Kenny Ray Horton: News

Hey everyone!

Voice is back and I am back among the living! Thank you for all of the notes and well-wishes I received! Headed out to Poolesville tonight to do a little singin! Hoping all of you can make it out. The light snow that we are getting should just give us a little fun atmosphere to have a good time in!

Working on new gigs for the summer and hoping all of you can come out to hear the new material this year. I have been doing a lot of writing with Darren Beachley and even found a break in Rhonda Vincent's schedule to get the privilege to work with her a little as well.

For those of you who keep to the website on a regular basis, we will start having some samples of music coming up on the next record for anyone who signs up for the newsletter. Those who are already signed up will receive an email sending you a link to the new material when it is ready. This way, no one misses out!

Stay tuned and if you make it out to a show, come say hello. 

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

Hey everyone!

Thank you to everyone for all of the kind get-well wishes. I have been down with that infamous bug going around and would like to think that I am on the up-swing...(tell my body that). I will be up and runnin' as soon as I can. More gigs to come soon!

 

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

To everyone who has planned to come out to the Beans in the Belfry show tonight in Brunswick, MD, I sincerely apologize. Due to illness which caused me to lose my voice, the show for tonight has been cancelled. There were many who planned to be there who emailed us about their excitement to see the show - I wish there was a way to make it happen.After trying all day to get things turned around with my voice, we had to face the fact that we had to cancel.

I will be trying to get the date rescheduled as soon as we can, but please watch for other dates in which we will be supporting Habitat for Humanity in the future.

Again, I sincerely apologize for having to do this but we will be back!

 HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

Just wanted to share my excitement with you about the review that I received in this months Bluegrass Unlimited!

I really appreciate the kind words they had for the record and for my writing! It really makes me want to work that much harder on the next project! 

Please go check out the review at Kenny Ray's BU Review!

 

Thanks to all of you who have supported this record!

 

HPLJ,

 

Kenny Ray

Hey everyone!

Thanks for checking in! Just wanted to let you know that we are hard at work on the new record for next year! I hope that it is as popular with everyone as our first release! 

We are also looking forward to some fantastic dates for next year! As we develop the show listing, I hope you will check back with us and help us with our new plan to get some feet on the streets in your town when we come out! 

It has been great meeting a bunch of new friends and great artists this year. Artists like Rhonda Vincent and Brandon Rickman have been a great pleasure to meet and I hope we can work together in the future.

Stay tuned for some snippets of some of the future songs from the next record as we get things put together! 

Until then,

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

I just wanted to to tell everyone who has been supporting this project since it's little release, THANK YOU for all of your support! From buying the record to giving DJ's their only copy to simply telling their friends. I really appreciate it.

We did the Benefit Concert in Brunswck, MD opening for Darren Beachley and I just couldn't believe the response. All who saw our show was very complimentary and those who could, showed their support by buying the new CD and others were kind enough to come by and say very nice things. Thanks to all of you for that! What a successful event!

A very special thank you to Darren Beachley for allowing this new kid in Bluegrass to have a shot to open for him and his group!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

I couldn't believe when I heard Kyle Cantrell of Sirius XM Radio give me one of the best plugs I've ever heard. Then he played the song - WOW! 

If any of you have Sirius XM Radio, please write in and ask them to play whichever of my tunes is your favorite. 

So far, we also have 45 - 50 reporting radio stations that are playing the CD across the country. A huge thank you to all of you who are willing to spin the album and also to those of you have called or wrote in and requested songs from the album. 

HPLJ,

 

Kenny Ray

Hey Y'all,

Darren Beachley did me a huge favor the other day on WAMU ww.bluegrasscountry.org and gat the new record a plug. Can't thank him enough for that! 

We are getting together for a gig in Brunswick, MD on July 25th. We are really looking forward to getting the opportunity to open for him and the Legends of the Potomac. If you can make it, y'all gotta head out and support this fundraising event!

Details are in the shows section of the site.

The new single, 'A Canary's Song', is going to 300 radio stations on the 15th of May. We are really excited about the opportunity to get our music out to folks across the country.

Be listening for it and if you hear it getting played, email us here at kennyray@kennyrayhorton.com - we'd love to know!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

We just got a note form Kyle Cantrell of SiriusXM Radio's Bluegrass Junction letting us know that the new record is getting some rotation on their station!

A big thanks to Kyle for listening to the CD and having faith enough to spin it! 

