Holiday Season Benefits

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As part of Macy’s “Believe” campaign, Wynonna Judd will perform holiday songs for the Make-A-Wish kids and their families at the Belle Meade Plantation on Dec. 21. During Macy’s Santa Claus visit to Nashville, he will attend the private event at Belle Meade Plantation, and then return to Macy’s Green Hills to meet with the community from 6-8 p.m. Visit www.macys.com/believe for more information.

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Army veteran Craig Morgan will headline the 15th Jack Daniel’s USO Toast to the Troops stuffing party today (Dec. 16) at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. More than 150 military spouses, sailors and USO volunteers will join forces to assemble thousands of Operation USO Care Packages. Since 2005, the Jack Daniel Distillery has been collecting personal messages of support in the form of “toasts” to include in USO care packages, and has hosted 14 other “stuffing parties,” headlined by Morgan, at military installations across the country. More than 150,000 care packages have been sent to our troops through the Toast to the Troops program. For more information visit www.uso.org.

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Nashville based Legacy Learning Systems donated several of their award-winning music educational courses to the Nashville Rescue Mission’s new music rooms at both the men’s and women’s facilities on December 6. The music rooms were furnished by donations from EMI Christian Music Group, Gibson Guitar, Guitar Center and Legacy Learning Systems. Approximately 500 men had the opportunity to listen to recording artist Matthew West who joined the group for the presentation. For more information visit www.nashvillerescuemission.org and www.learnandmaster.com.

Pictured: Steve Krenz of Legacy Learning Systems (left) , EMI President Bill Hearn (second to left) and Matthew West (second from right). Joining them in the photo were members of the Nashville Rescue Mission team. Photo: Legacy Learning Systems

 

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Force MP Entertainment’s Steve Richard has joined Second Harvest’s Feeding Hope Challenge and is helping them raise 9 million meals. Visit www.steverichardmusic.com to donate to his Virtual Food Drive. For every dollar donated Second Harvest can purchase 4 meals.

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Gabe Dixon

Singer/songwriter Gabe Dixon will spend his holidays at home in Nashville as WRLT Lightning 100’s first-ever Artist in Residence. Dixon and Music City’s independent radio station, Lightning 100, has been working side-by-side to support food, clothing, and toy donation programs for Second Harvest Food Bank and Toys for Tots throughout the month of December. The Nashville-based artist has committed to a number of public appearances and live performances. Individuals who bring canned food items, toy and clothing donations to these events will have a chance to meet and/or see Dixon perform. As a bonus, they’ll also receive an exclusive, 4-track CD from Dixon that was recorded during his last WRLT live performance broadcast from 3rd and Lindsley. The CD includes tracks from his most recent, critically-acclaimed album, One Spark. More info here.

Grooveshark Faces Legal Action

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Online listening service Grooveshark could find itself without safe harbor, thanks to pending legal action. According to the Los Angeles Times, both Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment have now joined Universal Music Group in a lawsuit claiming that Grooveshark is violating the Digital Millenium Copyright Act by allowing users to illegally upload and listen to unlicensed songs.

Universal originally took aim at Grooveshark last month, alleging that the company — owned by Escape Media Group of Gainesville, FL — has permitted widespread copyright infringement that was sanctioned by company executives. Sony and Warner added their lawsuit yesterday (Dec. 15).

Grooveshark asserts that it is protected under DMCA because the law allows “safe harbor” for companies to provide online storage or sharing, as long as the infringing material is removed upon request. Since its launch, it has accumulated over 30 million users to pay $5/month to listen to millions of tracks from all the major labels and beyond.

The lawsuit also accuses Grooveshark’s senior executives of personally uploading illegal sound recordings to the website in order to make sure it is always stocked with the most popular songs. A series of emails quoted in the court documents indicate that Grooveshark employees were fully aware of the violation and continued regardless. Back in September, Digital Music News reported on a tense exchange between King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and Grooveshark about the band’s repeated attempts to have their material removed, only to have it return to the site in a matter of days.

