Weekly Register: Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Justin Bieber Top Country Sales Charts

Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber spend another week atop the top on-demand streaming country songs chart, as “10,000 Hours” brings in 14.8 million streams this week.

Diplo (ft. Morgan Wallen) is at No. 2 with 6.7 million streams of “Heartless.” Maren Morris‘ “The Bones” is at No. 3 with 5.5 million streams. Wallen’s “Whiskey Glasses” is at No. 4 with 5.3 million streams, followed by Luke Combs‘ “Beautiful Crazy” with 5 million streams.

Combs’ debut album This One’s For You remains at No. 1 on the country albums chart, moving 19.6K in total consumption this week, according to Nielsen Soundscan. As reported earlier, the album is now tied with Shania Twain‘s Come On Over for having the most nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.

Cody Jinks debuts at No. 2 with The Wanting moving 14.5K. Dan+Shay‘s self-titled effort is at No. 3 with 12.7K. Wallen’s If I Know Me lands at No. 4 with 11K, while Combs’ The Prequel EP rounds out the Top 5 with 10.7K.

Ashley Gorley Reigns For 13th Week On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

Ashley Gorley remains at the No. 1 spot on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week, for his thirteenth consecutive week. Zach Crowell remains at No. 2, while Laura Veltz moves into the No. 3 spot.

Luke Combs and Josh Osborne move up into No. 4 and No. 5 this week, while Blanco Brown shifts down to No. 7.

The MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity garnered from airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the first songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Luke Bryan Wraps 36th Career Stadium Show, Celebrates New RIAA Certifications

Pictured: Cole Swindell, Jon Langston, Kerri Edwards/KP Entertainment, Luke Bryan, Brad Clark/UMG Nashville and Amanda Good/UMG Nashville.

Luke Bryan recently played his 36th career stadium show at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday (Oct. 25), and was surprised with a plaque signifying that the country superstar has earned more RIAA certified digital singles than any artist in the country format, with 54 million digital singles, 12.5 million albums and seven billion streams.

The Ford Field show concluded Bryan’s “Sunset Repeat Tour,” and featured Cole Swindell, Jon Langston and DJ Rock. More than one million fans have attended Bryan’s concerts this year.
“This year on the road has been one of the best of my career,” Bryan said in a statement. “Having three of my closest friends join me on stage each night will be hard to beat. I am so proud of them and the careers they continue to build. When they surprised me onstage Friday night with that plaque I was blown away.  My fans continue to make this journey more than I could ever imagine. I am so thankful.”

Ian Christian Inks Publishing Deal With Kobalt, Still Working Music

Pictured (L-R): Chuck Fleckenstein (General Manager & COO, SWM), Evyn Mustoe Johnston (Director, ASCAP), Sara Beal (Publishing Director, SWM), Alex Orbison (Co-President, SWM), Emily Olson (Creative Director, SWM), Jesse Willoughby (GM, Kobalt Nashville), Matt Cottingham (Attorney, Ritholz Levy Fields LLP), Kevin Lane (Creative Director, Kobalt)

Songwriter and producer Ian Christian has inked a multi-year publishing deal with Still Working Music and Kobalt.

The Florida native’s love of music initially drew him to Los Angeles, and eventually to Nashville. He took part in ASCAP’s GPS program and has worked as a co-writer and producer for artists including Lauren Alaina, Chris Bandi, Temecula Road, and Lainey Wilson.

“Ian has an easy-going artist-friendly attitude and his attention to lyrics and the song as a whole make him a great producer. He is the perfect fit at Still Working.” said Still Working Music’s Alex Orbison.

Kevin Lane, Creative Director, Kobalt added, “Ian is the kind of writer that you always want to work with. He has a fantastic work ethic and can have a positive effect on all aspects of a song. He is the ideal collaborator and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”

Spotify Reaches 113 Million Subscribers

Spotify’s consumer base continues to grow, as the streaming service reached 113 million premium subscribers by the end of September 2019, the company reported on Monday (Oct. 28) during an earnings conference call.

The company also posted a profit of almost $60 million in the third quarter, which came after the company reduced artist marketing and research and development costs. Revenue rose 28 percent to $1.92 billion for the quarter; subscriptions accounted for $1.73 billion of that total. Operating expenses increased 11 percent.

