Country artist LINDA CASSADY joins me on the show to talk about her music career and to share some of her songs. Originally from Illinois, now living in Nashville, Tennessee, Linda gained airplay and attention for her self-penned 1970's Country hit song CB Widow. The album that song appeared on went top 10 in England. She was then invited to do a 14 day tour there. Songwriting is a passion of hers - she writes songs for herself and has had others record her songs. Barbara Fairchild recorded What Do You Do (To Make My Daddy Love You) and Peggy Sue recorded Proud To be A Housewife. Linda was a member of the Wheeling West Virginia WWVA for a number of years. She grew up listening to Country legends Hank Williams and Hank Snow. Her Dad, a coal miner in Illinois, bought her a small Martin Guitar when she was 13 that she still has. Tune in to hear Linda share stories & songs from her music career.

JILLIAN FARRAR is an accomplished singer-songwriter, screen play writer, music publisher, director, producer and soon-to-be published author. She is the CEO of Bella Lyrics and a co-founder/managing partner of Fierce Ink, Incorporated. Her new children's book titled Lexi & Lily (The Brave Choice) is a story of awareness surrounding sexual abuse, a matter that hits close to home for her personally.  "For me it's about making our children aware of such predators or situations, teaching them how to protect themselves by knowing and recognizing right from wrong and most importantly, about breaking the silence", says Jillian. Growing up in the small town of Franklin, Louisiana, her musical journey began when she became obsessed with music, poetry, and writing. It was then that she began singing, had a vocal coach at age 7 and by 17 was seriously considering the possibility of a career in the world of music. Motivated by her passion and her father, who not only taught her to dream but to reach for the stars, Jillian made the move to Nashville in July 1998. Soon after arriving she met Charlie Craig (a respected writer, publisher and producer having written songs such as "Wanted" for Alan Jackson, "Between An Old Memory and Me" for Keith Whitley and Travis Tritt - and countless other songs) whom would become her mentor, dearest friend and producer for almost 13 years until losing his battle with cancer in July 2011. In late 2013, Jillian partnered with Cece Dubois to form Fierce Ink, Incorporated, a newly formed media corporation that will reach into, and will be involved in, all genres and areas of entertainment.

Based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, SARA CROCKETT performs music that blends honest story telling and playful melodies in a mix of Country & Pop. After supporting Nanci Griffith in the Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival in February 2013, Sara was invited to play as part of the Festival's Showcase in Nashville alongside hit songwriters in venues such as The Bluebird Cafe, and sang live on WSM 650 AM radio. Sara's debut EP Better Be Gone is now available on iTunes. Tune in to get to know this talented artist and her music - and learn more about her at www.saracrockett.com.

Tune in for this In The Country Christmas Special - taped on location- featuring classic & original Christmas songs. Featured on the show are Paul Malysa, Tia McGraff & Tommy Parham, Krista Earle, Dean Stacey, Roger Beckett, All Night Mule & Dayna Shereck. Get ready for one hour of holiday music & conversation with these talented artists.

With a 2013 Independent Country Music Association Award, eight months on the Roots Music Report charts, international airplay and live performances at Rodeo Alaska, Country artist DOUG BRINEY is ready to release his second album entitled Super Country Cowboy. On this new project, Doug has created a tasteful blend of yesterday's traditional Country roots and today's radio-friendly contemporary sounds. In February 2013, he signed with Tate Music Group, home to Country stars like Lee Greenwood and Neal McCoy. A recent move to Nashville, Tennessee has brought Doug to the epicenter of the Country music industry. Surrounded by a history of veterans and military service in his family, (his son currently serves in the Air Force) Doug has begun working with Bright Star International, who will help facilitate Doug’s work with veterans’ charities.

