| Gone Country | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Judges | John Rich of Big & Rich |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 1 hour including commercials |
| Original release | |
| Network | CMT |
| Release | January 25, 2008 (2008-01-25) – March 7, 2009 (2009-03-07) |
Gone Country is an American celebrity reality television show in which contestants compete to become a country music singer. The winner gets a country single produced by host John Rich, one-half of the country duo Big & Rich. It aired on CMT, with reruns on TV Land, and VH1. On the first-season finale, Julio Iglesias Jr. was named the winner.
Gone Country uproots these seven musical celebrities and moves them into a Nashville mansion together to embark on a two-week adventure, hosted by singer-songwriter John Rich. Each celebrity will be paired up with some of Nashville's finest songwriters in an attempt to prepare them for a career in country music. In each episode, the cast competes against each other in challenges that will test them musically and physically to adapt to a country music lifestyle, both on and off the stage. At the end of the two weeks, the artist who is most prepared to impress a country audience, as determined by Rich, will record and release a song.
Season 1 contestants
- Bobby Brown – an R&B star of the late 1980s and early 1990s, member of boy band New Edition.
- Maureen McCormick – best known from her role as Marcia Brady from the hit television show The Brady Bunch.
- Diana DeGarmo – American Idol season 3 runner-up and a Broadway actress
- Julio Iglesias Jr. – son of singer Julio Iglesias, brother of Enrique Iglesias, and a soulful dance-pop singer. (Winner)
- Sisqó – Member of the R&B group Dru Hill. He is most widely known for his solo hit, the "Thong Song."
- Dee Snider – lead singer of the 1980s heavy metal band Twisted Sister.
- Carnie Wilson – daughter of Beach Boys front man Brian Wilson, Carnie Wilson was also a member of the pop band Wilson Phillips.
Season 2 contestants
- Jermaine Jackson – a member of The Jackson 5 alongside brothers Michael, Marlon, Tito and Jackie.
- Chris Kirkpatrick – member of the boy band *NSYNC.
- Sean Young – Appeared in movies such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Fatal Instinct, Wall Street, No Way Out and Blade Runner.
- Mikalah Gordon – American Idol season 4 finalist
- Sebastian Bach – Former lead singer of the glam metal band Skid Row. (Winner)
- Lorenzo Lamas – played "Tom Chisum" in Grease and starred on Falcon Crest, Renegade and The Bold and the Beautiful.
- Irene Cara – played "Coco Hernandez" in the film Fame in 1980 and also is best known for the theme songs for both "Fame" and Flashdance. Left the show in episode 2 after Sean Young's drunken actions during the night.
Season 3 contestants
- Tara Conner – Miss USA 2006
- Micky Dolenz – former Monkees singer and drummer
- George Clinton – funk master; leader of the band Parliament-Funkadelic
- Richard Grieco – 21 Jump Street actor
- Taylor Dayne – 1980s pop star
- Sheila E. – Drummer and singer (Winner)
- Justin Guarini – American Idol season 1 runner-up
See also
- Outsiders Inn, the 2008 reality television series spin-off featuring McCormick, Brown, and Wilson.
References
- "Bobby Brown goes country on CMT reality show". 28 January 2008.
- "Rich takes celebrities to country school". The Tennessean. January 21, 2008. pp. D1. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- "Iglesias Jr. Triumphs On Gone Country". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- "About the Series". CMT. Archived from the original on January 16, 2008. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- Bobby Brown | View the Music Artists Biography Online | VH1.com
- Maureen McCormick
- "Diana DeGarmo". American Idol. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- Julio Iglesias Jr Archived December 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- Sisqó | View the Music Artists Biography Online | VH1.com
- DeeSnider.com - Home Archived February 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- "Carnie Wilson Pictures, Biography, Discography, News, Ringtones, Videos". Starpulse.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-20. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- "Gone Country 2 : Cast : John Rich Hosts : Celebrities Compete For New Country Music". CMT. Archived from the original on August 14, 2008. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- "Gone Country 2 : Cast : John Rich Hosts : Celebrities Compete For New Country Music". CMT. Archived from the original on August 14, 2008. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- "Gone Country 2 : Cast : John Rich Hosts : Celebrities Compete For New Country Music". CMT. Archived from the original on August 14, 2008. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- "Gone Country 2 : Cast : John Rich Hosts : Celebrities Compete For New Country Music". CMT. Archived from the original on August 8, 2008. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- ^ "Gone Country 2 : Cast : John Rich Hosts : Celebrities Compete For New Country Music". CMT. Archived from the original on August 3, 2008. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- "Gone Country 2 : Cast : John Rich Hosts : Celebrities Compete For New Country Music". CMT. Archived from the original on August 14, 2008. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- ^ Finan, Eileen (2008-11-06). "PEOPLE Preview: Latest Gone Country 3 Cast - TV News". People. Archived from the original on November 9, 2008. Retrieved 2012-07-03.