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Real Country Announces 21 Contestants and the Prize of a Lifetime!

USA Network | October 30, 2018

Today, USA Network revealed the 21 artists competing in its new music showcase series Real Country and the prizing they will be vying for.

Set to premiere November 13 at 10/9, each contestant was hand-selected by the show’s permanent panel of artists – five-time Grammy Award-winning trailblazer Shania Twain, platinum-selling singer-songwriter Jake Owen, and Grammy Award-winning music legend Travis Tritt.

In every episode, three artists will compete for $10,000, a performance at Stagecoach – California’s Country Music Festival, and a spot in the grand finale where they will then vie for a chance to win $100,000 and a highly coveted performance at Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry, which has been a launching pad for many of today’s top country superstars.

The 21 artists are split up among the three panelists:

SHANIA TWAIN’S PICKS:

BILLIE JO

Hometown: Emory, Texas

Social: Twitter: @billiejotxmusic / Instagram: @billiejotxmusic

Fun Facts: Billie Jo is a singer, songwriter and recording artist blending traditional country vocals with honest songs. She is on the cusp of success after winning numerous local singing competitions. While she is extremely passionate about her music career, Billie Jo’s most important role is being a mother to her four children. 

THE DAVISSON BROTHERS BAND

Hometown: Harrison County, West Virginia

Social: Twitter: @davissonbroband /Instagram: @davissonbros

Fun Facts: The Davisson Brothers Band has been hailed as Rolling Stone Country’s “10 New Country Artists You Need To Know” and have had a massively successful #1 hit in Australia with their single “Po’ Boyz.” Two of the members of the band are brothers and within their family they have 133 musically inclined first cousins.

KYLIE FREY

Hometown: Opelousas, Louisiana

Social: Twitter: @kyliefrenchfrey / Instagram: @kyliefrenchfrey

Fun Facts:  A former rodeo queen with multiple championships, Frey had a passion for music at a young age. When she was in kindergarten, she dressed up as Shania Twain for career day and never looked back. Frey has a nationally recognized single, “Too Bad,” featuring Randy Rogers and produced by the Grammy, CMA, and ACM Award winning Paul Worley, and her debut album included two Top 10’s and her first #1, “Rodeo Man,” on Texas Regional Radio Report Charts.

RILEY THOMPSON

Hometown: Mabank, Texas

Social: Instagram: @rileythompsonmusic

Fun Facts: At just 15-years-old, Thompson is fresh on the music scene with a unique voice necessary to the country music genre today. Thompson’s most notable experience to date has been competing in the Texas Music City Songwriter Competition where she finished in the top five with two of her songs written in the same week they were performed.

TIERA

Hometown: Gardendale, Alabama

Social: Twitter: @tieramusic /Instagram: @tieramusic

Fun Facts: With a rich and soulful voice, Tiera taught herself how to play guitar at 13-years-old using online tutorials. From that moment on, she began to play at local festivals across the state and eventually in Nashville, including at the iconic Bluebird Café.

MICAH WOODS

Hometown: Murrieta, California

Social: Twitter: @micahtwoods / Instagram: @micahtwoods

Fun Facts: The moment Woods discovered powerhouse vocalists such as Dolly Parton at a young age, he was immediately drawn to music and found his passion in life. As fate would have it, he was performing at a hotel in New York City when Shania Twain heard him and selected him to perform on the show.

THE YOUNG FABLES

Hometown: Maryville, Tennessee

Social: Twitter: @theyoungfables /Instagram: @theyoungfablesofficial

Fun Facts: The Young Fables are an award-winning modern traditional country duo comprised of Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford. The duo has appeared with country stars Lauren Alaina, Josh Turner, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry, The Charlie Daniels Band and more. In 2018, the duo released their sophomore record, produced by the Grammy Award winning Mitch Dane, to critical acclaim.

JAKE OWEN'S PICKS

ADAIRS RUN

Hometown: Salem, Virginia and Princeton, West Virginia 

Social: Twitter: @Adairsrun_music /Instagram: @adairsrun_music

Fun Facts: This duo was formed in 2009 by Todd Hanchock and Pat Pollifrone and began their musical journey in acoustic dive bars and local festivals across West Virginia and neighboring states. Over the years they have grown to find success opening for and playing with Brett Michaels, Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line. With big personalities and a great sense of humor, Adairs Run highlights the authenticity of storytelling and the grit of rock-and-roll.

