Industry Watch

>>>The Association Of Independent Music Publishers is presenting a panel (6/14) to introduce itself to the Nashville publishing community. Representatives from the AIMP National Board of Directors will be on hand before and after the panel to discuss the formation of a local Nashville chapter. The panel called, Music Supervision: Tips On Getting Songs Placed In Film & TV will feature Gary Calamar (True Blood), Andrea von Foerster (OC, Grey’s Anatomy, 500 Days of Summer), Tony Von Pervieux (TV Music/ABC Entertainment Group), Jace Everett, (Theme For True Blood) and Michelle Belcher, Moderator (District 9). The event takes place June 14, 6-8 p.m. at the Embassy Suites at Vanderbilt (commodore A&B). Click here to register…
>>>Billboard’s Ed Christman pulls back the curtain concerning Amazon’s recent GaGa 99¢ sale and the effect it’s having on physical retailers. While there were many positive results from Amazon’s marketing move, it seemed to catch Universal Music Group Distribution by surprise. According to the article, UMGD shipped 2.1 million units. With today’s inventory efficiencies, stores aim to sell about half the shipment in the first week. Since so many of the GaGa sales were digital, stores sold less than a quarter of the total shipment. Result: UMGD is facing returns liability…. For Christman’s complete analysis [Billboard]
>>>All Things Digital reports that European music service Spotify has signed a deal with Universal giving it three of the four major U.S. labels in its deal folder. Warner is the sole holdout. Spotify has been attempting to cross the Atlantic for amost two years and pundits are now speculating that it may actually happen later this summer. The space has been heating up of late, with Apple, Amazon and Google all tossing up cloud systems and Pandora uppin the price for its upcoming IPO.
 
 

Bobby Karl's Fan Fair Finale

Chapter 369:

Miranda Lambert helped close out the CMA Music Festival last night. Photo: Alan Mayor


I am pretty sure it was the hottest one on record, and I am fairly confident that it was the best attended, but I am absolutely positive that this has been the most star-loaded CMA Music Fest in history.
On Wednesday (6/8), we had the legendary Oak Ridge Boys and Hall of Famer Bill Anderson at the parade, plus Toby Keith and Wynonna at the awards show.
On Thursday (6/9), Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley and Alabama entertained. On Friday (6/10), you had Shania Twain autographing, pop princess Tiffany singing and Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban and Reba McEntire at LP Field.
Saturday (6/10) featured appearances by Dolly Parton, Billy Ray Cyrus, Hall of Famer Mel Tillis, Martina McBride, Clint Black and Rascal Flatts.
Sunday’s (6/11) big guns included Hall of Famer Roy Clark, The Gatlins, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift. The weekend, alone, was a music lover’s wonderland.

