Bobby Karl Works IBMA Awards

Chapter 348

(L-R) Dailey & Vincent band member Joe Dean, Jamie Dailey, band member Jesse Stockman, manager Don Light, Darrin Vincent, band member Jeff Parker, publicist Karen Byrd, band member Christian Davis, sound engineer Key Chang.

The bluegrass demographic looks like it is becoming more diverse than ever. Judging by the crowd at the 21st annual International Bluegrass Music Awards at the Ryman (9/30), bluegrass still skews somewhat older. But more than ever, the genre’s fans were hard to pigeonhole. Thin young people mingled with heavyset seniors. Cowboys sat next to hippies, progressives were alongside rednecks. The audience included fans from Europe, Australia and Japan as well as a tiny smattering of African Americans.

No matter who they were, there was no consensus about proper award-show attire. Garb ranged from t-shirts and bluejeans to evening gowns and brocade wraps, from sport coats to sport shirts. Within yards of one another were a middle-aged guy in khaki shorts and a woman roughly his peer in a strapless floor-length gown with a pouffy organza stole.

No matter who they were or what they wore, they were treated to a triumphantly musical, 3 1/2 hour show. Let’s state the obvious: This is one genre where you have to be able to really play and really sing.

Dierks Bentley and an all-star bluegrass assemblage were a great show opener with “Fiddlin’ Around.” Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver did a lickety-split, harmony-drenched version of Paul Simon’s “Gone at Last.” What a brilliant cover idea. Dailey & Vincent’s version of The Statler Brothers’ “Elizabeth” was perked up when Statler Jimmy Fortune walked out in mid-song to take over lead vocals on the song he wrote.

The Claire Lynch Band’s cover of Bill Monroe’s “My Florida Sunshine” was embellished with crisp triple fiddles, including Michael Cleveland’s. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of O Brother Where Art Thou were Alison Krauss & Union Station (“Valley to Pray”), The Whites (“Keep on the Sunny Side”) and Dan Tyminski (“Man of Constant Sorrow”). Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out did “Carolina’s Arms.”

The Del McCoury Band were tighter than tight on “Hello Lonely.” The Sam Bush Band did his co-written “The Ballad of Stringbean and Estelle.” Earl Scruggs, 86, led on acoustic guitar when he performed “You Are My Flower” with Gary Scruggs singing lead, plus Randy Scruggs, Jon Randall, Dierks and Rob Ickes accompanying. Earl is the last surviving architect of the bluegrass sound. I, for one, got teary eyed.

The evening was studded with outstanding collaborations. In addition to the Dierks, Claire and Scruggs events. The Josh Williams Band teamed with fleet-fingered Tony Rice on The Delmore Brothers chestnut “Blue Railroad Train.” Darrell Scott fronted Blue Highway to sing his “Bleeding for a Little Peace of Mind.” The evening’s finale was The John Hartford String Band joined by Alison Brown, Tut Taylor, Sam Bush, Tim O’Brien, Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas and Jamie Hartford for “Gentle on My Mind.” Let the record show that all of these performances were greeted by wild ovations.

Winners? Winning biggest were Dailey & Vincent, with trophies for Entertainer, Vocal Group, Recorded Event and Album. But not far behind were Michael Cleveland (Fiddler, Instrumental Group), Josh Williams (Emerging Artist, Guitarist), The Gibson Brothers (Song, Gospel Performance) and Adam Steffey (Mandolinist, Instrumental Performance).

Many were IBMA repeaters, Steffey has won Mandolin Player of the Year five previous times. Rob Ickes continued his dominance on Dobro. He has won 11 prior IBMAs, including the last five years in succession. Michael Cleveland has won on fiddle eight times previously. Kristin Scott Benson of The Grascals won her third straight Banjo Player of the Year honor. This was Dailey & Vincent’s third consecutive win as both Entertainer and Vocal Group. Marshall Wilburn repeated his 2009 win as Bass Player.

But Russell Moore was a first-timer as Male Vocalist. The Gibson Brothers’ trophies were their first since winning Emerging Artist in 1998. Claire Lynch hasn’t won Female Vocalist since way back in 1997.