Grooveshark does currently have a license through EMI and numerous indies, though with EMI’s recent sale the future of that arrangement is uncertain.

CountryBreakout No. 1 Song

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Here’s the thing about time: it’s only moving one direction. So no matter what Doc Brown and Marty McFly would have you believe, there is no backtracking. No undoing what’s been done, and no re-living life’s wonderful and perfect moments. Is it any wonder we hold on with everything we’ve got?

Luke Bryan can relate. Much like his Capitol labelmates Lady Antebellum and their recent carpe-ing diem hit “We Owned The Night”, Bryan’s “I Don’t Want This Night To End” is about one of those perfect nights: fighting daylight with an exciting companion by burning some gas and blaring the radio. Appropriately, the single becomes the CountryBreakout Chart’s No. 1 song in the final chart of 2011, as we prepare to bid the year goodbye and start a new chapter.

Understandably, Bryan might want to hang on to 2011 a little longer. In addition to “I Don’t Want This Night To End,” his single “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” became a huge radio hit and clarion call for inebriated peoples to follow its titular instructions. Additionally, his Tailgates & Tanlines Tour with Lee Brice, Josh Thompson, and Matt Mason was one of CMT On Tour’s most successful outings to date. Bryan also served as a special CMA Awards red carpet correspondent for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Starting in 2012, he’ll join up with Jason Aldean on the young superstar’s massive My Kinda Party Tour.

See, Luke? Even though one good night might be ending, another could very well be on the way. Happy New Year!

Weekly Chart Report (12/16/11)

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Anna Sophia Benken

LIFENOTE
Congratulations to Quarterback Records VP Promotion Tony Benken and Morris Management’s Tiffany Swinea Benken on the birth of daughter Anna Sophia Benken. She was born on Dec. 15 at 6:32 PM and joins big sister Ava in the growing Benken clan.

SPIN ZONE
Kudos to Luke Bryan, Capitol Records, and their promotion teams on scoring a No. 1 single with “I Don’t Want This Night to End” in the final CountryBreakout Chart of 2011. Capitol also earns a humongous debut with Lady Antebellum’s “Dancin’ Away With My Heart,” which vaults onto the chart at No. 36.

Quarterback Records recording artist Sherry Lynn recently stopped by WDNB/ Thunder 102 in Liberty, NY to visit PD Paul Ciliberto and drop off a load of toys for the station's Toys for Tots toy drive. Sherry Lynn has released "The Breakin Up Song" and is on a radio tour in the northeast to promote it.

Kudos also to our high-charting indies: Eric Lee Beddingfield‘s “Great Depression” at No. 19, DJ Miller’s “Between Sundays” at No. 25, Darren Warren’s “Cowboy Up And Party Down” at No. 26, and Badhorse’s “It’s All Good” at No. 28. Moving quickly toward the top of the chart are Taylor Swift’s “Ours” at No. 23 and Tim McGraw’s “Better Than I Used To Be” at No. 35.

That’ll do it for us this year. Stay tuned for all kinds of exciting CountryBreakout action in 2012. Have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year!

Frozen Playlists: KBCN, KFTX, KREK, KTWI, KYEZ, WKTT

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Holiday Airplay
Toby Keith & Sammy Hagar/Santa’s Going South/SDU
Tim McGraw/Christmas All Over The World/Red Light
Big & Rich/Blue Christmas/WMN
Joe Nicols/Old Toy Trains/Show Dog-Universal
Uncle Kracker/My Hometown (Christmas Version)/Atlantic/BPG
Joey + Rory/Remember Me/Let It Snow/Vanguard/Sugar Hill
Lisa Matassa/The Chrismas Song/It Is What It Is Records/Nine North
Craig Campbell/I’ll Be Home For Christmas
Andy Gibson/The Christmas Song/R&J Records
Rachel Holder/Christmas Eve/Curb
Lucy Angel/Mr. Santa/GForce
Little Big Town/Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas/Capitol
Jessica Ridley feat. Chris Cline/The Spirit Of Christmas/Nine North/Turnpike
Jesse & Noah/I Want Texas For Christmas

