Grand Ole Opry Member Little Jimmy Dickens Dies

January 2, 2015/by Sherod Robertson

Grand Ole Opry star Little Jimmy Dickens. Photo: Chris Hollo

Grand Ole Opry star Little Jimmy Dickens passed away this afternoon, Friday, January 2, 2015 at a Nashville area hospital at the age of 94. Dickens initially suffered a stroke on Christmas Day, and although he had shown some improvements since being admitted, he died today from cardiac arrest.

He is survived by his wife Mona Dickens, married since 1971, and two daughters, Pamela Detert and Lisa King.

“The Grand Ole Opry did not have a better friend than Little Jimmy Dickens,” shared Pete Fisher, Opry Vice President & General Manager. “He loved the audience and his Opry family, and all of us loved him back. He was a one-of-kind entertainer and a great soul whose spirit will live on for years to come.”

Dickens was the longest running member of the Opry and last performed at the Opry on Dec. 20, 2014. He has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1948, and became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983. His hits include “Country Boy,” “Out Behind The Barn,” “May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose” and others.

In a recent quote, Jimmy expressed his love for the Opry. “I look forward from one weekend to another to get back out on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and try to entertain people who have come from miles and miles and state to state to be entertained with country music. We do our very, very best to give them a good presentation and hope that they enjoy themselves.”

A public visitation has been set for Jan. 7 in Nashville, followed by a celebration of life event at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Jan. 8.

Jack White’s ‘Lazaretto’ Tops Vinyl Sales for 2014

January 2, 2015/by Jessica Nicholson

Jack White

While overall music sales continued to decline in 2014, one bright spot was been the continuing resurgence in vinyl sales, led by Nashville’s own Jack White. In 2014, 9.2 million vinyl albums were sold, marking a 52 percent increase from 2013. The sales numbers also mark the first time vinyl albums surpassed 9 million units in more than 20 years. Vinyl sales accounted for nearly four percent of all album sales in 2014.

White’s Lazaretto album was the best-selling vinyl album in 2014, moving nearly 87,000 units in United States, and garnering worldwide sales of more than 150,000. Those sales numbers also notch Lazaretto as the top-selling vinyl album in any year since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking vinyl sales in 1991.

The multi-talented musician will make a tour stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 28. Country legend Loretta Lynn is also on the bill.

Nashville-based Documentary Highlights Reality of Working Musicians

January 2, 2015/by Troy_Stephenson

The Tennessean will premiere a documentary film focusing on the reality of Nashville’s working musicians on Jan. 27 at the Belcourt Theatre. The premiere will begin at 6 p.m.

The project features the folk-rock band New Dylans and a take on the reality of working musicians in Nashville today. The Tennessean launched a blog series titled Band on the Brink in December 2014 that chronicled the day-to-day working life of the band. The band New Dylans were lauded by various media outlets and radio in the 1980s and 1990s, only to wind up broke and broken up by 1996. After an 18-year hiatus, the band reunited to begin making music in Nashville.

The Belcourt Theatre premiere will be followed by a live performance from the New Dylans, as well as a panel discussion with industry experts Chris Keaton, owner of Keaton Music Ventures; Bart Herbison, executive director of Nashville Songwriters Association International; Mark Montgomery, music and tech entrepreneur; and Charles Alexander, songwriter and entrepreneur. The panel will be moderated by The Tennessean reporter Nate Rau.

“A lot of people come to Nashville expecting to become royalty and then they end up becoming working class musicians. It’s a very ugly business, yet we’re kind of stuck in it, but if you want to do it, you have to play the game. It’s Music City, but it’s Music ‘business’ City,” says Jim Reilley of New Dylans.

Tickets for the event are now on sale on the Belcourt’s website which you can access directly from the project’s official website at tennessean.com/newdylans. Tickets are $15 online and $18 at the door, plus the Belcourt’s preservation fee. Ticket include 2 drink tickets courtesy of Mayday Brewery.

New U.S. DOT Ruling a Welcome Change for Traveling Musicians

January 2, 2015/by Jessica Nicholson

Traveling by plane just got a little easier for some musicians, thanks to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The DOT issued a final rule to implement section 403 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. The rule requires airline carriers to allow passengers to carry on small musical instruments, including violins and guitars. The instruments must be stowed in the overhead bin, under the seat or in a baggage compartment. Airlines cannot charge a fee above a usual carry-on fee for bringing instruments into the cabin.

The new ruling will go into effect at the end of February 2015.

“During the past year, the department has been engaged in dialogue with musicians, as well as representatives of airlines and industry associations, to address the difficulties musicians face when traveling by air with musical instruments,” the Department of Transportation stated. “Several members of various musician organizations described problems that musicians encounter when traveling by air with their musical instruments.”

“At DOT, we know how important instruments are to musicians and are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that they are not damaged while being transported on airlines,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This final rule implements the statute, and it will go a long way towards keeping instruments safe when they fly – from allowing them in the cabin if there’s space for safe stowage, to letting passengers buy a seat for certain large instruments.”

Travel tips were also offered for musicians, including paying for priority boarding to ensure they board the plane before storage space for instruments runs out. “Because the rule does not require that musical instruments be given priority over other carry-on baggage, we encourage passengers traveling with musical instruments to take steps to board before as many other passengers as possible to ensure that space will be available for them,” the DOT said.

