| Sultry country songstress Jonalee White and rising country star Derek Sholl will head out to entertain troops stationed in Europe and the Mediterranean, May 4-26. White and Sholl will perform at U.S. military bases in Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
White, who is headlining the tour, has attracted a growing fan base while performing with such artists as Clay Walker, Taylor Swift and Dierks Bentley all over the U.S. Her debut album, Wake Me, released last year on Lick Records, produced three hit singles: "Sunday Paper," "I Break," and "Wake Me," all of which broke into the Top 40 Country Charts. White wrote nine of the 13 songs on her first album and is currently working on her second. Originally from Erie, Penn., White now resides in Cincinnati.
"We are so excited and honored to be able to go on this tour and bring our troops a little bit of home," White said. "I have a number of relatives who have served in the Armed Forces, including two in-laws who have served in Iraq, so the opportunity to perform for our servicemen and women is especially meaningful for me. Derek and I have made a compilation CD with four of his songs and four of my songs and we will be passing these out on the tour."
White plays acoustic guitar in addition to her singing and songwriting talents. She will be joined on the tour by Molly Pauken, bass, acoustic guitar and vocals; Kay Harris, mandolin, acoustic guitar and vocals; Jeff Peters, drums; Mike Nugen, electric guitar; Mike Unger, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and vocals; and Chris Shaw, fiddle, acoustic guitar and vocals. Sound engineer Paul Hatem rounds out the group going on tour with White.
Sholl, who is opening for White, is equally enthusiastic about the opportunity to go on tour with Armed Forces Entertainment. "We want to give our troops an opportunity to relax for an evening, clear their heads and be entertained," he said. "I can't wait to shake their hands and say 'thank you' personally for all that they do for our country."
Sholl's journey from pro baseball hopeful to emerging country music star began when he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals. "That's when I first was exposed to a lot of great country music and discovered that my voice was well-suited to the country sound." After injuries cut short his baseball career, Sholl decided to pursue his second passion: music. He taught himself to sing, play guitar and write music and soon was performing at clubs in his hometown of Torrance, Calif. In 2003, he won an audition to perform at Station Casinos in Las Vegas. The following year was invited to perform at the Mirage with Jay Leno, which turned into a three-year gig. Today, Sholl resides in Texas and finds his single, "(I'll Be) Here" making noise on the Texas regional charts and the national Music Row chart.
"Jonalee White's vivacious personality and exuberant vocals never fail to captivate her audience," said Navy Lieutenant Jarod Trujillo, Armed Forces Entertainment circuit manager for Europe and the Mediterranean. "What's more, I know our troops will connect with Derek Sholl's soulful country sound. These two entertainers have come together to put on a high-energy, no-holds-barred stage show that is second to none."
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Armed Forces Entertainment is the lead Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel serving overseas, with priority given to those in contingency operations and at remote and isolated locations. The Department of the Air Force is the executive agent of Armed Forces Entertainment. Founded in 1951, Armed Forces Entertainment brings a touch of home to more than 500,000 troops annually, embracing the best of Americana that stretches across all genres of entertainment. Visit www.armedforcesentertainment.com for more information.
To learn more about Jonalee White, visit www.jonaleewhite.com. For more information on Derek Sholl, visit www.dereksholl.com.
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