Partnerships Equal Expanded Services

*Photo cutline: (l-r) Ramona E. Simmons, Global Eyes Entertainment; Lee Williams, CMR Nashville; and Preston Sullivan, Global Eyes Entertainment

(L-R): Ramona E. Simmons, Global Eyes Entertainment; Lee Williams, CMR Nashville; and Preston Sullivan, Global Eyes Entertainment

Two long-time entertainment companies have joined forces to offer country music artists, labels and managers an outlet to build their global footprints. Global Eyes Entertainment (GEE), a Nashville-based international artist development company founded in 1997, and London’s country radio station, CMR Nashville, have reached a strategic partnership agreement to offer radio promotion packages.

Ramona E. Simmons, founder of GEE, and partner, Preston Sullivan, will run the Nashville office. Lee Williams works for CMR Nashville.

GEE/CMR Nashville can be reached at 9 Music Sq. S. #360, Nashville, TN 37203; 615-882-0242; www.globaleyesentertainment.com and www.cmrnashville.com.

——————————-

E1 Music and the Progression Music Group have formed the Red Dirt Music Company, providing artist management and record label services, with a focus on Texas music. PMG General Manager Ben Ewing will oversee operations of the company with label resources provided by E1 Music. Chuck Rhodes is serving as Director, Country Division of E1 Music.

Also at E1, Alan Grunblatt is the newly named President, replacing Bob Frank. He previously served as GM and executive VP and will report to E1 CEO Michael Koch.

The Red Dirt Music Company is located at the PMG offices in Nashville with a satellite office in Austin, Texas. It can be contacted at 615-847-3702 or ben@progressionmusicgroup.com.

Steele Songwriter Boot Camp

steele150Jeffrey Steele’s 4th annual Songwriter Boot camp is set to kick off Sept. 10-13 in Nashville at the BMI offices. Steele, twice named BMI Songwriter of the Year and three time NSAI Songwriter of the Year, will shepherd 12 rising star songwriters through a three-day, two-night curriculum loaded with co-writing sessions, one-on-one coaching from Steele and additional industry activities. Applications for the event are due by Aug. 1. Boot Camp costs total $2,000 and include a 3-night stay in Nashville, a luncheon A&R panel and more. For complete details and application information visit www.jeffreysteele.net/bootcamp.

APA Welcomes Darren Kozelsky

dkAgency for the Performing Arts (APA) has signed country singer Darren Kozelsky for representation, with Clint Wiley and Scott Galloway acting as the responsible agents.

Kozelsky joins artists Tanya Tucker, Collin Raye, David Lee Murphy, Kingbilly, Little Texas, Lee Roy Parnell, Cross Canadian Ragweed and more at APA.

He is a Texas native who first carved a successful career on the competitive Lone Star music circuit. The title of Kozelsky’s current album, Arrivals & Departures, seems apropos for an artist who performs 200 shows a year from Dallas, Texas to Crappone, France and all points in between. The album’s current single is the hardcore country anthem “Seven Vern Gosdins Ago.”

DISClaimer (6/26/09)

montgent-backwhen150The stars are blindingly bright this week.

If you’re looking for a gorgeous ballad, George Strait is your man. In the mood for a joyous rocker? Give a listen to Sara Evans. For a jolt of vocal passion, check out Jamie O’Neal. Do you wish to bask in heavenly harmonies? I hereby direct your attention to the Eli Young Band. And if you seek a good ol’ meat-and-potatoes outlaw country tune, Montgomery Gentry has just the thing.

bradlong-150Any and all of those records could be a Disc of the Day. In one of the toughest decisions I’ve made in ages, I’m going with the common people, Montgomery Gentry.

As you all know, Teddy Gentry was a soulful sideman for years in Alabama. In Phase II of his career, he is emerging as a potent producer on Music Row. He has found a guy named Brad Long who sings like a bird and wins this week’s DisCovery Award.

CHRIS HANNERS/It’s My Life
Writer: Mark Schlemmer; Producer: Randy Jack Wiggins; Publisher: Nashville Sound, SOCAN/BMI; Little House (615-885-8100)
-The song is cute. The track sparkles. His vocal is strictly ordinary.

