RAISES RECORD-BREAKING $150,000 FOR WACO’S

ADVOCACY CENTER FOR CRIME VICTIMS AND CHILDREN

Nashville, TN – May 9, 2012 – Award-winning singer/songwriter Wade Bowen raised a record-breaking $150,000 this weekend in hometown Waco, TX for the Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children at his 14th Annual “Wade Bowen Classic” celebrity concert and golf tournament.

Sunday’s all-star concert hosted more than 3,000 fans at Indian Springs Park where the music-packed day included 27 of Bowen’s artist friends including surprise guest Stoney LaRue along with Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Casey James, Charlie Robison, Randy Rogers, Reckless Kelly, Eric Paslay, Dustin Lynch, Charlie Worsham and many more. The concert was followed by a two-man golf scramble on Monday where 200 golfers, more than ever before, played alongside Bowen.

Bowen announced this week that he and Sea Gayle/BNA Records are will release a 10-song collection for fans titled THE GIVEN, available at all digital retailers and select music stores on May 29, 2012.  The 10-song disc reflects Bowen’s evolving vision as a songwriter, his independent spirit and smoky baritone voice.  Those who’ve believed in Bowen all along will recognize his calling toward authentic music and newcomers will hear a head-turning road-tested country artist with range. For more info and a full list of tour dates, visit www.wadebowen.com.
About Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children

Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children is dedicated to bringing about healing to children and adults who are victims of crime through advocacy, collaboration, prevention and treatment. ACCVC is a 501c3 non-profit agency that has evolved into an umbrella agency comprised of four programs serving ALL victims of crime, always free of charge.

Top Photo Credit: Todd Purifoy

Bottom Photo Credit: Josie Drenner

New Music Precedes The Full Length Major Label Debut

Nashville, TN – May 7, 2012 – Award winning singer/songwriter Wade Bowen has spent the last 14 years making a living of 200-plus nights a year on the road with developing his fan base one show at a time. Caught somewhere between a “new” artist working on his major label debut and a proven road veteran with five independently released albums, Bowen and Sea Gayle/BNA Records are responding to fan demand for new music by releasing a 10-song collection THE GIVEN on May 29, 2012.

The new music will be available at all digital music retailers and in select brick and mortar stores. As an added bonus, Bowen will give fans full-access to the recording process by offering the work tapes from the writers’ room of several of the new tracks exclusively on www.wadebowen.com beginning release day.

“The album is called The Given because I feel like all of these amazing opportunities have been given to me by my fans,” explains Bowen. “They are the reason I get to live my dream every night and they’ve been patiently waiting almost three years now for new music. So, I’m excited to be able to say ‘here it comes and there’s more on the way!’ I’m so blessed that they’ve stuck with me and that I have a great team at the label who is willing to let me throw the rules out and get this special version for the fans out right away.”

“With the fan base that Wade has already built, it only makes sense to throw out conventional wisdom and make this great new album available to his thousands of loyal fans as soon as possible,” said Sony Music Nashville Chairman and CEO Gary Overton.

Produced by Justin Niebank, the 10-song disc reflects Bowen’s evolving vision as a songwriter, his independent spirit and smoky baritone voice. Newcomers will hear a head-turning road-tested country artist with range. In addition to nine songs that include Bowen’s name in the writing credits, the album also includes a Townes Van Zandt cover of “To Live Is To Fly” featuring special guest vocals by Guy Clark.

THE GIVEN Track List:

1. Saturday Night

2. All That’s Left

3. A Battle Won

4. Patch Of Bad Weather

5. On My Way To Wonderful

6. Say Anything

7. You Ain’t Got Me

8. Beat Me Down

9. To Live Is To Fly (Featuring Guy Clark)

10. Before These Walls Were Blue

With nine No. one’s on the Texas Music Chart, multiple awards including 2009 Texas Music Awards’ Male Vocalist of the Year and the 2010 Lone Star Music Awards’ Live Act of the Year, three studio albums and a Live At Billy Bob’s CD/DVD combo at the iconic club in Fort Worth under his belt, Bowen’s new music isn’t a debut, more like a fresh start on a bigger stage. His calling toward authentic music that reaches people is not unique to any geography, it lives in the heart and the work of the artist. Those who’ve believed in Bowen all along will find this in THE GIVEN and the upcoming albums and tours to follow. For more info and a full list of tour dates, visit www.wadebowen.com.

