Brentwood Skatepark To Be Dedicated to Alex LeVasseur

Songwriter Jeffrey Steele has announced that the official groundbreaking for the the new Alex LeVasseur Memorial Skatepark at the Brentwood YMCA. The Y’s current skatepark, which is over 10 years old, was completely submerged during the Nashville flood in early May. The park, in desperate need of repair and renovation, will be torn out, re-designed, re-built, and re-named after Alex LeVasseur, Steele’s son who tragically passed away on Sunday, January 28, 2007. Volunteers are needed.

The demolition of the current park will take place all day September 24-26.  A crew will start construction on the park first thing Monday morning September 27th. Any amount of time, labor, tools, food & water, and resources will be a huge help.

What is needed:
Demolition Weekend (September 24th – 26th)

  • Volunteers who can do manual labor (tearing out existing ramps and surfaces in the park, etc)
  • Volunteers to help pass out water and food Donations of tools for the weekend including:Drills, Hammers, Crowbars, Saws with metal blades, heavy duty gloves Donations of Food & Water for the volunteers (all 3 days) Monetary & in-kind donations to help with the park (including lumber)
  • The demolitions will take place sun up to sun down in order to get the park prepped for construction. The Alex LeVasseur Memorial Skatepark is currently scheduled to be opened in late October with an official ribbon-cutting, concert and skate contest.

For more information contact Casey at Rememberalex.com@gmail.com.

Target And Taylor Offer Deluxe “Speak Now”

Target has announced its partnership with superstar Taylor Swift on her third album, Speak Now. Target will offer an exclusive deluxe version of the album that features three new music tracks, three remixed music tracks, and 30 minutes of video content with the four-time GRAMMY® Award winner.  The special deluxe version of Speak Now will be available at Target stores nationwide and Target.com beginning October 25, 2010.  The album is available today for pre-order on Target.com.

“I’m so excited about the deluxe edition of Speak Now that will be at Target!” said Swift. “I’m all about being able to give the fans special extras whenever I can, so I love that this version has video footage and even some additional songs.”

With countless partnerships with some of the most celebrated names in music including The Black Eyed Peas, Christina Aguilera, Prince and John Legend, Target is devoted to joining forces with artists who are committed to offering their fans exclusive and diverse albums.

“Target is very excited to partner with Taylor Swift on her new, and much anticipated, album Speak Now,” said Mark Schindele, Senior Vice President, Merchandising, Target.  “Taylor is a dynamic artist that has developed a strong fan base that spans across all ages and geographies and we are proud to be the only retailer to carry this exclusive new content. Knowing how important Taylor’s fans are to her, we are pleased to be able to deliver three new songs, plus exclusive remixed tracks and video footage, at a great price.”

Warner Bros. Readies Song Demo Collection

Warner Bros. Records is getting ready to offer music lovers a peek into the songs that artists hear before they become a No. 1 hit. The Original Songwriter Demos is a collection of original demo performances of some of country music’s most influential hits performed by the songwriter’s themselves. Volumes one and two of the demo series will be available on October 19.

“I’ve always questioned why we couldn’t do something with these great demo performances,” says Scott Hendricks, Senior VP of A&R at Warner Music Nashville and executive producer of the album. “This is a fantastic collection of music that, for the first time, allows the audience to peek behind the curtain and hear the songwriters’ original visions and recordings of the most popular country songs from the last 20 years. These are the exact recordings the artists heard, fell in love with and consequently made into the hits we all know today.”

The Original Songwriter Demos gives a fresh perspective of the original intent each creator had in penning their song. Highlights in volume one include hits such as, Deanna Carter’s “Strawberry Wine” (Matraca Berg, Gary Harrison), Miranda Lambert’s “The House that Built Me” (Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin) and Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” (Mark Sanders, Tia Sillers). Volume two includes classics like, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill’s “It’s Your Love” (Stephony Smith), John Michael Montgomery’s “I Swear” (Gary Baker, Frank Meyers) and Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel” (Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson, Brett James).

Track listing for The Original Songwriter Demos:

Volume 1
1. The Dance – Garth Brooks (Tony Arata)
2. Strawberry Wine – Deanna Carter (Matraca Berg, Gary Harrison)
3. Something Like That – Tim McGraw (Rick Ferrell, Keith Follese)
4. Independence Day – Martina McBride (Gretchen Peters)
5. Bless the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts (Jeff Hanna, Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd)
6. It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere – Alan Jackson (Jim Brown, Donald Rollins)
7. She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy – Kenny Chesney (Jim Collins, Paul Overstreet)
8. I Hope You Dance – LeAnn Womack (Mark Sanders, Tia Sillers)
9. Amazed – Lonestar (Marv Green, Chris Lindsey, Aimme Mayo)
10. The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert (Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin)

Volume 2
1. Check Yes Or No – George Strait (Dana Hunt, Danny Wells)
2. If Tomorrow Never Comes – Garth Brooks (Kent Blazy, Garth Brooks)
3. It’s Your Love – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (Stephony Smith)
4. If You’re Going Through Hell – Rodney Atkins (Dave Berg, Annie Tate, Sam Tate)
5. I Swear – John Michael Montgomery (Gary Baker, Frank Myers)
6. How Do I Live – LeAnn Rimes (Diane Warren)
7. Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You – Brooks and Dunn (Rivers Rutherford, Tom Shapiro)
8. Every Day – Rascal Flatts (Alissa Moreno, Jeffrey Steele)
9. How Forever Feels – Kenny Chesney (Wendell Mobley, Tony Mullins)
10. Jesus Take the Wheel – Carrie Underwood (Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson, Brett James)

Zac Brown Band Goes “Live” Online With Ustream


On Sunday, September 19, Zac Brown Band will stream their live show from the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre, powered by Ustream via ZacBrownBand.com.