SARA EVANS/Feels Just Like A Love Song
Writer: Sara Evans/Nathan Chapman/Chris Lindsey/Aimee Mayo; Producer: Nathan Chapman & Sara Evans; Publisher: Universal-Careers/Gingerdog/Sony ATV Tree/Pain in the Art/Moonscar/Little Blue Typewriter/BPJ, BMI; RCA
-It’s ridiculously sunny, positive and upbeat. It’s also irresistible.

HOYT HUGHES/Ain’t My Day To Save The World
Writer: Steve Williams/Thom Sheperd/Liz Hengber; Producer: Eric Paul; Publisher: Black in the Saddle/Mets Fan/Green Hills/Travelers Ridge/Pier Two/Twang Thang, ASCAP; Whirlwind/Lofton Creek  (www.hoythughes.com)
-The song is solid, and his performance is fine. I found the too-prominent female backup vocals somewhat off-putting, however.

JAMIE O’NEAL/Soldier Comin’ Home
Writer: Jamie O’Neal/Roxie Dean/Patricia Ann Murphy; Producer: Rodney Good; Publisher: Jere Song/Sugar Dumplin/Front to Black/Songs of Seven/Pakimo, ASCAP/SESAC; 1720 Entertainment
-It’s a power waltz that she pours vocal passion into like molten gold. “When was the last time you looked at me like you were a soldier coming home?” she asks of a lover who’s gone stale. It’s quite a performance. Lend her your ears.

KENI THOMAS/Gunslinger
Writer: Keni Thomas; Producer: none listed; Publisher: West Moraine/Gunslinger, ASCAP; RBM/Tenacity (www.kenithomas.com)
-The screaming guitars threaten to overwhelm his vocal throughout the performance, and at one point they completely take over the song. All in all, this seriously rocks.

ELI YOUNG BAND/Radio Waves
Writer: Blu Sanders/Mike Eli; Producer: Mike Wrucke; Publisher: none listed; Universal South/Republic
-This snatched my heart and ran off with it. The harmony vocals have so much sincerity and honesty that it’s impossible not to get involved. And when they started weaving in and out of each other in layered tracks at the finale, I was a goner.

JASON JONES/Unlikely Angel
Writer: Corey Lee Barker/Constance Mottle Richard/Anita Cox; Producer: Brett Beavers/Kimo Forrest; Publisher: Corey Lee/Myohana/A C Songbird, BMI; Warner Bros.
-Pop country with a big wooshing guitar solo in the middle and falsetto vocals on the choruses. Pleasingly different.

BRAD LONG/Long Lost Smile
Writer: none listed; Producer: Teddy Gentry; Publisher: none listed; Blackwater (www.bradlong.net)
-She’s splitting and finding her bliss again. The moody track is a sonic depth charge. Even more impressive is the powerhouse singing. This South Carolina native nails every note and holds some of them with truly impressive breath control. Get on board: He’s going places.

GEORGE STRAIT/Living For The Night
Writer: George Strait/Bubba Strait/Dean Dillon; Producer: Tony Brown & George Strait; Publisher: George Strait/Bubba Strait/Sony ATV/Unwound, BMI; MCA Nashville (CDX)
-Strait with strings! This lustrous ballad is cushioned in an exquisite arrangement that draws out every sad, wistful, broken-hearted note. George’s perfectly shaded, blue-tinted vocal does the rest of the work. You’ll get lost in its beauty. I sure did.

MONTGOMERY GENTRY/Long Line Of Losers
Writer: Kevin Fowler/Kim Tribble; Producer: Blake Chancey; Publisher: none listed; Columbia (CDX)
-It’s been a big week for these boys. They were inducted into the Opry on Tuesday, and today they have one of the strongest singles of their career to date. Just be thankful your family isn’t as no-account as the one in this song is-daddy took a bullet for stealing cars, grandpa ran moonshine and went to jail, grandma got drunk and left the kids behind, mom got caught in a motel with the preacher. No wonder, “I was born with a shot glass in my hand…I’m always a suspect/My bloodline made me who I am.” Eddie’s wicked laugh at the end is simply perfect.

DISClaimer (6/19/09)

steveholy-girlfriend150It’s good to know that country music hasn’t lost its sense of humor.

Both Rodney Carrington and Phil Vassar are tickling the funny bone with new singles this week. Rodney’s hilarious outing is produced by none other than Toby Keith, who also co-wrote two of the tunes on the comic’s El Nino Loco CD.

The other “must add” sides this week come from Gary Allan, Sarah Buxton and our Disc of the Day winner, Steve Holy.

LUKE ROBINSON/Tequila Sheila
Writer: Thom Shepherd/Ken Moulden; Producer: Luke Robinson & Max Archer; Publisher: Twang Thang, ASCAP; Bad Luck (888-455-5504)
-No, it’s not the 1980 Bobby Bare single of the same title. And this guy sounds too young and lightweight to be singing about tequila and “drink you pretty tonight.”

GARY ALLAN/Today
Writer: Tommy Lee James/Brice Long; Producer: Mark Wright & Gary Allan; Publisher: none listed; MCA Nashville
-He’s such a superb performer that he makes even this routine spin down Music Row sound like an epic. I remain a fan.

PHILLIP THOMAS/Livin’ Life At The Bottom
Writer: Troy Powers; Producer: Johnny Garcia; Publisher: Busy at Play, BMI; Busy At Play (www.phillipthomasmusic.com)
-The nice, punchy production and tight song craftsmanship both help this garden-variety vocalist immensely. Listenable.

JOHN RICH/The Good Lord And The Man
Writer: John Rich; Producer: John Rich; Publisher: J. Money/Do Write, ASCAP; Warner Bros.
-He thinks he’s Merle Haggard in 1969.

SABLE/Coming Home
Writer: Jeff Sable/Chris Sable/Jake Hanselman; Producer: Jeff Sable; Publisher: UbarEnt. no performance rights listed; American Eagle (www.sablecountry.com)
-I like the contrast between the intimate, hushed vocal quality in the verses and the throttle-wide-open tenor singing in the choruses. The song has hooks a-plenty, and the tempo production is just right.

SARAH BUXTON/Outside My Window
Writer: Sarah Buxton/Victoria Shaw/Mark Jeffrey Hudson/Gary Burr; Producer: Sarah Buxton; Publisher: We’re Going to Maui/Multisongs/AvaRu/EMI April/Salerno Songs/Mr. Coco/Kobalt/Songs of Universal, BMI/SESAC/ASCAP; Lyric Street
-Our only female contestant this week has some cool guitar work going on, a catchy tune and a vocal with plenty of penetration. Very enjoyable, indeed.

JASON ROGERS/Thinkin’
Writer: Jason Rogers; Producer: Martin Young; Publisher: BlueBuck, ASCAP; Blue Buck (track) (www.jasonrogerscountry.com)
-This native Canadian’s CD kicks off with this thin-sounding bopper. His vocal was recorded too dry, the track is quite spare and the song won’t blow you away.

STEVE HOLY/Baby Don’t Go
Writer: Steve Holy/Jimmy Yearly; Producer: Lee Miller; Publisher: Mike Curb/Steve Holy/Black to Black, BMI; Curb
-No it’s not the 1965 Sonny & Cher hit of the same title. This one’s a steady stomper laced with fiddle and sung with fiery heat. I think I hear a hit.

RODNEY CARRINGTON/If I’m The Only One
Writer: Rodney Carrington/Mark Gross; Producer: Toby Keith; Publisher: none listed; Capitol (track)
-“If I’m the only one/How come our baby looks like Tim?” “If I’m the only one/Whose underwear are these?” He sings the ballad perfectly straight, which makes it all the more hilarious. “If I’m the only one/How come your name’s on the bathroom wall?” A naked guy sprints across the lawn when he comes home. She spends the night on 50 Cents’ tour bus. And so forth. Absolutely give this a spin.

PHIL VASSAR/Bobbi With An I
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Universal South (ERG)
-Hand claps and grinding “party” guitar kick it off. And then the fun plot kicks in. In the daylight, this bruiser linebacker drives a tow truck and brawls. At night, he’s in drag in the bar in a pink party dress. You don’t dare give this “big boned girl” any grief about it, because he bench presses 335 pounds. Phil’s wise conclusion is to live and let live.

Alexander, Mabe Score Big With First No. 1

jessi_alexanderSongwriters Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe are celebrating their first No. 1, with the smash pop/country hit “The Climb,” performed by Miley Cyrus for her Hannah Montana movie. The track has already sold more than 2 million downloads, and reached the top of both the Billboard and Mediabase AC charts last week. It continues to rise up the Country charts, landing at No. 18 on the latest MusicRow Country Breakout chart with upward momentum. Alexander is signed to Disney Music Publishing, and Mabe calls Stage Three Music home.

