Eaglemania

Little River Band

The Eagles founding member, the late Glenn Frey, knew what he was saying when he dubbed Little River Band “the best singing band in the world.” Through the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, LRB enjoyed huge chart success with multi-platinum albums and chart topping hits like:  “Reminiscing”, “Cool Change”, “Lonesome Loser”, “The Night Owls”, “Take It Easy On Me”, “Help Is on Its Way”, “Happy Anniversary”, “We Two”,  “Man On Your Mind”, “The Other Guy”, and It’s A Long Way There Worldwide album, CD sales and digital downloads now top 30 million and LRB has set a record for having had Top 10 hits for 6 consecutive years - In fact, they were the very first band to achieve that remarkable status! According to BMI, “Reminiscing” has garnered rare status with over 5 million airplays on American radio, and “Lady” is close behind with over 4 million airplays.  Bassist/vocalist Wayne Nelson joined the band in 1980, and worked alongside founding members with some of the most distinctive harmonies and vocal abilities, creating the unique LRB sound. In 1981, Nelson was recognized by world renowned Beatles producer Sir George Martin whom, while producing ‘Time Exposure’, chose Nelson to record lead vocals on two of the band’s biggest hits, “The Night Owls” and “Take It Easy On Me.” Later that same year guitarist extraordinaire Stephen Housden joined LRB bringing a rock element into the band’s sound.   That helped to contribute to their string of Top 10 hits.  As band members departed, both Housden and Nelson worked together to bring LRB into the new millennium.    To date, lead singer/bassist Wayne Nelson has contributed his vocal and bass guitar talents on 22 Little River Band Albums/CD’s.  LRB continues to perform to sold out audiences, and Stephen Housden continues to write and participate in all things Little River Band.  In 2004 LRB was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame at the 18th Annual ARIA Music Awards and in September 2015 the band was awarded Casino Entertainer of the Year at the G2E Gaming Expo in Las Vegas Nevada.  Turning the page brings us to the current lineup of Little River Band…  Keyboardist Chris Marion is a Dove Award winning producer. Chris is the creator of all the orchestral arrangements and charts on The Big Box. It is amazing to watch him play, sing, and conduct from his riser!  Lead Guitarist Rich Herring is a highly skilled player, singer, and producer of many Nashville artists…not to mention a great songwriter. He and Wayne have co-produced every LRB project since he joined the band.  Drummer Ryan Ricks has locked down the rhythm section, and rounds out the vocals with his incredible range. Great singing drummers are rare…and LRB is lucky to have Ryan as part of that all-important vocal blend.  Nashville Guitarist Colin Whinnery plays rhythm and lead guitar, and shares lead vocal duties with Wayne. He brings a brand new voice and a fresh outlook to the rhythm section.  Early 2014 saw the release of Little River Band’s, ‘Cuts Like a Diamond,’ on Frontiers Records.  “What If You’re Wrong,” went to #1 and stayed there for 3 weeks says Jim Shoe of CLASSX Radio.  “Forever You, Forever Me,” and “You Dream, I’ll Drive,” both climbed into the station’s TOP 3.   In November of 2016, LRB released, ‘The Hits…Revisited,’ on Wurld Records -  a CD consisting of 9 re-recorded hits along with 2 new songs.   May of 2017 brought the release of ‘The Big Box’ -  a box set consisting of 6 disc’s featuring a DVD with live footage from their 40th Anniversary Tour.  It Easy On Me were hits in 5th and 6th y  Bringing their vocal and musical energy along with great arrangements to their timeless classic hits, each show creates new memories for the audience.  The band enjoys watching their fans fall in love with the songs all over again as they are swept up by the show’s powerful performance and the volume of hits from LRB’s history.  With 90 -100 dates scheduled for their 2017 tour, Little River Band is hotter than ever selling out shows and making music from coast to coast nationwide continuing their legacy of being “the best singing band in the world.”  Little River Band is:  Wayne Nelson:  Lead Vocals/Bass  Chris Marion:  Keyboards/Vocals  Rich Herring: Lead Guitar/Vocals  Ryan Ricks: Drums/Percussion/Vocals  Colin Whinnery: Guitar/Lead Vocals  

Michael W Smith

“Sometimes you’ve just got to shake things up,” Michael W. Smith says with a smile. After selling more than 15 million albums, scoring 32 No. 1 hits, receiving 2x RIAA Multi-Platinum, 6 Platinum and 16 Gold certified albums, earning three GRAMMYs and 45 Dove Awards, no one would blame the Christian music icon if he decided to coast just a little bit, but that’s just not in his nature. On Sovereign, Smith’s first worship album since 2008 and his first project since signing with Capitol Christian Music Group in 2013, he deliberately steps into a new creative chapter to craft a vibrant collection of vertically focused songs with a fresh sense of musical innovation. “I feel like it’s a good season,” Smith says, leaning forward in a comfortable chair in the 1940s Tennessee farmhouse he’s converted into a studio. “I’m pretty passionate. I have lots of energy and I’m probably enjoying making music more than I ever have in my entire life. I’m having fun and I’m excited about this record and this next chapter.” When it came time to write and record songs for his new album, Smith decided to enlist the talents of several young songwriters and producers that he hadn’t collaborated with previously. “I said, ‘I’m wide open and I need somebody to push me,’” Smith recalls. And he found a willing catalyst in Capitol CMG A&R ace Chris York. “Chris said, ‘Why don’t you write with this person? Why don’t we get this producer?’ I said, ‘Okay, I’ll get out of my comfort zone and try it’ and it’s been awesome! There’s new blood, new territory, new people. I’m freer. I’m willing to take some risks.” Among Smith’s new creative cohorts are Seth Moseley and Kyle Lee, who co- wrote the potent anthem “Miracle.” Smith says that song set the benchmark for the new album. “We went through 115 songs and ‘Miracle’ was the one for us that set the bar, and set it pretty high. Then when we were working on ‘Miracle,’ I asked Seth: ‘What do you have on your computer? What are you excited about?’ So he starts playing this track and I take this acoustic guitar off the wall and start playing ‘You Won’t Let Go.’ I wrote the melody on the acoustic guitar. That’s not the way I usually operate, so it’s just like living on the edge a little bit.” “You Won’t Let Go,” the first single from Sovereign, has quickly become a staple in Smith’s live shows and has given him a triumphant reentry into Christian radio where the song is being enthusiastically embraced. The song’s powerful lyric resonates with believers as Smith sings: “No shadow comes without the light making a way / No raging storm can ever defy one word of faith / My heart remains sure in the wind, Sure in the waves / You are the anchor for my soul You won’t let go / You won’t let go / No matter what may come I know You won’t let go. You won’t let go.” Smith has always had a gift for...(read more) —Michael W. Smith Official Site