For Immediate Release
Bluebird North songwriters showcase goes Country!
Ray St. Germain, Dave Wasyliw among featured September 22 performers
(Winnipeg, August 30, 2011) The Songwriters Association of Canada, along with Manitoba Music and the Manitoba Country Music Association, is pleased to present an “all country” Bluebird North event at The Park Theatre on Thursday September 22, 2011.
What: BLUEBIRD NORTH songwriters showcase featuring: Renee Lamoureux, Heather Longstaffe, Ray St. Germain and Dave Wasyliw
When: Thursday September 22, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Park Theatre (698 Osborne Street), Winnipeg, Manitoba
Tickets: $15 at the door, $12 for Manitoba Music, Songwriters Association of Canada and MCMA members
“The Manitoba Country Music Association is very excited about joining with the Songwriters Association of Canada for the first time on the Bluebird North showcase. We have a great line up of performers and it will be fantastic show!” says MCMA Director Janice Starodub. The Manitoba Country Music Association is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the promotion, development, and enhancement of all aspects of Manitoba country music (www.manitobacma.com).
Bluebird North: Where Writers Sing and Tell is a songwriters' showcase presented by the Songwriters Association of Canada (S.A.C.). Every show features a different line-up of talented Canadian songwriters who take turns sharing songs and stories in an informal, acoustic atmosphere.
The event was originally inspired the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville where writers were given a dedicated stage and a listening audience. Performer Heather Longstaffe, a Manitoban who resides in Nashville, knows the café well. “The first time I went to the Bluebird Cafe was on my very first trip to Nashville. I just wanted to see what it was about. Immediately I was blown away by the caliber of writers I was getting to see perform their hits, literally four feet from my face. It is one of the most inspiring venues I have ever been to. Everytime I go to the Bluebird, I write a song in the car on the way home,” says Longstaffe.
In Winnipeg, Bluebird North is produced by Chris Burke-Gaffney for the S.A.C. This event also takes place in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and St. John’s. Bluebird North is sanctioned by the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee.
Winnipeg musician and radio personality Kimberley Dawn (QX104 FM) will emcee the event.
For more information on the S.A.C.’s mandate, activities and membership programs, please visit www.songwriters.ca. Media inquiries can be directed to Bluebird North publicist Lisa Saunders at 204.799.4641 or lisa@soundstrategy.ca.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:
Heather Longstaffe is the 2011 winner of the Radio Star National Songwriting Competition. She has opened shows for Jaydee Bixby and Emerson Drive, and was also selected for a 2009 CCMA New Artist Showcase. Heather has spent most of this year between Nashville and Toronto, both writing for herself and fellow artists like Laurell, Kate Todd, and FLO. She is currently in the process of signing with EMI Music Publishing Canada. Check out more of Heather at www.heatherlongstaffe.com.
Renee Lamoureux is one half of the popular musical duo, Keith and Renee, which has been touring and recording fiercely over the past 15 years. With their most recent album “Best Day”, Keith and Renee has gone a little bit country. It’s a welcomed transition; “Best Day” has already cracked the Top 100 on the Neilsen BDS country radio charts. Their fifth CD demonstrates a natural progression of their sound, inspired by their tours in the U.S. and Africa. The duo has experienced more in the last fifteen years than most of us do in a lifetime. From spending two summers in Kenya as ambassadors for Free the Children, to having their song Good Year chosen as the theme for Manitoba’s 2010 Homecoming campaign, they’ve come a long way from their first awkward meeting at a church in Ile des Chenes.
Born in 1940, Ray St. Germain started playing music and singing while growing up in St. Vital. He started out on accordion but switched over to guitar as a teenager because it looked a little silly jumping all over the stage with an accordion. He began performing all over Canada when he was still a teenager, earning the nickname "Winnipeg's Elvis", traveling with Hal Lone Pine, Betty Cody and their son Jazz Legend Lenny Breau. His career hasn't really let up since. During that time, he's performed on the bill with such greats as Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, and Johnny Horton. His music has taken him around the world, letting him travel to places like Germany, Israel and Cyprus, and across Canada. He clearly loves the performer's life and hasn't slowed down a bit. Ray has been seen nationally on CBC, Global, APTN and CKY as a performer, television producer/singer/host. Ray was also the radio host/program manager at NCI-FM. Ray recently added author to his repertoire as he wrote his autobiography "I Wanted to be Elvis, so What was I doing in Moose Jaw?". Ray is currently releasing his latest album entitled "We All Make Mistakes Sometimes" and enjoys performing stage shows across Canada.
From a small town in rural Manitoba came the highly-regarded, multiple award-winning country rock band, Doc Walker. And from Doc Walker comes gomie. Dave Wasyliw, a third of the award winning songwriting trio whose co-efforts have amassed over 20 top ten singles released on Doc Walker’s Curve (2001), Everyone Aboard (2003), Doc Walker (2006), 2009 Juno Country Recording of the Year, Beautiful Life (2008) and Go (2009). His vocal harmonies are a staple of the Doc Walker sound, but Dave is ready for his solo voice to be heard.
The S.A.C. gratefully acknowledges the support of The SOCAN Foundation and the Government of Canada through the Creators' Assistance Component and Support to Sector Associations Program of the Canada Music Fund.
