Alan Jackson Offers 2-Disc Hits Package

Alan Jackson will mark the 20th anniversary of the release of his debut album with a career-spanning set coming this fall. The double-disc 34 Number Ones will hit shelves Nov. 23, in time for holiday shopping. With 37 songs in all, the Sony Nashville project will also include two rare tracks, and the new single, “As She’s Walking Away,” with Zac Brown Band featuring Jackson.

Alongside Alan’s first chart-topper, 1990’s “Here in the Real World,” fans will find such enduring favorites as “Gone Country” (1995); Jackson’s poignant, GRAMMY-winning “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” (2001); the Jimmy Buffett duet “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” (2003); last year’s “Country Boy,” and many more. Also included are the beautiful “Look at Me” (previously available on the 2008 soundtrack to Billy: The Early Years) and Jackson’s never-before-released take on the classic Johnny Cash hit, “Ring of Fire.”

During his two decade career, Jackson has become one of the most successful and respected songwriter/performers in music, inspiring audiences across several generations with his modern approach to classic country. A 16-time CMA and ACM Award winner and a GRAMMY-honored songwriter, Jackson’s career to-date includes sales of more than 50 million albums.

Later this month, Jackson will add to his long list of ASCAP honors, when he is presented with the ASCAP Founders Award, recognizing him for his innovative, influential, and pioneering contributions to music, joining such past recipients as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, and James Taylor.

Lee Ann Womack Truck

Chris Gantry

Songwriter Chris Gantry has been on the loose lately. Some readers will recall that Gantry, who first hit Nashville in 1963, wrote “Dreams Of An Everyday Housewife” for Glen Campbell.

Here, for your afternoon video break we invite you to see his latest production with his Gantry’s associates, Hank Vecheechio and The Original Not-So-Happy Campers. The man in the porkpie hat strumming a Gretsch is Sam Cooper and Jon Roniger is the bass player in the video. The song was co-written by the three musicians. The other man with a guitar in the alley is Campbell Wright.

WARNING: Watch the following at your own risk…

Jay Cruze Joins Average Joes Entertainment

Jay Cruze

Average Joes Entertainment, label home to Colt Ford, Brantley Gilbert, Matt Stillwell, Josh Gracin and others, has hired seasoned radio pro, Jay Cruze to work radio promotion for the label. Cruze, who spent years with Clear Channel Communications in Augusta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Lexington, KY; Panama City Beach, FL; and most recently, Chattanooga, TN, is looking forward to getting back involved in radio, this time from a different perspective.

“To say I’m excited is definitely an understatement,” offered Cruze. “After seeing the business model, hearing the great music from Colt, Brantley, Matt and Josh and seeing what AVJ has on the horizon, I knew I HAD to be part of this!”

“As we continue to change the landscape of the business of music, Average Joes looks to add innovators with a similar vision and work ethic,” says Shannon Houchins, CEO of Average Joes Entertainment. “Jay Cruze furthers our viewpoint by bringing years of experience and a unique perspective to the team, and we are happy to have him on board.”

Cruze officially starts today (9/7) and can be reached by calling (423) 580-3549 or at jay@averagejoesent.com.

Matt Kennon

“You Can Still Wear White”
BamaJam/Nine North

“Matt Kennon’s ‘The Call’ was one of best indie singles of the past few months. He proves it was no fluke with this driving, propulsive, pounding, power-packed anthem. I still love his soulful, raspy delivery. Make this man a star.”
—Robert K. Oermann, MusicRow

Matt Kennon’s latest release to country radio is “You Can Still Wear White,” which the Georgia singer co-wrote with Aaron Scherz. This song and Kennon’s breakthrough debut single “The Call,” both appear on his BamaJam Records album The Call.

After moving to Nashville, Kennon began working with producer Kyle Lehning and those sessions led to one of Kennon’s songs being cut by Randy Travis. Kennon eventually found a label home with producer James Stroud, who signed him to BamaJam Records. “It couldn’t be a better fit,” says Matt. “James just let me be me.”

The Call includes songs Kennon wrote with tunesmiths Rob Crosby, Noah Gordon and Brian White, among others, and features his own unique blend of music. “It’s country, but it’s got a hint of rock ‘n’ roll mixed in,” Matt says. Guests on the project include Mark Slaughter of Slaughter and Jimi Jamison of Survivor, the band that sparked Matt’s performing fire years earlier.

The heavily tattooed singer has many stories to share, and his songs reflect that. “I want to touch people with my music,” Matt says. “This is my calling. This is what God put me on this earth to do. Whether it’s a hundred people or a million, I want to have an impact.”

http://www.myspace.com/mattkennon
http://www.facebook.com/MattKennonMusic

[wpaudio url=”https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/mk-ycsww.mp3″ text=”Matt Kennon – You Can Still Wear White” dl=”0″ autoplay=”1″]

Dierks Bentley Sets Up NYC Residency

Dierks Bentley is planning a four-night run in New York City next month, bringing special guests with him to a different venue each night.

