|
|
|
PRESS RELEASE
- For Immediate Release – March 26, 2007
Moreland takes top prize, Perkins takes musician title, Malteze repeats
LINDEN, TX – The 5th Annual Texas Music Awards, presented by MyTexasMusic.com and hosted by country music recording artist Sonny Burgess, were held at the historic Music City Texas Theater in Linden, Texas this past weekend to a sold-out crowd.
Doug Moreland, of Manchaca, Texas, was named 2007 Entertainer of the Year, and was also on hand to perform with his band, The Doug Moreland Show. Moreland, who has appeared on television shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, was a favorite with the crowd of over 400 who attended the event.
Al Perkins, who grew up in Cass County performing with the likes of Don Henley and Richard Bowden, was named Musician of the Year for his work on Michael Martin Murphey's 2006 album.
Barbara Malteze was the first musical artist to keep the crown in consecutive years by being named Female Vocalist of the Year. Last year, Malteze told a story about her grandfather pulling a coffee can out of his freezer so he could give her enough money to pursue her musical ambitions as a young woman in California. “My grandfather gave me his cold, hard cash – literally!” she exclaimed, to the delight of the crowd. This year she followed up with a motivating story of how, as a youngster, she played piano for her church services but always dreamed of being a singer.
Other award recipients include John Evans for Male Vocalist of the Year, Mike McClure for Producer of the Year, Michael Martin Murphey and Rob Quist for writing the Song of the Year, Pauline Reese for Album of the Year, David Brake and That Damn Band for Group of the Year, Wade Bowen for Record of the Year, Wade Hatton and the Texas Hat Band for Live Band of the Year, Robert Frith for Singer/Songwriter of the Year, Ryan T. Briggs for Rising Star, KVET for Broadcast Radio Station of the Year, and RadioFreeTexas.org for Internet Radio Station of the Year.
The Live Band of the Year, Broadcast and Internet Radio Station of the Year, and Disc Jockey of the Year awards are the only award categories voted on 100% by the listening public. Justin Frazell, of 99.5 The Wolf in Dallas, Texas, took home the Disc Jockey of the Year award for the third time in a row, another TMA first.
Founders awards were also given in two categories. The 2007 Musical Event of the Year was given to “A Case of the Gimbles,” a project featuring three generations from the Gimble family, including the famed fiddle player, Johnny Gimble, his guitarist son, Dick, and his granddaughter Emily. Texas troubadour Shake Russell also received an award for outstanding sales through the MyTexasMusic.com website for his album, "Deep In The West," which has been the number one selling album on the site for six years in a row.
The show's producers, Jinelle and Lucky Boyd, co-founders of MyTexasMusic.com, began show preparations in November of 2006, and enlisted the help and support of more than 80 volunteers and several businesses and organizations. “East Texas is such an untapped area full of Texas music lovers – we were thrilled to be able to bring this prestigious event to this neck of the woods. It was a great success,” said Jinelle Boyd.
Prior to the show, the producers met with all of the nominees to brief them on the day’s events. The Boyds are quick to point out that those receiving awards are ‘award recipients,’ and not ‘winners.’ “When you announce that someone is the ‘winner’ of an award, that denotes that there must be a ‘loser,’ and there are none of those in this room today,” declared Lucky Boyd, when addressing the nominees.
Burgess closed the show with an intimate performance of three of his most beloved songs.
The Academy of Texas Music is the official sanctioning organization of music awards in Texas. In an effort to insure high standards for each awarding body, the award nomination, selection, and voting process must be approved by the Academy to receive an official sanctioned status. Presently, the Texas Music Awards presented by MyTexasMusic.com are the only awards fully sanctioned by the Academy.
More information about the show can be obtained at www.TexasMusicAwards.org or www.MyTexasMusic.com . Subscribers to the MyTexasMusic.com newsletter can get updates via email. Subscribe at www.mytexasmusic.com/maillist
A full list of the award recipients appears below.
Male Vocalist of the Year - John Evans
Female Vocalist of the Year – Barbara Malteze
Producer of the Year - Mike McClure (CATCH ME – Tyler McCumber Band)
Singer/Songwriter of the Year - Robert Frith
Rising Star of the Year - Ryan T. Briggs
Musician of the Year - Al Perkins (HEARTLAND COWBOY – Michael Martin Murphey)
Song of the Year - “Close To The Land” (HEARTLAND COWBOY – Michael Martin Murphey – Michael Martin Murphey and Rob Quist, songwriters
Album of the Year – “TOO TEXAS - Live at Cherry Ridge” – Pauline Reese and High Country
Record of the Year - “God Bless This Town” – Wade Bowen
Vocal Duo or Group of the Year - David Brake and That Damn Band
Live Band of the Year - Wade Hatton and the Texas Hat Band
Disc Jockey of the Year - Justin Frazell (KPLX FM 99.5 – Dallas
Internet Radio Station of the Year - RadioFreeTexas.org
Entertainer of the Year - Doug Moreland
Founder awards: Musical Event of the Year – “A Case Of The Gimbles” – Johnny, Dick, and Emily Gimble; Best Seller - "Deep In The West" - Shake Russell
|