When I met with Wade after his set, I was surprised at what a soft spoken man he was. On stage he has a very unique voice, and he can really belt it out, but in person he is a quiet, humble man. He attributes that to “Growing up with three sisters.” Funny! We talked about his wife and 2 young sons, life on the road, and how important it is to have family support at home. He estimates he travels about 200 days a year, for countless years now. Yet, Wade told me he believes this is where he belongs. “This is my destiny, and my family is very supportive.” Wade said.

He grew up in Waco, TX., with a love of country music. I was impressed that he ‘self released’ his1st album, titled: Try Not To Listen, 2002. Then it was a lot of bars and clubs until 2006 when ‘God Bless This Town’ went #1 on CMT, and had Wade touring with LeeAnn Womack. 2008′s ‘If We Ever Make It Home’ landed at # 2 on Billboards Top New Artists Chart, and ‘Nobody’s Fool’ was his second Top 30 song, in 2009. Wade said “That’s when things started to come together.” Wade went on to win 2009′s ‘Texas Male Voice of the Year’ Award, and in 2010, Lone Star Music’s ‘Live Act of the Year’ Award. I asked him how it feels to receive these awards and the recognition after over a decade in the business. He answered, “We don’t do it for the awards, but it’s an added bonus.” And even though he is the star, and it’s his name on the awards and marquees, he still says “We,” (as in all of the band). I asked him to look back and try to nail down one defining moment when he thought, ‘Wow, this is it.’ Wade smiled and said quietly, but with pride in his voice, “Playing The Grand Ole Opry was my finest music moment.”

We talked about the Billy Bob’s venue in Fort Worth, Texas, and Wade told me it’s a huge place, Billy Bob’s holds over 6000 people and Wade played there regularly for years. He also said that “The people in Texas think of Billy Bob’s as The Grand Ole OPR of the South.” He then talked about his ‘Live At Billy Bob’s’ CD and DVD recorded in 2009, and how it was made in one take, in one night. The DVD has a piece in it called ‘The Confessional,’and in the ‘Confessional’ his fans gave their well wishes and thanks to Wade for all his many performances at Billy Bob’s over the years. Wade has a new, limited release of the CD coming out with two new bonus songs added, available April 29th.

Read More Here

Wade Bowen’s current single “Saturday Night” (Sea Gayle/BNA) bears the refrain “So why does everybody love Saturday night/Stale smell of beer and the smoke in your eyes/I keep sittin’ and drinkin’ and thinkin’ ‘bout a sad good-bye/So tell me why is everybody so in love with Saturday night?” It’s an inversion of the usual party-hearty weekend theme found in popular country songs, set to a jangling, uptempo track. It works really well because, let’s face it, the weekend sucks when you’re alone and brokenhearted.

That marriage of darker subject matter to gritty, driving country rock is a particular strength of Bowen’s, and he was in fine form when he played Nashville’s Exit-In last Thursday (Feb. 9) with Charlie Worsham and Striking Matches. Backed by his usual six-piece band, the beloved Texas artist debuted songs from his upcoming BNA Records album and spirited versions of his older material.

The set kicked off with “God Bless This Town,” a bitter take on the gossip and narrow-mindedness that plagues small town dwellers. He originally recorded the song in 2006, but has re-recorded it for the new album. Other new songs included “All That’s Left,” “Say Anything,” and the rocking “Patch of Bad Weather.”

Years of playing hundreds of dates have given Bowen a commanding stage presence, and he’s built a great chemistry with his band. As a unit, they excel in building the suspense for each new song.

Failed relationships were a popular topic in the evening’s selections, and they range from the haunted memory ballad “Ghost In This Town,” to the done-me-wrong kiss off “Nobody’s Fool,” and breakup aftermath tale “You Had Me At My Best.” He even touched on the casualties of alcoholism in “Daddy And The Devil.” Pretty grim stuff, but the crowd loved it.

