Bon Jovi, Vector Management Part Ways

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Bon Jovi and Vector Management have ended their relationship after five years, according to the New York Post. The report says Jack Rovner was handling management duties for the rockers who were signed to the powerhouse roster.

Jon Bon Jovi tells the Post: “The boring truth is we decided to go in different directions and thanked both Jack and his team for a great job. He is and will remain a close friend and someone who I will be very grateful to for his dedication.”

A spokeswoman for Vector Management sent this statement: “Jack and everyone at Vector are very proud of the work they did [with Bon Jovi] together over the last five years, including their first Grammy awards, first No. 1 chart debuts globally, and even a No. 1 on the country charts. Vector continues to represent the nation’s top-selling acts, including Kings of Leon, Kid Rock, Dierks Bentley and many others.”

Veronica Ballestrini

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Veronica Ballestrini is returning to country radio with her latest single “Don’t Say,” which the young artist co-penned with producer Cliff Downs. The net savvy singer recently parlayed her Myspace popularity into an appearance on the Simon Fuller-created internet program If I Can Dream after a video of her performing “Bless The Broken Road” became one a favorite on the show’s social media page. The episode aired June 4 and is available on hulu.com.

A media darling, Ballestrini’s first single “Amazing” climbed up the charts in the fall of 2009. Since her initial introduction, she has made a big impression with music industry executives and peers who have applauded and supported her universally. She was the featured artist in the 2009 Digital Rodeo CMA Fest Contest, has one of the most visited artist pages on CMT.com and has endorsements with InTune Guitar Picks (InTuneGP) and Sennheiser.

With a dream and an Internet connection, the teenager from Waterford, Connecticut has raised eyebrows with her self-made success story. The staggering numbers on her social network sites are proof that Veronica has that special ability to connect with people.

“It’s important that people know that I’m not trying to be anyone else,” adds Veronica. “I’m just trying to be who I am. I’m writing from the heart about issues and things I’m experiencing, and hopefully people can identify with that.”

http://www.veronicaballestrini.net/
http://www.myspace.com/veronicaballestrini
http://twitter.com/veronicabal

[wpaudio url=”https://music-row-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/10201410/vrbl-dtsy.mp3″ text=”Veronica Ballestrini – Don’t Say” dl=”0″ autoplay=”1″]

Friday Photos: Young, Niemann, Gokey and More

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RCA Nashville artist Chris Young brought his back-to-back No. 1 hits to the Riverfront Park Stage for a performance on Friday afternoon (6/11) of the CMA Music Festival.

(l-r) William Morris Endeavor Entertainment’s Rick Shipp; Young; and Young’s manager, John Lytle

Sea Gayle/Arista Nashville’s Jerrod Niemann was in Florida recently to play for a packed house of Cat Country 107.1/WCKT listeners at the Hot Spot. While in town, the singer caught up with WCKT MD Super Dave Logan. Niemann is currently climbing the Top 10 with his smash, “Lover, Lover,” from his July 13 album release, Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury.

(l-r) Jerrod Niemann, Super Dave Logan

19/RCA Nashville Records artist Danny Gokey made his debut appearance at the CMA Music Festival this year, including a main stage LP Field performance on Thursday night. Here, Gokey is pictured with managers Rendy Lovelady and Tracy McGlocklin, along with Sony Music Nashville Marketing VP Tom Baldrica and Promo VP Skip Bishop.

(l-r) Tom Baldrica, Rendy Lovelady, Danny Gokey, Skip Bishop and Tracy McGlocklin

Reprise Records artists the JaneDear girls recently visited with Mike Hammond of WIVK in Knoxville.

(l-r) Danelle Leverett (tJDg), Mike Hammond (WIVK), Susie Brown (tJDg), Bob Reeves (VP Promotion Warner Music Nashville)

Kenny Chesney Preps Football Documentary

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Country superstar Kenny Chesney may have sold millions of records, won countless awards and played sold-out stadium shows for legions of fans, but anyone who knows the singer from Luttrell, Tennessee knows that his success is rooted in the discipline, the teamwork and sense of purpose he came to learn as teenager playing football at Gibbs High.

