Keepin' it Country Media & Radio » Johnny Cash

Exclusive Interview: Introducing Angel Mary & the Tennessee Werewolves

Nicole Piering — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:40:07 +0000

When I spoke to Angel Mary & the Tennessee Werewolves, they were amidst a radio tour in Paris, Texas. They were also in search of the Eiffel Tower wearing a cowboy hat. Believe it or not, shortly after our interview, they Tweeted a pic that they had found it.

Although this may sound silly, it’s a perfect anecdote about this family band, a determined, but fun-loving group determined to make their dreams come true. Whether those dreams involve finding the Texan Eiffel Tower or making great music, they’re well on their way.

For those not yet familiar with the band, they’re made up of siblings Angel Mary and Christian Wolf and their “Papa Wolf,” Antoine, who also doubles as the band’s manager. As for where they got their unique name from, Angel Mary told us that it was actually inspired by one of her idols, Johnny Cash. She said, “I’m a big Johnny Cash fan, and he has a name, Johnny Cash and the Tennesse Two when he first started out, and he’s influenced me so much so I wanted him to be a part of the name, and he has that song “The Beast in Me” which talks about how he was fighting that other side, talking to God…and I feel like there’s a wolf, definitely, in every man.”

Although the singing siblings grew up on music, it was only about a year and a half ago that they put this project together, which has really snowballed through social networking and meeting fans. They described 2012’s CMA Fest as one of their career highlights so far. According to Christian, it was “amazing,” having grown up attending the event. “It was just really cool to be on the other side.” Angel Mary says a highlight of the event for her was sitting next to Lynn Anderson (“I Never Promised You a Rose Garden”). “I’m still a fan myself, it was exciting to sit next to such a legend”

Another career highlight: Opening for John Michael Montgomery and David Allan Coe, naming them as “both legends in their own right.” Angel Mary tells us that she “never thought I’d be on the same stage as them.”

The band’s rollicking first single, “Cowboy” is themed around old western movies and the universal appeal of cowboys. To put it simply, “Boys want to be cowboys and girls want to be with cowboys.”

The band is joined on the track by family friend, Doug Phelps of the Kentucky HeadHunters, who worked with them on much of their EP, including the duet “Waiting on You.” “We write most of our music, but sometimes we include other writers to get other perspectives, so I asked Doug if he had any songs and he pitched us “Waiting on You…” Antoine tells us. “So he came in the studio when we were recording it…And Angel saw it as a duet. Doug jumped in the booth and cut it on the first take, so “Waiting on You” became a duet”

As their career continues to take off, I asked them who they’d love to tour with and they immediately jumped on Jason Aldean, which seems like a good rowdy country pairing. As for dream duets, the boys in the band pick Dolly Parton, while Angel Mary says she’d pick Johnny Cash if he were alive. Her other choice? Big & Rich. “They’re cool, they have their own thing going on, they’re a little crazy, and we’re a little crazy too so we’d probably do a great song”

As the band kicks off 2013, they’ve got big plans, including the release of the video for “Cowboy” to CMT & GAC. They’ll also appear in a documentary called Music City USA, with artists like Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan, Hank Williams III. They also plan to record a version of “Folsom City Blues,” which is a staple in their live show. If that’s not cool enough, John Carter Cash is going to play acoustic guitar on it, and they’ll record at the cabin where Johnny Cash recorded a lot of his songs.

When I asked them what they’d like readers to take away from this interview, the answer was simple and sincere. “We’re real people making real music, we’re excited about meeting fans and being touchable people. We’re all just the same, being here in this world just trying to live our dreams and doing what we love to do. And we just appreciate the opportunity to share our music.”

For more information on Angel Mary & the Tennessee Werewolves, visit their official site, follow them on Twitter, Facebook & Youtube.

Check out their first single “Cowboy” here:

Austin City Limits To Host Johnny Cash Celebration

Lydia Picknell — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:52:44 +0000

Austin City Limits has just announced plans to celebrate the life of country music legend Johnny Cash on Friday, April 20th in Austin, Texas. The special, “We Walk The Line: A Celebration Of The Music of Johnny Cash,” will feature a superstar line-up including Kenny Chesney, Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson, Chris Cornell, Brandi Carlile, Ronnie Dunn, Amy Lee, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ray Lamontagne, Lucinda Williams and Shooter Jennings.

