Nashville, Tennessee (Top40 Charts/
Gretchen Wilson Official Website) -
Gretchen Wilson just returned from the West Coast run of her 'Back To The Bars' tour, where she performed for intimate gatherings and large, unruly crowds from San
Diego to Seattle .
After performing at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo last week, she headed out to San Diego to perform an intimate concert for 50 KUSS Radio listeners at the station's US 95.7 Rest Stop. That afternoon she went across town to perform for all of the KSON listeners who had pledged to be St. Jude Partners In Hope – at a cost of $320 per ticket!
The next stop was Tacoma , Washington , where Gretchen and her band performed a stripped-down concert for 50 lucky KKWF Radio listeners. She signed autographs and took pictures with everyone in attendance before heading up to Seattle for another St. Jude event at EMP (Experience Music Project.) An estimated 800 KMPS listeners were in attendance at the unique interactive music museum – the brainchild of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen – and station PD Becky Brenner gave credit to Gretchen for helping the station increase donations on their St. Jude Radiothon by 20% over last year.
On Tuesday, Gretchen and her crew bussed down to Portland for a concert and lunch with 50 KUPL listeners at the station's 'Meet N' Eat' event. Gretchen took time between songs chat with and take questions from listeners. That night, it was on to Duke's, a popular country bar on the outskirts of Portland . KWJJ PD Mike Moore said demand for tickets was 'crazy,' and the 600 people who packed in the small venue literally never stopped screaming from start to finish. The event that night raised over $23,000 for the Dornbecker Children's Hospital in Portland .
Gretchen Wilson exploded onto the national scene three years ago with her smash hit 'Redneck Woman' and has since racked up sales of well over six million units of her Here For The Party and All Jacked Up albums. She recently completed her third album, One of the Boys, and it will hit stores May 15, 2007 on the Columbia Nashville label.
'I am very proud of this album and can't wait for people to start hearing it,' said an elated Wilson. 'I took more time to write and record this album than I was able to on the first two, and I feel like this really reflects where I am in my life right now. There are songs that show a softer side – more vulnerable – but there are definitely still some butt-kickers!'
Gretchen produced the album with the help of Mark Wright and John Rich, who both had a hand in producing her first two discs. Hit songwriter Rivers Rutherford – who wrote 'When I Get Where I'm Going' for Brad Paisley, 'Living Fast Forward' for Kenny Chesney and Gretchen's 'Homewrecker' - also co-wrote three songs and associate-produced "If You Want A Mother" on One of the Boys.
The new CD will hit stores the same day the Academy of Country Music Awards show airs on the CBS Television Network, where she received three nominations in the Vocal Event of the Year category. She will support the release with a solid round of television performances as well as appearances on the CMT and GAC cable networks.