FRIDAY:
On Friday, Day 3 (6/10), I began my afternoon at the Bridgestone Arena. After all, this is where Shania Twain was setting up shop to autograph her autobiography, From This Moment On. Her line stretched 3/4 of the way around the arena’s indoor perimeter.
At the front of the line, in a serene, lavender-lit Meeting Room G, Shania was on a raised platform, seated at a gilded, Louis XIV desk. A bowl of alabaster flowers was its only decoration. She looked lovely and relaxed and was warm and welcoming to each fan who approached. The line moved smoothly and efficiently.
Out on the Bridgestone plaza, Earl Thomas Conley brought a rousing finish to his set. This stage is sponsored by Lay’s, a company that has its roots in Nashville, by the way. In 1932, the first Lay’s snack foods were sold to Belmont students by Herman W. Lay across the street from where the Curb Events Center is today.
Anyhow, by the time I emerged from the Shania experience, Ty Herndon was “Living in a Moment” on that stage, and in magnificent voice.
In the Sports Zone, the Bud Light tent was at its grooviest. BMI songwriters Jimmy Yeary, Tim Nichols and Jason Matthews demonstrated Nashville songwriting at its finest for the fans. Tim was singing “I’ll Think of a Reason Later,” the Lee Ann Womack hit he co-wrote. Earlier in the day, the strong vocals of Tiffany were the big surprise on this stage. She began her career as a kiddie country singer, became a pop star of the ‘80s in her teens and is now attempting a country comeback at 39.
Randy Montana was appealing and engaging as he entertained on the Riverfront Stage. Bill Anderson followed. “This business can drive you to drink,” he quipped, swigging from a bottle of water. During his set, band member Les Singer briefly fainted. Backstage, Les explained that it had to do with a combination of the heat and his high blood pressure medication. The fans were reassured that everything was fine, and Bill hushed the crowd with his emotional “Too Country.”
“Les has been in my Po’ Folks band for 30 years,” Bill said after checking on the veteran’s condition backstage. When I asked him about his 40-year history with the fest, Bill said, “There were only four or five thousand people at the first festival, in the Municipal Auditorium. When they moved it from April to June, that’s when it began to grow, when families could come.”
Rocking Frankie Ballard was next. He grinned at the bikini-clad cuties bopping in the brilliant sunshine and favored them with tunes from his debut CD, as well as laying some Bob Seger on them.
The stroll up to the Convention Center was a death march through the heat. But it was worth it. At the Durango Acoustic Corner, Blue Mother Tupelo was filling the room with its fabulous, rootsy, funky, folkie, groovy sound.
Down in the Exhibit Hall (6/10), shutterbugs and autograph hounds were out in force. Corey Smith, Joe Nichols, Bucky Covington, Irlene Mandrell, Lynn Anderson, Stealing Angels, Chris Young, Riders in the Sky, Gary Morris, Jeff Bates, Jake Owen, Brett Eldredge, Eden’s Edge and newscaster-turned-country-diva Robin Meade were accommodating one and all. I was surprised to see that by far the biggest crowd was drawn by American Idol champs Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina. Those teens evidently have a wild ride in front of them.
Spotted at various spots around the campus were Bradley Collins, Jensen Sussman, Lane Wilson, Eddie Stubbs, Alan Mayor (who keeps a dry extra shirt in his car), Paul Moore, Suzanne Gordon, Sarah Trahern and Gene Kennedy. The last-named was manning the R.O.P.E. booth. “We’ve had a pretty good crowd all day,” he reported. At the time, Jack Greene and Tommy Cash were being kept busy by autograph seekers there.
I headed out of the Hall serenaded by the perfect harmonies of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. In the Acoustic Corner, they were offering a dynamite bluegrass treatment of the late Dan Seals tune “Love on Arrival.”
That night (6/10) at LP Field, Gary Morris performed a soulful national anthem. Ashton Shepherd, adorable with her pregnant “baby bump,” had them singing along to “Look it Up.” Comedian Paul Harris entertained. Dierks Bentley got the folks lathered up with his party anthem “Am I the Only One.” At his set’s close, he knelt and bowed down to the throng, then patted his heart in gratitude for the ovation.

Backstage at LP Field, Clay Walker gets Dierks Bentley's autograph for his daughter. Photo: Alan Mayor



Lady Antebellum turned in a harmony soaked set. Then, to the instrumental strains of “Man, I Feel Like a Woman,” Shania Twain made a surprise appearance to introduce Sugarland. The duo’s set included percussionist guests Music City Mystique. Co-host Clay Walker did some acoustic tunes. During his set, Keith Urban waded down into the adoring throng. He brought out tour mate Jake Owen as his surprise. Reba – we now jettison our last names when reaching superstardom (Beyonce, Wynonna, etc.) – sang oldies and newies such as “Consider Me Gone.”
Jeff Walker, Steve Bogard, Butch Spyridon, Jo Walker-Meador, Ed Benson, Jim Fike, Howard Gentry, Melissa Maynard, Will Byrd, Barry Coburn, Dale Bobo and Alison Jones schmoozed. Populating the press room were Vernell Hackett, Shari Lacy, Neil Haislip, George Achaves, gracious coordinator Karen Byrd, Bob Paxman, Barry McCloud, Hunter Kelly and Donna Hughes. The last named was wistfully attending her last Fan Fair in the press corps, since she is going over to Capitol/EMI.
The finale fireworks went off around 12:30 a.m. (In deference to the stadium’s Edgefield neighbors, the boom-booms were eliminated on Thursday night.)
SATURDAY:
The big highlight in the Fan Fair hall on Saturday (6/11) was the appearance of Dolly Parton. She entered in a long curly wig and vivid yellow skirt and peplum-tailed matching, rhinestone-bedazzled jacket. She merrily waved and posed for photos for the TV cameras and the hundreds of screaming fans, walking from one end of her booth to the other to accommodate as many shutterbugs as possible. Near gridlock was achieved since Trace Adkins also drew a mob, just a few feet away from Dolly’s throng.
Up in the Acoustic Corner, Mandy Barnett was followed by stone-country stylist Teea Goans, singing everything from “Over the Rainbow” to Bill Anderson’s shuffle “Walk Out Backwards.” Dana Romanello’s set on that stage was considerably seasoned by the deft fiddling of Stephanie Taylor, who is also a high-powered downtown attorney with Bone McAllester Norton.
T. Graham Brown was tearin’ ‘em up at the Billy Block hosted Bridgestone stage. By the way, his T-ness is sporting a full, gray beard these days. The diving dogs and full-sized Smurf characters were entertaining in the Family Zone.
Meanwhile, SESAC presented songwriters Tim Johnson, Kim Tribble, Annie Tate and Brian White at the Bud Light Stage in the Sports Zone. ASCAP, by the way, had its tunesmiths in this inviting, tented venue on Thursday (6/9). Note to organizers: The noise from the Sports Zone’s Chevy Stage next door competes with this stage. Separate them.
Mighty Mel Tillis & The Statesiders were a highlight at Riverfront. So was the powerful voice of ball-cap wearing David Nail — his records don’t do him justice. Billy Ray Cyrus closed out Riverfront’s afternoon.
That night, Evan Farmer and Kristin Chenoweth co-hosted at LP Field. The former violated one of my cardinal Fan Fair rules: Never wear black on a stage full of black amplifiers. Dailey & Vincent performed a very sophisticated harmony arrangement of “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Chris Young celebrated his 26th birthday with a cake backstage at LP Field. Photo: Alan Mayor


Chris Young had put in a heck of a long day: His fan club event was at the crack of dawn (6/11), but he was still in vibrant voice for his nighttime LP Field set. “Gettin You Home,” “Voices” and “Save Beer Drink Water” sounded great. He finished with a magnificently sung “Tomorrow.”
He’s a textbook example of why you should always pay attention to the little guys at Fan Fair. Chris first played the fest on a side stage as a 16-year-old in 2001. Incidentally, his image has been completely de-cowboy-ized. The hat is gone. The western shirt has been replaced by a sport shirt. He looks totally excellent.
Danny Gokey came on to talk about the Guinness world-record t-shirt unveiled in Centennial Park earlier in the day (6/11). It measured 281 x 180 feet and weighed 2 tons.
Then Little Big Town turned in a splendid set. In addition to hits, it featured a country/bluegrass romp through Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” The crowd went ape.
Of all the acoustic performers at LP Field, none was better than Clint Black. He captivated the crowd with Monty Python’s riotously goofy “The Galaxy Song” and had them singing along with the beautifully moving “Something That We Do.”
Josh Turner wowed ‘em with his string of hits. But the big applause came when he brought out his acolyte, American Idol winner Scotty McCreery, to sing with him on “Your Man.” How weird to have an imitator when you’re only 8 years into your own career.
Similarly, Martina McBride brought out American Idol teenage runner-up Lauren Alaina during her set. Trace Adkins performed, exactly a week to the day since his house burned down. His message: Give to the Red Cross Disaster Fund, not to me. Thompson Square and Big & Rich with Gretchen Wilson also had their moments in the spotlight.
Rascal Flatts began its set in the middle of the stadium floor, surrounded by fans holding little lights. It looked like they were singing in the middle of the Milky Way. Little Big Town reappeared to close the show with the group, doing “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Free Ride.” The fireworks finale took place at 12:25 a.m.
Spotted fabulons during Day 4 included Jessie Schmidt, Terry Choate, Jimmy Harnen, Matt Hargis, John Zarling, Anthony Smith, Metro school superintendent Dr. Jesse Register, Paul Barnabee, Bill Cody, Charlie Mattos, Scott Stem, Lon Helton and R.J. Curtis.
SUNDAY:
Unquestionably the highlight of the afternoon of Day 5 (6/12) was the Bridgestone performance by the reunited Foster & Lloyd. They haven’t lost a thing in the intervening years. If anything, they sound better than ever. HLN newscaster Robin Meade had preceded the duo. Her pop-country delivery started a little shakey at first, but definitely picked up steam as she went along. The celestial harmonies of Dailey & Vincent followed F&L on that stage.





The Roys performed on the WSM/Durango Acoustic Stage to a crowd of enthusiastic bluegrass fans. During the week, Lee and Elaine performed 12 shows, and signed at six booths. Pictured (L-R): Elaine Roy and Lee Roy.


