Hays Joins Franklin Theatre

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New Franklin Theater Director Dan Hays.

The Board of Directors of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County today announced that Dan Hays will become the new Director for the Franklin Theatre. Hays previously headed the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) since 1990 and is expected to initially split his time between the two entities until early 2012 when a new IBMA leader is in place.

The Franklin Theatre recently enjoyed an $8 million renovation. Since its re-opening, the 300 seat venue has hosted a diverse musical lineup including Sheryl Crow, Michael McDonald, The Judds, Keb’ Mo’ and Sam Bush, plus sold out every show in its Franklin Theatre Live concert series.

Heritage Foundation President Cyril Stewart said the four-month executive search process was purposely intensive. “We owed it to our community to be very deliberate about finding the right person to lead the Franklin Theatre,” Stewart said. “We feel strongly that Dan Hays is the ideal choice and the theatre will build on its already phenomenal trajectory under his leadership.”

Heritage Foundation Executive Director Mary Pearce said, “Dan has tremendous nonprofit management experience and a wealth of contacts in the music industry. He has proven his dedication to music and truly understands and appreciates the fabric of this community and all the Franklin Theatre is and can be.”

During Hay’s IBMA tenure, the organization developed from an association in its infancy to an influential music industry player. IBMA Board Chair Stan Zdonik said, “IBMA will sorely miss Dan. In his 21 years, IBMA has grown into a multifaceted resource for the bluegrass community. He approached the work of the organization with vigor and integrity and we were all the better for it. Speaking for the IBMA Board, we wish Dan all the best in his new position.”

“I am honored and look forward to joining the extraordinary staff at the Franklin Theatre,” Hays said. “This intimate historic Theatre is bursting with promise and is a vibrant cultural asset for our community and the talents we present.”

For more information on the Franklin Theater originally built in 1937 visit www.franklintheatre.com.

Herring Exits Skyville

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Skyville Records President Kevin Herring has exited his position with the label, which he joined in January 2011.

His career includes over 20 years experience in radio and promotion, with tenures at Mercury Records and over a decade with the Walt Disney Company’s Lyric Street Records. His work has been integral in the breakout success of some of country’s biggest names, including Rascal Flatts, Shania Twain, and Toby Keith.

ACAs Boost Track Sales

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The American Country Awards, which aired December 5 on Fox, had plenty of outstanding musical moments. In addition to format superstars like Toby Keith, newer faces like Pistol Annies and Thompson Square also had the big platform to expose them to new audiences. Tracking the show’s effect on music sales isn’t clear-cut because the show aired the week after Black Friday and the opening of holiday shopping season.

According to Nielsen SoundScan data from the week ending Dec. 11, album sales were up nearly 16% across the board, likely due to increased holiday spending.

Fletcher Foster

MusicRow spoke with one of ACA’s producers, industry vet Fletcher Foster, who says the show’s impact can be more directly felt with regard to individual tracks, rather than in albums. “I went specifically back to tracks people performed on the show to see if there was a correlation,” says Foster. “You saw the huge sales from Toby. From the tracks standpoint, everybody who performed did well.”

According to SoundScan, digital sales of ACA show closer (and Artist of the Decade) Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup” were up 90% for a total of 96k units. Other performers also experienced increased digital track activity: Pistol Annies’ “Hell On Heels” was up 168% to more than 15k units, with very little radio support. Following Chris Young’s performance of “Voices,” the track had a 211% jump. Similarly, Thompson Square performed “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” on the telecast and it experienced a 140% sales increase despite it not being the current single.

One aspect in which the ACA show stands out from the rest is its commitment to giving new artists a chance to play. Last year The Band Perry had one of its first big performances on the show, right on the cusp of that group’s chart dominance. This year the group returned with a triumphant and memorable run through “All Your Life.”

“We wanted to be the show that can help break acts,” explains Foster. “Last year we had The Band Perry, and they’d just gotten a Grammy nomination the week before. This year Eli Young Band, Pistol Annies, some really cool acts, got opportunities they maybe wouldn’t get on other shows. As long as you can have those acts that really drive viewership [like Blake Shelton], then you can have some fun and really develop other acts too.”

It’s a trend the show’s producers plan to maintain, to hopefully serve as a bridge in the space between the CMA Awards and the Grammys. With the ACA ratings improved over last year’s inaugural show, network home Fox is pleased with the results and Foster feels optimistic about its future.

