Pictured (L-R): Sarah Trahern, Kyle Young, Lottie Zavala, Seidina Hubbard, Don Schlitz, Alan Jackson, Sally Williams and Steve Turner. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum [Click photo to enlarge]
BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 575
It might not rank as the party of the year, but the 2017 Medallion Ceremony inducting the new Country Music Hall of Fame members was tops in both musical and emotional quality.
Staged at the CMA Theater in the museum on Sunday evening (Oct. 22), the event saluted inductees Don Schlitz, Alan Jackson and the late Jerry Reed. The show had so many highlights that the audience rose for standing ovations more than 15 times.
“This is the most perfect night in the country-music year,” said the Hall of Fame’s Kyle Young. “These men believed in the enduring power of country music.”
Board chairman Steve Turner also offered greetings. The CMA’s Sarah Trahern eulogized the late Jo Walker-Meador and noted the passings of Jo’s fellow Hall of Famers Don Williams and Glen Campbell during the past year.
Each of the inductions began with a video bio, followed by remarks from Kyle. Here’s the fun part: We are not told in advance which stars will salute the inductees with music, so each performance is a surprise.
What is never a surprise to me is the excellence of the accompaniment. The annual Medallion All-Star Band features such titanic talents as Paul Franklin, Eddie Bayers Jr., Jeff White, Glenn Worf, Brent Mason, Deanie Richardson, Gary Prim, Thom Flora, Tania Hancheroff and Carmella Ramsey, guided by bandleader Biff Watson.
“From the beginning, music was Jerry Reed’s waking dream,” said Kyle in discussing the night’s first inductee. “He was a delight and a treasure.”
Pictured (L-R): Jimmy Melton, Jamey Johnson and Brent Mason perform onstage at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Medallion Ceremony to celebrate 2017 hall of fame inductees Alan Jackson, Jerry Reed And Don Schlitz. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum [Click photo to enlarge]
and
John Knowles teamed up to execute Reed’s challenging instrumental “The Claw.”
Ray Stevens did Reed’s 1971 Grammy-winning hit “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot.”
Jamey Johnson romped through 1977’s “East Bound and Down,” backed by
Jimmy Melton on banjo and Reed acolyte
Brent Mason doing the guitar honors, plus the rest of the Medallion All-Star Band.
Each honoree is officially inducted into the Hall by an existing Hall of Fame member. Bobby Bare did the honors for his long-time fishing buddy.
“Jerry Reed was and still is a true American icon,” said Bobby. “He wasn’t the wild man you saw on stage and TV. Jerry Reed was serious about everything he did.”
Daughter Seidina Hubbard tearfully accepted, saying, “We all want to thank you so much for honoring our father. He said, ‘If my life isn’t proof of the Good Lord at work, I don’t know what is….Every dream I had has come true.’
“Daddy, I wish you could have seen what the world sees in you – an incomparable talent who inspired so many. It’s an honor to stand here for you tonight.”
“For the first time in his life, he would be truly speechless,” added Jerry’s daughter Lottie Zavala.
Kyle related that Don Schlitz has, to date, written 50 top-10 hit singles and 24 No. 1’s. In 1985, Don created the now-standard “in the round” songwriter performance format when he and Medallion Ceremony attendees Paul Overstreet, Thom Schuyler and Fred Knobloch joined forces at The Bluebird Café.
Mary Chapin Carpenter shares a moment with songwriter Don Schlitz. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Pictured (L-R): Aloe Blacc and Vince Gill. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Mary Chapin Carpenter, with whom Schlitz wrote such hits as “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” and “I Feel Lucky,” presented a lovely, reverent alto reading of “When You Say Nothing at All.” Charlie Worsham, joined by Schuyler, Knobloch and Jelly Roll Johnson gave us the moving “Oscar the Angel.”
International pop star Aloe Blacc (Egbert Nathanial Dawkins III) was up next. Noted for such pop hits as “The Man,” “I Need a Dollar” and “Wake Me Up” Blacc was a revelation on “The Gambler” in a duet with Vince Gill.
Vince then inducted his old friend Don: “This is a big thrill to get to do this for you, Don,” he began. “I’m just so proud that we’re friends. At the end of the day, if we don’t have each other, we don’t have very much of all.”
On a lighter note, Vince referred to the notoriously ugly bronze “portraits” on the Hall of Fame plaques. “The scariest part of being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is not your speech; it’s not who’s going to sing your songs. It’s your plaque!”
“We celebrate each other,” reflected Don during his acceptance remarks. “Look around: This is what we call an unbroken circle. This honor is for all of us. No one does this alone. In your life, be part of something bigger than yourself.
“I’ve lived for 40 years within parentheses,” he added, referring to the way songwriter credits are written on records. “This is an honor beyond my comprehension.”
By the way, the plaque’s bronze portrait looks nothing like him. They never do. Vince says that his looks like Lon Chaney.
Moving on, Kyle cited Alan Jackson’s 60 million in sales as placing him among the top-10 solo record sellers, regardless of genre. Alan, he added, has 50 top-10 hits and 35 No. 1’s.
“He was able to reflect on the ways that real people live their lives. Alan’s songs are marvels of distinctiveness and individuality. He is one for the Ages.”
