Weekly Register: Debuts From Shania Twain, Kelly Clarkson

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Shania-Still-The-One-Live-From-VegasShania Twain Still The One: Live In Vegas, a WalMart exclusive CD/DVD set, debuted with 11K units sold, coming in at No. 2 this week. (She wasn’t able to push UMG labelmate Sam Hunt from his stronghold on the top country spot.)

Twain recently announced her first North American tour in more than 11 years entitled Rock This Country. The 48-date run follows her hit two-year residency in Las Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The tour visits Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on July 31. A presale is going on now at ShaniaTwain.com.

kelly clarksonKelly Clarkson’s Piece By Piece landed at No. 1 on the Top 200 with total activity of 97K, including 83K album sales. The Grammy winner also announced her 2015 tour, which will visit her adopted hometown, Nashville, Sept. 5 at the Bridgestone Arena. Tickets go on sale Saturday (March 14).

Other country debuts include Asleep At The Wheel with 4K, and Average Joes’ Mud In The Club Vol. 1, a remixes album, with 3K.

Top 5 Country Albums
Sam Hunt Montevallo 16K TW, 365K RTD
Shania Twain Still The One… 9K, 11K
Jason Aldean Old Boots, New Dirt 8K, 868K
Florida Georgia Line Anything Goes 6K, 587K
Carrie Underwood Greatest Hits 6K, 301K

The longevity of some of the albums in the top 10 is worth noting. Luke Bryan’s Crash My Party is still selling over 4K units per week, 83 weeks after release, for a RTD total of 2.395 million. Eric Church’s The Outsiders is 56 weeks old and still moving more than 5K per week, for 868K RTD. Miranda Lambert’s Platinum is selling over 4k per week, 40 weeks into its run, with 652K RTD.

Top 5 Country Tracks
Sam Hunt “Take Your Time” 57K TW, 603K RTD
Zac Brown Band “Homegrown” 37K, 260K
Cole Swindell “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey” 26K, 414K
Little Big Town “Girl Crush” 25K, 222K
Blake Shelton ft. Ashley Monroe “Lonely Tonight” 24K, 468K

Top Albums YTD with TEA
Sam Hunt, 237K
Jason Aldean, 160K
Carrie Underwood, 148K
Florida Georgia Line 131K
Luke Bryan 131K

reba and granddaughter river

Clarkson’s family helped spread the word about her new music.

Industry Ink: BMLG’s Scott Borchetta, Warner Music Nashville, ACM, Berklee College of Music

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Scott-Borchetta_0075_FOX_Michael Becker

Scott Borchetta. Photo: Fox’s Michael Becker

Big Machine Label Group’s Borchetta Begins Run on American Idol Tonight

Big Machine Label Group’s President and CEO Scott Borchetta will officially begin his run of appearances on Fox’s American Idol tonight (Wednesday, March 11), as the music competition’s in-house mentor. Borchetta will help guide the show’s contestants throughout the competition each week. The show’s winner will receive a record deal on Big Machine Records.

 

Warner Music Nashville’s Holley Welcomes Son

Jeremy Holley

Jeremy Holley

Warner Music Nashville’s Jeremy Holley and wife Sarah welcomed son Eliah Jude Holley on March 10. He was born at 6:44 p.m. CT, and weighed 7 pounds, 1 oz.

“Glory to God and THANK YOU ALL for your thoughts and prayers. It has been a long journey and we’ve never felt so much joy & gratefulness,” said Holley.

ACM Lifting Lives Partners with The Giving Keys

ACM The Giving KeysACM Lifting Lives has partnered with Los Angeles-based social enterprise The Giving Keys, which produces inspriational jewelry from repurposed keys. Beginning today and running through the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday, April 19, The Giving Keys will donate a portion of all proceeds from products engraved with the word “Power” to ACM Lifting Lives.

“We are excited to partner with such a unique and inspiring organization to help spread the message of ‘Power’ and the mission of ACM Lifting Lives,” said Hannah Martin, ACM Lifting Lives Manager, “We love how The Giving Keys are encouraging and uplifting people worldwide and we are happy to be a part of it.”

For more information on The Giving Keys and to purchase a “POWER” key, visit www.thegivingkeys.com.

Berklee College of Music Students to Present American Master Awards

berklee college logoBerklee College of Music will present its first American Master Awards on Tuesday, March 17, in Nashville to Grand Ole Opry vice president and general manager Pete Fisher; Eddie Bayers, drummer on more than 300 gold and platinum records; and Curb Group CEO Jim Ed Norman, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the college’s Nashville student trip.

