Two Layers of Paint from Nashville

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By: Michael A.

There has been a lot of painting going on in and around Nashville lately. I'm not talking about walls or buildings, I'm talking about the music:

Paintin' The Town Tour Ends

For most of the summer, John Berry, Lee Roy Parnell and David Lee Murphy have toured together for the Paintin' The Town tour, playing mostly fairs and festivals in the south. This talented trio of 90's hit-makers are some of Nashville's best talents, and combined they put on one hell of a show.

I caught up with the tour in Nashville, TN at the Tennessee State Fair. A large crowd watched as Lee Roy, David Lee, and then John played 30-40 minute solo sets (With Lee Roy staying to play guitar for the other two) that features each artist's biggest hits and fan favorites. But the highlight of the show comes at the end, where all three take the stage together to perform a few songs. On this night the show was caped by a new performance of "The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down" which they had rehearsed for the first time just hours before.

When I asked John Berry about the tour just the other day, he had this to say: "It's been great, a lot of fun. We have two shows left, Nashville and Niles, MI and we've just been having a great time. I got to write a song "Will You Marry Me" with David Lee Murphy, which was great!"

Ken Mellons Paints Birmingham

Ken Mellons, who you probably know for his mega-hit "Jukebox Junkie" recently released the first single from his forthcoming album Sweet. The single, titled "Paint Me A Birmingham" is a moving ballad that tells the story of a man's lost dream of a perfect life. Featuring guest vocals by Vince Gill, Ken spins this original tale with great emotion, and his performance makes this single easily the best I've heard this year, and perhaps the best in several years!

Sweet will be released on Home Records in late October, and if 'Birmingham' is any indication, it's sure to be a great CD.