Statues of Two Famous Nelsonians presented to the Oakland Museum

Life-size bronze statues of Earl Hamner Jr., creator of “The Waltons,” and Jimmy Fortune, formerly of the Statler Brothers, were unveiled at a ceremony at the Nelson County Historical Society’s Oakland Museum on Saturday, July 8, at 11 a.m.

Kami Cotler, who played the youngest Walton, Elizabeth, and Michael McGreevey, an actor and writer on the show and a co-producer of a documentary on Hamner, spoke at the event.

Cotler, a prominent cast member of “The Homecoming” and “The Waltons” beginning at age 6, and who lived in Nelson and taught in the school system, arranged for other cast members to produce a video expressing their memories of Hamner. It was shown at the unveiling. Hamner died in 2016 and July 10 marked his 100th birthday.

Fortune and members of his family were present for the unveiling. Fortune spoke about his relationship with Hamner.

The museum also premiered exhibits on Hamner and “Rhythms Past and Present,” honoring Fortune and other prominent local musicians with photos, biographies and videos of interviews and performances. The musical heritage exhibit is partially funded by a grant from Bama Works, a charitable foundation of the Dave Matthews Band.

Lyndon Cook, a retired college professor and longtime fan of Fortune’s, commissioned the statues by Stan Watts, a noted artist and sculptor. One of Watts’ most famous pieces is entitled, “To Lift a Nation,” and is taken from the famous photo of New York City firefighters raising a flag over the collapsed World Trade Center site. Funding for the statue of Hamner was donated by the Chris and Andrea Lee family, and Steve and Annie Zolman donated the statue of Fortune.

When Cook approached Fortune to propose the statue, Fortune said he would allow it if Cook would also commission a statue of Hamner, with whom he became close after being asked to appear in and sing in a video documentary on Hamner’s life called “Storyteller.” Behind the scenes footage of Fortune singing “Virginia Dreams” and “How Great Thou Art” at the old Hamner home and Schuyler Baptist Church will be shown in the museum exhibit, as will a video of Michael Learned and Hamner talking about “The Waltons.”

To see the statues in person go to the Nelson County’s Historical Society’s Oakland Museum at 5365 Thomas Nelson Hwy Arrington, VA 22922. For more information click here.

The post Jimmy Fortune and Earl Hamner, Jr statues unveiled in Nelson County, VA appeared first on Jimmy Fortune.

Acclaimed supergroup to release accompanying
DVD/TV special, filmed at The Grand Ole Opry’s Studio A,
hosted by The Statler Brothers’ Don Reid

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct.  2023) — “Country, bluegrass, gospel dream team” (Cowboys & Indians) Brothers of the Heart — featuring award-winning artists Jimmy Fortune, Bradley Walker, Mike Rogers and Ben Isaacs — will deliver its third album, Will The Circle Be Unbroken, on Nov. 3, 2023, via Gaither Music Group.

On the 12-track record, produced by group member and Grand Ole Opry member Ben Isaacs, the Brothers reimagine country, gospel and pop classics, including “Seven Bridges Road,” “I Can See Clearly Now,” “How Great Thou Art,” the album’s title track and more. The supergroup, composed of world-class vocalists/instrumentalists, once again showcases its signature seamless harmonies and impeccable arrangements on the anticipated new record.

“Will the Circle Be Unbroken is a continuation of the great music that I get to be a part of with these talented guys who are family to me,” says Isaacs. “I love taking the songs that we grew up on and have loved for so long and re-introducing them in our style. Jimmy, Mike and Bradley are singing better than ever, and we are excited to share this project with you.”

Will the Circle Be Unbroken’s first digital single, the Brothers’ soaring arrangement of The Temptations’ timeless favorite “My Girl,” is out now — stream it HERE.

Filmed at the iconic Studio A at The Grand Ole Opry and hosted by The Statler Brothers’ Don Reid, the Will the Circle Be Unbroken TV special (also available as a full-length DVD for purchase) is set to air on RFD-TV, PBS, TBN, TCT, Heartland and CTN; it will air in Canada on Vision TV, CTS, The Miracle Channel and Hope TV.

The recording will be featured on Gaither Radio on Pandora, Gaither Radio on Amazon, the Gaither Amazon storefront, the Front Porch Country Gospel Collection on Apple Music, the Gaither Music Facebook page (over 2M followers) and the Gaither Music TV YouTube page (over 3M followers).

