RIAA 2010 Country Certs

/by

This year’s 2010 RIAA shipments report shows Nashville country artists accounting for about 20 million units in Gold and Platinum treasure. Leading the Row was Capitol Nashville with 5 million certifications (24%) and its flagship artist Lady Antebellum which contributed 4 million of its total. Arista and Big Machine each received 4 million certs or 20% of the RIAA shipments awards based upon sales. Arista’s tonnage came from Carrie, Alan, Brad and Brooks & Dunn, while Big Machine’s was all Taylor Swift. Mercury took control of 12% based upon sales from Sugarland, Billy Currington and Jamey Johnson. (See the pie chart for more details.)
Looking at the Sales By Artist graph, Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum were tied with 4 million each followed by Carrie Underwood (2) ZBB (1.5) and Sugarland (1.5). Swift’s Fearless got a 6 million award which was the highest Nashville artist multi-platinum cert. Lady A’s Need You Now was awarded for 3 million.
Methodology: RIAA Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum certifications are based upon shipments, not actual sales and are therefore different from SoundScan numbers which are based upon actual sales. RIAA Gold is 500,000, Platinum 1 million and then additional awards are in one million increments. If an artist gets a Gold and Platinum in the same year for the same album, we count it as one million units (not 1.5 million.) The first platinum certification gets a 500,000 tally, since that is what it needed to go beyond its Gold award. All multi-Platinum certs get credited for one million per award. Another detail is that in the case of catalog and older albums that received an award in 2010, not all the sales/shipments leading up to that award necessarily occurred in the same year.

Willie Nelson's Country Throwdown Tour

/by

Organizers of the Country Throwdown Tour have teamed with legend Willie Nelson for its second annual summer outing. The outdoor amphitheater trek, Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour 2011, will also feature Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, Craig Campbell, and Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real.
The festival-like concert tour is from 4 FINI, Inc., producers of the wildly successful Vans Warped Tour. Country Throwdown will have a full concourse of lifestyle attractions and vendors, as well as three stages, one of which will be a Bluebird Cafe stage. The latter line-up of singer-songwriters is yet to be announced.
The outing kicks off in Philadelphia, PA on May 27, and wraps with a July 4th extravaganza. On the itinerary is a June 3 stop at Nashville’s The Woods at Fontanel.
Last year’s Country Throwdown Tour was hit hard by a slumping summer concert season.
A portion of the ticket price will benefit Unite the United. Ticket pre-sale begins Friday, February 11 and sale to general public begins February 18 at 10 a.m. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.countrythrowdown.com.

Photo Edits

/by

Gretchen Wilson Nabs Grammy Noms • “ACM Showcase” • Jessi Colter and Stealing Angels Support Child Help • Josh Thompson Celebrates Co-Writes

Gretchen Wilson Nabs Grammy Noms

Gretchen Wilson and the staff of her Redneck Records label celebrated her two nominations at this week’s Grammy nominee party at Nashville’s Loew’s Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel. Wilson received nods in the “Best Country Female Vocal Performance” category for “I’d Love to Be Your Last,” and the single is also nominated for “Best Country Song.”

(L-R): Craig Campbell, publicist for Redneck Records; Bob Mitchell, Redneck Records; Gretchen Wilson; Nancy Shapiro, NARAS; tour manager Ryan Nelson; and manager Marc Oswald. Photo: Rick Diamond/Wire Image

“ACM Showcase”

“ACM Showcase,” a one-hour GAC special featuring performances by Academy of Country Music Top New Solo Vocalist nominees Eric Church, Randy Houser and Easton Corbin and Top New Vocal Duo or Group nominees The Band Perry, The JaneDear girls and Steel Magnolia was taped January 18 at the Ryman Auditorium as part of a special Tuesday night Opry. Hosted by reigning ACM Top New Artist Luke Bryan, the special premiers January 27 on GAC and kicks off fan voting for these categories. One winner from each category will compete for the Top New Artist prize which will be handed out at the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, Sunday, April 3, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

(L-R) back: Bill Mayne, ACM chairman; Easton Corbin; Luke Bryan; Randy Houser; Eric Church; Pete Fisher, VP/GM Grand Ole Opry; and The Band Perry’s Neil Perry. Front: Sarah Trahern, GAC GM and ACM board president; Steel Magnolia’s Joshua Scott Jones and Meghan Linsey; The JaneDear girls’ Susie Brown and Danelle Leverett; The Band Perry’s Kimberly and Reid Perry; and Butch Waugh, ACM VP

Jessi Colter and Stealing Angels Support Child Help

Jessi Colter and Stealing Angels recently participated in a Child Help charity event at the Paradise Valley Country Club near Phoenix, AZ in support of the prevention and treatment of child abuse.

