Stars Offer New Web sites, Movies, More

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Lady A's Hillary Scott, and Taylor Swift. Swift has been posting pics she takes with her new Sony camera as part of her endorsement deal with the electronics giant.

Lady A's Hillary Scott, and Taylor Swift. Swift has been posting pics she takes with her new Sony camera as part of her endorsement deal with the electronics giant.

Taylor Swift’s “Today Was A Fairytale” is out now at iTunes. The song is from the film and soundtrack Valentine’s Day, being released by her label Big Machine. She also appears in the new movie. Swift graces the cover of PEOPLE’s Star Style Special Issue, on stands now. She also has a totally revamped web site.

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Lady Antebellum sold out their headlining Ryman debut minutes after the March 11 show went on sale. So the band added a second show, set for March 10, and both nights sold out within 30 minutes.

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Brooks & Dunn have a new web site, developed, designed and managed by Sparkart Group, Inc. Ryan Bitzer, Sparkart Nashville’s VP of Business Development, works locally for the Oakland-based company whose other music clients include Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Evanescence, Janet Jackson, and The Killers. Brooks & Dunn’s The Last Rodeo tour launches April 23.

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TouchTunes Interactive Networks, the digital jukebox company, is hosting The Miranda Lambert Join The Revolution Sweepstakes. Fans can enter for a chance to win a fly-away trip for two to see Lambert in concert with Brad Paisley. Fans can enter on the digital jukeboxes or through the TouchTunes Facebook page.
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Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3-D is set to open across the nation on April 21. He has been at Sony Studios in Los Angeles working on the project.

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New UMG Nashville artist Laura Bell Bundy debuts “Giddy On Up,” her first music video and digital single this week. Check out this clip of her characters from Cooter County talking about the world premiere of her music video. Bundy has already found success on Broadway, playing “Elle Woods” in Legally Blonde.

Lady A Sells Ryman 2X; Strait/Reba Tour; Hope For Haiti

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Lady A's Hillary, Charles and Dave are the guest hosts on this week's installment of "CMT Top 20 Countdown," premiering today (1/15). Photo (l-r): Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott, and Charles Kelley. Photo Credit: Brian Bayley

Lady A's Hillary, Charles and Dave are the guest hosts on this week's installment of "CMT Top 20 Countdown," premiering today (1/15). Photo (l-r): Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott, and Charles Kelley. Photo Credit: Brian Bayley

Due to the sell-out success of Lady Antebellum’s upcoming March 11 concert at the Ryman Auditorium, another show has been added on Wed., March 10. Tickets available via ryman.com and Ticketmaster outlets.

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The George Strait/Reba tour kick-offs next weekend in Baltimore, MD with guest Lee Ann Womack. After Baltimore, the tour continues to Greensboro, NC with additional dates coast to coast through March…Reba also has a new DVD coming out. CMT Invitation Only: Reba will be released Tuesday, Feb. 9 via CMT and the Valory Music Co.

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In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti, MTV Networks is presenting Hope for Haiti, a global telethon to air commercial-free across ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, and CMT on Friday, January 22, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and 7:00 p.m. CT. Leading the charge will be George Clooney in Los Angeles, Wyclef Jean in New York City and CNN’s Anderson Cooper from Haiti. Musical performances and celebrity appearances are yet-to-announced. Proceeds will be split evenly among Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF and Yele Haiti Foundation. Facebook and MySpace have also signed on as official social media partners.

Web Network Debuts At Top Of comScore Rankings

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VEVO, a new music video and entertainment service, was the most visited U.S. web network in the Entertainment-Music category last month (Dec 09) with 35,395,000 unique visitors according to comScore. VEVO was created in a partnership with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Abu Dhabi Media Company. It’s powered by YouTube.

The service launched December 8. The VEVO Network platform represents a strategy where its content is available on VEVO.com, YouTube and through a VEVO-branded embedded player, creating the largest music video audience network online.

Music videos from Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Drake, Lady Gaga, Jay Sean, Shakira, Britney Spears and Young Money are the most popular on VEVO this week. The Top 5 U.S. Entertainment-Music networks on the web, according to comScore Media Metrix data, for December 2009 also include: MySpace Music, AOL Music, Warner Music and MTV Networks Music.