PIctured (L-R):Singer Alison Krauss and guitarist Tommy Emmanuel perform onstage at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Medallion Ceremony. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Lee Ann Womack performed Alan’s career-launching 1990 chart topper “Here in the Real World.” Alison Krauss offered a pristine performance of 1991’s “Someday,” backed by Emmanuel on guitar and featuring her own fiddle coda. George Strait’s resonant rendition of 2003’s “Remember When” was superb.
One of the event’s emotional highlights was the surprise appearance of Loretta Lynn to induct Alan. She has been recovering from a debilitating stroke she suffered on May 5, and this was her first appearance in Nashville since then. Needless to say, she received the longest and loudest of all of the evening’s many standing ovations as she was helped to the podium by George and her daughter Patsy Lynn.
“This is the first time I’ve been out,” said Loretta to the honoree. “You’re the only thing that could’ve brought me out.
“Alan, I love you. I said you’re gonna be one of the greatest singers in country music. He hasn’t let me down….Hey, you should be here.”
“Loretta Lynn said I should be in here – that’s all I needed to hear,” said Alan. “Nashville’s a really special place for music. I’ve been so blessed.
“I write what I know about. I write stuff for my fans. I just write and sing from the heart. Like I wrote in the song [2001’s “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning”], ‘I’m just a singer of simple songs.’ That’s all that I am. I’m just so humbled by this.”
Pictured (L-R): George Strait, Loretta Lynn, Connie Smith and Alan Jackson. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Connie Smith and George Strait came out of the wings, supporting Loretta between them, with Alan close behind. Connie led everyone in singing the traditional Medallion Ceremony finale, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”
The warblers included such illustrious names as Randy Owen, Randy Travis, Jimmy Capps, Jimmy Fortune, Jim Horn, Charlie Daniels, Charlie McCoy, Charlie Cook, Suzy Bogguss & Doug Crider, Marty Stuart, Donna Stoneman, Gary Burr & Georgia Middleman, Lee Thomas Miller, Tony Brown, Kyle Lehning, Lane Brody, Jan Howard, Dickey Lee, The Whites, William Lee Golden and Buddy Cannon.
We retired to the event space upstairs for the second part of the celebration, a gracious cocktail supper. Fare included super-tender roast beef, mac & cheese, romaine salad, prosciutto, salami, cheeses, pasta salad, wilted kale, crostini, flat breads and desserts.
This, of course, also featured massive schmoozing by such industry fabulons as Mike Dungan, Michael Martin, Mike Sistad, Mike Milom, John Huie, John Marks, John Lomax III, David & Karen Conrad, David & Susana Ross, Bill Mayne, Billy Paul, Bill & Janine Walker, Gerry House, Jerry Crutchfield, Jerry & Ernie Williams, Jody Williams and Scott Borchetta.
Not to mention such lovely divinities as Mary Ann McCready, Erin Enderlin, Shannon Hatch, Diane Pearson, Amy Kurland, Denise Stiff, Martha Sharp, Suzi Ragsdale, Sherry Bond, Melanie Howard and Eria Wollam Nichols, plus her equally lovely husband Roger Nichols, sporting a stylish new silver forelock.
Which leaves us to conclude our story with representatives of the hairy-legged contingent – Buck Ford, Les Kerr, Ron Cox, George Gruhn, Rod Essig, Tony Conway, Horton Frank, Pat Higdon, Ed Benson, Gary Overton, Chris Horsnell, Bobby Rymer, Lon Helton, Bruce Hinton and Keith Bilbrey.
Many judged it to be the best Medallion Ceremony to date.
Charlie Worsham performs onstage at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Medallion Ceremony. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Pictured (L-R): Don Schlitz and Randy Travis. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Pictured (L-R): Kris Kristofferson and Bobby Bare. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Pictured (front row, L-R): Alan Jackson, Don Schlitz, Seidina Hubbard, Lottie Zabala, Loretta Lynn, Harold Bradley, Fred Foster, Randy Travis and Charlie Daniels; (middle row, L-R): Kris Kristofferson, Bill Anderson, Bobby Bare, Bobby Braddock, Charlie McCoy, Jimmy Fortune, Connie Smith and George Strait; (back row L-R): Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban, Randy Owen, Vince Gill, Kyle Young, Steve Turner, Sarah Trahern and Sally Williams. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum [Click photo to enlarge]
Bobby Karl Works The 2017 Country Music Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony
/by Bobby KarlPictured (L-R): Sarah Trahern, Kyle Young, Lottie Zavala, Seidina Hubbard, Don Schlitz, Alan Jackson, Sally Williams and Steve Turner. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum [Click photo to enlarge]
Chapter 575
It might not rank as the party of the year, but the 2017 Medallion Ceremony inducting the new Country Music Hall of Fame members was tops in both musical and emotional quality.
Staged at the CMA Theater in the museum on Sunday evening (Oct. 22), the event saluted inductees Don Schlitz, Alan Jackson and the late Jerry Reed. The show had so many highlights that the audience rose for standing ovations more than 15 times.
“This is the most perfect night in the country-music year,” said the Hall of Fame’s Kyle Young. “These men believed in the enduring power of country music.”
Board chairman Steve Turner also offered greetings. The CMA’s Sarah Trahern eulogized the late Jo Walker-Meador and noted the passings of Jo’s fellow Hall of Famers Don Williams and Glen Campbell during the past year.
Each of the inductions began with a video bio, followed by remarks from Kyle. Here’s the fun part: We are not told in advance which stars will salute the inductees with music, so each performance is a surprise.
