Weekly Register: Pistol Annies, Rosanne Cash Make Top Country Album Debuts

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Country Albums

Pistol Annies. Photo: Miller Mobley

Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley reside at the top of this week’s country albums chart, as their trio Pistol Annies’ third album Interstate Gospel debuts at No. 1, with 30K in total consumption (27K album only), according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Luke Combs‘ This One’s For You is at No. 2 with 21K in total consumption. Dan+Shay‘s self-titled effort lands at No. 3 with 13.4K. Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller is at No. 4 with 12.4K, followed by Kane Brown‘s self-titled album at No. 5 with 11.2K.

Another notable debut is Rosanne Cash at No. 16 on the country chart, with She Remembers Everything moving 5.7K (5.5K album only).

 

Country Streaming 

Kane Brown. Photo: Joseph Llanes

Kane Brown continues to ride high on the country streaming sales chart, with “Heaven” at No. 1 again, with 7.2 million streams this week. Dan+Shay‘s “Speechless” is at No. 2 with 6.1 million streams. The duo’s “Tequila” is at No. 3 with 6.7 million streams this week, followed by Chris Stapleton‘s “Tennessee Whiskey,” at No. 4 with 6.3 million. Luke Combs‘ “She Got The Best Of Me” is at No. 5 with 5.6 million.

 

Country Digital Songs Sales

Dan+Shay. Photo: Patrick Tracy

Dan+Shay top the digital country songs chart with “Speechless” moving 11.4K.  Jimmie Allen‘s “Best Shot” is at No. 2 with 7.4K, while Luke Combs‘ “She Got The Best Of Me” is at No. 3 with 7.3K. Chris Stapleton‘s “Tennessee Whiskey” is at No. 4 with 7.1K, while Brett Young‘s “In Case You Didn’t Know” rounds out the Top 5 with 6.6K.

Eric Church Added To CMA Awards Lineup

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Eric Church joins the growing list of artists who will be performing on tomorrow night’s “52nd Annual CMA Awards,” which will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on ABC. Church has won three CMA awards, including Album of the Year in 2012 and 2016 and Musical Event of the Year in 2015, and has been nominated 25 times. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return to host the awards for the 11th consecutive year.

The lineup for Country Music’s Biggest Night will also include performances by Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean with Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley with Brothers Osborne, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha, Midland, Kacey Musgraves, Old Dominion, Brad Paisley, Pistol Annies, Thomas Rhett, Ricky Skaggs, Chris Stapleton with Maren Morris and Mavis Staples, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Brett Young. Special appearances include Lindsay Ell, Vince Gill, Sierra Hull, Chris Janson, Ashley McBryde, David Lee Murphy, Jon Pardi, Carson Peters, Marty Stuart and Cole Swindell.

Those set to present on the show include Jimmie Allen, Bobby Bones, Kane Brown, Sharna Burgess, Olivia Culpo, Mackenzie Foy, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, Martina McBride, Carly Pearce, Dennis Quaid, Lionel Richie, Noah Schnapp, Rita Wilson and Trisha Yearwood. 

Country Trio Pistol Annies Debut At No. 1 With Third Album ‘Interstate Gospel’

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Pistol Annies. Photo: Miller Mobley

Pistol Annies‘ third album Interstate Gospel (RCA Records Nashville) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. The project moved over 26K in its debut week, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

The album is led by the single, “Got My Name Changed Back.”

Interstate Gospel follows 2013’s Annie Up, and 2011’s Gold-certified Hell on Heels, which also produced Platinum certification from title track.

The trio, comprised of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley, will perform as part of the CMA Awards, airing on ABC on Wednesday, Nov. 14. They recently previewed the album with a show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, as well as concerts at New York City’s The Town Hall, and Los Angeles’ The Novo.

YouTube video

Kane Brown Sets Apple Music Record

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Kane Brown‘s latest album, Experiment, which released Nov. 9, has already set a new U.S. record on Apple Music, as the largest debut for a country album in the first 24 hours of release. In one day, the new album garnered more than 2.5 million streams.