 



Martina McBride’s annual YWCA benefit auction was in full swing in the Family Zone. “I think we’ve set a record,” she said.
Josh Hoge and Anita Cochran were two of the strongest talents booked for the Bud Light tent. The Roys pulled double duty, being booked there, then afterward at the Durango Acoustic Corner. Over at the Hard Rock, Heath Forbes was rocking on Rodney Crowell’s “Ain’t Living Long Like This.”
The Riverfront Stage booked Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers. Needless to say, the trio couldn’t perform all of its 20+ top-10 hits. Legendary banjo man Buck Trent joined Roy Clark during his set. Sunny Sweeney was a pure-country delight. Josh Kelley was introduced by his famous brother, Lady A’s Charles Kelley. Terri Clark closed out the blazingly sunny day at Riverfront (6/12).
As of Sunday afternoon, the heat-related medical incidents stood at 750. The Bonnaroo fest, by contrast had more than 1,500 by that date.
I always have a tinge of sadness when I go through the Fan Fair exhibit hall for the last time each year. I call it, “Fan Fair tristesse.” Buddy Jewell, Justin Moore, Hunter Hayes, Sarah Darling, Laura Bell Bundy and The LoCash Cowboys were gamely still autographing away.
But wait: there was still more to come. And how. We headed for LP Field (6/12), where host Storme Warrne promised, “We’re going to wind down CMA Music Fest in prime fashion.” Hallelujah! The temperature finally dropped below 90 as the sun set.

On Saturday, June 11 Hunter Hayes made his CMA Music Fest debut performance at the Lay's Music Stage outside the Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Sara Kauss


The pristine harmonies of Eden’s Edge washed over the National Anthem. Then Storme introduced The JaneDear Girls as, “the girls next door who kick country butt.” The feisty duo – Susie Brown and Danelle Leverett — concluded its set with “Shotgun Girl.” The Girls sounded good, but I recommend more stage interaction with one another.
Acoustic performer Jimmy Wayne was super on “Stay Gone,” “Sara Smile” and “Do You Believe Me Now.” The Band Perry was feisty and rocking, a real crowd pleaser. The Eli Young Band was next in the acoustic pocket. Darius Rucker brought out the bouncing beach balls in the audience. Everyone sang along to “Come Back Song,” “I Got Nothin” and his other hits. “You couldn’t pull this together in rock ‘n’ roll,” commented Darius backstage about Fan Fair. “It would cost too much money.” Tracy Lawrence was next as an acoustic performer.
“We had some chemistry with each other….and that’s what’s helping the show,” said Blake Shelton of his fellow cast members on his hit TV show The Voice. “The first time I ever came to Nashville was for Fan Fair in 1994,” he added. Blake was the artist with the No. 1 record of Fan Fair, “Honey Bee.” He sang it, plus “All About Tonight” and his other chart toppers. Trace Adkins joined him for “Hillbilly Bone,” to the fans’ delight. Question: Which one of these guys is taller?
Blake’s new bride, Miranda Lambert, sang her current “Heart Like Mine,” and was a massive stage success, too. She glowed in a silver lame mini dress. During her set, Miranda brought out her new harmonizing partners Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley. Collectively, they are known as The Pistol Annies. “I used to be one of the crazy fans at CMA Music Fest,” said Miranda backstage. “I came for the first time the last year it was at the Fairgrounds [2000]….This is the only genre of music that has something like this.”
Lithe Taylor Swift was lovely in a bronze, metallic, beaded mini dress. She dropped from the stage to greet the folks in the front rows. The biggest selling artist in all of popular music today was a fitting climax to the fest.
Schmoozing fabulons around the festival campus during its last day included Troy Tomlinson, John Esposito, Gary Overton, Scott Borchetta, Skip Bishop, Carson Chamberlain, Manuel, Victoria Shaw (she produced the Robin Meade CD), Wendy Pearl, Jimmy Carter, Chuck Aly, Steve Moore, Chris Melancon, Ed Salamon, Pete Loesch and Jim Photoglo.
The impressive Sunday finale fireworks began at 12:15 a.m. and lasted 10 minutes. The 40th anniversary of the CMA Music Festival is history. It was excellent. I am exhausted. See you next year.

CMT's Next Superstar Inks With Elektra










Matt Mason sings after being named CMT's Next Superstar. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images










Matt Mason from Fairland, Indiana was crowned the winner of the first season of CMT’S Next Superstar. Mason will receive a record deal with Warner Music Nashville’s Elektra imprint and will be the opening act for CMT on Tour this fall, headlined by Luke Bryan and sponsored by the network. President and CEO of Warner Music Nashville, John Esposito, said, “I am thrilled to have Matt join the Warner Music Nashville family.”
The hour-long grand finale of the show featured a special performance by Kristin Chenoweth (Glee and Good Christian Belles) and at the end of the celebration, host Thea Andrews revealed America’s vote.
Another crop of singing and songwriting talent will have the chance to compete when CMT’s Next Superstar returns in late 2011/early 2012.
Visit www.cmtsuperstar.com for more details.
 