What is never a surprise to me is the excellence of the accompaniment. The annual Medallion All-Star Band features such titanic talents as Paul Franklin, Eddie Bayers Jr., Jeff White, Glenn Worf, Brent Mason, Deanie Richardson, Gary Prim, Thom Flora, Tania Hancheroff and Carmella Ramsey, guided by bandleader Biff Watson.
“From the beginning, music was Jerry Reed’s waking dream,” said Kyle in discussing the night’s first inductee. “He was a delight and a treasure.”
Pictured (L-R): Jimmy Melton, Jamey Johnson and Brent Mason perform onstage at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Medallion Ceremony to celebrate 2017 hall of fame inductees Alan Jackson, Jerry Reed And Don Schlitz. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum [Click photo to enlarge]
Each honoree is officially inducted into the Hall by an existing Hall of Fame member. Bobby Bare did the honors for his long-time fishing buddy.
“Jerry Reed was and still is a true American icon,” said Bobby. “He wasn’t the wild man you saw on stage and TV. Jerry Reed was serious about everything he did.”
Daughter Seidina Hubbard tearfully accepted, saying, “We all want to thank you so much for honoring our father. He said, ‘If my life isn’t proof of the Good Lord at work, I don’t know what is….Every dream I had has come true.’
“Daddy, I wish you could have seen what the world sees in you – an incomparable talent who inspired so many. It’s an honor to stand here for you tonight.”
“For the first time in his life, he would be truly speechless,” added Jerry’s daughter Lottie Zavala.
Kyle related that Don Schlitz has, to date, written 50 top-10 hit singles and 24 No. 1’s. In 1985, Don created the now-standard “in the round” songwriter performance format when he and Medallion Ceremony attendees Paul Overstreet, Thom Schuyler and Fred Knobloch joined forces at The Bluebird Café.
Mary Chapin Carpenter shares a moment with songwriter Don Schlitz. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Pictured (L-R): Aloe Blacc and Vince Gill. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Mary Chapin Carpenter, with whom Schlitz wrote such hits as “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” and “I Feel Lucky,” presented a lovely, reverent alto reading of “When You Say Nothing at All.” Charlie Worsham, joined by Schuyler, Knobloch and Jelly Roll Johnson gave us the moving “Oscar the Angel.”
International pop star Aloe Blacc (Egbert Nathanial Dawkins III) was up next. Noted for such pop hits as “The Man,” “I Need a Dollar” and “Wake Me Up” Blacc was a revelation on “The Gambler” in a duet with Vince Gill.
Vince then inducted his old friend Don: “This is a big thrill to get to do this for you, Don,” he began. “I’m just so proud that we’re friends. At the end of the day, if we don’t have each other, we don’t have very much of all.”
On a lighter note, Vince referred to the notoriously ugly bronze “portraits” on the Hall of Fame plaques. “The scariest part of being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is not your speech; it’s not who’s going to sing your songs. It’s your plaque!”
“We celebrate each other,” reflected Don during his acceptance remarks. “Look around: This is what we call an unbroken circle. This honor is for all of us. No one does this alone. In your life, be part of something bigger than yourself.
“I’ve lived for 40 years within parentheses,” he added, referring to the way songwriter credits are written on records. “This is an honor beyond my comprehension.”
By the way, the plaque’s bronze portrait looks nothing like him. They never do. Vince says that his looks like Lon Chaney.
Moving on, Kyle cited Alan Jackson’s 60 million in sales as placing him among the top-10 solo record sellers, regardless of genre. Alan, he added, has 50 top-10 hits and 35 No. 1’s.
“He was able to reflect on the ways that real people live their lives. Alan’s songs are marvels of distinctiveness and individuality. He is one for the Ages.”
PIctured (L-R):Singer Alison Krauss and guitarist Tommy Emmanuel perform onstage at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Medallion Ceremony. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Lee Ann Womack performed Alan’s career-launching 1990 chart topper “Here in the Real World.” Alison Krauss offered a pristine performance of 1991’s “Someday,” backed by Emmanuel on guitar and featuring her own fiddle coda. George Strait’s resonant rendition of 2003’s “Remember When” was superb.
One of the event’s emotional highlights was the surprise appearance of Loretta Lynn to induct Alan. She has been recovering from a debilitating stroke she suffered on May 5, and this was her first appearance in Nashville since then. Needless to say, she received the longest and loudest of all of the evening’s many standing ovations as she was helped to the podium by George and her daughter Patsy Lynn.
“This is the first time I’ve been out,” said Loretta to the honoree. “You’re the only thing that could’ve brought me out.
“Alan, I love you. I said you’re gonna be one of the greatest singers in country music. He hasn’t let me down….Hey, you should be here.”
“Loretta Lynn said I should be in here – that’s all I needed to hear,” said Alan. “Nashville’s a really special place for music. I’ve been so blessed.
“I write what I know about. I write stuff for my fans. I just write and sing from the heart. Like I wrote in the song [2001’s “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning”], ‘I’m just a singer of simple songs.’ That’s all that I am. I’m just so humbled by this.”