Produced by John Shanks, the track appears on the platinum selling Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack (Walt Disney/Hollywood/Lyric Street). “The Climb,” is also in the running for the 2009 Teen Choice Award for Single of the Year, when the awards air live Aug. 10 on Fox.

“WSJ” Highlights Compass Records; NaFF Entries; Etc.

bluegrassGrammy award winning banjoist Alison Brown, two-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year  Dale Ann Bradley, and seven-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year Missy Raines are featured in The Wall Street Journal in an article written by Barry Mazor entitled “The Sisterhood of Bluegrass.” The article focuses on the tradition of women in bluegrass and how Brown, Bradley and Raines have each forged unique career paths in a traditionally male dominated musical genre. All three have released albums on Compass Records this year, and each new release is highlighted in the article, as is the 15th anniversary of Compass Records, which was co-founded by Brown in 1994.

—————————————————-

The Nashville Film Festival (NaFF), an Academy Award qualifier for short films and a showcase on the festival circuit for renowned World and U.S. premieres, is currently accepting entries for the 2010 edition of the Festival, scheduled for April 16-23, 2010 at the Regal Green Hills Cinemas. NaFF, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009 with record attendance, gives filmmakers the opportunity to compete in close to a dozen categories. Early bird deadline is July 15, 2009 and regular deadline is October 15, 2009. For a complete list of deadlines and fees and an entry form, please visit nashvillefilmfestival.org.

—————————————————-
This Wednesday (7/15) Live Nation is expanding its “No Service Fee Wednesday,” promotion to include select $49.99 All-In reserved seats for hundreds of concerts across the country. These All-In prices include a ticket, parking, all fees, a hot dog and a soda. The company is also offering the All-In $29.99 lawn ticket. The special offer, which is good at Live Nation ticketed amphitheaters, runs for 24 hours beginning on Wednesday, July 15 only at LiveNation.com. Among the Country concerts included in the bargain are Brad Paisley with Dierks Bentley, George Strait with Blake Shelton and Julianne Hough, Kid Rock & Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rascal Flatts with Darius Rucker, and Toby Keith with Trace Adkins.

—————————————————-
EMI owners Terra Firma is pushing Citigroup for a 250-300 million pound injection into the struggling record company, the Sunday Times reports.

—————————————————-

Sony Music Nashville is seeking a Manager for Web Business Development…interested parties can check out the Careers section of sonymusic.com or make a beeline for the posting here.

Les Paul Bio

les-paulFrom Gibson Guitar:

Born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9, 1915, Les Paul was already performing publicly as a honky-tonk guitarist by the age of 13. So clear was his calling that Paul dropped out of high school at 17 to play in Sunny Joe Wolverton’s Radio Band in St. Louis. As Paul’s mentor, Wolverton was the one to christen him with the stage name “Rhubarb Red,” a moniker that would follow him to Chicago in 1934. There, Paul became a bonafide radio star, known as both hillbilly picker Rhubarb Red and Django Reinhardt-informed jazz guitarist Les Paul. His first recordings were done in 1936 on an acoustic—alone as Rhubarb Red, as well as backing blues singer Georgia White. The next year he formed his first trio, but by 1938 he’d moved to New York to begin his tenure on national radio with one of the more popular dance orchestras in the country, Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians.

Tinkering with electronics and guitar amplification since his youth, Les Paul began constructing his own electric guitar in the late ’30s. Unhappy with the first generation of commercially available hollowbodies because of their thin tone, lack of sustain, and feedback problems, Paul opted to build an entirely new structure. “I was interested in proving that a vibration-free top was the way to go,” he has said. “I even built a guitar out of a railroad rail to prove it. What I wanted was to amplify pure string vibration, without the resonance of the wood getting involved in the sound.” With the good graces of Epiphone president Epi Stathopoulo, Paul used the Epiphone plant and machinery in 1941 to bring his vision to fruition. He affectionately dubbed the guitar “The Log.”