Vicki Vann – This Is Where I Get Off

Newcomer Vicki Vann’s debut country radio single is “This Is Where I Get Off,” which was written by top Nashville tunesmiths Casey Beathard, Michael Heeney and Rebecca Lynn Howard.
The song was originally a part of a demo collection for the California native to record when she visited Nashville for the first time. Her debut album Reckless Heart (Red Canyon Records) features 13 tracks and showcases a broad range of influences including Crystal Gayle, Karen Carpenter, The Eagles, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt.
Born and raised outside Los Angeles, Vann grew up on a small farm and fell in love with country music at an early age. Her father, a Baptist preacher, was also an original founding member of Grammy award-winning gospel group The Mighty Clouds Of Joy. Vann has spent the last several years honing her live performances with her band and garnering fans from all over.
“I feel like I really didn’t go out and just choose to sing country music,” says Vann. “I believe country music actually chose me!”

Contact:
Steven Kline, Red Canyon Records
951-272-4138

http://www.vickivann.com
Vicki’s Facebook
Vicki’s Twitter
Vicki’s YouTube
Vicki Vann – This Is Where I Get Off by musicrow

Adkins Announces New Album

Trace Adkins has announced the release of his new album Proud To Be Here, due August 2 on Show Dog-Universal Music. Adkins revealed details about the album during his CMA Music Festival performance at LP Field Saturday night (6/11).
Proud To Be Here was chosen as the album title some weeks ago because it’s how I’ve felt ever since my first album release and during every milestone since,” says Adkins. “The title song could have been based on my life and it’s about narrow escapes and the grace that guides you through. Obviously, now after the fire, Proud To Be Here takes on an even greater significance. Once again, I’ve been blessed and everyone is safe. I don’t even want to think what could’ve been had it started at 3am instead of 3pm…”
The 10-track album was recorded earlier in spring and produced by Kenny Beard and Mark Wright. A deluxe bonus version, featuring four additional tracks, will also be available. The collection’s lead single, “Just Fishin’” (Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell, Ed Hill) was produced by Michael Knox and is a father’s tribute to his daughter. The album’s title track, written by Chris Wallin, Aaron Barker, and Ira Dean, aims to resonate with anyone who’s ever reflected upon narrow escapes.
Adkins recently lost his home to a fire, but fortunately he and his family were unharmed. The singer has redirected offers of support to those affected by flooding and tornadoes in the South, urging his fans to pledge support to the American Red Cross instead. Visit http://american.redcross.org/traceadkins for details.

Fab Photos From Music Fest

Dolly Visits Fan Fair Hall
Dolly Parton signed autographs at CMA Music Festival for the first time since the mid 1970s in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Fan Fair. She is promoting her new album Better Day, set for release June 28. Produced by Kent Wells, the album is coming via Dolly Records, distributed by Warner Music Nashville. While in Nashville, Parton shot the video for lead single “Together You & I” with director Trey Fanjoy. Parton is also prepping to launch a world tour through America, Europe, and Australia.

Dolly Parton at Fan Fair exhibit hall. Photo: Alan Mayor


American Idols’ Opry Debut
The Grand Ole Opry welcomed two new performers to its stage during CMA Music Festival, American Idol winner Scotty McCreery and runner-up Lauren Alaina. They played to a sold-out crowd less than two weeks after this season’s Idol finale.

(L-R): Steve Buchanan, Gaylord Sr. VP, Media and Entertainment, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, and Pete Fisher, VP and GM


LBT’s Ride For A Cure
Little Big Town hosted the star-studded Ride For A Cure on Sun., June 12 to benefit the TJ Martell Foundation. The ride began at Nashville’s Roundabout Plaza and ended at Harley Davidson of Columbia Superstore for lunch and a concert by Little Big Town, Jake Owen, Jerrod Niemann, David Nail and more.

Little Big Town open the event at the roundabout. Photo: Alan Mayor


Due West And Robin Meade At Fan Fair
Due West and Robin Meade were among the artists meeting and greeting fans at the Convention Center during CMA Music Festival. Two songs on Meade’s new album were written by Due West member Matt Lopez.

(L-R): Due West's Matt Lopez, Robin Meade, Due West's Tim Gates and Brad Hull.