The awards will be presented at Opry Studio following a Grand Ole Opry concert by Larry Gatlin, Charlie Worsham, The Willis Clan, Lee Greenwood, and more.

For 30 years, a group of Berklee students have spent their spring break in Nashville to earn an in-depth look at the music industry. The trip has grown to 120 students per year, led by professor of songwriting Pat Pattison, and program director for music technology Stephen Webber.  More than 3,000 students have attended the program since it began.

“When Pat Pattison first let some students follow him to Nashville all those years ago, he had no idea that thousands would eventually follow, hundreds of lives would change, and Berklee and Nashville would never be the same,” said Webber. “When I joined the trip 21 years ago, it was instantly apparent that Berklee in Nashville was the single most incredible educational experience I’d ever witnessed. I’ve felt that way every year since.”

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Announces Dates for Luke Bryan Exhibition

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countrymusichalloffameThe Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore the life and career of Luke Bryan with the summer exhibition ‘Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary,’ which opens May 22 and runs through Nov. 8. The exhibition will examine the singer-songwriter’s roots and rise to stardom. Fans will see stage clothes, instruments, awards, photos, and other unique memorabilia from Bryan’s personal collection.

“I remember bringing my parents to visit the museum and dreaming of something like this one day. Now to have an exhibit about my life that my family, friends, and fans can come and see is just so cool,” said Bryan.

“In one of Luke Bryan’s songs,” said Museum Director Kyle Young, “he says: ‘If you want to know the real me / Just turn the page in my dirt road diary.'” In this exhibition, Luke is an open book, sharing insights into his life and music with museum visitors. He joins Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert in the list of contemporary artists featured in special summer exhibits that look at country music stardom in the twenty-first century.”

Bryan recently released his final spring break album, Spring Break…Checkin’ Out. The Georgia native embarks in May on a new tour, the Kick the Dust Up Tour.

The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, Bryan will co-host the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards with Blake Shelton on April 19.

Artist Pics: Road to Bonnaroo, Point of Grace, Robby Johnson

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BMI Celebrates Road to Bonnaroo Round 2 Winners

Broadcast Music, Inc. celebrates Future Unlimited, the electro-pop band who took the title of winner of Road to Bonnaroo round 2. The Nashville-based band will perform at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, to be held June 11-14, in Manchester, Tenn., joining the winner of round 1, Sol Cat, and the winner of the third show. Another round of competition will be held April 6 at the Mercy Lounge and High Watt venues, giving 10 more bands a chance to compete for a slot at the festival.

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Penny Gattis, Future Unlimited’s Matt McCord, Jim O’Shea and David Miller, The Agency Group’s Justin Bridgewater, Future Unlimited’s Samuel D’Amelio, BMI’s Brooke Ivey, Future Unlimited’s Gabe Pigg, BMI’s Clay Bradley and BMI writer Chancellor Warhol.

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Penny Gattis, Future Unlimited’s Matt McCord, Jim O’Shea and David Miller, The Agency Group’s Justin Bridgewater, Future Unlimited’s Samuel D’Amelio, BMI’s Brooke Ivey, Future Unlimited’s Gabe Pigg, BMI’s Clay Bradley and BMI writer Chancellor Warhol.

 

Point of Grace Perform at Grand Ole Opry

Last Friday, March 6, Word Records Artist and two-time GRAMMY nominees Point of Grace performed at the Grand Ole Opry. With multiple Opry appearances to their credit, they shared music from their forthcoming album, Directions Home (Songs We Love, Songs You Know), which releases April 7, and includes duets with music icons Vince Gill (“Directions Home”) and Ricky Skaggs (“Two Roads”). Skaggs joined Point of Grace on-stage at the Opry for a special performance of their duet, “Two Roads.”

ictured (L-R): Leigh Cappillino; Pete Fisher, Vice President/General Manager Grand Ole Opry; Shelley Breen; Denise Jones. Photo: Stuart Dill

Pictured (L-R): Leigh Cappillino; Pete Fisher, Vice President/General Manager Grand Ole Opry; Shelley Breen; Denise Jones. Photo: Stuart Dill

Singer-songwriter Robby Johnson Returns To The Studio

Country singer/songwriter Robby Johnson isn’t wasting any time as the new year gets under way. Starting 2015 off with the resolution to “find the best country songs out there” for his forthcoming release, he spent the last few weeks meeting with the genre’s top songwriters and working with the award-winning producer James Stroud (Tim McGraw, Shelby Lynne) for his debut album. This month, the Nashville-based artist entered the studio to get new recordings laid down.