JAIDA DREYER

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Social: Twitter: @jaidadreyer / Instagram: @jaidadreyer

Fun Facts: Dreyer is currently one of Nashville's most sought after co-writers. Her eclectic writing style has had her penning songs across genres and for multiple hit television shows, including “Nashville.” She recently celebrated a multi-week #1 writing Luke Bryan’s “Home Alone Tonight” featuring Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild.

LARRY FLEET

Hometown: White Bluff, Tennessee

Social: Twitter: @Lfleet / Instagram: @larry_fleet_music

Fun Facts: Influenced by traditional sounds, Fleet grew up listening to gospel, bluegrass and country. By the age of seven he was invited to perform at the world famous Ryman Auditorium, where he played guitar in a Bluegrass group. A full time electrician, Fleet was discovered by Jake while he was out on tour, and he immediately knew he needed him on this show.

JAMIE FLOYD

Hometown: West Palm Beach, Florida

Social: Twitter: @jamiefloydmusic /Instagram: @jamiefloyd

Fun Facts: Floyd was signed to a record deal at 11-years-old before moving to Nashville. Currently, she writes music for other recording artists, film and television during the day all while waiting tables at night. As her own independent publisher, Floyd wrote “The Blade,” a duet between Ashley Monroe & Miranda Lambert, which served as the title track of Monroe’s Grammy nominated album – making her a “Grammy Nominated Waitress.”

SAVANNAH KEYES

Hometown: Sandy, Utah

Social: Twitter: @SavannahKeyes / Instagram: @SavannahKeyesMusic

Fun Facts: When Keyes was 13-years-old she appeared on The Ellen Degeneres show and has grown into a successful country/pop artist. Keyes is a radio host and correspondent for Radio Disney Country, and last year she teamed up with Taylor Guitars and American Girl Doll as a spokesperson for the new Taylor Guitar built for their singer/songwriter doll, Tenney Grant.

FRANK RAY

Hometown: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Social: Twitter: @frankraymusic / Instagram:@frankraymusic

Fun Facts: A former police officer, Ray left the force after 10 years of service to pursue his music career full time. A triple-threat songwriter, singer and guitarist, Ray wrote all the songs on his debut EP, which has spawned two top-ten hits on Texas Country Radio.

REGAN STEWART

Hometown: Auburn, Alabama

Social: Instagram: @reganstewart

Fun Facts: Stewart has been immersed in the music world her entire life. She began writing songs at 8-years-old and quickly made a name for herself in Nashville when she joined the female-driven songwriter’s showcase, Song Suffragettes, which has led to her being featured in Rolling Stone, Taste of Country, CMT and many others. Her unique voice has the potential to infuse a new style into the country music genre.

TRAVIS TRITT'S PICKS

BRI BAGWELL

Hometown: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Social: Twitter: @bribagwell / Instagram: @bribagwell

Fun Facts: Bagwell has grit, passion, perseverance and talent.  After touring with her band - "The Banned" - over 180 days per year for seven years, this six-time Texas Regional Radio Female Vocalist of the Year has continued to grow her grass-roots and begun to earn the respect of her peers in the Nashville music scene. 

SCOOTER BROWN

Hometown: Littleton, Colorado

Social: Twitter: @ScooterBrownBND /Instagram: @ScooterBrownBND

Fun Facts: Brown is an American singer-songwriter. After four years in the Marine Corps with two tours overseas, he moved to Texas to pursue music before leaving for Nashville. Brown now tours across the country, headlining and opening for acts like The Charlie Daniels Band and The Marshall Tucker Band, among many others.  He is a father of four children, and adopted his two youngest. Brown uses his music platform to advocate for veterans and adoption.

