The May Edition of Bottega Live features some superb singer-songwriter talent. We kick off the show with the duo of Madonna Nash and Chris Cole. The second half of the show features Sarah Brown. WHQR's Bottega Live airs each month in conjunction with Wilmington’s Fourth Friday Gallery Walk, at 8 pm on that Friday.
Wilmington singer/songwriter Madonna Nash, the winner of the Female Country Artist of the Year at the 2010 Carolina Music Awards, comes from a very musical family. Her father toured the country playing guitar, and her mother was an honors graduate in music from E.C.U. Nash’s great great uncle was Connie B. Gay, the founding president of the Country Music Association.
“I am so proud of my Uncle and his accomplishments. I have big shoes to fill to make my mark in Country Music, but I welcome that challenge with open arms,” she says.
The video for her Top 40 MusicRow magazine country hit “Dirty Little Secret” recently debuted on CMT, and it was just announced that she is one of only five national nominees in the category of Country Album for the upcoming 2012 Independent Music Awards, a global award with celebrity judges such as Ozzy Osbourne, Keith Richards, Tom Waits, Suzanne Vega and Tori Amos.
A New York native, Chris Cole moved to North Carolina at the age of 12, where he was raised with a solid work ethic and a love of Country music. Chris fell in love with the songs of Kenny Rogers, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw before he knew what country music was. He developed an early passion for music and performing in elementary school, where he joined the Choir throughout his entire School career. That passion led him to singing in Karaoke bars, until finally forming his own band in 2007. Chris later learned the guitar and started writing songs with friends, but always felt his calling was on the stage performing. As life went on, Chris began started writing songs as a way to express is feelings and tell his story, and found it was how he could relate to people through lyrics and music.
Sarah Brown is an American singer songwriter with a passion for storytelling through her blues and R&B music.
Born and raised in Somers, Montana. She came to Wilmington in 2017.
"It wasn't my original plan to become a performer. It was something just sort of stumbled upon and have fallen more in love with musical journey every day! I believe we are all created with a gift or a purpose, some just know while others stumble upon it! I decided to answer my creative calling because of a dream I had. And every time I try to veer away from it I feel something has guided me back to it! I believe God has a plan for us all, I believe it is irrevocable and unavoidable!"
Learn more about Sarah here: https://www.facebook.com/Sezra102
In recent years Sarah Brown has traveled around showcasing her musical talents in venues ranging from the U.S., to Australia and New Zealand.
Her performance style has been compared to great performers such as Bonnie Raitt, Sarah Barailles and Norah Jones. While reminiscing between her melody and rhyme, her audiences remain attentive to a sound she's made her own.
We recorded Sarah for Bottega Live in an empty church courtyard in Wilmington. Her audience was made up of birds in the trees, and a recording engineer.
“Musically right now I’m working on a collaboration with another musician will be announced shortly. I’m working on a more soulful bluesy sound in my up and coming music.”
Bottega Live is an hour-long local music program airing every Fourth Friday from 8 to 9 pm on WHQR 91.3.
The program features local musicians, recorded live at the Bottega Art and Wine Bar, 723 N. 4th Street in Wilmington.
If you are interested in performing on Bottega Live we would love to hear from you, email us at Bottegalive@whqr.org.
Bottega Live is recorded and produced by Addie Wuensch, Jeremy Webster and Vince Winkel.