Country in the Rockies Adds a Dose of Soul with Steve Cropper

FOR: IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more Information, contact:
Cathy Gurley: 615-269-0474
Cathy@gurleybiz.com
or Joe Pagetta
joe@gurleybiz.com

NASHVILLE (November 17, 2005) -- Veteran soul guitarist and songwriter Steve Cropper has been added to the all-star lineup assembling for Country in the Rockies, the annual ski and music benefit event in Crested Butte, Colorado, now in its 12th amazing year.

Cropper joins the already announced appearances of Texas tunesmith Robert Earl Keen, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member Jeff Hanna and hit songwriter and recording artist Matraca Berg. The event takes place January 28-February 1, 2006.

Cropper is probably best known for his work with the Mar-Keys and as a founding member of Booker T. and the MGs. He was a key player on seminal 1960s recordings by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Wilson Pickett and co-wrote the classics “In the Midnight Hour” with Pickett and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” with Redding.

In the 1970s, he went on to produce records by Jeff Beck and Mitch Ryder. By the end of the decade, he was a member of the fictitious Saturday Night Live band, The Blues Brothers, fronted by John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd. The skit expanded into the 1980 movie and the Blues Brothers became a real-life sensation.

He remains an active and in-demand session player and producer today. He most recently collaborated with O.C. actor Peter Gallagher on Gallagher’s Memphis-recorded 2005 release 7 Days in Memphis.

“We are pleased to have Steve joining us in Crested Butte this year,” said Country in the Rockies co-chairman Paul Corbin. “Someone of his stature and talent is sure to raise the event to new heights, not to mention elevating the late-night jam into a full-scale country-soul revue.”

Country in the Rockies benefits the T. J. Martell Foundation’s fundraising efforts to advance the groundbreaking cancer research in the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville. While the event has skiing and music at its core, it offers something for everyone. Outdoor activities in addition to snow-skiing and the celebrity ski races include snowboarding, snowshoeing, dog-sledding and horseback riding. Indoors, participants can take in all-star concerts on the Club Med stage, informal fireside “guitar pulls” till the wee hours with hit songwriters like Aaron Barker, Jeffrey Steele and Bob DiPiero and a celebrity Happy Hour in downtown Crested Butte.

The all-inclusive package includes lodging at Club Med, lift tickets, meals and hospitality, as well as the flight into the nearby Gunnison, Colo., airport and ground transportation to the hotel. Guests also receive a “goodie bag” with skis or a snowboard, ski clothing, CD’s and other items.

The money raised by Country in the Rockies enables the T.J. Martell Foundation to continue its support of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center’s growth and reputation. The VICC is designated as one of only 39 National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Centers

The Frances Williams Preston Laboratories is named for the former president and CEO of performing rights organization BMI. Ms. Preston is also president of the board for the Martell Foundation and serves on the board for the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

For more information about Country in the Rockies, including registration information and event updates, please visit www.citr.org. or call 615-256-2002.

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