Capitol Pub Crawl 2 Packs 'Em In

09/19/2008

Capitol Records Nashville hosted its 2nd Annual Pub Crawl last night (9/18) on the streets of Nashville. Approximately 9,000 fans packed Demonbreun to hear free live music from Trace Adkins, Darius Rucker, Emily West and Luke Bryan (who returned by popular demand for his second Pub Crawl).

(L-R): Adkins, Rucker, West, Bryan and Capitol Nashville CEO Mike Dungan. Photo: Alan Mayor

Industry News Friday (9/19/08)

AMERICANA AWARDS RECOGNIZE DIVERSE GROUP—Levon Helm and Alison Krauss & Robert Plant were among the winners at last night’s (9/19) Americana Music Association 7th Annual Honors & Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium. Krauss and Plant...

Jerry Douglas Residency Glides On

09/18/2008

On Sept. 16 Jerry Douglas held court on the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Ford Theater stage as Artist-in-Residence for the third of four sold out shows. Douglas's surprise guests included Buddy Greene, Alison Krauss, Tony Rice and Country Music Hall of Fame member Earl Scruggs. Douglas wraps up his residency on Sept. 30.

(L-R): Greene; Jay Orr, VP Museum Programs; Scruggs; Krauss; Douglas; and Rice. Photo: Donn Jones

BMI Promotes Two

Sarah Skates – 09/18/2008

Bradley Collins and Mark Mason

BMI has promoted Writer/Publisher Relations staffers Mark Mason and Bradley Collins. Mason was upped from Director to Senior Director; Collins was upped from Associate Director to Director. Mason, a Belmont University graduate, joined BMI's Writer/Publisher Relations department in 1995. Collins joined BMI in 2002 and holds a degree from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.

In announcing the promotions, VP Jody Williams commented, "Mark... is the primary organizational energy behind several of our songwriters' festivals and so many of our important events... He has signed many meaningful songwriters important to our market share and provides top-notch service to our affiliates."

Regarding the promotion of Collins, Williams added, "Bradley has signed significant writers in every genre of music... He has helped with organizing events for our department and our licensing department, and has been visible day and night keeping BMI’s good name in the forefront of our community."

Industry New Thursday (9/18/08)

Last night’s (9/17) first-ever ACM Honors at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum recognized the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Look for...

Show Dog Nashville Celebrates Three Years

09/17/2008

Show Dog staffers convened in Atlanta during a stop on Toby Keith’s Biggest & Baddest Tour recently to celebrate the label’s three-year anniversary.

(L-R) standing: Lisa Owen, West Coast rep; Kevin Erickson, Midwest rep; Greg Sax, SW rep; Keith; Rick Moxley, VP Promotions; Nathan Cruise, SE rep; George Nunes, GM; and Bill Kennedy, VP Sales/Mktg. Front (kneeling): Ali Sparico, Promotion Coord. and Suzanne Durham, NE rep. Show Dog staff members not included are Tracy Arnold, Publicity/Mktg. Mgr.; PJ Olsen, Dir. Research & Information Systems; and Sloane Cavitt, Sales/Mktg. Coord.

Simpson CDs Sell 19% Digital

David M. Ross – 09/17/2008

Metallica burst out of record bins and along ethernet cables to sell 489,883 units in its debut week and own the No. 1 position on the Top 200 album list. About 60,000 of those sales were digital or 12.2%.

Nashville’s newest famous resident, Jessica Simpson also had a strong debut week, landing at No. 4 on the Top 200 and No. 1 on the Top 75 Current Country charts. Simpson fans snapped up 65,154 units with 19% or 12,443 purchased in digital form.

Simpson’s strong digital showing far outpaces most country artists whose downloaded albums generally average a much lighter 7.5% share of total sales. Insiders believe the high numbers could be due to the artist’s highly active MySpace page and huge media profile.

Only three country CDs stretched above the 20k range this week, Simpson, Sugarland (34,082) and the Now Country compilation (21,248).

Total Top 75 sales were 362,389 as compared with last week’s 329,561. As the third quarter gets close to closing, country music sales YTD remain down 14.3%. Overall sales are faltering slightly less, down around 11%.

ACM Endows Charitable Fund; Hires Director

09/17/2008

Erin Spahn, Director ACM Charitable Fund

The Academy of Country Music contributed an $850,000 endowment to the Academy of Country Music Charitable Fund (ACMCF), the philanthropic arm of the Academy established quietly three years ago which has emerged as the top priority for all Academy endeavors.