(L-R): Tayla Lynn, Jessi Colter, Caroline Cutbirth and Jennifer Wayne

Josh Thompson Celebrates Co-Writes

Columbia Nashville’s Josh Thompson recently took a break from his busy touring schedule to write with legendary country crooner John Anderson. Thompson, who wrote all 10 songs on his debut album Way Out Here, has also enjoyed cuts by artists such as Brad Paisley (“A Man Don’t Have To Die”),  Jason Aldean (“Church Pew Or Bar Stool”), Craig Morgan (“Accidents Don’t Just Happen”) and Jason Michael Carroll (“Growing Up Is Getting Old”).

(L-R): John Anderson and Josh Thompson

Alan Jackson/Sony Part Ways

/by

Sony Music Nashville today announced that it and superstar Alan Jackson have ended their relationship. He was the first artist signed to the Arista roster in 1989—today under the Sony umbrella—leading to a successful partnership for more than 20 years.
According to the label’s official statement, “Sony Music Nashville wishes to thank Alan Jackson for their long association and the many hit records achieved as a result of that association. In an amicable parting, Sony confirms that Alan has delivered his final recordings to the company and wishes him well.”
“I’ve had a great run with Arista going all the way back to the beginning of my career when I signed with Tim DuBois,” explained Jackson in a statement. “I’ve gotten to work with some real great people along the way and we accomplished a lot. It just seems to me like the time may be right to change things up a bit and see what comes next.”
Jackson’s manager Nancy Russell relaunched her firm last year under the name the co-op. She has been building a team that includes former Sony exec Maurice Miner. Jackson is also represented by William Morris Endeavor.
He is gearing up for the first leg of his 2011 tour with sold-out shows in Canada, followed by his first tour of Australia. He is currently writing and working on songs for a new album.
With 50 million album sales to his credit, Jackson is a 16-time award winner at both the CMA and ACM Awards, a tally that includes three CMA Entertainer of the Year honors. He is a GRAMMY winner and has topped the country singles charts 35 times.

Idol Judges Get Thumbs Up

/by


America’s love affair with talent was renewed again as the tenth season of American Idol stoked its star-maker fires introducing a judges bench with two new faces and of course a bevy of wannabe hopefuls. Not unexpectedly, opinions were mixed moving into the debut as to whether the new personalities could reverse the show’s recent downward ratings trend. However, “judging” by the morning-after articles, facebook opinions and blog comments from around the web, judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez acquitted themselves quite nicely on opening night. The role of new mentor/judge Interscope Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine is yet to be unveiled but he will sign the winner to a recording contract. Here’s a few quotes from some of the high profile writers and links to read more…

“Season 10 and American Idol finally brought in a couple of pros,” said the L.A. Times Mary McNamara… “And after the bipolar antics of last year’s woefully mismatched panel — including a zombified Ellen DeGeneres and a manically flirtatious Kara DioGuardi — their natural confidence in front of the camera was such a blessed relief that it was hard to miss even the bracing ballistics of Simon Cowell…’Baby, you got so much drama but you’ve got no notes,’ Tyler told one young woman, quickly establishing himself as capable of telling the truth in a colorful but nonhostile way.”

The Wrap.com’s Jennifer Kelly had the morning’s best headline saying, ‘American Idol’: How It Went With the Diva, the Dawg and the Demon of Screamin’

“Yes, it was the debut of the new judging triumvirate, featuring Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and veteran Randy Jackson. Perhaps more importantly, though, it marked the official end to the banal season 9, and that in itself is a bonus… Tyler, on the other hand, is an entertaining walking paradox. While it’s not fair to call him a Paula-Simon hybrid, he is equal parts kooky and no-nonsense. Whether he’s spontaneously breaking into song mid-speech or spouting wacky wisdom (“Water her flower ‘cause it’s gonna grow”), he is definitely the stand-out personality. Unlike Paula, though, you never lose the feeling that he actually knows what he’s talking about…”

Linda Stasi wove colorful phrases into her insights that stretch beyond the new judges and address the direction of the show itself for the New York Post.

