Steve Earle, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Michael Fracassso, Beaver Nelson, Todd Snider, Wilson Pickett, Townes Van Zandt, Robert Earl Keen and Ray Wylie Hubbard
Joel Melton is a successful artist. Many people debate and discuss at length what constitutes real art. Some have said art is subjective…in other words, what one individual loves another will stand and scratch their head and say, “I just don’t get it!” To tell what is really art all a person has to do is look at the artists while they talk about, or looks at their creations. The reason is this: Real true art has to fulfill and please only the artists themselves. The artists write, pain, sculpt, or perform to convey a message or feeling. Once this particular ‘breath of life’ is complete to their satisfaction…it becomes art. Joel Melton is a successful artist.
In his years as a songwriter, composer, documentary filmmaker, screenplay writer, and performer, Joel has accrued a list of accomplishments that others consider a success…what follows is an abbreviated one:
(1998) Completed music CD titled, “Last Love Letter.”
(2001) Completed music CD titled, “Little Max.”
(2004) Completed music CD titled, “Round Here.”
(2000) Filmed and screened documentary titled, “The Journey.”
(2000) The song, “Baby I Like You” used in the Bravo Network series titled, “Tail Lights.”
(2004) The song, “Never Surrender, Never Retreat” used on the Killeen Texas PBS broadcast of the Fort Hood dedication of the sculpture depicting a Marine holding a small Iraqi girl by the hand. (The metal used for the sculpture was melted down from the large statue of Saddam Hussein that the Marines pulled down in Bagdad.)
(2007) Completed and screened the documentary, “There’s Something in the Water” about Texas singer-songwriters.
Currently working on a 25-30 minute film short of the song, “Leroy in Valle Hermoso.”
Currently recording the music CD, “The Gospel According to Regency.”
Currently organizing with Alton Watson the music festival, “There’s Something in the Water” at Regency Texas, scheduled for May 24th 2008.
Currently writing a musical with Michael Fracasso.
Born in Shawnee Oklahoma, raised in Checotah Oklahoma, Joel was influenced by a musical father who played guitar, mandolin, harmonica, and banjo. Determined not to play the kind of music his father did, Joel purchased an electric guitar at the age of 17 and proceeded to rock out. Now Joel plays all the kind of music his father did.
Determined not to make any of the mistakes his parents did…Joel has not only made many of those same missteps but also considerably expanded on the list of familial faux pas he so wanted to abstain from. Currently living in the Austin Texas area, Joel pursues his passion for creating art. He hopes others will appreciate and take some good from his creations and make them their own.
Greg Johnson, owner of Oklahoma City's Blue Door receives credit for encouraging Melton's desire to write his own songs. "I started hanging out there about eight years ago," he remembers. "Without Greg and the talent I was exposed to at the Blue Door, I might still be playing cover songs instead of writing my own." Some of the Blue Door artists that have captured Joel's respect are the likes of Michael Fracassso, Beaver Nelson, Todd Snider, Gurf Morlix, and Ray Wylie Hubbard.
I'VE BEEN WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU! YOU NEVER CALLYOU NEVER WRITEYOU HARDLY EVER SEND MONEY FOR THE KIDSI'M BEGINNING TO THINK YOU MOVED BACK IN WITH YOUR MOMMA OR YOU ARE IN PRISON. SO I SUGGEST YOU SHOW YOUR FACE IN MY WORLD OR I'M GONNA COME LOOKN'
I’ve been a music journalist for more than 10 years. Over the years, many artists and managers have asked me what the best way to break into the European music market is.
Here are some things you can do:
Publish artist press releases, news, and tour dates to the CountryHome Forum on MySpace, http://groups.myspace.com/CountryHomeMagazine , CountryHome Forum is part of CountryHome, http://www.CountryHome.de , Germany's Premier Country Music Online Magazine. Everything you publish to the CountryHome Forum will be published in my weekly Newsletter which has over 80,000 readers.
Send me CDs and DVDs for review and set up an artist interview with me. All reviews and interviews will be submitted to the magazines I'm writing for. More information for which magazines I'm writing can be found at http://www.MySpace.com/ChristianLamitschka
Upload artist videos to http://www.MyVideo.de and http://www.ClipFish.de . Both websites are like http://www.YouTube.com and uploading videos is free. The websites are completely in German. If you don’t speak German and need assistance, I will help you open an account and upload a video for 25 Euro. Each additional video upload for the same artist name and at the same video website is 10 Euro.
If you have more questions about the European music market or about any of the information I send to you today, please contact me at Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de too.
Editor & Journalist for Country Music Christian Lamitschka An der Pfingstweide 28 61118 Bad Vilbel Germany
Hi Joel, thanks for finding me and thanks for the kind words. Very much appreciated. I've been through your songs and hell, I like them much...good sense of humor too. Spike is a real good one, so is the Jesus song, not forgetting Lampasas. Haven't been there but will do it the next time to know how it feels like been stuck there. When you play New Braunfels in January, beware of those Germans...they're everywhere. Best wishes and much success, LB
I really like the song "Crazy Stupid Bitch". Most of the time a song titled like that rubs me wrong, but in actuallity, it's a rather sweet little love song.
I don't even like hip hop, where the hell did this blog come from???? tiz the season, check out my new blog! It may interest Bill, John, Alton as well?
That is so twisted and wrong on so many levels... And "pssssht'" is a scoff, not a snort.. I had a nightmare about Brazilians and corn, gotta love Brooks and his eloquent nature..
(I meant relaxing!...Oops) So glad to hear you're coming back to OKC soon! I'll try to gather some friends together and make the show! Are you on Facebook?
Hey Joel!! hows it going? It is Amos Lee, sort of "discovered" him a year or two ago and just LOVE his music! He is kind of mellow, but it's soothing, soulful and relazing! BTW you are on my favorites list on my space!
Yes, Melton cloth was used for military uniforms and was actually made around here, although I didn't know that when I moved to Somerset!. I have links with Jim Melton in the states. He is a long lost, distant cousin, 4 times removed or something. A really nice old chap. He wares a baseball cap with MELTON embroidered on the front. Excellent!
Hey, brother Joel...drop me an e-mail when you can and tell me of the grand time @ the Blue Door........Hope you, Emma and Watson are on the sunny side of life, Mike
Responses to "No"... Line #2- I know the moon is still there..And you're right, it is overshadowed by the sun's blinding light, and in that ,leaving behind the simple, subtle contrast of white on black.. It seems so much more graceful (to me anyway).. Line #4- Eating from the Tree of Knowledge is the 'original sin', thus thinking we could ever know how things 'should' be.. Prideful and fruitless.. Line #8- And love and all things situational are the things that are finite in the universe.. It was not a reference to us, our spirits/ bodies, or the universal intricacies as a whole.. Much like your (hour long) amusement park analogy, 'rides' end... Not to say you don't carry the experience with you to the next or can't get on the same one again, but the 'ride' ends nonetheless.
And send me the link, or the pics!!! Can't wait to see them..
OR YOU ARE IN PRISON.
Online Now!
I 
U! That made my morning even brighter!