McGraw Movie Sets Up In Music City

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tim-mThe new movie starring Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow began production in Nashville this week. MusicRow first broke the story of the new film in October. Shooting will begin in mid January and run through the end of February. Previously reported filming locations include McGraw’s Middle Tennessee ranch.

Love Don’t Let Me Down centers around a down-on-her-luck country singer trying for a comeback (Paltrow), her husband and manager (McGraw), a beauty queen turned singer (Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester) and a gifted songwriter (Friday Night Lights’ Garrett Hedlund). The Hollywood Report says the stars will sing in the musical. Paltrow, an Oscar winner, also sang in the 2000 flick Duets.

E online reports Tobey Maguire is producing the movie but is not expected to have a role. Shana Feste, a favorite from last year’s Sundance, wrote and directed the project. Sony’s Screen Gems, known for the Resident Evil and Underworld movies, is on board as the production company.

The $15 million project will tap area residents for almost 75 percent of the film’s crew and 90 percent of the film’s cast. A posting on Craigslist says the casting office is accepting submissions for paid extras.

McGraw currently appears in the blockbuster hit The Blind Side, which has already made about $220 million.

Jessica Harp Releases New Video, Webisodes

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jessicaharpawomanneeds300Jessica Harp is promoting the video for her single, “A Woman Needs,” with three “making of the video” webisodes on AOL’s The Boot. The webisodes will be released in three parts, starting today (1/11), and on Jan. 15 and 22.

The video will premiere exclusively on The Boot on Jan 25, and the single will impact radio on Jan. 19.

The webisodes will run in correlation with a contest where fans will obtain a code at the end of each webisode to enter into a WBR-powered sweeps page. The sweeps page will be located at www.jessicaharp.com/awomanneeds and the winner will win a weekend getaway to Nashville and a meeting with Harp.

“A Woman Needs” is the title track from Harp’s Warner Bros. Records debut album, set for release later this year.

McGraw Starring In Gillette Series

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McGraw who stopped by CMT Radio Live studios last week.CMT RADIO LIVE WITH CODY ALAN recently kicked off 2010 by welcoming their newest affiliates, bring the total to 79 affiliates nationwide. CMT RADIO LIVE airs weeknights from 7:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. EST, live from CMT’s state-of-the-art radio studio in downtown Nashville. Photo credit: Dingo O'Brien

McGraw stopped by "CMT Radio Live With Cody Alan" recently. The show kicked off 2010 by welcoming new affiliates, bring the total to 79 stations nationwide. Photo: Dingo O'Brien

Tim McGraw is one of the superstar artists in Gillette’s new Uncut digital documentary series, premiering later this month. Shot by renowned music filmmaker/photographer Danny Clinch, the series shows McGraw, will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Mark Hoppus (Blink-182) and the All-American Rejects ft. Tyson Ritter backstage at their concerts getting ready for the show.

This kind of branded entertainment is growing increasingly popular; tying stars and stories in with products.

Gillette will also launch “Shave Like a Rock Star,” a series of tongue-in-cheek shaving tutorials hosted by each artist on its Web site. The Gillette Uncut campaign will be supported by a broadcast television partnership with Fuse TV, print ads, and web partnerships.

Industry Beat: Stroudavarious, Common Grounds

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Nathan Cruise

Nathan Cruise

Bill Catino, President of Stroudavarious Records, announces the addition of Nathan Cruise as Director of Midwest Promotion. He will report to Bill Macky, and will be based in the Nashville offices. Cruise was most recently with Show Dog Records, and prior stints include Arista, Equity, and MCG/Curb Records. He can be contacted at nathan@stroudavarious.com or 615-496-6356.

Catino is still seeking someone to cover the NE region, and will also be staffing up the BamaJam Records promotion department over the next few months. Resumes should be sent to: macky@stroudavarious.com

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Jamie

Jamie Nehasil

Jamie Nehasil has started consulting firm Common Grounds Entertainment, focusing on marketing, artist development, A&R, endorsements, and film/TV. He previously spent eight years at Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group as Director of Music and Marketing, and will keep Tri Star as a consulting client. Tri Star is a business and personal management firm with clients in all aspects of entertainment such as supermodel Niki Taylor, Mat Kearney, Britney Spears, Jamie Lynn Spears, and Titans coach Jeff Fisher.
Nehasil can be reached by email at Jamie@commongroundsentertainment.com or at 615.594.3911.

