young and famous does not mean that you are headed on the road to destruction.  Maddie and Tae’s new album “Start Here  dropped earlier this week.  Apparently the liner notes are very telling of where the priorities of these 2 young ladies lie.  The newcomers are said to have openly thanked God in the gratitude portion of the notes.  Both Marlow and Dye thanked God for giving them the gift of song and each of them thanked Him for bringing the other into their life.  This may not be your thing, but you have to admit it is refreshing to see 2 young adults who understand that there is something more to life.

You may or may not know this, but recently Garth Brooks made a visit to Canada.  He was in Saskatoon, to be exact!  However, the country music mega-star left his guitar at home on August 26^th.  This wasn’t a concert visit – Brooks was all business.  He was in the city to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan.  It may seem odd that Brooks would be involved in such a project, but his Teammates for Kids foundation has been providing services and programs to America’s youth since 1999, which includes therapeutic play areas.  There are “Child Life Zones” in 11 hospitals across the US and the one in Saskatoon will be the first in Canada.  Brooks was quoted as saying, “…the greatest thing about the zone is the treatment, you allow children to be children.”  The day was not void of music.  Saskatchewan native and award-winning singer Codie Prevost was on hand to entertain the crowd.  Stay tuned to Red, White and Country to see what Codie had to say about this event and a whole lot more in a chat that I recently had with him.

COUNTRY FASHION:

As far as country/ western boots are concerned, Justin Boots is an industry leader.  Founded in 1879 by H.J. Justin, the handcrafted boots became a “gold-standard” in western style.  The boots, which are not only durable but fashionable, are popular with regular folks and celebrities alike.  Actress Anne Hathaway and Canadian country songstress Terri Clark have both been seen wearing them. A couple of trademark features that make the boots a crowd favorite are the J-Flex Comfort System which provides all day comfort and the Grip-on-Demand feature which allows the wearer control whether they are on land or in the stirrups.  Justin’s come in a variety of styles and some of their more popular collections are Justin Bent Rail, The George Straight Collection and the Justin AQHA Lifestyle Collection.  With an average price of $200-$250 US, these high quality staple pieces are accessible for everyone.  Check these out:

COUNTRY MUSIC:

I cannot tell a lie, the first time I heard a song called “Rednecks in the Ryman”, I immediately had to find out who was singing it.  The voice!  The voice was a cross between Josh Turner and Chris Young.  Not only was I struck by the voice of this singer, but the song itself made me want to throw on some camo, a baseball cap, crack a beer and throw my hands up to praise the Redneck gods!  I checked out a couple more of his songs, and much to my delight I loved them all!

At a tall and lean 6’6”, Cody Purvis commands attention when he steps on stage.  With a twinkle in his eye and a smile as bright as Luke Bryan, it is hard to ignore this Virginia native.  Now residing in Nashville to pursue his dream, he is influenced by the classics; Merle, Waylon,  Hank Jr. and of course, we mustn’t forget Toby Keith.  Cody has been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to open for big country artists such as Lorrie Morgan, Lee Greenwood, Rodney Atkins, Scotty McCreery, Colt Ford, Darius Rucker and Trace Adkins.

Not only is he passionate about what he is doing, he is also an approachable guy.  So approachable, in fact, that he took some time out of his schedule to answer some questions.  So, without further ado, here is “5 in 5 with Cody Purvis”:

1. If you had to describe Nashville to someone, how would you do it?  Cody:  Nashville is known as “Music City”. There is literally music everywhere. The downtown strip, “Broadway”, is famous for Tootsie’s and other honky- tonks where bands play all day long, and you never know when someone famous might show up and jump up on stage and sing.  A lot of restaurants and cafes around town have acoustic shows with local singers and songwriters too. The Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry are country music’s greatest venues where all of the legends have played. In addition to music we have the Tennessee Titans football team and the Nashville Predators hockey team. You just have to visit….there is so much to see and do. The people are so friendly and welcoming, there is so much musical talent, and I am one of the lucky ones that gets to call Nashville home.
2. What is the first thought you had when you woke up this morning?  Cody:  “Wonder what time Jeff will be at the studio?”  Jeff Silvey is my producer. We just finished recording my 2nd album last week and are very excited about it. This week we polish it up and get to hear the finished product. We have been working on it for 6 months and it will be released this January.
3. When you are feeling down, what cheers you up?  Cody: Singing! I lost my dad this year and singing is my therapy. It is what makes me happiest.
4. If you weren’t singing for a living, what would you be doing?  Cody:  I can’t even imagine. I’ve had my own band since I was 15 and music is what I’ve always wanted to do. I moved to Nashville when I was 18.  Things have just worked out for me and I’m so blessed. Last summer the best booking agency in Nashville, Buddy Lee Attractions, signed me to their roster. I’ve been touring this year and it’s a dream come true.
5. What is the last picture you took with your phone?  Cody:  A picture of my basset hound “Duke”. He’s my buddy and always makes me laugh.

Be sure to take a look at Cody’s website www.codypurvis.com and follow him on Twitter (@CodyPurvisMusic) to see when and where this talented guy is playing.  I will also be on the lookout so I can take in a Cody Purvis show as soon as I can!

In the meantime, here is a bad-ass song for you.  It is “Rednecks in the Ryman” by Cody Purvis: