Signings and Hirings: G7, Hearts Bluff, Bobby Roberts, Centricity

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Centricity Music Publishing has signed hit Christian songwriter Sam Mizell to an exclusive contract. His songs have been recorded by Matthew West, Natalie Grant, Madisa, Francesca Battistelli, and many others. His seven No. 1 singles have resulted in a Grammy nomination, and Dove and ASCAP awards. (L-R): Sam Mizell and Centricity Music head Steve Rice

Hearts Bluff Music has expanded its Creative Services department with the addition of Greg Gallo. His background includes placing songs with Faith Hill, Blake Shelton and Lady Antebellum, as well as roles at Ash Street Music and Big Loud Shirt.

Hearts Bluff President/CEO Scott Parker leads the company which according to a press release has $20 million in private funding and has acquired over 50 No. 1 hits in recent years.

In addition, Gallo continues to provide creative services for Revelry Music Group, Extreme Writers Group, Brave Music, Silent Gate Music, Savannah Music Group, Yacht Haven Music and Beautiful Day Music.

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The Bobby Roberts Company has signed Curb Records artist Morgan Frazier and Bigger Picture artist Chris Janson for exclusive booking representation. President Lance Roberts also announced the hiring of Matt Rizor as an agent.

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G7 Entertainment Marketing today announced the appointment of four new executives. Lori Cloud has joined G7 as Executive Director of Client Services. She has 25 years of entertainment marketing experience and was most recently VP Brand Strategy and Digital Media at management firm Big Enterprises. Previously she was a Brand Agent at the LA headquarters of Creative Artists Agency, where she managed client relationships such as The Coca-Cola Company, P&G, Sprint, Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Starwood Hotels.

Rick Whetsel is on board as G7’s Director of Booking and Production. He has more than 20 years experience in the music industry including founding Nashville-based Great Big Shows, a top concerts promotions and productions company. Most recently he has focused on sponsor-driven events and corporate productions, working with a variety of Fortune 500 consumer brands.

Diana Garcia has joined G7 as Digital Strategist and Project Manager, specializing in data collection, viral marketing, social media and interactive storytelling. She has more than eight years of experience working with acts including Rascal Flatts, Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Brooks & Dunn, Dolly Parton and many others.

Christian Henderson has joined G7 as Project Manager. Henderson was most recently at Creative Artists Agency.

Artist Updates (3/21/12)

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Photo: Lloyd Bishop/NBC

Eric Church made an appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Monday night (3/19), where he played his current single “Springsteen.” See Church’s performance here, just after the 37 minute mark.

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Jake Owen will also play late night television, when he visits The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on March 26. Owen will play his current hit “Alone With You,” which was recently certified Gold by the RIAA for 500,000-plus downloads.

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Lady Antebellum has named the community of Henryville, IN as the winner of the group’s “Own Prom Night” contest. The community was chosen for the resilience and unity it has displayed after devastating tornadoes hit earlier in March. Due to a prior commitment, Lady A won’t be able to make Henryville High School’s scheduled prom, but has decided to throw another event on May 16 in nearby Louisville, KY for the school’s juniors and seniors, as well as a benefit for the community. See the reveal here.

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Matt Kennon has launched “Music That Matters,” a national campaign to raise awareness on the issue of bullying in schools. Kennon addresses the concern in his current single, “You Had To Pick On Me,” and schools nationwide are invited to join the “Music That Matters” video campaign by submitting student-made videos for the song. Five videos will be voted on by the public, and a winning school will receive a free concert and meet and greet with Kennon. More info here.

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Gloriana’s Tom Gossin announced the engagement to his longtime girlfriend Jamie Moffett during a show in his upstate New York hometown last week. The couple met in North Carolina as teens, and celebrated their 10 year anniversary on March 1 with Tom’s surprise proposal. No official wedding plans have been made.

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(L-R): Firefly Co-Founder, Scott Newitt, and Average Joes JB Patterson of JB and the Moonshine Band.

Average Joes Entertainment’s JB and the Moonshine Band might have to make room in the cabinet for another type of spirit, as South Carolina-based Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka has signed on as a partner. When JB joins up with Colt Ford’s Declaration of Independence tour starting in April, he and band will be driving the Firefly Vodka RV across 17 states. Additionally, the band will play 15 club dates promoting Firefly. Dates here.

