Kenny Chesney Raises Awareness For Everglades Foundation
On February 18 Kenny Chesney performed for the Everglades Foundation benefit in Palm Beach, Fla. Chesney’s friend and Foundation Board member Jimmy Buffet joined him on stage for “Back Where I Come From” and one of Buffett’s signature songs, “Come Monday.” Mac McAnally joined Chesney on “Down The Road.”
The Everglades Foundation is dedicated to protecting and restoring one of the world’s unique natural ecosystems, providing economic, recreational and life-sustaining benefits to the millions of people who depend on its future health. For more information, visit www.evergladesfoundation.org.
Lady Antebellum Headlines Gift of Music Event
Just 5 days after their 5 Grammy sweep, Lady Antebellum headlined the Dustin J. Wells Foundation Gift of Music event benefitting Nashville’s W.O. Smith Music School, a nonprofit school that provides music lessons and instruments to children from low-income families. Joining Lady A were Dierks Bentley, Heidi Newfield, Joey + Rory, LoCash Cowboys, Brett Eldredge and a student band from the school.
Photo: Fred Pierson
Carrie Underwood presented
Mark Shriver, Sr. Vice President of U.S. Programs for Save the Children, a check from proceeds collected through ticket sales from the 2010 fall leg of her
Play On Tour. From every ticket sold during the September to December 2010 run of shows, 36¢ was donated to Save The Children’s U.S. Programs, a donation totaling $140,125.68.
This charitable initiative was inspired by the “36 cents” written in the lyrics of Underwood’s album track “Change” on her most recent album
Play On, which addresses how even the smallest bit of spare change that one might have can add up to make a difference and help “change” the world.
Photo: Chris Hallo
2011 Chords of Hope
Clay Walker will return to Nashville Wednesday, March 2 to host the second annual Chords of Hope: The Clay Walker MS Benefit Concert at the Wildhorse Saloon. The concert, presented by 98 WSIX and produced by Clay’s charity, Band Against MS (BAMS), will help raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis (MS) research with proceeds going to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Tickets for the concert, being held during the National MS Education and Awareness Month, are on sale now through the Wildhorse Saloon. To learn more about Clay Walker and BAMS, visit
www.claywalker.com and
www.bandagainstms.org.
Braswell Performs Benefit Concert for Rescue Mission
Recording artist and Flat Track Motorcycle Champion,
Beau Braswell, will perform Monday, February 28 at 8:00pm at 3rd & Lindsley to benefit the Nashville Rescue Mission. Braswell is a six-time AMA National Champion and a two-time AMRA World Motorcycle Champion. Braswell is also a singer/songwriter and grew up right here in Nashville. He released his first CD Time To Ride through Harley-Davidson® stores nationwide and his newest project will be released later this summer.
Music City Tennis Invitational
The 38th Annual Music City Tennis Invitational will be held Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1 at Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center at Vanderbilt University. MCTI is the only fundraising event that directly benefits the Center for Child Development at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. MCTI provides essential funding for the Center’s services not covered by medical insurance for children with disabilities and their families. To register online or for more information on sponsorship and volunteer opportunities visit the organization’s website
www.musiccitytennis.com.
Lambert’s Cause For The Paws
Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation will host the 4th annual Cause For The Paws on April 30 in downtown Tyler, Texas. This year’s event will be a “festival on the square” featuring Lambert and special guests Stoney Larue, Josh Kelley and host Nan Kelley. Ticket prices start at $25. For more information, visit
www.mirandalambert.com or MuttNation’s website
www.muttnationfoundation.com
Craig Campbell Brings Music to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital
Craig Campbell recently participated in a Rhythm of Hope songwriting session with patients at the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Rhythm of Hope is an interactive music program for pediatric patients that gives children a chance to create their own music while learning the art of songwriting. After visiting with the patients, Campbell and the children performed the song they wrote together.
Paisley’s Video Paintbox Adds To Concert Production
/by adminBrad Paisley brought his H2O Frozen Over tour to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Saturday night, playing a sold-out show to 13,500 fans. Pictured (l-r): Sony Music Nashville Sales VP Kerri Fox-Metoyer; Arista Nashville Promotion VP Lesly Tyson; Fitzgerald Hartley’s Bill Simmons; Niemann; Paisley; Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Gary Overton, Promotion Sr. VP Skip Bishop, and Marketing Sr. VP Paul Barnabee. Photo: Ben Enos
Brad Paisley H20 Tour
Feb. 26, Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
Each song in the high energy two-hour set gets treated with a full production almost akin to the style of a broadway musical. But instead of dancers, costume changes and canvas backdrops, Paisley creates warm, engaging video “sets” that highlight, frame and sometimes expand the lyrics using animation and more. Often he deftly blurs the lines between the two dimensional screen and those on the three dimensional stage. He also freely explores/prowls the venue’s extremities to get closer with “the people in the cheap seats.” The show even employs previously unheard musical interludes to bridge moments between songs. Video screens at concerts are hardly new, but Paisley has not only reinvented the process, he’s elevated it.