Les Paul’s tireless experiments sometimes proved to be dangerous, and he nearly electrocuted himself in 1940 during a session in the cellar of his Queens apartment. During the next two years of rehabilitation, Les earned his living producing radio music. Forced to put the Pennsylvanians and the rest of his career on hold, Les Paul moved to Hollywood. During World War II, he was drafted into the Army but permitted to stay in California, where he became a regular player for Armed Forces Radio Service. By 1943 he had assembled a trio that regularly performed live, on the radio, and on V-Discs. In 1944 he entered the jazz spotlight—thanks to his dazzling work filling in for Oscar Moore alongside Nat King Cole, Illinois Jacquet, and other superstars —at the first of the prestigious Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts.

By his mid-thirties, Paul had successfully combined Reinhardt-inspired jazz playing and the western swing and twang of his Rhubarb Red persona into one distinctive, electrifying style. In the Les Paul Trio he translated the dizzying runs and unusual harmonies found on Jazz at the Philharmonic into a slower, subtler, more commercial approach. His novelty instrumentals were tighter, brasher, and punctuated with effects. Overall, the trademark Les Paul sound was razor-sharp, clean-shaven, and divinely smooth.

As small combos eclipsed big bands toward the end of World War II, Les Paul Trio’s popularity grew. They cut records for Decca both alone and behind the likes of Helen Forrest, the Andrews Sisters, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Dick Hayes, and, most notably, Bing Crosby. Since 1945, when the crooner brought them into the studio to back him on a few numbers, the Trio had become regular guests on Crosby’s hit radio show. The highlight of the session was Paul’s first No. 1 hit and million-seller, the gorgeous “It’s Been a Long, Long Time.”

Meanwhile, Paul began to experiment with dubbing live tracks over recorded tracks, also altering the playback speed. This resulted in “Lover (When You’re Near Me),” his revolutionary 1947 predecessor to multi-track recording. The hit instrumental featured Les Paul on eight different electric guitar parts, all playing together. In 1948, Paul nearly lost his life to a devastating car crash that shattered his right arm and elbow. Still, he convinced doctors to set his broken arm in the guitar-picking and cradling position. Laid up but undaunted, Paul acquired a first generation Ampex tape recorder from Crosby in 1949, and began his most important multi-tracking adventure, adding a fourth head to the recorder to create sound-on-sound recordings. While tinkering with the machine and its many possibilities, he also came up with tape delay. These tricks, along with another recent Les Paul innovation—close mic-ing vocals—were integrated for the first time on a single recording: the 1950 No. 1 tour de force “How High the Moon.” This historic track was performed during a duo with future wife Mary Ford. The couple’s prolific string of hits for Capitol Records not only included some of the most popular recordings of the early 1950s, but also wrote the book on contemporary studio production. The dense but crystal clear harmonic layering of guitars and vocals, along with Ford’s close mic-ed voice and Paul’s guitar effects, produced distinctively contemporary recordings with unprecedented sonic qualities. Through hits, tours, and popular radio shows, Paul and Ford kept one foot in the technological vanguard and the other in the cultural mainstream.

All the while, Les Paul continued to pine for the perfect guitar. Though The Log came close, it wasn’t quite what he was after. In the early 1950s, Gibson Guitar would cultivate a partnership with Paul that would lead to the creation of the guitar he’d seen only in his dreams. In 1948, Gibson elected to design its first solidbody, and Paul, a self-described “dyed-in-the-wool Gibson man,” seemed the right man for the job. Gibson avidly courted the guitar legend, even driving deep into the Pennsylvania mountains to deliver the first model to newlyweds Les Paul and Mary Ford.

“Les played it, and his eyes lighted up,” then-Gibson President Ted McCarty has recalled. The year was 1950, and Paul had just signed on as the namesake of Gibson’s first electric solidbody, with exclusive design privileges. Working closely with Paul, Gibson forged a relationship that would change popular culture forever. The Gibson Les Paul model—the most powerful and respected electric guitar in history—began with the 1952 release of the Les Paul Goldtop. After introducing the original Les Paul Goldtop in 1952, Gibson issued the Black Beauty, the mahogany-topped Les Paul Custom, in 1954. The Les Paul Junior (1954) and Special (1955) were also introduced before the canonical Les Paul Standard hit the market in 1958. With revolutionary humbucker pickups, this sunburst classic has remained unchanged for the half-century since it hit the market.