COPPER CHIEF

Hometown: Mineral Wells, Muenster, and Richmond, Texas

Social: Twitter: @copper_chief / Instagram: @copperchief

Fun Facts: Copper Chief is a central Texas band with deep roots and even deeper brotherhood consisting of three country artists – Mike Valliere, Rio Tripiano and Justin Lusk. Their passion for music runs deep as they all gave up their day jobs, including being a lawyer, to pursue this dream. Since the release of their debut self-titled album - “Copper Chief” - the guys have been burning a path all across Texas and the surrounding states to steadily growing crowds.

TONY JACKSON

Hometown: Richmond, Virginia

Social: Twitter: @tjacksoncountry / Instagram: @tonyjacksonmusic

Fun Facts: A former marine, Jackson fell in love with country music as a young man after seeing Randy Travis perform on an army base in Spain. He is a true singer/songwriter with a passion for the traditional country music sound. His original music reaches millions of fans across his social channels, with his George Jones tribute hitting over 38 million views.

DAVE KENNEDY

Hometown: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Social: Twitter: @davekennedyjr / Instagram:@davekennedymusic

Fun Facts: With a voice like a runaway freight train, Kennedy has been a singer/songwriter for nearly a decade and has influences of both old and new country, mixed with a little rock-and-roll. Although his wife and daughter keep him longing for home, Kennedy recently toured with country artist Drake White and is starting to work on his first full-length solo album.

CODY PURVIS 

Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia

Social: Twitter: @CodyPurvisMusic / Instagram: @codypurvismusic

Fun Facts: Following in the country music footsteps of his parents, Purvis is a more traditional singer who is influenced by a myriad of country music legends. He moved to Nashville when he was 15-years-old and has opened for the likes of Trace Adkins and Darius Rucker. He has performed at the historic Ryman Auditorium and is doing everything he can to grind in Music City in order to get his big break.

PORTER UNION

Hometown: Springfield, Missouri 

Social: Twitter: @porterunion /Instagram: @porterunion

Fun Facts: Porter Union, led by husband and wife Cole Michael Porter and Kendra Porter, met singing karaoke. They are two old souls who’ve spent the last decade traveling the country together playing their music everywhere from dive bars and honky tonks to festivals and theaters.

From Wilshire Studios, the eight-part series has Twain, Nicolle Yaron, Stijn Bakkers and Leslie Garvin set to executive produce.

http://www.usanetwork.com/realcountry/blog/real-country-announces-21-contestants-and-the-prize-of-a-lifetime

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

It's November! Which means... @RealCountryTV premieres this month on @USA_Network 🎇 #RealCountryTV

Rapid Fire Q&A - https://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain/status/1058010782506594304

11:00 AM ET - 1 Nov 18

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

Here is a Metro public transportation bus in Los Angeles with a "Real Country" advertisement.

Shania fan Danielle Jacobus attended the finale and walked the Red Carpet with Shania, Travis Tritt, Jake Owen & Graham Bunn - 9/5/18

On September 5th, I had the opportunity to fly to Nashville to not only meet Shania again, but Travis Tritt, Jake Owen, and Graham Bunn, as well. If you know me, you know I’ve idolized Shania ever since I pretty much came out of the womb. This lady has seriously become such a mother figure in my life, Diane is still #1 of course, but I can’t thank her enough for everything that I’ve gotten to experience. The cutest thing was when she looked my father dead in the eyes and said, “Take care of her for me, okay?” This past year has brought me the best luck I could ever ask for, and I’m so thankful for everything. As much as I wish I got to experience this day with my best friend, Alexa Rae Katsoulis and Diane Marlar Jacobus, I’m grateful my father was able to come along, (Shania still made sure I told Lex hello). ANYWAYS, long story short if you aren’t a fan of Shania, you need to be. ALSO, Travis, Jake, and Graham are gems and some of the sweetest humans I’ve ever met. Make sure you tune into USA to watch Real Country on November 13, and watch the series until the finale, where you need to keep an eye out for me and my pops in the audience 😜 #RealCountryTV

Real Country @RealCountryTV

The stakes are high and the competition is heating UP. #RealCountryTV premieres Tuesday at 10/9c on @USA_Network.

