Singer-songwriter Michelle Malone, a longtime favorite of local music fans, says she is “extremely honored and excited” to be on the Grammy ballot for Best Contemporary Blues for her most recent album, “Sugarfoot.”

Voting by members of the Recording Academy is underway now to determine the final five nominees in each category. Grammy nominations are scheduled to be announced during a Dec. 6 press conference.

Known for rocking guitar licks and the voice that earned her the nickname “Moanin’ Michelle Malone,” the Atlanta native takes a somewhat new approach on “Sugarfoot,” although the album — her ninth — is still sure to please longtime fans.

“I started playing slide guitar about four years ago, and it worked its way into a lot of my songwriting,” Malone says. “So ‘Sugarfoot’ is more of a blues record with a lot of slide guitar and blues harp, whereas my previous CDs were more of the rock and folk rock singer-songwriter genre.”

Malone, a lesbian, lived in Atlanta until 2005. She now resides in Nashville but returns frequently to perform.

“Atlanta gave me a great starting place to learn the ropes, hone my chops, and head out into the world to become a national act,” she says. “It’s all I’ve ever done, and for that I’m eternally grateful."

Falltacular draws Gay Atlantans to Smokey Mountains

More than 300 people are already registered for the annual Falltacular, a mountain retreat for gay men that takes place this year on Nov. 8-11 in the foothills of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains.

“It’s a time to relax and wind down, but we also have lots of entertainment and activities that people normally wouldn’t do, like horseback riding or hiking,” says Shawn Joyner, one of the organizers of Falltacular.

The final lead-up party for Falltacular takes place on Nov. 2, offering free food and discounted cocktails, as well as late registration for the retreat.

“We’ve opened up some more cabins, and so people who want to register can do so there, or they can give us a call,” Joyner says.
A $275 fee covers lodging, meals, cocktails and nightly parties. For an extra $75, attendees can travel roundtrip from Atlanta to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., aboard a party bus.

“It’s an inexpensive vacation, and it’s only three-and-a-half hours away,” Joyner says of the four-day retreat, which started out as his birthday celebration with a small group of friends. This year, gay men from 25 different states are expected, with most of them from Atlanta.

“I never thought in a million years it would turn into a national event,” Joyner says

—Ryan Lee

‘Positively Art’ set to raise AIDS funds, awareness

Some 40 emerging and established visual artists are on tap to present their works in a silent auction to raise money in the fight against HIV/AIDS at the “Positively Art” auction on Nov. 10 at BigHouse Studio.

The 2007 auction is the fourth annual event for the Atlanta chapter of Cable Positive, a conglomeration of cable TV and communications industry professionals dedicated to AIDS causes. Past versions of the group’s signature event raised more than $90,000 combined. This year’s auction benefits AID Atlanta.

BigHouse Studio is located in downtown Atlanta’s Castleberry Hill neighborhood, an ideal spot for the auction, according to Anthony Surratt, chair of Cable Positive’s local chapter.

“We are excited to be holding the event this year in the vibrant Castleberry Hill arts district,” Surratt says. “This will be a wonderful space to showcase our participating artists.”

Interested parties can register online. Admission is $40 in advance or $45 at the door, and includes food and drinks.

—Mike Fleming