Roseau, Minn., native and country fiddler Kari Nelson and her fiancé singer/songwriter Billy Arnold, who perform as Kari & Billy, have released "Whole Lotta Love," a self-written, self-produced collection of 16 original songs.
Following their CD release party in May in Edgewood, Iowa, the album is now for sale on iTunes and through their website, kariandbilly.com, said Nelson, and the two have plans to film their first music video in July for their single "Wilson County Ferris Wheel Ride."
"We certainly have a busy schedule booked for this summer and fall," Nelson wrote in an email to the Herald. "We are opening for several top 40 artists including Montgomery Gentry, Kelly Pickler and Chris Young. Back in February we opened for Collin Raye at the Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque, Iowa. We are thrilled to be playing several fairs, festivals and rodeos ranging from the Miami Dade County Fair to the Georgia National Fair all the way up to the Alaska State Fair."
Nelson said she and Arnold plan to marry in January in Roseau
Nelson and Arnold both had success in their music careers before they began performing together. Nelson, who grew up in Roseau, trained as a classical violinist before she began playing country music. She moved to Nashville, Tenn., in September 2008 and began playing in various venues and with other talented and well-known performers, including John Rich of Big & Rich.
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Arnold was born in Florida and grew up hunting, fishing, playing sports, loving the outdoors and listening to country music, according to his website biography. He moved to a small town in Alabama when he was 18 to be closer to his grandparents and started singing when he was 22. He and the Backwood Boys band toured the U.S., and eventually he moved to Nashville. Over the years, he played shows with Craig Morgan, Vern Gosdin and many others, and recorded the album "Do You Remember" in 2009.
