Ladies Golf Tourney Tees Up For 25th Anniversary

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Organizers of the Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament are promoting the event by placing pink flamingos in front of local businesses, including the current flocking at Big Loud Shirt.


The 25th annual Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament will hit the links July 25 at Old Natchez Country Club. Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney have signed on with support. Artists set to party on the golf course include Laura Bell Bundy, Randy Montana, Kellie Pickler, Joanna Smith, Dani Flowers, Josh Thompson, and Kristen Kelly.
All proceeds from the event go to United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee. During its 25-year history, MRLGT has donated over $1.5 million for the organization. With a 30% increase in money raised from 2009 to 2010, the tournament is UCP’s biggest fundraiser.
Over 200 of Music Row’s female professionals are expected to participate, with their male colleagues serving as caddies. At the zany tournament there is plenty of fun, plenty of libations, and participants dressed in costumes.
The event is sold-out for this year, but sponsorship opportunities are still available. Sponsors include ASCAP, City National Bank, McGhee Entertainment, UBS Financial Services, UMG Nashville and MSO PR. Contact mrlgtnash@gmail.com for details.

Clear Channel Announces iHeartRadio Music Festival

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Clear Channel is going all in for the iHeartRadio Music Festival set for September 23-24 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The two day, multi-format event claims to be “the biggest live music event in radio history.”
Performers named in the announcement include Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, The Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Usher, John Mayer, Jane’s Addiction, Kelly Clarkson, Sting, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, David Guetta, and Sublime with Rome. More guests and performers will be revealed in the coming weeks. Tickets will go on sale Saturday, July 16 at 1 pm ET and fans can gain access to the ticket pre-sale right now by “liking” iHeartRadio’s Facebook page.
The iHeartRadio Music Festival will be streamed live on the iHeartRadio platform, including web and mobile apps. The concert also coincides with a new, updated version of iHeartRadio, which promises a custom radio feature similar to Pandora in addition to its numerous existing radio streams.

Toast A Little Good Sales News

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A music marketing exec. walks into a bar and says to the bartender, “Hey give me a drink, album sales are up 1% YTD this year.” Bartender who reads MusicRow says, “Sounds like you’ve already had enough to drink!”
Why?
Because although a trickle of good news is better than none, there really aren’t enough tidings yet to celebrate. All genre album sales have fallen about 34% during the six years from 2004 through 2010. For country music they have fallen 44% during the same period. Those are pretty steep declines. Figure in a paltry 1% YTD all-genre gain and about a 2% loss for country and yeah, you’d have to be drunk to cheer with enthusiasm.
The consumer press is embracing Nielsen SoundScan’s proclamation, “Album sales are up for the first time since 2004.” But the reality is this little kernel of truth is dwarfed by the enormity of the marketplace consolidation that has taken place. Also since 2004, album prices are lower, costs are higher and margins slimmer. But there is more upbeat news as well.
Here’s a few SoundScan Factoids
>>Digital album sales are up 19% through the first six months over 2010 and are on pace to set a new sales record at the end of the year.
>>E.T. by Katy Perry tops the chart for best selling digital song for the first six months of 2011 with 4.1 million downloads
>>Lady Gaga’s Born This Way experienced the biggest 1st week album sales of 2011 with 1,108,000 units.  The album sold a record 662,000 digital albums in the first week of release.
>>July 3, 2011 – Eminem’s Recovery becomes the first digital album to sell more than one million units; Adele’s 21 is on track to surpass a million units next week.
Looking at the various compiled Top 10 lists, Adele tops most of them. Nashville artists are included on the following…
Top Selling Albums: No. 4, Jason Aldean, My Kinda Party
Top Selling Physical Albums: No. 3, Jason Aldean, My Kinda Party; No. 9, Taylor Swift, Speak Now
Top Selling Catalog Albums: No. 2, Miranda Lambert, Revolution; No. 10, Johnny Cash, VH1 Story Tellers
Top Selling Digital Catalog Albums: No. 8, Miranda Lambert, Revolution

Music Row Bankers, 2011 Best List

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Nashville Post offers its Best in Banking list for 2011 in the current July/August issue of the magazine. This list compiles “the top executives running institutions as well as the industry specialists in charge of dedicated teams or on the front lines themselves” in Nashville’s banking industry.
Music Row area bankers are well represented in this feature and include;
Lori Badgett, Vice President of City National Bank. Badgett recently joined the new Nashville office of City National Bank after 15 years with SunTrust’s Sports and Entertainment group. Based in Los Angeles, City National Bank was founded in 1954 to service the entertainment industry and offers a full range of banking, trust and investment services.
Ron Cox, Sr. Vice President/Entertainment Division, Avenue Bank. Cox helped start Avenue Bank in 2007 and oversees all facets of providing financial services to the entertainment industry including intellectual property, commercial and consumer banking as well as deposits, investments and mortgages. Cox has over 20 years of banking experience.
Lisa Harless, Sr. VP Entertainment & Sports Division, Regsions Bank. With the bank for 26 years, Harless oversees the Private Client Services Division of Regions’ Music Row Office. She assists clients with a wide range of financial services including deposit and credit needs, investments, estate and financial planning.  She possesses Series 6, 63 and 7 investment licenses.
Andrew Kintz, Senior Vice President, SunTrust Music Row, Brian Williams Financial Center.  With the company for 13 years, Kintz manages SunTrust Music Row and serves clients in the music industry by providing all financial products and services to individuals and companies in music. He graduated from Washington and Lee University and is a MBA Graduate of The University of Georgia.
Ron Samuels, Charman, President and CEO, Avenue Bank. Samuels, a graduate of the University of Mississippi and Vanderbilt University Owen School of Management, serves as the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank. He served as the Chairman of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce 2008 – 2010, and was named a “Leader In Banking Excellence” in 2009 for career and community contributions by the Tennessee Bankers Association.
The full article can be read on the Nashville Post website here.

