The firecracker brunette was raised on the tent revival brand of soul-shaking gospel, swirling with the Holy Spirit and saturated with raw passion.  Music coursed through her veins, seeping deep into her bones, and manifesting as the powerful sultry wailing and soulful crooning that brand Bridgette’s sound uniquely as her own.  “Music is what I was put on this earth to do,” she explains, “and it comes from something much bigger than me.  I’m just a vessel for the music.”

 

This clarity of purpose was born, amazingly, of a violent and senseless attack.  During Bridgette’s shift at a local motel, a disgruntled customer took a razorblade to her face, forcing her into six months of recuperation and some serious soul searching.  She recognized her calling in music, and knew that life was too short not to pursue her dream of being a professional singer and songwriter.  Promptly thereafter, Bridgette moved to Nashville.

Following her first outing at a Hall of Fame Lounge writer’s night, Bridgette continued to take in the lay of the land as she worked up to the honky-tonks on Broadway and a regular Friday night gig at the Star Café in White’s Creek.  It wasn’t until she found a kindred spirit in manager Carolyn Miller, however, that her career began to really take shape. 

It was through the encouragement of Carolyn, that Bridgette collaborated musically with the man whom came to be her future producer, Danny Myrick. Their partnership proved as successful in songwriting: they co-wrote “She’s Country,” a #1 hit for Jason Aldean, as well as many of the songs on Bridgette’s forthcoming album.

They laid down 13 tracks at the Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas over an intense five-day period, lending the arrangements a manic creativity that plays off Bridgette’s unique artistry and passion.  The album reflects her many personalities, effortlessly transitioning from defiant, amped-up rockers to tender, intimate ballads to straight-shooting social commentaries. 

“My roots in gospel have shaped everything I’ve done as an artist.  I want my music to be that real and to make people really feel it. If I don’t do that, then I’m not doing my job.  If it’s a ballad, it’s going to touch you,” she continues.  “If it’s a rockin’ tune, you are going to rock and roll till your pants fall off.”

It doesn’t take long to realize that Quarterback/Moxy Records recording artist, Chelsea Field, has what it takes to make it as a star in the music business:  the voice, the songs, the looks…  In fact, all one really has to do is watch this striking entertainer perform in front of a crowd for a song or two and it becomes more than obvious that she has the talent to succeed.  But Chelsea also possesses something a little less evident; something that goes far beyond common surface-level comparisons.  It’s a rare combination of qualities shared by those same artists that have topped the charts and filled the airwaves for decades.  

“Strong-willed”… “Fearless”…  “Opinionated and ambitious”…  “Passionate and personable”...  These are just a few of the traits that have been used to describe Chelsea Field, both on stage and off.  Regardless of how one chooses to phrase it, the truth is that Chelsea knows exactly what she wants as an artist and as a person, and she has little fear about achieving any of her goals.  After all, when your first job is selling construction door-to-door as a teenager, you learn a quick thing or two about persistence and the value of hard work. 

 
“I’ve been singing since I was four years old,” says Chelsea. “It’s something that’s in my blood and kind of always came naturally to me.  I think it was the first time that I saw Shania Twain in concert that I really knew thatperforming, as opposed to just singing, is what I was really meant to do.” 
 

At 19, the Marion, Ohio, native moved to Nashville, where she first began to put the pieces in place for the release of her debut album, produced by award-winning songwriter and producer Trey Bruce (Trace Adkins, Chris Ledoux, Sir Cliff Richard).  Already an accomplished songwriter in her own right, Chelsea continued to craft new material while fielding submissions from some of Nashville’s finest writers in her search for just the right collection of songs.  Finding the ones that balanced her Country influences with her Pop interests was a painstaking and time-consuming process, but one she wasn’t willing to compromise on, she says. 
 
“For better or worse, the songs you choose to put on your album determine how people perceive you and your style as an artist,” she explains.  “It was important for me to find the songs that fit me, because while one song might be great for another singer, it won’t come across to the fans as mine if it sounds like somebody else.” 
 
As a performer, opening for stars like Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Billy Currington, Phil Vassar, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich and many others has given Chelsea a valuable opportunity to learn from some of the most successful entertainers in Country music.  It also helped her grow as an artist, developing quite a dynamic stage presence along the way.     
 
“I think that opening for those artists has motivated me even more as a performer, because I’ve been on those big stages, and I’ve felt the energy from those crowds,” she says.  “It just makes me want to work that much harder to get out there again on my own, because that’s where I belong.” 

In many ways, Chelsea Field is already a seasoned artist and performer.  Her understated intensity, coupled with an undeniable will to succeed, has prepared this talented young singer for a long and prosperous career.  
 
“I’ve got all the confidence in the world right now,” she says of her new material and live show.  “Really, I’ve been a performer all my life, and being out in front of all those fans are some of my favorite moments of this whole process… I’ve been waiting all my life for this.” 

TelluRide has played more than 300 shows, including opening for such acts as LeAnn Rimes, Billy Ray Cyrus, Little Big Town, and Lonestar, just to name a few. The band has also opened for such legendary rock groups as Foreigner and REO Speedwagon.