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New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Lady Antebellum/Dancin’ Away With My Heart/Capitol — 36
Oak Ridge Boys/What’cha Gonna Do/Cracker Barrel — 70
Tyler Farr/Hot Mess/BNA — 73
Ronnie Dunn/Let The Cowboy Rock/Arista — 74
Shawna Russell/Waitin’ On Sunrise/Way Out West Records — 75
Miranda Lambert/Over You/RCA — 76

Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Lady Antebellum/Dancin’ Away With My Heart/Capitol — 655
Taylor Swift/Ours/Big Machine — 422
Tim McGraw/Better Than I Used To Be/Curb — 318
Brantley Gilbert/You Don’t Know Her Like I Do/Valory — 283
George Strait/Love’s Gonna Make It Alright/MCA — 240

Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Lady Antebellum/Dancin’ Away With My Heart/Capitol — 44
Brantley Gilbert/You Don’t Know Her Like I Do/Valory — 21
Ronnie Dunn/Let The Cowboy Rock/Arista — 20
Miranda Lambert/Over You/RCA 20
Tim McGraw/Better Than I Used To Be/Curb — 18
Taylor Swift/Ours/Big Machine — 17
Blake Shelton/Drink On It/WMN/Warner Bros. — 11
Tyler Farr/Hot Mess/BNA — 11

On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Rachel Holder/Christmas Eve/Curb — 199
The Farm/Home Sweet Home/All In/Elektra/New Revolution — 191
Sawyer Brown/Travelin’ Band — 186
Jesse Keith Whitley/Saving Amy/Octabrook Music — 180
Jackie Arredondo/Rockin’ the Trailer/Gold Voice — 176

Big Ride Entertainment's Marlee Scott recently visited the staff of WJVC 96.1/Long Island, N.Y. to promote her new single “Trainwreck.” Marlee just wrapped shooting a video with director Roman White for the song earlier this month. Her Christmas single, “Someday At Christmas” is at radio now. (L-R) Phathead (WJVC PD/MD), Marlee, Glenn Noblit (InstiGator Entertainment)

Shockey and LeHew ‘Fly High’ With New Book

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The Factory at Franklin host a presentation of Flying High, a new book co-written by best-selling author and songwriter, Stowe D. Shockey, and motivational speaker/entrepreneur Calvin LeHew.

The special event will take place Sunday, Dec. 18 at 230 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN 7065 from 2-4 PM It will feature a discussion, a musical performance from Stowe, and a complete viewing of the book’s inspirational 40 minute companion film. The event is free and open to the public.

Five time Grammy Award winner Naomi Judd, who wrote a foreword for the book, said, “If you are struggling with adversity of any kind, whether sickness, financial or just trying to figure out your purpose in this world, there’s something precious in this story for you. It’s a powerful dose of inspiration that will encourage you along your own journey.”

Motivational Speaker and Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Karen Taylor-Good praised the book as well, saying, “What a great book! I’ve known these spiritual principles for years, but actually seeing them put to the test through Stowe’s incredible journey, and Calvin’s amazing life, I am moved, inspired and recharged.”

“If you are ready to fly high in health, happiness, wealth and a deep joy of living, then this book is for you,” chimed in Mark Victor Hansen, the best-selling author behind the Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

RCA Promotes Easler

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Josh Easler

Josh Easler has been promoted to the post of Director, National Promotion for RCA Nashville. Based in Nashville, he begins his new role immediately and reports directly to Keith Gale, Vice President, National Promotion for RCA Nashville.

Gale comments, “Josh has been in our system for six years and contributed greatly to RCA’s successes. His passion for our artists and their music is limitless. He has earned this new challenge, and I’m excited to be working with him in his new role for the RCA Records label.”