The effect of Paisley’s magic video paintbox—he creates many of these video segments himself—is mesmerizing but not distracting. Staging for the H20 tour was sparse. Four circular risers provide a home for the band and directly behind them is a balcony, the rest is a giant video screen. And last but not least on stage was Paisley himself, dressed in jeans, t-shirt and white hat—the epitome of one of the good guys.
Hit songs flooded the stage such as “Celebrity,” “Waiting On A Woman,” “Water,” “American Saturday Night,” “Welcome To The Future” and more. Alison Krauss came out to duet on “Whiskey Lullaby.” (Oh wait, that was only a video image.) “Letter To Me,” voiced with acoustic guitar was one audience favorite, among many.
The evening closed with a second encore—“Alcohol.” A portable bar was quickly unfolded and a busload of industry revelers poured out on stage to help celebrate the tour’s final performance. Sony Nashville label head Gary Overton and wife Jan were all smiles, and Paisley manager, “lovable” Bill Simmons could be seen sharing a celebratory hug with tour promoter Brian O’Connell.
• • •
Jerrod Niemann and then Darius Rucker warmed the crowd earlier in the evening. Predictably Niemann’s hit “Lover, Lover” was the standout, and closer for his set. Rucker opened smartly with “Alright,” which showed his experience and good vocal chops. Covers of “Family Tradition” and “Purple Rain” were excellent choices during his set and also took the crowd out of its seats.
Toby Keith Introduces Wild Shot Mezcal
/by Freeman“I have always been fascinated with Mexico and the drink Mezcal,” Keith says. “It is a part of my life. Mexico is a theme that runs through many of my songs, including my recent single ‘Bullets In The Gun.’ The tradition and history of Mezcal is magical to me, and dates back to 16th century warriors celebrating the defeat of their enemies.”
Mezcal varies from agave-based tequila in its preparation method and the inclusion of the agave worm in the bottle. Keith points out that the worm is not decoration. “It’s not there for the look,” he says. “It is there to be eaten. It is believed that the worm will bring wondrous experiences and every individual’s will be different.”
Wild Shot will be imported by Shaw-Ross, and a special pre-launch tasting event will be held in Nashville next week.
Is Digital Music Heading To The Clouds?
/by adminThe music industry waters are set to begin rippling again later this year, possibly as early as summer when, according to Financial Times, Apple, Google and Spotify jump into the cloud with music. Exactly what this will mean, may be a bit different for each of the companies involved and those that inevitably will follow. [“Cloud” is a simple metaphor to describe information and files placed on a server accessible from anywhere via an Internet connection.]
Spotify’s approach is clearest since its free and/or paid plan already is very popular in Europe. Users get free music streamed from the cloud in exchange for seeing ads or pay and get the music without ads. Google and Apple’s strategy is still unoffical. However, according to FT.com, Apple is planning to use the cloud resources it acquired last year from Lala, “mainly to allow users of its iTunes store to back up their collections and access them from any Apple device.” This method would support the paid download approach that Apple’s iTunes store has pioneered and popularized.
Google is anxious to launch a download store of its own, but is also interested in using the cloud to offer a digital locker where songs could be stored, much the same as the Apple plan, “to keep copies of their media in the cloud,” says FT.com. (Amazon already has its own digital store, but even with discounted pricing has been unable to steal appreciable market share from iTunes.)
Perhaps the most perplexing of all is the delay that Spotify has faced in trying to secure its U.S. launch which was supposed to begin in 2010. Sony and EMI have reportedly signed onto the service, but Universal and Warner Music are still in negotiations. Labels are concerned about how many free tracks users will be able to enjoy and if/how that might impact download sales. Many execs believe that Spotify will have a negative impact on sales without offering a large revenue stream in return.
With Warner and EMI both in play and up for sale, it is unclear how/if negotiations with Spotify might affect each company’s valuation.
Benefit News
/by contributorOn February 18 Kenny Chesney performed for the Everglades Foundation benefit in Palm Beach, Fla. Chesney’s friend and Foundation Board member Jimmy Buffet joined him on stage for “Back Where I Come From” and one of Buffett’s signature songs, “Come Monday.” Mac McAnally joined Chesney on “Down The Road.”
