Loretta Lynn to Celebrate 50th Opry Anniversary

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The legendary Loretta Lynn will celebrate her 50th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry with a star-studded special Opry show on Sept. 25. Artists scheduled to join Lynn for the celebration include her sister, Crystal Gayle, as well as Miranda Lambert (plus the Pistol Annies), Lee Ann Womack, and Trace Adkins.

“There is no one at the Opry, in country music, or on Earth quite like Loretta Lynn,” said Pete Fisher, Grand Ole Opry vice president and general manager. “Her influence as a recording artist and songwriter reaches across musical genres, cultures, and generations. She’s earned her place among America’s musical icons, and we look forward to celebrating 50 years of Opry membership with her next month.”

Lynn joined the Opry family on September 25, 1962. Among her numerous accomplishments are three Grammy Awards, eight CMA Awards (including being the first female Entertainer of the Year in 1972), induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Judd Resumes Touring

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As her husband Cactus Moser continues to recover following his Aug. 18 motorcycle accident, Wynonna Judd has announced she will resume touring with her band tomorrow (8/30).

“We continue to feel loved and supported by the outpouring of messages from people around the world,” said Judd, “Cactus continues to improve every day as he begins his road to rehabilitation. We are looking forward to the day when we will be back together on stage again and I believe we will be stronger than ever. Until then I will be out on the road with the rest of the band while I wait lovingly and patiently for my husband to return to The Big Noise.”

In lieu of flowers, gifts and cards, Moser is asking for family, friends and fans to make a donation in his name to Homes For Our Troops, a non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to helping military personnel who have returned home with serious disabilities. Please visit homesforourtroops.org/cactusmoser to learn more.

For a full list of Judd’s tour dates, click here.

Snapshots (8/29/2012)

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Pictured (L-R): Pete Fisher, Casey James

Columbia Nashville’s Casey James took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry Tuesday night (8/28) and performed several songs including his current single, “Crying On A Suitcase.”

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Pictured (L-R): Brandi Simms, Betsy Walker, Hoge, Steve Moore

Nashville artist and songwriter Will Hoge stopped by the CMA’s offices on Thursday to become an official CMA member. Hoge, along with Eric Paslay, penned the Eli Young Band No. 1 single, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” Hoge is currently planning an EP release of Modern American Protest Music for September 18 and headlining select dates through the end of the year.

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Picture attached of WME with first place trophy.

SOLID’s 2nd Annual kickball tournament took place on August 18 at the Boys and Girls club in South Nashville. SOLID raised over $2,000 and donated 500 pairs of shoes to Soles 4 Souls. WME were the champions, Music Row Misfits took 2nd and SESAC won 3rd.

No. 1 Party: Carrie Underwood’s “Good Girl”

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L–R: (back row) producer Mark Bright, ASCAP's Marc Driskill, Warner/Chappell Music Publishing's Steve Markland, Combustion Music's Chris Farren, Sony Music Nashville's Gary Overton and Lesly Tyson, XIX Entertainment's Ann Edelblute, and EMI Music Publishing's Tom Luteran; (front row) ASCAP's LeAnn Phelan, co-writer Chris DeStefano, Carrie Underwood, co-writer Ashley Gorley, and BMI's Jody Williams.

Carrie Underwood celebrated her 15th no. 1 hit “Good Girl” in Nashville yesterday (8/28) at CMA offices. Underwood co-wrote “Good Girl,” the lead single off her latest album Blown Away, with Chris DeStefano and Ashley Gorley.

The single, which has been spun over 100,000 times, was produced by Mark Bright.

BMI’s Jody Williams, ASCAP’s Leann Phelan, Combustion Music’s Chris Farren, Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson, EMI Music Publishing’s Tom Luteran, Warner/Chappell Music Publishing’s Steve Markland, CRS’s Bill Mayne, CMA’s Brandi Simms, Avenue Bank’s Ron Cox all recognized the songwriting trio during their presentations. Cox also announced a donation would be made to Underwood’s own C.A.T.S foundation in her name and in her co-writers’ names.

“I’m the luckiest guy in the world to get to do what I love and work with amazing people,” said DeStefano, who was celebrating his very first No. 1 hit. Of Underwood he noted, “It’s truly inspiring to be in the room with someone that talented. It brought me up 100 levels in my game.”

Gorley, who also co-wrote Underwood’s “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” kept his thanks short and sweet saying, “This was the ideal writing scenario… It’s the best-sounding cut of a record that I’ve been a part of.” “Good Girl” is his 8th No. 1.

But Underwood set the record straight. “What Ashley really meant to say was I totally crashed their writing session.” She went on to explain that it was kind of a funny story. “I had a rare day off,” she said. “So it was either go shopping or go write with these two. I think I made the right decision.”

Bluebird’s 30th Anniversary Continues With Special Performances

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Kathy Mattea, Shelby Lynne and The Original Women In The Round: Ashley Cleveland, Karen Staley, Pam Tillis and Tricia Walker will continue The Bluebird Café’s 2012 30th Anniversary Celebration with upcoming special performances.

“Our 30th Anniversary week in June was exceptional and yet there is no way a single week could represent 30 years of history,” said Bluebird Café COO Erika Wollam Nichols. “That’s why we’re continuing to celebrate our anniversary all year long. We are thrilled that Kathy, Shelby and the Women In The Round are all a part of these special performances.”

Mattea, who received her first record deal following a Bluebird performance, will play the famed venue September 5 in conjunction with her new Calling Me Home release for Sugar Hill Records.

Shelby Lynne will appear in a solo acoustic performance September 27, featuring songs from her new record Revelation Road. Pre-paid reservations are currently available on the Bluebird website.

The Original Women In The Round represented The Bluebird Café on the Road for a number of years at festivals and in national concerts after first appearing at the café in November 1988. Other incarnations have existed over the last 25 years, but the original Cleveland, Staley, Tillis, and Walker will perform on December 4.

Pre-paid reservations for Mattea and The Original Women in the Round will be available for $20.00 on the Bluebird website at 8:00 am CT, August 29 and November 27, respectively.

Martina McBride, Luke Bryan Line Up TV Appearances

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Robin Roberts and Martina McBride

Martina McBride will appear on ABC’s Good Morning America tomorrow (8/30) to visit her friend and host Robin Roberts before she goes on medical leave. During the 8 a.m. hour, McBride will perform her hit song “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” for Roberts who announced earlier this week that she will be undergoing a bone marrow transplant and treatment for MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome). On the show, McBride will also unveil a new initiative to raise awareness about breast cancer.

“I’m Gonna Love You Through It” instantly became an anthem for cancer survivors and their supporters when it was released in August 2011, and went on to earn a Grammy nomination for McBride. Roberts appeared in the music video alongside other cancer survivors and supporters including Hoda Kotb, Katie Couric and Sheryl Crow. “It meant the world to me when Robin joined me in Nashville for the music video. She is an inspiration to me, my family and my fans. I can’t wait to see her on Thursday to give her a big hug and perform for her. It’s an honor,” said the country singer.

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Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan will head to the Big Apple next week to make appearances on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and Good Morning America on Sept. 5 and 6, respectively. He will perform his latest hit single “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” which he co-wrote for his Platinum-selling album tailgates & tanlines.

Bryan will also be in town promoting the ABC Television Special CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night To Rock, which he co-hosts with Kimberly Perry. The special will air on Mon., Sept. 17, 8:00-11:00 PM ET.

He is currently on the My Kind of Party Tour with Jason Aldean and also headlining his own shows this summer and fall. In October, Bryan will embark on his fourth annual Farm Tour 2012 with eight concerts planned throughout the south, including five in his home state of Georgia.

Bryan recently scored his third consecutive Platinum single with “Drunk On You,” which follows “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” and “I Don’t Want This Night To End.”

Industry Ink (8/29/12)

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As part of its 15th Anniversary celebration, SOLID Nashville will present a conversation with KISS member Gene Simmons and manager Doc McGhee in the Hutton Hotel Ballroom at 8:15 am. Tuesday, September 4. Billboard’s Ray Waddell will moderate the panel, and a light breakfast will be provided for attendees. RSVPs are required to attend. Reserve seats here and make sure to print out tickets after reserving.

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Little Big Town and ConAgra Foods have partnered in support of the company’s Child Hunger Ends Here campaign. LBT is recording an exclusive video of the original song “Here’s Hope” in the style of their web series “Scattered, Smothered, and Covered.” The group’s version will be available on the ConAgra Foods Facebook page in September. More info about the campaign here.

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Jimmy Carter, the only living founder of The Blind Boys of Alabama, will participate in a symposium on Friday (8/30) called “The Influence of Music on the Civil Rights Movement.” The symposium will take place at the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, 5:30-7:30 pm on August 31. The event, hosted by John Seigenthaler, is free and open to the public. Carter will discuss his 70 years in music, and the Blind Boys’ role in the Civil Rights movement during the 1960s.

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IBMA Award-winning group Balsam Range has signed with Class Act Entertainment for booking representation. The North Carolina-based outfit topped bluegrass charts with its “Trains I Missed” in 2011, and its most recent album Papertown was released earlier in 2012. The Class Act roster includes The Boxcars, The HillBenders, Chip Taylor, Bryan Sutton and more.

U.S. Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante Plans Nashville Visit

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Maria Pallante

U.S. Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante will spend two days in Nashville next month, taking meetings and participating in NSAI’s Songposium Week. She is making the trip at the invitation of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).

Pallente is expected to attend NSAI’s “World’s Largest #1 Party” on Mon., Sept. 17 and help present No. 1 Awards to the more than 130 songwriters who penned hits that topped the radio charts in the past 12 months. During her visit she will hold briefings, question-and-answer sessions and meetings with a broad cross-section of the Nashville music industry.