“Wow: That’s absolutely sweet,” said Male Vocalist Moore. “This has sucked every bit of the spit outta my mouth. Shoot, I’ll even thank the ones who didn’t vote for me. Everything’s good.” “My very first cut when to Number One, and that’s amazing to me,” said awestruck Song of the Year winner Chet O’Keefe (“Ring the Bell”).

Josh Williams did not have an album out this year, so he was clearly shocked to win Emerging Artist. “Oh my gosh, I love you guys so much,” he said before choking up. “I can’t tell you what this means to me. This is truly a dream come true.” He and his wife are expecting a baby in December, and he thanked his unborn son.

“It’s indeed a great honor to feel bona fide,” said Claire. “You are my family. I’m truly delighted and grateful.” When Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers won Album, Jamie Dailey said, “This was my dream record. I listened to The Statler Brothers from the time I was a 9-year-old kid. I really wanted to do this tribute record.”

“We are touched beyond words,” he added when picking up the Entertainer trophy. “We are all brothers and sisters in this business.”

That sentiment was echoed by Steffey: “One thing about this music that I would not trade for anything, and that’s the friends I’ve made. I love this music.” He was humbled by his win, stating, “If you walked in a mandolin store and there were 31 flavors like Baskin Robbins, I’d be vanilla. I don’t think there’s anything special about what I do.”

Louise Scruggs was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame by Eddie Stubbs. “Mom didn’t let that Man’s World define her,” said Gary. “She did as much as anybody, maybe more, to elevate bluegrass music,” added Randy. I’ll be more blunt. There would not be a bluegrass industry if it were not for Louise Scruggs, who passed away in 2006. It was a poignant touch that she and Earl first met at the Ryman.

John Hartford was inducted into the Hall by Tim O’Brien. “John represented the past, the present and the future of all music, and he was one of ours,” said Tim. “He was a special combination of wise and childlike.” Tim concluded by quoting “Gentle on My Mind,” saying, “I can still see you in my memory, by the rivers, on the backroads, ever smiling, ever gentle on my mind.” Hartford died in 2001, and Tim sang the song at his funeral.

“The only thing that could make this better would be if Dad could be here. He would know what to say,” said daughter Katie Hartford Hogue. As it turned out, he did. John left behind a quote that says, “Bluegrass is America’s last small town. Everybody knows everybody. And you don’t have to lock your doors.”

The show was ably hosted by Jerry Douglas, Sharon White and Cheryl White. At one point, Jerry donned a long silver wig to mock the locks of Ricky Skaggs. Presenters included Kenny & Amanda Smith. Recalling their first date, Kenny quipped, “She said the three words that would melt the heart of any man: ‘You wanna pick?’” Presenters Eddie & Martha Adcock referenced his headline-making recent brain surgery wherein he played his banjo during the operation.

Also taking the stage to hand out honors were Michael Martin Murphey, Hazel Dickens, Peter Rowan, The Grascals, Buck White, Aussies The Davidson Brothers, Dan Tyminski, Missy Raines, Melodie Cannon, humorous Rodney Dillard and Alison Krauss.

For a complete list of winners click HERE.

Performance Royalty Wrangling Spurs FM Research

The new Apple iPod nano music player has a built-in FM tuner.

As part of the debate framing the discussion of a performance royalty for terrestrial radio, airwaves advocate NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) has asked for a government mandate that all cell phones be equipped with an FM radio.

The CEA (consumer electronics association) has recently released a study showing that 70% of cell phone and smart phone owners were not interested in having FM built into their device. The study also showed that 80% opposed a government mandate to require them.

On the other side of the aisle, the NAB’s research shows that 73% of cell owners considered “having a radio in their cell phone for local weather and emergency alerts would be very or somewhat important.” NAB also reports that more than 50% of those surveyed didn’t realize that FM was an option in cell phones.

CEA President Gary Shapiro said, “We understand that radio broadcasters are facing competition from new services and technologies, but rather than rely on government mandates, we encourage broadcasters to provide innovative services that Americans actually want to use.”

Joe Nichols Makes $125,000 Donation

Joe Nichols has donated winnings of $125,000 from his appearance on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader to Missouri’s Camp Barnabas. The camp provides life-changing opportunities each summer for almost 1300 young people with special needs and chronic diseases. Nichols’ younger sister Kelli has been among the attendees over the past several years.