The Everglades Foundation is dedicated to protecting and restoring one of the world’s unique natural ecosystems, providing economic, recreational and life-sustaining benefits to the millions of people who depend on its future health. For more information, visit www.evergladesfoundation.org.
Lady Antebellum Headlines Gift of Music Event
Just 5 days after their 5 Grammy sweep, Lady Antebellum headlined the Dustin J. Wells Foundation Gift of Music event benefitting Nashville’s W.O. Smith Music School, a nonprofit school that provides music lessons and instruments to children from low-income families. Joining Lady A were Dierks Bentley, Heidi Newfield, Joey + Rory, LoCash Cowboys, Brett Eldredge and a student band from the school.
Photo: Fred Pierson
Carrie Underwood Presents Check to Save The Children
Carrie Underwood presented Mark Shriver, Sr. Vice President of U.S. Programs for Save the Children, a check from proceeds collected through ticket sales from the 2010 fall leg of her Play On Tour. From every ticket sold during the September to December 2010 run of shows, 36¢ was donated to Save The Children’s U.S. Programs, a donation totaling $140,125.68.
This charitable initiative was inspired by the “36 cents” written in the lyrics of Underwood’s album track “Change” on her most recent album Play On, which addresses how even the smallest bit of spare change that one might have can add up to make a difference and help “change” the world.
Photo: Chris Hallo
Clay Walker will return to Nashville Wednesday, March 2 to host the second annual Chords of Hope: The Clay Walker MS Benefit Concert at the Wildhorse Saloon. The concert, presented by 98 WSIX and produced by Clay’s charity, Band Against MS (BAMS), will help raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis (MS) research with proceeds going to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Tickets for the concert, being held during the National MS Education and Awareness Month, are on sale now through the Wildhorse Saloon. To learn more about Clay Walker and BAMS, visit www.claywalker.com and www.bandagainstms.org.
Recording artist and Flat Track Motorcycle Champion, Beau Braswell, will perform Monday, February 28 at 8:00pm at 3rd & Lindsley to benefit the Nashville Rescue Mission. Braswell is a six-time AMA National Champion and a two-time AMRA World Motorcycle Champion. Braswell is also a singer/songwriter and grew up right here in Nashville. He released his first CD Time To Ride through Harley-Davidson® stores nationwide and his newest project will be released later this summer.
The 38th Annual Music City Tennis Invitational will be held Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1 at Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center at Vanderbilt University. MCTI is the only fundraising event that directly benefits the Center for Child Development at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. MCTI provides essential funding for the Center’s services not covered by medical insurance for children with disabilities and their families. To register online or for more information on sponsorship and volunteer opportunities visit the organization’s website www.musiccitytennis.com.
Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation will host the 4th annual Cause For The Paws on April 30 in downtown Tyler, Texas. This year’s event will be a “festival on the square” featuring Lambert and special guests Stoney Larue, Josh Kelley and host Nan Kelley. Ticket prices start at $25. For more information, visit www.mirandalambert.com or MuttNation’s website www.muttnationfoundation.com
Craig Campbell recently participated in a Rhythm of Hope songwriting session with patients at the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Rhythm of Hope is an interactive music program for pediatric patients that gives children a chance to create their own music while learning the art of songwriting. After visiting with the patients, Campbell and the children performed the song they wrote together.
ACM Newcomer Awards To Church and TBP
/by adminThe two awards will be presented next week in Nashville by Luke Bryan at the ACM-sponsored CRS Music City Jam. Fans will be able to watch the presentation on GAC’s ACM Top New Artists special which will premiere March 14.
Voting for Top New Artist will take place at www.VoteACM.com powered by CBS.com beginning March 11th at 12noon PT and will continue until 5pm PST on Sunday, April 3.
Professional members of the Academy of Country Music select the final nominees in the Top New Solo Vocalist, Top New Vocal Duo or Group categories. Professional member votes were combined with fan votes to obtain the winners of the Top New categories.
SESAC Names Jason Ingram Christian Songwriter of Year
/by admin(L-R): SESAC's Tim Fink, Jason Ingram, SESAC's John Mullins & Trevor Gale. Photo: Ed Rode
2010 CHRISTIAN SONGWRITER: Jason Ingram
2010 CHRISTIAN PUBLISHER: Sony/ATV Timber Publishing
-Performing rights organization, SESAC, named Christian songwriter/producer Jason Ingram as its 2010 Christian Songwriter of the Year at ceremonies held 2/24 at Nashville’s Hutton Hotel. Sony ATV Timber Publishing was named SESAC’s 2010 Christian Publisher of the Year. Over 25 songs were acknowledged at the awards dinner which was hosted by SESAC’s Tim Fink and John Mullins.