Artist Tidbits Friday

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Joe Don Rooney at the 2010 tournament. Photo Courtesy tahoecelebritygolf.com


Rascal Flatts lead guitarist Joe Don Rooney will be competing for the second year in a row in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament July 15 – 17 at Lake Tahoe, Nevada’s Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. Rooney will be joined by over 75 other celebrities and athletes from all over the country, including Michael Jordan and Ray Romano, as they converge on Lake Tahoe for the 22nd annual event, which awards $600,000 in prize money. The event will air live on VERSUS (July 15 4-7 pm ET) and on NBC Sports (July 16 and July 17 from 3-6 pm ET). For the sixth consecutive year, the official tournament charity is LIVESTRONG®. Visit www.tahoecelebritygolf.com.
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Buddy Jewell, winner of USA Network’s Nashville Star debut season, has released his latest album project I Surrender All and has signed with Cathy Nakos of CN Productions for management direction. Last year, Buddy formed his own label imprint, Diamond Dust Records, which was inspired by his dedication to our US troops and Christian charity organization Compassion International. The debut single “Somebody Who Would Die For You,” topped the Christian Country chart. His new single “Jesus, Elvis and Me” is shipping to Country, Gospel and Christian Country stations this month.
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Carter’s Chord will make their New York City debut when they join Joan Osborne during her summer residency at the prestigious City Winery. The Show Dog-Universal Music group is set to perform on August 4. Carter’s Chord recently released their six-song EP Wild Together. Sisters Becky, Emily and Joanna Robertson co-wrote the songs on Wild Together, which was co-produced by Toby Keith and Mark Wright. Visit carterschord.com and citywinery.com.
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Blaster Records duo, Brother Trouble and their band, went by the CMA offices to pick-up their official CMA Membership packets and brought an ice cream truck to treat the entire CMA Staff.

(L-R): Christopher Seay-CMA Membership & Balloting Assnt., Betsy Walker- CMA Sr.Coordinator Membership Relations, Jay McCarthy-Bigger Picture Group, Brandi Simms- CMA Sr. Mgr Membership, Mark Sutton-Brother Trouble, Steve Moore-CMA C.E.O., Jason Sutton-Brother Trouble and Allen Mitchell-Bigger Picture Group


 

Farm Aid 2011 Performers Revealed

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Farm Aid has revealed an assortment of artists who will join the lineup for the Farm Aid 2011 concert, which is scheduled for August 13 at Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.
Jamey Johnson, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Jason Mraz, Jakob Dylan, Will Dailey & the Rivals, Robert Francis, Pegi Young & The Survivors, Rebecca Pidgeon, Billy Joe Shaver and John Trudell will join Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews at the event.
“Farm Aid is a movement inspired not only by the passion of Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews, but also by the more than 400 artists who have donated their performances at our shows over the years,” says Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar. “This year, we are thrilled to welcome back several familiar faces to the Farm Aid stage as well as some first-timers for what is sure to be a remarkable day of music, food and inspiration.”
Tickets come in a variety of prices and benefit Farm Aid’s agricultural and farming initiatives. More information is at www.farmaid.org.

Services Set For Songwriter House

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Funeral services for Gerald “Jerry” House will be held on Saturday, July 9. The hit country songwriter died Tuesday at age 69.
House spent his working career in the printing industry, but he retained a lifelong love of country music. The Alabama native first performed on the Grand Ole Opry at age 16.
He wrote songs throughout his life. His “Midnight, Me and the Blues” (1974) and “I Got the Hoss” (1977) both became top-10 hits for Country Music Hall of Fame member Mel Tillis.
He was also a local television personality. His “Tubman” character appeared on three different Nashville fishing programs.
In addition, Gerald House was a violin maker and an author. One of his books, Dial-a-Chord, was a guidebook to the “Nashville number system” used by Music Row’s studio instrumentalists.
He is survived by his wife, Faye Booth House, son Michael, daughter Lisa and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be held at 3 p.m. at Woodbine Funeral Home’s Hickory Chapel, 5852 Nolensville Rd. Rev. Ben McGinnis will officiate. Visitation is today, 4-8 p.m. and Saturday, 2-3 p.m.

