Artist Updates (12/15/11)

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Congratulations go out to Trailer Choir member Big Vinny who participated in the latest season of NBC’s The Biggest Loser. While he was not crowned as the show’s winner, the 27 year old Nashville native lost 184 pounds and returned to the set for a “reveal” during Tuesday’s (12/13) season finale. Vinny also recently got engaged to his girlfriend Lori Diaz, and the couple plans to wed in 2012.

Big Vinny Before and After Photos

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Woody Paul

Riders In The Sky lead singer/musician Woody Paul has been selected as one of the 2012 inductees into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame. The induction gala will take place on Saturday, April 14th at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Riders In The Sky will take center stage as headlining performers during the celebration. Known as “King of the Cowboy Fiddlers,” Woody says being inducted is an honor that is truly one of a kind. “It’s amazing…and I’ve never practiced for it!” Other inductees for the 2012 class are Herman Johnson, Kenny Baker and Keith Coleman. Previous National Fiddler Hall of Fame inductees include: Roy Acuff, Bob Wills, Dick Barrett, Johnny Gimble, Claude “Fiddler” Williams, Johnnie Lee Wills, Buddy Spicher, Rufus Thibodeaux, and Chubby Wise.

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Darryl Worley and Wynn Varble have recorded “The Fishin’ Hole,” better known as The Andy Griffith Show theme song, which is being offered through a text-to-give campaign to raise money for relief efforts from natural disasters in 2011. Fans can make a $10 donation (added to the phone bill) by texting the word FISH to 50555. As a thank you gift, a link to a ringtone of the song is sent to the donor’s phone. Funds are received by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation, with the net proceeds used to help restore levees, replace equipment lost or damaged in the disasters and re-stock fish in waters affected by flooding, tornadoes, drought and more. Donations from other parts of the country are distributed back to the state of origin’s wildlife agency.

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In celebration of Hunter Hayes receiving 100,000 Facebook “Likes,” his label threw him a surprise party on Monday, December 12. Appropriately, party goers got to feast on a Facebook-themed cake.

Warner Music Nashville Celebrates Hayes

 

Musical Chairs (12/15/11)

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Katy Brown Epley

Katy Brown Epley has been promoted to Director of National Expansion for the Musicians On Call network. She has served with the organization’s Nashville chapter as Program Director for nearly five years.

In addition to current Program Director responsibilities, Epley will now be directly involved in establishing new MOC branches around the nation along with training and supporting program directors.

Since joining Musicians On Call, Epley has arranged musical visitors and performances for nearly 45,000 patients, coordinated over 100 volunteer musicians, and created the national Rock a Patient’s World campaign to bring a music visitor to a patient’s room every week for one year.

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As of Thursday (12/22), Jess Draper will be leaving her Creative Manager position with ASCAP Nashville to accept a director position with The Media Collective.

“I’m sad to say goodbye to ASCAP and all of my amazing colleagues, who have become like family, but I’m also very excitedly anticipating this new chapter and the rest of what the future holds,” said Draper.

The Media Collective is a PR firm representing many Christian music artists as Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Phil Wickham, Chris Tomlin, and Christy Nockels.

Draper’s new position will become effective January 2, where she can be reached at [email protected] or (615) 336-4636.

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Janice Bane

Janice Bane will step down from her position as General Manager for Conexion Media Group at the end of 2011. Bane previously handled copyright administration, music licensing, and day-to-day operations for the company.

Bane joined Conexion in January 2008, and has held various jobs in the Nashville publishing world since 1987. She will relocate with her family to Columbus, Mississippi and can be reached at [email protected].

Industry Vets Launch Wrinkled Records

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Music industry veterans Sandy Knox, Katie Gillon, and Stephen McCord have teamed for the formation of Nashville-based Wrinkled Records. The label will be home to a diverse roster of artists including BJ Thomas, Buffy Lawson, Etta Britt, and Jimbeau Hinson.

The label’s founders say: “Wrinkled Records is a stimulating and nurturing home for unique artists who defy classification, catering to listeners with discerning taste, curious minds and adventurous spirits.”

BJ Thomas is the legendary hitmaker behind “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” among others, and performer of the Growing Pains theme “As Long As We Got Each Other.” Buffy Lawson was formerly one half of the duo Bomshel and has also recorded with Neil Diamond. Etta Britt was previously a member of Dave & Sugar, and her new album is called Out of the Shadows. Jimbeau Hinson is an ASCAP award-winning songwriter whose credits include David Lee Murphy’s “Party Crowd,” Oak Ridge Boys’ “(I’m Settin’) Fancy Free,” Steve Earle’s “Hillbilly Highway,” and Patty Loveless’ “After All.”

