Benefit News

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Valentine’s with the Paisleys • Nashville Rescue Mission • Chris Cagle and Saddle Up! • Alive at The Bluebird • Y108 Soldier Salute • Henry Paul helps fight cancer


Brad & Kimberly Paisley


Valentine’s Day/Nashville Film Festival Benefit with the Paisleys

The Nashville Film Festival is hosting its second annual La Fete du Cinema fundraising dinner on February 14. This year’s theme, “Shaken Not Stirred,” celebrates all things James Bond. Special agents Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley will again serve as hosts, joined this year by co-hosts ice skating legend Scott Hamilton and his wife Tracie. BRAVO and Top Chef All-Star Chef Richard Blais will prepare a Bond-inspired menu, and Tom Black will pair the courses with wines from his celebrated collection. Tickets are $2500/couple or $8000/table. Learn more at www.lafeteducinema.com or call 615-742-2500.
The Nashville Film Festival takes place April 14-21 at the Regal Green Hills Cinemas.

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Kirk Whalum and Friends Concert for Nashville Rescue Mission

Kirk Whalum will host a benefit concert for Nashville’s homeless community on Sunday, January 9 at Visions Production Studio. A pre-concert reception will be held at 5:00 p.m. and the show begins at 6:00 p.m. Proceeds go to the Nashville Rescue Mission. Other performers include James Otto, Michael Card, Rod McGaha, John Stoddart, The Wailin Canes and Marcus Finnie. Details at www.kirkwhalum.com.

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Chris Cagle

Chris Cagle Celebrates Saddle Up! 20th Anniversary with Benefit Concert

Chris Cagle will perform at TPAC’s War Memorial Auditorium on February 12 at 7:30 p.m. The show benefits Middle Tennessee’s oldest and largest recreational therapeutic horseback riding program and the only one exclusively serving children and youth who have disabilities.
The benefit concert kicks-off Saddle Up!’s year-long 20th anniversary celebration. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.tpac.org or call 615-782-4040. For sponsorship inquires visit www.saddleupnashville.org or call 615-794-1150.

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Alive at The Bluebird Concert Series Benefits Alive Hospice

The 18th Annual Alive at The Bluebird concert series kicked off January 1. The series benefits Alive Hospice and will help those facing the end of life receive the care and support they need. A full calendar of shows and performers is available at www.aliveatthebluebird.org. The series runs Tuesday through Saturday nights in January at The Bluebird Café.
Participating artists include Amy Grant, Vince Gill, John Oates (Hall and Oates), Bill Lloyd (Foster and Lloyd), Kim Carnes, Craig Wiseman, Matraca Berg, Rivers Rutherford, Jeff Black, Sam Bush, Kent Blazy, Cory Batten, Tom Kimmel and more.
The January 1 show featured Todd Cerney (writer of “Good Morning Beautiful” and “I’ll Still Be Loving You”), Wood Newton, Rich Fagan, Liz Hengber, Tim Buppert and Bob Regan.

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Y108 Soldier Salute Show Benefits Operation Troop Appreciation

Zac Brown Band and Craig Campbell performed recently at the Y108 Soldier Salute Show at the Pepsi Roadhouse in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. Proceeds benefited Operation Troop Appreciation a Pittsburgh-based charity that supplies necessities and creature comforts to our forces overseas. The Soldier Salute raised $10,000.

(L-R): Jack Christopher, Bigger Picture Group; WDSY’s Jane O’Malia; Zac Brown Band’s John Hopkins; WDSY’s Stoney Richards; Zac Brown Band’s Clay Cook; Zac Brown, and WDSY’s Monty.

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Henry Paul of BlackHawk Presents Donation to Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

Henry Paul, frontman for BlackHawk, presented a check for $10,000 to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center on behalf of the late Van Stephenson, former member of BlackHawk. Paul and Dave Robbins established the Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Fund just after Stephenson passed away and have been contributing to the fund through money raised from concerts and various events. This year Chad Raymon and Chadd Charles, promoters for The Tricky Hoedown, helped BlackHawk raise money for the cause with their annual fall concert event in Tennessee.

Pictured with Henry Paul are Dr. Hal Moses, Vanderbilt staff members and Chad Raymon and Chadd Charles.

Sugarland's Incredible Machine Tour Steams Into 2011

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Sugarland has announced plans to continue its successful The Incredible Machine Tour in 2011.
Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush will return to the road this spring with guests including fellow country band and longtime tourmates Little Big Town, hit pop songstress Sara Bareilles, and pop/rocker Matt Nathanson. Guest openers will vary by city.
The tour will kick off March 3 in Houston and travel to over 59 cities nationwide. It will make a April 16 stop in Nashville.
The Incredible Machine Tour was one of Pollstar’s Top 50 North American Tours of 2010, bringing in gross box office receipts of $19 million.