Promo clip - https://twitter.com/RealCountryTV/status/1060201758016835584

11:06 AM ET - 7 Nov 18

http://twitter.com/RealCountryTV

Tommy wrote:

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Shania fan Danielle Jacobus attended the finale and walked the Red Carpet with Shania, Travis Tritt, Jake Owen & Graham Bunn - 9/5/18

On September 5th, I had the opportunity to fly to Nashville to not only meet Shania again, but Travis Tritt, Jake Owen, and Graham Bunn, as well. If you know me, you know I’ve idolized Shania ever since I pretty much came out of the womb. This lady has seriously become such a mother figure in my life, Diane is still #1 of course, but I can’t thank her enough for everything that I’ve gotten to experience. The cutest thing was when she looked my father dead in the eyes and said, “Take care of her for me, okay?” This past year has brought me the best luck I could ever ask for, and I’m so thankful for everything. As much as I wish I got to experience this day with my best friend, Alexa Rae Katsoulis and Diane Marlar Jacobus, I’m grateful my father was able to come along, (Shania still made sure I told Lex hello). ANYWAYS, long story short if you aren’t a fan of Shania, you need to be. ALSO, Travis, Jake, and Graham are gems and some of the sweetest humans I’ve ever met. Make sure you tune into USA to watch Real Country on November 13, and watch the series until the finale, where you need to keep an eye out for me and my pops in the audience 😜 #RealCountryTV

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 Tommy, did she write this specially for your website? And when did she see Shania for the first time? At VIP pre-show party?

Real Country @RealCountryTV

👣👖🌃 Do you know what country song this is? Join @ShaniaTwain, @JakeOwen and @TravisTritt and take on the emoji challenge now! #RealCountryTV

Video - https://twitter.com/RealCountryTV/status/1060265026651598854

3:17 PM ET - 7 Nov 18

http://twitter.com/RealCountryTV

Real Country @RealCountryTV

Nothing brings people together like a shot at the American dream - and music. #RealCountryTV premieres Tuesday at 10/9c on @USA_Network.

Video - https://twitter.com/RealCountryTV/status/1060321753262669825

7:03 PM ET - 7 Nov 18

http://twitter.com/RealCountryTV

Tanya wrote:

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These videos are not available in my country. :(

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How about USA Network's YouTube channel?

https://www.youtube.com/user/usanetwork

Tanya wrote:

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Tommy wrote:

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Tanya wrote:

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These videos are not available in my country. :(

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How about USA Network's YouTube channel?

https://www.youtube.com/user/usanetwork

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I see only one promo there - the one that was published first, and no others. :(

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The videos/promos that have been posted on YouTube are the same that have been recently posted on "Real Country"'s Twitter. 

Promo

I just really love the styling of Shania in Real Country. She is so damn gorgeous!

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

Just landed in the big 🍎 (New York City). Ready to talk about @RealCountryTV!

3:25 PM ET - 10 Nov 18

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

Fred is always lurking around. Creepy. LOL!

Real Country @RealCountryTV

In just two days, country music icon @ShaniaTwain struts her way onto your TV. #RealCountryTV. Series Premiere. Tuesday at 10/9c. @USA_Network.

Shania 2-day promo - https://twitter.com/RealCountryTV/status/1061695051841982464

2:00 PM ET - 11 Nov 18

http://twitter.com/RealCountryTV

Shania Twain, Travis Tritt and Jake Owen Help Kick-off TV's Real Country

By M.B. Roberts | Parade | November 11, 2018

It’s about to get real for country music stars Shania Twain, Travis Tritt and Jake Owen—the three-person superstar panel at the helm of the new USA Network showcase, Real Country—as they prepare for the show’s debut on November 13 at 10 p.m. ET.

The eight-part series, which is hosted by Graham Bunn, most recently from Southern California’s Go Country 105, features solo artists, duos and groups, all previously hand-selected by the panel, performing and interpreting different styles of country music. After the performances, the artist hopefuls get feedback from the panel—and from some big-name surprise celebrity guests—as they compete for the chance to perform in the show’s two-hour grand finale, which could very well change their lives.

“What I really relate to is that big break moment,” says Twain. “That feeling never gets old. I think our role is to put [the artists] at ease and to remind them we’ve all been there and we’re still there. You’ve never fully arrived.”