Android 4.0: In Time For The Holidays

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The most highly-anticipated Android phone ever has finally hit Verizon shelves. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus with Android’s 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system will sell for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement, according to Verizon. The phone is one of several on the network to take advantage of its speedy 4G LTE data stream, which reportedly features download speeds of 5-12 MB per second and upload speeds of 2-5. 4G LTE is currently available in 190 cities according to Verizon, covering over 200 million Americans.

Release dates for this phone have been as elusive as Santa Claus on Christmas eve. Since Thanksgiving there have been reports and rumors of U.S. release dates which came and went with no phone. It is the first phone to run on Android 4.0. The handset was released in the UK in mid-November and a few weeks later in Canada, but Americans were left without access unless they ordered a high-priced unlocked version from overseas.

This writer will present a hands-on review of the new handset soon, but in the meantime critics’ reports are strongly positive. For details about the phone’s features click here and here.

Emmylou Harris To Celebrate Opry Anniversary

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Photo: Joel Dennis, Hollo Photograhics, Inc.

Emmylou Harris will be honored by the Grand Ole Opry on her 20th anniversary as an Opry member Sat., Jan. 21, 2012 at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Harris was inducted into the Opry on Jan. 25, 1992.

Harris’ 20-year milestone will be celebrated with performances by the honoree, fellow 20-year Opry veteran Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, with whom Harris is currently working on a duets album and Grammy winner Shawn Colvin (in her Opry debut).

“Emmylou is treasured not just by all of us at the Grand Ole Opry, but also by fans around the world,” said Pete Fisher, Opry VP/GM. “She’s shared so many great musical moments with us over the past 20 years, singing with and introducing us to some of her favorite musical collaborators. We’re excited to celebrate her Opry anniversary at the Ryman, a stage on which she’s displayed such incredible artistry through the years.”

With her early singing partner Gram Parsons, Harris was at the forefront of the ’70s country rock movement. Over her career, she has enjoyed seven No. 1 and 27 Top 10 hits. Among her most memorable releases: “If I Could Only Win Your Love,” “Together Again,” “Sweet Dreams,” “Making Believe,” “To Daddy,” and “Heartbreak Hill.” In 1999 Billboard Magazine recognized her distinguished career achievements with its highest honor – the Century Award. Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and has won 12 Grammy Awards.

Tickets can be purchased at www.opry.com.

Live Nation Uncorks BigChampagne Data

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BigChampagne, the data farm that has been a pioneer in developing metrics to gauge online music use involving peer-to-peer traffic, has been acquired by Live Nation Entertaiment, the company which owns Ticketmaster. Founded in 2001, BigChampagne has also become well known for its influential Ultimate Chart that ranks artists and songs according to a wide variety of online media exposure.

Michael Rapino, Live Nation Chief Executive told the New York Times, “We love the basics of what they’ve created, and love the idea of taking an incredible amount of fan data off-and-online and merging that into a relevant database of what artists are most popular and relevant to today’s consumer.”

Eric Garland, founder of BigChampagne, said: “BigChampagne now collects and analyzes more information about entertainment and online audiences than anyone in our sector’s history. From my first conversation with Live Nation, it was clear to me that this is the right place to dramatically evolve and extend what we’ve built. We’re connecting fans with things they’ll love that are happening nearby or soon, or both. Most importantly, Live Nation has assembled an extraordinary team and we are honored to be invited to join them.”

Included in the deal, BigChampagne founder Eric Garland will be named General Manager of livenation.com and co-founder Joe Fleischer will be Sr. VP of content and product strategy. All of BigChampagne’s 26 employees will now work for Live Nation. Terms of the deal have not been released.

MusicRow has enjoyed an informal alliance with BigChampagne for many years. The publication interviewed Eric Garland last year and has been running Internet charts/country format powered by BigChampagne for many years.

Rapino, in a prepared statement, said, “BigChampagne brings us a great technology platform and an innovative team to help us better understand our fans and deliver insights across all areas of our business. Its expertise will accelerate our mission to drive deeper fan engagement throughout Live Nation…”

Guy Clark Tribute Released

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Houston’s Icehouse Music recently released the double-CD set, This One’s For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark, to celebrate Clark’s 70th birthday. Clark was born in Monahans, Texas on November 6, 1941.

The collection was co-produced by Tamara Saviano (Grammy winner for Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster) and frequent Clark co-writer Shawn Camp (“Sis Draper,” “Magnolia Wind”). Saviano is also working with Clark on his definitive biography.

The tribute features 30 tracks by 33 Americana favorites such as Rodney Crowell, Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely, Shawn Colvin, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris & John Prine, Patty Griffin, Ron Sexsmith, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Jerry Jeff Walker, Robert Earl Keen, and more. The collection was mixed and mastered by Austin’s Cedar Creek Records principal Fred Remmert. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.

