Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley Score Gold Singles

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Luke Bryan Goes Gold

Luke Bryan’s current single, “I Don’t Want This Night To End” scored RIAA gold certification this week, following suit of his Tailgates & Tanlines album.

The single, which experienced the highest weekly digital track sales of Bryan’s career with 128,000 downloads, is currently No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart

Bryan will be joining Jason Aldean on the 2012 leg of his My Kinda Party Tour, kicking off in Greenville, SC on Jan. 20.

Bryan’s previous single, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” joined his 2009 single “Do I” and received RIAA platinum certification.

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Dierks Bentley Goes Gold

“Am I The Only One,” the lead single off Dierks Bentley‘s upcoming album Home, has been officially certified gold by the RIAA. It became his eighth No. 1 as an artist and writer when it charted last fall.

Bentley’s sixth studio album is scheduled for release on Feb. 7 with its current single and title track “Home” is currently No. 6 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart.

Bentley will hold an album release show at the Ryman on Feb. 2 before the second leg of the Country & Cold Cans tour resumes Feb. 15 with dates in Canada and Australia.

Peermusic Adds Hit Songwriter To Roster

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(L-R): Kevin Lamb (VP, Nashville), Kathy Spanberger (President and COO), Michael Knox (Sr. Creative Director), Neil Thrasher, Kim Wiggins (Creative Manager) and Chip Petree (Copyright Exchange / Petree Law)

peermusic is beefing up its roster with the signing of award-winning songwriter Neil Thrasher as a staff writer. With numerous hits to his credit, Thrasher’s latest success is Jason Aldean’s “Tattoos On This Town,” and the upcoming Rascal Flatts single, “Banjo.”

Thrasher’s 20-year career includes writing or co-writing hits including “There Goes My Life” and “I Lost It” for Kenny Chesney, “Fast Cars and Freedom” and “Take Me There” for Rascal Flatts, and “What Do You Say” for Reba McEntire. He was honored as the 2004 ASCAP Songwriter of the Year, and as writer of the 2010 Gospel Music Association Country Song of the Year “Somebody Like Me” (Jason Crabb). “I am very excited about my new partnership with peermusic,” explains Thraher. “Everyone has made me feel at home and I’m looking forward to our future together.”

“When Michael Knox joined the company he and I developed a game plan as to how we would move forward,” says Kevin Lamb, Vice President, peermusic Nashville. As was the case with Vicky McGehee, Neil was at the top of our list of writers we wanted to work with. Neil rounds out that core, and comes to us with not only talent and respect, but a lot of energy. It’s a great way to start the year.”

“I am very excited to finally be working with Neil,” adds Knox, Producer/Creative Dir. “We’ve known each other for over 10 years and I’ve always been a huge fan. There’s nothing better than working with someone you respect so much and on top of that, be able to call them a friend.”

A Birmingham native, Thrasher grew up surrounded by music. His father was a member of the gospel group the Thrasher Brothers, who were later inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. He soon followed in his father’s footsteps, moving to Nashville and pursuing his own music career. In 1996 he signed to Atlantic Records as part of the duo Thrasher Shiver and began landing cuts for other artists like Diamond Rio and Billy Ray Cyrus.

Gene Watson Prepares “Best of the Best”

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To celebrate his 50 years of making country music, Gene Watson will release Best of the Best: 25 Greatest Hits on his Fourteen Carat Music label on February 14. Watson began his lengthy musical career by recording his first single in 1962.

“My first recording ever was on a little ole independent label that was started up just for this recording session, Sun Valley Records,” says Watson. “Maybe I thought I could sell them at my shows or something. I wrote the record, ‘If It Was That Easy.’ It was not any good, but, boy, I thought that was something. I had my own record.”

Best of the Best features re-recorded versions of Watson’s classics like “Fourteen Carat Mind,” “Love In The Hot Afternoon,” “Farewell Party,” “Memories To Burn,” and more. Steel legend Sonny Garish was brought in to reprise his parts from the originals and the rest of the session players worked to faithfully recreate the arrangements.

Since his first recording in 1962, Watson’s career has boasted two dozen Top 10 hits beginning with “Love In The Hot Afternoon.” In 2002, he was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame.

“It’s unbelievable to me that it’s been 50 years,” says Watson. “For most of those years, it seemed like it took everything I could do to keep working as steady as I needed to. Now that I’m older, it seems like everything comes to me without trying. I’m working more shows than I was 15 years ago.”

Breaking: ACM Announces Awards Date, Show Hosts

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Country Music’s Party of the Year®, the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. The show will be hosted for the second consecutive year by Reba and Blake Shelton.