“In fact, the instant chemistry among the three judges was so right, they couldn’t have created it in a lab. Everything that made us fall in love with Idol in the first place was back: The heart (Lopez), the soul (Randy Jackson) and the Crazy (Tyler). But it was back in a whole new way. And now that Nigel Lythgoe, the genius behind the show, is back, he brought with him his credo about what had made “Idol” the show it was: The simplicity — and the soap. Idol was never, and will never really be, a show about singing. It’s really a show about singing for your supper or else you won’t eat. The more down and out, miserable and depressing your life has been and the more you struggled for your dream, the better chance you have. Last night they hit depression jackpot, too. There was the kid who beat life in a wheelchair, the throat cancer father who brought his singing daughter, and finally and most touching, the homeless Bronx boy with the voice of a modern day Johnny Mathis. Cry? Are you kidding me? They don’t need car and Coke commercials — they should just have Kleenex ads…”

Nashville’s Brian Mansfield also clocked in for USA Today with his take on the new Idol dynamic.

“Lopez comes off like a more businesslike version of the supportive, nurturing Abdul, who left Idol after the 2009 season — lots of tears and hugs, and she struggles with having to say some obvious no’s, but she has constructive things to say to even the worst contestants. Tyler, on the other hand, brings back the goofy unpredictability that was Abdul’s stock-in-trade during her eight seasons on the show. He gets directly involved with the auditions — drumming on the desk, harmonizing, providing backing vocals, whatever he thinks the contestants need. He’s willing to be ‘brutally honest,’ but he’s also not above lightheartedly mocking auditioners — or flirting with the females: ‘Where’s your pitchfork, you sexy devil?’ he asks one.

Performance News: Urban To Rock Super Bowl Pre-game

/by


Photo by: John Mayer


Latest tour news from Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Billy Falcon/Bon Jovi, CMA Songwriters Series, Teddy Gentry and the Oak Ridge Boys.
>>Keith Urban will perform at the Super Bowl XLV pregame festivities at Cowboys Stadium on Feb. 6. Fox Super Bowl Sunday pregame coverage begins at 2:00 PM ET. Urban’s performance will also kick off on-sale dates (starting 2/11) for his summer Get Closer 2011 World Tour. The Black Eyed Peas will handle halftime duties.
>>As previously announced, Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party Tour launches tomorrow (1/21) in Little Rock, AR at the Verizon Arena. Tickets for the outing are selling out faster than ever before, with over 41,000 tickets already sold for the first four nights. Special guests are Eric Church and the JaneDear girls.

Billy Falcon


>>Nashville songwriter Billy Falcon will open for Bon Jovi in Raleigh, NC on Feb. 21. The performance marks the release of Falcon’s new album, When, featuring songs he wrote with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. Falcon has co-written more than a dozen songs on the last six Bon Jovi albums, including the hit singles “When We Were Beautiful” and “Superman Tonight.” Also, Falcon and daughter Rose co-wrote the track “Give In To Me,” performed by Faith Hill on the Country Strong soundtrack.
>>The CMA Songwriters Series will return to the venue where it all began, New York City’s Joe’s Pub, on Thurs., March 24 (6:30 and 9:00 PM/ET). This will be the seventh year for the wildly popular series that continues to play to sell-out crowds. On the line up are MCA Nashville’s Ashton Shepherd, and hit songwriters Rivers Rutherford, Chris Wallin, and Bob DiPiero. www.joespub.com.
>>After taking a break, Teddy Gentry of Alabama fame is prepping for a return to the road. His concert series starts with a public party on Jan. 21, 7:30 pm at 3rd and Lindsley, celebrating his 59th birthday. It’s also the debut of his new band, Rockit City, comprised of Gentry, Billy Davis, Charles English, Chip Davis, Dillon Dixon, Jimmy Stewart, and Shawn Fichter.
>>The Oak Ridge Boys are kicking off their 2011 concert appearances with a series of events at Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort. The boys will entertain fans at their 2-night, 3-day rally, set for Jan. 21-23.

