Nashville's Chris Roberts (One Flew South) Cuts Key Song For Upcoming Chris Hemsworth Film, 12 Strong

For Chris Roberts, whose The Way West album was one of That Nashville Sound’s favorite dozen albums of the year in 2015, expression through music takes many a shape- with it always ending in a deep passion for the song.  It draws on his history in Broadway’s bright lights in New York (in the production of The Civil War and last fall in the Dan Fogelberg musical Part of the Plan), blissful harmony across the country radio airwaves (as part of Decca-signed trio One Flew South), shared stages with the likes of Willie Nelson and Neil Young (at Farm Aid), and many years as his church’s music director in a congregation that reads like a who’s who of the music business (St. Augustine’s).

He's gotten cuts with artists from Julie Roberts to The Swon Brothers, ABC’s Nashville and a couple of other television shows. But Chris Roberts isn’t a stranger to contributing to major film soundtracks. His first contribution was the whimsical “Friends For Life” for Disney’s Fox and the Hound 2 film.  Last year, along with Tony Esterly and Austin Jenckes, Roberts penned the main track for the action feature film, Assassin’s Creed.  Entitled “My World,” the track accompanied the movie trailer and was featured on the album’s soundtrack. It demonstrated the versatility of one of Nashville’s unsung heroes in writing the right song for the right project.

Now, Roberts (teamed again with Esterly as well as Claire Wyndham) has written and sung the track "Right Choice" for the upcoming Chris Hemsworth film opening up January 19 titled 12 Strong: The True Story of the Horse Soldiers. 12 Strong tells the story of the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11; under the leadership of a new captain, the team must work with an Afghan warlord to take down the Taliban. Watch the trailer below and you can hear Roberts singing behind the music bed in the video.

The singer/songwriter has been in the studio working on a yet-to-be-named new EP that he plans on releasing in 2018.
 

A post shared by Christopher Roberts (@christopherwroberts) on Dec 24, 2017 at 6:21am PST

Dan Fogelberg Tribute Album Includes Garth Brooks, The Eagles, Zac Brown, Vince Gill & More

Album: A Tribute To Dan Fogelberg
Label: BMG
Release date: 11/1/18

Produced by Fogelberg’s wife, Jean, Norbert Putnam, his lifelong friend/manager, Irving Azoff, and Chuck Morris, the homage to Fogelberg will be released through BMG.

The album contains recreations of some of Dan's biggest hits, such as the Top 10 hits, including "Longer," "Hard to Say," "Leader of the Band," performed by Zac Brown and "Same Old Lang Syne," performed by Train. Songs from his multi-platinum albums are also featured, such as the eponymously titled hits "Phoenix," performed by Garth Brooks, and "Nether Lands," performed by Donna Summer. Additionally, a moving rendition of "Part of the Plan," from 1974's Souvenirs, performed by the Eagles, is included on the collection. A complete track listing can be found below.

"A good thing never dies and that 'good thing' is Dan's music. As for me, my life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man. That man is Dan Fogelberg, and he will live forever in those of us who have let his gift bring so much light to our paths." - Garth Brooks

"I first heard some of Dan's music from Irving Azoff, while visiting him in the early 70's. he played me some demos of songs by a young kid from Peoria, Illinois; a part of the country were both from. I was immediately transported to a musical place that I would look forward to returning to time and again over the years with each new release of a Dan Fogelberg album. So proud to be part of this project." - Michael McDonald.

"I always loved Dan's music and getting the opportunity to sing on the High Country Snows record, over 30 years ago, is still a great memory for me." - Vince Gill

A Tribute to Dan Fogelberg track listing:

 

1.Phoenix performed by Garth Brooks

2.Nether Lands performed by Donna Summer

3.Better Change performed by Michael McDonald

4.Longer performed by Amy Grant/Vince Gill

5.Same Old Lang Syne performed by Train

6.Don’t Lose Heart performed by Dobie Gray

7.Old Tennessee performed by Fool’s Gold/Denny Henson and Tom Kelly

8.As the Raven Flies performed by Casey James

9.Sutters Mill performed by Randy Owen

10.Run for the Roses performed by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Richie Furay

11.Hard to Say performed by Boz Scaggs

12.Part of the Plan performed by Eagles

13.There’s a Place in the World for a Gambler performed by Jimmy Buffett

14.Leader of the Band performed by Zac Brown

Nashville Country Artists Chris Roberts and JT Hodges To Star In New Dan Fogelberg Musical

Chris Roberts (One Flew South's 2008 album Last of the Good Guys &
the 2015 solo album The Way West)

Country music and (off) Broadway are colliding as Nashville's own ACM-nominated artist JT Hodges and singer/songwriter Chris Roberts (One Flew South) both have been added as part of the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Part of the Plan, a new, original musical written by Kate Atkinson & Karen Harris and scored with the music and lyrics of celebrated singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg.

Directed by Tony nominee Lynne Taylor-Corbett (Swing!), the show interweaves 20 iconic Fogelberg songs arranged by Grammy Award Winners Victor Vanacore (Ray Charles) and Laurence Juber (Paul McCartney), including "Leader of the Band," "Longer," & "Same Old Lang Syne."

Part of the Plan is set to make its debut at the James K. Polk Theater (505 Deaderick St.) in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday, September 8, 2017, with an official opening date set for Sunday, September 10, 2017. The developmental production will run through Sunday, September 24, 2017.

Part of the Plan is "a powerful story that spans three decades and follows the lives of an adopted boy and the teenaged girl who is forced to give him up. While exploring themes of love, loss, renewal, and how everything in life happens for a reason, Part of the Plan brings Fogelberg's music to a new generation as well as to the many die-hard fans who long to hear his music in all forms."

"The cast and creative team of Part of the Plan brings together the cream of the crop in their respective fields for this new artistic endeavor featuring Dan Fogelberg's most poignant, memorable, and beloved music," says Kathleen O'Brien, TPAC president and chief executive officer. "Kate Atkinson and Karen Harris have worked since 2010 to bring this production to the stage, and we're delighted to partner with them to co-produce this original production and to host the world premiere in Nashville, a town where Dan lived, performed, and wrote some of his most notable works."


JT Hodges (2012's JT Hodges & 2015's Locks on Doors)

Hodges originally broke into the country music scene with his Billboard Hot Country charting debut, “Hunt You Down.” Jake has scored several Top 10 singles since with the songs “Goodbyes Made you Mine,” “Ray Bans,” a Top 5 record, “Sleepy Little Town,” and his new song, “Dance Right Here,” In 2013, Hodges starred in “Finding Christmas” on the Hallmark Channel. The movie became the #1 rated movie of the week and cemented a rave review for Hodges from The New York Times. Most recently, Hodges can be seen starring alongside Colin Odonaghue (“Once Upon a Time”) in the independent film “The Dust Storm.”

For Chris Roberts, it's a full circle return to the stage that originally charted his musical course. Few artists can lay claim to have been born in the Deep South delta blues, grown up in the Wild West of Montana, stood in front of Broadway’s bright lights in New York (in the production of The Civil War), sung blissful harmony across the country radio airwaves (as part of Decca-signed trio One Flew South), shared the stage with Willie Nelson and Neil Young at Farm Aid, published an incredible catalog of songs written alongside some of Nashville’s brightest stars and writers, produce albums for multiple other artists, written songs for feature films (Fox & The Hound II, Assassin's Creed), laid claim to being his church’s music director in a congregation that reads like a who’s who of the music business (St. Augustine’s) and lastly, been as active in using that music gift for charitable and patriotic endeavors.

Zac Brown Band Covers Dan Fogelberg - "Leader of the Band"