On Nov. 1, a week ahead of the album release of Experiment, Apple Music hosted an exclusive one-night-only performance for Kane Brown fans at 12th and Porter in Nashville, where Brown premiered brand new music from Experiment, and invited fans into his world with an advance screening of Apple Music Presents: Kane Brown – Experiment.

Brown and Apple Music have a solid history; Brown was the first country artist to be played globally on Apple Music’s Beats 1. He is also a staple on Apple Music’s playlists including Country Wide, The A-List: Country, and his own Essentials Playlists.

 

 

ole Appoints New CEO

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Helen Murphy

Independent music publisher ole has named a new chief executive officer. Helen Murphy has been announced as successor to Robert Ott, who will continue to serve as an advisor to Murphy and the ole Board of Directors.

Murphy previously founded International Media Services, Inc, which provides strategic and financial advisory services to clients in the global media and entertainment industries. Services include structuring and negotiating brand extensions; negotiating and executing new media/digital growth opportunities; financial/organizational restructuring and integration activities; and negotiating and structuring acquisitions.

Murphy said, “I am passionate about music and very excited that the music industry has returned to growth around the world. Given the ever-increasing ways people have to consume music, I believe we have an incredible opportunity at ole to continue to create value for our songwriters, our artists and our global production music and intellectual property business partners. I look forward to working with the team at ole and with its founding partner, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers’).”

Prior to founding IMS in 2004, Helen was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Warner Music Group (WMG). At WMG, Murphy was responsible for the finance, human resources, business development, information technology and real estate functions. In 2012, she was the lead external negotiator for Sony Corporation and Mubadala Development Company to acquire The EMI Music Publishing catalog for $1 billion and to negotiate a long-term administration deal for the Sony/ATV Catalog with Mubadala. Murphy also was CFO for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and led the initial public offering of the company. In the 1990’s, she held a series of senior financial positions, including CFO at PolyGram Music Group (now Universal Music Group).

“It has been a privilege and honor to found ole and grow the company to its present position as a global player,” Ott said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with many incredible people over the years and have learned so much from them. I’m thankful to Ontario Teachers for their belief in a dream and wish Helen Murphy and ole every success in the future.”

Ontario Teachers’ Senior Managing Director, Capital Markets, Gillian Brown said, “We believe that Helen’s track-record, industry knowledge, creative relationships and passion for excellence make her the right person to lead the next phase of ole’s growth and development in this exciting time for the company and for the industry. We thank Robert for the contribution he has made to ole during his tenure. His decision to stay on as an advisor to Helen and the Board will ensure a smooth transition and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Trisha Yearwood, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Carly Pearce Among CMA Awards Presenters

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Pictured (clockwise from top L): Carly Pearce, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Little Big Town

Several presenters have been announced for the upcoming CMA Awards, set for Wednesday, Nov. 14.

Martina McBride, Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum, Trisha Yearwood, Carly Pearce, Jimmie Allen, Kane Brown, Dustin Lynch, media personality Bobby Bones, ABC’s Dancing With The Stars dancer Sharna Burgess, model/actress Olivia Culpo, Disney’s Mackenzie Foy, singer/actor Dennis Quaid, actor Noah Schnapp, Lionel Richie and Rita Wilson are all set to present during the telecast.

The CMA Awards, hosted for the 11th consecutive year by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will air live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville beginning at 8 p.m. ET on the ABC Television Network.

CMA Awards Vocal Group of the Year nominee LANCO will host the pre-telecast portion of the night. They will be introduced to the stage by CMA’s inaugural KixStart Artist Scholarship recipients Kassi Ashton, Travis Denning and Jameson Rodgers. During the pre-telecast, the winner for Musician of the Year will be awarded, as well as the winners of the previously-announced Broadcast Awards categories.

