Pictured (L-R): Dean Dillon, George Strait, Robert Earl Keen, Cole Claassen (film director). Photo: Jon-Paul Bruno
A new songwriter documentary has been released.
Tennessee Whiskey – The Dean Dillon Story chronicles the songwriting and influences of legendary BMI tunesmith Dean Dillon.
“There’s a lot of people that go to Dean for songs,” cited George Strait in the film. “But I don’t know how many of ’em have his songs on every record they ever recorded.”
In addition to appearances by Strait in the film, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Kix Brooks, Robert Earl Keen and Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson were cited.
During an exclusive industry gathering at the Franklin Theater on Tuesday, Nov. 14, A-list Nashville talent gathered surrounding the film. Among them were Leslie Satcher, Jeffrey Steele, Pam Tillis, Brandy Clark, Rory Feek, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Stapleton, Chesney, and Strait with his wife Norma. Hosted by the film’s director Cole Claassen, BMI and Sony/ATV, the VIP cocktail reception and preview began with a short welcome from the man of the hour.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think anything like this would ever happen, to be quite honest,” said Dillon. “I want to thank my way-better half, Susie. And most of my kids are here tonight—that’s important to me.” Strangely, no family member interviews notably stood out in the 80-minute film.
Claassen and Dillon met at the Mountain High Music Festival in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado.
“I said, ‘Dean, let’s make a movie about you. I want to tell your story.’ He hemmed-and-hawed and finally said, ‘Let’s do it,'” said Claassen. “This is a highlight of my career and life. I appreciate Dean and Susie for letting me in their life. I am humbled to have that opportunity.”
BMI Icon songwriter Dillon has written more than 26 No. 1 songs, with the majority of those recorded by his longtime friend and “King of Country” George Strait, including “The Chair,” “Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her,” “Ocean Front Property,” “Famous Last Words of a Fool,” “I’ve Come to Expect It From You,” “If I Know Me,” “Easy Come, Easy Go,” “She Let Herself Go” and “Living for the Night.” Dillon also wrote the classic “Tennessee Whiskey,” most recently popularized by Stapleton.
The film is available for rent or purchase in iTunes.
Tennessee Whiskey: Official Trailer from Cole Claassen on Vimeo.
Dean Dillon Movie Preview Attracts George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Kenny Chesney
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (L-R): Dean Dillon, George Strait, Robert Earl Keen, Cole Claassen (film director). Photo: Jon-Paul Bruno
A new songwriter documentary has been released.
Tennessee Whiskey – The Dean Dillon Story chronicles the songwriting and influences of legendary BMI tunesmith Dean Dillon.
“There’s a lot of people that go to Dean for songs,” cited George Strait in the film. “But I don’t know how many of ’em have his songs on every record they ever recorded.”
In addition to appearances by Strait in the film, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Kix Brooks, Robert Earl Keen and Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson were cited.
During an exclusive industry gathering at the Franklin Theater on Tuesday, Nov. 14, A-list Nashville talent gathered surrounding the film. Among them were Leslie Satcher, Jeffrey Steele, Pam Tillis, Brandy Clark, Rory Feek, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Stapleton, Chesney, and Strait with his wife Norma. Hosted by the film’s director Cole Claassen, BMI and Sony/ATV, the VIP cocktail reception and preview began with a short welcome from the man of the hour.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think anything like this would ever happen, to be quite honest,” said Dillon. “I want to thank my way-better half, Susie. And most of my kids are here tonight—that’s important to me.” Strangely, no family member interviews notably stood out in the 80-minute film.
Claassen and Dillon met at the Mountain High Music Festival in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado.
“I said, ‘Dean, let’s make a movie about you. I want to tell your story.’ He hemmed-and-hawed and finally said, ‘Let’s do it,'” said Claassen. “This is a highlight of my career and life. I appreciate Dean and Susie for letting me in their life. I am humbled to have that opportunity.”
BMI Icon songwriter Dillon has written more than 26 No. 1 songs, with the majority of those recorded by his longtime friend and “King of Country” George Strait, including “The Chair,” “Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her,” “Ocean Front Property,” “Famous Last Words of a Fool,” “I’ve Come to Expect It From You,” “If I Know Me,” “Easy Come, Easy Go,” “She Let Herself Go” and “Living for the Night.” Dillon also wrote the classic “Tennessee Whiskey,” most recently popularized by Stapleton.
The film is available for rent or purchase in iTunes.
Tennessee Whiskey: Official Trailer from Cole Claassen on Vimeo.
John Oates Teams With All-Star Americana Band For ‘Arkansas’
/by Lorie HollabaughJohn Oates has teamed with some stars in the Americana music world to bring his new album, Arkansas, to life. The project, his first for Thirty Tigers, is scheduled for release Feb. 2.
The album originally began as a tribute to Oates’ idol, Mississippi John Hurt. During a series of Nashville recording sessions, it evolved organically to become a unique collection featuring a wide range of Oates’ musical influences. Oates describes it as “Dixieland, dipped in bluegrass, and salted with Delta blues.”
“This is the record I have always wanted to make, with the band to bring it to life. After all these years, I feel I’ve finally been able to capture the sound that’s in my head,” said Oates.
The album was recorded at Addiction Studios in Nashville and produced by Oates and David Kalmusky, who also engineered and mixed it. The “Good Road Band” featured on the project includes Sam Bush on mandolin, Russ Pahl on pedal steel, Guthrie Trapp on electric guitar, Steve Mackey on bass, Nathaniel Smith on cello, and Josh Day on drums and percussion.
Oates shines a light on music from America’s past long before the birth of rock ‘n’ roll on the new project, with fresh interpretations including the Emmett Miller classic “Anytime” from 1924, as well as the Jimmie Rodgers tune, “Miss the Mississippi and You,” from 1932. Re-imagined traditional Delta, country blues and ragtime selections salute legendary artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Blind Blake. Two new original tracks by Oates blend seamlessly with the traditional roots material, as well as John’s deep catalog of Hall and Oates hits.
Nashville Band Moon Taxi To Release First RCA Records Album In January
/by Lorie HollabaughMoon Taxi is set to release their fifth studio album, Let The Record Play, on Jan. 19, 2018 via RCA Records. This marks the band’s first project for RCA and is available for pre-order via ridethemoontaxi.com and all digital retailers
Let The Record Play features 10 tracks, including their global streaming hit “Two High,” which is currently No. 1 at Triple A Radio and has garnered over 64 million streams on Spotify alone. Fans who pre-order the album will be treated to the brand-new song and title track “Let The Record Play” as an instant grat track.
The band recently released the official music video for “Two High,” which trails the band and their fans throughout the world, backstage and on stage at their electrifying live shows. Members Trevor Terndrup (vocals, guitarist), Spencer Thomson (guitarist and producer), Wes Bailey (keyboardist), Tommy Putnam (bassist) and Tyler Ritter (drummer) just completed the North American leg of the “Put ‘Em Up” tour and are currently touring in Europe before ending the year with select shows in the U.S.
Let The Record Play Track Listing:
‘Nashville’ To End After Season 6
/by Jessica NicholsonSeason 6 will be the last for CMT’s Nashville, entertainment company Lionsgate revealed on Friday (Nov. 17). CMT picked up the series in 2016, giving the show its fifth and sixth seasons, after a four-season run on ABC.
The final, 16-episode sixth season will launch Thursday, Jan. 4 on CMT, with the finale set to air in summer 2018. Long-time SVOD partner Hulu will continue to bring new episodes of Nashville throughout the season, making them available after they air on CMT.
The series is produced by Lionsgate and Opry Entertainment and is executive produced by Marshall Herskovitz, Ed Zwick, Steve Buchanan and Callie Khouri, who created the series.
“All of us on Nashville are so incredibly grateful to the show’s fans, who convinced CMT to give us a chance to keep telling the story of these remarkable characters,” said Herskovitz. “And we want to return the favor with a final season that celebrates all the joys and passions, twists and turns — and amazing music! — that made Nashville such an exciting journey for the last six years.”