Industry Ink Wednesday (3/21/12)

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Museum celebrates Chet Atkins—On Saturday (3/17), the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a panel discussion, Chet Atkins at Studio. Artists Bobby Bare (“Detroit City”) and Jim Ed Brown (“The Three Bells”), background singer Dolores Dinning Edgin, studio guitarist Ray Edenton, and hit songwriter John D. Loudermilk (“Abilene”) shared their memories of Atkins as a record producer and the manager of RCA Studio B. This program was offered as part of the special exhibition Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player, Made Possible Through the Generous Support of the Gretsch Company. Pictured (L-R): panel host and Museum Senior Historian John Rumble, John D. Loudermilk, Ray Edenton, Dolores Dinning Edgin, Bobby Bare and Jim Ed Brown. Photo: Donn Jones

• Scott B. Bomar has launched 4th and State Music Services offering music licensing, copyright research, historical research, online content creation, and organization services such as cataloging masters. He recently produced a 5-CD set for Bear Family Records featuring the music of Bakersfield, CA artist Red Simpson, and penned the accompanying coffee table book. He will moderate a panel March 24 at the opening of the Country Music Hall of Fame’s “Bakersfield Sound” exhibit. The Nashville native is son of publisher Woody Bomar, and is based in Los Angeles but available for work nationwide. His career most recently included time at Universal Music Publishing. Reach him at www.4thAndState.com.

• CRS 2013 agenda committee applications are now available at www.CountryRadioSeminar.com and will be accepted through Fri., April 6. The CRS Agenda Committee is made up of volunteer professionals from all areas of the Country radio and record industries. The committee is responsible for planning events for the upcoming year’s Country Radio Seminar. Prospective applicants must be available to attend agenda meetings in Nashville on June 20-22, 2012 and are expected to attend panels and meetings at CRS 2013, held Feb. 27 – March 1, 2013.

• The AristoMedia Group’s 2012 Country Video Outlet Status Report is now available for online viewing here. The annual report highlights the current media outlets using Country music video content as part of their programming and outlines important trends and opportunities at the national, regional, syndicated, pool/closed-circuit and online video outlet levels. The 2012 status report points to increasing demand for video content at nearly every outlet level, with the most substantial growth noted in mobile application platforms and blogs.

•  The 30th Annual Texaco Country Showdown National Final will air on WZTV FOX-Nashville Sun., March 25 at 5:00 p.m. LeAnn Rimes hosted the pre-recorded show at the Ryman Auditorium where five rising artists compete for $100,000 and the title “Best New Act in Country Music.”

• The Long Players band celebrates its eighth anniversary with a show Fri., March 23 at the Mercy Lounge. The band dedicated to performing classic albums in their entirety will play R.E.M.’s Murmur. The Long Players is made up of Steve Allen, John Deaderick, Steve Ebe and Bill Lloyd. Among the special guests joining them Friday night will be Don Dixon, who co-produced Murmur. Part of the $15 cover will be donated to Kim Collins’ medical relief fund.

 

Country Sales: All That Downloads Is Not Gold

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Total country digital tracks was not available at this time last year which explains the actual sales number in the grid—34.7 million. Those numbers became available last year in mid-April and we will begin using the percentages at that time.

 

In The Viewfinder
Before we dissect some of this week’s sales metrics, let’s consider some of the recent industry talk which buoyantly notes that digital sales are up for both country music and the industry overall. And that is true. A brief glance at the grid above shows increasing numbers of consumers are making the transition from physical to digital.

However, all that downloads is not gold. Witness last week’s Google Play sale which was responsible for selling about 90,000 digital units of Lady Antebellum’s album for 25¢. Yes, that’s not a typo, just two thin dimes and a nickel for the entire album—not enough to satisfy even half the mechanical royalty. But don’t blame the act or the label, this sale was a retail ploy to draw attention to a new digital store. And it made digital sales look good. The point here is that SoundScan measures units, but we also need to reflect upon pricing, revenues and profits.

