Big Country with Rudy Blair is a new weekly country show that will profile Canadian country musicians through their personal playlists. The show will premiere on CBC Radio 2 on Sunday, Aug. 7, at 3 p.m. and will also be heard on CBC Radio One.
Big Country with Rudy Blair will be hosted by broadcaster and country music fan Rudy Blair, who has spent the last three decades talking to some of the biggest names in music including Beyoncé, Jay Z, Lionel Richie, Gordon Lightfoot, Dolly Parton and Tony Bennett. Known for his engaging, bigger-than-life personality and keen eye for talent, Blair famously gave a number of artists — Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Michael Bublé, and Avril Lavigne — their first national interview. And they haven't forgotten.
The show will wrap up Sept. 11, just in time for the Canadian Country Music Association Awards happening in London, Ont., that same day. The broadcast will air on CBC-TV on Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) and highlights from the show will air on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. on CBC Radio 2.
Each week on Big Country, Blair will sit down with a different country artist to share the music and stories that shaped the artists' lives and careers, including episodes with Terri Clark and Brett Kissel. The first episode will feature St. Catharines, Ontario-based singer-songwriter Tim Hicks. See below to check out the schedule for Big Country with Rudy Blair.
Episode schedule for Big Country with Rudy Blair
- Episode 1: Sunday, Aug. 7, with Tim Hicks.
- Episode 2: Sunday, Aug. 14, with Leah Daniels.
- Episode 3: Sunday, Aug. 21, with Jason McCoy.
- Episode 4: Sunday, Aug. 28, with Jess Moskaluke.
- Episode 5: Sunday, Sept. 4, with Terri Clark.
- Episode 6: Sunday, Sept. 11, with Brett Kissel.
- Episode 7: Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. : highlights from the 2016 Canadian Country Music Association Awards.
Local programming times for Big Country with Rudy Blair
Radio One
Sundays:
- 9 p.m. (Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta)
- 10 p.m. (N.S., P.E.I., N.B.)
- 10:30 p.m. (N.L)
Radio 2
Sundays:
- 3 p.m. (Ontario, Quebec, B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, N.B., N.S., P.E.I.)
- 3:30 p.m. (N.L.)
Wednesdays:
- 7:06 p.m. (ET)
SiriusXM 169
- Fridays at 2 p.m.
- Sundays at 9 p.m.
- Wednesdays at 7 a.m.
More to explore:
Dean Brody and Brett Kissel lead nominees for 2016 CCMA Awards