“After more than 120 episodes of unforgettable television, we believe that creatively it is time for the series to come to its triumphant close at the end of the upcoming season,” said Kevin Beggs, Chairman of the Lionsgate Television Group. We’re very proud of our incredibly talented cast and crew, the creative brilliance of our showrunners, and the loyal support of our great partners at CMT, Hulu and ABC Studios. Most importantly, we owe a special debt of thanks to the Nashville fans who propelled the series to an incredible run. We owe it to them to make the 6th season the most exciting and memorable of all.”
The show has inspired 22 soundtracks since its debut (including a Christmas project), which have collectively sold more than one million albums and over 5 million single-track downloads.
Nielsen 360 Survey Finds AM/FM Radio Still Preferred Music Discovery Method
/by Jessica NicholsonA recent Nielsen U.S. Music 360 study has found that while streaming continues to increase in popularity among music listeners, AM/FM radio still stands as the primary way listeners discover new music, according to 49 percent of study participants.
The second most-popular avenue for discovering new music is recommendations from friends and relatives (40 percent), followed by online music services (27 percent) and social media (25 percent). 72 percent on study participants who stream music online also listen to some form of radio.
The study found that 90 percent of the population listens to music, with consumers spending an average of 32.1 hours per week listening to music. The survey also found that people spend an average of $156 on music each year, the majority of that allocated to live performances.
Outside of concert attendance, survey participants spent 41 percent of their music listening time consuming music through streaming, while terrestrial and satellite radio took 25 percent of listening time. Fourteen percent of listening time was spent on music from a digital music library, and physical formats took up 11 percent of listening time.
Source: Nielsen
Among those who consume music via streaming, Nielsen’s study says that 58 percent of listeners create their own playlists, and 32 percent of listeners share the playlists with others. Forty-eight percent of study participants said that they preferred making their own playlists to listening to the playlists of others, while many participants ranked playlists made by family or friends as more important than those created by experts or artists.
Given the multitude of ways to consume music, the study found music listeners use an average of 3.4 devices weekly to consume music, with that number ticking up to 3.8 devices on average for teens and millennials.
Social media is increasingly vital for listeners to stay up to date on news about their favorite artists, with 55 percent of all music listeners in the study saying they use social media to stay informed about artists they like. Primarily, they use social media to discover news of upcoming albums (54 percent), tour updates (50 percent) and behind-the-scenes information about an artist’s life (48 percent).
Nielsen’s collected data for the study from an online survey in August 2017, involving more than 3,000 music consumers over 13 years of age. The data was weighted to reflect U.S. census population information including age, gender, region, education and more.
For more statistics from Nielsen’s 2017 360 Survey, visit Nielsen.com.
Weekly Chart Report 11/17/17
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
Rebel Engine Entertainment Forms In-House Radio Promo Team
/by Lorie Hollabaugh“We are thrilled to welcome such a passionate, professional and knowledgeable team to Rebel Engine,” shares label Vice President, Carli McLaughlin. “Mike, Chris and David are truly top-notch, and we couldn’t be prouder to establish our Radio Promotions Division with their veteran experience.”
Mike Borchetta brings over 50 years of industry experience to the new promotions department. As Vice President of Curb Records, Borchetta played an instrumental role in signing Tim McGraw to the label and in moving the label’s headquarters from Burbank to Nashville. As head of indie label Lofton Creek, Borchetta took “I Loved Her First” by Heartland to the top of the charts.
David Shaw comes to Rebel Engine most recently from Reviver Records, where he fought for LOCASH’s No. 1 hit “I Love This Life.” He also spent 15 years at Columbia Records.
Chris Borchetta is a 15-year promotions veteran with stops at Big Machine, Lofton Creek, Category 5, and most recently Star Farm Promotions.
