NASHVILLE, TN. (Sony
Music Nashville/ www.gretchenwilson.com) - New country sensation
Gretchen Wilson has captured a host of awards and nominations, registered shipments of over 3,000,000 copies of her debut album "Here For The Party," toured coast-to-coast and border-to-border and is now set to appear on the top-rated news magazine show "60 Minutes" this Sunday, December 19.
Two weeks after Ed Bradley sat down with music icon Bob Dylan for the singer/songwriter's first television interview in 19 years, Bradley catches up with Wilson to document her meteoric rise to fame. A legendary reporter who has won numerous awards for his coverage of wars, politics and personalities in his 33+ years with the show, Bradley pulled no punches when he delved into Wilson's rural upbringing, her family, getting turned down by every record label and her life since becoming a household name.
Bradley joined Wilson in Nashville and the two strolled down Broadway to the world-famous Tootsies Orchid Lounge, where many country stars performed for tip money while awaiting their big break. The next stop was the historic Ryman Auditorium where Gretchen recounted the night she and several friends found an open door late one night, stole inside and sang a Patsy Cline song before getting kicked out by a security guard.
The next day Gretchen and Ed Bradley toured her hometown of Pocahontas, Illinois, beginning in the former Big O's nightspot where she began tending bar and singing to CDs at age 14. Across town Bradley sat down for an in-depth interview at one of Wilson's old haunts - a club called Hoosier Daddy's.
60 Minutes cameras followed her to St. Louis later that night where Gretchen's mother and brother introduced her on stage in front of 20,000 country music fans at the UMB Bank Pavilion. The show later taped her first headline date at the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Veteran 60 Minutes staffer John Hamlin and Richard Buddenhagen produced the feature, which will air on CBS Television Network this Sunday, December 19 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Gretchen took home two Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas last week - Female Country Artist of the Year and New Country Artist of the Year. She also garnered an impressive four Grammy nominations for Best New Artist (all genres), Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song for "Redneck Woman" and Best Country Album for Here For The Party. She also recently pulled in awards from the Country Music Association and the American Music Awards.
