JAY DEMARCUS ANNOUNCES RED STREET RECORDS SPONSORSHIP OF NASCAR DRIVER NATALIE DECKER

2-Time GRAMMY Winner Jason Crabb Featured on Hood During Daytona Xfinity Series Race February 20, 2021

Red Street Records – owned by Rascal Flatts’ member Jay DeMarcus – is proud to announce the label’s sponsorship of Natalie Decker as she joins RSS Racing, managed by Reaume Brothers Racing, for five races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. This is a historic partnership – the first time a Christian music label has sponsored a NASCAR driver

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Team Decker,” said Jay DeMarcus, owner of Red Street Records. “Natalie is on the cutting edge of the racing industry; her meteoric rise continues to be amazing and unprecedented! She is the next generation. We here at Red Street view our journey in much the same way: innovation, and “outside the box” thinking, have set us apart, in the same way that Natalie has been set apart as one of NASCAR’s youngest female drivers in history. That makes Team Decker and Red Street Records the perfect combination!”

"I echo what Jay has expressed: we are beyond excited to work with Natalie and Team Decker,” said Mark Lusk President/General Manager of Red Street Records. “Her heart, drive and passion resonate so strongly with our team and we fully expect this to be a winning combination! LET’S RACE!"

Also unveiled was the design of the car, with 2-time GRAMMY winner Jason Crabb – a Red Street Records artist – showcased on the hood of the car promoting his new single, “Just As I Am.”

“Natalie Decker proves that with God-given talent and determination, you can achieve your dreams,” said Jason Crabb. “To be included in Red Street Records’ sponsorship of Natalie and her team during the NASCAR Xfinity Series is just awesome – start your engines!”

RSS Racing’s Natalie Decker will be running the #23 Chevy Camaro for five races to start the year, which will be managed by Reaume Brothers Racing once again. Natalie will be making her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at the Daytona Road Course and is proud to reveal her new partnership with Red Street Records, who will be her primary sponsor.

Josh Reaume, owner of Reaume Brothers Racing, is excited about the partnership, commenting: “As a team, we have been able to help a lot of drivers make their debut into the NASCAR trucks Series, and now we have the ability to do that with the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Having Natalie make her Xfinity debut at the Daytona Road Course is another exciting step for this team and the direction we are heading. We had some strong runs with Myatt Snider at the road courses last year and we are confident Natalie will do a great job at the Daytona road course to kick off the 2021 season.” 

“First, I have to say thank you, thank you to all my fans that support me and show me so much love! I love you all!," exclaimed Natalie Decker. "Thank you to Todd DiBenedetto for connecting Natalie Decker LLC and Red Street Records. Thank you, Red Street Records, for believing in me and wanting to be part of this Journey with me. Our first race is the Daytona road course, and I could not be any happier, we have Jason Crabb and his new single on the hood of the car. This song is so meaningful to me and the inspiration I get from Jason when I hear this song is unbelievable! I’m excited for this journey and I’m so happy I finally get to share it with all of you!”

Natalie Decker has made significant strides in the last few years racing in the ARCA series and most recently in the NCWTS – where she became the highest finishing female in the NASCAR Truck Series, finishing 5th at Daytona in 2020. With Natalie’s enormous talent, coupled with RSS’s strong fleet of vehicles, the team is looking to give Decker the equipment needed to show off her racing skills. 

JAY DEMARCUS TO JOIN JASON CRABB AT GRAND OLE OPRY

Jason Crabb to Appear This Saturday at Grand Ole Opry

Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus to Join 2 time GRAMMY Winner for Special Duet Performance

Jason Crabb – two-time GRAMMY® and 22 GMA Dove Award winner, will once again take the stage of the Grand Ole Opry this Saturday, December 26, 2020. The beloved artist / songwriter / actor / author will perform alongside T. Graham Brown, Lindsay Ell, Charlie McCoy, Riders in the Sky, Connie Smith and Marty Stuart.

Jay DeMarcus – member of Rascal Flatts and owner of Jason's record label, Red Street Records – will joining Crabb during his set to perform "A Strange Way To Save The World," the Christmas single they released at the beginning of December. The song was debuted during an appearance on Fox & Friends.

A portion of the Opry will be broadcast live Saturday, December 26 at 9 PM ET / 8 PM CT on Circle, and on Gray TV stations, DISH Studio Channel 102, Sling TV and other TV affiliates in addition to a companion live stream on Circle All Access Facebook and YouTube channels. 

Fans around the world can also tune in to the broadcast on the Opry’s flagship radio home, 650 AM-WSM and several other outlets. 

For more details and to find out if Circle is available in your market, please visit www.CirclePlus.com For more information about Circle, please contact: info@circleplus.com

JAY DEMARCUS AND JASON CRABB PREMIERE “STRANGE WAY TO SAVE THE WORLD” LIVE ON FOX & FRIENDS

This morning, Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts) and Jason Crabb debuted "Strange Way To Save The World," their new Red Street Records single release, on the hit morning show, FOX & Friends.

 

Due to COVID restrictions, DeMarcus and Crabb had to broadcast via Skype from DeMarcus' home in Nashville, TN to the FOX studios in New York City.

 

"I've wanted to be on FOX & Friends for as long as I can remember," said Crabb. "So, to get to share this moment with Jay and to sing such an amazing song that celebrates the true reason for the season – the birth of Jesus – was very special. It was an honor to share the joy of Christ with Ainsley, Brian, Steve, and the FOX & Friends viewers."

