Country Music Comes To The Rescue Of A Community

On Thursday, March 1, 2007, the small town of Enterprise, AL (population just over 23,000) was struck by a massive EF4 tornado, leaving a swath of devastation in its wake. In the heart of the storm's path was Enterprise High School. The tornado ripped the roof from parts of the school, destroyed a hallway, the gymnasium and the football stadium. Eight students lost their lives in the devastation. In total, the storm was responsible for nine deaths and more than 120 injuries. With damages estimated at $307 million, the entire community was left paralyzed. Since then, the students of Enterprise High School have been attending classes in trailers and temporary outlets. The high school is due to be rebuilt by the 2010-11 school year at a cost of over $80 million.

Country Crossing Records has announced plans to release WE ARE ENTERPRISE: The Album To Help Rebuild Enterprise High School, a collection of moving and inspirational songs recorded by some of the most renowned names in country music to embrace the community of Enterprise, Alabama and assist in rebuilding the Enterprise High School. Spearheading the WE ARE ENTERPRISE project is Enterprise resident Ronnie Gilley (Ronnie Gilley Properties/Ronnie Gilley Entertainment/BamaJam Music & Arts Festival), who partnered with music industry legend James Stroud (producer for Tim McGraw, Toby Keith and Clint Black/Former president of Dreamworks Records-Nashville and co-chairman of Universal Music Group Nashville/President of Ronnie Gilley Entertainment and Stroudavarious Records). The pair, who executive produced the project, assembled an incredible cast of country music giants to create an extraordinary album to assist with the overwhelming cost of the construction of the new Enterprise High School.

"When Ronnie made me aware of the suffering his community had endured and the ongoing hardships facing its high school students and faculty, I wanted to help any way that I could," said Stroud. "We had the idea to craft an album that would not only help with the cost of rebuilding the school, but that would also uplift the community with its message. Once we started calling our artist friends and hearing their desire to lend their time and talent, we knew the idea would work."

WE ARE ENTERPRISE is stacked with songs contributed by award-winning, multi-platinum-selling, country music superstars Deborah Allen, John Anderson, Clint Black, Joe Diffie, Shelly Fairchild, George Jones, Tracy Lawrence, Richie McDonald, Lorrie Morgan, Aaron Tippin and Darryl Worley. The 11-song line-up features a number of new songs crafted exclusively for this project (Worley's "Katie's Song," "This Is The Time," by Deborah Allen and Shelly Fairchild's "It's All Gonna Work Out") plus some new takes on timeless classics ("You've Got A Friend" by Diffie, Morgan's "You Are So Beautiful" and "Amazing Grace" by Jones).

The album is slated for a December 16, 2008 release and will be available in retail outlets as well all major digital outlets (iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody and WalMart.com). To commemorate the release within the Enterprise community, several of the artists will travel to Enterprise on street date to make two in-store appearances tentatively scheduled to take place at Wal*Mart locations in Enterprise and Dothan. (Information on participating artists and confirmed retail locations and times will be announced shortly.)

All record company and artist net proceeds from sales of the WE ARE ENTERPRISE will be donated to the fund for the rebuilding of the high school.