Pictured (L-R): George Strait, Loretta Lynn, Connie Smith and Alan Jackson. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Connie Smith and George Strait came out of the wings, supporting Loretta between them, with Alan close behind. Connie led everyone in singing the traditional Medallion Ceremony finale, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”
The warblers included such illustrious names as Randy Owen, Randy Travis, Jimmy Capps, Jimmy Fortune, Jim Horn, Charlie Daniels, Charlie McCoy, Charlie Cook, Suzy Bogguss & Doug Crider, Marty Stuart, Donna Stoneman, Gary Burr & Georgia Middleman, Lee Thomas Miller, Tony Brown, Kyle Lehning, Lane Brody, Jan Howard, Dickey Lee, The Whites, William Lee Golden and Buddy Cannon.
We retired to the event space upstairs for the second part of the celebration, a gracious cocktail supper. Fare included super-tender roast beef, mac & cheese, romaine salad, prosciutto, salami, cheeses, pasta salad, wilted kale, crostini, flat breads and desserts.
This, of course, also featured massive schmoozing by such industry fabulons as Mike Dungan, Michael Martin, Mike Sistad, Mike Milom, John Huie, John Marks, John Lomax III, David & Karen Conrad, David & Susana Ross, Bill Mayne, Billy Paul, Bill & Janine Walker, Gerry House, Jerry Crutchfield, Jerry & Ernie Williams, Jody Williams and Scott Borchetta.
Not to mention such lovely divinities as Mary Ann McCready, Erin Enderlin, Shannon Hatch, Diane Pearson, Amy Kurland, Denise Stiff, Martha Sharp, Suzi Ragsdale, Sherry Bond, Melanie Howard and Eria Wollam Nichols, plus her equally lovely husband Roger Nichols, sporting a stylish new silver forelock.
Which leaves us to conclude our story with representatives of the hairy-legged contingent – Buck Ford, Les Kerr, Ron Cox, George Gruhn, Rod Essig, Tony Conway, Horton Frank, Pat Higdon, Ed Benson, Gary Overton, Chris Horsnell, Bobby Rymer, Lon Helton, Bruce Hinton and Keith Bilbrey.
Many judged it to be the best Medallion Ceremony to date.
Charlie Worsham performs onstage at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Medallion Ceremony. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Pictured (L-R): Don Schlitz and Randy Travis. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Pictured (L-R): Kris Kristofferson and Bobby Bare. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
Pictured (front row, L-R): Alan Jackson, Don Schlitz, Seidina Hubbard, Lottie Zabala, Loretta Lynn, Harold Bradley, Fred Foster, Randy Travis and Charlie Daniels; (middle row, L-R): Kris Kristofferson, Bill Anderson, Bobby Bare, Bobby Braddock, Charlie McCoy, Jimmy Fortune, Connie Smith and George Strait; (back row L-R): Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban, Randy Owen, Vince Gill, Kyle Young, Steve Turner, Sarah Trahern and Sally Williams. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum [Click photo to enlarge]
New CCMG Band The Young Escape Drops Debut Single “Good Life”
/by Lorie HollabaughCapitol Christian Music Group recently added The Young Escape, a four-piece band from California, to its roster.
The Young Escape has released their debut single “Good Life,” which is available now. The band, made up of siblings Ryan, McKenna, Kyrsten, and Luke Johns, has also released a music video accompanying the new song.
The group will join Crowder on his upcoming “American Prodigal Tour.” Kicking off on Oct. 24 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the tour will also feature special guest, Jimi Cravity. The 20-city tour will hit markets including Wheaton, IL, Athens, GA, St. Paul, MN and more.
Sold-Out ‘Country Rising’ Benefit Concert Adds Second Nashville Event
/by Jessica NicholsonWith Nashville’s star-studded Country Rising benefit concert, set for Nov. 12 at Bridgestone Arena, having already sold out, a second event has been set for the same evening. Country Rising: Downtown Jam will be held Nov. 12 at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater.
Hosted by SiriusXM’s Storme Warren, Country Rising: Downtown Jam will include performances from Tucker Beathard, Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots, Bailey Bryan, Lindsay Ell, Chris Janson, Jon Pardi, Eric Paslay, Carly Pearce, and Drake White, with more performers to be announced.
Both concerts will benefit The Country Rising Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which was established to support charitable initiatives aiding victims of the September 2017 hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria. The fund will also include aid for those affected by the recent shooting in Las Vegas.
Bridgestone Arena’s sold-out show will feature Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, and will be hosted by iHeartMedia’s Bobby Bones.
Tickets for Country Rising: Downtown Jam go on sale Thursday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. CT on ticketmaster.com. Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. CT.
Keith Urban Returns To Headline Nashville’s NYE Celebration
/by Jessica NicholsonKeith Urban
Keith Urban will return to ring in 2018 in Nashville. The entertainer will serve as the headliner for the Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville for a second year.
Also on the bill are Maren Morris, Cheap Trick, Carly Pearce, Jonny P, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Storme Warren and Kelly Sutton will serve as emcees for the evening.
The event will be held at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and is free and open to the public.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31, and the raising of the Music Note will take place at 6:15 p.m. with the concert to follow. The event will include the traditional Music Note Drop and accompanying fireworks display to ring in the New Year against the backdrop of the iconic State Capitol building and unique view of the Nashville skyline.
Following the tragedy at Las Vegas’ Route 91 Harvest Festival, additional precautions have been taken for the event, according to Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. CEO/president Butch Spyridon.
“With the tragedy in Las Vegas still fresh on our mind, as always we are taking the necessary precautions and refining our security plan with partners at the federal, state and local levels, including our full-time security team and the Metro Nashville Police Department,” he said. “We moved to Bicentennial Mall last year to accommodate the growth of the event and to enhance our safety measures, and we will continue our efforts to provide the most comprehensive security possible.”