“The world has lost a truly innovative and exceptional human being today. I cannot imagine life without Les Paul. He would walk into a room and put a smile on anyone’s face. His musical charm was extraordinary and his techniques unmatched anywhere in the world,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. “We will dedicate ourselves to preserving Les’ legacy to insure that it lives on forever. He touched so many lives throughout his remarkable life and his influence extends around the globe and across every boundary. I have lost a dear, personal friend and mentor, a man who has changed so many of our lives for the better.”

“I don’t think any words can describe the man we know as Les Paul adequately. The English language does not contain words that can pay enough homage to someone like Les. As the “Father of the Electric Guitar”, he was not only one of the world’s greatest innovators but a legend who created, inspired and contributed to the success of musicians around the world,” said Dave Berryman, President of Gibson Guitar. “I have had the privilege to know and work with Les for many, many years and his passing has left a deep personal void. He was simply put – remarkable in every way. As a person, a musician, a friend, an inventor. He will be sorely missed by us all,”

With the rise of the rock ’n’ roll revolution of 1955, Les Paul and Mary Ford’s popularity began to wane with younger listeners, though Paul would prove to be a massive influence on younger generation of guitarists. Still, Paul and Ford maintained their iconic presence with their wildly popular television show, which ran from 1953-1960. In 1964, the couple, parents to a son and daughter, divorced. Paul began playing in Japan, and recorded an LP for London Records before poor health forced him to take time off—as much as someone so inspired can take time off.

In the 1977, Paul resurfaced with a Grammy-winning Chet Atkins collaboration, Chester and Lester. Then the ailing guitarist, who’d already suffered arthritis and permanent hearing loss, had a heart attack, followed by bypass surgery.

Ever stubborn, Les recovered, and returned to live performance in the late 1980s. Even releasing the 2005 double-Grammy winner Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played, featuring collaborations with a veritable who’s who of the electric guitar, including dozens of illustrious fans like Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Joe Perry. In 2008, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame paid tribute to Les Paul in a week-long celebration of his life which culminated with a live performance by Les himself. Until recently Les continued to perform two weekly New York shows with the Les Paul Trio, at The Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, for over twelve years where a literal who’s who of the entertainment world has paid homage. It has been an honor to have Les Paul perform at The Iridium Jazz Club for the past twelve years hosting such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and others and is a tragic loss to owner Ron Sturm both personally and professionally. Iridium intends to celebrate Les Paul’s music and legacy every Monday night.

Les Paul has since become the only individual to share membership into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Les is survived by his three sons Lester (Rus) G. Paul, Gene W. Paul and Robert (Bobby) R. Paul, his daughter Colleen Wess, son-in-law Gary Wess, long time friend Arlene Palmer, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

A private Funeral service will be held in New York. A service in Waukesha, WI will be announced at a later date. Details will follow and will be announced for all services. Memorial tributes for the public will be announced at a future date. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Les Paul Foundation, 236 West 30th Street, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10001.

Photos: Music City Songwriters Make The Rounds

 From Left to Right: Pat Buchanan, Steve King, Bob DiPiero, Shawn Fichter, and Adam Beard  They played at Third and Lindsley on Saturday night to a full crowd.  Bob and his band performed his hits such as Blue Clear Sky, American Made, Wink, Church on Cumberland Road, Gone and many more.  The crowd got to enjoy rocking guitar solos and DiPiero's hits set to his own full band.

Bob DiPiero and The Floating Stones played at 3rd & Lindsley on Saturday night to a full crowd, performing his hits such as "Blue Clear Sky," "American Made," "Wink," "Church on Cumberland Road," and "Gone." (L-R): Pat Buchanan, Steve King, Bob DiPiero, Shawn Fichter, and Adam Beard

Veteran BMI musician and songwriter Pete Sallis recently inked a deal with premier Christian music publisher Brentwood Benson Publishing Group. Pictured at BMI in Nashville are (back row) BMI’s Bradley Collins, Brentwood Benson Publishing Group’s Stacey Wilbur, John Andrade, Brentwood Benson’s Dale Mathews, and Eric Hurt, with Pete Sallis, seated. (Photo: Drew Maynard)  

Veteran BMI musician and songwriter Pete Sallis recently inked a deal with premier Christian music publisher Brentwood Benson Publishing Group. Pictured at BMI in Nashville are (back row) BMI’s Bradley Collins, Brentwood Benson Publishing Group’s Stacey Wilbur, John Andrade, Brentwood Benson’s Dale Mathews, and Eric Hurt, with Pete Sallis, seated. (Photo: Drew Maynard)