Photos: CMA Fest, Hot Dog Day, CMHOF

The 13th annual SunTrust Hot Dog Day was held Thursday (6/9) at the bank’s Music Row branch. Industry members from around the Row gathered under the tents to enjoy hot dogs, live entertainment and frozen treats.

Pictured: 26 teammates from SunTrust Sports and Entertainment with co-sponsors from The Country Music Hall of Fame and Cal IV Entertainment

• • • •

Shania Twain was honored Thursday (6/9) afternoon at Nashville’s Citizen Club for reaching worldwide sales of more than 75 million, making her the top-selling female artist in country music history. Twain will premiere her first new song in six years, “Today Is Your Day,” during the finale episode of Why Not? with Shania Twain Sunday, June 12 on the Oprah Winfrey Network at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The song will be available exclusively on iTunes immediately following the broadcast at 11 pm ET/PT. Mercury Nashville will also service the song to country radio stations following the show’s airing.

(L-R): Buddy Cannon, Twain, Dick Frank, Norro Wilson

• • • •

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum recently (6/4) honored Don Schlitz in its quarterly Poets and Prophets: Legendary Country Songwriters series. Schlitz discussed his life and career and his extensive repertoire, which includes “The Gambler,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “When You Say Nothing At All” and “I Feel Lucky.”

(L-R): Dallas Frazier, Red Lane, Museum Editor Michael Gray, Don Schlitz, John D. Loudermilk, Bobby Braddock, Norro Wilson and Bob McDill. Photo by Donn Jones

• • • •

Columbia Nashville artist Joanna Smith performed at her first CMA Music Fest this week. Radio events, autograph signings and performances at the Nashville Navy Party, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Lays Bridgestone Arena stage filled her days, as she greeted and entertained fans old and new. She is headed to Winsted, Minnesota today (6/10) for an upcoming performance at the Winstock Country Music Festival.

Pictured following her set at the Lays Stage at Bridgestone Arena Plaza at CMA Music Fest (L-R): Kerry Hansen, Big Enterprises President and Smith's manager; Gary Overton, CEO, Sony Music Nashville; Smith; Skip Bishop, VP Promotion, Sony Music Nashville.


 
 

Country, Bluegrass and Americana News (6/10/11)

 
Randy Travis is celebrating his 25 year career in country music with the release of Anniversary Collection, which hit stores Tuesday (6/7). The 17 song collection from Warner Bros. Records features new songs and remakes of Randy’s classic hits. Special guests on the album include Zac Brown Band, Kristin Chenoweth, Kenny Chesney, Don Henley, Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.
• • • •
Veteran Ricky Skaggs also has a new album on the way. Titled Country Hits Bluegrass Style, the album is due out July 19th on Skaggs Family Records and features many of Skaggs’ country hits re-imagined. “We did such good music in the 1980s and early ’90s that a lot of fans still shout out ‘Honey (Open That Door),’ and I felt like we needed to do those songs for them, too,” explains Skaggs. “For years now I’ve had fans come up and ask me to do a CD that would have my old country hits on it. So here it is, done a little different than the original recordings. These were done in more of a bluegrass style. Folks have loved it when we play them on the road. Sure hope you love them too.”
• • • •
In memory of the passing of bluegrass icons Hazel Dickens and Carlton Haney, the Foundation for Bluegrass Music will be funding grants and/or scholarships with a deadline of August 15, 2011 to apply. Dickens was a trailblazing singer/songwriter who mentored many aspiring musicians and writers. Haney was a business who produced the first weekend-long bluegrass music festival in 1965. Both passed away earlier in 2011.
A one-time fund of $10,000 has been earmarked with the guidelines that up to $5,000 in memory of Dickens fund public projects and/or scholarships that foster bluegrass artistic development for deserving young people. Another $5,000 is reserved in honor of Haney to fund public projects and/or scholarships that foster bluegrass music business development.
Grants will be announced no later than October 31, 2011 and funds released after January 1, 2012. More information is available here.
• • • • •
Songwriter/Artist Larry Cordle’s new album Pud Marcum’s Hangin’ (MightyCord Records) has found an audience that spans country, Americana and bluegrass music. The album recently spent the entire month of March at No. 1 on Airplay Direct’s Americana chart, and Cordle has inked distribution agreements with Ashland Specialty Company and Clark Distribution Company to get the album stocked in convenience stores in KY, WV and OH.

