New album hits the right note

On With the Show's

Flashback to 1992

By SHIRLEY BROUN

RENOWNED as being one of Australia's most loved country music ambassadors in the USA, Arthur Blanch, is currently attracting rave reviews for his latest album `You Don't Know Me'.

Arthur Blanch

Arthur, who recently visited his beloved homeland of Australia with lovely wife Berice, has long been a key figure in the country music scene both in Australia and his current base in Nashville, Tennessee.

His daughter, Jewel Blanch, a popular country singer has also settled in the States with husband Barry and six month old son Tyler, and runs her own music publishing and personal management business.

As for Arthur, he maintains a hectic touring schedule being in demand for live performances across the country.

According to all reports, country music is really taking off in a big way in the States, experiencing a `boom' period and covering new territory by capturing music's mainstream listeners.

Branson, Missouri, in the picturesque Ozark Mountains, is fast becoming the new `live' country music capital in the US, just as Nashville is the country recording centre of the world.

Arthur said the town, which attracts up to 30,000 fans each weekend, hosts 26 venues featuring live country music with famous artists such as Glen Campbell, Roy Clark, Andy Williams and Vince Gill among the proprietors. "I really enjoy performing at these venues and the crowds are terrifi"c," said Arthur.

The famous Gatlin Bros are also building a $6mil theatre in the town and Arthur has already been asked to perform at the venue.

A multi-Golden Guitar winner at the Australasian Country Music Awards in Tamworth, Arthur is in great demand for live appearances both in the corporate and public arenas.

At a major basketball tournament at Vanderbilt University, Arthur's name was emblazoned in lights across the stadium and he was asked to include both the Australian and American anthems in his performance.

Arthur, who will return to Australian in July for the Tamworth on Parade Concert in the Sydney Opera House followed by the Spirit of Tamworth Tour around Australia, is delighted with his latest recording success.

His 1991 Australian country hit `The Best Performance of the Year' and `Let Me Be the First To Go' (1990) are both included on the new album.

Three of the tracks were written by Ned Miller, best known for his hit `From a Jack To a King', while five were written by the legendary songwriter Harlan Howard whose hits have been recorded over the years by most of the big stars from the late Patsy cline to Randy Travis and Ricky Van Shelton.

UPDATE 2013

Multi-Award winner Arthur Blanch is nearing 65 years as a recording artist, no mean feat in the tough world of music. Four years in a row, Arthur won Australian Golden Guitar awards at Tamworth, two for Male Vocalist of the Year, two for Album of the Year. The television special based on his first Golden Guitar winning album "The Lady And The Cowboy" was telecast in Australia and America, and he is still celebrating chart successes. Arthur was inducted into the Country Music Roll of Renown in 2001 and the Galaxy of Stars in 2002. Arthur is one of Australia's most successful international country music entertainers, having spent extensive time in the USA recording, performing on stage, and on television including the Nashville Network. He has had several Billboard chart singles, as well as performing on the Grand Ole Opry.

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