For more information click here.

Volume 1

1.    That Old Time Feeling – Rodney Crowell
2.    Anyhow I Love You – Lyle Lovett
3.    All He Wants Is You – Shawn Colvin
4.    Homeless – Shawn Camp
5.    Broken Hearted People – Ron Sexsmith
6.    Better Days – Rosanne Cash
7.    Desperadoes Waiting For A Train – Willie Nelson
8.    Baby Took A Limo To Memphis – Rosie Flores
9.    Magdalene – Kevin Welch
10.    Instant Coffee Blues – Suzy Bogguss
11.    Homegrown Tomatoes – Ray Wylie Hubbard
12.    Let Him Roll – John Townes Van Zandt II
13.    The Guitar – Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
14.    Cold Dog Soup – James McMurtry
15.    Worry B Gone – Hayes Carll

Volume 2

1.    Dublin Blues – Joe Ely
2.    Magnolia Wind – Emmylou Harris & John Prine
3.    The Last Gunfighter Ballad – Steve Earle
4.    All Through Throwing Good Love After Bad – Verlon Thompson
5.    The Dark – Terri Hendrix
6.    LA Freeway – Radney Foster
7.    The Cape – Patty Griffin
8.    Hemingway’s Whiskey – Kris Kristofferson
9.    Texas Cookin’ – Gary Nicholson, Darrell Scott & Tim O’Brien
10.    Stuff That Works – Jack Ingram
11.    Randall Knife – Vince Gill
12.    Texas 1947 – Robert Earl Keen
13.    Old Friends – Terry Allen
14.    She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere – The Trishas
15.    My Favorite Picture of You – Jerry Jeff Walker

Skip Bishop Exits Sony

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MusicRow has confirmed the exit of Sony Music Nashville Sr. VP Promotion Skip Bishop from the label group. Bishop joined the label in 2005 as VP National Promotion for Arista Nashville, and in 2009 he was named Sr. VP Promotion for the entire label group consisting of Arista, RCA, and Columbia/BNA.

Prior to joining Sony he served as President and CEO of his own Bishop Bait & Tackle, a large independent marketing and promotion firm. Bishop’s career also includes time as Sr. VP MCA Los Angeles and Sr. VP Pop Promotion for RCA in New York.

No further details regarding Bishop’s plans or his replacement at Sony are available at this time.

For Sony Music Nashville promotion inquiries, please contact [email protected] (Arista Nashville), [email protected] (RCA), or [email protected] (Columbia/BNA).

Martina’s “Hits and More” Due In January

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RCA Records Nashville will release Hits and More, a twenty-song collection from Martina McBride, on January 17, 2012. The album’s material spans McBride’s career with RCA, including her four No. 1 singles, numerous Top 10 hits, plus three new tracks. A full track list is included below.

GAC recently premiered Martina McBride: The Road To Eleven, an hour-long special following the singer from her signing with Republic Nashville through her four day train journey to promote the release of her new album Eleven. The special is set to re-air December 18, at 10 PM/CT. McBride’s current single “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” is at No. 6 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart.

Hits and More tracklist:
1.  “My Baby Loves Me”
2.  “Independence Day”
3.  “Wild Angels”
4.  “A Broken Wing”
5.  “Valentine” (with Jim Brickman)
6.  “Happy Girl”
7.  “Whatever You Say”
8.  “I Love You”
9.  “Love’s the Only House”
10. “Blessed”
11. “Where Would You Be”
12. “Concrete Angel”
13. “This One’s For the Girls”
14. “In My Daughter’s Eyes”
15. “Anyway”
16. “Ride”
17. “Wrong Baby Wrong”
18. “Surrender” – NEW
19. “Straight to the Bone” – NEW
20. “Being Myself” – NEW

Messina, Warren Play St. Jude Country Music Marathon Party

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The St. Jude Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, presented by Nissan will host a holiday party tomorrow (Thursday, Dec. 15) at Red Rooster on Demonbreun St. from 6-8 PM/CT. Country artists Jo Dee Messina and Darren Warren will perform short sets at the event, which is free and open to the public.

Guests will receive two complimentary drink tickets and the first 100 guests get to take home an official event t-shirt. Additionally, runners who register for the St. Jude Country Music Marathon or 1/2 Marathon on site will get a $10 discount. 25 raffle prizes, including local restaurant gift certificates, will be given out and attendees are encouraged to wear their wackiest running attire for the Tacky Christmas Runner Costume Contest.

Race organizers the Competitor Group combined forces with title partner St. Jude and rebranded the race in October 2012. Scheduled for Saturday, April 28, 2012, it is the country’s second largest 1/2 marathon and the largest combined marathon and 1/2 with over 30,000 annual participants. More information here.