In addition to Dan + Shay’s live performance on the CMA Awards, the three-time CMA Awards nominees will also deliver an encore performance of “Speechless” for Comcast’s Xfinity TV customers that will be available exclusively on Xfinity On Demand immediately following the telecast. Customers with Xfinity X1 can access the encore performance simply by saying “Show me Dan + Shay” into their X1 Voice Remote.

Keith Richards Signs Worldwide Deal With BMG For Solo Catalog Representation

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Keith Richards has signed a new worldwide deal to bring his solo catalog to BMG. The agreement now brings together Richards’ 1978 debut solo single and four solo albums from 1988-2010 with his publishing that BMG has represented since 2013.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Richards’ debut solo release, a 1978 recording of the Christmas classic “Run Rudolph Run,” BMG will release a limited edition 45rpm 12” on red vinyl as a Nov. 23 North American Record Store Day exclusive. Remixed and remastered by longtime collaborator Steve Jordan, the package includes a cover of Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come,” a version of  “Pressure Drop” featuring Toots & The Maytals, and a “Santa Keith” holiday card featuring a greeting from Richards himself.

The Record Store Day exclusive follows BMG’s recent digital re-release of Richards’ solo albums Talk Is Cheap, Main Offender, and the studio/live compilation Vintage Vinos on all streaming platforms. Upcoming physical reissues will include deluxe and expanded CDs and LPs, extensive box sets, and additional special projects to be announced soon, including the first ever digital release of Live at the Hollywood Palladium, December 15, 1998.

“It has been a pleasure to build a relationship with Keith and his exceptional team over the past five years,” said BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch. “It is a real honor now to extend that relationship even further to work with his classic solo releases.”

“This agreement paves the way for a  reappraisal and repositioning of the solo work of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s true originals and arguably its most pre-eminent guitarist,” said BMG EVP Global Catalogue Recordings Peter Stack. “Fans can expect a program of releases which truly does justice to these great recordings.”

“Looking forward to working with Hartwig Masuch and everyone at BMG,” added Richards.

 

Warehouse West Entertainment Signs Pop Singer/Songwriter Willie Shaw

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Willie Shaw

Luke Wooten‘s Warehouse West Entertainment has signed an artist development and publishing deal with pop singer/songwriter Willie Shaw.

An Orange County, California native, Shaw started writing and playing guitar at a young age. He received a baseball scholarship at William & Mary. A career-ending injury led him to a master’s in accounting, all the while busking in downtown Williamsburg restaurants. Shaw’s move to Nashville found him working for NASA as a project specialist and then eventually as a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual. He recently gave up life in a suit for performing with his guitar chops and crooning falsetto.

“I am incredibly excited to join the team at Warehouse West,” said Shaw. “I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been afforded this opportunity. Everyone involved with their team is extremely talented, committed, and devoted and I am eager to get to work.”

Wooten said, “The first time Nicole had Willie sing at the office, there was no doubt in my mind. He has a voice that is undeniable and is very clearly in his own lane as an artist. We are extremely proud to have Willie Shaw on board at Warehouse West and believe the sky is the limit.”

Kevin Welch Maintains Top Spot This Week On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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MusicRow Songwriter Chart

Chris Stapleton’s “Millionaire” continues to hold sole-writer Kevin Welch up on top of the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week, just ahead of Josh Osborne with four songs.

Big Machine Music’s Laura Veltz, the only female in the top 20, has moved into No. 3 this week with active song credits including Dan + Shay’s “Speechless” and Maren Morris’ “Rich.” Luke Combs moves into the top five propelled by his co-written tunes, “She Got The Best Of Me” and “Beautiful Crazy.”

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive recent addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Q&A: Trainer Erin Oprea Hosts ‘Brunch And Burn’ To Benefit CMA Foundation

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Pictured (L-R): Erin Oprea, Maren Morris, Ryan Hurd. Photo: Zach Harrison

On Saturday (Nov. 10), Erin Oprea along with her country star clients, Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd, hosted the first CMA Brunch and Burn (sponsored by Avia and FIJI Water) held at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row in Nashville. Proceeds from the event benefit the CMA Foundation and their work to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in a quality music program. Attendees made “pretty muscles” in an hour-long workout session followed by a brunch buffet and meet and greet with Oprea.