 

The release celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Christmas classic written by Don Koch, Dave Clarke and Mark Harris. The song was originally performed by iconic Christian vocal group, 4Him, and released in 2000. 

“I’ve always loved this song, and I’m so honored and proud to have been able to record it with Jason Crabb," says Jay DeMarcus. "He is as good as it gets when it comes to powerful voices and I couldn’t be more grateful for his willingness to do this with me. This timeless masterpiece was written by my good friends; Don Koch, Mark Harris and Dave Clark, and it is truly one for the ages.”

 

"It so great to hear this awesome new version of a song that I was a part of writing almost 30 years ago," said Mark Harris, member of 4Him and co-writer of the song. "Jay and Jason have done a great job of capturing the heart behind “A Strange Way to Save the World”.

I hope this reminds everyone once again of the simple, yet amazing way Christ came to the world.

 

Jason's daughter, Ashleigh, makes a special appearance on the track as well, providing harmony vocals. 

 

Produced by DeMarcus, the release is available now via all digital outlets.

CMA CLOSE UP: COUNTRY STARS PAY TRIBUTE TO THEIR MUSIC TEACHERS

By Deborah Evans Price

© 2014 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Ask just about anyone in Country Music today and you’ll likely find that music education was a cornerstone in the foundation of their careers.

“People would ask, ‘Why don’t you play basketball? You know you’re tall,’” said Chris Young, with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Well, basketball practice was always at the same time as choir rehearsal.’ Between the two of them, I picked choir and it seems to have worked out.”

Chris Young performs with Nashville School of the Arts students Mignon Grabois and Charley Woods at the 2012 Keep the Music Playing All Stars concert.
Photo Credit: Donn Jones / CMA

“I had a unique opportunity to go to a school for performing arts in Columbus, Ohio, called the Fort Hayes Performing Arts Center,” said Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts. “I had a teacher there named Mary Daniels, who really pushed me to be better than I thought I was. I’d turn in projects and she’d say, ‘It’s good, but you’ve got better inside of you.’ She was actually more a friend to me than just a teacher. She had a way of disarming you to make you feel so comfortable and capable of doing more than you thought you could.”

Jay DeMarcus plays the new grand piano donated to Nashville’s McGavock High School by CMA’s Keep the Music Playing program in 2009.

Photo credit: John Russell / CMA

Like Chris Young, Scotty McCreery learned much from performing with his high school choir. “Our teacher, Meredith Clayton, would take us to New York City, Chicago, Florida and different places for competitions,” he recalled. “She was awesome. She has a big, bubbly personality and a love for music that she passed down to her students. She was all about preparation and putting in the work, and that’s big for Country Music nowadays. If you’re going to be successful, you’ve got to put in the work. Nobody’s going to hand it to you. So I learned a lot of good lessons from her.”

Scotty McCreery performs with students at the 2013 Keep the Music Playing All Stars Concert.

Photo Credit: Donn Jones / CMA

A number of music teachers inspired Sara Evans as she grew up in New Franklin, Missouri. “I was playing clarinet in band,” she said. “I was also in choir. Our two music teachers, Mrs. Burnett and Mrs. Nugent, were both really sweet and fabulous as teachers. Our school was so small that we didn’t even have football, so we would march in the town’s parades. I was always the assistant teacher. Sometimes I would get to direct the band.”

The benefits of music education are a top priority for Evans to pass along to her children, son Avery, 14, and daughter Olivia, 11. She has also lent support to other kids studying music. In 2011, she visited Nashville’s Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School as part of CMA’s Keep the Music Playing program to support public school music education.

Sara Evans visits Nashville’s Pearl-Cohn Entertainment High School in 2011on behalf of CMA’s Keep the Music Playing.

Photo Credit: John Russell / CMA

“That was a really cool experience,” she said. “I learned so much about how they benefit from Keep the Music Playing. It was really cool to see these kids perform and work so hard on these songs and then perform them for us. You could just tell they were so proud and that they were such good friends, just from being in the music program together.”

“It’s really a great way for us as musicians and other people to be able to give back,” agreed Young, who has also participated in programs for KTMP. “It’s a great investment of our time, and it’s great for the kids.”

“I’m so passionate about Keep the Music Playing because I remember as a kid that if I didn’t have music to distract me from some other things, I don’t know where I would have ended up,” DeMarcus added. “It helped me focus a little bit more in school, having music to look forward to in the afternoons.”

McCreery concurs that KTMP is “an awesome program. As a performer and a musician, I hear about the public schools and their budget cuts. A lot of times, the first things they cut are their music and arts programs. But these programs are so vital and important to kids and their upbringing. I couldn’t imagine growing up without having arts and music in my school. Keep the Music Playing and CMA are doing great things for these kids, for their future.”

Half of all CMA Music Festival profits are donated annually to Keep the Music Playing. More information is available at www.CMAworld.com.

RASCAL FLATTS SHOWS THEIR "STAR" POWER

Rascal Flatts will display their star power permanently for all to see when they are honored for their talent with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Monday, September 17 in Los Angeles. If you're in the area and want to see it yourself, the star will be located in front of the Sergeant Supply Store at 6664 Hollywood Blvd. Walkoffame.com will stream the ceremony live at 11:30am PT. Congratulations guys, well deserved and definitely earned. You keep making country proud!