“We are thrilled to have Keith return to headline our New Year’s Eve show with a lineup that represents the great diversity of music genres thriving in Music City,” said Beth Seigenthaler Courtney, chairman of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and president of DVL Seigenthaler. “We look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of visitors in the crowd of 100,000, who will fill up hotel rooms, eat and shop across Davidson County and generate substantial economic activity.”
Nashville is scheduled to be a featured location as part of CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.
Whisperin’ Bill Anderson Sits Down With MusicRow For ‘Unprecedented’ Interview
/by Sherod RobertsonWhisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music is an autobiography that offers an intimate peek inside the life of Bill Anderson, one of the most prolific songwriters in country music history. Anderson’s songs have been recorded by Ray Price, Roy Clark, Eddy Arnold, Steve Wariner, Connie Smith, Lefty Frizzell, Wanda Jackson, Lynn Anderson, Jim Reeves, Conway Twitty, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, George Strait and many, many others. He has also released more than 40 studio albums and has reached the No. 1 spot on the country charts seven times.
MusicRow recently sat down with the iconic tunesmith to talk about his career, his current book, and how at age 79, he is still chasing his childhood dream.
MusicRow: Your first autobiography, Whisperin’ Bill was published in 1989. What was the inspiration behind writing another autobiography?
Bill Anderson: A lot of things happened in my life and in my career between 1989 and 2016. The original book was written following a really turbulent time in my personal life. My wife had been in a terrible automobile accident and she nearly died. She had very serious brain injuries. It was a traumatic time for me. We had a six-year-old son and I was trying to keep my life, my career, and my marriage together. It was very therapeutic to write that book.
I felt like this time, if I was going to write a book, it needed to focus more on the business side and more on the second career that I had been fortunate enough to have. Peter Cooper had a tremendous vision for the new book. I’m not sure that I could’ve done it without him. I was totally shocked when he wanted to do it. Betty Hofer, who was doing PR for me at the time, reached out to Peter. I said, “Betty, don’t waste your time. He ain’t got time to do that.” And low and behold, he jumped at it. When he did that and I saw the excitement and perspective he brought, I thought, “Yeah, this is something I want to do.”
What was it like working with Peter Cooper on this book? What impact did he have on the process?
Well he’s so demanding and he’s so hard to get along with [laughs]. Seriously, Peter is such a great guy! We have so much in common. I was born in South Carolina and he’s from South Carolina. We both love sports, baseball and country music. And we have a really good relationship and friendship, over and apart from the business. He was so accommodating. He would come out to my office and bring his laptop and we’d sit there and talk. I would email him what I had written and he would get back to me on it.
He also gave me the title of the book. I don’t think I would have ever said my career was unprecedented. He saw it from that perspective with me getting away from songwriting and the music business, in general, for a period of almost 10 years. And then coming back and having as much or more success the second time around at an advanced age.
Country artist and singer-songwriter Bill Anderson shares stories of his book, Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music, with MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson. Photo: Haley Crow
What was your experience recording the audio for this book?
First, I had no idea how hard it was and how long it was gonna take. Man, you can go in and cut a record and you’re in there for three minutes. For the book, you’re in there for three weeks. Peter knew Thomm Jutz who has a studio at his house out near where I live. Peter had worked on updating Tom T. Hall’s autobiography and had done the audio book. He worked with a lady who produces audio books named Andi Arndt from up in Virginia. And Andi came down and she knew exactly how to do an audio book. I thought, “Well, if I don’t say the word exactly the way I’ve got it written it won’t matter,” but oh yes it did! I would hear, “Oops, you didn’t say that exactly the way you wrote it.”
So the recording of the book has to be verbatim?
Yes, it has to be verbatim which surprised me. And it inhibited me a little bit in the beginning because I’d want to ad lib. But there’s a reason for that. Some people listen to the audio recording and read the book and listen at the same time. And for that reason, you have to do it exactly the same.
The digital recording is so much easier to do than it would’ve been years ago. I produced a series of comedy albums back in the ’80s on Lewis Grizzard. Lewis was a southern humorist; not a comedian. His work was very much in demand. And this was in the days before you could do it all digitally. We were down on the floor splicing tape together, and every time Lewis would say, “Uhh..,” we had to cut that out. So you physically have to cut the tape and tape it back together.
It’s no surprise your book is filled with fascinating stories about your life. You recount how, on your very first tour, you made such little money you couldn’t afford breakfast or gas. And at the same time, you were informed you no longer had enough college credits to graduate. How did you not let something like that derail your dreams?
I probably owe that to my mom and dad because the only thing my mom and dad ever asked me to do, was to graduate from college. They let me run around when I was in high school, play music all hours of the night. They never tried to push me away from a career in music, but at the same time they said, “Whatever you do, please get that education.” It would’ve broken my mom and dad’s heart [if I didn’t graduate].
I was only five credit hours short. And so I found a summer school in Atlanta at a little college called Oglethorpe University, which oddly my dad had attended when he was young. They had the shortest summer school I could find so I left Nashville and packed it up and went back to Atlanta and lived at mom and dad’s. Oddly enough, during those five weeks living at their house, I wrote some songs, some that got recorded– so it wasn’t a total waste of time. [laughs]
And perhaps I didn’t get discouraged because on that very first tour, we laughed so much that we didn’t notice how hungry we were. When you’ve got Bill Anderson, Roger Miller and Donny Young, who later became Johnny Paycheck, all riding in a car driving through Arizona, it’s hard to get too depressed.
