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ABDEL WRIGHT

The Album Abdel Wright
The Track "Quicksand"
The Label Interscope Records
Liner Notes With an incredible true-life story that rivals Jimmy Cliff's fictional tale of Kingston gangsters in the classic film The Harder They Come, roots reggae-rocker Abdel Wright has survived an upbringing in foster homes and five years in a Jamaican prison to create an entire album full of hope and redemption. Wright's own story is amazing, from government custody at the age of nine months, to one orphanage after another until he ended up at the SOS Children's Village in Montego Bay. The facility was founded by an Austrian soldier and funded in part by the legendary Johnny Cash, who owned a home nearby. Cash provided an early influence on the young Wright when he performed at a benefit concert at Rose Hall every Christmas for the students. "All the kids, especially the musical ones, like me, were drawn to him. He played two mouth harps at once, which amazed me," Wright says of Cash. At 12, Wright was given a guitar as a Christmas gift after a school superintendent spotted him eyeing it in the school's office. He went on to teach himself the instrument - as well as piano and flute - by stealing in order to afford the instruction books. At the age of 18, he began to write songs but began committing crimes to support himself. Caught with a firearm, he was sentenced to eight years in jail. A policeman on the scene saved Wright's life by refusing to allow the arresting officer to shoot him after discovering the gun. When the same cop ran into Wright years later after seeing him perform on TV, he told Wright it was the right decision: "'Now I know why I gave you a chance. You are here for a purpose,' he told me."
In his cell, he wrote several songs, including "Quicksand." Wright made the most of his prison stay by giving music lessons to the other inmates and leading the prison band. Wright also learned sign language and taught it to fellow prisoners, giving him a skill to put to use when he was ultimately released after serving a reduced sentence of five years. He played tirelessly on the island's club scene, performing his own songs and developing a following, but was nearly homeless when he had a chance meeting with producer Brian Jobson, which led to Eurythmics founder Dave Stewart agreeing to executive-produce the album. Stewart then turned his friend Bono on to Wright's music, and the two invited Wright to perform with them at the 46664 Event, the Nelson Mandela AIDS concert, held in November 2003, in Cape Town, South Africa. The all-star benefit, which also featured Peter Gabriel, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the Eurythmics and others, was hosted by Nelson Mandela to raise global awareness in the fight against AIDS. Wright performed an emotional "Loose We Now," with thousands of fans holding their lighters aloft in tribute. Wright also was brought on-stage by Bono, joining The Edge, Dave Stewart and Youssou N'Dour to add a solo toast to "Long Walk to Freedom," the last song written by the Clash's Joe Strummer before he died. The song appears on the soundtrack and DVD of the event and a studio version was recorded for an upcoming album project. After the Mandela AIDS benefit, Wright went back to Jamaica and entered an Ocho Rios studio to finish recording his debut album with Jobson, which Stewart and Bono then played for Interscope chief Jimmy Iovine, who immediately agreed to release Abdel Wright.
Site www.abdelwright.com
On KMTT Seattle WDET Detroit WFUV New York WXRV Boston WTMD Baltimore KUT Austin Sirius Acoustic Café DMX WUIN Wilmington WRNR Annapolis/Baltimore WRNX Springfield WRLT Nashville KTBG Kansas City WXPK White Plains/Westchester County WRSI Northampton/Greenfield/Springfield WKVL Knoxville KTHX Reno WMVY Cape Cod WZEW Mobile WCLZ Portland WEHM The Hamptons/Riverhead WMWV Conway NH WWVV Hilton Head SC/Savannah WKZE Sharon CT/Poughkeepsie WEBK Killington KSMT Breckenridge KSPN Aspen KSLU DeRidder LA WBSD Burlington WI KFMU Steamboat Springs KMTN Jackson
Quote "Abdel Wright is the most important Jamacian artist since Marley." —Bono
Tour Abdel Wright has been on tour in May/June with Citizen Cope.
Retail Abdel Wright is in stores August 16th.
Contact James Evans, Interscope Records
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WXRT Chicago 6/18/08, 4:30pm-6:30pm, Host: Frank E. Lee U2 - GOD PART II THE FRAY - OVER MY HEAD (CABLE CAR) ERIC CLAPTON/B.B. KING - RIDING WITH THE KING THE CURE - JUST LIKE HEAVEN STING - DESERT ROSE DUFFY - MERCY CRACKER - TEEN ANGST (WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW) TRAFFIC - FEELIN' ALRIGHT BEN HARPER - STEAL MY KISSES MODEST MOUSE - DASHBOARD PETER GABRIEL - KISS OF LIFE NEWTON FAULKNER - DREAM CATCH ME MUDDY WATERS - MANNISH BOY THE FLAMING LIPS - DO YOU REALIZE? THE WHITE STRIPES - ICKY THUMP THE ROLLING STONES - SHE'S SO COLD SUGAR RAY - SOMEDAY THE TING TINGS - SHUT UP AND LET ME GO BILLY IDOL - DANCING WITH MYSELF ARCADE FIRE - KEEP THE CAR RUNNING BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS - THREE LITTLE BIRDS
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| 2008 CALENDAR |
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July 4 Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic Selma, Texas
July 10-13 Annual XPoNential Music Festival Camden, NJ, Wiggins park
July 17-19 Public Radio Development & Marketing Conference (PRDMC) Orlando, Omni Orlando Resort
August 1-3 Lollapalooza Chicago, Grant Park
August 6-9 R&R Triple A Summit Boulder, CO, St. Julien Hotel
August 22-24 Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival San Francisco, Golden Gate Park
September 17-20 PRPD Public Radio Programming Conference Los Angeles, Renaissance Hollywood Hotel
September 17-19 Radio & Records Convention Austin, Hilton Austin Hotel
September 17-20 Americana Music Festival/ Conference Nashville
September 26-28 Austin City Limits Festival Austin, Zilker Park
October 24-26 Voodoo Experience Music Fest New Orleans, City Park
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