Musicians Team For Benefits At Ryman

Craig Wiseman


Craig Wiseman has tapped Dave Barnes and Dallas Davidson for his 7th annual Stars For Second Harvest benefit on Tues., Oct. 18 at the Ryman Auditorium. Acclaimed songwriter Wiseman leads the fundraiser for Second Harvest Food Bank of of Middle Tennessee every year, and is expected to add more performers to the 2011 line up.
In the last six years, the initiative has raised $389,000 to supply 1,556,000 meals.
Event tickets go on sale today (8/19) for $35 at ticketmaster.com. For preferred VIP seating please contact the Second Harvest Food Bank at (615) 329-3491.
• • • •
Also coming up at the Ryman is the Let Us In: Women and Cancer Fund Benefit that will be hosted by actor/musician Jeff Daniels with performances by Sarah Darling, Steel Magnolia, SHeDAISY, Jordyn Shellhart, Phil Vassar and Chuck Wicks. The show will be Mon., Nov. 7.
The evening’s house band will include Chad Cromwell, Russ Pahl, Kenny Greenberg, Eli Beaird, Mike Rojas and Jeff Smith.
Because the fund was established in memory of Linda McCartney, each artist will perform a Paul McCartney song in addition to their own songs. The day after the concert, the recorded songs will be released to retail and digital outlets, and the entire show will be available on DVD.

Charlie Cook On Air

Too Few Songs Have to Stand Alone

I was listening to an AC station in the West Virginia radio chain that I work for and heard “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry. Of course, they also play “Need You Now,” selected Taylor Swift songs, Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw and even a recent Kenny Chesney. I was thinking how lucky they are to be able to play only the cream of the format.
As an AC station they also play P!nk, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and a bunch of other stuff, some of which is pretty good. I like Katy Perry and an occasional Bruno Mars song, but let’s get back to the Country Music they play.
Just think how cool it would be to pick and choose what you wanted to play.
When a new record from (fill in the blank) comes out, you play it. It goes to No. 1 in 14 weeks and then the following Monday there is another record from the act on your desk. Tuesday you’re getting emails and phone calls telling that you should add this one out of the box because the last one was No. 1. You want to yell, “Please give the listener a minute to digest the last song.”
In Country Music there is a connection between one record and the next. It is not as strong as promotion people want you to believe, but it is there. It does not come in 14 week sections, but it is there.
Still, what if every record actually stood on its own?
I like the Band Perry. They are talented. They are good kids and I trust that they will be staples in our format for years to come. But they may never have another AC hit. And whether they do or not, “If I Die Young” is not diminished in the listener’s eye. This was their time on AC radio.
Here’s my point. I am saying that AC programmers get to listen to Country Music with a clean slate and chose the songs they think best fit their stations. Country programmers get hammered to play everything by a particular artist because either that artist has “earned a place” on their station (I have heard that more than once), or because it is on 40 stations (mostly played in the evening or overnight) and, “we are working this one all the way to the end.”
Good songs get lost in the shuffle because they are not on a major label or they don’t have tour support for the song’s airplay. I understand that if a newbie act is on a veteran’s tour and the label can provide tickets for the show, then the new act gets extra attention. Too few songs are forced to stand on their own in our format.
Some are obvious: “Remind Me,” “Honey Bee,” “Knee Deep.” Those are no-brainers. Some are not so obvious but there is often an entitlement argument from the bigger acts and the bigger labels. That hurts smaller label acts with good music.

Weekly Chart Report (8/19/11)


Toolpusher Recording artist Jason Sturgeon recently got the chance to promote his single “The Cover” at the 2011 Carlisle Truck Nationals event in Carlisle, PA. An avid car-lover, Sturgeon’s vintage Chevy truck was on display during the CMA Music Festival this past June. While in PA, Sturgeon got to hang out with some of his friends from country radio. (L-R): WGTY/Gettysburg PD Scott Donato, Sturgeon.


