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Worse than a sarcastic jab from Simon Cowell the launch of Stacy Dean Campbell’s music career got off to a truly dramatic if not very pleasant start the day he drove into Nashville in his white Ford LTD. His dark hair and white Ford got the instant attention of local law enforcement that swiftly moved in and arrested the young artist. Stacy was handcuffed and slammed into the back of a squad car by the excited Nashville police. Quickly, however, the mistaken identity was discovered and Stacy was released and got a formal apology from the police. Remarkably that experience actually helped to shape the style of the young artists career and apparently in some very good ways because he was soon signed with SONY Tree for publishing and Columbia Records with a recording contract.

Stacy Dean Campbell spent the next two decades at the pinnacle of the Country music genre receiving a steady stream of well deserved critical acclaim. His first album release, “Lonesome Wins Again” was a hit. “A calm island in a sea of overworked country songs” said USA TODAY. “An album of spare and lovely songs written with enough Cadilacs (sic) full of pain to make Hank Williams jealous.” Opined the WASHINGTON POST; and TIME Magazine offered: “Like a murmur from the echo chamber of broken hearts.”

When his second album, “Hurt City” was released the accolades continued with PEOPLE MAGAZINE saying of Stacy Dean Campbell “Stacy and his fine voice shine.” But as his success grew he caught the attention of actor/filmmaker Kiefer Sutherland who joined team Campbell and produced a powerful video “Eight Feet High.” Stacy Dean Campbell continued with his amazing music career but this experience brought new vision to his mind. Get a taste of Stacy Dean Campbell at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUj6tHv5ocA.

By 2004 he had written his first novel “Cottonwood.” Again he stayed true to his winning form earning great praise including this comment from WRITERS DIGEST. “The writing is flawless – All the characters, including Jack the mule, are full drawn and realistic.” This success quickly got the attention of independent film producer Mark Campbell Productions where final shooting script polish is being applied and several A list stars have already come on board the project. By A list stars I mean A list stars including Anthony Michael Hall, Louis Gossett Jr., Alsion Eastwood (yes THAT Eastwood), Ethan Suplee and Joe Perry.

While still in preproduction the expectation is that the project will go to camera early in 2014 with a broad worldwide release later that year. I honestly believe that in terms of huge success and lasting power “Cottonwood” could well be the next “Gone With the Wind.” Here is the plot summary.

County Sheriff Rube Whitlock is faced with raising his two young sons after the death of his young daughter which leaves his wife mentally incapacitated with grief and unable to care for them. Overwhelmed with the responsibility, Rube hires Esther, a local black woman whose husband, PV has just purchased his second mule in an attempt to establish himself and his farm as competitive cotton producers. Word of PV’s ambition quickly spreads through town igniting the community’s rage, creating dissonance and contempt within the usually quiet community.

Tensions rise as Orville “Guppy” Walters, a local ne’er-do-well, instigates a campaign that begins to threaten the safety of PV. These rumblings put Rube’s loyalties and the stability of his position as sheriff under scrutiny and it begins to compromise his livelihood.

As the condition of Rube’s wife deteriorates, Esther’s natural maternal presence begins to fill voids in the Whitlock house, which further fans the racial fires in the town. Rube is ultimately forced to choose between the boundaries set by the laws he has sworn to uphold and the boundaries set by the moral convictions of the human heart.

Amidst painful pasts beginning to resurface and new secrets freshly buried, it will take a “knobby-kneed buckskin” mule, a cheap pocket knife and a lifeless Cottonwood tree to form lasting friendships that will gray the lines between black and white and begin the delicate mending of family ties in the tender heart of a young boy.

More information on this film is available at: www.cottonwoodfilm.com. You can count on more discussion of Stacy Dean Campbell, the entire star studded cast and all aspects of “Cottonwood” the film as it moves steadily towards huge success. And when it does receive one or more Oscar nominations do please remember that you read about it here first.