Following the Brothers’ acclaimed debut album Brotherly Love (more than 31 million streams worldwide), the quartet released its sophomore project, Listen to the Music, and its accompanying DVD/TV special, earlier this year (Jan. 20).

The group appears regularly on The Opry, in addition to full touring schedules individually and a select number of dates as Brothers of the Heart.

The Will the Circle Be Unbroken CD and DVD are distributed by Capitol Christian Music Group and Universal Music. For more information, visit Gaither.com.

To order the CD or DVD click here

Will the Circle Be Unbroken Album Track Listing: 

1. There Goes My Everything
2. Church In The Wildwood
3. My Girl
4. Waitin’ For The Sun To Shine
5. Seven Bridges Road
6. It Is No Secret
7. I Can See Clearly Now
8. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
9. Amie
10. More Than A Name On A Wall
11. Will The Circle Be Unbroken?
12. How Great Thou Art

Will The Circle Be Unbroken DVD Track Listing:

1. Amie
2. There Goes My Everything
3. Church In The Wildwood
4. My Girl
5. Waitin’ For The Sun To Shine
6. Seven Bridges Road
7. It Is No Secret
8. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
9. I Can See Clearly Now
10. More Than A Name On A Wall
11. How Great Thou Art
12. Will The Circle Be Unbroken
13. Victory In Jesus

The post Brothers of the Heart Deliver Third Album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, On Nov. 3, 2023 appeared first on Jimmy Fortune.

Brothers of the Heart, featuring award-winning americana/bluegrass/country/gospel artists Jimmy Fortune, Bradley Walker, Mike Rogers, and Ben Isaacs — returns with its 12-track sophomore album “Listen to the Music” this Friday, January 20.

Produced by group member Ben Isaacs, the Brothers reimagine country, gospel and pop classics, including “Ring of Fire,” “Desperado” and “Bye Bye Love,” showcasing the super group’s harmonies and arrangements.

“I feel like it starts with doing your best to honor the music’s roots,” Isaacs says. “There are little signature licks, and I felt like it was important to not change an arrangement so much that you confuse people. So much of this type of record is about recognizability, so you want to do everything that you can to put your stamp on it but to also honor the originals.”

The Brothers will celebrate their new record with a performance on the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday, February 7.

Listen to the Music’s debut track, the group’s reimagining of The Statler Brothers’ “I’ll Go to My Grave Loving You,” above.

Following Brothers of the Heart’s debut album Brotherly Love, with more than 31 million streams worldwide, the “Listen to the Music” record will be accompanied by a performance DVD and TV special. Filmed at the Opry’s iconic Studio A and hosted by The Statler Brothers’ Don Reid, the TV special will debut on Thursday, January 19, at 6:30PM EST on RFD-TV with an additional airing on Saturday, January 21, at 6:00PM EST.

The special will air on UPtv on Sunday, January 29th, at 9:00 AM and will be seen on PBS, TBN, Heartland, GaitherTV, FamilyNet, CTN, GMTN, Guardian, Liberty, TCT and TLN.
“For me, this is so much more than music,” says Walker. “When you hear people talk about this group they say, ‘You can tell that you all love each other, and you can tell you all are having fun.’ That’s the best thing about it to me. That’s so much of the appeal of the group. It’s not just songs, the music, the harmonies and all that, but the love between us and our love for people. I’m so thankful to be a part of this.”

The post Brothers of the Heart – CD/DVD release Jan 20, 2023 appeared first on Jimmy Fortune.

Official Jimmy Fortune YouTube Channel – YouTube

The post Jimmy’s YouTube Channel appeared first on Jimmy Fortune.

Stream “I Believe” HERE.
Stream “Windows” HERE.
Stream “Lessons” HERE.
Stream “Feels Like Christmas” HERE.

“Teaming up with a company like Time Life is quite an honor,” said Fortune. “We just feel blessed to be on board with them.” “Jimmy Fortune is a vital part of country music history and a great live performer that has been with us on a number of our Country Music Cruises,” added Mike Jason, Senior Vice President, Live Entertainment at Time Life. “It’s a real privilege to help share his work with his fans.”

“These albums represent who I am as an artist,” Fortune continues. “I have one foot in country music and the other foot in gospel music – I’m in both worlds and see both worlds. I write and sing about the struggles and the hardships in my country music, like on the albums ‘Lessons’ and ‘Windows.’ In gospel, which you can hear on ‘I Believe,’ it’s about putting it back together, getting back on track, trying to find the right answers through the good Lord above. They both go hand in hand. Sometimes we get bogged down but I try to provide a light through my music for people to come out of the darkness and find something bigger than ourselves.”