LIFENOTE
MusicRow extends its condolences to Mickey Alexander of WQNZ/Natchez, MS, whose father Charles Mitchel Alexander passed away last Sunday, August 14. He was 71. Funeral services were held August 17 at Young’s Funeral Home in Ferriday, LA. In Lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Young’s Funeral Home in Ferriday (318-757-3636) to help with funeral expenses.
RADIO NEWS
Ross Alexander (no relation to Mickey) has taken over Music Director duties at KVAY/Lamar, CO. He replaces Chandra Hunter, who is exiting the station and getting married. Reach Alexander here.
• • •
SPIN ZONE
It’s been a short 10 week trip for Toby Keith’s “Made In America” to arrive at No. 1, which it accomplishes today after gaining 145 new spins. White-hot duets “You and Tequila” by Kenny Chesney with Grace Potter and “Remind Me” by Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood are in hot pursuit at No. 2 and 3, respectively. Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer” is at No. 4 after only nine weeks, and Jake Owen’s “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” is still growing at No. 5.
While we’ve had several singles ascend to No. 1 in under 15 weeks, Toby’s 10 week feat puts him in a particularly elite crowd. In fact, the only other singles to claim a No. 1 song in under 10 weeks in the last three years are recent smashes: Brad Paisley’s “Old Alabama,” which managed it in eight weeks, and Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee,” which did it in nine. Widening the scope a bit, there are a handful of sub-12 week champs, including (surprise!) Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban.
A glance a the Top 40 reveals some possible future contenders as well. Miranda Lambert’s “Baggage Claim” is the week’s biggest spin increase with 538 new plays. It jumps to No. 29 in its third week charting, and this has all happened before its official going for adds date of August 22. The Band Perry’s “All Your Life,” another three-week-old title, isn’t far behind at No. 37.
Frozen Reports: WAKG, WIFE, WKTT, WKWS, WQNZ, WTCM, WYVY

Upcoming Singles: Add Dates
August 22
Miranda Lambert/Baggage Claim/Columbia
Steel Magnolia/Bulletproof/Big Machine
Bomshel/HalleluY’all/Curb
Hali Hicks/Last Night of Spring/Phull/Jeff McClusky & Assoc/Nine North
August 29
Reba/Somebody’s Chelsea/Valory
Chris Cagle/Got My Country On/Bigger Picture
Risa Binder/You Made It Rain
Vince Gill/Threaten Me With Heaven/MCA
• • •
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Lady Antebellum/We Owned The Night/Capitol — 60
Eric Church/Drink In My Hand/EMI Nashville — 65
Reba/Somebody’s Chelsea/Starstruck/Valory — 74
Badhorse/It’s All Good/Global Maximus — 76
Tyler Farr/That’s What They’re Bitin’ On/BNA — 77
Steel Magnolia/Bulletproof/Big Machine — 78
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Miranda Lambert/Baggage Claim/Columbia — 538
Lady Antebellum/We Owned The Night/Capitol — 455
Eric Church/Drink In My Hand/EMI Nashville — 378
The Band Perry/All Your Life/Republic Nashville — 334
Taylor Swift/Sparks Fly/Big Machine — 330
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Buddy Jewell/Jesus, Elvis and Me/Diamond Dust — 203
LiveWire/Tater Fed/LiveWire Records — 200
Steve Richard/Love’s Gotta Go Somewhere/Force MP — 198
Kevin Fowler/Hell Yeah, I Like Beer/Average Joes — 197
Lauren Alaina/Like My Mother Does/19 Ent./Mercury — 187
Ira Dean/Beer or Gasoline/Average Joes Entertainment — 173
Jason Sturgeon/The Cover/Toolpusher/Spinville — 172
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Eric Church/Drink In My Hand/EMI Nashville — 35
Lady Antebellum/We Owned The Night/Capitol — 30
Badhorse/It’s All Good/Global Maximus — 19
The Band Perry/All Your Life/Republic Nashville — 19
Miranda Lambert/Baggage Claim/Columbia — 17
Reba/Somebody’s Chelsea/Starstruck/Valory — 12
Martina McBride/I’m Gonna Love You Through It/Republic Nashville — 10
Justin Moore/Bait a Hook/Valory — 10

The JaneDear girls (Warner Bros./WMN) played at the KJ Heart Strings Concert in San Antonio earlier this week and visited with KAJA PD Travis Moon before the show. Their new single “Merry Go Round” is due out soon. (L-R): tJDg’s Susie Brown, Moon, and tJDg’s Danelle Leverett