Those of you who have satellite radio, please listen in when you get a chance and let us know if you hear us on there!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

I had an absolutely fantastic time at WAMU with Katy Daley today! After fighting traffic, I got in and sat down with her to visit a little bit about my new album and I hope it sounded like as much fun as it was!

I want to extend a great big THANK YOU to Katy Baley and her gang at WAMU and www.bluegrasscountry.org! You all are doing a fantastic job and playing some great tunes!

Thank you for an opportunity I will not forget and for being the first to help me promote the new album!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

The CDs are here and they are ready to go out! For those who already placed their reserve order, they go in the mail today and are on their way!

Please be listening for us on your local bluegrass radio station. We will be doing our best to get out to each and every station that is interested in playing our new record!

If you know of a station that you think would be interested in playing it, please email us the call letters and city of your radio station and we'll do the rest!

For those of you who have been waiting for your copy that you pre-ordered - it is on it's way to you...if you haven't ordered your yet, we have them in and ready to go!

Thanks for all of the support in getting this far, but we still have a little ways to go!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

What a great time we had a Lake Havasu this weekend! Larry Baker and the gang out there are just simply awesome! To have stepped into Wayne Taylor's position in the band and be accepted like that from the such wonderful fans...what a feeling!

We did a lot of the new material out there and it was very welcomed by the folks out there. I look forward to getting back out there next year!

To all of you at Lake Havasu Bluegrass - I am a huge fan of all of you that attended and put this on! It couldn't have been more fun!!!


HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

If you have never felt the thrill of flying - you should try. Some are frightened to pieces by it, but it is more safe than riving a car!

I had the privilege of going up with my good friend, Jon Nelson, for the first time in a low winged aircraft. A Piper Cherokee to be exact! The day had no clouds at all and the view was spectacular!

All of you should try it next year! With some of the new ideas coming around - it might be easier to do than you think!

Flying over the festival was wonderful! It was great to see everyone enjoying the music and hanging out with each other.

Jon, thank you for the wonderful experience and I have to say - I have flown with a few folks and I had not only a great flight, but fantastic conversation as well. Great to see you and I look forward to hanging out more real soon!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

We flew into Lake Havasu, AZ yesterday, and what a wonderful welcome!

This crew has been a favorite bunch of friends of Country Current for many years! There are more hilarious stories involving this group of wonderful people than I could ever tell, and after meeting them, I know they are all true.

Larry, Sondra and the gang are doing it right and make it known that it is all about the people - the friends!

I am honored to be considered a member of the family!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

I just received a great email from John Lawless of The Bluegrass Blog. I was astounded to find out that they have already put out my first press release about the new record.

I cannot thank those guys enough! I feel like John did a fantastic job on the article. This feels like such a great welcome to the bluegrass community - Thank you John and The Bluegrass Blog!!!

Now, I only hope that the world of bluegrass is as excited about the new release as I am. All of us here are very proud! At the least, I got to make what I feel is a great record with a bunch of great guys who are my friends, and with people who are some of the best at what they do in bluegrass!

Thanks again to John Lawless and The Bluegrass Blog!!!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

It is official! We have sold our first copy of "A Canary's Song". The pre-order button is up and running on the home page.

A big THANK YOU to Troy Braun in Minnetonka, MN for being the first one to pre-order his copy.

Thank you all for the support and enjoy the record!!!!


HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

We got the final masters from Todd at Echoes Recording and man he did a great job!

I'm really excited for all of you hear this project and we are sending everything out for duplication this week. I don't think we'll hit our hopeful date of the first week in March, but it will be in March!

Stay tuned and thanks for checking in!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

What a great time we have had on this project! Last night was the culmination of all of our hard work and fun!

During the mix-down process we do our best to make it sound great for the listeners. It was nice to be able to enjoy the playing of all of the folks involved.

To the players: You all did a fantastic job and I cannot thank you enough for being a part of this project.

To the fans: I really hope you like this project. The guys that played on it poured their hearts into it and still we all had a great time doing it! I would be honored if you liked it enough to pass the word around about it when it comes out!

Another step closer to getting the CD in the listeners hands...and still having fun!


HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

If you have ever done any recording in a studio that seemed more like a hospital than a comfortable to place to relax - then you would love to record where I got the opportunity to do my project.