“’Lessons’ is one of my favorites. It’s about lessons in life and takes people on a journey through the valleys and mountaintops. I try to drive people to positiveness and to lean on a higher power than ourselves. I hope that this album helps them when they get down to find hope and that higher power. With ‘Windows,’ it’s about looking through the windows of life and seeing the big old world out there and what can we do to impact it in our daily lives. ‘I Believe’ is an album that’s so dear to my heart. It has some of my absolute favorite gospel songs on it, some of the best ever written. The title track was inspired by my mother, who passed away back in 2000. She was such a big inspiration in my life and spent a lot of time praying for all of us kids, every generation to come and for the world. And my hope for ‘Feels Like Christmas’ is that people feel the spirit of Christmas when they listen to it.”

About Time Life: Time Life is one of the world’s pre-eminent creators and direct marketers of unique CD and DVD collections and streaming audio and video content specializing in distinctive multi-media collections that evoke memories of yesterday, capture the spirit of today, and can be enjoyed for a lifetime. TIME LIFE and the TIME LIFE logo are registered trademarks of Time Warner Inc. and affiliated companies used under license by Direct Holdings Americas Inc., which is not affiliated with Time Warner Inc. or Time Inc.

The post JIMMY FORTUNE REISSUES FOUR SOLO ALBUMS TO ALL MAJOR STREAMING SERVICES VIA TIME LIFE appeared first on Jimmy Fortune.

Over 50 LIVE Country Music performances and 25 artist-led interactive events – only on The Country Music Cruise 2023! Hear your favorite artists perform live as we sail from Ft. Lauderdale on January 22nd and return January 29. It’s gonna be an experience you’ll never forget! Book your cabin today and use the promo code JIMMYFAN for insider savings! For more information go to https://countrymusiccruise.com/jimmyfan

The post 2023 Country Music Cruise appeared first on Jimmy Fortune.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country music hitmakers T.G. Sheppard, Kelly Lang, David Frizzell, Rhonda Vincent, T. Graham Brown, and more can be seen on the new television show My Life My Songs, hosted by Jimmy Fortune. The show features interviews with these hit songwriters and recording artists, discussing everything from their careers to the writing of their #1 hit songs. Viewers are able to get the inside scoop on their favorite tunes we all know and love starting the first episode off strong on Monday, March 28 with country music legend T.G. Sheppard as Fortune’s first guest! My Life My Songs with Jimmy Fortune airs on country music TV’s top channels including The Heartland Network, The Family Channel, The Country Network, and more.

For more information and to view the full schedule, visit mylifemysongs.com.

T.G. Sheppard
MAR 28 – Heartland TV / 4:00 PM CDT
MAR 30 – Stryk TV / 7:00 PM CDT / 11:00 PM CDT
APR 01 – The Family Channel / 3:30 PM CDT
APR 01 – Stryk TV / 11:00 PM CDT
APR 03 – RightNow TV / 1:00 AM CDT
APR 03 – The Country Network / 11:00 AM CDT / 9:00 PM CDT
APR 03 – Stryk TV / 5:00 PM CDT
APR 03 – Heartland TV / 6:30 PM CDT

Kelly Lang
APR 18 – Heartland TV / 4:00 PM CDT
APR 18 – RightNow TV / 8:00PM CDT
APR 20 – Stryk TV / 7:00 PM CDT / 11:00 PM CDT
APR 22 – The Family Channel / 3:30 PM CDT
APR 22 – RightNow TV / 8:00 PM CDT
APR 22 – Stryk TV / 8:30 PM CDT
APR 23 – RightNow TV / 1:00 AM CDT
APR 24 – RightNow TV / 1:00 AM CDT
APR 24 – The Country Network / 11:00 AM CDT / 9:00 PM CDT
APR 24 – Stryk TV / 5:00 PM CST
APR 24 – Heartland TV / 6:30 PM CDT