“I was the starting wide receiver, which tells you how great we were,” Chesney says. “And I quit growing my freshman year. But I now know why we practiced longer, why our coach put us through double practices in the summer heat… all those things he put us through. It was to teach us things me and everybody on our team has used to become the people we are.”

For the past year, Chesney has been shooting The Boys of Fall, a documentary about the power and passion of high school football. He has drawn on his longstanding relationships with some of football’s most successful players and coaches – including winning Superbowl coach Sean Payton, John Madden, Brett Favre, Troy Aikman, former UT coach Phil Fulmer and University of Alabama’s Nick Saban and Bobby Bowden – as well as high school coaches from Illinois, Texas and Tennessee.

“When I was looking for songs for my album, someone pitched me “The Boys of Fall” and it struck me as everything I think and feel about that experience,” Chesney says. “That song was like striking a match!”

Negotiations to find a distributor for The Boys of Fall are close to being finalized.

Jennette McCurdy To Open For Faith Hill

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Capitol Records Nashville newcomer and star of the hit Nickelodeon show, iCarly, Jennette McCurdy will be opening for Faith Hill on July 23 at the Ironstone Amphitheatre in Murphys, California and July 24 at the OC Fair and Event Centre in Costa Mesa, California.

McCurdy’s first acting job at 8 years old was the Faith Hill music video for “The Way You Love Me,” where she not only caught the acting bug but also realized her desire to pursue a career in music. A fan of country music since being introduced to Patsy Cline by her grandmother at an early age, she began writing songs and poetry at 7 years old.

“Faith Hill was a huge influence in my desire to pursue a career in country music,” McCurdy says. “To open for her is an honor and I’m so thrilled!”

Last summer McCurdy signed to Capitol Nashville on her 17th Birthday and has been writing for and recording her debut album, The Story Of My Life, in Nashville over the last year. Produced by Paul Worley (Lady Antebellum), McCurdy co-wrote nine of the 11 tracks on the album including debut single “Not That Far Away” which she co-wrote with Rachel Proctor and Blair Daly.

iCarly, currently in production on its third season, airs on Saturdays at 7:00 PM/CT on Nickelodeon.

For more information visit www.jennettemccurdy.com.

Leadership Music Selects 22nd Class

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Fifty-two new members have been selected to participate in the 22nd class of Leadership Music. The annual program is designed to create a forum for established music community leaders to identify and explore issues currently affecting the music industry.

“The selection committee, composed of Leadership Music alumni from all areas of the industry, has carefully chosen an outstanding group of leaders from hundreds of candidates for the Class of 2011,” said J. Fred Knobloch, immediate past president of the board of directors and owner of J. Fred Knobloch Music, LLC., who chaired the committee. “This is the most important and rewarding work we do all year, and I applaud the committee’s dedication in putting together the next ‘best class ever’.”

Members of the Class of 2011 are: Lainie Allbee, general manager, Martin, Allbee & Associates, LLC; Claire Armbruster, artist support, Keith Case & Associates; Jeff Balding, producer; Jeff Black, artist/songwriter, Jeff Black Music/Lotos Nile Music; Brad Bissell, agent, Creative Artists Agency; Duff Berschback, vice president, business affairs, Sony/ATV Music Publishing; Ashley Capps, president/founder, AC Entertainment (Knoxville, TN); Jim Catino, vice president, A&R, Sony Music Nashville; Ramon Cisneros, president/CEO, Millennium Marketing; Ben Cissell, outreach director, Rocketown; Eric Conn, president, Independent Mastering; Ron Cox, senior vice president/head of entertainment division, Avenue Bank; Robin Eaton, president, Alex the Great/Club Roar;