Press Buzzes Over Mr. Honey Bee

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Who is the most interesting man in country music?
Given the quantity of insatiable egos up and down the streets of Music Row no doubt many of our readers just jumped up and yelled, “Me.” But, you would all be wrong, because we now know officially—it’s been reported in the New York Times— the most interesting man is Blake Shelton, whose new album Red River Blue launches July 12.
Nashville’s Warner Music Group has worked long and hard developing this 6’ 5” Okie and it’s clear they aren’t slowing down just cause they are approaching the superstar goalposts. The “push comes to shove” dedication began paying dividends last year with the controversial release of two mini-album six paks. Industry observers proclaimed Warner was “losing money” on the deal and “devaluing” music. But WMG held firm while unleashing a media storm of press coverage. Shelton landed a co-hosting gig for the ACM Awards and his label wisely leveraged that opportunity into an album-style [hugely successful] launchpad for the first single from the new album, “Honey Bee.” But really that’s just the tip of the story here.
“Mr. Shelton is a strong singer,” writes Jon Caramanica in the New York Times this week. “But technical skill isn’t his selling point. It’s charm, through and through. It’s evident on his albums, in his TV appearances and whenever he forgoes the stoic reserve that appears to chronically afflict male country stars. A mouth given to profanity and a Twitter account full of blue humor help too.”
Shelton’s NYT profile also dwells on his recent marriage to another high profile country music star and his role as judge on hit TV talent show The Voice.

“BLAKE SHELTON has been getting choked up a lot lately,” Caramanica continues. “First came his May wedding to fellow country star Miranda Lambert, his girlfriend of several years. And then came the subsequent weeks when he barely got to see her at all. For the most part he was in Los Angeles working endless hours on the first season of The Voice, the hit NBC singing competition on which he’s one of four celebrity coaches. On off days he was flying out to do concerts…. Mr. Shelton, … over the last two months has emerged as the spiritual conscience of The Voice—an earnest and warm coach with a naughty streak. That the breakout star of the show wouldn’t be one of the contestants but instead one of the coaches, and the country one at that, was an unanticipated outcome. But Mr. Shelton, 35, has been primed for such a mainstream star-making opportunity for years now. He’s one of the most affable celebrities in Nashville and one of the most unpredictable, cheekier than all his male counterparts put together. Handsome and 6-foot-5, he’s one of the highest-profile country stars to appear regularly in prime time since the days Buck Owens hosted “Hee Haw.” Apart from perhaps Taylor Swift, he’s becoming the most important and visible ambassador from Nashville to the American mainstream.”

Now there is a new fact-filled (read: wildly exaggerated) video which details the rise of Blake Shelton, the Most Interesting Man in Country Music. The video notes for example, that Shelton has been the protagonist and hero in over 300 best selling novels; that the name “blake shelton” in binary form opens the vaults of 83% of the world’s top banks; and lastly, “Carrie Underwood’s legs notice Blake Shelton.”
How does Mr. Honey Bee respond to these video accolades? He’s uncharacteristically speechless, but offers a piercing look that says it all….
Press Facts: Shelton is the reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year; “Honey Bee” is his 4th consecutive No. 1 single and has sold over one million digital downloads; Won CMT Video Awards for Male Video and Best Web Video… Named MusicRow New Artist Critic’s Pick 2002.

YouTube video

YouTube video

Miranda Lambert's New Album Due Nov. 1

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Miranda Lambert announced on Good Morning America today (7/8) that her new album Four The Record will be released November 1, 2011 on Columbia Nashville.
The album follows her acclaimed platinum third album Revolution, which produced the No. 1 hits “White Liar,” “The House That Built Me,” and “Heart Like Mine.” A special website for Four The Record has been set up at whatis11111.com.
“Four The Record has so many meanings,” explains Lambert. “I love the play on words and my records always have a little crime in them and this is the fourth record of my career. This album pushes the limits for me in many ways and I collaborate with friends and heroes. It builds on my previous albums with a whole new flair. ‘For The Records’ sake, don’t forget 11/1/11.”
Additionally, Lambert’s band the Pistol Annies (with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley) will release its debut album Hell On Heels to digital retailers August 23. The CD will be sold through the trio’s website, and pre-orders are available now.
“How lucky is it that I have two amazing singer songwriter friends and together we make an unstoppable musical force,” adds Lambert. “We say things in our music that women all across the country are thinking. This is a great creative outlet for me as a solo artist and it’s cool as hell! Hell On Heels will knock your socks off.”
Lambert also has numerous tour dates scheduled through August. Check her website calendar for details.

Photo: Deaton and Flanigen Speak At SOURCE Luncheon

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SOURCE, the organization of female executives in Nashville’s music industry, recently held its monthly members’ luncheon at ASCAP’s Nashville offices. Award-winning music video and television production directors Robert Deaton and George Flanigen of Deaton Flanigen Productions, who have worked with Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley and more, were the guest speakers at the event.

(L-R): SOURCE President Laurie Hughes, Deaton, Flanigen. Photo: Denise Fussell.