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Local company Whizbang, Inc. has secured placement of the theme song for new Style Network series Giuliana and Bill. “I Love Loving You” was written by Whizbang clients Adam McCants and Julie Downs. Whizbang also secured client Superchick’s song “So Beautiful” as the theme song for another trendy Style Network series, Running In Heels.
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Live Nation stockholders voted to approve the issuance of Live Nation common stock in connection with its previously announced merger with Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. Over 99% of the shares voted were cast in favor of the merger. The company’s stockholders also approved all other proposals submitted to a vote, including a proposal to change the company’s name to “Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.” following the completion of the merger. The transaction remains subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions.

Performance Royalty Debate Over Ringbacks

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BMI has filed suit against T Mobile, claiming that the mobile phone company hasn’t secured proper licensing for selling ringback tones. According to Digital Music News, the suit filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, Los Angeles, says BMI has licensing agreements with other carriers.

Since BMI and other performing rights organizations deal in collecting performance royalties, the key point at issue is whether or not ringbacks constitute public performances. Ringbacks are typically heard by only one caller.

In October a federal court ruled that ringtones, which can be heard by anyone within earshot of the ringing phone, were not public performances. The judgement came in ASCAP’s suit against Verizon over ringtones. The federal court ruled that neither ringtones played in public nor a mobile carrier’s distribution of a ringtone are public performances.

Swift Is Top Digital Seller In History

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taylor fearlessTaylor Swift has amassed over 24.3 million digital track sales to date, making her the top-selling digital artist ever, according Nielsen SoundScan.

As previously reported by MusicRow, Swift’s Fearless was the best selling album of both 2008 and 2009. It is quintuple Platinum and had sales last year in excess of 3.2 million copies. Taylor claimed the No. 1 and No. 2 positions on Nielsen’s BDS Top 10 Most Played Songs chart (all genres) of ’09, with “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story,” respectively.

Earlier this week she made a surprise appearance at CES in Las Vegas, where Sony Chairman & CEO Sir Howard Stringer introduced her as the newest Brand Ambassador for Sony Electronics. She will use Sony products in 2010 to share her “beautiful experiences” online and from her upcoming tour which picks back up next month in Australia. At the announcement Swift surprised onlookers with a performance of “Love Story” (see video below).

Swift’s next television performance will be on the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, broadcast live Jan. 31 on CBS. She is nominated for eight Grammys, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.

She makes her feature film acting debut in Garry Marshall’s Valentine’s Day, set for US release on Feb. 12. She will also be in an upcoming comic-book style biography from Bluewater Productions called Fame, and her line of American Greetings cards will hit stores in February.

Cumulus Adds Shelly Mullins As Mktg. Dir.

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cumulusCumulus Nashville has added Shelly Mullins as Marketing Director for the radio conglomerate which is made up of 95.5 The Wolf, 97.1 RQQ, SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, 92Q, and i106. Mullins’ more than two decades of experience in the entertainment business includes six years handling publicity and marketing, most recently at Kaleidoscope Media.

Mullins has worked in television and event production on awards shows and programs such as the Farm Aid special. Her other stops include Shop At Home Television, Webster PR, High Five Entertainment, William Morris and Southern Writers Group. She has worked with clients including The Bellamy Brothers, Hank Williams Jr., Ronnie Milsap, Rhonda Vincent, Lee Greenwood, Sprint Sound and Speed, Barney, and the Nashville Screenwriters Conference. Her career began with a gig playing keyboards on the road with David Frizzell.

With the addition of Mullins, Jane Crossman will move to Webmaster within the marketing department, overseeing websites, e-blasts and digital branding. Mark Sullivan is Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cumulus Nashville.

Mullins can be reached at shelly.mullins@cumulus.com or by calling (615) 312-3529.