J. Tod Fetherling, president/CEO, Nashville Technology Council; Keith Follese, president, Bigger Dog Productions; Keith Gale, vice president, promotion, RCA Records Nashville; Rusty Gaston, partner/general manager, This Music; Ken Gay, video designer/artist, XL Video USA; Jesse Goldstein, president, The TomKats Group; David Hamilton, producer/arranger/conductor, Hamilton Music Production; Dan E. Harrell, president, Fore Artist Management; Jim Houser, partner, Management Operations, Creative Trust, Inc.; Misha Hunke, assistant vice president, performing rights, BMI; Michael J. Huppe, executive vice president/general counsel, SoundExchange, Inc. (Washington, DC); Ariel Hyatt, president, Ariel Publicity & Cyber PR (Brooklyn, NY); John Ingrassia, general manager, Vector Management;

John R. Jacobson, attorney, Riley Warnock & Jacobson, PLC; Barry Jeffrey, WME; Brock Jones, senior director, booking, Powers Management (Bridgestone Arena); Dennis F. Jones, Jr., president/general manager, RadioJones, LLC (Atlanta, GA); Will Kimbrough, president, Will Kimbrough Music; Chandra LaPlume-Pereira, vice president/partner, Taillight TV; Wayne Leeloy, senior director, artist services, Topspin Media; Lori Mechem, executive director, Nashville Jazz Workshop; Andrew Mendelson, owner/chief mastering engineer, Georgetown Masters; Wendell Moore, president/CEO, The Capitol Group, LLC; Molly Nagel, senior director, artist development, Sugar Hill Records; Jill Napier, executive vice president, Big Loud Bucks Administration & Information, LLC; Suzanne Norman, senior vice president, strategy & business operations, CMT;

Cliff O’Sullivan, senior vice president, Group Marketing, Universal Music Group Distribution (Universal City, CA); Joe Palmaccio, president, The Place. . .for Mastering, PC; Glenn Peoples, senior editorial analyst, Billboard; Chip Petree, general manager/vice president, business affairs, Copyright Exchange, LLC; Rod Riley, chief operating officer, Word Entertainment; Carla Sacks, president, Sacks & Co (New York, NY).; Paul Schatzkin, owner, Cohesion Arts; Jennifer Schott, songwriter, Big Schott Songs; Michael Spriggs, Incredisongs; Lester Turner, Jr., president, Tuned In Broadcasting, Inc.; Melissa Wald, assistant professor, Middle Tennessee State University; Jon Weisberger, proprietor, Use Your Words Music; Marcus Whitney, chief technology officer, Moontoast.

Leadership Music is a non-profit 501(c)3 educational organization whose mission is to nurture a knowledgeable, issue-oriented of music industry professionals. The Program, which begins with an orientation and alumni reception in September, totals 10 days in eight sessions over eight months.  It launches with a two-day opening retreat weekend in October; then presents six monthly themed days targeting the latest issues regarding songwriting, publishing, artists and their teams, studios and production, record companies, distribution, media, and touring; and closes with a two-day closing retreat in May.  The Program is produced by alumni, and features worldwide experts as speakers and participants, to provide relevance to the future with context from the past. More than 800 alumni have graduated from the annual Program since its founding in 1989 in Nashville.

Veronica Ballestrini Lives Her “Dream”

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Timbob Records artist Veronica Ballestrini headed to Hollywood recently to be a part of the Internet program If I Can Dream. As a result of her posted MySpace video and performance of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless The Broken Road,” Ballestrini became a favorite on the show’s social media page and was selected as a “MySpace Dream Break Winner.” The episode aired on June 4.

If I Can Dream utilizes a variety of platforms to reach audiences and break new talent. Created by Simon Fuller (producer of the American Idol franchise), the show documents the struggle of five young people who dream of success in Hollywood. It allows viewers to interact with the individuals and the narrative in real time, giving audiences open access to a show in a way that has not been attempted before.