On the promotion, Easler remarked, “I am humbled and honored to be trusted with such a tremendous responsibility. The group of artists, their managers, and the staff at RCA and Sony Nashville are incredible people. I can’t wait to get started in this new role”

Most recently, Easler was Manager, Regional Promotion for RCA. Prior to joining the RCA family in the summer of 2006, Josh spent seven years with WKLB Boston.

A native of rural Maine, Josh moved to Boston in 1996, where he attended Curry College to study radio broadcasting.

Montgomery Gentry To Hit The Road With Bullriders

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Average Joe’s duo Montgomery Gentry recently caught the attention of The Professional Championship Bullriders and the two have teamed for a multi-city arena tour beginning in Jan. 2012. Along with the country duo, The Professional Championship Bullriders Tour will feature thirty-five of the nation’s top riders.

“We’ve done bull riding and rodeo shows our entire careers,” said Montgomery Gentry’s Troy Gentry. “Our audiences definitely cross over, and to be on a full-blown tour with these guys really takes it to a new level.”

The first two dates to go on sale are the tour kick off performances on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14, 2012 at Battle Creek, Michigan’s Kellogg Arena, along with a Feb. 3 date at Chicago’s Sears Center Arena. Additional dates will be forthcoming.

Tickets for the Jan. 13 and Jan. 14 dates range from $35.00 – $55.00, and children ages 12 and under are $15.00. Those tickets can purchased through Ticketmaster here. Tickets for the Feb. 3 date range from $17.00 – $52.00, children 12 and under are $10, and can be purchased at www.searscentre.com.

Charlie Cook On Air: Radio ≠ Pandora

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I have written a couple of times about radio going the way of Pandora. I do not think this is healthy for either the individual radio stations or for the artists in our format.

A couple of things happened this month that strengthen my feelings about making sure that radio stays active, engaged and entertaining beyond the music.

First, radio’s new cheerleader (Clear Channel CEO) Bob Pittman continued his rah rah for radio and repeated his contention that Pandora (add Spotify and the other on-line music shovelers) is really a music shuffler. His speech at the Radio Ink conference in New York was a continuation of his road show from earlier this year and most prominently in Chicago at the NAB meeting.

AM and FM radio is a combination of many elements that provides not just music, but also companionship, information, and promotional opportunities for clients and artists.  Not leveraging all that a well-programmed radio station has to offer is leaving opportunity behind at every turn.

Secondly, at the Arbitron seminar in Baltimore, Coleman Insights, Media Monitors, and Arbitron presented a comprehensive study proving that commercials on the radio are NOT the tune out terrors program directors have feared and warned of for all these years.

The study looked at 18 million commercial breaks, 62 million minutes of commercials and 866 stations for a year to compare audience levels at the beginning of a commercial break and again at the end. That is a lot of analysis. The bottom line, 1-3 minute commercial breaks deliver levels at the end, practically the same as at the beginning of the break. Even breaks as long as three minute lose only four percent of the lead-in audience.

Not only does this fly in the face of what we have long believed, but also seems to be different to how we watch TV. The fast forward/skip button on my Tivo is worn down to nothing.

Let me ask you if a well-crafted and well-executed 30 second informational bit about an artist, or a 30 second comment by Luke Bryan about his new CD is anywhere as onerous as a commercial from “Big Bubba Johnson’s used cars on the corner of 1st and Main”?

If listeners are willing to stay through a 3 minute spot set, are they likely to stay through something that deals with the reason they chose this specific station? This is why I object to stripping the station of content and making it a music box.

Even longer commercial breaks, 3-6 minutes, retained 90 percent of lead-in audience.  This does not mean that 9 out of 10 people listening at the beginning of the spot set are still there at the end. It means that at the end of the spot break there was an audience equal to 90 percent of the audience at the start of the set. This could be listeners who came into the station during the spot break and stayed until the end, making up for the listeners who did leave at some point.

Many of us think of radio usage as being only in the car where the search for another station is just a flick away but in fact, much of the listening is done in other environments where there is no button to push.

Some programmers may program only to the button pushers and fail to consider the listener who comes to their station for the entire entertainment experience that includes the personality, information and yes, even commercials.