According to Cyndy Teas, the camp’s co-founder and director of development, Nichols’ donation will be combined with a fund program from the Mabee Foundation making it possible for the camp to break ground immediately on a much-needed Health Care Facility.

“Every camper who comes to our summer program has a medical need,” Teas explains, “applying the money from Joe in this way provides the maximum benefit for the dollar to all of the campers. We are so appreciative of his honoring us and his sister Kelli in this way.”

Nichols will continue to tour through early December while his latest single, “The Shape I’m In” moves up the charts.

Opry Plans “Spirit Of Nashville Day”

Opry member Dierks Bentley will host a virtual tour of the refurbished Opry house Saturday, Oct. 2

With the Grand Ole Opry now returned to its permanent home at the Opry House, visitors and fans are invited to celebrate its homecoming on “Spirit of Nashville Day” Saturday, October 2.

The day will offer free tours of the Opry House from 10 am – 4 pm CT, as well as free music in the plaza starting at 12 noon and including a 6 pm performance by CMA Award nominees The Band Perry. Special Opry shows will recognize persons affected by the May 2010 Nashville flooding, as well as many who assisted with the relief efforts. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean will join the 7 pm Opry show as a Guest Announcer, and performers for the night’s shows include Charley Pride, Craig Morgan and Kevin Costner.

For those unable to attend in person, Opry member Dierks Bentley will host his own Opry House tour for fans around the globe on the Opry’s Facebook page, starting at 10 am. Bentley is also celebrating his 5th anniversary as an Opry member with a performance tomorrow night (Oct. 1).

“Spirit of Nashville Day” kicks off the Opry’s 85th Birthday Month, which includes highlights such as the 85th Birthday Bash (Oct. 8-9) with Trace Adkins, Roy Clark, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and more; Opry Goes Pink (Oct. 15) supporting breast cancer awareness with the Judds and Kimberly Williams-Paisley; and Blake Shelton’s Opry Induction (Oct. 23).

Republic Nashville's The Band Perry will play a free concert Saturday, Oct. 2 at the Grand Ole Opry House.

Aldean’s Concert For The Cure

Jason Aldean will donate all proceeds from his Oct. 15 show in Evansville, Ind. as part of his 5th Annual Concert For The Cure to benefit Susan G. Komen For The Cure. Ticket and donation information is available at www.jasonaldean.com.

“Most of my long-time fans know that I had a really good friend die of breast cancer when she was only 29.  The day she passed away, my family decided that we would always do something to carry on her memory and to help in the fight,” explains Aldean.  “Everybody I know has been touched by it…they say a woman dies every 69 seconds from it.  October is breast cancer awareness month, and it just felt like the right time to do our event this year.  We’re taking it out of Nashville this year too, so that fans from other parts of the country can be involved.  It’s going to be a great night.”

Aldean is set to release his fourth studio album, My Kinda Party, on Nov. 2.

ZBB This Week’s Top Dog, Next Week Chesney?

Country’s big sales stories are the No. 1, 2 and 3 CDs on this week’s Top 75 Current Country Albums list—Zac Brown Band (153k+), Billy Currington (45k) and Jamey Johnson (30k). ZBB’s last studio album is close to 2.3 million and so this debut’s opening number may seem a bit shy of expectations, but it bin jumped with enough heat to also own the No. 1 spot on the Top Current Albums chart. Based upon Zac’s last CD, which opened with sales of only 44k on 11/18/08, the real measure of success will be the build between this week’s starting gate and the close of the holiday season. By the way, 53k of ZBB’s 153k total sales were digital, about 34%. Also of note is Johnson’s 2-disc set which saw sales slide a  less than normal (for a 2nd week) 52%. Johnson’s tour de force is generating buckets of critical acclaim.

A bit further down the list we see Randy Houser’s No. 8 debut, They Call Me Cadillac with almost 9k units sold.