While the Google sale may be a one-off event, wholesale album prices are now averaging below $7 whereas a few years ago they were $11.99 and up. That difference translates to weaker revenues and profits and ultimately fewer major labels. The RIAA’s retail sales measurements show the U.S. industry falling from over $14.6 billion in 1999 to under $6.85 billion in 2010.

No. 1 Country Track for 4 consecutive weeks.

And Now Highlights From The Previous Week…
You’d never know that Capitol Nashville was about to be swallowed up this summer, based upon its stellar chart performance, and according to Nielsen SoundScan. The scrappy label has three of the Top 5 spots on this week’s country album chart; Luke Bryan (No. 1, 17k); Lady Antebellum (No. 3, 13k) and Eric Church (No. 4, 11k). Filling in the gaps are Jason Aldean (No. 2, 14k) and The Band Perry (No. 5, 9k). Shooter Jennings’ Family Man debut landed at No. 10 with about 8k in sales.

Overall, the Top Current Country Album 75 delivered one of its weakest performances in the history of SoundScan with the entire Top 75 totaling about 256k. [ouch!].

Happily, there’s more joy on the Digital Genre Country tracks chart. Carrie’s “Good Girl” remains atop the list for its fourth consecutive week with about 70k downloads and RTD total of over 360k. Rascal Flatts storms the list this week with “Changed” which scanned over 57k units to land in the No. 2 position. Making up the remainder of the Top Ten Nos. 3-10 are: Lee Brice, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Kip Moore, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Toby Keith.

Total country track sales YTD now equals 34.691 million which equates to about 3.47 million additional TEA album units. (TEA=track equivalent albums; 10 tracks =1 album).

As always upcoming album releases can be found here. New and upcoming projects include Casey James (3/20), Lionel Richie (3/27), Rascal Flatts (4/3), Kip Moore (4/27), Carrie Underwood (5/1), Colt Ford (6/5) and Kenny Chesney (6/19).

The Cadillac Black Set Debut Release Date

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Nashville-based trio The Cadillac Black will release its self-titled debut album on Tuesday, April 17 via all major digital retailers. There will also be a small run of physical copies and vinyl available through the band’s website: www.thecadillacblack.com.

The band, who just returned from playing the ASCAP showcase at SXSW, will celebrate the album release with a Nashville show Friday, April 20 at The Basement. Following that, the band is scheduled to hit the road in May supporting Lynyrd Skynyrd on select dates, before spending the rest of the month out with Dierks Bentley and The Eli Young Band.

The Cadillac Black already has songs from the debut album featured in a number of television shows including three songs each on Vampire Diaries and Hart Of Dixie, as well as tracks on CSI Miami, Baseball Wives and House.

The Cadillac Black on tour:
5.4.12- Baltimore, MD supporting Lynyrd Skynyrd
5.5.12- Fredricksburg, VA supporting Lynyrd Skynyrd
5.10.12- Charlottsville, VA supporting Dierks Bentley & Eli Young Band
5.11.12- Corbin, KY supporting Dierks Bentley & Eli Young Band
5.12.12- Little Rock, AR supporting Dierks Bentley & Eli Young Band
5.17.12- Salisbury, MD supporting Dierks Bentley & Eli Young Band
5.18.12- Greensboro, NC supporting Dierks Bentley & Eli Young Band
5.19.12- Portsmith, VA supporting Dierks Bentley & Eli Young Band
5.24.12- Tupelo, MS supporting Dierks Bentley & Eli Young Band
5.26.12- TBD supporting Dierks Bentley & Eli Young Band

Todd Fritsch Releasing New Music

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Todd Fritsch (Photo: Melissa Webb)

Todd Fritsch is returning to country radio after a roping accident on his family’s cattle ranch left him with a crippling leg injury three years ago.

“Calls I Haven’t Made,” produced by Butch Baker, will be released as Fritsch’s new single. The song is from his upcoming full-length project Up Here in the Saddle, due later this Spring.

“It was a long road to recovery,” said Fritsch. “But I had my second surgery this past December and I’m rehabbed and ready to go.” About the new single, he said, “It’s a little bit more of a ‘Nashville sound’ than anything I’ve done before.”