Ingram was honored for work in the Christian format with hits such as “Keep Changing The World” by Mikeschair, “Light Up The Sky” by The Afters and “Healing Begins” by Tenth Avenue North. Other SESAC winners included Christian songsmiths Cary Barlowe, Ian Eskelin, Michael Donehey, Regie Hamm and Tiffany Arbuckle Lee.
A simple but elegant version of “Born Again,” one of the evening’s honored songs, was performed by Seth Mosley who wrote the song with his partner, Juan Otero. Mosley and Otero make up the writing team, The Wright Brothers. SESAC also took the opportunity to acknowledge and reward the #1 songs that topped Billboard’s Christian charts in 2010.
Belmont University To Honor Peebles and IEBA
/by FreemanEstablished in memory of program founder Bob Mulloy, the annual Award of Excellence recognizes an individual or organization that has achieved a level of excellence in the music business and entertainment industries with notable service to Belmont University and the Nashville community. Previous recipients include Donna Hilley and Vince Gill.
Peebles served the country industry over 60 years, working with Barbara Mandrell when she was only 11 years old. He is a founder of IEBA, originally known as the International Country Music Buyers Association, which began in 1970 as a non-profit trade organization for talent buyers, promoters, agents, managers and artists. IEBA has established four endowed scholarships for Belmont students in honor of Peebles, Don Romeo, J.P. Williams, and George Moffett. Collectively the endowments represent over $300,000 in investments.
Littlefield Memorial Benefits Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
/by contributorProceeds go to the Merlin Littlefield Pancreatic Cancer Memorial Fund benefitting the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Donations can be made at the organization’s website www.pancan.org.
In addition to Littlefield, pancreatic cancer has claimed the lives of other members of the country music world including Charlie Louvin, who passed away just last month, Buddy Killen, Hank Cochran, Alan Webb, Edward Gaylord, Felice Bryant and Joe Carter.
Photos: Alan Mayor
(L-R): Mica Mosbacher, Larry Gatlin, Eileen Littlefield and Lisa Niemi Swaze.
(L-R): Kathie Baillie, Michael Bonagura, Kristine Arnold, Larry Gatlin, Eileen Littlefield, Dr. Donald Hudson, Janis Gill Oliver and Tony Toliver.
Technically Speaking
/by admin>> MySpace.com has a For Sale sign outside its offices. News Corp. bought the social media site five years ago for $580 million. A profitable 3-year deal with Google, signed in 2006, is believed to have earned the site $800 million. News Corp. is reportedly looking to sell or possibly take on a new partner.
>>According to the Wall Street Journal, ABC and the Academy Awards have successfully renegotiated a deal to keep the movie awards on the network through 2020. The previous contract was set to run from 2005-2014. WSJ notes that “award shows and other big live events have seen their ratings grow following years of on-and-off decline.” Ad sales for the Oscar’s show set to air this Sunday (2/27) are expected to reach close to $80 million according to WSJ sources. The Country Music Association Awards, its new Christmas Special and the annual MusicFest special are also on ABC.
>> Apple Insider.com and Financial Times report that Apple is positioning its possible cloud strategy as a form of insurance. Apple sees the cloud business as possibly undermining its single song paid downloads on iTunes. Spotify, a cloud service that offers free streaming music with ads is trying to secure the necessary licenses to launch in the U.S., but is making slow progress. Also in the wings, hoping to make an entrance, is Google. However, U.S. labels are concerned about streaming business models and have been acting as a bottleneck by withholding licensing permissions.
Weekly Chart Report (2/25/11)
/by Freeman17 Music Entertainment's Matt Gary has been making the radio rounds in the Southeast and Midwest to introduce his new single, "I'm Just Sayin'," penned by Frank Myers, Gary B. Baker and Billy Montana, the title track from his CD 6-Pack. (L-R): Gary, WCTQ/Sarasota, FL MD Heidi Decker and WCTQ PD Tim Jones.
Whoa, where does the time go? Country Radio Seminar starts next week, so make plans to attend MusicRow’s annual Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards, featuring special performances from Joanna Smith and Colt Ford. The event takes place Tuesday, March 1, 2:30-5 pm CT at Cadillac Ranch on Broadway. Email mstephens@musicrow.com for more information. Don’t miss this one!
SPIN ZONE
Lady Antebellum’s “Hello World” makes it two in a row, adding enough spins to maintain the No. 1 spot over Taylor Swift’s “Back To December.” And it looks like the moment has arrived for Stoney Creek’s Thompson Square, whose “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” gains 135 spins and jumps to No. 3 ahead of Brad Paisley’s “This Is Country Music” and Jason Aldean’s “Don’t You Wanna Stay.”
Kenny Chesney’s “Live A Little” is on the fast track to chart dominance. After capturing the biggest debut last week, it picks up the greatest spin increase this week and leaps to No. 31. Toby Keith’s “Somewhere Else”–also just two weeks old–has moved all the way to No. 37. Soon both singles will be battling against Ronnie Dunn’s “Bleed Red” (No. 16) and Keith Urban’s “Without You” (No. 21) for position.
Seems everyone has a new single out with CRS on the horizon. Eric Church’s “Homeboy” is moving quickly at No. 58, followed by Chris Young’s “Tomorrow” at No. 62. Gwyneth Paltrow is also back on the chart at No. 75 with “Me And Tennessee,” a duet with Country Strong co-star Tim McGraw serviced by Curb Records. Also debuting are Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl,” Bucky Covington’s “Hometown,” and David Nail’s “Let It Rain.”
Frozen Playlists: KWWR, WBYZ
Upcoming Singles
February 28
Jessica Ridley/Flaming Red/EMG/Universal/Nine North
Frankie Ballard/A Buncha Girls/Warner Bros./WMN
Chris Young/Tomorrow/RCA
Jason Thomas/I’m Your Radio/MD Records
Eric Church/Homeboy/EMI Nashville
Steve Azar/Hard Road/Ride
Emerson Drive/Let Your Love Speak/Quarterback
Toby Keith/Somewhere Else/Show Dog-Universal
March 7
Eli Young Band/Crazy Girl/Republic Nashville
The New Relics/Dixie Queen/Spinville/Blues Alley
Tonja Rose/Where Would Your Heart Be/Identical Entertainment/Turnpike
Little Big Town/The Reason Why/Capitol
Neal McCoy/New Mountain To Climb/Tate
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Tim McGraw & Gwyneth Paltrow/Me And Tennessee/Curb — 75
Eli Young Band/Crazy Girl/Republic Nashville — 77
Bucky Covington/Hometown — 78
David Nail/Let It Rain/MCA — 80
• • • • •
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Kenny Chesney/Live A Little/BNA — 536
Toby Keith/Somewhere Else/Show Dog-Universal — 398
Keith Urban / Without You / Capitol — 335
Justin Moore/If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away/Valory — 266
Eric Church/Homeboy/EMI Nashville — 231
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Colt Ford/Country Thang/Average Joe’s Entertainment — 223
Curtis & Luckey/Eye Candy/KMG Music Group — 217
Kate Russell/Damned If I Do/Urunga/Spinville Records — 217
Emma King & The Heartsets/I’m Not Forgotten/PLC — 190
Johnny Rivers/New Home/Soul City — 176
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Kenny Chesney/Live A Little/BNA — 27
Toby Keith/Somewhere Else/Show Dog—Universal — 26
Justin Moore/If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away/Valory — 21
Eric Church/Homeboy/EMI/Nashville — 19
Lucy Angel recently visited KGRT/Las Cruces, NM. (L-R): Lucy Angel's Kate, Las Cruces March of Dimes Dir. Becky Horner, Lucy Angel's Emily, KGRT MD Sheila Kirsch, and Lucy Angel's Lindsay.
Big Machine’s Eden’s Edge was in the Dallas office of Citadel Media on Tuesday (2/22) to share their music with employees. The group talked about growing up in Arkansas and meeting each other in college. (L-R): Carl Anderson, Sr. VP Programming and Distribution for Citadel Media; Eden’s Edge’s Cherrill Green and Hannah Blaylock; Gary Reynolds, PD Today’s Best Country; Kris Wilson, MD Today’s Best Country; Eden’s Edge’s Dean Berner; and Jeremy Robinson, The Jeremy Show.
Corey Smith stopped by WUSY in Chattanooga on Wednesday (2/23) to visit with US 101’s personalities and loyal listeners. Corey chatted with Brian Stewart and played a few songs on-air including new single,“Twenty-One,” soon to be released on Average Joe’s Entertainment. (L-R): Gator Harrison (OM/PD), Ken Hicks (morning guy), Brian Stewart (night guy), Smith, Mo & Dex (afternoon show).