The band will perform songs from their new album You Get What You Give, as well as material from their double platinum major label debut The Foundation.

The concert will debut the new Ustream Multiview technology and mark the first concert to stream live with five simultaneous camera angles, allowing users to pick their own view of the show starting at 9:00 PM/CT at zacbrownband.com and ustream.tv/zacbrownband. Ustream Multiview gives viewers control of the experience with the ability to enjoy live entertainment from their favorite angle. Coupled with Social Stream, Ustream will enable live user comments from Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and AIM, Multiview will deliver the most interactive experience in live video available today.

“Every show gets bigger and better, and we’ve been working hard to create an experience that’s unlike any other,” says Zac Brown. “When people come to our show, we want to blow them away every time. So for us, this is no different. Except that for the first time we’re coming to the fans that can’t make it out to see us.”

Weekly Chart Report (9/17/10)

Bigger Picture Group artist and "Family Man" singer and tunesmith Craig Campbell was recently in Arizona and paid a visit to Tucson's KIIM Picture (L-R): Buzz Jackson (PD, KIIM/Tuscon) and Campbell

RADIO NEWS
Following Lotus Broadcasting’s flip of KUUB to sports, several staff members have exited. Those departing include MD/afternoons Big Chris Hart (775-830-1320 or bigchrishart@hotmail.com), morning co-host Woody (775-842-4314 or woodyyourmicsopen@gmail.com) and morning co-host Malayna (775-219-3032 or malaynajoy@gmail.com). KUUB will also be removed from MusicRow’s CountryBreakout reporting panel beginning with the upcoming week.

SPIN ZONE
There’s a new No. 1 on the CountryBreakout Chart and it belongs to Kenny Chesney’s impeccably timed “The Boys of Fall.” Chesney’s latest gets a gain of 59 spins, enough to keep it just ahead of Darius Rucker’s “Come Back Song” which moves up to No. 2. Closing out the top 5 with improved positioning are Toby Keith’s “Trailerhood” at No. 3, Easton Corbin’s “Roll With It” at No. 4, and Taylor Swift’s “Mine” at No. 5.

Several older singles are moving out, and having a little extra room to breathe should make everyone happy. Like Jason Aldean’s “My Kinda Party” (No. 21) and Carrie Underwood’s “Mama’s Song” (No. 22), both of which enjoy some big movement this week. Also making quick strides are Dierks Bentley’s “Draw Me A Map” at No. 25, David Adam Byrnes’ “Sweet Distraction” at No. 30, and James Otto’s “Soldiers & Jesus” at No. 34.

Keith Urban’s latest, “Put You In A Song,” makes a big splashy debut at No. 44, collecting 677 new spins in the process.  Also debuting are Randy Houser’s “A Man Like Me” (No. 71), Jesse Lee’s “Like My Mother Does” (No. 72), Tommy Steele’s “Forever 17” (No. 75), Craig Campbell’s “Family Man” (No. 76), Chris Heers’ “Happy Thought” (No. 77), Brett Eldredge’s “Raymond” (No. 79), and Adam Brand’s “Ready For Love” (No. 80).

Frozen Playlists: KUUB, KKAJ


Upcoming Singles
September 20
LoCash Cowboys/Keep In Mind/Stroudavarious
Troy Olsen/Good Hands/EMI Records Nashville
Keith Urban/Put It In A Song/Capitol
Scott Lindsey/Get To Her In A Hurry/Gray Trailer
Blake Shelton/Who Are You When I’m Not Looking/RepriseWMN

September 27
Sara Evans/A Little Bit Stronger/RCA
Randy Houser/A Man Like Me/Show Dog – Universal
Jerrod Niemann/What Do You Want/Arista/Sea Gayle
Gary Allan/Kiss Me When I’m Down/MCA
Bellamy Brothers/Back In The Day/Bellamy Brothers
Margaret Durante/Mississippi’s Cryin’/Emrose/Stroudavarious/Nine North

•  •  •  •  •

New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Keith Urban/Put You In A Song/Capitol — 44
Randy Houser/A Man Like Me/Show Dog – Universal — 71
Jesse Lee/Like My Mother Does/Atlantic/WMN — 72
Tommy Steele/Forever 17 — 75
Craig Campbell/Family Man/Bigger Picture — 76
Chris Heers/Happy Thought — 77
Brett Eldredge/Raymond/Atlantic — 79
Adam Brand/Ready For Love/Arista — 80

Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Keith Urban/Put You In A Song/Capitol — 677
Carrie Underwood/Mama’s Song/Arista — 433
Blake Shelton/Who Are You When I’m Not Looking/Reprise/WMN — 432
Zac Brown Band feat. Alan Jackson/As She’s Walking Away/Atlantic/BPP — 309
Sugarland/Stuck Like Glue/Mercury — 259

On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Jerrod Niemann/What Do You Want/Arista/Sea Gayle — 207
Brad Wolf/I Make A Difference/Evergreen — 200
Andy Vello/Hank It Up/LoozLip Records — 199
LoCash Cowboys/Keep In Mind/Stroudavarious — 197
Gwyneth Paltrow/Country Strong/RCA — 177

Two Week Most Added*
Artist/song/label — New adds
Keith Urban/Put You In A Song/Capitol — 53
Blake Shelton/Who Are You When I’m Not Looking/Reprise/WMN — 34
Craig Morgan/Still A Little Chicken Left On That Bone/BNA — 16
Randy Houser/A Man Like Me/Show Dog – Universal — 14
Brad Wolf/I Make A Difference/Evergreen — 13
Carrie Underwood/Mama’s Song/19/Arista — 12

Arista Nashville recording artist Adam Brand continued his Branding of America radio tour this week with a stop at WFMS/Indianapolis, where lunch was served, songs were sung, and the requisite trade shot was taken. Brand's is new on the radio with his U.S. debut single, “Ready for Love.” Pictured (L-R): WFMS PD Steve Cannon, Brand, WFMS MD JD Cannon, Arista Nashville’s RJ Curtis.

Curb recording artist Ashley Gearing visited with WXCY/Wilmington after her performance on the station-sponsored show at The Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square, PA. Pictured below (L to R): Tim Hartley (WXCY), Dave Hovel (WXCY PD), Maurisa Pasick (New Revolution), Ashley Gearing, and Rob Dalton (New Revolution). Photo Credit: Lisa Boullt

Earl Scruggs Hospitalized

Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs has been hospitalized in North Carolina with an undisclosed illness. The banjo master was in Chapel Hill on Wednesday (9/15) for a sold-out show at the University of North Carolina. He was taken to the hospital shortly after arriving to the venue.

Family members say the 86-year-old banjo great is feeling better today and that his condition is not cause for serious concern.

 Scruggs is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner. His rapid-fire, three-finger banjo picking has been adopted by countless bluegrass and country artists.

Sony Songstress Exits Label

Once again the Scribe’s famed crystal ball is aglow. Unofficial it remains, but the Shiny Globe shows a female headliner with the same first and last name initial leaving Sony Music Nashville.

She recently switched management and is seemingly intent on adding new elements to her career.

In fact the Optical Oracle opines that Warner Bros. LA and Nashville are both courting her with hopes she will join the cult of the Hollywood hare. But there are additional suitors on the promenade, one of whom is driving an impressive big machine.

Where will she go? Will the recent WB top level leadership changes alter the dynamic? Stay tuned…

John Dennis Forms New Management Firm

Manager John Dennis, previously managing partner of Parallel Entertainment, has launched a new management company, Dennis Entertainment.

Clients include:
Montgomery Gentry, Billy Currington, and Coldwater Jane.

Company contact information is as follows:
John Dennis
– John@DennisEnt.com
Alicia Jones – Alicia@DennisEnt.com
Aaron Kinssies – Aaron@DennisEnt.com
Grace Schoper – Grace@DennisEnt.com

209 10th Ave S, Ste 506 , Nashville, TN 37203
P: 615-369-0228
F: 615-369-0229

Universal Publishing’s Annual Tailgate Party

UMPG Nashville hosted the UMPG Tailgate Party yesterday (9/15) celebrating the success of their songwriters over the past year. The event was held in the company’s Music Row parking lot. Pat Higdon and Kent Earls presented the Excellence in A&R Award to UMG Nashville’s Joe Fisher. UMPG Nashville’s Trent Summar and The New Row Mob turned in a rowdy and well received post-awards performance.

(l-r): UMPG Nashville President, Pat Higdon, UMPG Chairman and CEO, David Renzer and UMG Nashville Chairman, Luke Lewis. Photo by Tammy Helm

Montgomery Gentry Leaves Columbia

Award winning duo, Montgomery Gentry, has amicably left their long time label, Columbia Records. It’s official. The platinum pals hit career high points with songs like “My Town,” “Hell Yeah” and trophies such as CMA Duo of the Year (2000) and ACM Top New Group/Duo (2000).

The group’s latest release, For Our Heroes, was a Cracker Barrel exclusive that sold 25,933 debut week units on 5/31/2009. The group’s previous outing, the critically acclaimed Back When I Knew It All scanned 27,359 debut week units on 6/5/2008. Source: Nielsen SoundScan

Montgomery Gentry are managed by Dennis Entertainment which also manages Billy Currington and Coldwater Jane.