Black River Entertainment’s Craig Morgan visited Nashville’s WSM-FM 95.5 August 2 to support his latest single “This Ole Boy,” which is at No. 53 on the CountryBreakout Chart. (L-R): WSM’s Rick Marino and Beth Brightwell; Craig Morgan


Hunter Hayes (Atlantic/WMN) finished up his final tour date on Taylor Swift’s Speak Now Tour last Sunday (8/14) in St. Louis, MO. (L-R) KSD morning personality Mason, KSD MD Dusty, KSD PD Steve Stewart, Hayes, KSD morning personality Remy

CMA Songwriters Series To Stream Boston Show

CMA’s Songwriter Series heads to Boston for an Aug. 25 show with a stellar cast of performers and for the first time will be audio-streamed. Joining host Bob DiPiero for the sold-out Royale Nightclub show are Matraca Berg, Brett James, Wendell Mobley, Craig Wiseman and superstar Kenny Chesney. The hit-packed songwriters in the round event will be streamed live on www.cmasongwritersseries.com and noshoesradio.com.
“I came to town as a songwriter and always consider myself a songwriter first,” said Chesney. “I’m looking forward to playing alongside my friends and heroes who create and write amazing songs for a living. I’m really proud to help the CMA show the fans what great music comes out of Nashville from our awesome writers. I couldn’t think of a better place to showcase this than in the city of Boston. The fans have been amazing to us and I am thrilled to be ending our tour with over 100,000 sold tickets in one of the greatest markets in the world.”
Joining Chesney will be:
Matraca Berg (“You and Tequila” recorded by Chesney, “Strawberry Wine” recorded by Deana Carter, “If I Fall You’re Going Down With Me” recorded by The Dixie Chicks, and “XXXs and OOOs [An American Girl]” recorded by Trisha Yearwood);
Brett James (“Jesus Take the Wheel” recorded by Carrie Underwood, “The Truth” recorded by Jason Aldean, and “When the Sun Goes Down” and “Out Last Night,” both recorded by Chesney);
Wendell Mobley (“I Melt” and “Fast Cars and Freedom,” both recorded by Rascal Flatts, “Strange” recorded by Reba, and “There Goes My Life” recorded by Chesney);
Craig Wiseman (“Live Like You Were Dying” and “Where the Green Grass Grows,” both recorded by Tim McGraw, and “The Good Stuff” and “Summertime,” both recorded by Chesney);
Bob DiPiero (“Southern Voice” recorded by Tim McGraw, “Blue Clear Sky” recorded by George Strait, and “You Can’t Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl” recorded by Brooks & Dunn).
The CMA Songwriters Series began in New York City in 2005. Since then, it has continued to play in front of sold out crowds at New York’s Joe’s Pub. In 2009, CMA took this popular series to other markets including Chicago and Los Angeles. The Aug. 25 show will be the series’ Boston debut. No Shoes Radio, Chesney’s online radio station, is programmed by Kenny himself, and features music from Chesney’s audio catalog, including never-before-heard recordings, live concert broadcast, and random drop-ins from fans, plus many of his favorite songs. Included is everything from Bruce Springsteen and Dave Matthews to the Caribbean grooves of Bob Marley & The Wailers.
Official sponsor for the CMA Songwriters Series at the Royale Nightclub is Great American Country (GAC). Tickets for the sold-out Boston show were $75 for VIP seating and $45 for floor seats.

Colt Ford Takes Nashville To Georgia For Big Benefit

Back Row (L-R): Jason Aldean, Corey Smith, Rachel Farley, Brantley Gilbert, Rhett Akins, James Otto; L to R, Middle Row: Dallas Davidson, Colt Ford, Mike Dekle. Front Row (L-R): Average Joe's President Tom Baldrica, Clarence Spalding, Average Joe's CEO Shannon Houchins, Average Joe's Management's Ken Madson. Photo: Dan Harr


Athens, Georgia native Colt Ford recruited some of his Nashville buddies for a benefit show in his hometown on Tuesday (8/16) to raise money for the families of one injured and one fallen police officer.
Joining Ford in raising $85,000 were Rhett Akins, Jason Aldean, Dallas Davidson, Mike Dekle, Edwin McCain, James Otto, and surprise guests Brantley Gilbert, Rachel Farley, and Corey Smith, many of whom are natives of the Peach State.
The sold-out show at the Georgia Theatre drew a crowd of 1,100 for the three-hour in-the-round performance, which featured Ford’s band backing the sets.
Over 200 people enjoyed a pre-show private reception and celeb memorabilia silent auction at the Hotel Indigo’s Rialto Room.
Donations for the officers’ families are being accepted at www.nobleheroes.org.