Review: Marty Stuart's Late Night Jam Delivers

Marty Stuart and Dolly Parton, Photo: Erica Goldring


Marty Stuart sold out the historic Ryman Auditorium June 8 for his 10th Anniversary Late Night Jam. The event raised over $30,000 for MusiCares with a portion also going to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Guests included country music icons Parton, Mel Tillis and Connie Smith, along with The Quebe Sisters Band, Doug Kershaw and surprise guests Ricky Skaggs and Duane Eddy.
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives gave an unforgettable show, demonstrating seasoned showmanship. The band was tight with pitch-perfect vocals. Stuart’s mandolin solo made us watch with our mouths open and listen in complete awe.
Parton came to the stage and performed several of her classics, including “Jolene,” “Coat Of Many Colors,” and “9 To 5.” Stuart then joined Parton for a special rendition of “I Will Always Love You.” Included in the often-hilarious banter with Stuart, Parton gave her trademark laugh after Stuart jokingly made a reference to Willie Nelson wondering if she had any “rolling papers.” Parton also added she was very excited about her upcoming tour starting in Knoxville.
Among her performances, Connie Smith shared her first meeting with country music legend, Marty Robbins. Smith’s vocals were hauntingly flawless and brought everyone back to the early days of country music.
Highlights also included Mel Tillis and Ricky Skaggs each singing their classic hits and sharing funny stories, making us feel we were hanging out with them back stage. Marty Robbins, Maybelle Carter, and Johnny Cash were also present. Trust me, they were there.
There were many other magical moments including Stuart bringing fashion icon, Manuel, on stage, Eddie Stubbs ad-libbing chicken, funeral home, and Manuel radio commercials, and cloggers raising the energy in the house to full tilt.
The show ended with the entire audience participating in the classic, “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” and when the last note was belted out around 1:30am, we knew we had all been to church.
Can one show really change the way you look at country music? This one did. It’s easy to forget the incredible artistry of authentic traditional country music when we are focused on current radio adds and chart placement. Thanks to Stuart and his fellow guest icons, this night was a great reminder of our history, our heritage, and perhaps most important, the value traditional country music still has today.
For more information, visit www.martystuart.net.

Bobby Karl Works CMA Fest: Part 2

Chapter 368

Geez, is it hot! Day Two of the CMA Music Festival was a carbon copy of Day One, weather-wise. The streets of downtown Nashville sizzled in the mid-90s. But I’ll be darned if the fans weren’t having a ball in spite of it all.
Music poured from every club, bar and honky-tonk on Lower Broadway. Vendors gave away Harlequin romance paperbacks, and free cups of Blue Bell ice cream were being eagerly consumed by everybody. Fans tried their talents at karaoke, bull-roping and NASCAR contests.
When I stopped by the Hard Rock stage (6/9), Kimberly Wolff was singing splendidly. She was followed by a romping set by Her & Kings County.

Gene Watson. Photo: John Russell


Up on the Bridgestone Plaza (6/9), Daryle Singletary was moaning magnificently on “The Note,” “I’m Living Up to Her Low Expectations” and other hard-country numbers. Keeping with this concept, the same stage hosted the great Gene Watson later that afternoon.
The Bud Light Stage in the Sports Zone booked Sean Patrick McGraw, Due West and more. The Chevrolet Stage, also in the Sports Zone, competed with Sonny Burgess, among others.
I went down to the Riverfront Stage to mingle. Despite the heat, it was so packed with fans you could hardly move. I literally inched my way along in the body-to-body density. Down on stage, Craig Morgan was roaring, climbing stage girders and finishing with a fiery “International Harvester.” What a singer.






Cragi Morgan. Photo: Theresa Montgomery







Linda Davis was hosting with verve and charm. I don’t think I’ve seen anybody do that gig better: She talked to those fans like a friend, urging them to drink plenty of bottled water. She wasn’t kidding. By yesterday evening more than 225 people had been treated for overheating problems (By comparison, during the entire fest last year, 400 such cases were reported). Eight of them were taken to the hospital. Street vendors did their part by offering bottles of water for only a buck apiece. Hot dogs, too.






Jake Owen. Photo: Theresa Montgomery







Jake Owen took the Riverfront Stage, saying, “I don’t know about you, but I came here to party!” The fans sang along to every song. They’re really into this guy; I had no idea he was such a fan favorite. Jake worked the stage well. The native Floridian is probably the only guy at the fest who performs in flip-flops, and he kicked those off to sing barefooted, appropriately, during “Barefoot Blue Jean Night.”
“You’re changing our lives,” he told the crowd. After his show, he greeted fans at the backstage fence. They sang to him.
“As soon as we hit the opening guitar notes to ‘Barefoot Blue Jean Night,’ they started to scream,” he marveled. “That was incredible. I’ve never had a song like that.” And it isn’t even in the top-10 yet.

