Lonestar

[Kim]

Richie McDonald Reuniting With Lonestar



Country-pop group Lonestar will greet the new year with something new -- and someone familiar. The multi-platinum-selling group have reunited with original lead singer Richie McDonald and announced that a new album and world tour are scheduled for 2012, marking the band's 20th anniversary.

Beginning Feb. 26 at London's Wembley Arena, Lonestar's overseas tour will visit Ireland, Switzerland and Germany, with additional dates in North America expected to be announced soon.

Best known for the massive country and pop hits, 'Amazed,' and 'I'm Already There,' Lonestar keyboardist Dean Sams, drummer Keech Rainwater and lead guitarist Michael Britt parted ways with Richie McDonald in 2007. Richie went on to release solo singles and the group carried on with new lead singer Cody Collins, releasing the album 'Party Heard Around the World' in 2010.

"Five years has come and gone since I left Lonestar," says Richie. "We've all tried other avenues and the fact remains that some things were just meant to be. With the Lonestar 20-year reunion approaching, Dean, Michael, Keech and I got together and have decided we have some unfinished business to take care of. I miss those crazy nights running around on stage making music with my band of brothers. Looking forward to a new chapter in the book of Lonestar and reliving some old memories and also making some new ones for the fans that have been loyal to us through thick and thin."

Adds Keech, "I think fans ultimately wondered if this was ever going to happen again and it always seemed like the original Lonestar as a whole was better than the sum of its parts. With Richie back in the band, fans can enjoy new music and again experience the sound they are used to hearing at our shows. Lonestar music seems to strike a chord with fans from all around. More specifically, 'Amazed' and 'I'm Already There' seemed to have changed people's lives in one way or another. The thought of continuing that tradition and moving forward is very exciting."

Lonestar has another high-profile (and still) former member. The group's original bass player was John Rich, now of Big & Rich and 'Celebrity Apprentice' fame.

[grg_straitfan]

New festival lands Lonestar, Buddy Guy for Biloxi
By MARY PEREZ - [e-mail]



BILOXI -- A new festival will bring the party and 19 national music acts to Point Cadet Memorial Day Weekend.
There hasn’t been much music at the Point since Hurricane Katrina destroyed the International Pavilion where festivals were held. Party at the Point: The Mississippi Gulf Coast Music, Arts, Crafts and Seafood Festival will bring it back to that site May 25-27.
Side-by-side stages will let the music go on almost continuously from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., said Elroy Talley of Ocean Springs. He is one of the promoters with the non-profit group Bluewater Productions, which is organizing the event.

The headliners will roll into Biloxi in the national spotlight. Buddy Guy just performed at the White House. Lonestar is back to its original members after four years apart and Biloxi is one stop on the country band’s 20th anniversary tour. Along with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Sawyer Brown, Robert Randolph & The Family Band and other favorites, the crowd will have the chance to hear the new band, The Soul of the South, featuring Devon Allman, Mike Zito, and Cyril Neville. Home Made Jamz bills itself as the “Youngest Blues Band in America” and Talley said Phil Vaught regularly played Grand Biloxi before Katrina.
Biloxi’s festival is the weekend after Gulfport’s music festival, and Talley said it will draw a different audience of music lovers who go for country, Cajun, zydeco, blues and soul. It’s also the weekend after the nearby Margaritaville Casino is expected to open.
More than 100 vendors will sell food and crafts and stars of the reality television show “Swamp People” will be there all three days. Tickets are $20 for one day, $36 for a two-day pass and $54 for three days. Children 12 and under get in free with a paid adult.
“We’re going to have a lot of nice things where a family can come and we’ve got the price down where they can afford it,” said Talley. “Our goal is for this to be a yearly event.”
Concert proceeds will go toward rebuilding the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum at Point Cadet and to help the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources build and restore fishing reefs.

[Kim]

Lonestar Starts “The Countdown” to July 17th


Who else is excited for the 20th anniversary Lonestar?? It is already underway and fans will be excited to hear that the release of their new single “The Countdown,” has been confirmed for July 17. A new album–on their own label, 4 Star Records-is expected in October.

The recently reunited quartet kicked off 2012 with a hugely successful and acclaimed European tour on a multi-artist bill with Reba McEntire and Ricky Scaggs. Lonestar also recently performed at the CMA Fest in Nashville: an invitation-only sold out show for their fan club at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as well as on the Riverfront Stage for CMA festival attendees. The group debuted “The Countdown” for the standing-room-only festival show, as well as another new song, “Pretty Good Day.” “It was a blast” says Sams.

“Fans were singing along to the new single by the second verse.” McDONALD added, “What a way to start the summer: in the heat, outside, with thousands of fans singing along. Back on the bus!”

Lonestar resume their touring schedule June 21 in Del Mar, CA, with shows booked through October including stops in Westbury, NY (7/13), Los Angeles (7/27) and Lancaster, PA (9/20).