(L-R): Mike Dekle, Dallas Davidson, James Otto, Jason Aldean, Colt Ford, Rhett Akins. Courtesy: Dan Harr

Indiana Fair Tragedy Draws Attention To Growing Problem

Staging collapses in Belgium today.


Outdoor concerts are being scrutinized in the wake of Saturday’s (8/13) tragedy at the Indiana State Fair, where strong winds caused the staging to collapse, killing five people and injuring more than 40 others.
Today (8/19) comes the unsettling news of a disaster at a music event in Belgium, where at least two are confirmed dead after a storm hit the Pukkelpop festival.
According to music site Spinner.com, this is the fourth stage collapse of the summer. It joins the dangerous list that already includes the Indiana fair, an incident during Cheap Trick at the Ottawa Bluesfest, and the Flaming Lips’ outdoor show in Oklahoma.
An Associated Press article gives some insight into the dangers of outdoor events. It includes a discussion with promoter and ACM head Bob Romeo, and notes that part of the problem is a lack of uniform safety regulations.

Sold-Out Alabama Concert Helps Homestate Rebuild

Alabama onstage at Bama Rising benefit in June.


Members of Alabama are continuing to help rebuild their home state with another sold-out concert. Proceeds from the Sept. 2 show at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater will benefit the Tuscaloosa Storm Recovery Fund for those affected by the April 27 tornadoes that ravaged the state. The perfectly timed concert is the night before the Alabama Crimson Tide football season opener against Kent State. Joining Alabama will be the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra and EMI recording artist Jon Pardi.
Teddy Gentry reminds that the recovery process is slow. “These families need help for years not weeks…for me, our Tuscaloosa show is just a continuation of helping.”
This is the second fundraiser Alabama has spearheaded for the cause. On June 14 the band headlined a superstar sold-out concert in Birmingham that raised over $2.1 million.
“When we played the Bama Rising concert we had the most incredible cooperation with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, their Executive Director and their conductor. I feel very humbled to be part of another concert to hopefully bring about happiness to an area that has lost so much,” says Randy Owen. “My prayers are that the show will be uplifting and help us all love and care more for one another.”

Jackie Campbell Joins Big Machine Label Group

Jackie Campbell has joined the Big Machine Label Group as Director of Strategic Partnerships. In this new role, she will be based in Chicago.
Campbell brings with her 10 years of experience as Manager of Integrated Programs and Event Marketing for Chicago’s CBS Radio/US99.5. In this role, she helped develop and execute over 40 integrated marketing opportunities that generated over $3 million in annual non-traditional revenue for WUSN, WCFS and WSCR. She also helped create key partnerships with Live Nation and Nashville record labels, securing sponsorship rights for Kenny Chesney at Soldier Field and Rascal Flatts at Wrigley Field.
“Leaving my CBS Radio/US99.5 family after nearly 10 years was certainly not an easy decision, but this unique opportunity to work alongside Scott Borchetta, John Zarling, and the rest of the inspiring group at Big Machine Label Group was one I could not pass up,” says Campbell. “I look forward to joining the team and applying my NTR and sponsorship experience to BMLG and their incredible roster of artists and country radio.”
“I am really excited to welcome Jackie! Her passion, excitement and proven results make her the perfect addition to our team,” says John Zarling, VP/Promotion & Media Strategy. “As the climate within radio and the industry at-large continues to morph, Jackie will be a great asset for our label group and our artists pursuing partnerships with brands both on the local and national levels.”
Congratulate Campbell here.