The single is currently available at iTunes.

 

ACM Reveals Off-Camera Award Winners

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Today the Academy of Country Music announced winners of awards to be presented Sept. 24 at the 6th Annual ACM Honors in Nashville. These off-camera categories include Special Awards, Industry Awards, MBI (Musician, Bandleader, Instrumentalist) and Songwriter of the Year.

The ACM Awards will be telecast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1 at 7 p.m. CT on CBS.

Special Awards
Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award—Emmylou Harris, Billy Sherrill, Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakam
Crystal Milestone Award—Kenny Chesney
Career Achievement Award—Vince Gill
Jim Reeves International Award—Alan Jackson
Mae Boren Axton Award—Gayle Holcomb, a longtime executive at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, and ACM board member for 17 years, including five years as ACM chairman. She was instrumental in moving the Awards show to Las Vegas, and launching ACM Lifting Lives.
Poet’s Award—Bobby Braddock and Roger Miller

Songwriter of the Year—Dallas Davidson

Industry Awards
Casino of the Year—Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year—Jimmy Jay, Jayson Promotions, Inc.
Nightclub of the Year—Billy Bob’s Texas, Ft. Worth, TX
Promoter of the Year—Brian O’Connell, Live Nation
Venue of the Year—Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN

MBI (Musicians, Band, Instrumental) Awards
Producer of the Year—Frank Liddell
Audio Engineer of the Year—Justin Niebank
Bass Player of the Year—Michael Rhodes
Percussionist/Drummer of the Year—Shannon Forrest
Guitarist of the Year—Kenny Greenberg
Fiddle Player of the Year – Stuart Duncan
Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year—John Hobbs
Specialty Instruments Player of the Year—Aubrey Haynie
Steel Guitar Player of the Year—Paul Franklin

Methodology: The Academy of Country Music Special Awards are voted on by the ACM Board of Directors and are awarded during years where the Board of Directors feels there are clear and deserving candidates. Industry Awards are voted on by professional members of the Academy. The MBI ballot is voted on by professional members of the Academy classified in the Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist category, and the Producer-Engineer-Studio Manager sub-category (contained within the Affiliated category). The Songwriter of the Year ballot is voted on by professional members of the Academy in the following categories; Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist, Composer, Music Publisher/PRO, Record Company, and the Producer/Engineer/Studio Manager subcategory (contained within the Affiliated category).

“The Voice” Contestant Invited to Join Shelton’s Tour

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Country artist Gwen Sebastian’s journey on NBC’s The Voice has come to an end, but her career has since taken a very exciting turn.

Following her “Battle Round” performance of Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” and elimination on Monday (3/19), Sebastian has been invited to join Voice judge Blake Shelton’s Well Lit & Amplified Tour. Sebastian had been considered one of the season’s frontrunners, and was even named by Entertainment Weekly as a contestant to watch.

“The first time I ever heard Gwen’s voice I knew it was something special,” said Shelton. “She has the rare ability to combine power with passion in her singing abilities. Although our journey together has ended on The Voice, it’s just beginning in real life. I’m so proud every night to share the stage with her on the Well Lit & Amplified Tour. She is a star! We love our Gwen.”

“Never in a million years would I think that this journey would lead me to be on stage with Blake,” added Sebastian. “I am honored he asked me to become a part of his show and a member of his ‘road family.’ Watching him perform is a learning experience in itself. He has a big heart and an infectious laugh. Plus, he’s pretty darn funny!”

Sebastian will also join Shelton for a performance at the 47th Annual ACM Awards, which airs live on CBS Sunday, April 1 at 8 PM/ET.

Upcoming Well Lit & Amplified Tour dates:

March 21 — Rapid City, SD (Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena)
March 22 — Bozeman, MT (Brick Breeden Fieldhouse)
March 23 — Billings, MT (Metra Park)

DISClaimer Single Reviews (3/21/12)

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Chris Young rules — the title tune of his CD and newest single is a potent dose of audio magic.

