Weblinks: Swift Set For Record Breaking Debut

• Sales predictions for Taylor Swift’s new single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” have been raised to 600k-plus. According to Billboard, when Nielsen SoundScan stats are released tomorrow (8/22), here are some digital sales records she is looking to beat:

—Most downloads in a single week, and most debut week downloads: Flo Rida, “Right Round,” 636k
—Most downloads by a female in a single week, and second most overall downloads: Ke$ha, “TiK ToK,” 610k
—Best female debut week: Lady Gaga, “Born This Way,” 448k

• Grimey’s co-owner Doyle Davis confirmed to the Nashville Scene that the record store is expanding with the opening of a second location on Eighth Ave. Grimey’s Too will feature a coffee bar, bookstore, and more records.

• Construction of a new premium seating offering is underway at the Bridgestone Arena, reports the Nashville Post. The 501 Club will offer 80- 90 seats available for annual purchase for $15,000- $17,000 each. Previously, suite holders had to lease the entire suite for the year. Other improvements at the arena include a $6 million HVAC upgrade of chilling and dehumidifying systems, because these conditions are closely regulated for hockey games.

Marcus Hummon’s Pilgrimage—Part 3

MusicRow is excited to share three essays from renowned songwriter Marcus Hummon, which are part of his larger collection, Letters to a Young Songwriter. Hummon’s best known hits include Sara Evans’ “Born to Fly,” Tim McGraw’s “One of These Days,” and Dixie Chicks’ “Ready to Run” and “Cowboy Take Me Away.” Hummon and co-writers Bobby Boyd and Jeff Hanna won a 2005 Grammy for Best Country Song for Rascal Flatts’ “Bless The Broken Road.”

by Marcus Hummon

The life of the songwriter is filled with a steady diet of near misses and outright rejection. There’s really no gentle way to put this. I remember when I first headed off to Los Angeles the summer after I graduated from college, I can still see my mother crying as I packed my bags. “You’ve picked a hard life for yourself,” she said. I remember thinking, “poor woman, look how needlessly emotional she is…I’ll be famous in a matter of months!” The reality is that my first major label recording deal was a decade away.

Still, if being persistent, thick-skinned and optimistic to the point of delusional is the currency of the songwriter; then, the pay-off is measured in joy. I am speaking of joy in the work itself, joy in the freedom from the grind of a 9-to-5, joy in the small victories…and, certainly, mardi-gras-like-high-fiving-knee-slapping-joy in the rare case of an outright break!

My first break seemed to drop out of the blue in the shape of an anonymous phone call. I was a few years into my Nashville journey. The call came around Christmas time. It was before my wife and I had kids, meaning we were busy doing whatever the hell we felt like…I was playing the piano on one end of the little shotgun house, and she was busy at the other end of the house. Our phone rang.

“Can you get it honey, I’m kind of closing in on a song here!”
“I’m busy too!”

This was back in the days of answering machines, so the phone clicked, answered, and a voice began to record.
 “Hi, this is Wynonna Judd calling from Los Angeles and your publisher just played me the most beautiful song…” We both ran to the phone and stopped short, exchanging furtive glances as the voice identified as “Wynonna” continued on.

“Pick it up Becca!”
“You pick it up!”
“I’m not going to pick it up.”

Wy went on to comment that she loved this particular song, and was surprised to be in LA listening to the work of a Nashville songwriter, and she hoped we could meet and she could hear more of my music…and then, “sorry you’re not home, and God bless!” 
CLICK.

It was a terrible sound, that…”click!” It was the sound of my lucky break slipping through my fingers and shattering beneath me on the floor. It was the sound of a door slamming on my career! 
So I decided to go to the office of MCA Records, Wynonna’s label at the time, and sit in the waiting room every day until she finally happened to walk in. Then, I would remind her of the phone call, and her love of my song, and her interest in my catalogue, and I would become Jimmy Webb to her Glen Campbell, and supply her with a steady stream of hit songs!