Neal McCoy. Photo: Theresa Montgomery


Following Jake was Neal McCoy, which made it three-for-three in the high-energy department at Riverfront. And the crowd remained packed in the broiling sun. Backstage, the General Jackson showboat docked serenely on the other side of the Cumberland. On board, Gary Allan was hosting his fan club party.
Meanwhile, up in the Durango Acoustic Corner in the Convention Center (6/9), I had my ears pinned back by the incredible, swing-happy Quebe Sisters Band from Ft. Worth, TX. As if their triple fiddling wasn’t awesome enough, they trio harmonize like angels. WSM deejay Eddie Stubbs is such a fan that he was up there enjoying the show on his day off. WSM-AM is broadcasting the Acoustic Corner sets live, by the way.
Anyhow, I was so thrilled by the group that I went down to the Exhibit Hall to buy its CDs. Eddie introduced me to Grace, Sophia & Hulda Quebe, plus guitarist/producer Joey McKenzie. They have appeared on all three seasons of Marty Stuart’s RFD-TV show and have reportedly drawn more mail than any other guest.

Lady Antebellum with Jean Butler of Madison, Ala. Photo: Jim Hagans


Elsewhere in the Exhibit Hall, Lady Antebellum, Chris Young, James Wesley, Phil Vassar, Rehab (a male duo), Riders in the Sky, Gloriana, Billy Ray Cyrus and The Adam Craig Band were signing autographs. Fans were posing for gag Dolly Parton imitator photos in Dolly’s booth. The Acoustic Corner delights continued upstairs with sets by troubadour Ernie Hendrickson, followed by Mark Wills.
Over at Municipal Auditorium (6/9), Keith Urban was doing a tour
run-through/rehearsal for a couple hundred lucky festival attendees. The tour kicks off next week (6/16) in Biloxi, MS.

Chris Young with John Ross of Murfreesboro, Tenn. Photo: Jim Hagans


I spotted various Music Row denizens during my first walk around the festival “campus.” Vainly attempting to stay cool were John Rose, Suzanne Skinner, Gary Overton, Ron & Regina Stuve, Dale Morris, Paul Moore, Paul Barnabee, Will Byrd, Charlie Woodwar
d, Jim Catino, Norbert Nix, Greg Fowler and Clint Higham.
That night at LP Field (6/9), Steve Moore greeted the fans by quoting Charlie Daniels, “Ain’t it great to be alive and in Tennessee!” Gov. Bill Haslam and Mayor Karl Dean offered welcoming remarks. Then The Isaacs harmonized on the best National Anthem, ever, a cappella. They brought out their instruments for a spirited run through “Walk on.”
Unusually for CMA Fest, The Zac Brown Band was given a generous, hour-long set on the LP stage. The group used its time wisely, alternating its hits with guest appearances by Sonia Leigh, folk/pop/jazz standout Amos Lee and country superstars Randy Travis and Alan Jackson.

Zac Brown and Alan Jackson. Photo: John Russell


The entire stadium sang along during the Randy & Zac duet of “Forever and Ever, Amen.” Alan walked out unannounced during “As She’s Walking Away,” creating fan pandemonium.
Easton Corbin was endearing, puppy-like, peppy and personable during his ensuing set. His relaxed country tenor caressed “I’m a Little More Country Than That” and “Roll with It.”
Sara Evans, Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson and show-closing Brad Paisley and Alabama made for a star-studded concert roster. As several fans tweeted during the show, this year’s fest is arguably the most superstar-filled in the event’s history. Bill Anderson and Steve Wariner were warm and genial as co-hosts of the evening.
The arena hospitality areas swarmed with Music Row fabulons. Working the room were Scott Borchetta, Scott McDaniel, Isabel Ross, David & Susana Ross, Ken Levitan, Beverly Keel & Ronnie Steine, Steve Buchanan, Mayor Karl Dean & Anne Davis, Lisa Harless (did you know her husband Winston is a former Opryland performer?), Tony Conway, Allen Brown, Sarah Trahern, Tammy Genovese, Charles Dorris, Mark Roeder, Bo Thomas, Jim Havey, Ed Hardy, Neil Spielberg, Ron Cox and Bill Denny.