As thrilling a listening experience as “Neon” is, it has to share the spotlight for ballad beauty with “Marry Me” by Martina McBride and Pat Monahan. And completely on the other side of the country spectrum is the frothing new rocker by Toby Keith, “Beers Ago.” Any of these three could easily be crowned a Disc of the Day. But I’m sticking with the man from Murfreesboro. Someday soon, he’s going to be as big a star as Martina and Toby already are.

Capitol Nashville’s Jon Pardi grabs the DisCovery Award.

ERIC PASLAY/If the Fish Don’t Bite
Writer: Eric Paslay/Dylan Altman; Producer: Daniel Hill & Billy Lynn; Publisher: Cal IV/Five Stone/Music of Cal IV, ASCAP/BMI; EMI (CDX)
—Bright and sunshiny, with plenty of verve and upbeat energy. The lovey-dovey lyric isn’t the deepest thing in the world, but it’s perfect for summertime.

JON PARDI/Missin’ You Crazy
Writer: Jon Pardi/Bart Butler/Monty Holmes; Producer: Bart Butler & Jon Pardi; Publisher: Song Factory/Golden Vault/Bill Butler/EMI April/Funky Merle, BMI/ASCAP; Capitol (CDX) ()
—Righteously rocking. The fiddle and steel solos sizzle, and his vocal has real personality. Promising.

BRIAN MILSON/Country Life
Writer: Jim McCormick/Randy Houser; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Alternator/Bug, BMI; Permian/
Quarterback (www.brianmilson.com)
—We’re poor, but we’re happy making do with what we have. Boring song. Boring production. Colorless singer.

CHRIS YOUNG/Neon
Writer: Shane McAnally/Josh Osborne/Trevor Rosen; Producer: James Stroud; Publisher: Crazy Water/Kobalt/Want a Fresh One Mysuc/Black River/Unfair Entertainment/BIMS, ASCAP; RCA (track) ()
—Drenched with atmosphere and mood. This guy can sell a ballad like nobody’s business. Pair him with something this melodic and add some throbbing production with sensational steel and guitar and it’s hillbilly heaven. An A-plus in every department.

BETH CAYHALL/Boys Eat Your Hearts Out
Writer: Beth Cayhall/Dave Robbins/Lonnie Wilson; Producer: Kent Wells; Publisher: none listed, ASCAP; Go TIme (www.bethcahall.com)
—Tuneless. It might as well be a spoken-word performance.

THE BAND PERRY/Postcard From Paris
Writer: Kimberly Perry/Neil Perry/Reid Perry/Kara DioGuardi/Jeff Cohen; Producer: Nathan Chapman; Publisher: Pearlleather/Famdamily/When I Go to the Moon/Rio Bravo/As You Wish/Art Is the Fodder/Sunshine Terrace/Bug/Arthouse Entertainment, BMI; Republic ()
—It’s a little difficult to follow, but I think the gist of it is that he sweeps her off her feet and wrecks her life. As always, the voices carry the day.

TODD FRITSCH/Calls I Haven’t Made
Writer: Fred Wilhelm/Mike Post; Producer: Butch Baker; Publisher: none listed; Saddle Up (www.toddfritsch.com)
—I’ve liked this guy in the past, and this is his strongest effort yet. In this extremely well constructed story song, he looks back at his life and starts making the phone calls that make up for his shortcomings. Essential listening.

MARTINA McBRIDE & PAT MONAHAN/Marry Me
Writer: Pat Monahan; Producer: Martina McBride & Byron Gallimore; Publisher: EMI April/Blue Lamp/EMI Blackwood/Reptilian/Mayday Malone, ASCAP/BMI; Republic (track)
—Monahan is the lead singer of Train, with whom Martina did a CMT Crossroads episode. He is also one of pop’s coolest vocalists, as this ballad performance abundantly demonstrates. Previously a Train single, this is a gorgeous song that works splendidly as a country duet. Play the heck out of this.

THE WASHERS/Two Left Feet
Writer: Todd Janik; Producer: Billy Jo High & Adam Odon; Publisher: none listed, BMI; W (www.thewashersmusic.com)
—I would have brought the lead vocalist up more in the mix and turned down the band some. But this still has a rambling, rumbling, rumpled, rollicking charm. I bet these guys are a gas in performance.