Bentley will kick off his New York City residency on Oct. 18, with each show focusing on a different aspect of his career. The first evening Bentley will play all his chart-topping country hits at the Bowery Ballroom. He will spend the next evening with bluegrass legends the Del McCoury Band at City Winery. The week will progress with an intimate singer/songwriter night at Joe’s Pub where Bentley will be joined by award-winning songwriters Jessi Alexander, Jim Beavers and Jon Randall Stewart. The run will conclude in Brooklyn with acoustic virtuosos the Punch Brothers.

“This entire year has been about following my heart, musically,” says Bentley. “Getting the opportunity to be in New York in the Fall, playing with my heroes and my friends is really exciting…it’s a cool way for me to take everything we’ve done this year and pick it apart and really focus on each different element of the music for an entire night.”

A limited number of four day passes will be available on dierks.com beginning Fri., Sept 10 with single tickets available both on his web site and through each venue. Sirius/XM will also give fans across the country the opportunity to listen in as they stream the shows on both The Highway and Bluegrass Junction channels.

Bentley snagged three CMA Awards nominations last week for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Up On The Ridge, and Musical Event of the Year for the album’s track “Bad Angel” featuring Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson. The new music video for “Bad Angel” features appearances by both guest stars and was taped in front of a live crowd on Nashville’s historic Lower Broadway.

UP ON THE RIDGE – NEW YORK CITY DATES:
10/18    Bowery Ballroom       Country Concert
10/19    City Winery               Featuring the Del McCoury Band
10/20    Joe’s Pub                 Songwriter Night
10/21    South Paw                Featuring the Punch Brothers

Court Says iTunes Subject To Licensing, Not Sales Rates

Eminem‘s first producers FBT won a lawsuit against his current label Universal Music Group and others on Friday (9/3), which claimed that the rapper’s music on iTunes was being licensed, not sold, and therefore was subject to a higher royalty percentage rate.

Eminem signed with FBT in 1995, and when he eventually moved to Universal, the new contract stated that FBT was entitled to a 12% royalty on “records sold” and 50% rate on licensing agreements, which typically refers to sync licensing.

Last week the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that iTunes downloads can’t be considered sales. The court said that the label is licensing use of the master recordings to iTunes, which then sells the digital downloads without further involvement from the label.

The case was originally rejected by a lower court in California in 2009 and was sent up for appeal. Now it has been sent back to the lower court to determine the amount of damages.

“We will be filing a petition for a rehearing,” Universal said in a statement. “In the meantime, it should be noted that this ruling sets no legal precedent as it only concerns the language of one specific recording agreement.”

Most recording contracts today specifically address how to handle royalties for digital downloads, which would make this kind of after-the-fact litigation unlikely.

Nashville-based lawyer Richard Busch, a partner with King & Ballow, was among the attorneys representing FBT, according to the Tennessean.

Currington Show Breaks 20-year Attendance Record

Members of Currington's Mercury Nashville/UMG team turned out to support him at the Kentucky State Fair, where he broke the attendance record. (L-R) Brian Wright, Senior Vice President, A&R, Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN); Amber Williams, Senior Director, Artist & Media Relations, UMGN; Currington; Michael Deputato, Vice President, Digital, UMGN; Tom Lord, Vice President, Marketing, UMGN. Photo: Stephen Shepherd

Billy Currington set an attendance record during his recent show at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. He drew 20,000 fans, breaking a 20-year-old Kentucky State Fair attendance record set by Charlie Daniels. Check out Currington’s acoustic version of his hit “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” recorded live in Kentucky.

Currington is gearing up for the release of his fourth album, Enjoy Yourself, coming out Sept. 21 through Mercury Nashville. The lead single “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer” has hit No. 1 on the radio chart. A preview of the album is on YouTube.

Fans can also pre-order it on iTunes and receive a bonus acoustic track of the single.

Currington on stage at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo: Stephen Shepherd

Apple’s Ping 1 Million Strong

Apple’s just-launched Ping social network on iTunes hit 1 million users within 48 hours of opening on Wednesday September 1, claims a report on the Apple website. The music-driven service is available to all with a download of iTunes 10, and allows users to follow their friends and favorite artists through a combination of features common in Facebook and Twitter. Though Ping user numbers are growing rapidly, they are currently a small percentage of total iTunes users, which number around 160 million.