Although you had achieved tremendous success, you experienced some tough times both in your career and financially in the early 1980s. In the book, you are very candid about this experience. Why did you want to share such a personal part of your life?
I don’t know. I think I probably thought if I was reading a book about somebody, I’d want to know as much about them as I could find out. I wasn’t ashamed of anything that happened. I was lucky enough to come out on the other side of it. Maybe by sharing it, I could inspire somebody else along the way. It was tough. I feel very fortunate and very blessed that I was able to work through it. It never occurred to me not to share it.
What was the biggest impetus that pulled you out of that, to keep you going with the second half of your career?
It’s when Steve Warner recorded and had a number one record with “The Tips of my Fingers,” a song I had written 32 years before. That was a wake-up call. I thought the music business had passed me by. I thought I had nothing left to say, nothing left to offer. And here’s this song that I wrote 32 years ago that goes to No. 1. One day it just dawned on me, “You know, I could write another song like that.”
And we didn’t have No. 1 parties when I first came along in the music business. And my goodness gracious, I had no idea how the numbers had changed, how much more money you could make from a song in 1992 than you could in 1962. That’s when I really begin to think about getting back in and trying to write. I had really been away from it. Everybody was co-writing and the music was changing. I’m thinking, “I don’t know these people and they don’t know me.” I called Vince Gill and I said, “Wait a minute, maybe I can do this.” And so Vince was such an inspiration and a big help to me.
On the other side of the coin, you’ve interviewed almost everyone in this business. What was one of your most memorable interviews you’ve ever conducted with an artist?
I was interviewing Merle Haggard one time when I did the “Bill Anderson Visits With The Legends” on XM Radio. I didn’t know Merle all that well but I did know him because we worked the occasional date together. And I was sitting there having a good time with him. He’s opening up to me and we’re talking about all kinds of things. Somewhere off the top of my head I said, “Merle, I’ve never told you this. I’ve never had the chance to. But I want to say this to you while I’m looking at you face-to-face.” I said, “You’re my favorite country singer.” And he just stared at me for minute, and he didn’t speak. I looked over there and a tear started running down his face.
It absolutely got to him. And I said, “Man, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m just trying to pay you a compliment.” He was very gracious and said it just meant a lot to him for me to say that to him. That was very memorable.
I enjoy being on the other side. I think being on both sides of the microphone has helped me. I think as an interviewer, having been the interviewee so many times, I think I know a little bit more about what to ask somebody, and maybe what not to ask them.
Last question: You wrote your first song at age 10. You started your first band at 15 and began chasing your dreams of a career in music. Is there part of you still chasing those dreams?
It’s sorta like the dog that chasing cars all of his life. He finally catches one and doesn’t know what to do with it.
If I ever caught my dream, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. The fun is in the chase.
The related audio CD of the book, Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music, is also available and is up for Grammy consideration for Best Spoken Word Recording.
Justin Timberlake Makes Super Bowl LII Half Time Show Performance Official
/by Jessica NicholsonJustin Timberlake. Photo: Tom Munro / RCA Records
Justin Timberlake will perform the Super Bowl LII half time show, it was officially announced Sunday (Oct. 22). Timberlake made the announcement via a video with pal Jimmy Fallon.
Super Bowl LII will take place Feb. 4, 2018, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Tennessee native Timberlake, who has a home just outside of Nashville, previously performed during the Super Bowl in 2001 and in 2004. In 2001, he performed as part of ‘N Sync alongside Aerosmith and Britney Spears in Tampa, Florida. In 2004, the halftime show at Houston, Texas’ Reliant Stadium included Timberlake, Jessica Simpson, P. Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock, and Janet Jackson. Timberlake’s performance of “Rock Your Body” with Jackson included a controversial incident (later termed a “wardrobe malfunction”), in which Timberlake ripped off a portion of Jackson’s costume.
Earlier this year, Timberlake headlined the third annual Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, Tennessee, which included a surprise appearance from Chris Stapleton.
Tyminski Blends Acoustic, Electronic Sounds On ‘Southern Gothic’
/by Jessica NicholsonIn 2014, Tyminski’s voice proved it was capable of piercing through frenzied EDM beats to provide weathered wisdom on Swedish producer and DJ Avicii’s “Hey Brother.” The chart topper made history in 18 countries, earning 5.3 million downloads and more than 1.1 billion streams globally.
Perhaps more than those sales stats, Tyminski’s crossover success emboldened the belief that his voice could reach outside the ever-widening borders of bluegrass.
“I think the whole Hey Brother experience probably gave me a little courage to step out of the box,” he tells MusicRow. “I look back on my career and every time I’ve done something outside of the box like that, it’s always been rewarding. I think I gained courage from doing something so different and having it feel so natural.”
With his new album on UMG Nashville, Southern Gothic (out today), Tyminski (he goes by his last name for the project) is a study in blending seemingly opposite characteristics, from reconciling the struggles between good and and evil, to mixing acoustic and electronic music styles. Helping Tyminski blend those musical demarcations is Jesse Frasure, a Nashville songwriter/producer/DJ known for his R&B and pop-leaning productions for artists including Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, TobyMac, Lauren Alaina, and Meghan Trainor.