Actually, I just hoped that the nice lady at the MCA Records front desk would take pity on me and not have me forcibly removed from the premises.

Murphy’s Law prevails in the music business, but every now and then, the universe makes an exception. Just for an instant, a door opens somewhere and you have to be ready to walk through it.

On Day Two of my vigil, Wynonna did indeed walk into the offices of MCA Records, and I introduced myself. She remembered me, and the phone call and the song, and was as good as her word cutting “Only Love” on her second solo LP, Tell Me Why. Superstar producer Tony Brown even invited me to play the acoustic guitar on the track alongside the brilliant Don Potter. Surfing a wave of serendipity, “Only Love” (written with Roger Murrah) went on to become a single, go No. 1 on the R & R chart, feature a seductive video where Wynonna kissed her on-screen Latin lover, and receive a Grammy nomination.

The day it went No. 1, I remember that it was raining and I was cutting a demo session on the Row. When I got word of the song’s hitting the top of the chart I calmly excused myself, and stepped outside the studio, and then just started running…nowhere in particular. I was running for the pure joy of it.

I found a pay phone and called my Mom and Dad. Soaked to the bone I gave them my good news and I remember my Dad saying something like, “well, no one can ever take it away from you.” (It had never occurred to me that someone would take it away from me) I was lost in the pleasure of the moment…of beating the odds…of hearing above the chorus of “no’s,” one glorious, soaring “yes!”

Since that day, 20 years ago, there have been only a few moments of comparable professional joy, but there have been chapters filled with close calls and disappointments. Still, I have not forgotten the magic of that first breakthrough.

I am still celebrating.

Industry Ink (8/21/12)

90 Church: The True Story of the Narcotics Squad From Hell, an upcoming true crime book written by Special Promotions, Inc. President Dean Unkefer, will soon be produced for film. Deadline.com reports that Universal Pictures has acquired the book, which is due to be published in 2013. The book title refers to the address of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in New York City in the mid-‘60s, which fought drug cartels and employed brutal tactics to get results. Roth Films will produce and has retained Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) to direct the feature. Unkefer is a longtime Music Row executive who is the executive producer of the Texaco Country Showdown.

• • • •

Capitol Records has signed singer/songwriter duo Brothers Osborne to a recording agreement. The duo is made up of brothers TJ and John Osborne, who are currently recording their debut album.

(L-R) Sitting: Chip Petree (Chip Petree Law), TJ Osborne, John Osborne, Tom Becci (COO Capitol Records Nashville). Standing: Steve Hodges (SVP Promotion, Capitol Records Nashville), Autumn House (VP A&R, Capitol Records Nashville) Kelly King (King Pen Music Publishing), Cindy Mabe (SVP Marketing, Capitol Records Nashville), Richard Green (EMI Executive Vice President and General Counsel)

• • • •

Nominations for the 2013 class of the Country Radio Hall of Fame are open, with the September 7 deadline quickly approaching. Categories include On-Air Personality, and Radio. Nominations can be considered here and include air-checks, clippings, and other relevant materials. The 2013 Country Radio Hall of Fame Dinner and induction ceremony will take place Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the Nashville Convention Center.

• • • •

Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) and digital marketing platform Jamplify have announced a panel for independent musicians on August 28, 6-7:30 at the Entrepreneur Center. Panelists include Erin Anderson, Manager, Olivia Management; Daniel Bateman, Noble Sidekick Digital Agency; and Michelle Kraker, Social Media Strategist. Jamplify Chief Marketing Officer Moses Soyoola will moderate. Find out more and register here.

• • • •

Janice Bane

The Barbershop Harmony Society, an international music organization based in Nashville, has hired music industry veteran Janice Bane as its new Library & Licensing Manager. Bane previously served at Conexion Media Group, Inc. Reach her at jbane@barbershop.org or 615-673-4127.

