In Session With Darren Walters

Jimmy Fortune toured, sang and performed with the legendary Statler Brothers for 21 years. He joined them first as a temporary replacement for Lew DeWitt, after DeWitt heard him singing at a ski resort and recommended him. Following an audition in Nashville, Jimmy was contacted by the Statler Brothers and performed his first show with them on January 28, 1982, in Savannah, Georgia. Due to the debilitating effects of Crohn’s Disease, Lew was unable to return to the stage with the Statlers, andJimmy was hired as a permanent replacement in August of 1982.

After The Statler Brothers retired on October 26, 2002, Jimmy seized the opportunity to launch a solo career to share new music with his fans.He released a gospel album, I Believe, in June 2005, a Christmas CD, Feels Like Christmas, in 2006, a live concert DVD in 2007 a country CD, “Windows” in 2009, “Lessons” in 2012, and “Hits and Hymns” CD and DVD through Gaither Music Group in 2015 which debuted at #10 Billboard Country Album, #1 Southern Gospel, and #6 Billboard Contemporary Christian. The DVD debuted at #1 on Billboard Music Video charts

Bryan is a thirty-year veteran of the music industry. Over the past eight years he has been a member of the executive management team at Red Light Management, the number one artist management company in the world, and has managed the careers of multiple clients (both personally and as a team member) whose combined portfolio values in excess of 95 million dollars. Frasher oversees all aspects of their businesses such as strategic career planning, domestic and international tour & merchandise marketing, sponsorships & branding, creative endeavors, recording contracts and label relations, publishing, TV, radio, product development, and so on – current management clients include Craig Morgan (alongside Gaines Sturdivant), The Cadillac Three, Kristian Bush (from the band Sugarland) and Caleb Lee Hutchinson. Prior to coming to Red Light Management, Frasher was the Vice President of BNA Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music, where he was responsible for national radio promotion and marketing for the BNA roster of recording artists. During this period Bryan ushered 26 singles to the number one spot on the US country music charts and was an integral part of the executive team making decisions for Sony Music Nashville as a whole. He works closely with Operation Finally Home (which provides mortgage free homes to disabled veterans), is an advisor at The Nashville Entrepreneur Center, a member of Leadership Music’s class of 2012, and along with his wife Traci, is a founding member of Project Paper Doll, which funded the music therapy program at the Monroe Carroll Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Danny Rader is a musician from Panama City, Florida. Born into a musical family, he began to play drums at age 2 and branched out into bass, guitar and piano in his early teens. Later he incorporated bazouki, mandolin, banjo, mandola, keyboards, accordion, melodica, and harmonica into his skill set.

Rader, along with the rest of his family, performed in The Ocean Opry Music Show in Panama City Beach, Florida, which operated from 1978-2005. With his family Rader performed over 200 shows a year, until moving to Nashville in 2004. Rader toured with Jason Aldean, LeAnn Rimes, Gretchen Wilson, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Julianne Hough. In 2010, he joined Keith Urban's touring band. He has appeared on The Grammy Awards, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Country Music Television Awards, and the Billboard Music Awards, among other TV appearances.

John McEuen has been a “professional performer” since 1962, working as a magician in Disneyland’s Magic Shop as a teenager. Music soon came along, which led to his long and varied career first solo, then as a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1966. Over 10,000 concerts and 300 television shows throughout more than 3 million miles - with the band and as a solo performer – John has pursued his passion for performing and recording. John left NGDB at the end of their 50th year touring to focus on the demand for his solo performing and projects. Beyond performing, he concurrenty has a rich history of creating, producing and preserving original and traditional folk and acoustic music, and taking it to new audiences.

Mary Lou Metzger is an American singer and dancer best known as a cast member on The Lawrence Welk Show.

Metzger was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the only child of Ernie and Helen Metzger. The family moved to Havertown, Pennsylvania, where at the age of seven Metzger officially began her performing career, which included appearances on The Ted Mack Amateur Hour and acting in a national tour of The Music Man. While a student at Temple University, she went to Los Angeles, California to appear on the television program GE College Bowl; while there she auditioned for Lawrence Welk and was accepted in the show's apprentice training program.

During her twelve years on the show, she sang as part of a female trio with fellow Welk stars Gail Farrell and Sandi Griffiths, various group numbers, and song-and-dance numbers with Jack Imel; she also danced with the maestro himself at the end of each show. After the show ended its regular run on television, she continued to pursue acting, which included commercials, and parts on both the small and the big screen, such as Garry Marshall's 1999 film The Other Sister. She also co-founded the Actors' Conservatory Ensemble theater group in 1990.

Metzger continues to perform with Welk alumni on concert tours, and regularly appears on pledge drives for PBS, which now airs The Lawrence Welk Show on more than 250 stations. Through much of the late 2000s, she hosted the wraparounds of the show featuring interviews with members of the Musical Family, conducted by Metzger herself. (She has since been replaced by Bobby Burgess for most episodes, though episodes hosted by Metzger continue to air.)