Spotify is now predicting it will have 120-125 million subscribers by the end of the year, and monthly average users have increased 30 percent over 2018 to 248 million. This is compared to the company’s 96 million premium and 75 million monthly users reported at the end of 2018.

The company’s CEO Daniel Ek also announced the exit of CFO Barry McCarthy; he will be replaced by Paul Vogel, Spotify’s current VP, Financial Planning and Analysis, Treasury and Investor Relations.

Luke Combs Ties Shania Twain’s Country Albums Chart Record

Luke Combs‘ debut album This One’s For You has tied with Shania Twain‘s Come On Over for the album with the longest reign atop the Billboard Country Albums chart, with each album notching 50 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1.

Twain’s Come On Over (Mercury Nashville) was released in 1997 and has since been certified 20x multi-Platinum. The 16-track album featured numerous chart hits including “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!,” “Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You),” “From This Moment On” (ft. Bryan White), “Come On Over,” “You’re Still The One,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Love Gets Me Every Time,” and more.

Combs’ This One’s For You (River House/Columbia Nashville) released in 2017, and has been certified 2x multi-Platinum, driven by five consecutive country radio No. 1 hits, including “Hurricane,” “When It Rains It Pours,” “One Number Away,” “She Got The Best Of Me,” and “Beautiful Crazy.”

This week, Combs’ set moved 20K in total consumption, Nielsen Soundscan reports.

Industry Ink: Don Williams, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Music Row Coat Drive

Sara Evans, Trace Adkins, Tracy Lawrence, Victoria Shaw Added To Don Williams Tribute Show

The Nashville Symphony will pay tribute to Don Williams with the three-day residency Don Williams: Music & Memories of the Gentle Giant, which will run from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Trace Adkins, Tracy Lawrence, Sara Evans and Victoria Shaw have recently been added to the program, which will also include video footage of Williams’ live performances. Attendees will also get to see some of the late country star’s personal artifacts on display, including his 1971 MCI tour bus, as well as the medallion presented to Williams as he entered the Country Music Hall of Fame, and several of his Gold records and some of his most recognizable guitars. For more, visit nashvillesymphony.org.

 

St. Jude Presents: Curated Brings In Over $650K

Pictured: Lily Aldridge, Tyler Hubbard, Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott, St. Jude Patient Corbin, Kings of Leon’s Nathan Followill, Jared Followill and Caleb Followill. Photo: Cameron Premo

A-list music and food collided on Oct. 24 for the inaugural St. Jude Presents: Curated event, which brought together 125 top culinary artists and music artists for a fine dining experience, a live auction and music. This year’s event, held at the home of Kelli and Dave Haywood and emceed by Cassie Kelley, raised more than $650,000.

“It was a privilege to spend last night with friends who so generously supported St. Jude,” said Haywood. “St. Jude is saving lives every single day and their work will significantly impact many generations to come.”

Curated’s five-course menu was created by The 404 Kitchen’s Matt Bolus and Kings of Leon’s Caleb Followill and served under the stars in the Haywood’s tented backyard. Guests were guided through pairings from W. L. Weller, as described by Buffalo Trace Brand Lead, Joshua Steely, who shared a brief history of the bourbon as well as notes for tasting with each course.

“We are very honored to have been apart of St. Jude presents Curated dinner with Matt Bolus, Dave Haywood and so many others,” said Followill. “St. Jude has been an important part of mine and Lily’s lives for many years. To be able to raise money for something so dear to us, surrounded by friends and family over a beautiful meal, is incredibly rewarding.”

 

Music Row Coat Drive To Be Held Nov. 1

Norman De Vasure will hold a Music Row-area coat drive on Friday (Nov. 1) from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Distribution will be through The Nashville Mission and Room at the Inn.

Please make sure coats are in ready-to-wear condition. Those with coats they would like to donate can schedule a pickup at their office/place of business by calling De Vasure at 615-320-7300.

Jammber Unveils Splits Platform With Song Registration, Royalty Tracking

Music payment and workflow management company, Jammber, has announced the release of North America’s first end-to-end royalty management platform, Jammber Splits. Comprised of three main components: tracking the people working on a song and their ownership, automatically registering that song and ownership across North American agencies, and collecting royalties via Jammber Money, Splits is the first and only complete rights management service on the market. The mission of Jammber Splits is to simplify proper credit and faster royalty payments for creators.