Rascal Flatts to Launch Restaurant

Rascal Flatts is getting into the restaurant business. Rascal Flatts Restaurant Group formed by Philip Lama, CEO and Eric Soe, President has partnered with Rascal Flatts to create and develop themed restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada. The first location is being developed in Phoenix, AZ. Lama, CEO of Broken Road Productions, is the exclusive licensee.

The 14,000 square foot Phoenix restaurant will feature great food at attractive price points, live nationally recognized entertainment, a state-of-the-art sound stage, an elevated bar, indoor/outdoor bar and retail space.

Lama, a New York native who has served as the CFO for another country restaurant chain and as CEO of Mastro Capital Partners. He previously developed and financed several restaurants and partnered with Soe, opening PJ’s Grill in Tempe, AZ. Soe has served as a top executive for both domestic and international Fortune 500 companies including MCI WorldCom.

Currently, Rascal Flatts is on its summer Changed Tour with Little Big Town, and Big Machine Label Group labelmates Eli Young Band and Edens Edge.

For more on Rascal Flatts Restaurant Group visit rascalflattsrg.com.

Phil Vassar To Entertain at Titans Home Games

Pictured (L-R): Don MacLachlan (EVP Titans); Phil Vassar; Tracy Holliday (Titans Event Coordinator)

Phil Vassar will team up with The Tennessee Titans to entertain fans on the new Titans Party Stage at LP Field for every home game this season.

This offseason the Titans made upgrades to LP Field, including the addition of the Party Stage, where Vassar and his band will perform prior to kickoff during selected breaks and during half-time. The stage will be located under the new video board in the north end zone.

In addition, Vassar will tap into Nashville’s music pool, inviting artists from rock, pop and other genres to join him onstage.

“We have one of the best talent pools in the world to bring up special guests,” said Vassar. “We’re going to throw out a great selection of different music at every game. They have a killer new sound system at LP Field, and we’re gonna ‘turn it up’!”

“We really wanted to improve the fan’s experience at LP Field and tried to set Nashville apart from any other NFL venue,” said Tracy Holliday, Titans Event Coordinator. “The obvious choice was music, so we added the stage to give Titans fans an even more enjoyable atmosphere on game days.”

Grammy Nominations Concert Coming To Nashville

The GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night® will be held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wed., Dec. 5, marking the first time the event has taken place outside of Los Angeles. The show, which will air live on CBS at 10 p.m. ET/PT and 9 p.m. CT, officially kicks off GRAMMY season by revealing nominations in several categories along with performances by past winners and/or nominees.

Details regarding presenters and performers for The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! will be announced in the coming weeks. Additionally, public ticket sales information will be released soon.

The 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be presented live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sun., Feb. 10, 2013, and broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

“We are excited for the opportunity to bring The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Special Live!! to Nashville this year as we recognize our nominees for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards®,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. “Nashville’s rich musical and cultural history is so important and vital to our industry, and indeed to the world — a fact The Academy has recognized for decades by locating one of our most thriving and active Chapters there. We look forward to celebrating the year in music in such a passionate, vibrant, and flourishing city.”

“Having The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! in Music City is a perfect fit,” said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. “This announcement further validates that Nashville is a destination on the rise, and our rich musical heritage has once again put us on the national stage. This is tremendous news for Nashville, and we look forward to working with The Recording Academy to ensure the show’s success.”

This concert special marks the fifth time nominations for the annual GRAMMY Awards will be announced live on primetime television. Last year’s airing of the nominations special helped lead to increased ratings for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards which attracted 39.9 million viewers, the largest audience since 1984 and the second largest in history. The telecast was also the biggest social event in the history of television, drawing 13 million social media comments with the conversation on Twitter reaching a record high at 160,341 tweets per minute during the live telecast. Additionally, the 54th GRAMMY Awards telecast has received six Emmy® nominations, including the Outstanding Special Class Programs category.

The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night is produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC. Ken Ehrlich is the executive producer.