The 2nd Annual ACM Fan Jam, hosted by Zac Brown Band, will take place simultaneously with the Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Performances by ZBB and others to be announced, taking place at the ACM Fan Jam will be shown during the awards telecast.

Additionally, the Academy and dick clark productions will tape an all-star concert special, ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends—A Lifetime of Hits, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Monday, April 2 to air at a later date on CBS. Guests include Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers and many more. Tickets sales from the event will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, which works to improve lives through music.

The Academy will announce its full schedule of The Week Vegas Goes Country® events in the upcoming weeks.

Professional Members of the ACM can purchase tickets beginning at 10:00 AM (PT) on Tues., Jan. 17 through Fri., Jan. 20 by visiting www.ACMcountry.com and clicking the “GET TICKETS” link.

Details on the events and tickets at www.ACMcountry.com. Those who join the ACM A-List will receive a pre-sale code for tickets and information on discounted room rates at MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay.

Photo: Musica Loves “Red Solo Cup”

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What will those joyful dancing nudes from Musica get into next? We already know they can shred on their Telecasters and root for the Predators, but they apparently also enjoy making accessories from a certain brightly-colored drinking receptacle. Kudos to Toby Keith’s Show Dog-Universal, TK Management, and crew on the eye-catching stunt.

Photo: Caitlin Rantala

Marco Names 2011 Top Ten Country Dance Club Hits

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According to the Marco Club Connection’s 8th annual ranking of Country dance favorites, Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton topped the list of dance club hits in 2011.

Every December, the Nashville-based company surveys a panel of nearly 250 club owners, DJs and dance instructors from across the country to compile its rankings. Overall votes by the panel determine each song’s placement on the list.

“The added emphasis on dance in the music videos for this year’s top club hits was hugely popular with club DJs and choreographers,” says Club Connection Manager of Venue Marketing, Bobbe Morhiser. “By featuring dancers and dance clubs in the videos, these records leave a lasting connection with fans that dancing and Country music are a natural match.”

“We are thrilled that ‘Country Girl (Shake It For Me)’ was selected as the No. 1 dance song of the year,” says Capitol/EMI Records Director of Media and Public Relations, Taryn Pray. “This single took Luke Bryan to the next level, and it’s great to have the recognition of the dance club community.”

Peter Strickland, Sr. VP Brand Management & Sales for Warner Music Nashville, echoed the sentiment, “What a great way to start off 2012 finding out Warner Music Nashville has four of the Top 5 dance songs. Congratulations to Big & Rich, Gloriana and Blake Shelton.”

The 2011 Marco Club Connection Top Ten Country Dance Club Hits:

1. Luke Bryan – “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”
2. Blake Shelton – “Footloose”
3. Big & Rich – “Fake ID”
4. Blake Shelton – “Honey Bee”
5. Gloriana – “Wanna Take You Home”
6. Billy Currington – “Love Done Gone”
7. Jason Aldean – “Dirt Road Anthem”
8. Dierks Bentley – “Am I The Only One”
9. The Lacs – “Kickin’ Up Mud”
10. Chris Young – “You”

A complete archive of Club Connection’s Top Ten Country Dance Club Hits by year can be viewed at www.MarcoClubConnection.com.

Lambert Headed To Small Screen

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Miranda Lambert will guest star on an upcoming episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The singer will play an actress who accuses a reality show producer of sexual assault.

She Tweeted her enthusiasm: “Ya’ll I’m so freaking excited to be on my favorite show ever!!!”

The episode will also include a guest spot from Harry Connick Jr., who is joining the NBC series for a four-show arc as Detective Olivia Benson’s (Mariska Hargitay) love interest. Michael McKean (Laverne & Shirley, This Is Spinal Tap, Smallville) will play the reality TV producer.

This may be her first acting gig, but it isn’t Lambert’s first venture into television. Last year she was working with ABC Family on a show loosely based on her childhood in Texas.

Lambert’s husband Blake Shelton is also involved with NBC as a coach on the network’s hit show The Voice, which returns Feb. 5.

An air date hasn’t been set for Lambert’s episode, but SVU regularly airs Wednesdays at 10/9c.

In recent years Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts have also scored guest spots on TV crime dramas. They appeared on the CSI franchise.

Church Announces Second Leg Of Tour

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Due to overwhelming demand, Eric Church recently announced a second leg of his The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour, which includes a Nashville date and extends to Atlantic City, New York City, Orlando, Minneapolis, among others. Church, who recently broke Jason Aldean’s record for the highest number of tickets ever sold for a live event at the Landers Center in Southaven, MS, will also headline several coveted venues, including Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO for the first time in his career.

Additionally, the 2012 Grammy nominee for Best Country Album of the Year (for Chief) also spent two weeks at No. 1 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart with “Drink In My Hand,” which is currently Top 5 and climbing on Billboard’s country chart.