According to Travis Tritt, the show is indeed a path to a possible big, big break.

“We’re giving these young artists an opportunity to showcase themselves in front of, not only a live audience in Nashville, but also across a wide television audience,” he says. “I never had that opportunity. This is going to give them a chance to present their music exactly the way they feel it. And the cool thing about this show is, none of us, not a single artist, not a single panelist on this show, is asking any artist to change anything about themselves.”

The panelists agree that their role is to encourage the competing artists to be true to themselves and not water down what makes them unique. But as Jake Owen points out, there is still room for honest feedback and to share some of the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

“As artists, we have a huge responsibility when we walk onstage,” says Owen. “What we say and do matters. So to be on this show, looking at these artists after they perform, what we say to these artists matters to them. It might not always be what they want to hear but I’ll be honest.”

Besides turning the spotlight on what might become the next big thing, Real Country, is a place where fans of country music can tune in to hear the music they love being celebrated.

“If there was one goal that I had in mind for this show, it was to try to bring back the focus to the kind of music that I grew up listening to and the kind of music that I grew up loving, which is traditional country music,” says Tritt. “I’m a history buff, especially when it comes to country music. I believe that, in order to know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been.”

https://parade.com/715210/m-b-roberts/shania-twain-travis-tritt-and-jake-owen-help-kick-off-tvs-real-country/

Pictures on the set.

Shania Twain Looking for ‘Diversity’ on USA’s ‘Real Country’ Reality Show

Twain joins Jake Owen and Travis Tritt as panelists on new singing competition, premiering November 13th

By Chris Parton | Rolling Stone | November 12, 2018

With a name like Real Country, USA Network’s new reality singing competition seems is wading into some contentious territory as it seeks to differentiate between “real country” and, well, whatever the opposite of that is.

Premiering Tuesday, November 13th, at 10:00 p.m. ET, Real Country casts Shania Twain, Jake Owen and Travis Tritt as expert panelists and works mostly within the familiar structure employed by its TV talent-show predecessors — except that each week three new contestants are invited by the panelists themselves, and held up as examples of “real country” for fans and a celebrity guest to vote on. Each episode of the eight-part series finds the contestants performing a past country hit that ties in with a weekly theme. At one taping, the singers’ covered Lee Brice’s “I Drive Your Truck,” Jo Dee Messina’s “Heads Carolina, Tails California” and Merle Haggard’s “Workin’ Man Blues” under the theme of “All-American night.”

The premise of the show, which taped in Nashville this past August, is that the competition isn’t just about picking the genre’s next breakout artist. It also promises to celebrate “the rich traditions, songs and themes of country music” — code speak for jumping into the long-running fray over what, exactly, can lay claim to being called “country music.” But, overall, the show’s marquee names, who each represent very different wavelengths of the country spectrum, are not as hung up on the title as one might suspect.

“I don’t think what ‘real country’ is, is up for debate,” says Owen, who recently scored his latest Number One country single with the John Mellencamp homage “I Was Jack (You Were Diane).” “And quite frankly, I’m not a debater. I know I believe that country music has always been an open format so anyone can come along and tell their story in the most honest and truthful way.”

Twain, one of Real Country‘s executive producers, actually is looking for things that stand apart. “I’m looking for diversity, anybody who can sing their truth, who is a sincere artist who has a respect for the history of country music,” she tells Rolling Stone. “I don’t care if you started singing country when you were six, or yesterday. If you’re committed, I want to see what you can do.”

But Twain, who released her album Now in 2017, is also seizing the moment to make a stand against the lack of women being played on country radio. Of the 21 contestants on Real Country, nine are women, including some with devoted followings like Jaida Dreyer and Jamie Floyd.

“I’m trying to make a difference,” she says. “I’m very passionate and concerned about country music as far as the ratio of women on the radio compared to men. . . I’m worried about the upcoming girls who are gonna get discouraged and say, ‘You know what? There’s no room for us in Nashville.'”

Her frank advice to one hopeful contestant: “There are 10 guys in front of you, and to break in you have to have bigger balls than them.”