Designed specifically with the creator in mind, the Splits app settles ownership percentages and captures all the necessary metadata needed to collect royalties from the conception of the song. Jammber’s Splits is the first to offer built-in song registration, offering writers and publishers the ability to register their songs with their PRO, Sound Exchange, and HFA directly from their phone for just $.50 per song. 

“The song is at the center of the universe of music, and ownership is at the center of the song. It drives recognition, powers payments and royalties and even inspires further creation. When people are creating music together the conversations around ownership are incredibly nuanced. At Jammber we want to continually demonstrate how the psychology of great design can simplify complicated tasks and empower creatives and the entire industry to be more efficient,” explains Jammber CoFounder and CEO Marcus Cobb. “What makes Jammber Splits different is how simple it is to use while also being flexible. Anyone can get started within a few clicks. The idea of writing a song with your friends one moment and registering it to get paid the next moment from the palm of your hand was thought to be impossible until now.”

For more, visit jammber.com.

Jordan Davis Heads To Trouble Town On 2020 Tour

Jordan Davis will kick off his headlining Trouble Town Tour in Milwaukee on Jan. 10. The tour will visit 20 cities including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Denver, with more dates to be announced soon. Kassi Ashton and Hailey Whitters will join Davis on the trek.

Fans can purchase tickets for shows beginning this Friday, (Nov. 1) at jordandavisofficial.com, with exclusive early access tickets available to The Parish fan club members starting Oct. 29.

David just released his new song, “Trouble Town,” which follows “Slow Dance In A Parking Lot,” and his back-to-back No. 1, Platinum-certified hits “Singles You Up” and “Take It From Me.” Davis’ debut album, Home State, has earned nearly 1 billion streams.

“I’m really excited to get back on the road and in front of my amazing fans,” says Davis. “Kassi is just a true artist in every sense of the word and Hailey is an extremely talented songwriter, I’m glad the rest of the world is getting to know both of them. Not only are they incredible songwriters, singers and artists but they are even better people and I’m honored to have them out with me.”

TROUBLE TOWN TOUR Dates:
Jan. 10 Milwaukee, WI The Rave*
Jan. 11 Rosemont, IL Joe’s Live*
Jan. 16 Springfield, IL Boondocks*
Jan. 17 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater*
Jan. 25 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre**
Jan. 30 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theater*
Jan. 31 Charlotte, NC Coyote Joe’s*
Feb. 1 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre*
Feb. 6 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s*
Feb. 7 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre*
Feb. 20 Council Bluffs, IA Whiskey Roadhouse**
Feb. 21 Denver, CO Grizzly Rose**
Feb. 22 Denver, CO Grizzly Rose**
Feb. 27 Boise, ID Knitting Factory+
Feb. 28 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory+
Feb. 29 Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre**
Mar. 5 Sacramento, CA Ace of Spades+
Mar. 6 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre**
Mar. 19 New York, NY Webster Hall**
Mar. 20 Verona, NY Turning Stone Resort Casino**
Mar. 21 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live**

*Featuring Kassi Ashton
**Featuring Hailey Whitters
+Show Opener TBD

“Old Flames” Singer Joe Sun Passes

Joe Sun. Photo: joesunmusic.com

Joe Sun, the baritone honky-tonk singer best known for originating the country classic “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You,” has died at age 76.

Sun also introduced “What I Had With You,” which later became a big hit for John Conlee. He cowrote “I Came on Business for the King,” a signature song for gospel music’s The Hemphills.

Between 1978 and 1985, Joe Sun placed 15 titles on the country charts. He enjoyed particular popularity with European audiences.

The singer-songwriter was born James Joseph Paulson in 1943 in Rochester, Minnesota. He began dabbling in music while in high school, and this is when he first encountered fellow Minnesotan Robert Zimmerman, later to gain fame as Bob Dylan.

Sun served in the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam, then tried his luck in Los Angeles. He had his first public performance and recording session there in 1966.

He returned to Minnesota to study radio broadcasting in Minneapolis. His first on-air job was in 1967 at a rock station in Key West, Florida, followed by a stint as a country DJ in Madison, Wisconsin.

While working in radio, he also began performing in nightclubs. During a stint singing in Chicago as “Jack Daniels,” he met a recording-studio manager named Brien Fisher.

Joe Sun had his first Nashville recording session in 1972. It led nowhere. Still determined to break into country music, he moved to Nashville in the fall of 1975. He initially worked as a cartoonist, and some of his drawings were published in The Tennessean. He then took a job as a record-promotion man for Hi Records.