David Frizzell
APR 25 – Heartland TV / 4:00 PM CDT
APR 25 – RightNow TV / 8:00 PM CDT
APR 27 – Stryk TV / 7:00 PM CDT / 11:00 PM CDT
APR 29 – The Family Channel / 3:30 PM CDT
APR 29 – RightNow TV / 8:00 PM CDT
APR 29 – Stryk TV / 8:30 PM CDT
APR 30 – RightNow TV / 1:00 AM CDT
MAY 01 – RightNow TV / 1:00 AM CDT
MAY 01 – The Country Network / 11:00 PM CDT / 9:00 PM CDT
MAY 01 – Stryk TV / 5:00 PM CDT
MAY 01 – Heartland TV / 6:30 PM CDT

Rhonda Vincent
JUN 13 – Heartland TV / 4:00 PM CDT
JUN 13 – Rightnow TV / 8:00 PM CDT
JUN 15 – Stryk TV / 7:00 PM CDT / 11:00 PM CDT
JUN 17 – The Family Channel / 3:30 PM CDT
JUN 17 – RightNow TV / 8:00 PM CDT
JUN 17 – Stryk TV / 8:30 PM CDT
JUN 18 – RightNow TV/ 1:00 AM CDT
JUN 19 – RightNow TV / 1:00 AM CDT
JUN 19 – The Country Network / 11:00 AM CDT / 9:00 PM CDT
JUN 19 – Stryk TV / 5:00 PM CDT
JUN 19 – Heartland TV / 6:30 PM CDT

T. Graham Brown
JUN 20 – Heartland TV / 4:00 PM CDT
JUN 20 – RightNow TV / 8:00 PM CDT
JUN 22 – Stryk TV / 7:00 PM CDT / 11:00 PM CDT
JUN 24 – The Family Channel / 3:30 PM CDT
JUN 24 – RightNow TV / 8:00 PM CDT
JUN 24 – Stryk TV / 8:30 PM CDT
JUN 25 – RightNow TV / 1:00 AM CDT
JUN 26 – RightNow TV / 1:00 AM CDT
JUN 26 – The Country Network / 11: 00 AM CDT / 9:00 PM CDT
JUN 26 – Stryk TV / 5:00 PM CDT
JUN 26 – Heartland TV / 6:30 PM CDT

The post “My Life My Songs” hosted by Jimmy Fortune appeared first on Jimmy Fortune.

Join us virtually from Station Inn with Jimmy Fortune & Friends on December 23, 2020 at 9:00pm Eastern/8:00pm Central. The venue will not be open during this broadcast as this was filmed on 12-13-20 and can only be watched online.

Ben Isaacs, Mike Rogers, Johnny Meyer, and Jenee Fleenor join Jimmy for a Christmas 2020 show. Virtual doors open at 8:30 Eastern/7:30pm Central, show begins at 9:00pm Eastern/ 8pm Central.

If you are not available to watch it when it first airs you can watch it anytime after the debut from your phone, computer, or cast it to your TV over and over again. Catch in on demand the next day, the next week, or the next month. Tickets to the show online can be purchased now (in advance) for $14.99. Go to this link for tickets https://www.stationinntv.com/checkout/christmas-w-jimmy-fortune-december-23rd-2020/purchase?fbclid=IwAR1qATWvcJQL2nEzt6wzAZtGGQySyKduFazH54f52DAfOwbnJix-4TzzsM0

The post Virtual Christmas Show – Jimmy Fortune & Friends at the Station Inn appeared first on Jimmy Fortune.

GAITHER MUSIC GROUP’S BROTHERLY LOVE CD,
FEATURING JIMMY FORTUNE, BRADLEY WALKER,
MIKE ROGERS AND BEN ISAACS, DEBUTS
NO. 2 ON BILLBOARD TOP CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL ALBUMS CHART
AND NO. 16 ON BILLBOARD TOP ALBUM SALES CHART

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Gaither Music Group’s Brotherly Love CD, DVD and TV project, featuring Jimmy Fortune, Bradley Walker, Mike Rogers and Ben Isaacs, continues to gain momentum as the CD debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Christian/Gospel Albums chart and No. 16 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart. Physical copies of the DVD and CD, released digitally May 29, were released on Sept. 4, while the TV special, hosted by Rory Feek, premiered on RFD-TV and Heartland. The TV special will premiere on Circle on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 9 p.m. ET and midnight, re-airing on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET.

The post New CD Billboard charts appeared first on Jimmy Fortune.

The post Award-winning Country, Bluegrass and Gospel Favorites Jimmy Fortune, Bradley Walker, Mike Rogers and Ben Isaacs Join Talents for a Special Recording appeared first on Jimmy Fortune.