“We’ve found more of a balance to give people a really great platform to have their talent exposed,” says Foster. “We’ll look at it again next year, but Fox was really happy—not just with ratings—but the balance of awards and performers.”

And importantly, country music seems to have found an ally in Fox. Its presence can be felt through music heavy shows like American Idol, and the network may have access to a younger-skewing demographic still eager to seek and discover new music.

“It’s definitely a record-buying music-driven network,” remarks Foster. “They have brought music to the forefront and hopefully we can take advantage of that for country.”

Nashville’s Venture Capital Market Buzzing

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Nicholas Holland

Nashville is enjoying a rash of year-end venture capital deals. The latest two, Populr.me and ArtistGrowth.com, have two music industry names in common, Joe Galante and Mark Montgomery who are part of the investment teams in both ventures.

Populr.me
According to Venturenashville.com, Populr.com is a service that helps small businesses easily create one-page web sites with unique web addresses to better take advantage new digital marketing tools like Groupon. Steering the company is entrepreneur Nicholas Holland who has placed day-to-day control of his company, CentreSource under newly named CEO Evan Owens. The deal between Populr and Nashville’s Bullpen Ventures, closed on Dec. 16. Holland received $25k in capital and a place at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (NEC) table. In return, Bullpen receives 12% equity in the new company and NEC gets 15% of Bullpen’s share in return for its support role. Bullpen partners include Stuart McWhorter, John Ingram, Joe Galante, Steve Turner and Mark Montgomery. NEC is under the leadership of CEO Michael Burcham.

Artist Growth
This music service is aimed at providing online tools for DIY musicians for career management. The product was created by Matt Urmy and Jonathan Sexton, both Nashville-based musican-turned entrepreneur. According to an invite for the site’s mid-Jan. coming out announcement, ArtistGrowth.com’s proprietary technology integrates finances, calendars, inventory, contacts, social media and mentoring resources within a single interface. Among the named early stage investors are former Sony Records Chairman Joe Galante, echomusic founder Mark Montgomery and Moontoast founder Joe Glaser. The video below features the founders and investors discussing the new software. It’s about “Empowering artists to participate in the business side of music without being too distracted from their creativity,” says Urmy. Included is AGtv which is a series of tutorials from industry pros on a variety of subjects. There is also a vast industry contact database for media, and other contacts. “It’s the record business in a box,” adds Galante.

Brad Paisley, Zac Brown Eye Oscar Noms

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Songs written by Zac Brown and Brad Paisley are among a pool of potential Oscar nominees for Best Original Song.

Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Drew Pearson and Anne Preven penned “Where the River Goes” for the Footloose soundtrack. Brown also recorded the song for the project.

Paisley teamed with British pop star Robbie Williams to write and record “Collision of Worlds” for the Cars 2 soundtrack.

There are 39 contenders vying for the final nominations for Best Original Song, which will be determined by voting members of the music branch in Los Angeles on Jan. 5. More on that process from the LA Times. Nominees will be revealed Jan. 24 and the Oscars will be presented Feb. 26.

“Where The River Goes” also recently scored a Grammy nomination for Best Song Written For Visual Media. The Grammys will air live Feb. 12 on CBS.

Facebook Among Most Popular Android Apps

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Among Android users ages 18-44, the six most popular apps are Facebook, Android Market, Gmail, Google Search, Google Maps and YouTube. According to a new study by Nielsen, these apps have the greatest “active reach,” defined by the number of Android owners who used the app within the past 30 days.

When broken down by more specific age groups, 18-24, 25-34, and 35-44 (shown in the graph above), these apps vary in popularity, but all fall within the top six.

In each demographic, Android Market is the most used app, followed by Facebook at No. 2. Among 18-24 and 25-34 year-olds, the Facebook app hovers at around an 80 percent active reach.

The YouTube app is most heavily used by the 18-24 set (64 percent have used it in the past 30 days), followed by 25-34 year-olds (56 percent) and 35-44 year-olds (51 percent).

Game Angry Birds ranks No. 7 in popularity with the 25-34 (29 percent) and 35-44 demographics (35 percent).

Nielsen analyzed usage data from its proprietary device meters on the smartphones of the thousands of consumer panelists who agreed to be part of its ongoing Smartphone Analytics research.

Elizabeth Meadia Opens With Major Label Client

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Liz Meade

Publicist Liz Meade has opened a boutique media relations firm named Elizabeth Meadia, and signed UMG Nashville hitmaker David Nail as her first client.