The album’s origins are as organic as they are improbable. At the time, Tyminski intended for most of the songs to be recorded by other artists, until he found himself with a set of songs he felt passionate about. One of those would be the album’s haunting, soul-searching title track, which Tyminski penned with Frasure and Josh Kear.
“Southern Gothic” brings to life a town of “God-fearin’” people rattled by sin and spiritual guilt, where every house has got a bible and a loaded gun, and where dogs and deadbolts guard the night, a line Tyminski remembers contributing.
“It was a very personal thing because that’s how I saw this town,” Tyminski says. “I saw a two-sided town where people are very nice to you during the day—they are your best friends and your neighbors—but when you go to bed you make sure the dog is near the door and the deadbolts are locked.”
Near the conclusion of an unfruitful writing session, Frasure had suggested they listen to one more track, to see if it would spark a song idea. He offered the sparse groove that would be come the song’s bedrock. “It made one of us say, ‘Wow, that’s kind of creepy, kind of gothic.’ And I remember Jesse said, ‘Well if we are going to write gothic, it should be southern gothic.’ And we knew we had to write and record it.”
And they did–quickly.
“Southern Gothic” was written and recorded, including harmonies and all instrumentation, in three hours. “We did nothing to that track after [the demo], literally, except mix it,” recalls Tyminski. “It was the first song I remember driving home and being jealous because I wanted to keep it for myself. I thought I was going to have to give it away.”
That universal struggle between abiding by, or abandoning, one’s own moral code runs throughout the album, seeping through tracks like “Breathing Fire” and “Hollow Hallelujah,” though Tyminski says that wasn’t intentional.
“I think it’s probably just a theme that runs through my life. It’s one of those things that everyone struggles with. Everyone knows what that pull is. I’m not telling people what to do. More than anything I’m holding up a mirror to society as I see it and letting people draw their own conclusions.”
Other tracks find Tyminski leaning toward the light, fighting off fleeting advances in “Temporary Love,” being a pillar of strength in “Wailing Wall,” and reminiscing on his inherited love of music on “Bloodline.”
After UMG Nashville’s Cindy Mabe, Mike Dungan, and other execs heard a few early tracks including “Southern Gothic,” and “Perfect Poison,” they signed Tyminski to a multi-album deal.
“We had complete say on what we wanted to do, lyrically and musically,” Tyminski says. “They were so gracious to let us do what we wanted to with this record. Right now, thankfully, I think the margins within each genre of music are pretty wide so we were able to step outside the box a little bit. I’m so thankful that Universal would allow that.”
Universal Music Group’s Cindy Mabe says the music in those early demos for Southern Gothic was moving and simply unforgettable.
“The more we lived with these songs, we couldn’t stop listening,” she says. “He is one of the most gifted, intelligent, unique, world class talents we’ve ever worked with. He has a very strong vision for how this music should be played and heard and he’s just the embodiment of musical integrity. He knew what he wanted to say and how the songs fit together and beyond making them fit an album, he knew how he wanted them to sound in a live music environment. The uniqueness of Dan Tyminski is not simply in his incredible talent but in the series of risks he’s taken in his career which have led him to defy the odds and simply connect with an audience. But most of all we bet on him because he moves us and we believe that will translate to wider audiences.”
Universal set an ambitious plan in place, one that included a splashy album preview for industry members back in July, and includes visual content to support every track on Southern Gothic.
“It’s just so amazing to see how much care and time they put into this. “It was obvious that the label sees this as a special project, and they are willing to go the extra mile,” he says of the preview party in Nashville. “For me, walking into that event, and seeing the care they gave that, it just felt like being cradled in someone’s arms, like they really care.
“From the get-go when we sat down and starting talking about how to present this music, we decided it was so visually-oriented that it was important to have a visual aspect to everything we did,” Tyminski says. “This will be the first record, I believe, that Universal Nashville has put out where they are able to include 100 percent visual content for the entire record.”
Another much talked-about aspect of that plan is the move for Tyminski to go solely by his last name for the album, a move he says primarily has to do with streaming.
“That was proposed by the label,” Tyminski says. “And I understand why, for streaming purposes, to be able to draw a clear line to this new music, because I have a very long career with a lot of different directions. For my whole life, people have called me by my last name. I’ve gone by it so much it seemed natural. Though when I was introduced for the first time, and they said, ‘Please make welcome Tyminski,’ and I thought, ‘Oh, that is a little strange.’ But I think it is appropriate.”
In the studio, Tyminski gave Frasure free reign to assemble the cast of players that could craft the acoustic, and pop-driven, genre-bending sounds on Southern Gothic—even though that meant Tyminski didn’t play a single guitar lick on the album.
“I wanted Jesse to have the freedom to create without any preconceived thoughts of what I might do or not want to do,” Tyminski says. “He has a strong Motown and electronic background. I think that was part of what makes it work. He was able to take such a fresh approach to what is a roots sound and style. It was finding that ground where those two things converge, and that’s where the magic happened.”
Tyminski hopes that magic that occurs with the right blend of music, voice and message continues with his next project.
“I hope so badly to be able to follow this record up. I feel so strongly about this and I’m not going into the studio anytime soon to try to top this but I would love to be able to go back in and finish the rest of this thought.”