[UPDATED] Wynonna’s Husband Cactus Moser Loses Leg From Accident

UPDATED: Aug. 21, 2012

According to a statement released yesterday (Mon. 8/20), Michael Scott “Cactus” Moser, husband of Wynonna Judd, has lost his leg due to a motorcycle accident he had on Saturday (8/18). Moser’s left leg was severed at the scene of the accident and doctors in Rapid City, SD amputated the leg above the knee. He has also undergone surgery to his hand.

Judd has postponed her scheduled concerts in Canada this week due to the serious motorcycle accident involving her husband and drummer.

Moser and Judd went for a ride together on separate bikes before her scheduled concert in Deadwood, SD on Saturday. Moser collided with an oncoming vehicle and was transported to a local hospital. He is being treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries. Wynonna was not involved in the accident.

“The outpouring of prayer and support from friends, family and fans has been a blessing to both Cactus and I. Cactus is a champion. I love him deeply and I will not leave his side,” said Wynonna.

Judd and Moser extend their appreciation to all of the quick medical and police responders as well as the hospital staff and well- wishers from family, friends and fans.

Wynonna married Moser on June 10, 2012 during a ceremony at her Leiper’s Fork farm.

Kyle Frederick Signs with Vandermont Music Group

Indie rock writer/producer Kyle Frederick has signed a publishing and production agreement with Doug Howard’s Vandermont Music Group. The agreement includes SoulJob, Frederick’s upcoming album project with Nashville-based rockers BoomTemple. In addition to BoomTemple members Frederick and Tony Lindsey, the album features musical contributions from many of their fellow Kentucky-born contemporaries, including Sam Bush, Chris Carmichael, Byron House, Bill Lloyd, Greg Martin, Jonell Mosser and more.

“Kyle uniquely fills an extremely important space in our overall creative mission,” said Howard. “His music is borderless and we look forward to sharing it with the world.”

SoulJob is currently being mixed in Nashville by Rob Feaster and is slated for digital and limited CD release this fall.

Dierks Bentley Sells Out Red Rocks

Dierks Bentley performed for a sold out crowd of over 9,450 country fans last Thursday night (8/16) at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO. The naturally formed amphitheater is known for its perfect acoustics and has hosted some of music’s biggest names including The Beatles and U2.

“Red Rocks is right there at the top of every artist’s bucket list to play,” said Bentley. “It’s crazy to be able to perform there again and this time with a wild, sold out crowd…can’t wait to go back!”

Bentley continues on the road this weekend before kicking off his Country & Cold Cans: Back to College Tour today (8/20) at The University of Georgia. Tuesday (8/21), Bentley will celebrate the release of his four-song Country & Cold Cans EP at The University of South Carolina followed by Ole Miss on Wednesday (8/22). For more information on the new music and for a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

Massive Johnny Cash Box Set On the Way

Just in time for holiday shopping, Sony Music will release Johnny Cash — The Complete Columbia Album Collection, a deluxe box set featuring 59 of Cash’s albums on 63 CDs. The set will be available  October 30 through Columbia/Legacy.

Beginning with 1958’s The Fabulous Johnny Cash, and running through 1990’s Highwayman 2 (with Waylon, Willie, and Kristofferson), the set includes 35 albums being released on CD for the first time and the artist’s first 19 albums presented for the first time in mono.

The collection will come in a special box, with lift off cover and a full-color booklet with complete discographic information for every album. Rich Kienzle provided the liner notes.

To compliment the Columbia releases, two new compilations have been assembled for this set. Johnny Cash With His Hot & Blue Guitar is a 28-song collection of single and non-single tracks released during his Sun Records years (1954-1958) including “Hey Porter,” “I Walk The Line,” and more. The Singles is a 2-CD, 55 song collection of single sides that did not originally appear on Cash’s Columbia albums, plus his guest performances on other artists’ albums. Also included are rare albums like Johnny Cash pa Osteraker, a 1972 live album from Sweden’s Osteraker prison, and the motion picture soundtrack for the Gregory Peck-starring I Walk The Line.

More info, including the complete album disc listing, here. Amazon has the set available for pre-order with a $269 price tag.