Summer Reading begins on Tuesday, June 1st, 2010. This year's theme is "Make a Splash" at your local library!

On Tuesday, June 8, 2010 the Hopkinsville-Christian County Library will be presenting Joel Brantley's Reading Round Up as part of the Summer Reading program! The Reading Round Up will begin at 1:30PM.

Below is a press release from Joel Brantley:

Press Release

Joel Brantley grew up in Spokane, Washington. He attended McDonald Elementary, North Pines Jr. High and University High School. Joel went on to graduate from Eastern Washington University with a BS in Construction Engineering with a minor in music.

Joel has been performing professionally since 1987. Brantley’s first steps into the spot light was in Las Vegas, Nevada where he performed in a Rock n’ Roll Production at the Union Plaza Hotel and Casino. Joel was 21 years old. Since then he has performed all across the USA from Idaho to Tennessee.

Some of Joel’s musical highlights are as follows; Joel was the opening act and performed a Roy Orbison tribute for an Elvis Impersonator, featured entertainer at Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN and Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, ID. Joel has been hired by Waylon Jennings, Jerry Reed, Bobby Bare, and Mel Tillis to record his vocals on their CD’s. Performed on National TV on the “Charlie Daniels National Round-Up.” Joel has had the opportunity to be the opening act for many popular country and rock n’ roll acts such as “Daryl Singletary,” “The Association” and “Mark Chestnut.” He also has performed on cruise ships, at county fairs and schools all across the northwest and south. In the last 17 years Joel has performed a program in over 1000 schools that is part music and part message. His more recent program at the schools is called The Three R’s; “Respect, Responsibility and Rock n’ Roll” and “Bullying; It’s Not O.K.”

Nashville
After Joel was married, in Spokane, Washington, to Laura Peterson they packed the van and moved to Nashville. From 1991 to 2000, Joel pursued country music and songwriting and Laura continued her medical career at Hendersonville Hospital. Both of their children where born at Hendersonville Hospital. During the 1990’s Joel performed hundreds of shows called “History of Rock n’ Roll” and the “Country Hoe-Down” at libraries, schools, fairs, dance halls and special events through out the south. Since then Joel has been living his dream as a full time entertainer performing over 150 shows a year. Joel’s performance schedule brings him back to the south June 4th through June 20th. Please visit www.joelbrantley.com to find out where Joel will be performing.

Joel’s shows are part music and part message. Volunteers become part of the show by playing rubber guitars, wearing Elvis shades or cowboy hats, dancing and singing into the microphone. Joel goes out into the audience and gives a few autographed pictures and scarves away as he sings rock n’ roll hits from the 1950’s. (Or present day popular country tunes.) During both programs, Joel shares rock n’ roll or country music facts that he has read from books. He tells the students how reading books helped find and make his dreams of being a Construction Engineer and Singer/Songwriter come true. Joel also sings songs he wrote such as “Read a book” and “Good people do good things” that relate to the message.

Joel’s high-energy, interactive performance is better than ever, only the names of his library shows have changed. Choose from a 1950’s rock show called “READING ROCKS” or a boot-scootin’ country show called “READING ROUND-UP.”

Joel is proud to have made a positive impact on the lives of students over the past seventeen years. Each year over forty-thousand kids attend his concerts that are part message and part music. Joel’s latest school assembly programs are called The Three R’s; “Respect, Responsibility and Rock n’ Roll” and “Bullying; It’s Not O.K.” He is proud to say that he has presented his programs for more than one thousand schools across the United States, from Tennessee to Washington. Brantley has worked with country legends such as Waylon Jennings, Bobby Bare, Mel Tillis and Charlie Daniels. He performed Elvis, Roy Orbison and George Strait Tributes to sold out crowds at casinos in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada.

Joel has a Country CD out called “The Nashville Demo’s,” that he wrote and recorded in Nashville, TN. This CD will be available for purchase at the show. He is currently recording his first Children’s CD full of positive up-beat songs for kids and will be available at www.joelbrantley.com this summer.