Southern Gothic Album Track List:
1. Southern Gothic (Dan Tyminski, Jesse Frasure, Josh Kear)
2. Breathing Fire (Dan Tyminski, Cary Barlowe, Will Weatherly)
3. Gone (Dan Tyminski, Kyle Fishman, Nick Bailey)
4. Temporary Love (Dan Tyminski, Cary Barlowe, Jesse Frasure)
5. Perfect Poison (Dan Tyminski, Jesse Frasure)
6. Devil Is Downtown (Dan Tyminski, Ashley Monroe, Paul Moak)
7. Hollow Hallelujah (Dan Tyminski, Sarah Buxton, Jesse Frasure, Amy Wadge)
8. Good For Your Soul (Dan Tyminski, Sarah Buxton, Jesse Frasure)
9. Wailing Wall (Dan Tyminski, Sarah Buxton, Tofer Brown)
10. Haunted Heart (Dan Tyminski, Andrew Dorff, Cary Barlowe, Jesse Frasure)
11. Bloodline (Dan Tyminski, Cary Barlowe, Jesse Frasure)
12. Wanted (Dan Tyminski, Brad Rempel, Seth Mosley)
13. Numb (Dan Tyminski, Kyle Fishman, Nick Bailey, Ryan Ogren)
NMPA Celebrates Nashville Songwriters With Gold & Platinum Gala
/by Jessica NicholsonNMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
Thursday (Oct. 19), Nashville’s top songwriters and publishers from the last year gathered to receive their Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum honors from NMPA. The NMPA Gold & Platinum program launched in October 2007 and identifies and honors the songwriters of RIAA-certified hit songs.
NMPA President & CEO David Israelite kicked off the event with help from RIAA President Mitch Glazier who detailed the partnership between the two organizations. In attendance were approximately 50 songwriters including multi-Platinum honorees like Shane McAnally, Zach Crowell, Dallas Davidson, Sean Douglas, Jerry Flowers, Rob Hatch, Jim Collins, David Lee Murphy, Joseph Spargur, and many more.
In addition to awarding the 17 Gold, 18 Platinum and 9 Multi-Platinum songwriters, NMPA announced three top annual honors: Top Song, Top Songwriter and Top Publisher. The Top Song award was a tie between “Body Like a Back Road” written by Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, and “H.O.L.Y” written by busbee, Nate Cyphert and William Larsen, both certified 3x multi-Platinum and with 3 million certified units.
NMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
The top two songwriters of the year were Shane McAnally with 4 multi-platinum, 3 platinum, and 2 Gold certifications and Ashley Gorley with 1 multi-platinum, 4 Platinum, and 9 Gold certifications.
The Top Publisher was awarded to Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Nashville’s President and CEO Troy Tomlinson attended to accept the award.
“On behalf of all of us at Sony/ATV and in particular our songwriters who made this all possible, we are honored to be the NMPA’s first ever Publisher of the Year. What a great event and we’ll be back here next year, hopefully with the same result,” said the Chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing Martin Bandier.
“Since our program’s inception 10 years ago, NMPA has awarded 8,817 total certifications, and that number rises with each hit song. We are thrilled to recognize the top songwriters of the past year – and look forward to honoring the best in the business each year at our annual gala,” said Israelite. “When a song goes Gold – or beyond – the songwriter should receive recognition just like the performer of that song – and some shiny hardware too.”
NMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
NMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
NMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
NMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
Casting Crowns Celebrates More Than 10 Million Albums Sold
/by Haley CrowPictured (L-R): Juan DeVevo; Terry Hemmings, President/CEO, Provident Music Group; Chris Huffman; Mark Hall; Megan Garrett; Josh Mix; Melodee DeVevo; Brian Scooggin; and Jason McArthur, Vice President A&R, Provident Label Group.
Provident Label Group’s Casting Crowns, along with members of their label, legal, and management teams recently gathered to celebrate the group selling more than 10 million albums since their debut album released in 2003. The group earned its most recent Dove Award earlier this week, for Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year.
The group’s most recent album was 2016’s The Very Next Thing.
Pictured (L-R): Megan Garrett, Mark Hall, Josh Mix, Juan DeVevo, Melodee DeVevo, Brian Scooggin, and Chris Huffman.
Casting Crown’s Mark Hall takes a selfie with the rest of the band.
Pictured (L-R): Chris Huffman, Brian Scooggin, Melodee DeVevo, Juan DeVevo, Mark Hall, Josh Mix, and Megan Garrett.
Spotify Debuts RISE Program, Predicts Russell Dickerson To Break
/by Eric T. ParkerWith 140+million users, Spotify will use a combination of multi-tiered marketing and editorial programming on its platform, including social promotion, mixed-media, playlists and one-of-a-kind experiential events in the coming months. Delta Air Lines will feature artists on aircraft seatbacks through their Delta Artist Spotlight program. Launching in the U.S, Canada and the U.K.
Country singer Russell Dickerson will be among the debut artists, in addition to pop-sensation Kim Petras; pop/rock artist Lauv; and hip hop artist Trippie Redd. The program will add four new artists every few months, supporting a total of 16 emerging artists per year.
“Spotify is committed to supporting the careers of artists of every level, including the next generation of global superstars” said Troy Carter, Spotify’s Global Head of Creator Services. “RISE is a powerful platform and an investment towards the future of emerging artists and the fans who discovered them first.”
Specifically, Dickerson’s smash single “Yours,” has earned over 33 million streams to date on Spotify, where he’s been on the Hot Country, Country Gold Playlists and more for over a year.