Urban’s We’re All For The Hall Returns With Star Guests

Keith Urban and his superstar friends will perform at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 5 in the second annual installment of his “We’re All for the Hall” benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. On the line-up for the evening are Urban, Country Music Hall of Fame members Vince Gill, Dolly Parton and Charley Pride, as well as John Mayer, Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss and Billy Currington.

“This year we’ve created a musical theme called ‘Heroes,'” said Urban. 
“I’ve asked each artist to play one of their favorite songs from one of their country heroes, besides of course, one of their own hits. There’s no doubt that this audience is going to experience a really special night – some of their favorite artists doing songs that, in some cases, they may have never even played live before…and quite possibly won’t ever again.”

“Last year’s We’re All for the Hall concert was a landmark for this institution,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “It was the most successful fundraiser in the Museum’s history, netting nearly $500,000.”

Reserved seat tickets, which are priced at a family friendly $25 and $35 (does not include Ticketmaster surcharge), will go on sale Friday, September 17, at 10:00 a.m. at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena Box Office. Tickets may also be charged by phone at (800) 745-3000.

VIP Packages
VIP packages will go on sale Friday, September 17, at www.countrymusichalloffame.org. They include:

“Once in a Lifetime” Package/$3,000 per ticket
This package includes:
·         Invitation for one to an intimate dinner in the Country Music Hall of Fame Rotunda the evening of Monday, October 4, hosted by some of Keith Urban’s close friends and collaborators
·         Meet & greet for one with Keith Urban before the concert on October 5 (timing TBD), which includes an individual photo
·         One Keith Urban autographed guitar
·         One Premium Floor Concert Seat
·         One invitation to a Post-Concert Party at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
·         One complete Keith Urban catalog per package on CD including: Keith Urban; Golden Road; Be Here; Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing; Greatest Hits: 19 Kids and Defying Gravity
·         One commemorative Hatch Show Print® event poster autographed by Keith Urban
·         One complimentary parking space for both the October 4 dinner and the October 5 concert within a one-block vicinity of the dinner, concert and post-party venues
·         One “Friends” membership to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which includes unlimited free admission for the entire household to the Museum and most public programs for one year (valued at $250)

“Making Memories” Package/$2,500 per ticket
This package includes:
·         Invitation for one to an intimate dinner in the Country Music Hall of Fame Rotunda the evening of Monday, October 4, hosted by some of Keith Urban’s close friends and collaborators
·         Meet & greet for one with Keith Urban before the concert on October 5 (timing TBD), which includes a group photo
·         One Premium Floor Concert Seat
·         One invitation to a Post-Concert Party at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
·         One complete Keith Urban catalog per package on CD including: Keith Urban; Golden Road; Be Here; Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing; Greatest Hits: 19 Kids and Defying Gravity
·         One commemorative Hatch Show Print event poster autographed by Keith Urban
·         One complimentary parking space for both the October 4 dinner and the October 5 concert within a one-block vicinity of the dinner, concert and post-party venues
·         One “Friends” membership to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which includes unlimited free admission for the entire household to the Museum and most public programs for one year (valued at $250)

“I’m In” Package/$1,500 per ticket
This package includes:
·         One Premium Floor Concert Seat
·         One invitation to a Post-Concert Party at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
·         One complete Keith Urban catalog per package on CD including: Keith Urban; Golden Road; Be Here; Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing; Greatest Hits: 19 Kids and Defying Gravity
·         One commemorative Hatch Show Print event poster autographed by Keith Urban
·         One complimentary parking spot for the October 5 concert and post-party within one-block vicinity of the venues
·         One “Friends” membership to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which includes unlimited free admission for the entire household to the Museum and most public programs for one year (valued at $250)

A portion of each VIP package is tax deductible to support the preservation of country music.

Dan Keen Acquires Advantage Talent Development

(l-r) Dan Keen, Kimberly Keen, Nise’ Davies, Brad Davies (Photo credit: Philipa Davies)

Longtime music businessman Dan Keen and his wife, Kimberly, have acquired Nashville based modeling and talent training center, Advantage Talent Development. Advantage was founded in 1987 by former Miss Tennessee Nise’ Davies who will remain an integral part of the modeling and acting aspects of the operation.

“The entertainment industry is no longer about specialization,” said Keen. “Stars like Miley Cyrus, who started her career at Advantage, have demonstrated the advantage of developing multiple talents; songwriting, singing and acting. We offer the opportunity for Nashville’s music stars to become movie and television stars as well.”

During his 15-year tenure at ASCAP, Keen signed Ashley Gorley and Rachel Thibodeau to the organization. They went on to win Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year, respectively. He also signed Chris Young, who was represented by Advantage for acting and modeling.

Kimberly Keen can be reached at Kimberly@advantagemodel.com or 615-790-5001. The offices are located at 230 Franklin Rd. Ste 802, Franklin, TN 37064. www.advantagemodel.com.