Mark Your Calendar – January 2015

January 2, 2015/by Eric T. Parker

Single Add Dates

January 5
Austin Webb/All Country On You/Streamsound
Downday/Stuck On 17/Render

January 6
Reba/Going Out Like That/Nash Icon

January 12
Mickey Guyton/Better Than You Left Me/Capitol Nashville
Frankie Ballard/Young & Crazy/Warner Bros.-WAR
Corey Cox/Wake Up Drunk/Markle Music Group
The Vic Harris Band/Rowdy Ass Cowboy/Airwave
New Black Seven/Fine Wine/SMG Records-Nashville

January 19
Big & Rich/Run Away With You/New Revolution
Davisson Brothers Band/Jesse James/Star Farm Nashville
Chase Likens/Playing It Safe/HMG
Rachele Lynae/Whole Lotta Nothin’/Momentum-in2une
A Thousand Horses/Smoke/Republic Nashville
Chris Dags/Misery/SMG Records-Nashville

January 26
Mo Pitney/Country/Curb Records
Brooklyhn Woods/(When You Love A) Wild Thing/PCG Nashville-Nine North Records
Iron Cowboy/I’m Just A Truck/SMG Records-Nashville

Album Release Dates

January 19
Dr. Ralph Stanley/Ralph Stanley & Friends: Man of Constant Sorrow/Cracker Barrel

January 13
Nate Green/Road Map [EP]/Conway Records-GMV Nashville

January 27
T. Graham Brown/Forever Changed/Mansion-Sony Red

Industry Events

January 7

2015 People’s Choice Awards on CBS
American Idol Season 14 Premiere

January 16-18
6th Annual 30A Songwriters Festival in South Walton County, Fla.

January 20
ACM Second Round Ballot Closes

January 26
Nashville Chapter’s Grammy Nominee party at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel (invitation-only)

Sunset Grill Closes After Nearly 25 Years in Nashville

January 2, 2015/by Eric T. Parker

Sunset Grill Staff. Photo: Facebook

Sunset Grill, a mainstay kitchen in Nashville’s Hillsboro Village, will close its doors today (January 1, 2015) just after celebrating its final New Years Dinner from 6-10pm last night. Just prior to celebrating Sunset Grill’s silver anniversary, Randy Rayburn, who additionally helms Midtown Cafe and Cabana, has decided to shutter his dining facility after seeing declining revenue since 2007, reports the Tennessean.

Previous executive chef and partner Chris Cunningham has moved to helm the kitchen of FLIP Burger after spending nine years with Sunset Grill.

Additional eateries, Boscos and Boca Loca Cantina, have also shuttered in the morphing neighborhood recently.

For property lease or sales, contact Robbins Properties at 615-301-6571.

LifeNotes: Songwriter/Producer Ed Penney Dies

January 2, 2015/by Robert K Oermann

Ed Penney

Veteran Nashville songwriter and producer Ed Penney died peacefully at home on Dec. 29 at age 89.

Penney is best known as the producer and co-writer of 1980’s “Somebody’s Knockin’” by Terri Gibbs. It earned her the 1981 CMA Horizon Award and a Grammy nomination.

Penney also co-wrote and produced the singer’s singles “Ashes to Ashes” (1982) and “Some Days it Rains All Night Long” (1982). In addition, he produced the Gibbs follow-up hits “Rich Man” (1981), “I Wanna Be Around” (1981), “Mis’ry River” (1982) and “Baby I’m Gone” (1983).

Born in Cambridge, MA in 1925, Ed Penney served in the U.S. Marines in the Pacific Theater during World War II. In the 1950s, he became a personality on Boston radio, hosting the popular program “Penney Serenade.” During this period, Variety named him one of the 10 most influential disc jockeys in America.

In 1960, he launched Ed Penney & Associates as a public relations firm representing entertainers, sports figures, music publishers and movie companies.

Ed Penney moved to Nashville in 1971 to pursue his passion for songwriting. During the next two years, his songs were recorded by Jim Ed Brown, Brian Collins, Anne Murray, Barbi Benton and others. Jerry Wallace released Penney’s “The Song Nobody Sings” as a single in 1973.

He had his first songwriting hit when Barbara Mandrell recorded his “That’s What Friends Are For” in 1976. Dottie West released his “That’s All I Wanted to Know” as a single in 1977, and a year later Moe Bandy’s version of “Two Lonely People” became Penney’s first top-10 hit as a writer.

Following his string of successes with Terri Gibbs in the 1980s, Penney retired from music. Even so, his songs continued to be recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis, Lee Greenwood, Judy Lindsey and even rapper DMX.

Burl Ives, Eddy Arnold, Beth Williams, Hank Williams Jr. and Glen Campbell are among the other artists who have recorded his songs. Ed Penney served on the boards of the Recording Academy, the NSAI and The Songwriter Guild.

During his retirement from music, Penney owned and operated Dad’s Old Bookstore in Green Hills. Opened in 1984, this business indulged his interest in rare books and autographs for many years.

He is survived by his wife Patricia and by children Linda Floyd, Edward Penney, Wayne Penney, Diane Penney, Elaine Eskew, Kathleen Penney and Kevin Penney as well as 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Visitation was scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 3 at 9:15 to 10:00 a.m. at Christ the King Church, 3001 Belmont Blvd. Eulogies were set for 10-10:30 a.m., with his celebratory mass at 10:30 a.m. Internment is in Harpeth Hills Memorial Garden, 9090 Highway 100. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.