An interesting component of Real Country is that each of the panelists has been pegged as “not real country” in their own right: Twain has been lambasted as a too-sexy pop interloper; Owen was, he says, “the kid from Florida who used to have long hair and sing beachin’ songs”; and even Tritt was once seen by some as a Southern-rock artist. 

“The fact is I brought in other elements of things that I loved,” he admits. “My first love was always straight-ahead country music, but I brought in other elements like Southern rock and blues that I absolutely loved, and at the time Nashville hated that — but the fans loved it.”

Of the three panelists, Tritt is the one most vocal about what he views as “real country.” A frequent advocate for the cause on social media, he says he joined the series to help deserving new artists get their music heard — and also “to bring back some of the focus on traditional country music that we grew up with.” Tritt says he can’t understand why he hears so many people talk about missing traditional country, yet doesn’t see anything being done to revive it commercially.

“I don’t blame the artists and I don’t blame the fans,” he says. “The fact is that the industry itself has always controlled what goes out there. But I think if everybody realizes there is a desire by a lot of people to hear this type of music and be a little bit more educated about it, I think it’ll be a great opportunity for everybody.”

Trace Adkins, one of Real Country‘s guest panelists, is a firm believer that trying to pin down country’s true definition is pointless. “It’s a waste of time, man,” he says, as the roar of the TV crowd rumbles in the distance, seeming to confirm his skepticism. “The fans decide what works and what doesn’t, and a lot of folks, they can find an audience for their music. Especially these days, given the crazy world of social media. You don’t have to go the old record-label route anymore.”

Back in front of the show’s cameras, Adkins weighed in with his vote — which accounts for 50 percent of determining the night’s eventual winner. That contestant gets $10,000 and a performance at next year’s Stagecoach Festival in California, and will advance to the season finale where they’ll compete for $100,000 and a gig at the Grand Ole Opry. But Adkins was cordial and careful in his remarks, finding it hard to even say for sure what makes him “real country.”

In the end, fans who tune in looking for some epic showdown between “real” country and “fake” country might be disappointed. Rather than argue over semantics or succumb to family-style infighting, Real Country simply showcases a crop of new “country” talent — whether it’s the country of yesterday, today or tomorrow.

“We all have respect for each other and we all have respect for classic country music,” Owen says. “But we also appreciate what’s coming. That’s the beauty of music in general — forget country music, forget any genre. It's about getting excited about what we don’t know is next.”

“‘Real country’ is whatever it means to you,” Twain concedes. “I think it can be very generational, very cultural. I just believe that country music is a non-discriminatory genre, and it should stay that way. I feel that it’s closed up a little bit too much, and it’s time to reopen it.”

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/real-country-usa-shania-twain-reality-show-754901/

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

Tonight is the night! Watch the season premiere of @RealCountryTV at 10/9c tonight on @USA_Network!

Promo - https://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain/status/1062374537667448832

11:00 AM ET - 13 Nov 18

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

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Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

🎉🎉🎉 @RealCountryTV tonight! Woo!

Message from Shania - https://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain/status/1062405189171331073

1:01 PM ET - 13 Nov 18

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

Real Country FULL EPISODE 1 | Drink Up And Party Down | on USA Network

November 13, 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1z6UasYK6o

***I uploaded the show to Google Drive for international viewers.

http://www.shaniasupersite.com/shania_news_realcountry-season1.html

-- Edited by Tommy on Wednesday 14th of November 2018 01:08:02 PM

Shania Twain Opens Up About the Tragedy That Drove Her to Succeed

The 'Real Country' panelist talks heartbreak, music, and moving on.

By Emma Dibdin | Country Living | November 13, 2018

Shania Twain made her triumphant return to country music last year after a long hiatus, having recovered from a vocal cord condition and a significant heartbreak that ultimately inspired her 2017 album, Now. This year, she’s stepping into a new role as a panelist on USA’s new competition reality show Real Country, where she’ll use her decades of experience in the industry to help emerging country artists find their platform.

