C&I Blog

Remember when we told you a while back about a movie Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw were shooting in Nashville? The one in which she played a hard-drinking country music artist, and he played her manager-husband? Well, that movie, originally known as Love Don't Let Me Down, has a new title -- Country Strong -- and a tentative release date: Dec. 22. It's always a little dangerous to rush to assumptions, but a release that late in the year usually indicates that the folks distributing a film are thinking about possible Academy Award nominations. And as Jeff Bridges and Robert Duvall can tell you, there's nothing like playing a faded country star to increase your chances for Oscar gold.

Summer is always one of our favorite times to head for Colorado - now theres one more good reason to head for the Rocky Mountains.
Starting this week, Michael Martin Murphey headlines the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad Roots & Boots Summer Concert Series. This marks Murphey's third year performing every single weekend in July -- but the only way to hear him is by hitching a ride on the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad by boarding the train in either Alamosa or La Veta.
You can book your reservation online for a limited time to get tickets at a special price for both the train ride and concert for $20 coach or $30 for an upgrade. Enjoy some scrumptious BBQ while listening to Murphey perform his crowd-pleasing cowboy favorites. Price of admission includes a meet-and-greet with Murphey.
For more information, visit www.coloradotrain.com, or call 877-726-RAIL.

There's still a few days left to bid on this Yamaha F 325, donated and signed by Jeff Connors (son of Chuck “The Rifleman” Connors), in support of National Day of the Cowboy 501(c)3's fundraising efforts. Connors is an enthusiastic advocate for the NDOC, and with his help, the National Day of the Cowboy organization has passed it around to numerous other friends and celebs who have signed it in turn. Pictured is champion yodeler and cowboy poet Gary McMahan, signing the guitar at the Olde Town Pickin' Parlor in Arvada, Colorado. McMahan joined notables such as Ray Benson, Michael Martin Murphey, Jamey Johnson, and Johnny Bush.

The Ebay auction began for this new Yamaha 325 guitar on Thursday, July 1, and will run through July 10th. The winning bidder will also receive the photos of the signers, a Certificate of Authenticity to veryify that the signatures are legitimate, and a soft black case for the guitar.

The National Day of the American Cowboy this year is July 24 - for more information, visit www.nationaldayoftheamericancowboy.com

Just in time to capitalize on the phenomenon that is The Twilight Saga: Eclipse -- which, not incidentally, broke all box-office records for a midnight movie premiere during last night's nationwide screenings -- country music artist Colt Ford has put a little twang into Twilight with the new music video for his chart-climbing tune "Chicken and Biscuits."

A huge fan of the entire Twilight franchise, Colt intended his video -- directed by Jason "Potsy" Ponciroli, and filmed on location in Nolensville, TN -- as a spoofy tribute with appeal for both country music fans and the legions of Twihards. "Twilight is such a great love story," Colt says, "and 'Chicken and Biscuits' is a love song about my wife and all country girls. I think the concept of this video is really funny. I hope everyone likes it as much as I do.”

The video offers playful allusions to Twilight regulars Bella, Jacob and the entire Cullen clan, and features Colt himself as the brooding Edward. The big difference is, instead of craving blood, this Edward has an insatiable desire for -- yes, you guessed it! -- Bella's southern-fried chicken and biscuits.

Free for you from Hulu.com: Riders of Destiny, a 1933 five-reeler (barely 53 minutes long) that marked John Wayne's one and only appearance as a singing cowboy. Yes, that's right: Long before Gene Autry and Roy Rogers were crooning tunes while riding the range, The Duke was strumming his guitar and serenading the sagebrush as "Singin' Sandy," a U.S. Secret Service Agent on the trail of a duplicitous land-grabber (Forrest Taylor) and his murderous henchman (Yakima Canutt). Indeed, the movie actually begins with Wayne warbling a ballad that ends with a warning: "There'll be guns a-blazin', a-blazin' with lead. Tonight you'll be drinking your drinks with the dead." No kidding. Wayne biographer Maurice Zolotow insisted in his book Shooting Star that The Duke did his own singing in Riders of Destiny. According to other sources, however, Wayne's singing voice (noticeably unlike his speaking voice) was dubbed by Bill Bradbury -- son of the film's director, Robert Bradbury Jr., and twin brother of Western movie star Bob Steele.