Tickets for the event go on-sale tomorrow, February 29th at 10 am CST. More superstars are expected to be announced as the date comes closer. For ticket information, or to check out the full line-up, visit ACLlive.com.

Nashville Will Be Home to Johnny Cash Museum

Jessica Crans — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:59:01 +0000

Mayor Karl Dean, the Cash family, and friends and founders Bill and Shannon Miller gathered today at the future home of the Johnny Cash Museum located at 119 Third Avenue South between Demonbreun and Broadway in Nashville. The museum will be located between the famous Broadway strip and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

“It has been a lifelong dream of mine to showcase Johnny Cash’s life and career in a world-class exhibit for all his fans from around the world to enjoy,” says found Bill Miller. “Today we take the first step in making that dream a reality by announcing the birth of the Johnny Cash Museum, a world-class attraction opening in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. This venue will feature the world’s largest, most comprehensive and important collection of Cash artifacts and memorabilia anywhere in the world. I am honored that Johnny’s children and family have joined us in enthusiastically supporting our project by sharing their precious artifacts with his fans.”

The Johnny Cash Museum is set to open its doors in summer 2012. Inside the museum will be never before seen historical documents, letters, awards, costumes and instruments that will take the visitor on a three dimensional journey through Johnny’s life with innovative interactions via the Nashville based Griffin Technologies. Bill Miller, Johnny Cash’s longtime friend and founder of Johnny’s official website, www.JohnnyCash.Com along with his family, colleagues and friends have shared their collections with the museum. Included in this collection will be the earliest known Johnny Cash letters and documents as well as the handwritten manuscript to the last song ever written by him, just days before his passing. Museum visitors will also be given an extensive look into Cash’s non-entertainment related life including his childhood and early adulthood and his service in the United States Air Force.

The museum will occupy the site at 199 Third Avenue South with Phase One featuringa museum store, permanent exhibits and a multipurpose venue for performances, special exhibits and other events. Phase Two includes absorbing the balance of the ground floor space as it becomes available, as well as the top floor, bringing the ultimate square footage of the museum to 18,000 square feet. Plans include additional exhibit space, an enlarged performance area, an onsite food venue and working archives.

To stay updated on the progress of the Johnny Cash Museum, visit www.JohnnyCash.Com.

BMG To Acquire Bug Music

Lydia Picknell — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:11:07 +0000

The force behind BMG Music is about to take in the home of Johnny Cash. Bug Music, whose clients include the estates of Johnny Cash, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Woody Guthrie, Del Shannon and Stevie Ray Vaughan has been purchased by the company for an undisclosed amount of money, Allaccess is reporting this morning. The purchase also includes the subsidiary Bug Music, an independent music publishing company. The move will effect current artists on Bug’s roster which include The Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams, Wilco, The National and Iggy Pop.

“With the acquisition of BUG MUSIC and its vast collection of evergreen and contemporary compositions, BMG further establishes itself as a leading music rights management company,” said CEO of BMG HARTWIG MASUCH. “We look forward to working with BUG MUSIC’s exceptional roster of artists and songwriters.”

The deal is expected to finalize in October. Bug currently owns the copyrights to major hits “I Walk The Line,” “Fever,” “What A Wonderful World,” “Summer In The City,” “The Real Slim Shady,” “Under The Boardwalk,” and “Passenger.”

Sun Entertainment Corp Suing over Johnny Cash Recordings

Lydia Picknell — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:53:53 +0000

Houston-based recording company Compadre Records is facing a lawsuit from Sun Entertainment Corporation over their use of Johnny Cash’s music in a movie trailer. According to the Tennesssean, the company used a remixed version of “Country Boy” in a preview for their movie “Zombieland.”

The lawsuit claims that Compadre breached their agreement with Sun Entertainment and copyright infringement. The Sun accuses Compadre of avoiding making the payments that they had agreed to in 2007, which allowed the label to remix Cash songs for an album. The Sun says they have not received their share of $40,000 that movie producers had paid Compadre to use the song for the movie.

The lawsuit is sitting in front of the U.S. District Court in Nashville. Compadre has not yet responded to the lawsuit.