On the show’s Nashville set earlier this year, CountryLiving.com sat down with Twain, 53, to chat about what she learned while away from the industry, the kinds of artists she hopes to support, and how the adversity she faced in her early twenties—when her mother and stepfather were killed in a car accident—gave her the drive she needed to succeed.

What did you learn while on your break from music?

"There's been a regression in diversity in the country music genre. We have less women, we have less of everything, and it's almost like I went away and the progress that I may have contributed to the genre went away with me. So I’m back! I’ve been in the industry 45 years, and I think by now I know what the audience wants, so I'm here to please the audience, not please the industry. I want to get out there and do music that connects with people, and the more the merrier. I think we’re due for some change in this industry, and we need some stronger headliners."

What drove you when you were starting out?

"I think when you're first starting out, your conviction and your determination has to be on hyper-mode, because you are going to face a lot of obstacles. For me, I didn’t have anything to go back to. I didn’t have any choice but to make it, and that was to my advantage in some ways. I don't wish that on anyone, because it is a really challenging thing to go through in your early twenties, but I didn’t have anything to go back to. My parents were gone, I had no family support, most of my siblings were younger and dependent on me still, I had no money, and no base. I had nothing. So there was just no choice but to make it. There’s a conviction that you really need. So, all I’m saying is find whatever it is that drives you, hold onto it, and pedal to the metal."

What's your goal with Real Country?

"I want to make a difference, and I want to encourage different. I’m here as an advocate and a cheerleader of artists that have the courage to be themselves, and to be unique, and to not be out to please the industry and the industry’s parameters. I’m looking for the highest standard of quality, which doesn’t necessarily mean that they are the most extraordinary vocalist. We have so many legends that are not known for their vocal prowess or their vocal range, so I’m looking more for stylists and great communicators, and people who have conviction behind their style and haven’t wavered, who have not started copying someone else to try to be accepted.

If the goal is acceptance, I think that’s the wrong incentive. I want artists to be motivated by what they want to do, and that means you’ve gotta put the blinders on sometimes and stay focused, and it’s very difficult not to be distracted and tempted by the idea of ‘you could be the next so-and-so.’ It can be a very painful process, fighting that and breaking that and just staying true to yourself, so this show aims to create a platform for that type of artist."

You don't consider yourself a mentor on the show—why is that?

"I was attracted to the idea of not drawing it all out in a mentorship process. I do enjoy mentoring, but this particular concept is more about finding artists that have already found themselves, that have already been through the process and stayed true to who they are. I’m here to say 'Bravo, congratulations for coming this far, finding yourself, staying true to yourself, you deserve a chance to be recognized for that.'

The artists [on Real Country] haven’t necessarily developed themselves as crowdpleasers, in a hype sense. The best way to please a crowd is to get up there and belt it out, right, but not everybody’s a belter! Emmylou Harris doesn’t belt, and Alison Krauss doesn’t belt, and Charley Pride isn’t a belter, so there’s just different types of singers that deserve to be championed. That’s what Real Country is about."

Real Country premieres November 13 at 10 p.m. EST on USA.

https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/amp24746733/shania-twain-real-country-interview/ 

Tommy wrote:

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Tanya wrote:

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Unavailable. I believe it's only for the USA residents. Could anybody upload it somewhere else?

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I uploaded the show to Google Drive for international viewers.

http://www.shaniasupersite.com/shania_news_realcountry-season1.html

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Thank you, Tommy!

Daily Blast Live co-host @thebeaudavidson asks country star @ShaniaTwain about @mirandalambert saying she had to sing with a man to get a number one hit song. "She's probably not far off the mark on that one." #countrymusic #DrownsTheWhiskey @Jason_Aldean #WednesdayWisdom

Video - https://twitter.com/dailyblastlive/status/1062803561770303488

Today on @dailyblastlive I had the opportunity to speak with @ShaniaTwain about @mirandalambert's comment that she had to have a guy sing with her to get to #1 on the charts. With the @CountryMusic #CMAs tonight, this question was rather timely.

Video - https://twitter.com/TheBeauDavidson/status/1062783970511896576

Tanya wrote:

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When are they showing episode 2? On November 20?

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Yes. "Real Country" airs every Tuesday night for 8 weeks.