Pictured (L-R): BMI songwriter Tommy Lee James, ASCAP songwriter Brent Anderson, BMI songwriter Wade Kirby, ASCAP songwriter Ryan Hurd, producer Scott Hendrix, BMI songwriters Phil O’Donnell and Andrew Dorff and ASCAP songwriter Mark Irwin. (Front Row) ASCAP songwriter Josh Osborne, BMI affiliate Blake Shelton, ASCAP songwriters JT Harding and Josh Kear.
BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 508
All hail the majesty of Blake Shelton.
Which is to say, “Blake Shelton Week” in Nashville concluded with a humongous celebration of his five most recent No. 1 hits. BMI and ASCAP combined forces to laud the 11 songwriters who penned those tunes at a Thursday afternoon whoop-dee-do at Losers on Division Street (Sept. 24).
“It’s just another week for Blake Shelton,” said BMI”s Bradley Collins. “He throws a street party and 10,000 people show up,” which referred to Wednesday’s phenomenal event on Music Row (Sept. 23). Then there was the star’s fifth-anniversary celebration as an Opry member on Tuesday (Sept. 22).
“Welcome to the five-headed No. 1 party,” Collins added to greet us at this latest of the three Blake bashes.
“Thank y’all for being here at the world’s LONGEST No. 1 party,” said Blake when all the speeches were said and done.
He was so gracious, standing and smiling for an hour and a half while the writers and their many publishers accepted accolades and spoke. He even shouted greetings to the pedal-tavern folks ambling by outside the bar.
BMI’s Collins, Leslie Roberts and David Preston tag-team hosted with ASCAP”s Michael Martin, Mike Sistad and Beth Brinker. The five honored chart-topping Blake hits were “Doing What She Likes,” “My Eyes,” “Neon Light,” “Lonely Tonight” and “Sangria.”
Before the presentations started, Blake posed for LOADS of snapshots with folks. Hiding behind Wes Vause, the Today Show’s Hoda Kotb crept up and popped out to surprise the megastar.
“I’m single now!” Blake exclaimed, grabbing her and planting a kiss. She took a selfie with him.
Collins told the crowd that the five songs being honored had spent 200 weeks on the charts collectively. Wow. He first brought up Wade Kirby and Phil O’Donnell for “Doing What She likes.” This is Kirby’s second No. 1 and O’Donnell’s third.
Kirby recalled that the song was written during a deer hunt. In fact, the song so consumed them (plus it was raining) that no deer were ever harmed.
Pictured: (L-R): (Back Row) BMI’s Bradley Collins, Round Hill’s Mark Brown, WMG’s John Esposito, producer Scott Hendricks, HoriPro’s Courtney Crist, Lee Krabel and Butch Baker. (Front Row, L-R): BMI songwriter Wade Kirby, BMI affiliate Blake Shelton and BMI songwriter Phil O’Donnell.
Next up, Roberts brought on Andrew Dorff, Josh Osborne and Tommy Lee James, the team behind “My Eyes.” Thanks to Kenny Chesney’s chart-topping “Save It for a Rainy Day” this week, Dorff now has four No. 1’s. James has seven of them. ASCAP’s Martin brought on Osborne, who has eight.
Dorff signed with BMI when he was just 12 years old. His father is L.A. songwriting star Steve Dorff.
“He has 12 No 1’s, so I have eight to do to catch up.” said Andrew. The songwriter has three Labrador dogs. “I gotta pay for dog food, so this is important,” he quipped.
James said, “This is a really hard song to sing. There’s no place to breathe in it. But you [Blake] made it sound effortless.”
Preston kept Dorff on stage and added Josh Kear and Mark Irwin for “Neon Light.” “You guys know it’s ‘Blake Shelton Week,’ right?” said Preston. “Well, today is ‘Andrew Dorff Day,’” because of Dorff having two No. 1 hits to celebrate.
Sistad introduced Kear and Irwin. This marked Kear’s 11th No. 1 hit, and he was ASCAP country songwriter of the year in 2013.
“Here’s to one-chord songs,” said Kear of “Neon Light.” “It’s great to hear them on the radio.”
Dorff added that the song was written with Blake in mind: “Thank you for taking my career to the next level. And I want to thank the city of Nashville.”
ASCAP’s Brinker took over to introduce Ryan Hurd and Brent Anderson for “Lonely Tonight.” Both songwriters were celebrating their first No. 1 hit.
Pictured: (L-R): (Back Row) Branden Bosler (Promotion Coordinator), Chad Schultz (Nat’l Dir. Radio & Interactive Mktg), Mallory Opheim (Regional Promotion Manager), Blake Shelton. (Middle Row) Lou Ramirez (Regional Promotion Manager), Mark Niederhauser (Regional Promotion Manager), Kristen Williams (VP Promotion), Rick Young (Regional Promotion Manager), Kevin Herring (SVP, Promotion). (Front Row) Katie Bright (Director, National Promotion), John Esposito (President & CEO, WMN)
“This is the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me,” said Anderson. “Now I want another one,” said Hurd, who is a Belmont graduate and looks like a Sunday-school picture of The Good Shepherd. I am told he is an aspiring recording artist.
J.T. Harding, Josh Osborne and Trevor Rosin are the co-writers of “Sangria.” Rosin is on the road becoming a star with Old Dominion (“Break Up With Him”), so he wasn’t there.
Because of his double chart toppers, we were informed that it was also “Josh Osborne Day.”
But the ebullient Harding stole the show. “On the count of ‘3,’ let me hear you say, ‘Blake Shelton for President!’” he exclaimed to the crowd. So we did.
“Everything I say is gonna wind up in a tabloid, so it doesn’t matter what I say,” said Blake. Last week, the scandal sheets said he was hooking up with his fellow judge on The Voice, Gwen Stefani. This week, they screamed that he would die if he didn’t go to rehab.
For the record, he seems lean, trim and wonderfully fit. Not to mention enduringly charming.
He pointed out that Gwen Sebastian was his vocal foil on “My Eyes” and that Ashley Monroe was with him on “Lonely Tonight.” He added, “Thank you, songwriters, for giving me the chance to sing your songs.”
“Blake, this means so much to these songwriters that you’re here,” said Sistad. “So thank you for making the time for this.”
The CMA’s Brandi Simms presented medallions to all of the honored songwriters. Ron Cox of Avenue Bank announced that his company will make donations on behalf of all the songwriters to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Needless to say, publishers were there in abundance. Kent Earls, Butch Baker, Mark Brown, Travis Gordon, Dave Pakula, Mike Owens, Kos Weaver and Robin Palmer were among them.
We sweltered on the outdoor deck of Losers. It was an unseasonably warm 89 degrees. Even the ever-affable Blake complained about the lack of air conditioning.
But persevering were Ron Huntsman, Pete Fisher, Brandon Blackstock, Narvel Blackstock, Frank Rogers, Heather Byrd, Cindy Watts, Mike Vaden, Hank Adam Locklin, Preshias Harris and, natch, Scott Hendricks and Music Row personality-plus John Esposito.
Frankly, I felt exhausted. I bet Blake did, too. But a grand time was had by all.
Blake Shelton celebrates at yesterday’s No. 1 party.
Alabama’s first studio album in fourteen years, Southern Drawl, debuted with 21K units sold, landing at No. 2 on the country album chart. Following at No. 3 and 4, respectively, are debuts from Turnpike Troubadours (19K) and Home Free (9.7K).