Fans were also treated to a special appearance by Dave Loggins, whose “Please Come To Boston” is a staple of Bowen’s live sets. Loggins joined the band onstage for a verse and chorus of the song before turning the stage back over.

Bowen closed out his main set with the cathartic and triumphant “Resurrection,” which ought to feel familiar to anyone who’s ever endured a bad breakup. “We’ve all been there,” he said. “If you haven’t, you’re not living like you should.”

For his encore, he played an acoustic “Before These Walls Were Blue” accompanied by vocalist Jessica Murray. He closed out the evening with one more poison-arrow anthem called “Beat Me Down,” accompanied by the song’s co-writer Sean McConnell and a pack of rowdy music lovers pumping their fists in time.

Being bummed out never felt so good.

Wade Bowen’s been a star in the Texas Music scene for nearly a decade now and what’s surprising is that the right opportunity to cross into mainstream Nashville hasn’t hit before now. What’s interesting here is that Wade has had the more ‘marketable’ sound of his fellow Red Dirt/Texas Music artists and with the style of the genre more fitting of his rootsy rock sound like Eli Young Band, the time is now ripe for him to break through in a big way. He’s most certainly the most experienced artist on this list but that experience should do him well as he breaks through with Brad Paisley’s Sea Gayle label, the very same label who broke Jerrod Niemann with Sony Nashville’s Arista brand.

From TasteofCountry.com

Things have been going pretty well for Wade Bowen as of late. Not only did the Texas country king dominate Taste of Country’s Red Dirt Rumble last week, but he’s since reached No. 1 on the Texas music chart — perhaps directly thanks to our competition (we kid). ‘Saturday Night’ is clearly a hit with country music fans all over the country, and especially in his home state, so it’s no surprise that the song is reigning over the rest.

Behind Bowen, Cody Canada and the Departed are flying high at No. 2 with ‘Skyline Radio,’ while Kevin Fowler, Aaron Watson and Casey Donahew Band round out the Top 5 with their two-steppin’ singles.

Both Rosehill and Kyle Park are holding strong to their spots, as they have been for several weeks. New to the Top 10 this week is Ryan Beaver, who waltzed right into No. 9 — up from No. 15 — with his anti-love song, ‘Hate.’ Jason Boland and the Stragglers top it all off with ‘Mary Ellen’s Greenhouse.’

It’s anybody’s game as we inch closer to the new year, so click back next week to see which of Texas country’s greatest got their holiday wish … to be No. 1, of course.

Wade Bowen is no stranger to the music scene. Bowen got his start in country music by coming up the Texas country/red dirt path. Now, with his hot new single, ‘Saturday Night,’ Bowen is gearing up for the release of his first album with new label home Sea Gayle/BNA Records. The new collection of tunes is Bowen’s seventh album to date, but it’s this selection of songs in which the singer-songwriter has found happiness in music. Taste of Country recently visited with Bowen to discuss his music, life on the road and what keeps it all fresh in his heart after many years in the business.

Your new single, ‘Saturday Night,’ just hit radio. How has the feedback been so far from your fans when you play it live every night?

We’ve been playing it for probably six months, I guess. It’s been going over really well. I kind of ride the edge of country and rock ‘n’ roll, but my words are heavy in country music. I love the fact that this song is as country to me as it gets. I just love the feel of it … It has the two-step kind of thing, it has the heartbreak emotion, it has the feel of going out and partying on Saturday night. Even the melody and the arrangement itself has a twist.

What can we expect this go around with the next album?

I think this album has energy and it has dynamics, way more than any of the independent stuff that I’ve done in the past. As a songwriter, I feel like I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. I think that comes across in the energy that’s captured on this record. I’m very proud of my band and proud of what we do out live, being the fact that we play 200 shows a year. I think that is captured really well, more than anything else I’ve ever done, on this record.

You mentioned you’ve been doing this for 14 years now. How have you evolved as a songwriter and/or artist during that time since making that first album 10 years ago?

I’ve always tried to grow, and I hope I never stop growing – that’s the goal for me as an artist and as a songwriter. I’ve just really tried over the last three years, since being with Sea Gayle Publishing and writing with them and getting the opportunity to sit in a room with better songwriters and being around better musicians over the years — just everything. It’s really helped me grow. I’m a sponge. I like to really soak it all in and try to learn from every little thing that comes around. I feel like I’ve done a really good job over those years, especially the last two [years]. I’m just trying to get better in anything I do. It’s really cool because I think it all works out.

