TALK 'ROUND THE ROW MARK COLLIE'S BRUSHY MOUNTAIN PRISON PROJECT AMAZING Wednesday, October 31st
Mark Collie walked onto a stage at Tennesse's Brushy Mountain Correctional Complex
with hopes of reviving both his career and a country-music tradition--
recording live at a prision concert. "I'm in serious need of a second chance,"
Collie said to cheers while performing two shows Wednesday,
along with Shawn Camp, Kelly Willis,Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Tim McGraw.
Collie who had a Modest run of sucess in the early 90's,
told the Associated Press he wants to lead country music
back to social relevance by emulating his idol, Johnny Cash,
who recorded two classic prison albums in the 1960's,
"at "Folsom Prison" and at "San Quentin Prison."
Back then, country music had moral authority,Collie said.
Collie, 45, persuaded MCA, which dropped him in 1995, to resign him
and finance the prison album. The new CD, accompanied by a documentary film,
will be released next year.


And previous Story by Countrystars.com........
After more than two years of planning and writing, Mark Collie's MCA Records special album, and companion film project, "Live at Brushy Mountain," are nearing completion. Last night in Hollywood there was a screening of the film "Live at Brushy Mountain " for a large group of film distributors (Collie then played live for the crowd).
Brushy Mountain is the 106 year-old Tennessee State maximum security prison that used to be called Tennessee's Alcatraz. It was there that Mark Collie visited, picked and sang with some of extraordinarily talented inmate musicians at the prison. The film depicts Collie's visits, including documentary style profiles of some of the hard core prisoners, all intercut between terrific live concert performances at the prison.
Guest performers on the concert include singer songwriters, Kelly Willis and Shawn Camp (part of the band for this special show) and guest appearance by Tim McGraw. McGraw sings on "Shackles and Chains" and "Sing Me Back Home."
SONGS GREAT - Inspired by Johnny Cash's insightful prison songs, Mark decided to record a modern look at the convict society. And if the few songs filmed for the live prison concert are any indication, Collie may have written and recorded his masterpiece. Tunes like "Maybe Mexico Is Where I'm Meant to Be," "Rose Covered Garden" and "Farewell My Reckless Companions" were received as enthusiastically by the Brushy Mountain inmates as Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" was greeted by his captive audience. The album will contain 15 songs. No release date set for film or album.
Wednesday, October 31st
Mark Collie walked onto a stage at Tennesse's Brushy Mountain Correctional Complex
with hopes of reviving both his career and a country-music tradition--
recording live at a prision concert. "I'm in serious need of a second chance,"
Collie said to cheers while performing two shows Wednesday,
along with Shawn Camp, Kelly Willis,Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Tim McGraw.
Collie who had a Modest run of sucess in the early 90's,
told the Associated Press he wants to lead country music
back to social relevance by emulating his idol, Johnny Cash,
who recorded two classic prison albums in the 1960's,
"at "Folsom Prison" and at "San Quentin Prison."
Back then, country music had moral authority,Collie said.
Collie, 45, persuaded MCA, which dropped him in 1995, to resign him
and finance the prison album. The new CD, accompanied by a documentary film,
will be released next year.