Checking a few more of country’s vital signs, 818.5k country tracks were sold on the Digital Genre Country 100 chart down slightly form 821k last week. YTD album sales (physical & digital) for both the overall business and for country are starting to align. The overall business is down 13.1% Y/Y, and country, including this week’s debuts is down 13.3%. There was lots of talk this week about the sputtering market for physical CDs, but note that this year, 80% of all country album sales are physical (72% of all-genre sales are physical.) However, despite the heavily tipped physical format scale, the overall numbers are dropping, so the pie is indeed shrinking. (Source: Nielsen SoundScan)

Looking to next week’s numbers there is an increasingly good chance that country music might again occupy the pinnacle on the all-genre album list. After first day sales, insiders are predicting that Kenny Chesney’s new title Hemingway’s Whiskey may scan from 180-200k units which should place him in the exalted “top dog” position.

Farm Aid Concert To Be Broadcast On Sirius XM

The 25th Annual Farm Aid concert Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope For America, will take place Saturday, October 2 at Milwaukee’s Miller Park. Scheduled performers include Farm Aid President Willie Nelson, board members Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds), as well as Norah Jones, Jamey Johnson, Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco), Jason Mraz, Randy Rogers Band, the BoDeans, Band of Horses, Amos Lee, and more.

Sirius XM listeners will be able to catch the concert live on Sirius XM channel Willie’s Place (Sirius ch. 64 / XM ch. 13) starting at 1 pm CT. Sirius XM’s Dallas Wayne will be on hand to offer backstage interviews and behind-the-scenes coverage.

Armiger Celebrates CD Release At SESAC

Cover girl Katie Armiger. Photo: Izzynashville.com

Katie Armiger celebrated the upcoming Oct. 5 release of her third Cold River Records album, Confessions Of A Nice Girl to a packed house at SESAC (9/29). Armiger performed selected tracks from the new CD with musical help from special guests such as Rebecca Lynn Howard, guitarist Jesse Tucker, Bruce Wallace, Joe West and others. In the crowd was Bonnie Baker, who produced and co-wrote “Can You Handle It.” The album’s name was chosen by fans who voted for the title. Armiger co-wrote 9 of the 13 tracks.

GAC streamed the event live, powered by AristoWorks. Radio personality Scott Lindy, interviewed Armiger during several strategic breaks, asking her questions that had been submitted online by fans. Over 1300 fans from all over the world logged in to view the stream. Music from Confessions Of A Nice Girl can be previewed at www.katiearmiger.com

Writer’s Den Adds Alex Heddle

Alex Heddle has recently been added to the team at Writer’s Den Music Group as Catalog Manager/Song Plugger. Heddle formerly oversaw all creative aspects at Propel Music, where he spent the past two years.

“We are thrilled to have someone with Alex’s experience and enthusiasm as a part of our group,” says Head of Publishing, Bobby Rymer. “We look forward to working together as we continue to grow the company.”

Artist Run-Down: Dunn Goes Solo; Urban Seeks Fan Input

Keith Urban’s camp is seeking fan feedback about the cover of his upcoming album, Get Closer, in stores on November 16. Which one do you like better? Vote on his Facebook page.

Ronnie Dunn is self-producing a solo album expected to release in 2011 on the Arista Nashville label.

Steve Azar was a recent guest on Southern Fried Flicks With Hazel Smith. His single “Sunshine (Everybody Needs A Little)” is Top 30 and climbing.

Catch Blake Shelton tonight (9/29) on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He’ll perform “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking.”

Jewel “got in the ring” to film the music video for her new single “Ten.”

Matt Gary has partnered with the Quarterback Records team (founder Chris Allums and Ettinger Talent Associates’ John Ettinger) for promotion of his second single “I’m Just Sayin.’” Written by Frank Myers, Gary B. Baker and Billy Montana, it goes for adds October 11.

Congrats to Love And Theft’s Brian Bandas and girlfriend Kelly Barons who were married over the weekend.

Joe Nichols was in the house—and onstage— when Nickelback kicked off their latest tour at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The band did a short rendition of Nichols’ “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off,” and then their own hit “Rockstar.” The audience got a surprise when the band brought Nichols onstage to sing along (video below).

Pictured (l-r): Nickelback's bassist Mike Kroeger, frontman Chad Kroeger, Nichols, and Nickelback's drummer Daniel Adair and guitarist Ryan Peake.