TOBY KEITH/Beers Ago
Writer: Toby Keith/Bobby Pinson; Producer: Toby Keith; Publisher: Tokeco Tunes/Bobby’s Lyrics Land & Livestock/Do Write, BMI; Show Dog Universal (track)
—Turn it up! This rawks. Toby wails it with drawling bravado and plenty of characteristic wit. Guaranteed grins. Ya gotta love this guy.

RowFile: Tom Luteran

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Big Tom Luteran

“One of the biggest thrills of being a publisher is when you get a great song, and you are so excited you go pitch it immediately,” says Tom Luteran, VP of A&R for EMI Music Publishing Nashville. “I love to call somebody and say ‘you gotta give me three minutes to hear this song.’” That’s what happened a year or two ago with “Honey Bee.” Luteran recalls, “Rusty Gaston [from This Music] called me up and said, ‘we’ve gotta go see Scott Hendricks [at Warner] right now. Scott loved it immediately, and it became a big hit for Blake Shelton. That kind of success opens the door for future pitches.”

“Big Tom,” as the 6’6″ A&R man is known to friends, joined EMI Music a decade ago, but his story starts way before that. He moved to Nashville in 1994, relocating from what he jokingly refers to as “country music hotbed New Jersey.” “I wanted to combine my love of music with the sales experience I gained after college,” he explains. “I just packed up a U-Haul and moved. I didn’t know anybody.”

A temp agency placed him in RCA’s finance department, working with a then-new Paul Barnabee, who has since climbed the ranks to Sony Music Nashville, Sr. VP, Sales & Operations. Barnabee’s New York roots meshed well with Luteran’s New Jersey background, and Luteran managed to drag out his temp job for several months. In the summer of 1995 Luteran scored his first publishing gig. A year later he moved to Zomba Music for a five year run working with songwriters including Mutt Lange and George Teren.

By 2002, Luteran’s reputation as a songman was growing. In the same week he was approached with job offers from both Acuff Rose and EMI. “It was a really, really difficult decision,” he recalls. He joined the team at Acuff Rose, but six months later the company was sold to Sony/ATV and he was out of a job. He says, “Thank God Gary Overton [who was then heading EMI] had a soft spot in his heart for me—maybe because he’s from New Jersey too—because he let me come on board and I’ve been there ever since. I’ve been incredibly lucky to work for two amazing guys—Gary first and Ben Vaughn now—and to be able to learn from them.”

Since joining EMI, Luteran has guided the careers of some of Nashville’s top tunesmiths, including as an early supporter of Jamey Johnson. “I was floored the first time I heard him,” says Luteran. “Pound for pound, he’s one of the most talented guys I’ve ever come across. There are certain songs that you remember the first time you heard them, and ‘In Color’ was one of those. It was an amazing song, and he’s written several songs like that. He also wrote ‘Honky Tonk Badonkadonk’ with Randy Houser and Dallas Davidson. I’ll never forget the look on the face of [Capitol’s] Autumn House the first time I played it for her. I’m grateful she took it to Trace Adkins, it went on to monster success.”

Among the hit writers signed to EMI are Davidson, Rhett Akins, Kelley Lovelace, and the Warren Brothers. Luteran says the office’s motto is “no writer left behind,” and when they get a song they think is ideal for a particular artist, they “attack from all points,” covering the management, producer, and label.

EMI has also had significant pop success in recent years. Country hitmaker Tom Shapiro scored cuts by Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert and Dia Frampton, and the Warrens penned songs for Joss Stone and Hinder.

Luteran attributes theses crossover cuts to Jon Platt, EMI’s President, North America Creative. “He made a conscious decision to make sure that our creative departments in New York, Nashville, L.A. and Miami get together. Our creative retreats have grown from two days to five days, mixing and matching genres. The Nashville writers and L.A. writers get together more often now, and the creative teams in each city know each other much better.”

As for the newer artist/writers signed to EMI, Luteran is excited about Thomas Rhett (BMLG), The Henningsens (Sony), and Drake White (UMG). “There are so few people who to get work in a job they love, and I’m one of them,” Luteran says gratefully. “Everyday I get to discover great songs.”