New York, NY (September 16, 2016)—In 2001, singer-songwriter Mark Collie, with the accompaniment of an elite band of musicians, was spurred to perform at Tennessee’s Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary – one of America’s most notorious penal institutions up until its closing in 2009. The reason: to spread the infectious vibe of hope and redemption.

On October 14, Eagle Rock Entertainment will deliver the recording of this very concert, when Mark Collie & His Reckless Companions: Alive At Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary is released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats [MSRP $9.98]

Mark Collie has been exciting country music fans since he burst onto the scene in the 90s with his honky-tonk-meets-rockabilly style. With five major label albums and sixteen songs on the “Hot Country Songs” chart to his name, Collie has also penned songs for Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Aaron Tippin, George Jones, and Alabama to name a few, and currently stars as Frankie Gray on the hit TV series Nashville.

Drawing inspiration from country icon (and good friend) Johnny Cash, Collie took note of not only Cash’s celebrated 1968-69 live albums recorded at California’s Folsom and San Quentin prisons, but how his 1958 performance affected Inmate #A-45200: the man the world now knows as Merle Haggard. “Without Johnny going to San Quentin,” Collie says, “there might not have been a Merle Haggard. A lot of lives were changed or made better as a result of that music.”

It was this transformative quality that moved Collie to undertake a live prison recording. He wrote a batch of songs focusing on themes of crime and punishment just for this event, exploring the lives of those incarcerated with poignant detail and compassion.

“God gave me the opportunity to get in there and share something that might make a difference,” states Collie. “I believed the songs could matter. I wanted to make something that people could find hope in, or redemption, or restoration, or forgiveness.”

Culled from the two performances at the prison, Alive At Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary displays Collie’s musical dexterity, traversing a breadth of styles: country, blues, gospel, bluegrass, and rock ‘n’ roll. He is backed by the exemplary musicianship of guitarist Dave Grissom (John Mellencamp, Joe Ely), keyboardist Mike Utley (Jimmy Buffett, the Dixie Flyers), guitarist-mandolinist Tommy Burroughs (Memphis’ Riverbluff Clan), his longtime accordionist Hassel Tekkle, bassist Willie Weeks (the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, B.B. King), drummer Chad Cromwell (Neil Young, Mark Knopfler), and guitarist-fiddler-vocalist and solo star Shawn Camp. Special guest Camp takes lead rides vocals on two tracks, including “Dead Man Runs Before He Walks.” Additionally, Texas blues legend Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown guests on “Someday My Luck Will Change,” and Austin-based critical darling Kelly Willis joins the fray on “Heaven Bound,” “Got A Feelin’ For Ya,” and “Why Me Lord.”

Mark Collie & His Reckless Companions provided an unforgettable music event, and Alive At Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary captures it beautifully.

Additionally, on October 14, a Mark Collie performance / CD signing will take place at the historic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Eagle Rock Entertainment is the world’s largest producer and distributor of music programming for TV, DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital Media. Eagle produces quality HD programs, both concerts and documentaries, directly alongside artists including Imagine Dragons, Paul McCartney, Katy Perry, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, and Peter Gabriel. Eagle is a multiple Grammy® Award winner and has received numerous multi-platinum sales awards around the world.  Eagle Vision is headquartered in London, and is a Universal Music Group company.

Follow Mark Collie:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/markcollieofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMarkCollie

TRACK LISTING
1) I Could’ve Gone Right
2) Maybe Mexico
3) Heaven Bound (featuring Kelly Willis)
4) Got A Feelin’ For Ya (featuring Kelly Willis)
5) On The Day I Die
6) Dead Man Runs Before He Walks (featuring Shawn Camp)
7) Rose Covered Garden
8) Why Me Lord (featuring Kelly Willis)
9) Do As I Say
10) Someday My Luck Will Change (featuring Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown)
11) Folsom Prison Blues
12) Reckless Companions
13) Gospel Train (featuring Brushy Mountain Prison Choir)

Courtesy of Sundari PR