Based in Nashville, Oprea is a former marine known for training clients including Morris, Lee Ann Womack, and Carrie Underwood. She is the author of the 4×4 Diet which discusses four healthy eating habits and four-minute tabata workouts to transform your body. MusicRow sat down with Oprea to discuss her history as a trainer, as well as training tips for those in the music business.

MusicRow: How did you get your title as “Trainer to the Stars”?

Oprea: My first client was Aubrie Sellers, then Lee Ann Womack and Frank Liddell. From there, it went to Carrie Underwood. My passion was not to train celebrities, it was to just teach fitness and have fun with it. I wanted to spread the word that fitness could be fun, and through that it spread into what it is. I didn’t go looking to be a celebrity trainer. I get labeled that, but I am just a trainer.

Besides one-on-one personal training and the 4 x 4 Diet book, do you have any other resources for those who want to train like your star clients?

I can train the whole world; I actually have clients in England. I do virtual training classes, one on Monday night at 6 p.m. CT and one at 8:30 a.m. CT on Saturday morning. It is a live interactive class; I only take 30 people at a time. Everybody sees me, and I have a huge screen where I can see everybody, so I watch their form. We do a 45-minute workout and a 15-minute Q&A, where we talk about health and fitness questions. You can’t out train a bad diet. If you eat bad, you can workout all day long, but you are not going to get the benefits that you are looking for.

When did you make the move to Nashville and what brought the move?

End of 2005. My ex-husband wanted to move here, and I got divorced right after that. Then, I was here for custody. So I was like, “Well, I am in Nashville now,” and I hated it. I grew up in San Diego and thought this was awful. But now, I would never move back. I love it here. It has evolved and grown on me. I have the best job here; this is the best city. It was meant to be, but I just didn’t know it at the time.

Photo: Hunter Berry

What is your favorite spot to workout outside of the gym?

The Capitol stairs is one of my favorites. I really find it in every corner of the city. I can workout everywhere. I usually don’t stay put, so I take the whole city and the whole world as my gym. Put me on the corner of Broadway; I will workout.

For those who work in the music industry and are constantly busy, do you have any advice for people who find it hard to get the time to workout?

Time is definitely the issue for most people. It is trying to find [time] in little pockets here and there. Fit in tabatas; do a four-minute workout. You can do those anywhere. Before breakfast if you can get up and go for a little walk, start your steps off. If you can make your goal to get 10,000 steps in a day, you will see such a change in your body just by moving. Our bodies are made to move. The more you move, the better you feel; the more you sit, the worse it gets. Start moving and start mixing in little tabatas throughout the day. It’s easy, it’s quick, it’s effective, and it will work. Fit them in when and where you can.

Do you have any on-the-road snacks or go-to meals?

I live out of my car for 15 hours a day. The only thing I have to eat is what is in my car. I always have my oatmeal, eggs and blueberries. That’s the highlight of my breakfast. I have already had one bowl [today] and this is my second; I always have that in my lunchbox. You can have hard boiled eggs and veggies and dip. I do a thinkThin bar, creamy peanut butter and chocolate. Is it the healthiest, no. Will it keep me from having a sweet tooth, yes. I break it up into a third and get a third each part of the day.

How did the partnership with Maren, Ryan and the CMA Foundation come about?

So my job is all in music and I love both [Maren and Ryan]. I was like, “Let’s do a workout,” and I contacted the CMA and said, “Let’s do something for the charity.”

Do you foresee this event continuing in the future?

I would love to do it. Every year, I want to grow. We started doing a small one this year. I would love to do it next year and hopefully Maren and Ryan will want to continue to do it. This is what I love doing. I love getting on stage and seeing people smile while working out. It can be fun; let’s make it fun.

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow’s Alex Kobrick, Erin Oprea, MusicRow’s Haley Crow