Pictured (L-R): engineer Julian King. producer James Stroud, assistant engineer Jake Burns, acoustic guitar player Biff Watson, piano player Steve Nathan, Robby Johnson, bass player Mike Brignardello, electric guitar player Brent Mason, drummer Wes Little, and background vocalist Wes Hightower.

Pictured (L-R): engineer Julian King. producer James Stroud, assistant engineer Jake Burns, acoustic guitar player Biff Watson, piano player Steve Nathan, Robby Johnson, bass player Mike Brignardello, electric guitar player Brent Mason, drummer Wes Little, and background vocalist Wes Hightower.

NMPA To Celebrate Lady Antebellum with Icon Award

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lady antebellum 2015The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) will welcome Lady Antebellum to headline its Spring Songwriter Showcase on March 24. The trio will also be honored with NMPA’s Icon Award for their contributions to the craft of songwriting and advocacy for those in their industry. The event will also recognize the Congressional sponsors of the Songwriter Equity Act, a bill to achieve fairer royalty rates for songwriters.

“It doesn’t get any bigger or any better than Lady Antebellum when it comes to songwriting, singing and caring about the future of creators,” said David Israelite, President and CEO of NMPA. “Hillary, Charles and Dave are all songwriters in their own right, and what’s more, they have not forgotten where they came from and what it took to get where they are. They continue to stand up for creators who struggle to make a living under the streaming regime, and we are thrilled to honor them with our Songwriter Icon Award.”

NMPA’s Spring Songwriter Showcase will take place at 101 Constitution’s rooftop terrace where Brooklyn-based songwriter Grace Weber will open for Lady Antebellum. After a performance, Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood will be presented with NMPA Songwriter Icon Awards and NMPA Gold & Platinum Awards for writing their certified hits including “Bartender,” “Need You Now,” and “I Run to You.” Past recipients of the Icon Award include Jon Bon Jovi and Steven Tyler.

Lady Antebellum recently released their fifth studio album, 747, which follows over 11 million albums sold worldwide, nine trips to No. 1 on the country radio charts and six Platinum singles.

Platinum and Gold Marks For BMLG and Carrie Underwood

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RIAA-Platinum

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has released 54 Digital Single Awards and Six Album Awards, up to February 2015.

Gold & Platinum’s month-end graduation highlights include 3x Platinum for Florida Georgia Line (feat. Luke Bryan)’s “This Is How We Roll,” 5x Platinum for Taylor Swift‘s “Blank Space” and 1x Platinum for Carrie Underwood‘s “Something In The Water.”

Gold graduations include Brantley Gilbert‘s “More Than Miles,” Swift’s “Style,” and Thomas Rhett‘s “Make Me Wanna.”

‘NOW That’s What I Call ACM Awards 50 Years’ Track Listing Released

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unnamedThe final song selections for NOW That’s What I Call ACM Awards 50 Years, the collaboration between the Academy of Country Music and NOW That’s What I Call Music!, are being revealed in anticipation of the album’s release on Tuesday, March 31.

The collection of recordings will celebrate the ACM Awards’ 50-year history and will feature two discs as well as a digital collection of ACM award-winning songs. The first disc will feature recent contemporary hits while the second will include timeless classics.

The 50th Academy of Country Music Awards broadcast LIVE on Sunday, April 19 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS Television Network. All of the Academy’s proceeds from sales of the album will go to ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.

The complete track listing for NOW That’s What I Call ACM Awards 50 Years includes:

DISC ONE (1990-2015)
1. Jason Aldean (with Luke Bryan & Eric Church) “The Only Way I Know” (2012)
2. Lee Brice “I Drive Your Truck” (2012)
3. Luke Bryan “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” (2011)
4. Blake Shelton “Honey Bee” (2011)
5. Taylor Swift “Mean” (2010)
6. Lady Antebellum “Need You Now” (2010)
7. Miranda Lambert “The House That Built Me” (2009)
8. Brad Paisley & Keith Urban “Start A Band” (2008)
9. Reba & Kelly Clarkson “Because of You” (2007)
10. George Strait “Give It Away” (2006)
11. Carrie Underwood “Jesus, Take the Wheel” (2005)
12. Tim McGraw “Live Like You Were Dying” (2004)
13. Kenny Chesney “The Good Stuff” (2002)
14. Lee Ann Womack “I Hope You Dance” (2000)
15. Faith Hill “This Kiss” (1998)
16. Alan Jackson “Chattahoochee” (1993)
17. Brooks & Dunn “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” (1991)

