Strawberry Wine' and a Hot July Moon

'Strawberry Wine' and a hot July moon

Posted by Dick Myers On 08/01/2015

Like strawberry wine and seventeen The hot July moon saw everything My first taste of love, oh, bittersweet The green on the vine like strawberry wine Lyrics by Matraca Maria Berg & Gary Harrison

Chesapeake Beach, MD – Deana Carter brought her classic song of summer love, Strawberry Wine, to the Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa on July 30. A storm had blown through hours before, but the hot July sun had returned and a near-full hot July moon was ready to make its appearance.

Carter saved her smash 1997 single for the last song of her more than an hour set on the beachside concert stage. The record garnered Record of the Year and Album of the Year from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

Saving it for last gave the audience a chance to hear some of Carter’s most recent album “Southern Way of Life” in addition to some of her other hits. But the song is obviously still a fan favorite and many joined her in front of the stage to dance to it.

Carter is a Nashville girl, the daughter of County Music Hall of Fame singer/songwriter/musician Fred Carter, Jr. Carter was a session musician on many famous country and rock hits by artists such as Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty, Simon and Garfunkel and Bob Dylan. He was an original member of the band that would become “The Band.” So Carter grew up with all of the stars going through the Carter home.

Deana dabbled in music as a teenager but instead went to University of Tennessee, majoring in Rehabilitation Therapy, and worked with recovering stroke and head injury patients after graduation. But, with music in her blood, she decided to take a chance. It hasn’t always been an easy ride for her.

Her first album, “Did I Shave My Legs for This” was released in the United Kingdom and then the label quickly folded. Her career has been plagued with label problems and in the early 2000’s she severed her relationship with Capital Records and moved through a succession of several of them.

Her early success that included several other hit singles slowed and she finally walked away from the business in 2007, after releasing the album “The Chain,” to spend more time with her son. Seven years passed before her most recent album “Southern Way of Life” was released in 2013.

Carter, who now lives in California, is working somewhat outside the mainstream Nashville scene. She has formed her own label called “Little Nugget Records.” Carter told the Chesapeake Beach show crowd that her father passed away five years ago and she knew he would be proud of her. “He would be so glad that his little girl figured out how to do that herself,” she said.

Carter band member, guitarist Sean Jones talked The Bay Net before the show. He said Carter’s recent music hasn’t yet caught on with country radio so she is depending on her fan base that includes 200,000 Facebook fans to spread the word about her concerts and new music.

Carter and her crew flew in from California just for the concert, They stayed overnight at the resort and then flew back the next morning. Carter posted on her Facebook page a picture of the sunrise over the resort with the caption; “Good morning & goodbye sweet Chesapeake Bay!! You were wonderful last night!!”

Carter’s concert was part of the summer-long Rock the Dock Summer Concert Series at Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa. Coming up next is legendary country performer Marty Stuart, with a show Sunday, Aug. 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Later in the month the series features the equally-legendary bluegrass band Seldom Scene (Aug. 26) and tribute performances by Who’s Bad (Michael Jackson) on Aug. 6, Bruce in the USA (Bruce Springsteen) on Aug. 13, Sir Rod (Rod Stewart) on Aug. 14, Memories of the King (Elvis) on Aug. 19, Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac) on Aug. 20 and Sons of Pirates (Jimmy Buffet) on Aug. 27. For a complete schedule go to: http://www.chesapeakebeachresortspa.com/

Contact Dick Myers at [email protected]

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