Dierks Headlines Jägermeister Tour

/by


Dierks Bentley


Dierks Bentley is set to headline the 2011 Jägermeister Country Tour which kicks off March 17. The 30-city tour runs through mid-May and will feature special guest Columbia Nashville artist Josh Thompson and brand new A&M/Octone duo Miss Willie Brown. Each concert will also feature a local Jägermeister sponsored country act.
Pre-sale tickets are available to fan club members through www.dierks.com, while the general public will be able to purchase tickets beginning Jan. 21 and Jan. 28 through Ticketmaster. The remaining cities will go on sale over the coming weeks.
Bentley is currently in Nashville working on his next studio album. The first single from the album is scheduled to be released this spring.

News Shorts: Big Country Records Opens

/by


Big Country Records • CRS unemployment rate • Joseph Conner joins Lotos Nile • Americana Festival submissions • HFA/Napster
>>Entrepreneur Glen Blaschke and hit songwriter Tammy Hyler (Martina McBride “I Love You,” Collin Raye “I Can Still Feel You”) launched Big Country Records and Big Country Entertainment with an industry party yesterday. Singer/songwriter Morgan Tobias is the flagship act and her debut single will be released to country radio this spring. The offices will be at 44 Music Sq. W. in Nashville. MusicRow reported on this story earlier this month. More here.

>>CRS is again offering a $99 unemployment rate for the seminar to be held March 2-4, 2011, in downtown Nashville. This offer, and the $499 regular rate, are available through Friday, Feb. 18. Contact Kristen McRary at 615- 327-4487 or Kristen@CRB.org for registration materials. www.CRB.org.
>>Joseph Conner has joined Kissy Black’s Lotos Nile. Conner spent the last few years handling publicity at Kaleidoscope Media. He can be reached at joseph@lotosnile.com. For Kaleidoscope business, contact Lauren or Susan at lauren@kaleidoscope-media.com and susan@kaleidoscope-media.com.
>>Showcase submissions for the Americana Music Festival are open now through April 18. The 12th annual Americana Music Festival and Conference will be held Oct. 12-15, 2011 at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel. There is also a super early bird registration rate available now. www.americanamusic.org.
>>The Harry Fox Agency has announced the renewal of its agreement to provide Administration Services to Napster.

Alison Krauss + Union Station Set April Release

/by

Alison Krauss and Union Station members Jerry Douglas, Barry Bales, Ron Block, and Dan Tyminski


Rounder Records has set an April 12 release date for the latest from Alison Krauss and Union Station, Paper Airplane.
This will be the first new music from Krauss since her highly acclaimed 2007 collaboration with Robert Plant. It will be her first album with longtime band Union Station since 2004’s Lonely Runs Both Ways.
The Plant/Krauss project was honored with six Grammys, adding to her career tally of 26, the most for any female in history.
American Songwriter is reporting the following track list:
1. Paper Airplane
2. Dustbowl Children
3. Lie Awake
4. Lay My Burden Down
5. My Love Follows You Where You Go
6. Dimming Of The Day
7. On The Outside Looking In
8. Miles To Go
9. Sinking Stone
10. Bonita and Bill Butler
11. Opening Farewell

Jaclyn North Wins Texaco Country Showdown

/by

Jaclyn North receives $100,000 prize from show host LeAnn Rimes.


Jaclyn North won the Jan. 13 Country Showdown at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, taking home a $100,000 grand prize. The 29th annual competition, with new title sponsorship by Texaco, has been a starting ground for numerous country stars. 
North, representing radio station KHOZ/Harrison, AR, competed against four other finalists.
LeAnn Rimes hosted the show where contestants were judged by industry members Brian Mansfield, music journalist for USA Today; BJ Hill, Sr. Dir. of A&R for Warner/Chappell Music; Lisa Ramsey-Perkins, Sr. Dir. of A&R for Sony Music Nashville; John Ozier, Director of A&R for Curb Records; and Rod Essig, agent from Creative Artists Agency.
Dean Unkefer serves as Executive Producer of the Texaco Country Showdown.
This year’s show will air nationwide in April on syndicated television and overseas to military bases on government access channels. Airdates at www.countryshowdown.com.