Meanwhile, Brien Fisher had hooked up with the Chicago-based label Ovation Records. He had also moved to Music City and had signed The Kendalls to the company. The father-daughter duo (Royce and Jeannie Kendall) became Fisher’s production clients.

Brien Fisher offered Joe Sun a job in record promotion at Ovation. He knew that Sun’s ultimate ambition was to make records, himself. To compensate for the drop in salary in moving from Hi to Ovation, Fisher promised Sun that if he promoted The Kendalls onto the charts, Fisher would give him a shot as an artist.

In 1977, Sun turned The Kendalls’ “Heaven’s Just a Sin Away” into a multi-awarded, smash hit. True to his word, Fisher placed Sun on Ovation Records.

The singer’s first single was 1978’s “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You.” It became his biggest hit and was soon recorded by others. Dolly Parton turned it into a No. 1 country smash in 1980.

“Old Flames” has also been recorded by Merle Haggard, Mark Birchfield, Norma Jean, Jim Paul Blair, The Osborne Brothers and Katy Moffatt, the sister of the tune’s co-writer, Hugh Moffatt. In addition, it has been recorded by pop star Kesha, who is the daughter of Hugh’s co-writer Pebe Siebert.

Joe Sun followed that hit with another top-20 country success, “High and Dry.” Billboard named him its Best New Male Country Vocalist of 1978.

In 1979, Sun charted with “On Business for the King,” “Blue Ribbon Blues” and “I’d Rather Go on Hurtin.’” Fisher produced all of them, as well as Sun’s debut albums Old Flames and Out of Your Mind. The latter featured liner notes by Johnny Cash, who proclaimed Joe Sun, “the greatest new talent I’ve heard in 20 years.”

For 1980’s Livin’ on Honky Tonk Time,” Sun was given the unusual latitude of recording with his band, Shotgun. This move associated him with country’s “outlaw” artists. Shotgun included such future notables as Ray Flacke and Neil Flanz.

This album showcased Sun’s flowering as a songwriter with “Bottom Line,” “We’re All a Bunch of Outlaws in Our Mind” and its biggest hit, “Bombed, Boozed and Busted.” It also included covers of tunes by Dylan (“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”), Hank Williams (“My Sweet Love Ain’t Around”), Delbert McClinton (“Hobo On a Freight Train to Heaven”) and Allen Reynolds (“Ready for the Times to Get Better”).

Sun toured with a wide variety of country and rock notables during this period, including Leon Russell, J.J. Cale, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He also recorded national radio ad spots for Budweiser beer and Timberline boots.

After charting with the 1980-81 singles “Out of Your Mind,” “What I Had with You” (a duet with Sheila Andrews) and “Shotgun Rider,” Sun departed Ovation for the larger Elektra Records.

Retaining Fisher as his producer, Joe Sun debuted on his new label with 1982’s I Ain’t Honky Tonkin’ No More. His charting Elektra singles were “Holed Up in Some Honky Tonk,” “You Make Me Want to Sing” and a remake of the classic “Fraulein.” Elektra also issued The Best of Joe Sun.

He next moved to AMI Records and charted with his co-written “Bad for Me” in 1984 and with Pebe Siebert’s “Why Would I Want to Forget” in 1985.

Joe Sun next landed an acting role in the acclaimed 1985 film Marie, starring Sissy Spacek, Jeff Daniels and Fred Thompson in a true story of Tennessee political corruption.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Sun toured extensively overseas, becoming particularly popular in Sweden, France and Austria. He starred in his own special on German television in 1989. He also recorded for several European labels.

He re-surfaced on disc with the 1986 CD The Sun Never Sets.

Other CDs ensued, including Twilight Zone (1988), Hank and Bogart Still Live (1989), Out on the Road (1991), Dixie and Me (1992), Some Old Memories (1993) and Diamonds in the Dust (2017).

His self-produced 1998 U.S. release Heartbreak Saloon drew particular notice. It featured 11 of his original compositions alongside the standards “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down,” “The House of the Rising Sun,” “Johnny B. Goode” and Dylan’s “Forever Young.”

Joe Sun had been living in recent years in Merritt Island, Florida. He died of natural causes on Friday, Oct. 25, in nearby Palm Bay, Florida.