The endowment was made at an Academy of Country Music Board meeting, and included monies raised at events held in conjunction with the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas in May. The gift is the first disbursement of a significant three-year funding commitment and fundraising campaign.

The Academy’s 40-year legacy of giving to music-related charitable causes evolved in 2005 into the ACMCF, with a separate governing Board made up of music industry executives and national philanthropic leaders. The Fund has deliberately operated without fanfare for three years while building up its resources. During that time, the Fund has privately provided grants to promote music education and to organizations that focus on healing through music. Many of the Academy's premiere events benefit the Fund, including the Motorcycle Ride, Golf Classic and New Artists’ Party for a Cause.

Additionally, the Academy is announcing that Erin Spahn has joined the staff, forming a new, in-house link between the Fund’s Board and the day-to-day activities and work of the Academy’s staff and Board. Spahn has been named Director of the ACM Charitable Fund and reports directly to Academy Executive Director, Bob Romeo and the Fund’s Chairman, Dennis Lord. Spahn has a copyright and music law background, and experience at SESAC, first in Nashville then in New York.

(L-R): ACM VP John Grady, Pres. Rod Essig, and Chairman Mark Hartley; and ACM Charitable Fund VP Gayle Holcomb, Chairman Dennis Lord and Pres. Gary Haber.

Hank Williams Jr. To Be Celebrated As BMI Icon At Annual Country Awards

09/17/2008

Hank Williams Jr. will be honored as a BMI Icon at the U.S. performing right organization’s 56th annual Country Awards. The black-tie, invitation-only gala recognizing the past year’s most-performed BMI country songs is set for Nov. 11 at the company’s Music Row offices in Nashville. The artists and songwriters named BMI Icons have had “a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” Williams, who will be saluted with an all-star musical tribute that evening, joins an elite list of past honorees that includes country music legends Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Whisperin’ Bill Anderson, Charlie Daniels and Loretta Lynn, along with numerous multi-genre nobility.

Hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Nashville Writer/Publisher VP Jody Williams, the 56th Annual Country Awards will recognize the songwriters and publishers of the top BMI country songs played on American radio and television during the previous year. BMI will also bestow prestigious honors on the Country Songwriter of the Year, Country Publisher of the Year and Most Performed Country Song of the Year, also known as the Robert J. Burton Award.

Hank Williams, Jr.’s career has profiled the aspirations, trials and carousals of the everyman in a proud and instantly recognizable voice. Nicknamed “Bocephus” by his legendary father Hank Williams, the younger Williams’ waggish songs and roguish persona have unified through their celebration of rebellion. He boasts a catalog of self-penned material that includes honky-tonk classics “All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down,” “Country Boy Can Survive,” “Born to Boogie,” “Family Tradition,” and “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound.” In addition to 10 No. 1 singles, he found mainstream success on the pop charts and through penning and performing the multiple Emmy award-winning theme to Monday Night Football.

Reba McEntire To Be Honored At ASCAP Country Awards

09/17/2008

Reba McEntire will be honored with the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award during the 46th Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards ceremony, set for Oct. 13 at the Ryman Auditorium. The invitation-only gala will also salute the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP’s most performed country songs of the past year, and special awards will be given to Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter/Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Publisher of the Year. A party honoring the night's winners will follow the awards ceremony. ASCAP Sr. VP Connie Bradley will host the event.

The ASCAP Golden Note Award is presented to songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. ASCAP President & Chairman Marilyn Bergman commented, "Reba is one of Country Music's greatest artists, and as an actress, a strong and assertive vocalist who understands and beautifully conveys the emotional shadings of the lyrics she sings. She has applied her talent to performing on the Broadway stage and as the star of a hit television series she has received critical and public acclaim. At the same time, she remains true to Country Music, adored by millions of fans more than three decades after her first chart hit. We are delighted to honor Reba with the ASCAP Golden Note Award, which she so richly deserves.”

Oklahoma-born McEntire was discovered singing on the rodeo circuit in the mid-1970s. Encouraged to go to Nashville, she found early and continued chart success beginning in 1976. She has enjoyed sales of more than 55 million records worldwide over the course of her career, including 31 No. 1 hits.

Previous Golden Note recipients include Garth Brooks, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Alan Jackson, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Lionel Richie, Tom Petty, André Previn, Michael W. Smith, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones.