Phillip Coleman co-wrote Ronnie Dunn's "Cost of Livin'" and Miranda Lambert's "All Kinds of Kinds."
For the past eight years songwriter Phillip Coleman has been a real-life example of his best known song, “Cost of Livin.’” The lyrics describe a desperate man filling out a job application, and his determination to provide for his family. Ronnie Dunn’s recognizable voice, plaintive take, and sparse production brought the story to life. With financial hardship affecting many Americans, it’s a timely topic that touched country listeners.
Like most songwriters, Coleman’s path to the radio charts has been long and winding. His youth was spent on a farm in Rives, Tenn. Road trips to Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe inspired him to take up the craft at age 26. In the early ‘90s he moved to Music City, where his sister happened to be neighbors with tunesmith Don Henry. “I didn’t know any better, so I knocked on his door and said ‘I wanna be a songwriter,’” chuckles Coleman. “He was extremely nice. He invited me to the Bluebird that night where he was playing with Gary Burr, Matraca Berg, and Beth Nielsen Chapman. It was unbelievable, and I knew I wanted to do that. Eventually, when he called me to co-write, I knew I’d arrived.”
Coleman went on to moderate success, securing cuts by Kenny Chesney and Linda Davis, and the Jo Dee Messina hit “Downtime.” But when his eight-year publishing deal with Carnival Music ended, Coleman was hard-up. Today’s positive mindset helps him look back and admit, “I wasn’t pleasant to be around.”
“Even my wife [songwriter Catt Gravitt] saw it in my eyes,” he recalls. “We were dating at the time, and she said, ‘you need to go do something else, you’re bitter and jaded and mad.’”
He took her advice, mostly out of necessity. “I went to fill out an application at FedEx, and that’s what inspired the song. My whole point was that there’s nowhere on that piece of paper to write down your real story—that you’ll work nights and holidays, that you’re about to lose your house, that your family’s struggling.”
The shipping giant hired Coleman for a second shift gig driving a forklift. “It kept the lights on and food in the fridge,” he says. Starting a lawn care outfit helped him supplement his income, plus offered a pleasant reminder of the farm back home. Songwriting shifted to the back-burner.
A year passed and it was February 2006 before Coleman sat down to write a song called “The Application,” with a chorus that affirmed, “You don’t know that…by looking at the application.”
“When I wrote that song I knew it was special, so I wanted to hang on to the publishing,” he recalls. “Alex Torrez pitched it to Ronnie back when Brooks & Dunn were together. Ronnie liked everything except the title and the hook, and I was nervous as can be when I went to his house so we could rewrite that part.” They changed the chorus to “the cost of livin’s high and going up,” and gave the song a new title, “Cost of Livin.’” Programmers were enthusiastic when Dunn debuted it on his radio tour, and the single came out in June 2011.
Reflecting on the years of holds, waiting, and wondering if it would ever be released, Coleman sighs, “This song has put me through it.” He even had to sell the guitar it was written on.
Now he’s in a much better place. “I’m about to get my first royalty check, and get the breathing room I haven’t had in a long time.”
Along with a little money headed his way, Coleman proudly notes what else is going right, “I’ve got a new attitude—being married has changed me a lot. I’ve got more patience, got back in church, and I’m more focused. I’m a blip on the radar again. It’s funny how when you walk away from something things start happening for you.”
After penning “All Kinds of Kinds” with Don Henry thirteen years ago, it finally made its way to Miranda Lambert’s acclaimed Four The Record. When her producer, and Carnival Music boss Frank Liddell, passed the song on to the feisty singer they both knew it was a perfect fit. It’s an added bonus that Coleman’s peers think so highly of the track. He sums, “When somebody who you consider a good songwriter wishes they wrote the song you wrote, that’s a great feeling.”
More Details On Waylon Tribute
/by FreemanThe 11 track album is the second part of a Waylon tribute trilogy that started over three-and-a-half years ago under the guidance of Jennings’ widow Jessi Colter, his son Shooter, guitarist Reggie Young and producer Witt Stewart. Volume I, featuring Jamey Johnson, Alabama, and more, was released in early 2011 via Big Machine Records. A third installment is also planned, but no date has been set. A full track list for Volume II is included below.
“I feel like this project could very likely break another sound barrier,” says Colter. “Waylon was so original. For his songs to be sang by other people and to take me somewhere else is not an easy task.”
Colter and Jamey Johnson will appear on CMT’s Southern Fried Flicks with Hazel Smith Saturday, Jan. 7 at 7 PM/CT to talk about the project.
The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, Volume II Track Listing:
1. Lonesome, On’ry and Mean – Dierks Bentley
2. Waymore’s Blues – Hank Williams Jr.
3. Good Ol’ Boys – Montgomery Gentry
4. I Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This – Justin Moore
5. Bob Wills Is Still The King – Jack Ingram
6. Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line – Colt Ford
7. Rainy Day Woman – Pat Green
8. Love of the Common People – Josh Thompson
9. Mama – Jessi Colter
10. Dreaming My Dreams With You – Jewel
11. A Long Time Ago – Wyatt McCubbin (Bonus Track)
Tin Pan South Submissions Due
/by Eric T. ParkerThe festival selection committee will determine who receives performance slots. Not all teams that apply will be given a slot, as opportunities are limited.
The Tin Pan South website has not been updated for the 2012 schedule yet, but passes to gain priority access to all shows go on sale Wednesday, March 7 on NSAI’s website while supplies last.
Tin Pan South is presented by Regions Bank and is a fund raiser for NSAI’s legislative efforts on behalf of all songwriters.
CountryBreakout No. 1 Song
/by FreemanOkay, not everything changes when the year rolls forward, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Especially if you’re Luke Bryan, whose “I Don’t Want This Night To End” has spent two weeks at the top of MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart with the first edition of 2012. Understandably, Bryan also might not want 2011 to end, considering it was one of the biggest of his career. His “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” became a huge radio hit, he participated in one of the most successful CMT On Tour events ever, and held a special six city “Farm Tour” to raise scholarship funds for local students. But 2012 is already looking up, because he’ll join Jason Aldean and guest Lauren Alaina on Aldean’s massive My Kinda Party Tour starting January 20, in Greenville, SC.
Check out the “I Don’t Want This Night To End” video here, and get more information on Bryan’s tour dates here.
2012 Benefit Awareness
/by Eric T. ParkerRevealed: ACM My Cause
January has been announced as “Poverty in America Awareness Month” for the ACM Lifting Lives “My Cause” web-feature. The program, which offers increased awareness and financial bolstering, endorses Billy’s Place, a charity affiliated with Craig Morgan. Donations will accepted through the link on their promotional the video below.
Over the past two years, ACM Lifting Lives has bolstered support by donating more than $44,000 to artists’ favorite charities.
Click on the video to watch Craig introduce his cause.
••••
I’ll Fly Away 2012 Fundraisers
The I’ll Fly Away Foundation is dedicated to educating upcoming generations about the musical heritage and traditions that shaped American music by granting scholarships and music education programs.
The Chairman of the I’ll Fly Away Foundation is Betsy Brumley, granddaughter of songwriter to “I’ll Fly Away,” Albert E. Brumley.
••••
Gilda’s Club Training for The Country Music 1/2 Marathon
The 2012 season kicks-off on Saturday (Jan. 14) at Gilda’s Club with a health fair featuring a Q&A session with the trainers about nutrition and appropriate apparel and provide mini-clinics on stretching and injury prevention.
The training program includes weekly Saturday morning group walk/runs led by fitness specialists, guest membership to Vanderbilt Dayani Center, personalized training plans for all levels, and access to Firstgiving™ – an online fund raising tool with personalized web pages.
To join The Gang, all participants are asked to raise a minimum of $750 by race day – with all monies going directly to support all the the free emotional and social cancer-related services provided at Gilda’s Club Nashville.
Weekly Chart Report (1/06/12)
/by FreemanCimsound Records Recording Artist Ricky Fugitt recently stopped by KVWF/100.5 the Wolf in Wichita to promote his upcoming shows and debut new single "One More Day"(L-R): Cimsound’s Jeff Parker, Fugitt, KVWF MD/Mornings Colby Ericson
SPIN ZONE
That seemed like a quick holiday break, right? Regardless, it’s out with the old and in with the new on the first CountryBreakout Chart of 2012.
Spins for new singles like Blake Shelton’s “Drink On It” (debuting at No. 33), Lady Antebellum’s “Dancin’ Away With My Heart” (No. 22), and Miranda Lambert’s “Over You” (No. 32) are way up—over 600 spins gained versus the previous chart for all three, in fact. Equally impressive are Taylor Swift’s “Ours” (No. 14), Eli Young Band’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” (debuting at No. 44), Keith Urban’s “You Gonna Fly” (No. 7), and Tim McGraw’s “Better Than I Used To Be” (No. 28) which all experienced spin increases of 400 or more.
So it’s an explosive chart situation this week, save for the top two positions. Luke Bryan’s “I Don’t Want This Night To End” closed out 2011 in the No. 1 spot, and opens 2012 on top. Just over 100 spins behind in dogged pursuit is The Band Perry’s “All Your Life,” now at 21 weeks young but still showing plenty of health after a 99 spin gain. Dierks Bentley’s “Home” is still moving at No. 3, followed by Martina McBride’s “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” at No. 4 and Kenny Chesney’s “Reality” at No. 5.
In addition to the Shelton and EYB debuts, there are a plethora of new songs appearing this week. Kellie Pickler’s “100 Proof” makes a fine showing at No. 56, and so do Josh Turner’s “Time Is Love” at No. 64 and Josh Thompson’s “Comin’ Around” at No. 69.
Frozen Playlists: KBCN, KBCR, KFTX, KKAJ, KREK, KSED, KTWI, KVVP, KYKX, WAXX, WCMS, WKBQ, WYVY
• • • • •
Joining the CountryBreakout reporting panel for new reports this week are WXXK in Lebanon, New Hampshire, under the programming guidance of Justin Tyler. Reach him here. Also coming aboard is our first ever Internet radio outlet Renegade Radio Nashville, with the steady hand of Captain Jack (formerly of WKMK/Monmouth) steering the ship.
”Car radios, table top stereos, and much more will give Internet radio an edge in the market, and aside from that, Renegade Radio Nashville pledges to be a true outlet for up and coming Country artists,” says the Captain. Reach him here.
Departing the panel after its recent flip to classic country is Clear Channel’s KTWI/Omaha, as well as Harrison, Ark. station KBCN which flipped to ESPN sports talk at year’s end.
Upcoming Singles
January 9
Canaan Smith/We Got Us/Mercury
Blake Shelton/Drink On It/Warner Bros./WMN
Josh Turner/Time Is Love/MCA
Miranda Lambert/Over You/RCA
Kaleb McIntire/Redneck In All Of Us/Rockin’ Country Doc
Candy Coburn/Don’t Walk Away/Loma Jean
January 17
Ronnie Dunn/Let The Cowboy Rock/Arista
Bryan Cole/Love Doesn’t Live Here/Perfect Vision
Clay Walker/Like We Never Said Goodbye/Curb
Jana Kramer/Why Ya Wanna/Elektra/W.A.R.
Rascal Flatts/Banjo/Big Machine
Dustin Lynch/Cowboys and Angels/Broken Bow
Kelly Parkes/Don’t Make Me/Edge
• • • • •
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Blake Shelton/Drink On It/Warner Bros./WMN — 33
Eli Young Band/Even If It Breaks Your Heart/Republic Nashville — 44
Kellie Pickler/100 Proof/19/BNA — 56
Josh Turner/Time Is Love/MCA — 64
Josh Thompson/Comin’ Around/RCA — 69
The Farm/Home Sweet Home/All In/Elektra/New Revolution — 71
Sawyer Brown/Travelin’ Band — 73
Jackie Arredondo/Rockin’ the Trailer/Gold Voice — 74
Jesse Keith Whitley/Saving Amy/Octabrook — 75
Tim Culpepper/Ghost/HonkyTone Records — 76
Craig Campbell/When I Get It/Bigger Picture — 77
Stealing Angels/Little Blue Sky/Skyville — 79
Guy Penrod/More Power To You/Servant Records — 80
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Blake Shelton/Drink On It/Warner Bros./WMN — 723
Lady Antebellum/Dancin’ Away With My Heart/Capitol — 655
Miranda Lambert/Over You/RCA — 645
Taylor Swift/Ours/Big Machine — 493
Eli Young Band/Even If It Breaks Your Heart/Republic Nashville — 457
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Blake Shelton/Drink On It/Warner Bros./WMN — 51
Miranda Lambert/Over You/RCA — 44
Eli Young Band/Even If It Breaks Your Heart/Republic Nashville — 41
Lady Antebellum/Dancin’ Away With My Heart/Capitol — 32
Ronnie Dunn/Let The Cowboy Rock/Arista — 25
Kellie Pickler/100 Proof/19/BNA — 24
Josh Turner/Time Is Love/MCA — 23
Tim McGraw/Better Than I Used To Be/Curb — 21
Brantley Gilbert/You Don’t Know Her Like I Do/Valory — 19
Taylor Swift/Ours/Big Machine — 10
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Uncle Kracker/My Hometown/Top Dog/Atlantic — 137
Coy Taylor/Fall For You — 135
Mark Cooke/Any Way The Wind Blows/CVR — 133
Steve Holy/Until The Rain Stops/Curb — 128
JB & the Moonshine Band/Love Don’t Let You Decide/Average Joe’s — 125
Before the holiday break, Gloriana played the Dallas Bull in Tampa. The group’s current single “(Kissed You) Good Night” just hit No. 48 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart. (L-R): Tom Gossin, Jenny Dean of WFUS/Tampa, Rachel Reinert, Ryan Nelson of WFUS/Tampa, Mike Gossin
Real-Life Struggles Yield Songwriting Success For Phillip Coleman
/by Sarah SkatesPhillip Coleman co-wrote Ronnie Dunn's "Cost of Livin'" and Miranda Lambert's "All Kinds of Kinds."
For the past eight years songwriter Phillip Coleman has been a real-life example of his best known song, “Cost of Livin.’” The lyrics describe a desperate man filling out a job application, and his determination to provide for his family. Ronnie Dunn’s recognizable voice, plaintive take, and sparse production brought the story to life. With financial hardship affecting many Americans, it’s a timely topic that touched country listeners.
Like most songwriters, Coleman’s path to the radio charts has been long and winding. His youth was spent on a farm in Rives, Tenn. Road trips to Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe inspired him to take up the craft at age 26. In the early ‘90s he moved to Music City, where his sister happened to be neighbors with tunesmith Don Henry. “I didn’t know any better, so I knocked on his door and said ‘I wanna be a songwriter,’” chuckles Coleman. “He was extremely nice. He invited me to the Bluebird that night where he was playing with Gary Burr, Matraca Berg, and Beth Nielsen Chapman. It was unbelievable, and I knew I wanted to do that. Eventually, when he called me to co-write, I knew I’d arrived.”
Coleman went on to moderate success, securing cuts by Kenny Chesney and Linda Davis, and the Jo Dee Messina hit “Downtime.” But when his eight-year publishing deal with Carnival Music ended, Coleman was hard-up. Today’s positive mindset helps him look back and admit, “I wasn’t pleasant to be around.”
“Even my wife [songwriter Catt Gravitt] saw it in my eyes,” he recalls. “We were dating at the time, and she said, ‘you need to go do something else, you’re bitter and jaded and mad.’”
He took her advice, mostly out of necessity. “I went to fill out an application at FedEx, and that’s what inspired the song. My whole point was that there’s nowhere on that piece of paper to write down your real story—that you’ll work nights and holidays, that you’re about to lose your house, that your family’s struggling.”
The shipping giant hired Coleman for a second shift gig driving a forklift. “It kept the lights on and food in the fridge,” he says. Starting a lawn care outfit helped him supplement his income, plus offered a pleasant reminder of the farm back home. Songwriting shifted to the back-burner.
A year passed and it was February 2006 before Coleman sat down to write a song called “The Application,” with a chorus that affirmed, “You don’t know that…by looking at the application.”
“When I wrote that song I knew it was special, so I wanted to hang on to the publishing,” he recalls. “Alex Torrez pitched it to Ronnie back when Brooks & Dunn were together. Ronnie liked everything except the title and the hook, and I was nervous as can be when I went to his house so we could rewrite that part.” They changed the chorus to “the cost of livin’s high and going up,” and gave the song a new title, “Cost of Livin.’” Programmers were enthusiastic when Dunn debuted it on his radio tour, and the single came out in June 2011.
Reflecting on the years of holds, waiting, and wondering if it would ever be released, Coleman sighs, “This song has put me through it.” He even had to sell the guitar it was written on.
Now he’s in a much better place. “I’m about to get my first royalty check, and get the breathing room I haven’t had in a long time.”
Along with a little money headed his way, Coleman proudly notes what else is going right, “I’ve got a new attitude—being married has changed me a lot. I’ve got more patience, got back in church, and I’m more focused. I’m a blip on the radar again. It’s funny how when you walk away from something things start happening for you.”
After penning “All Kinds of Kinds” with Don Henry thirteen years ago, it finally made its way to Miranda Lambert’s acclaimed Four The Record. When her producer, and Carnival Music boss Frank Liddell, passed the song on to the feisty singer they both knew it was a perfect fit. It’s an added bonus that Coleman’s peers think so highly of the track. He sums, “When somebody who you consider a good songwriter wishes they wrote the song you wrote, that’s a great feeling.”
Charlie Cook On Air: Resolutions
/by contributorSeriously, we all put unrealistic expectations on ourselves and each other only to disappoint every one. Radio and records rewards hard work. There are abundant examples of people in the business that work a little harder than the average bear and their efforts have paid off.
Mike McVay is the hardest working human I know. It has been both a burden and a pleasure to work for and with him for all these years. I know how hard he works and I see how it has paid off for him. He is at the top of his game today.
Scott Borchetta has benefited from his hard work in Nashville. We look at Scott today and say, wow how fortunate he is to have Taylor in his camp. Don’t forget the chances he took early on with his label or how hard he worked at MCA in the old days.
Mike Dungan is one of the smartest executives in Nashville but, along with playing hard, works very hard. Mike saw around the next turn and put together the label of the year. Yeah Lady Antebellum is his lead-off batter but his lineup is deep and Mike is the architect of that team.
Bob Pittman has decided to spend his efforts in support of the merits of radio in the traditional format. That is going to take a lot of work on his part. We who work in radio are fortunate to have Bob as our spokesman because he is tireless and brilliant.
Artists like Jason, Brad, the Flatts, Kenny and Miranda are continuously on the road. New acts like The Band Perry, Chris Young and Thompson Square get up every day knowing that it is worth the hard work to make a name for themselves so they can soon be in the first group of artists.
I enjoy working hard. I appreciate that I work for a great company and would not want it any other way. Wait, let me check my Mega Millions ticket from last night…
Okay, as I was saying, I love working with others dedicated to the radio business and as we kick off 2012 I tell those people, it is going to be tough this year. If you still have a job, you are working harder than you have in the past years. Most likely you have picked up an extra duty or two to replace the co-worker who moved on.
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who has been out of work for about 6 months and he said that the only thing he has from 2011 is a used calendar. That is glass half empty. I told him that the number one New Year’s resolution each year is SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE FAMILY. There you go.
Hey, he is ahead of the game. A recent study found that only 12% of those making New Year’s resolutions actually kept them.
According to Wikipedia, a study in 2007 by Richard Wisemen from the University of Bristol showed that 78% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, and those who succeed have 5 traits in common. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, (a system where small measurable goals are being set; such as, a pound a week, instead of saying “lose weight”), while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends.
As we all (pick one) — 1. Rush into 2. Ease into 3. Are pushed into — 2012 remember to keep your wits about you. If you’re in the record business there is not going to be a huge increase in the number of CDs sold this year. The model is still broken but GREAT music does reach the consumer and every year a Brantley Gilbert or a JaneDear Girls come along that lifts our hopes.
I believe that the glass is half full. Now, it is teetering right on the edge of the desk, but it is half full.
I do want to mention too that I saw three GREAT shows since we last chatted. Lady Antebellum played the Coliseum in Morgantown and were fabulous.
Jim Brickman played his Christmas show at the Clay Center in Charleston, WV. An A+ evening.
And I saw Bill Anderson play the Wheeling Jamboree in December. Bill has been doing this a long time and his showmanship and professionalism were apparent. I don’t remember enjoying an evening more.
Happy New Year.
Artist Updates (1/05/12)
/by FreemanHazel Smith with Jamey Johnson and Jessi Colter
On Saturday, January 7, Jessi Colter and Jamey Johnson will appear on CMT’s Southern Fried Flicks with Hazel Smith to discuss the upcoming release of The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, Volume II. As usual, the chat will accompany a home-cooked meal and a movie showing, which will be the original 1984 Footloose.
The second installment of the Waylon tribute, a project overseen by Jennings’ widow Colter, will be released by Average Joe’s Entertainment and according to Waylon’s website, is available January 24. Featured performers include Dierks Bentley (“Lonesome, Onry, and Mean”), Montgomery Gentry (“Good Old Boys”), Jewel (“Dreaming My Dreams With You”) and more. The first volume of the series was released early in 2011 via the Big Machine Label Group, and a third volume is also in the works.
• • • • •
Brice and fiancee Reeveley
Lee Brice welcomed 2012 by proposing to his longtime girlfriend Sara Reeveley, the mother of the couple’s three year old son Takoda. The couple was on vacation in Key West when Brice popped the question. A date has not yet been set. “I finally get to marry that beautiful girl I met on Myrtle Beach years ago,” said Brice. “I can’t wait to get Sara and Takoda to Nashville so we can all be together.” Brice’s current single “A Woman Like You” is at No. 23 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart, and he was also a co-writer on the recent Eli Young Band hit “Crazy Girl.”
• • • • •
• • • • •
Underwood Donates To Hometown Schools
/by Caitlin Rantala“Late last year each of the schools created a list of their needs and I am so thrilled that the C.A.T.S. Foundation was able to fund it all,” said Underwood. “It gives me great joy knowing we are helping my hometown schools to offer an even better education to the students. They deserve it.”
“We are so proud of Carrie and her accomplishments and we appreciate everything she has done for our students. Every student in our school will benefit from the C.A.T.S. Foundation’s generous donation,” shared Toni Brown, Assistant Superintendent of Checotah Public Schools.
In addition, this past October, Underwood’s C.A.T.S. Foundation partnered with national non-profit organization KaBOOM!, and with the help of over 200 local volunteers built a playground in one day at Marshall Elementary School designed by the school’s students.
Rising Stars Set For “Music In The City” at Tin Roof
/by Sarah SkatesEric Paslay is among the performers at Music In The City.
The Tin Roof will be rockin’ on Tues., Jan. 31 with performances by Eric Paslay, Josh Hoge, Dustin Lynch, Coldwater Jane, and The Cordovas (Jaron Lowenstein, Joe Firstman, Jon Loyd, Toby Weaver, Jonathan Gray).
Nashville Lifestyles’ Music in the City event kicks off at 5:30 pm with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Keep Music in Music City.
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Each ticket includes two complimentary cocktails. Details here.