Her itinerary includes a recording session at a studio and a songwriter show at the Bluebird Cafe. She will also speak to students and invited guests at The Copyright Forum, a collaboration between NSAI and Belmont University designed to foster copyright dialogue, debate and solutions.

“Ms. Pallante’s trip to Nashville and Music Row is very important,” said NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison. “Her role is critical as technology companies and copyright industries figure out how creative content is licensed and delivered to consumers in the digital era. And it’s really cool that our songwriters are going to be presented a No. 1 award by the head of the U.S. Copyright Office.”

“We are incredibly excited and honored that Ms. Pallante will be visiting Music Row,” agreed NSAI President, songwriter Lee Thomas Miller. “She will be participating in the week’s activities combining copyright issues with an inside look at Nashville’s music industry.”

Pallante became the 12th Register of Copyrights on June 1, 2011 after serving six months as interim Register. She previously held two senior positions in the U.S. Copyright Office and served eight years as intellectual property counsel and licensing advisor for the Guggenheim Museums.

 

Toby Keith Announces New Album

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Toby Keith will release his new album Hope On The Rocks on Nov. 13. Like his previous recordings, Keith produced Hope On The Rocks and served as its principle songwriter.

The lead single off the upcoming album, “I Like Girls That Drink Beer” was co-written by Keith and collaborator Bobby Pinson. The song is already gaining airplay at country radio and sits at No. 19 on the MusicRow chart. The standard edition of Hope on the Rocks will have 10 tracks, and a deluxe version will have fourteen tracks. A full track listing is forthcoming.

Currently, Keith is still touring on his Live In Overdrive Tour, presented by Ford F-Series. For more information visit tobykeith.com.

Weekly Register: A Lynch Mob

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Once in a while someone challenges the status quo.

They ask “Why?” about something so much a part of the established routine that after reading their question, you realize you never even considered it a choice, it just seemed automatic and above reproach.

So when veteran journalist Ed Christman questioned the practice of scheduling top selling album releases for the fourth quarter in a recent Billboard column, it stopped me in my “tracks.” (Tis The Season?, Ed Christman, Billboard, Aug. 25, 2012.)

Conventional wisdom firmly dictates that a fourth quarter release is an efficient strategy for taking advantage of the holiday sales season. But Christman asks, “As the music industry goes digital…will albums continue to be an important gift item?” The article notes that according to Nielsen Soundscan, the last seven weeks of 2000 saw 181 million albums get scanned. In 2011 the number of scans for that period fell to 69 million units.

Of course, album sales have also been falling year-round, not just during the holidays. So how does one explain the holiday losses? Partially it is due to increased competition from video games, DVDs and other impulse gift items. Gift cards are also possibly contributing to the decrease, since they are often redeemed after the holiday and don’t show up in the holiday sales numbers. And the ongoing, year-round slide in album sales hints that consumers are becoming more interested in buying hit singles than entire albums for many artists. Lastly, there are subscription models like Spotify and Rhapsody that are also helping to shrink download tallies.

“I’m not saying the industry should stop concentrating on the fourth quarter, because my brick-and-mortar merchant friends would get annoyed at me,” says Christman. “Still there’s a good case to be made that, instead of saving everything for the last three months, more thought should be given to spreading big releases throughout the entire year.”

It’s a point worth considering. And in fact country’s sparse superstar release schedule this holiday season may be a reflection that Music City marketers are doing just that.

Swift Track Stays No. 1
Country YTD album sales continue to slowly relinquish the lead established earlier this year as scans ease back a few more points from last week’s 2.2% to 1.8%. The all-genre balance remains fixed at -3.7%.

Country track sales are up 12% YTD (all-genre tracks +6%) thanks to help from Ms. Swift’s “We Are Never Ever…” which was downloaded almost 307k times this week for a two-week total of 930k. Swift’s single rides atop both Country and all-genre chart lists for a second week, forging the current definition of “mainstream.” And assuredly, Swift’s upcoming Oct. 22 album will be a major factor in measuring country album sales for 2012.

With Swift’s album promotion tour about to begin, one can only marvel at how smoothly this talented 22-year-old has weathered her rite of passage from teen to adult. Especially considering the ever-present pop-culture media lens that is constantly focused upon her. (PS: We don’t give romance advice in this column, but perhaps a quick viewing of The Kennedys, the controversial and Emmy-nominated series from Producer Joel Surnow might provide some historical background about the new Cape Cod neighbors.)

Topping Country’s Current album chart this week is Broken Bow newbie Dustin Lynch with impressive week one scans of over 23k. Rounding out the Top 5 are Zac Brown Band (No. 2; 18k), Lionel Richie (No. 3; 15k), Carrie Underwood (No. 4; 15k) and Luke Bryan (No. 5; 14.5k).

Also chart-new this week was Dierks Bentley’s digital EP (No. 12; 8k) and Show Dog’s J.T. Hodges (No. 23; 4k).

Did you know that country artists have sold about 110 million tracks YTD? (Total track sales YTD are 894 million). See all the upcoming country album releases HERE.