News Items: George Jones Resting In Hospital

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Jones to be released from hospital • Gibson Guitar indictments • Emily Hester hired at Hall of Fame • Radio Nectar debuts • A Thousand Horses EP • Fred Eaglesmith in Nashville
>>George Jones spent last night (1/5) in a Nashville hospital following a routine check-up. His reps report he is resting comfortably and will be released today (1/6). He jokes, “I just decided I didn’t want to drive back to Franklin in this cold weather. So I guess I’ll stay here overnight and go home tomorrow!”
>>The Nashville Post reports that indictments are likely in the investigation of potentially illegal wood seized from Gibson Guitar.
>>Emily Hester has joined the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum as media relations coordinator. She can be reached at (615) 291-8406 and [email protected].
>>Nectar Media has launched Radio Nectar, a remnant advertising service to help radio stations with unsold advertising inventory. Nectar Media is headed by President Marcus Rowe.
>>Nashville quintet A Thousand Horses has released a self-titled EP through DCG/Interscope/Vanhowes Records. They play 12th & Porter on Jan. 29.
>>Fred Eaglesmith will make a stop in Music City at The Basement on 1/23. His latest album, his 18th, Cha Cha Cha, was released in June.

Rimes To Host Colgate Country Showdown

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LeAnn Rimes will return as host of the 29th Annual Country Showdown National Final Television Special on January 13, 2011, at the Ryman Auditorium. The country music talent search has five regional winners competing for $100,000 and the title “Best New Act in Country Music.” The one-hour special will be taped for television and air in the spring.
Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie McCoy will also return as the Showdown Musical Director, a role he’s had for 29 years.
Sitting on the judging panel will be Brian Mansfield, music journalist for USA Today; BJ Hill, Sr. Dir. of A&R for Warner/Chappell Music; Lisa Ramsey-Perkins, Sr. Dir. of A&R for Sony Music Nashville; John Ozier, Director of A&R for Curb Records; and, Rod Essig, agent from Creative Artists Agency.
Past local, state and regional winners of the Colgate Country Showdown include Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Billy Ray Cyrus, Sara Evans and Miranda Lambert.
The public is invited to the show on January 13 at 7 p.m. Tickets are free and can be picked up at the Ryman Box Office or by calling 615-889-3060.  For more information contact your local radio station or log onto www.countryshowdown.com.

People's Choice Awards Tonight

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Here’s a recap of some of the Nashville nominees headed into tonight’s (1/5) People’s Choice Awards. The show airs live from L.A.’s Nokia Theater at 8 PM/CT on CBS.
Favorite Country Artist
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts
Taylor Swift
Favorite Male Artist
Eminem
Enrique Iglesias
Michael Bublé
Tim McGraw
Usher
Favorite Female Artist
Carrie Underwood
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
P!nk
Taylor Swift
Underwood is also up for Favorite TV Guest Star for her appearance on How I Met Your Mother.
Representing Nashville’s pop/rock set among tonight’s nominees are Paramore and Ke$ha. Paramore is up for Favorite Rock Band and lead singer Hayley Williams is in the running for Favorite Song for her guest vocals on B.O.B.’s “Airplanes.” Ke$ha is nominated for Favorite Breakout Artist

Hirings At Taillight and AirPlay Direct

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Nashville production company Taillight has hired Sam Ciaramitaro as Vice President/Executive Producer for Commercials. Ciaramitaro originally hails from Chicago, and his career includes over 15 years experience in broadcast production at ad agencies Leo Burnett and DRAFTFCB.
Ciaramitaro’s work in Chicago helped create campaigns for the US Army, Allstate, United Airlines, KFC, Def Jam, EA Sports, General Motors and many more. He was the director and producer of the Army’s hyper-successful “Army of One” campaign that integrated viral and broadcast content. He can be reached at 615-385-1034 ext. 234 or [email protected].
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Industry veteran Dan Bowen has been tapped by digital delivery service AirPlay Direct to be VP of Radio Strategies, where he will oversee all radio relations and initiatives.
Bowen has over 26 years of experience in the music industry, and was most recently VP of Strategic Marketing & Communications for the Country Music Association. Prior to that, he served as the PD of WSTR/Atlanta; Denver’s KWMX, KHHT, and KQKS; and in marketing and promotions for WNCI/Columbus. Reach him at [email protected].

Study Compares Industry Perception With Fan Results

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Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.® and the Country Music Association have partnered to present a unique research project at CRS 2011, which tracks new media usage by country fans, as well as music executives’ perception of that usage.
The study dissects the awareness, interest in and usage of new media devices, social media, smartphone applications and radio station and artist websites in the country consumer’s daily life. It also polls participants on topics including music consumption, interaction with and purchase of music via new media outlets, radio listening versus television and Internet usage, and adoption trends of services such as Netflix, Skype and standard texting.
“I think one of the most interesting things about this year’s study is that it’s going to poll people within our industry, not just fans and radio listeners,” said Rusty Walker, president of Rusty Walker Programming. “It will be interesting to see how accurate we are in predicting the popularity of new media in the daily lives of our listeners. I’m betting there will be some surprises there.”
The study, conducted by Coleman Insights, covers a cross-section of 18- to 54-year-old country radio listeners who will be polled via online interviews. A significant sample of industry professionals including programmers, managers, and artists will be contacted as well. Surveying begins this month to ensure the most current findings.
The results will be presented Thursday, March 3, 2011, at 11 a.m. in the Nashville Convention Center. CRS 2011 runs March 2-4, 2011. The $499 regular registration rate is available at www.CRB.org or through the Country Radio Broadcasters offices at (615) 327-4487.