Songwriters Lisa McCallum, Steve Diamond, Kelley Lovelace and J. D. Souther traveled to Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Canada to perform in-the-round at an invitation-only event for the Casino’s top customers. Pictured are ASCAP's Herky Williams, writers Lisa McCullum, Steve Diamond, ASCAP’s Pat Rolfe; Kelley Lovelace, J. D. Souther, and Fallsview VP of Marketing and Entertainment, Larry Gregson.
Songwriters Lisa McCallum, Steve Diamond, Kelley Lovelace and J. D. Souther traveled to Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Canada to perform in-the-round at an invitation-only event for the Casino’s top customers. Pictured are ASCAP’s Herky Williams, writers Lisa McCullum, Steve Diamond, ASCAP’s Pat Rolfe; Kelley Lovelace, J. D. Souther, and Fallsview VP of Marketing and Entertainment, Larry Gregson.
Photo Attached: (left to right) Ed Leonard (President of Daywind Records), Marty Funderburk, Dottie Leonard Miller (Daywind Music Group Founder and Owner), and Rick Shelton (Director of Daywind Music Publishing)

Daywind Music Publishing songwriter Marty Funderburk was recently honored for his song, “Life Goes On,” recorded by the Talley Trio, as well as for penning Daywind's first choir songs released with LifeWay Worship. Most significantly, Funderburk was given the Daywind Music Publishing Impact Award, the company’s highest honor. Funderburk, Daywind's first Director of Publishing, has been with the company 12 years and recently completed his 500th song, with more than 50 published in the choral format and distributed to churches nationally. Photo: (L-R): Ed Leonard, Pres. of Daywind Records; Marty Funderburk; Dottie Leonard Miller, Daywind Music Group Founder and Owner; and Rick Shelton, Director of Daywind Music Publishing

Country’s Shrinking Middle Class

graph250The quote of the week belongs to Sony CEO Howard Stringer, who when asked about the success of Twitter and other social networking sites replied, “A lot of people are doing very well at making very little money. It’s not a club I’m looking to join.”

The joke may be on the Sony CEO because, know it or not, he’s a card carrying member of the country [music] club which can certainly be described these days as “making very little [much less] money.” Sales are down, margins crunched, marketing costs up, labels continue to buy their way up the radio charts and retail shelf space evaporates while most players do the same ole, same ole shuffle. Most troubling is the format’s lack of an artist middle class.

It’s easy to point to the superstar crowd—Swift, Underwood, Flatts, Sugarland, Paisley, Urban, Chesney, Strait, McGraw, Keith and maybe a few others we’ve mistakenly omitted, but what about the up and comers? Where is country’s middle class? A quick look at the Top 10 selling country albums this year names the following; Swift, Hannah Montana, Rascal Flatts, Zac Brown Brand, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean, Sugarland, Swift and Underwood. Only two of those CDs have broken the million mark this year; only three have passed the 500k goalposts, which is the start of profitability for many labels.

So yes, based upon RTD sales (release to date over 500k), we can point to a few middle class candidates, such as ZBB, Darius and Aldean named above plus toss in a pinch of Lady Antebellum and some Jamey Johnson for seasoning. That still leaves precious few to fill the spots at the top. And we invite readers to answer this one for themselves: How many of the superstars named above passed their career zeniths long ago? [Answer: lots.]

Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who, like Stringer was attending an ultra-exclusive media mogul gathering in Sun Valley, Idaho called the faltering economy “the new normal,” advising companies to “figure out how to be happy and get our lives together in this new configuration.”

One overdue prescription for country’s “new configuration” might be to get smarter about radio promotion. Entire Nashville business models are built upon the promise of airplay, factoring zero for sales risk. Few if any other business industry would accept such a deal. Sure radio exposure remains an important part of the success mix, but how many records have we seen in recent months that paid and paid to enter the Top 10 mainstream airplay charts only to reap coal in their Christmas SoundScan stockings? Marketers can judge early on if a song is going to move the sales needle using data from a myriad of available sources. Isn’t it time to get more aggressive about indexing the correlation between airplay and sales and stop the tail from wagging the dog?