If I Can Dream utilizes the Internet to broadcast the video feed live from the house (full episodes are available on Hulu), and social networking sites are incorporated to audition new cast members and vote for the hopefuls.

Ballestrini’s first single, “Amazing,” climbed the charts in the fall of 2009, and this summer she releases her third single “Don’t Say.” She was the featured artist in the 2009 Digital Rodeo CMA Fest Contest, has one of the most visited artist pages on CMT.com and has endorsements with InTune Guitar Picks (InTuneGP) and Sennheiser. For more information visit www.veronicaballestrini.net. Below, Ballestrini performs “Don’t Say” with Dream cast member Alex.

Weekly Chart Report 6/18/10

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This week’s Top Ten is a veritable land of opportunity as all titles either moved up or held their ground. Newcomers to the exalted region include Zac Brown Band’s “Free” moving from No. 13 to 10 and Keith Urban’s “I’m In” ricocheting from No. 11 to 6.

Is the Breakout chart speeding up? Telling is the “Weeks On” chart data. All Top 10s are showing 21 weeks or less, with the average a trim 14 weeks! Whew, that’s getting civilized for both artists, labels and listeners. For example, if a song peaks in 17 weeks and the next track is released, an artist could almost enjoy three hits in one year. That means that newer artists like Jerrod Niemann for example, after two years would have about 6 hits to play live enough to form the basis of a live show. When charts move slower, as the mainstream country radio lists often do, it means an artist needs 3 or even 4 years to build the same songbook.

Jerrod Neimann

Eric Church is the highest ranking new arrival on our chart this week. His song “Smoke A Little Smoke” ratchets to No.63. Another Capitol signing, Lady Antebellum continues to radiate mass appeal. The trio’s latest, “Our Kind Of Love,” surged from No. 28 to 20 this week with a gain of 381 spins. The trio would have grabbed the Highest Spin Gain Award, too, but for Toby Keith who earned 383 spins for his new chart busting “Trailerhood” single that moved from No. 75 to 52. Keith is also on the Forbeschart of Top Earning Country Stars showing recent annual earnings of $48 million. Hopefully, Lady A may graduate to that list as well.

Frozen This Week (13): KYYK, KTHK, KZZY, WQNZ, WMEV, KFLG, WJMQ, WBKR, Sirius XM, KUUB, KWOX, KNCQ, WHWK

New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label/chart pos.
Chely WrightBrokenVangaurd/Painted Red    74
Cody McCarver/I’m America/E1 Records/PLC Records    73
Will Peppers/I Hope Heaven Has A Dirt Road    72
The Roys/Beautiful/Pedestal    71
Mark Wayne Glasmire/You Opened My Eyes/Traceway    70
Eric ChurchSmoke A Little SmokeCapitol    63

On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label    spins
Matthew Huff/Back Again/MGH Records    235
Leah Seawright/Country Girl 101/Skytone Records    210
Susan Hickman/Hell Still Ain’t Frozen Over/4L Clover/Prickly Pear    207
Nathan Lee /Jackson/Inside     206

Lucky Seven Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label    spin+
Toby Keith/Every Dog Has Its Day/Show Dog – Universal    383
Lady Antebellum/Our Kind Of Love/Capitol    381
Justin Moore/How I Got To Be This Way/Valory Music    268
Keith Urban/I’m In/Capitol    262

Two Week Most Added*
Artist/song/label    new adds
Our Kind Of Love – Lady Antebellum    26
Trailerhood – Toby Keith    20
How I Got To Be This Way – Justin Moore    14
Beautiful – The Roys    14
If I Die Young – The Band Perry    14
Keep The Change – Darryl Worley    13
Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer – Billy Currington    12
Smoke A Little Smoke – Eric Church    12

Going For Adds

June 14, 2010
Randy Rogers Band/Too Late For Goodbye/MCA
LeAnn Rimes/Swingin/Curb