DISC TWO (1965-1989)
1. Clint Black “Better Man” (1989)
2. Hank Williams Jr. “There’s a Tear in My Beer” (1989)
3. Randy Travis “Forever and Ever Amen” (1987)
4. The Highwaymen “Highwayman” (1985)
5. The Judds “Why Not Me” (1984)
6. Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers “Islands in the Stream” (1983)
7. Willie Nelson “Always on My Mind” (1982)
8. Alabama “Love in the First Degree” (1981)
9. The Oak Ridge Boys “Elvira” (1981)
10. David Frizzell & Shelly West “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma” (1980)
11. George Jones “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (1980)
12. Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Bros. “All the Gold in California” (1979)
13. Don Williams “Tulsa Time” (1978)
14. Glen Campbell “Rhinestone Cowboy” (1975)
15. Charlie Rich “Behind Closed Doors” (1973)
16. Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty “Lead Me On” (1971)
17. Merle Haggard “Okie From Muskogee” (1969)

Meghan Trainor To Be Honored During Music Biz 2015 Awards

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Meghan-Trainor

Meghan Trainor

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) will honor pop singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor with the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award at the Music Biz 2015 Awards Luncheon on May 14 at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel in Nashville.

Prior to achieving success with her album Title, and its singles “All About That Bass” and “Lips Are Movin,” Trainor came to Nashville after scoring a publishing deal at the age of 17. While there, she co-wrote tracks for major acts such as Rascal Flatts and Hunter Hayes before breaking through on her own after deciding to record “All About That Bass” herself.

“Many people think Meghan was an overnight success, but she has actually been working in the music business for several years, a lot of that time in Nashville,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “Now, we’re thrilled to recognize her incredible talent in the city where her songwriting kicked into high gear.”

Music Biz 2015 will be held in Nashville for the first time on May 12-14. The event allows the industry’s commerce and content sectors a place to network with trading partners, learn about new trends and products impacting the business, and to network with new companies.

For more information, visit musicbiz2015.com.

Apple To Replace Radios in 40+ Car Models By 2016

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CarPlayWith wheels spinning towards 21st century car radio upgrades, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced yesterday (March 9) CarPlay will arrive in over 40 auto models this year.

Every major automaker is expected to deliver the infotainment center, which would be capable of projecting Apple CarPlay software from an iOS device to a car’s dashboard screen, or a Google-user’s home screen with Android Auto software.

Expectedly, apps potentially hazardous to driving are unavailable. Those available include audio (and streaming services), messages (read out loud), Siri, Apple Maps on iOS (Google Map will reportedly not be compatible with Siri). Aftermarket receivers (g.e. Pioneer and Alpine) are currently on the market to upgrade many current models.

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata is expected to be one of the first models to adopt the technologies, although not available as of yet. In the company’s beta iOS 8.3 release for developers yesterday, CarPlay is said to be the most pronounced upgrade.

Additionally, Apple’s spring reveal included two sizes of Apple Watches (available April 24), an unbundled HBO subscription (exclusive to Apple, available early April), a 12-inch retina display MacBook, and an update for ApplePay (2,500 card-issuing banks now accepting, with a triple in businesses where accepted).

Apple stock peaked yesterday around $129 per share after opening at $127 and closing around $125, where it is currently trading.

MusicRowLife: Songwriter Dallas Davidson, Wife Natalia Welcome Son

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Pictured: Natalia, Dallas and their son Dallas Gerald Davidson, Jr. Courtesy: Davidson family

Pictured: Natalia, Dallas and their son Dallas Gerald Davidson, Jr.
Courtesy: Davidson family

Hit songwriter Dallas Davidson and wife Natalia welcomed their first child, son Dallas Gerald Davidson, Jr., on Wednesday, Feb 25.

Davidson, Jr., weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces.

“I’ve always wanted children,” says Davidson. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted a son. I have the greatest wife – and now mother – and a beautiful healthy boy. This is what life is all about. I feel like I’m floating on clouds right now. I’m as happy as I’ve ever been. God is great. I’m blessed beyond my wildest dreams.”

Davidson has earned numerous chart-topping songs for artists including Lady Antebellum, Lee Brice, Billy Currington, Randy Houser, Luke Bryan, and others.

He married Australian singer-songwriter Natalia Starzynski in 2014. Starzynski also signed with Warner/Chappell Music Nashville in early 2014, and was a member of ASCAP’s GPS Class of 2013, a program intended to develop Nashville’s most promising unsigned writers alongside members of the publishing community.