Band members Adam Craig, Cain Hall, Ryan Jones, Jimi Hendrix, and Brian Smith came together in Nashville in August 2006 to form a new group with the harmonies that define country music and with an explosive energy that is causing a stir in the music industry.

The group’s infectious sound has also caught the attention of thousands of fans, which helped 
launch the popularity of the band’s “Phone Song.” The video was accepted into the CMT.com 
Music City Madness 2 competition last fall and was voted into the top eight out of 64 videos by 
the band’s active and rapidly growing fan base.

In 2008, TelluRide has appeared in Country Weekly magazine, performed the national anthem 
for NASCAR at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox, 
and is considered “the group to watch” by the Country Music Association.

TelluRide’s first album is available now. Producer Rex Schnelle worked with the band to 
recreate the energy from its live shows and infuse that energy into the project. The album not 
only showcases the band’s vocal harmonies, but also the skilled musicianship of each member.
While many bands in today’s industry rely on session musicians, the members of TelluRide are
formally trained musicians and each plays on the entire album.

The band’s name has led many to believe that they hail from the small town in Colorado, but in
fact, the name was inspired by a fan. Members Craig, Hall, and Smith had already developed a
fan base from a previous group, so when Jones and Hendrix completed the new group, they 
turned to their fans for a name. Smith recalls, “A girl from Missouri said, ‘This is your name. It’s 
a Tim McGraw song called ‘Telluride.” It’s about a poor kid moving up to the mountains working 
ski lodges. The song title just feels good to us.”

Ultimately, Telluride knows that hard work and dedication to making and performing great 
music brings success.  They’ve earned their successes one show and one song at a time.  
They love to play, they love to write songs and they love to perform for fans. Most importantly, 
they love to be a part of a very new and unique brand of country music.  Their infectious 
harmonies, catchy lyrics and driving grooves already have country music fans singing out 
loud.   

And that makes quite a sound-one you don’t get to hear very often. It’s the sound of a band 
ready to make history.

As a young boy, Frank Ortega dreamed of what it might be like to some day be a country music star.  Today, Ortega is living that dream by bringing back the traditional honky tonk bar sound that country music once had. 

Growing up in the Sunshine State of Arizona, Ortega spent many afternoons listening to the classic country greats like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Marty Robbins, and Buck Owens, which his father played day after day.   

“They were just such simple songs about what is real,” notes Ortega.  “Some of my greatest memories growing up were walking in the door, hearing that music being played very loud, and smelling my Mother’s cookin’ in the kitchen – couldn’t beat it. My Daddy would be singing and playing along with his old acoustic guitar in his hands.  Even though he knew just three chords, it didn’t matter.” 

It was unbeknownst to Ortega at that young age that those moments would sculpt his path out in the country music industry years later.  Early on in school Ortega took up trumpet in band, but after a short when his friends quit, Ortega wondered if he should do the same.  “My father told me I had to finish out the year, and then if I wanted to I could stop playing,” remembers Ortega.  “That probably ended up being one of the best decisions in my musical career because I fell so deeply in love with music at that point.” 

Ortega continued down his musical journey in high school by playing with the jazz band, marching band and orchestra.  After months of teaching himself the basics on his father’s old acoustic guitar, Ortega’s father presented his son with his first electric guitar.  That marked the beginning of Ortega’s love affair with creating his own music. He began writing songs and was eager to sharpen his skills in the recording studio.  

In his twenties, Ortega had local success on radio and regional markets in the Southwest with music of different genres, but always felt most comfortable singing the kind of “simple songs” he listened to growing up. 

Upon moving to Nashville, Ortega made friends throughout the music business, one of them being Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter James House.  The two collaborated on Ortega’s independent hit, “Hot Women Cold Beer,” which hit number one on the Indie World Country Chart in January.

Ortega’s dream finally came true when he inked a deal with Nashville based Quarterback Records.  His first single with the label is “Honky Tonk and The Altar,” which was penned by songwriting greats Kelley Lovelace (“He Didn’t Have To Be,” “Start A Band”), Tim Owens (“Ticks,” “Settlin’”), and Phil O’Donnell (“Back When I Knew It All”).  O’Donnell also serves as producer on the song. 

Ortega is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on his highly anticipated self-titled album which is scheduled for release later this year.  The album will feature a combination of self-composed songs, as well as a cover of the Buck Owens classic “Act Naturally.”   

“I definitely lean towards traditional country music,” Ortega states.  “I think there’s plenty of room to bring that sound back in country music.  There’s nothing I love more than hearing artists like Jamey Johnson having success.  With artists like us, I feel we can bring that traditional sound back because truly who I am is singing country music.  With that, I feel like my future is limitless.”

  TRENT WILLMON                           DAVID BALL

 TY HERNDON                               LUCY ANGEL

 MARK MCGUINN                              LORRIE MORGAN

 ZONA JONES                                       OAK RIDGE BOYS

STEPHEN COCHRAN         KATIE ARMIGER