June 21, 2010
Bo Bice/You Take Yourself With You/Saguaro Road
Steel Magnolia/Just By Being You (Halo And Wings)/Big Machine
Blackberry Smoke/Good One Comin’ On/BamaJam
Julianne Hough/Is That So Wrong/Mercury
Katie Armiger/Leaving Home/Cold River
Veronica Ballestrini/Don’t Say/Timbob Records
Eric Church/Smoke A Little Smoke/Capitol

June 28, 2010
Sunny Sweeney/From A Table Away/Republic Nashville
Danny Gokey/I Will Not Say Goodbye/19/RCA
Darryl Worley/Keep The Change/Stroudavarious
John Rich/Country Done Come To Town/Warner Bros.

EMI Ups Roger Faxon To Group CEO

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Roger Faxon

Roger Faxon, chairman and chief executive of EMI Music Publishing since 2007, has been put in charge of the company’s recorded music division.

EMI announced the appointment today as part of an overhaul designed “to enable the company to reposition itself as a comprehensive rights management company that can take full advantage of all global opportunities in all markets for music.”

Many of EMI’s biggest acts, including Coldplay, the Beatles and Lily Allen, will still be signed to other publishers. But EMI clearly believes the more stable publishing side of the business can do more to help shore up the recorded music operation.

In a statement, Faxon said “the two divisions working in concert with one another as a global rights management business, can and will deliver for the artists and songwriters that we are privileged to work with now and in the future.”

Faxon will maintain responsibility for EMI’s publishing business as well as taking over the recorded music division.

“We need to bring the fun back into the music business,” Faxon told staff in an email obtained by Billboard.biz. In the email, Faxon outlined his plans further, stating that “we must be unswervingly focused on championing our artist community, and providing them with the help they need to achieve their maximum potential.”

He also stressed the company’s commitment to discovering new music, leveraging the company’s deep catalog and being “passionate about providing world-class service and services to the many and varied music users and retailers across the globe. We need to be the most trusted and effective partner to them, while also providing fans with the products that they demand. .
Our joy and enthusiasm for and about music is our greatest tool in building EMI.”

Faxon told staff he feels “fortunate to be joining EMI Music after it has really started to come alive again as a player in the recorded music business. Over the last year or so you have had some striking great successes both in new music and catalogue. And not unimportantly, the company has made great financial progress.”

Faxon, an American, will be the first Group chief executive since Eric Nicoli left in 2007 and EMI’s first New York-based chief executive.

AEG Live And Labels In Talks?

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The New York Post is reporting today (6/18) that, amid a slowdown in the concert business, AEG Live is talking to major music companies about taking a minority stake in the business. The Los Angeles-based company, the second-largest live entertainment company in the world, is a unit of AEG, an owner of sports teams and concert and sport venues. Sources report that the company has been talking to Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music.

The talks could result in either a sale to one of the major music companies or a consortium of bidders, one executive said. The discussions are said to have been going on with Universal for more than a year, but have recently broadened to include other labels.

While no one is clear on the reason for the sale, some suggest it could be driven by the desire to raise capital while the business is still robust. Others suggest a deal with the music companies could shore up AEG Live’s competitive position with Live Nation, which recently gained federal approval for its merger with Ticketmaster. AEG Live was behind the comeback tour by the late Michael Jackson and is behind tours by Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas and others.

“There are a variety of substantial organizations that have contacted us over the years and recently about investment opportunities in AEG Live,” a spokesman said. “While we happen to have all of our funding in place, we continue to speak to many to determine if they would bring proper assets to the table to warrant consideration. We’re having the best run that we’ve ever had and the future is incredibly bright but you always look for ways to strengthen the organization.”

A spokesman for Universal Music denied that the company was in discussions with AEG, while execs at Sony and Warner had no comment.

Live Nation’s stock price has fallen from a high of $16.70 on April 26 to $10.79 on June 7. Live Nation, which also includes artists management firm, Frontline, recovered from some of its recent losses, closing at $12.20 yesterday.

Read the entire New York Post article here.