I believe Mr. Pittman is correct in describing radio as something different than a music stream like Pandora. Without question Pandora has a place. It is going to be successful for a long time. Even after cell phone companies begin to tighten the amount of data we’re allowed.

I love the warning I get when I call up Pandora on my cell phone: “This product will use a large amount of data and you are responsible for all data charges.”

Not as dire as “cigarettes will cause cancer” but the only warning we should include on terrestrial radio is that “you might hear a song that was driven up the charts by a first class promotion team but is really is a piece of crap and shouldn’t really be played this many times a day.”

Dudley Resigns From CMA

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Bobette Dudley

The Country Music Association announced today that Senior Vice President Bobette Dudley has submitted her resignation.

Dudley, a 25-year CMA veteran, contributed to the organization’s outstanding growth and success including the relocation of Fan Fair, now CMA Music Festival, from the Tennessee State Fairgrounds to downtown Nashville and the creation of the CMA Music Festival television special; the successful move of the CMA Awards to New York City and then back to its new home at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena; and the 2010 launch of the “CMA Country Christmas” TV special.

“We thank Bobette for her many contributions to CMA over the years and we wish her the very best in her future endeavors,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore.

“In my years at CMA I have had the privilege of working with many of the greats in the Country Music industry,” said Dudley. “CMA provided me with wonderful challenges and opportunities including working on the transformation of Fan Fair to CMA Music Fest with music and events all over downtown Nashville; taking the CMA Awards to Madison Square Garden in New York City; and creating CMA events in Washington D.C. at the Vice President’s Residence as well as at The Library of Congress.

“I am truly grateful for the years and experiences at CMA as well as the pleasure of working with many fine individuals within CMA and the broader world-wide music and entertainment industry. I look forward to the pursuit of some exciting and new challenging opportunities.”

Dudley began her career at CMA in 1986 and most recently served as Senior Vice President with direct oversight of the organization’s acclaimed Events and Special Projects Department. BizBash, a magazine covering the event-planning industry, named Dudley to their selection of the 15 Top Event Planners of the Year for her work overseeing the CMA Awards’ move to New York City in 2005. She is a member of NARAS/The Recording Academy, Nashville Film Festival, and SOURCE Foundation.

Dudley can be reached at [email protected].

Rodney Atkins Files For Divorce

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Rodney Atkins has filed for divorce from his wife Tammy Jo Atkins, following allegations of domestic violence that resulted in Rodney’s arrest.

Celebrity news website TMZ reported yesterday (Dec. 14) that court documents filed in Williamson County reveal that Tammy called 911 at 7:47 AM on Nov. 21 to report that her husband had been drinking and tried to smother her with a pillow. She also claims that Rodney grabbed her by the face and threw her down the hallway, and that the assault took place in front of their son Elijah. Rodney was arrested and later released on $2,500 bail.

Rodney’s attorney Rose Palermo says Tammy’s allegations are completely false, and released this statement today:

“This was an unfortunate verbal dispute between Mr. and Mrs. Atkins within hearing range of their child, and when Mr. Atkins realized their child was in hearing range of the argument his first priority became getting out of the earshot of the child, and that is when Mrs. Atkins called the police and gave them her version of the argument, which is completely untrue. Mr. Atkins realized that he would have no recourse but to file a complaint for divorce. Since filing the complaint for divorce he has exercised substantial parenting time with the parties’ son and he will continue to do so while the divorce is pending. The criminal complaint does not allege that any harm came to the child or Mrs. Atkins and as a result the Court has not prohibited Mr. Atkins from having parenting time with his son.”

Rodney has upcoming tour dates scheduled for Lowell, MA (Dec. 15); Buffalo, NY (Dec. 16); and Lewiston, ME (Dec. 17). His attorney’s statement also states that the singer plans to spend time with his child over the holidays and thanks his fans for standing by him. Atkins will usher in 2012 by performing on Fox’s “American Country New Year’s Eve Live” special December 31 with Lauren Alaina.