Right now, it’s been 14 years and people say, “Why would you do a major label deal now?” I’ve just never had the opportunity before [laughs]! Now that I finally do, I’m jumping on it because it’s exciting and it’s fun. I think everything I’ve done for those 14 years is definitely going to help me and prepare me for all of this that is yet to come.

You’re obviously a very passionate songwriter, as you write all your own material. Is that something that is important to you to pen all your songs that go on each of your albums?

I love to write. That’s probably the biggest reason why I’m in this [business], because I love to write songs. I feel like, as an artist, it’s my requirement to write songs and say something … have something to say. That’s really why I go into the studio and make an album … because I do have things that I like to say and I like to write songs. So I really want that to come across.

What kind of advice would you give to a young, aspiring singer-songwriter trying to break into the business today?

I would say if you’re interested in making money, you’re not making the right decision [laughs]! No, I would say the biggest thing is not giving up. That’s really it. Everyone has their own timetable as far as what their success is going to be, and it’s all relative. I think the biggest thing is to not give up … to stick it out and keep learning and just try to be a sponge about everything, always. Every second of every day you can learn something.

Do you have any big tour plans in the works for 2012?

Not as of now. We’re ending the year strong and doing our normal touring. We’re trying to work on some stuff for next year, but as of now, we’re just kind of finish the year strong. Then we’ll go into our Steamboat Music Fest  [in Steamboat, Colo. on Jan. 5-10, 2012] that we do every year. We’ll be celebrating 10 years in a row out there next year. That’s pretty crazy! We’re just doing our normal thing as of now, and I’m just working like crazy, seven days a week, to get people familiar with me around the rest of the country and try to get this song played. It’s a lot of fun … I’m having a blast!

See the full article from Taste Of Country.

Check out Billboard Magazine’s Single review of “Saturday Night”!

BILLBOARD
Wade Bowen, Saturday Night (3:29)
“Wade Bowen, one of Texas’ brightest stars, has released a single that sounds a bit more akin to mainstream country than a lot of music coming out of the Lone Star State. That’s not exactly a bad thing, as “Saturday Night” has a natural flow that could pay off on country radio. His vocals sound reminiscent of Richie McDonald of Lonestar and invite the listener in, while the tempo of the song and earthy feel ring true. “Why does everybody love Saturday night/Stale smell of beer and the smoke in your eyes,” he sings. After many years of success in the Texas scene, Bowen seems ready to take things to another level, and “Saturday Night,” the first single from his forthcoming album, appears to have all the ingredients for a breakout hit.”

13th ANNUAL “WADE BOWEN CLASSIC” RAISES RECORD AMOUNT FOR POSTPARTUM SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL

NASHVILLE, TENN (May 26, 2011) – Country star Wade Bowen raised over $127,500 for Postpartum Support International (PSI) in his 13th annual “Wade Bowen Classic” celebrity concert and golf tournament in Waco, TX on May 15,16.  The successful two-day event saw a record turnout and raised more money than any year previous.  Over the last three years, the “Bowen Classic” has raised approximately $350,000.00  for PSI.

Bowen, with the help of friends Cody Canada & The Departed, Randy Rogers, Casey Donahew Band, Stoney LaRue, Kyle Park, Roger Creager, Ryan Beaver, Walt Wilkins, Ben Danaher, Willy Braun, Micky Braun, Gary Braun, No Justice, Josh Grider, Rich O’Toole and Angaleena Presley played to a crowd of over 2000 at Hog Creek Ice House in Waco, TX.  The following day 193 golfers joined him at beautiful Cottonwood Creek Golf Course for a round of golf and dinner to cap off the record-breaking event.

Bowen says, “I am blessed with great friends and a supportive hometown. Amazing things happen when the music community comes together to help those in need – music truly heals.”

Postpartum Support International (PSI) is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting awareness, prevention and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing. PSI works tirelessly to support, educate, research and advocate for women who experience emotional changes and mental illness during pregnancy and postpartum.