WANTED: A New GPS For Country Marketing

Peter Strickland


Music Row is fond of parties. We celebrate No. 1 songs at radio and throw Gold and Platinum sales parties. Performing Rights organizations give special honors for large airplay accumulations. And let’s not forget SoundScan, BDS, MediaBase, Country Breakout, Big Champagne, Pollstar and all the other yardsticks that attempt each week to answer the question, “Which artists are the most important and successful?”
There are so many career areas to consider: radio airplay; Internet activity via friends, followers, likes and circles; touring and tickets; merchandise sales; product endorsements; publishing; video views; album and track downloads; media exposure via print, TV, etc. And adding to the complexity, every successful career balances these factors using a different formula. Until recently our industry has relied upon SoundScan and the mainstream radio charts to rank weekly artist activity. But is that still enough or do we need a more comprehensive set of activity gauges?

Tom Baldrica


“Soundscan album sales and radio charts are still an important yardstick,” says Average Joe’s Entertainment President Tom Baldrica. “Any time you can measure what people are spending their hard-earned dollars on, that is an ultimate piece of research. But the digital download chart is also important and we should be considering hard ticket sales. Merchandise numbers are important plus ringtones and ring backs, or joining a fan club. Anything that generates dollars becomes a measuring stick because that is how you know if you are cutting through.”
“Two years ago every Wednesday morning I woke up at 5 a.m. to check the SoundScan charts and write reports about what was going on,” says Peter Strickland, Sr. VP Brand Management & Sales, Warner Music Nashville. “Now I choose to run 5 miles, hit Starbucks and wait till I get in the office before looking at the chart. What excites me today is our daily social media numbers that help me see how our various artist revenue streams are moving. We get reports from the road on a daily basis on tours where we are servicing merchandise. Of course SS is still important, but those kinds of areas capture my attention now. Radio remains a big tool as well. I don’t know if streaming services will take a bite out of that, but for now radio is important.”
Social networks have developed into an efficient means of delivering on the Internet’s marketing promise of allowing one-to-one communication. But how should that data be treated when compared with actual purchases, for example?
“The social networks are the ultimate street team and evangelist for your cause whether it is selling music or trying to overthrow a government,” says Baldrica. “It’s an important piece in the process of building that one-on-one relationship. The big question is, does it help move fans from an interested person to an interested consumer, that’s the leap you want people to take. Social Networks give you a chance to quickly tell your story. It is grass roots cubed in the sense of how fast it can move.”
Strickland ranks the social networks importance by looking between the lines, in a sense, but notes that it requires artist input to be successful. “It’s your continued day-to-day, week-to-week growth that tells the story,” he says. “What plays a major role in that growth is the artist participation and engagement with the fan. It doesn’t happen on its own. The music alone does not drive it. And that skill is a learning curve for every artist that comes to the marketplace now. There are varying levels of fan participation which you can see that tell the story of what’s working and what’s not. Eventually radio will pay more attention to all these numbers we throw their way. When all the yardsticks collide, then you know you’ve succeeded.”
Average Joe’s Colt Ford is an example of an artist which doesn’t have all the traditional yardsticks, yet has a growing career. “If you’re talking about downloads, physical discs, tickets, merchandise sold plus sponsorship deals he checks all those boxes,” offers Baldrica. “It’s a real successful career, but missing the one ingredient that used to be the end-all, be-all for success—mainstream radio. But there’s more to the story, Paul Harvey. We need to dig deeper, to find all the facts. And that’s not just in the music business, people in all industries are finding new ways to put the biscuit in the basket.”

Music Is YouTube’s Most Popular Content

Music videos are the single biggest draw for YouTube users, attracting 40 percent of the site’s visitors in July, according to a new report by ComScore.

With content from Universal, Sony and EMI artists, the Vevo channel is the most popular on the Google-owned site, attracting 38 percent of all YouTube users. The second post popular channel in July was Warner Music, which accounted for 20 percent of all viewers.

Music videos on these channels are accompanied by advertising, which in turn pays licensing fees to rights holders. But elsewhere on YouTube, much content is not licensed. This often includes user-generated videos, ranging from cover songs to slideshows set to music. An agreement announced yesterday (8/17) should pave the way for copyright owners to share in YouTube’s advertising revenue for previously unlicensed content.

YouTube and the National Music Publishers Association entered into the agreement, ending litigation that had been going on since 2007. Under the terms, the Harry Fox Administration will handle licensing agreements for publishers whose music is being used on YouTube.