Todd Stotler has created a place at Echoes Recording Studio in Sharpsburg, MD (in the middle of Antietam Battlefield) that you can kick back and relax and focus on what is important - the music!

Todd, thanks a ton to you for all of your help and allowing me to bring my friend in and aletting us cut up and have a good time making music.

If it weren't for the atmosphere you provided at your studio - I don't know that it would have turned out as well as I feel like it did. One thing is for certain - we would not have had nearly as much fun!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

OK...what is the lowest bass voice you have ever heard?

There are only a handful of people in the world that are in the category of singers this guy is. Courtney has a voice so low that when he laid down the bass vocal line on "Grateful" and "Cold Cold Water" the entire studio shook. He was in the basement and the place didn't even have one!

At the front of the record y'all will hear me teasin this guy a little bit - but when it got down to business, Courtney put down a foundation to stack the harmonies on that you could park a train on. In a word - STOUT!

If you watched this years inauguration on television, you are already familiar with some of Courtney's work. He was the voice that introduced America's 44th President.

One hell of a nice guy, a true country boy, and an amazing singer. I hope you love the record - but I'm certain you will like what this guys has to offer on this project.

Thanks, Courtney!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

Jeremy is the newest member of the Navy's bluegrass group The Country Current.

This is Jeremy's debut appearance to the bluegrass world playing bass and I think listeners will be impressed with this great talent!

He originally hails from Cincinnati, OH and lived near Nashville, TN for several years. Music has been a part of his life since he was a child and his playing on bass is only one of the many talents this man has.

You will also hear Jeremy singing harmonies on this project. This guy is a true talent. I look forward to the bluegrass world hearing what he does. I'm certain that once he is heard, he will be welcomed with open arms.

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

How can you do a record without the rollin banjo in the back? And if you are going to have a banjo in the mix, everyone might as well be having some fun.

Keith Arneson brought a ton of humor and even more great playing to this project. Not only that, "Horses You Can't Tame" would never have made the project of it weren't for Keith.

A fellow band mate in Country Current, playing music with Keith has been a great pleasure. I know that if Keith is on the gig, I'm gonna smile that day and get a laugh out of something. I can also count on him to catch me when I forget a word (or a few).

The banjo solo on "That's How Forever Ends" is another one of the takes on this project that I am really proud of. This is one of the most beautiful banjo solos that I have ever heard.

Keith, thank you for making this so easy and fun. Nothing makes the studio wear on a person like not having any fun - you helped make it a great time.

If I had known we would have had that much fun and that the project would be this great - I would have done this sooner.

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

When you hear the fiddle tracks on this new project, you will understand why Pat White is a very well respected fiddle player.

Pat co-wrote "Mailpouch Chew", bringing me the guitar lick and giving me the scenario he saw for the song in his mind.

The track, "That's How Forever Ends" showcases Pat with a three fiddle solo that will amaze you!

The entire song is made with these tracks and this fiddle man made it look easy - and trust me, it's not!

Pat is a fellow band mate in Country Current and a major contributor to this project. His input on this record made it fun to do and something I am and will be very proud of for the rest of my life.

Many long hours were spent at the studio by all of the players. Pat was there for all of it and went over the project before the final mix to make certain everything was as it should be for the bluegrass fans, while at the same time making certain that this was a Kenny Ray Horton record.

I look forward to everyone giving a listen to "That's How Forever Ends" - once you hear it - I think you'll want to play it over and over again.

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

Another great musician that participated on this record, Darren Beachley, has been fantastic in allowing a newby to the bluegrass world work him over in the studio.

The vocals that Darren agreed to lay down were in the stratosphere, yet he laid them down like they were easy to reach.

Darren, having you be a part of this project made it fun and really made the vocals right on this thing.

Everyone look for Darren releasing his new solo project soon!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray

I was blown away yesterday in the studio. I was fortunate enough to get the privilege to ask Mike Auldridge to play dobro on my project.

The magic this guys works on the music that he plays is incredible. When you hear the dobro tracks, I think you will understand.

All the guys in the studio have looked up to Mike for a long time, not only as a musician, but as a person as well. If you ever get the honor of meeting Mike, you will walk away from the experience knowing you have just met a truly kind human being.

Mike, I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to be a part of this little project of mine. I am awfully proud of it and it is because of the musicians that showed up and poured their heart into the music and had a good time with it that I feel so great about it!

HPLJ,

Kenny Ray