Atlanta, GA (Top40 Charts/ Sony MASTERWORKS) - Sony MASTERWORKS releases 4TROOPS - debut self-titled CD will be available on May 11th with a portion of the proceeds from the sales to benefit veteran-related organizations. Sony chose to release the album during Armed Forces Week (May 8-May 15) which honors Americans serving in all five services - Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard.
During release week 4TROOPS will make appearances on: Huckabee (5/8), Good Morning America (5/11), Larry King Live (5/12), Fox & Friends (5/14), CBS Saturday Early Show (5/15) and Imus In The Morning (5/18). Starting June 1st, the 4TROOPS PBS Concert Special 4TROOPS: Live From The Intrepid begins airing (check local listings). In the Fall, 4TROOPS will embark on a National 50-city tour. Since being signed 4TROOPS have performed for fellow soldiers at Military bases around the country. They have also had the honor to perform the National Anthem at events including the New York METS and Philadelphia Phillies Opening Day games, the PGA Tour Players Cup and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
4TROOPS are United States combat veterans - three young men and one woman who served on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. While overseas, music played a crucial and very personal role in all of their lives. They would sing at everything from large military events to more intimate settings like memorial services. 4TROOPS now come together for a singular purpose: to sing on behalf of all troops, to honor their sacrifices and to create awareness for their needs.
The members of 4TROOPS are: Former CPT Meredith Melcher, Former SGT Daniel Jens, SSG (Ret.) Ron Henry and Former SGT David Clemo. Melcher, 29, is the daughter of a retired three-star General. She served as a platoon leader on the front lines in Iraq where she led her troops in the successful ambulance evacuations of hundreds of wounded Americans and Iraqis. Jens, 36, served in Iraq and was most recently stationed at Fort Hood. He joined the army after the events of 9/11. Jens was one of the finalists on "America's Got Talent." He was released from the Army at the end of January. Henry, 41, served in the Army for 20 years. He was a transport manager in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division, and also the leader of an Army singing group "Transportation Express." Clemo, 30, served on the front lines in Afghanistan providing communications and logistics support for the 18th Airborne Corps. He and Melcher toured together in 2004 with the Army Soldier Show.
An important element to the 4TROOPS project is giving back to organizations that support our U.S. soldiers and veterans. Sony Music will donate 50 cents from each sale of the 4TROOPS album in the United States to organizations that support veterans and their families. This donation will be split equally among The American Legion, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) and the USO. If you would like to learn more about how you can support the organizations affiliated with this project, please visit their websites at legion.org, iava.org, fallenheroesfund.org, uso.org.
The album consists of well-known patriotic pop and country songs and some new songs. All of the songs take on a special meaning in the context that they are performed by these four combat heroes. The first song is "For Freedom," an inspirational patriotic tune written by Matt Moran for his grandfather, a WWII vet. Country star Toby Keith gives his blessing for a new version of his popular and controversial post 9/11 hit "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" to be included on the album with lyrics revised to reflect a 2010 outlook. Another country hit on the album is "Galveston," popularized by Glen Campbell. This song made the CMT list of the ten greatest country-western songs of all time. Other tracks include "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, Lonestar's "I'm Already There," and a new song written by Victor Hurtado titled "Here We've Been." The album is produced by Frank Fillipetti (Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, George Michael, Pavarotti) who produced James Taylor's Hourglass album which won Fillipetti a Grammy for Best Pop Album and Best Engineered Album in 1998.
The group was brought together by veteran Victor Hurtado. He has been part of Army Entertainment for the last 25 years, first as a Soldier and Music Director, and later as the Artistic Director. He is currently the Production Director for the Army Soldier Show. This show was established during WWI in 1918 by Sgt. Israel Berlin, better known as Irving Berlin.
Bob Woodruff, the ABC news anchor who was severely injured in Iraq, conducted the first TV interview with 4TROOPS which aired on Good Morning America (ABC) in January. Woodruff is personally invested in creating a better environment for injured troops who return from war. Through The Bob Woodruff Foundation and ReMIND.org, Woodruff's goal is to provide resources and support to service members, veterans and their families to successfully reintegrate into their communities, in addition to educate the public about the needs of the injured troops and empower people everywhere to take action. Newmarket Press will publish a new, illustrated book 4TROOPS: THE MISSION IS MUSIC in September with over 120 photographs, bios and personal stories of the four soldiers, how they were discovered, the recording of their album, and the role that music plays in the lives of soldiers and families overseas and at home. For more info, visit www.newmarketpress.com.
For more information on 4TROOPS please visit www.4TROOPSmusic.com.
Track Listing:
Bless The Broken Road
For Freedom
Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (2010)
I'm Already There
Dance With My Father
Angel
Galveston
You Raise Me Up
You'll Never Walk Alone
Medley (Battle Hymn of the Republic, You're a Grand Old Flag, America The Beautiful)
Here We've Been
Raise Your Glasses