Awards Show Changes Boost Viewers, Ad Rates

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Awards show changes designed to boost ratings seem to be paying off in terms of ad revenue. The ACM has added fan voting over the last few years in order to encourage participation which leads to viewership on the big night.
Last year, the Oscars attracted a bigger audience by expanding the Best Picture category, which allowed for more blockbusters to be eligible for the night’s top honor. The move yielded an average audience of 41.3 million viewers, an increase from 2008’s low of 32 million.
Heading into the Feb. 27, 2011 Academy Awards, ABC is increasing ad rates for its broadcast for the first time in three years. AdAge reports a 30-second spot on the show in going for about $1.7 million, up from the 2009 and 2010 cost of $1.3 – $1.5 million.
The publication says that major, live TV events like awards shows are becoming increasingly attractive to advertisers in the face of audience fragmentation due to mobile devices, online viewing, etc.
The Oscars typically follow only the Super Bowl and NFL championship games for top annual TV ratings.

2010 Sales Wrap: Country Slide Continues

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Today is an especially robust data day for Nielsen SoundScan watchers since the week ending 1/2/2011 closes the door on 2010. Pundits will continue squeezing out details over the next few weeks in an effort to fully understand the past and perhaps peer into what lies ahead, but simply stated the industry overall continued its decline, with CD sales (both physical and digital) dropping 12.8% compared with 2009. Country CD sales for the same period fell a kinder, gentler 5.2% affording the format a slightly stronger market share of total CD sales— 13.4%—up from last year’s 12.3%. (As the album sales graph shows, country CD sales have plummeted almost 50% since this decade’s highpoint in 2004.)

Keeping this year’s decline in the 5% range required a massive fourth quarter full court press on the consumer. (As late as 9/5/10 country was behind 13.2%.) The ten Top Selling Q4 Country CD releases shown in the colorful graph [above] show how much superstar product was launched into the marketplace. The Sales Percent graph [top] shows how the numbers (and consumers) responded. Six artists were able to shift more than a half million units each in the 15 week (or less) holiday season leading to year end. Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now also must be mentioned. Although the trio debuted 49 weeks earlier this year and therefore didn’t make our Q4 chart, they racked up 3.09 million units YTD.
Taylor Swift’s spotlight continued to shine brightly this year, eclipsing all but a very few other artists worldwide. Her 1.05 million unit Speak Now debut week (10/31) exploded and she ended the year selling just shy of 3 million units over a 10 week period. The colorful Q4 graph tells the tale and explains why the young singer/songwriter continues to reap large editorial coverage.
As we wonder about 2011, insiders project that retail shelf space will continue to shrink, and marketers will therefore continue to place a premium on prospecting for new sales opportunities.
In 2010 country digital album sales grew to about 15% of the total up from 11% in 2009. However, all genre digital album purchases equal 26% (up from about 20% last year). This 15/26 gap shows that country consumers still have a lot of catching up to do as they travel toward the digital frontier. However, with the amazingly rapid integration of smartphones, tablets and more, 2011 may well be the year that country’s fans narrow the format’s “technology gap.”

Brad Howell Joins Show Dog-Universal

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Brad Howell


Show Dog-Universal Music has added Brad Howell as VP of National Field Promotion. His extensive experience ranges from radio programming, to promo exec positions at Warner Bros. and Equity, as well as GM of Broken Bow Records. Howell will report to Show Dog-Universal VP of Promotion Rick Moxley.
“Brad has been both an innovative promoter and a rock-solid record executive for several years now,” commented Moxley. “His experience and leadership will greatly benefit our team as the New Year unfolds.”

Macy Morgenthaler


In addition, Moxley announced the promotion of Macy Morgenthaler to Northeast Regional Promotion & Marketing Manager. Morgenthaler, a Belmont graduate and Arkansas native, previously served as A&R Coordinator for the label as well as executive assistant to label Pres. Mark Wright for four years.
Morgenthaler’s previous position will be filled by Laurel Kittleson who has worked as Production/Creative Services Assistant at the label for the past year. Her new title is A&R/Production Coordinator. A Belmont graduate and Seattle native, Kittleson held previous positions at Elevation Music Publishing and served as personal assistant to award–winning songwriter Rivers Rutherford. She will continue performing her previous duties as well as assisting Wright.

Laurel Kittleson


Brad Howell / VP National Field Promotion/615.324.7779/ [email protected]
Macy Morgenthaler 615.324.7768/ [email protected]
Laurel Kittleson/ 615.324.7763/ [email protected]