When ROBBY JOHNSON went to Nashville to cut a couple of songs, he never imagined that he’d end up in the recording studio as a full-fledged artist with six of his own tunes on the project and then shooting a music video for the song South Of Me with director Ryan Smith. The Canadian-born singer grew up with French as his main language, but from early childhood, he found himself inexplicably drawn to everything American. When his parents went through a painful divorce and his mother moved Robby and his brothers to a small town in Quebec, the boy turned to television as a way to handle his loneliness. He soaked up American programs, songs and movies, perfecting his accent-free English through exposure to a variety of videos, shows and networks. Fast forward to present: In Nashville, renowned studio musician/producer Jimmy Nichols was brought in to oversee arrangements, but when he recognized the potential of Robby’s talent, Nichols turned to Grammy and multi-award winning songwriter/guitarist Frank Myers (“I Swear,” “I’m Already There,” “Tomorrow”) and together they crafted a powerful 12-song debut that showcases both Robby’s vocal strengths and his songwriting skills. “The minute we started working with Robby, we threw out the rule book,” says Nichols, explaining why he and Myers have inked Robby to their new full-service artist development company, Vision A. D. “Everything was so different with him from the beginning. He has the makings of a true artist.”

North Bay, Ontario Country artist CORY MARQUARDT recently returned from a productive Nashville trip where he was working on new songs for a 2014 album. He released a self-titled 6 track EP in July 2013. As well in 2013, he signed with O'Reilly International and performed at the CCMA's On Ramp Records party with Aaron Pritchett, Bobby Wills, Patricia Conroy & Brett Kissel. During this past summer, Cory played many different festivals and clubs sharing stages with Kira Isabella, Tim Hicks, Chad Brownlee & Dallas Smith. Cory is an Ontario Country artist on the rise. Tune in to get an up close & personal look and listen at why big things are predicted for him in the year ahead.

Colbourne, Ontario Country artist DON MURDOCK has been attracting a lot of attention and some controversy/headlines over his new Christmas song entitled Christmas To Me. Don co-wrote the song with Brian Dolph. "People are wanting to take our traditions away," Don explains. "We (Murdock and Dolph) both 100% agreed with the principles behind the song -- why does everything have to be, like we say in the song, politically correct? I've got no problem respecting everyone else's opinion. Why can't everyone respect mine?" Tune in to hear the song and why Don felt it was one he had to share with the world.

"Folk music is all about telling stories", explains Toronto singer-songwriter GLEN HORNBLAST. "Songwriters are impossible dreamers trying to change the world with their songs. And sometimes it works." A self-confessed 1960's hippie, Glen travelled across Canada during the late 60s & early 70s like an old-fashioned troubadour. His musical influences include Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Townes Van Zandt. Glen's current CD entitled Once In A Blue Moon is an eclectic mix of his best songs written over the last 30 years. Listening to the songs he writes & sings, you'll be transported to the scenes he paints and moved by theemotion he stirs. Tune in for an up close & personal look at Glen's music career and the stories behind his songs.

Continuing to build on the acclaim of her self-titled debut album, PEI-born, Toronto-based WHITNEY ROSE joined reunited Americana legends The Mavericks this month for a number of dates on their current Canadian tour. Whitney began attracting attention from the moment she started appearing on Toronto club stages, gaining support from Blue Rodeo's Bazil Donovan and Bob Egan. Donovan and David Baxter co-produced her debut album, striking the perfect balance between her reverence for classic vocalists such as Patsy Cline and the emotional content of her songwriting, often drawn from personal experiences. Along with Egan on pedal steel, the album also features Devin Cuddy on piano, guitar virtuoso Nichol Robertson, and Justin Rutledge and Cuff The Duke's Wayne Petti on backing vocals. Bazil Donovan explains: “The reason I was drawn to Whitney was because she was playing real legitimate 1960′s era country music, because there is none of that around on the radio anymore – there’s nobody that I know of that is making honest…what I call real country music. When I heard her songs, I heard what she was doing, I went hey – that’s real country music and I’m glad somebody’s interested in it.” Whitney's style and sound began early in life:  "My grandparents ran a bar in PEI and hosted a lot of kitchen parties. When I was four years old and would hear them, I would get out of bed and they would give me a loonie to sing a Hank Williams song."