Meade most recently handled tour press, artist/management/media interface and logistics at Joe’s Garage, the artist development and media relations firm owned by Holly Gleason. Meade, a Kentucky native, is an accomplished singer and graduated from Belmont University with a degree in Commercial Music.

“I believe in hard work… the music matters… and if it’s made from a place of purpose… that’s where all this comes together,” explains Meade. “I just want to be an advocate for those musicians, songwriters and especially singers who think like that, too, because that’s what makes this important.”

Elizabeth Meadia is located at 1611 16th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212. The phone number is (615) 512-4555. The company’s email is [email protected].

The Roys Sign Production Deal With ValCom Studios

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Lee and Elaine Roy

The Roys have signed a production deal with ValCom Studios for a new, weekly music-driven variety show. Lee and Elaine Roy will appear and perform on the 30-minute show titled, Roots And Music With The Roys.

Thirteen episodes are scheduled to be taped in Nashville early next year. The show has already been picked up by over 120 stations nationwide, landing The Roys a potential 40 million cable and broadcast household viewers. 

Vince Vellardita, CEO-President of ValCom Studios, says, “Elaine and Lee are incredibly talented. There are no shows on the air like this one, and it’s the perfect vehicle to expand The Roys’ career.”

The episodes will be presented in true “variety” format. Each show will include a performance by The Roys, humanitarian features, a festival event highlight segment, plus a guest musical artist, interview and a closing jam session.

Additionally, The Roys will start 2012 with their first-ever shows in Australia:

01/25/2012      Tamworth, Australia / Tamworth City Council Outdoor Show
01/26/2012      Tamworth, Australia / The Family Inn
01/27/2012      Tamworth, Australia / Tamworth Country Music Festival, Toyota Stage
01/29/2012      Tamworth, Australia / Tamworth City Council Outdoor Show

Following their return from Down Under, The Roys will launch a busy U.S. touring season, which includes festivals, fairs and co-hosting duties at the Christmas 4 Kids Celebrity Golf Tournament with Tennessee Titans’ Rob Bironas in April 2012.

TV Alerts: Frankie Ballard, Steve Cropper, and Clay Walker

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The holiday season means extra time on the couch recovering from large meals, and fans of country will be pleased to know some of their favorite artists will be hitting the airwaves in the next few days.

Frankie Ballard

Warner Music’s guitar hero Frankie Ballard will make his national television debut December 22, when he performs his hit “A Buncha Girls” on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. Shortly after, Ballard will open for Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Bob Seger at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on December 28.

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Steve Cropper

Another Nashville guitar hero will appear on late night television, when Steve Cropper sits in with The Roots on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on December 23. During the broadcast, Cropper will be backed by The Roots as they play some of his classic tracks, as well as new songs from his album Dedicated: A Tribute To The 5 Royales.

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Clay Walker

Earlier on December 23, Clay Walker will visit the Rachael Ray Show and perform his new single “Like We Never Said Goodbye.” The episode is scheduled to air at 9 am CT (check local listings), and was taped in front of an audience made up of military personnel. Walker’s performance will be intertwined with special video footage sent in from military families. Fans can also catch Walker playing co-host to Nan Kelly on the Holiday Notes From Home Christmas concert airing on GAC throughout December.

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Way Out West recording artist Shawna Russell recently hosted The Country Network’s “Breaking Out” on December 5 and December 12. The weekly program airs Tuesdays at 7 pm and streams at 6 pm at tcncountry.com.

(L-R): TCN EVP of Programming and Artist Relations Cary Rolfe; Shawna Russell; Way Out West Managing Partner Clif Doyal; and Way Out West VP Artist Development, Promotion & Marketing Mike Severson

Backstory: Alan Jackson on GAC

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Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson and his wife Denise are featured in Backstory: Alan Jackson, a show about their personal lives and his remarkable career, premiering Dec. 22 on Great American Country. Jackson’s producer Keith Stegall, Capitol label head Mike Dungan, manager Nancy Russell, friend and fan Lee Ann Womack and others also appear on the show.

Jackson has charted 35 No. 1 hits, 24 of which he wrote or co-wrote. “It’s great to see an artist like Alan Jackson who knows who he is, who doesn’t waver based on what’s going on. He just keeps being Alan,” says Womack.

Jackson clearly knows what works and has always kept it simple. “Most of the singers I admire – Gene Watson, Charley Pride – they just sing,” he says. “They’re not out there doing anything crazy.”