Dan Bremnes Signs With Word Entertainment
/by Lorie HollabaughWord Entertainment has signed singer/songwriter Dan Bremnes to its roster. On the heels of this new partnership, the British Columbia native will release “Going Together.” The track marks his first digital single since the release of his 2015 major label debut album, Where The Light Is (Sparrow/Capitol CMG).
“I’m very excited to start on this next chapter, and am truly honored to work with such an exceptional team,” Bremnes shared.
Produced by Toronto-based Mike Wise and mixed by Dan Weston, “Going Together” is dedicated to Bremnes’ wife of ten years, Britt. “From day one she has been the most supportive, sacrificial and amazing partner,” Bremnes said. “This is our love story.”
A special lyric video created for the song features Bremnes’ Instagram feed chronicling he and Britt’s adventures together, including the birth of their children, son Eli (3) and daughter Eden (6 months).
Bremnes is currently on the Winter Jam Spectacular tour, and will again join the 47-city tour from January through March, opening for headliners Lecrae and Skillet and performing a solo set with loop pedals and samplers. In December, he will head back to Canada to headline 16 dates on his inaugural Christmas tour, Jingle All The Way.
Women’s Music Business Association Names Officers, Wonder Woman Award Winners
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Jana Horvath, Rachael Miller, Charlene Bryant, Mary Larimer, Kortney Toney, Lauren Simon and Ellen Mundy. Not Pictured: Dana Dickie
The Women’s Music Business Association (WMBA) held their annual Wonder Woman Awards on Tuesday (Nov. 14) at The Valentine in downtown Nashville. The event this year included a mixer for potential new members of the organization, the award ceremony, and the election of WMBA’s 2018 officers.
This year’s Wonder Woman Award winners were:
Rookie of the Year Award: Kelsey Wise
Humanitarian Award: Dana Lalevee
The Extra Mile Award: Jana Horvath
The Unsung Hero Award: Makenzie Williams
The Spirit Award: Kortney Toney
The Ambassador Award: Charlene Bryant
Movin’ On Up Award: Emilie Gilbert
The Confidante Award: Nancy Deckant
Wonder Woman Award: Lisa Boullt
Following the Wonder Woman Awards ceremony, WMBA’s 2018 officers were announced. The officers, who were voted on by current members of WMBA, will begin their new terms in January 2018.
WMBA 2018 Officers:
President: Ellen Mundy
Vice President: Lauren Simon
Secretary: Kortney Toney
Treasurer: Jana Horvath
Events & Education Co-Chairs: Mary Larimer and Dana Dickie
Membership & Marketing Co-Chairs: Charlene Bryant and Rachael Miller
The Women’s Music Business Association is a 501(c)6 nonprofit membership organization dedicated to fostering opportunities for women within the music industry through education, networking, industry involvement, and community service.
Entercom, CBS Radio Officially Merge
/by Jessica NicholsonThe deal was first announced in February 2017.
“We are thrilled to officially close our transformational merger with CBS Radio and welcome their talented employees and iconic brands to Entercom,” said David Field, Entercom’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to capitalizing on our unique positions in sports, news, music, podcasting, live events, digital and more to provide outstanding experiences for our listeners and compelling integrated marketing opportunities for our advertisers. We now have the scale and capabilities to drive meaningful growth and to compete more effectively with other media for a larger share of advertising dollars. We also look forward to helping to elevate the Radio industry, which remains massively undervalued by advertisers despite having emerged as America’s #1 Reach medium, delivering outstanding ROI to customers.”
Earlier this week, Entercom named its format captains including Mike Moore (Country), Steve Butler (News), Mark Chernoff (Sports), Jimmy Gonzalez (Spanish), Brian Kelly (Top 40), Michael Martin (Alternative), Diane Newman (Talk), Nikki Nite (Adult Contemporary), Dave Richards (Rock/Classic Rock), Reggie Rouse (Urban), Jim Ryan (Classic Hits) and Steve Salhany (Hot Adult Contemporary).
Entercom’s post-merger 244 stations follows iHeartRadio’s 850 stations and Cumulus’ 460 stations across the U.S.