Tickets for upcoming dates are on-sale now and fans also have the option to purchase a special “VIP Package” where they’ll be treated to an exclusive pre-concert party and intimate, acoustic backstage performance from Church. For more information and to purchase, visit www.ericchurch.com.

The full list of Church’s upcoming tour dates is below, with an asterisk (*) denoting a new addition. Opening acts for various dates include Brantley Gilbert, Sonia Leigh, Blackberry Smoke, Jon Pardi, The Cadillac Black and Drake White.

The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour Dates:

1/19      Fort Smith, AR- Fort Smith Convention Center
1/20      Cape Girardeau, MO- Show Me Center
1/21      Southaven, MS- Landers Center
1/26      Madison, WI – The Alliant Energy Center
1/27      Saginaw, MI- The Dow Event Center
1/28      Terre Haute, IN- The ISU Hulman Center
2/2        Savannah, GA-Savannah Civic Center
2/3        Knoxville, TN-Thompson Boling Arena
2/4        Norfolk, VA-Ted Constant Center
2/16      Greenville, SC-Bi-Lo Center
2/17      Salisbury, MD- Wicomico Civic Center
2/18      Greensboro, NC-Greensboro Coliseum
2/23      Battle Creek, MI-Kellogg Arena
2/24      Cleveland, OH-Wolstein Center at CSU
2/25      Ft. Wayne, IN- Allen County War Memorial Col.
3/1        Portland, ME- Cumberland Country Civic Center
3/2        Lowell, MA- Tsongas Center at UMASS Lowell
3/3        Indiana, PA- Kocalchick Center
3/8        Oklahoma City, OK- Chesapeake Energy Center
3/9        Jonesboro, AR – ASU Convocation Center*
3/10      Orange Beach, AL- Amphitheater at The Wharf
3/14      New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom*
3/15      Binghampton, NY – Broome County Arena*
3/16      Reading, PA – Sovereign Center*
3/17      Atlantic City, NJ – Etess Arena*
3/22      Estero, FL – Germain Arena*
3/23      Orlando, FL – UCF Arena*
3/24      Tallahassee, FL – Tallahassee Civic Center*
4/12      Tupelo, MS – BancorpSouth Arena*
4/13      Bossier City, LA – Centurylink Center*
4/14      Auburn, AL – Alpha Psi Rodeo*
4/19      Evansville, IN – Ford Center*
4/20      St Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena*
4/21      Pikeville, KY – Eastern KY Expo Center*
4/26      Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena*
4/27      Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena*
4/28      Bloomington, IL – US Cellular Coliseum*
5/3        Springfield, MO – JQH Arena*
5/5        Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena*
5/10      Toledo, OH – Huntington Center*
5/11      Hoffman Estates, IL – Sears Centre*
5/12      Youngstown, OH – Covelli Center*
5/17      Minneapolis, MN – Target Center*
5/18      Topeka, KS – Landon Arena*
5/19      Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre*

Rascal Flatts Debuts New Music

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Rascal Flatts and Big Machine Records will release a new single, titled “Banjo”, for airplay impact beginning January 17. The song will serve as the first single off the band’s forthcoming album due out this spring.

In fall 2010 the band’s release Nothing Like This (Big Machine Records) became its sixth consecutive album to debut at No. 1, making Rascal Flatts one of only four country artists to achieve this status.

The band will kick-off its winter Thaw Out 2012 Tour Thursday, January 12 at the Charleston Civic Center Coliseum in West Virginia with Sara Evans and Hunter Hayes.

 

Photo: Niemann’s “Lover, Lover” Certified Platinum

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Sea Gayle/Arista Nashville’s Jerrod Niemann is celebrating his first RIAA-certified Platinum Digital single for his 2010 No. 1 hit “Lover, Lover.” The song is the first single from Niemann’s acclaimed Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury, which also features the Gold digital single follow-up “What Do You Want.”

“To have a Platinum single is mind-blowing,” shares Niemann. “It’s just truly a dream come true for me. To know that people have thought ‘Man, I care about this enough to own it,’ whether it’s to get over somebody or just to, you know, ignore the words and kick your shoes off in the sun, it doesn’t matter. It’s just amazing to me.”

“Lover, Lover” will tack on some extra miles starting Thursday, January 12, when Niemann joins Miranda Lambert’s On Fire tour in Rockford, IL.

(L-R) Back row: Larry Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald Hartley), Gary Overton (Sony Music Nashville, Chairman & CEO), Niemann, Bill Simmons (Fitzgerald Hartley), Steve Emley (Fitzgerald Hartley); Front row: Alaina Vehec (SMN Associate Director, Digital Sales) and Caryl Healey (SMN VP Sales)