MR. KANE CHURKO

PRODUCER • SONGWRITER • MIXER • ARTIST

website - www.kanechurko.com

Podcast Links - www.getmypodcast.com

Kane Churko is a multi platinum Juno award winning Canadian producer & songwriter best known for his work with artists such as Papa Roach, Five Finger Death Punch, In This Moment, Ozzy Osbourne, Skillet, Gemini Syndrome, As Lions, VAMPS, and more. He currently resides in Las Vegas where he works out of The Hideout Recording Studio.

A good-timing, honky-tonkin’, band-leading, song-writing, love-song-singing, blues-harp-blowing, tradition-nurturing, genre-busting, crowd-carrying, full-hearted flag bearer for all that’s true about music. That’s Heidi Newfield. And on her new solo album The Barfly Sessions — recorded without heed to music business convention — she’s finally captured her full range. “No one was telling me what to do,” Newfield says. “No one put me in a box. Anyone asking me, what is the new music like? Ummmmm, it’s like me!”

After recording three albums while fronting Trick Pony, charting eight singles and branching out for her first solo project with the platinum-certified smash “Johnny & June,” Newfield knows her way around a studio … and a stage. A bold stylist and true entertainer, she greets peers and fans alike with her small frame, big voice, friendly smile and a hug. Sharp and well read, she knows herself and her audience. She could be voted most likely to not give a damn about anything but the music by a stunning collection of collaborators and co-writers: Al Anderson, Randy Houser, Jim Lauderdale, Delbert McClinton, Jon Randall, Mickey Raphael, Rivers Rutherford, Leslie Satcher, Chris Stapleton, Matt King and Kenny Vaughan.

2020 marks Exile’s 57th year as America’s longest running band.

On September 30, 1978, the award-winning band who had initially set out to play small clubs in Richmond, Kentucky back in 1963, skyrocketed to world-wide fame with their multi-week chart-topper “Kiss You All Over.” In fact, it made Billboard’s Year End Hot 100 Singles of 1978 (Top 5) and later placed in Billboard’s The 50 Sexiest Songs of All Time (Top 10) category. The iconic song has been showcased in feature films such as “Happy Gilmore,” “Employee of the Month,” “Zookeeper, “Wildhogs,” and is played in it’s entirety at the end of the 7th episode of “Mindhunter” currently available as a Netflix original.

In the early 1980’s, Exile began to focus on country music. During their run on the country charts Exile had 10 number one singles including “I Don’t Want To Be A Memory,” “Give Me One More Chance” and “She’s A Miracle.” The band wrote their own songs, played on all their recordings and also proved to be prolific songwriters composing hits for other artists such as Alabama, Restless Heart, Engelbert Humperdinck, Huey Lewis, Diamond Rio, Janie Fricke and many more. During this country phase of their career, Exile received 11 nominations including Vocal Group of The Year and Best Instrumental Performance for the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards.

The 5 original Exile members re-formed in 2008 with J.P. Pennington, Les Taylor, Sonny LeMaire, Marlon Hargis and Steve Goetzman. The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame members continue to perform for legions of fans on the 2018 No Limit Tour and have appeared over 100 times on the Grand Ole Opry. Exile recently released their latest project Hits and the album contains 11 number one songs spanning three decades, along with four additional top ten’s. The ultimate, cross-over band has sold over 8 million records worldwide, with three Gold albums. Exile has lasted longer than most marriages.

Singer/songwriter/storyteller and multi-instrumentalist, Steve Wariner, is a troubadour in the music industry and continues to inspire artists today. More than 20 albums and five decades into his career, Wariner has become a modern-day multi-genre icon, earning 14 No. 1 hits, over 30 Top 10 singles, three RIAA-certified Gold albums, the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award, four GRAMMY Awards, four CMA Awards, three ACM Awards, two TNN/Music City News Awards, a Christian Country Music Association Award, a CMA Triple Play Award, 15 BMI Million-Air Awards, and most recently, Country Radio Broadcasters bestowed Wariner as the recipient of the 2018 CRB Artist Career Achievement Award. In October 2019, he’ll be inducted into the prestigious Musicians Hall of Fame, and throughout his illustrious career, has been inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame, the Music City Walk of Fame, and is one of only five guitar players in the world to be given the "Certified Guitar Player" (CGP) award by Chet Atkins.

Hailing from the Mountains of East Tn, Nashville guitar slinger Jeff King has established his place on the "in demand" list for recording and touring dates with a variety of today's most popular artists. He has played on many nationally released albums by artists such as Faith Hill, Josh Turner, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Art Garfunkel, Johnny Cash and Dave Matthews, Jo Dee Messina, Blackhawk, Craig Morgan, Phil Vasser, Toni Braxton, Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols, Lee Brice, Back Street Boys, and many others.

He has toured with Patty Loveless, Lee Roy Parnell, LeeAnn Womack, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Reba/Kelly Clarkson, Reba/Brooks and Dunn. He has performed on many national television shows with featured artists as well as being in house bands. These programs include Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, Conan, Jimmy Fallon, Regis and Kelly, Craig Ferguson, The View , Oprah, The CMAs, The ACMs, The ACM Honors Awards, Live at the Ryman, Grand Ol’ Opry Live, Monday Night Concerts with Ricky Skaggs, and Nashville Now.