DATE CITY VENUE


Thu 6/21 Del Mar, CA Del Mar Fairgrounds
Fri 6/22 Petaluma, CA Sonoma-Marin Fair
Sat 6/23 Pleasanton, CA Alameda County Fair
Fri 6/29 Dickinson, ND Dickinson Recreation Center

Sun 7/1 Gillette, WY The Wyoming Center at CAM-PLEX
Tue 7/3 Coralville, IA St. Morrison Park
Fri 7/6 Rama, ON Casino Rama
Sat 7/7 Prospect, PA Big Butler Fairgrounds
Fri 7/13 Westbury, NY Theatre at Westbury
Sat 7/14 Salamanca, NY Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel
Mon 7/16 Cumberland, MD Allegany County Fair
Sat 7/21 Baraboo, WI Ho-Chunk Casino
Fri 7/27 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia
Sat 7/28 Yerington, NV Lyon County Fairgrounds

Sat 8/4 Albert Lea, MN Freeborn County Fair
Sun 8/5 Binghamton, NY Spiediefest & Balloon Rally Fest
Thu 8/9 North Bend, OR The Mill Casino – Outdoor
Fri 8/10 Citrus Heights, CA Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Park
Wed 8/15 Sun Valley, ID Sun Valley Outdoor Pavilion
Sat 8/18 Berryville, VA Clarke County Fair
Wed 8/22 Fremont, OH Sandusky County Fair
Thu 8/23 Rhinebeck, NY Dutchess County Fair
Sun 8/26 Columbia, SC Finlay Park

Sat 9/1 Bethany, MO Northwest Missouri State Fair
Thu 9/6 Santa Ynez, CA Chumash Casino
Fri 9/7 Roslyn, WA Swiftwater Cellars Winery
Sat 9/8 Pendleton, OR Pendleton Round-Up
Tue 9/11 Salt Lake City, UT Utah State Fairgrounds
Wed 9/12 Richfield, UT Sevier Valley Center
Fri 9/14 Bellingham, WA Deming Logging Arena
Sun 9/16 South Bend, IN St. Joseph Country Fairgrounds
Thu 9/20 Lancaster, PA American Music Theater
Fri 9/21 Ocean City, MD Sunfest

Fri 10/19 Branson, MO Tri Lakes Center
Thu 10/25 Hot Springs, AR Finish Line Theater

[Kim]

Lonestar Celebrate 20 Years With New Single, Album and Reunion Tour


Multi-platinum country group Lonestar recently reunited for a 20th anniversary tour, and the band has announced the upcoming release of a new single, ‘The Countdown,’ as well as a new album from their classic lineup to go along with it.

The reunited group — consisting of lead singer Richie McDonald, guitarist Michael Britt, drummer Keech Rainwater and keyboardist Dean Sams — kicked off 2012 by touring Europe on a bill with Reba McEntire and Ricky Skaggs. Lonestar also performed a sold-out, invitation-only show for their fan club at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville during the CMA Music Festival.

There, the musicians took the opportunity to debut ‘The Countdown,’ as well as another new song titled ‘Pretty Good Day’ in preparation to take their show back out on the road.

“It was a blast,” Sams says in a press release on Wednesday. “Fans were singing along to the new single by the second verse.”

McDonald adds, “What a way to start the summer. In the heat, outside, with thousands of fans singing along. Back on the bus!”

Lonestar will release ‘The Countdown’ as an official single to radio starting July 17, and the band is slated to drop an as-yet-untitled new album in October via their self-owned 4 Star Records. The group is currently on tour through October.

[Kim]

Lonestar Is Back




Lonestar has released their new single “Maybe Someday,” currently spinning nationwide at country radio. The plaintive breakup song will be featured on Lonestar’s forthcoming album LIFE AS WE KNOW IT. Now set for release this spring on their own 4 STAR RECORDS in partnership with The Orchard, the new album marks the group’s reunion with original lead singer Richie McDonald. Watch the lyric video for “Maybe Someday”–written by the group’s Richie McDonald and Dean Sams along with songwriters Frank Myers and Billy Montana–here: www.lonestarnow.com/. The official music video for “Maybe Someday” was shot recently in Nashville and features the return of Sunny Mabrey (“Mad Men,” “Desperate Housewives,” “CSI: Miami”), the actress from the video for their massive hit “Amazed” (which can be seen here). The video will be released in the coming weeks.

2012 marked a big year personally and professionally for Lonestar–Michael Britt, lead guitar & backing vocals; Richie McDonald, lead vocals & piano; Keech Rainwater, drums; and Dean Sams, keyboards and backing vocals–as they celebrated their 20th anniversary as a band and the return of McDonald. 2013 kicks up the excitement level with the release of the band’s new LIFE AS WE KNOW IT album and a major nationwide tour. Look for LONESTAR to perform at the Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in Nashville February 27. They’re also set to make their debut at Stagecoach: California’s Country Music Festival Sunday, April 28 where they’ll share the stage with the likes of Zac Brown Band, Darius Rucker, Thompson Square and others.

“The music is still country no matter how you look at it but there are some songs that have more country elements to them. We kind of mixed it up. It’s always good to give the fans a little bit of everything.” says McDonald, “The music feels like us more than it ever has in our 20 year career. We think it’s the best album we’ve ever made.”