Mountain Fever Records is very proud to announce they have signed long-time bluegrass favorite, Michelle Nixon & Drive to their label and will release their debut CD, A Place I Belong on July 12th. The first single, "Your Kind Of Love" is being released to radio programmers today.
Michelle Nixon is no stranger to the stage when it comes to soulful singing.
Listen To Song- Click Here
The Virginia native grew up surrounded by music, began singing in church and joined her first band at the age of 14 embarking on a musical journey that found her singing a variety of gospel and classic country music. Gathering inspiration and style from, among others, Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris, Nixon quickly developed her own powerful sound and won the Virginia Female Vocalist of the Year award in 1990 and 1991. Through a recording collaboration with bluegrass artist Malcolm Pulley, Nixon discovered her love of bluegrass music and founded her own band, Michelle Nixon and Drive in 2002, making a lasting impression on the bluegrass world.In 2006, Nixon won the Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) and later that year was honored to be part of the Daughters of Bluegrass album, Back To The Well which won the International Bluegrass Music Association's Recorded Event of the Year. In 2009, The Daughters of Bluegrass took home the award again for the song, "Proud To Be A Daughter" from their follow-up album, Bluegrass Bouquet.
At the height of a successful career, Nixon suffered a devastating loss that affected her deeply. "After I lost my dad a few years ago, it really rocked my world and I just had to take a long look at myself and make sure my priorities were in the right order because you only get one chance at it all," states Nixon. "I really needed to follow my heart and make my family first in my life." During her hiatus, Nixon focused her attention on her now 20-year marriage to fellow musician Nick and their three children, Tia, Chip and Trace. Now that her youngest child is nearing the end of high school, Nixon felt it was time to get back to bluegrass and the fans that she has missed so much. Word of a potential bluegrass come-back eventually got to Mark Hodges atMountain Fever Records who recognized Nixon's talent and the void she left during her time off the road. "When Mark contacted me and wanted to talk about being part of the Mountain Fever label, it really got my fire going again," states Nixon. "I think they are a great bunch of people and I felt it was a great fit." And Mark Hodges felt the same way. "We are very proud to have Michelle Nixon join our family here at Mountain Fever," he states. "We've been fans of hers for a long time and we feel honored to be chosen as the label to welcome her back to bluegrass."
With her new found relationship with Mountain Fever records in tow, Nixon began working on putting together a new version of her band, Drive, and brought her husband into the mix for the first time. "I am really overjoyed that my husband is part of my band now! We met playing music 22 years ago and I missed him on stage with me." In addition to Nick Nixon on guitar and vocals, Drive will also consist of returning band member Patrick Robertson on guitar and vocals; Tim Newcomb on banjo; Mike Sharp on dobro; Jonathan Dillon on mandolin; and John Wade on bass.
Armed with a new band, new CD, and new website (www.MichelleNixon.com), Nixon is ready to hit the ground running and is excited and hopeful about her return to the stage. "All said, I guess I just missed the music, the fans and friends I have been lucky enough to make," she states. "God has blessed me so much with a wonderful husband, a great family and a wealth of friends and I hope everyone will understand that I have always appreciated them and am so thankful for their love and support of my music. But I had to follow my heart and make my family first in my life. Now that I have healed, refueled, rekindled and gotten right with me, I am ready to get some good music out there again."
"Your Kind Of Love"
(written by Nick Nixon and Michelle Nixon)
For more information on Michelle Nixon & Drive, including tour dates and new music, please visit www.MichelleNixon.com or www.MountainFever.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment