Gloriana To Perform at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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Gloriana will perform their hit single “Wild At Heart” at the 84th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The foursome will ride aboard a float and sing their R.I.A.A. Gold single for more than 3.5 million attendees and a projected TV viewing audience of 50 million.

“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is such an iconic holiday event and we are so honored and excited to be a part of it this year,” said Gloriana’s Rachel Reinert. “This is definitely going down as one of the coolest performance opportunities we have had!”

The parade will air live on NBC on November 25th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. The TODAY Show’s Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Meredith Vieira will co-host the parade, which also includes performances by Kanye West, Jessica Simpson, India.Arie and Gladys Knight. This year’s event will feature 15 giant character balloons, 27 floats, 12 marching bands, and 1,600 cheerleaders, dancers and performance group members.

Facebook to Offer Places Deals

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Facebook announced today it will soon update its mobile apps for iPhone and Android users, reports Mashable.com. Among the good news is that Android users will now be integrated into the Places and Groups functionality. Apple users will also soon be able to add photos.

Also part of today’s announcement, it was revealed that Deals will become part of Facebook Places. Deals–just as it sounds–is part of the new iPhone app and allows users to find special deals at nearby businesses. At first the new Deals will only be offered to iPhone users, but should soon spread to Android systems too. there are four types of Deals; Individual Deals (for discounts, free stuff or other rewards), Friend Deals (where you and a pal claim something together), Loyalty Deals (for the regulars) and Charity Deals (which allow you to donate to a cause). Early merchant deals include GAP, Chipotle and more…

Location-based marketing is expected to become a fixture in the music industry where opportunities abound to influence fans to buy and receive special offers. For example, for checking into a record store during debut week, fans might get a discount coupon to buy the CD.

Moving Swift-ly To No. 1

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Music industry pundits at desks across the major music centers will be pounding out the story of Taylor Swift’s great debut week sales numbers—1.047 million! But maybe the real story is how Swift’s success flies in the face of conventional industry wisdom. “Album sales are falling, consumers only want to buy single tracks, piracy has destroyed sales, you can’t compete with free…” These are the current excuses for an industry in dire straits. So how does one explain Swift’s incredible result? What prompted over one million consumers to engage and relate to this young lady from Hendersonville, TN?

Unlike many of the top charting female artists of today, Ms. Swift eschews tabloid behavior and asks fans to focus on her music. With Speak Now she offers an emotion-packed journey bursting with insight into real life events. In some universal way her life contests connect with similar moments that have brushed the fabric of others as well.

There’s also something spunky about this lady; she’s a fighter. Critics complained she can’t sing, that her co-writers contributed everything on the other albums. On Speak Now, she walks out onto the stage having written all the songs by herself, including, “Mean” where she shares how hurt she was by some of these criticisms. “You have pointed out my flaws again, as if I don’t already see them,” she sings. But if Swift briefly falls to pieces, she also picks herself back up, asking, “Why you gotta be so mean?”
• • •
Speak Now ends its first sales week in the No. 1 position on both the all genre Top Current Albums and Top Current Country Album lists with sales of almost 1.047 million units, according to Nielsen Soundscan. About 26.5% of those sales were in digital format. Swift’s record breaking debut week eclipses Shania Twain’s previous title for highest ever female country artist sales of 874k in 2002. It also is Swift’s personal best, beating Fearless which debuted with 592k in 2008. Speak Now boasts the best first week showing of any album in 2010. (Eminem’s Recovery did 742k in June 2010.)

As noted by Spielberg Consulting’s Neal Spielberg, “Swift’s four albums (three CDs and a holiday collection) make up 60% of total country album sales this week and represent 18% of total album sales for the week.”

In organizing this multi-media debut, Big Machine’s team should not be underestimated. Only a few weeks ago, insiders deemed “impossible” a million plus result. The multi-layered marketing plan, forged with nerves of steel, should be documented, published and offered to others as a textbook example of engaging fans on all fronts.

The massive launch also moved the YTD country sales needle. Last week country album sales were off 12.3% compared with the same period last year. Voila!, this week’s scans improved numbers to only down 9.1%!

Sugarland’s Incredible Machine motored through second week sales with a “normal” drop of 56% to almost 89k units but sales on the Top 75 Current Country Chart minus Speak Now barely edged above 400k, even with all the new CDs in bins. How the year will play out is still shrouded in mystery. A parade of recent debuts from Darius Rucker, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Toby Keith, Jamey Johnson, Billy Currington and more have slid rapidly from debut week glory. Upcoming launches are scheduled for Reba, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, and Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley both released this week.

The CMA Awards should be the switch that ignites holiday sales and starts the numbers climbing toward a seasonal frenzy. Will consumers be able to focus on so many different new titles this year or will they RSVP at their favorite music retailer for Taylor plus one? These are questions that are yet to be answered.

Bill Anderson Salute, “My Country” Book Party, More Photos

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••••Over 30 stars turned out to honor Bill Anderson with a special episode of Country Music’s Family Reunion Show on RFD-TV. Anderson, who regularly hosts the show, found himself switching roles with Vince Gill for the salute featuring Roy Clark, Jamey Johnson, Jon Randall, Jessi Alexander, Rhonda Vincent, Con Hunley, Jeannie Seely, Jean Shepard, The Whites, T. Graham Brown, Gene Watson, Jim Ed Brown, Lynn Anderson and many more. An air date has been set.

••••Photographer Melanie Dunea celebrated the release of her book My Country with a party last week at Robert’s Western World. My Country presents photographs of stars ranging from Taylor Swift to Wynonna Judd to Little Jimmy Dickens, alongside interviews that reveal their musical roots and inspirations.

L-R: BMI's Jody Williams, songwriter Jim Lauderdale, and Melanie Dunea

••••SOLID Presents In The Round raised over $1200 for Nashville-based Sweet Sleep which helps orphans in Haiti. The sold out event, held October 6 at the Bluebird Café, featured hit songwriters Rhett Akins, Cary Barlowe, Dallas Davidson and Phil O’Donnell.

L-R: Songwriters Phil O’Donnell, Dallas Davidson, Cary Barlowe, Rhett Akins and SOLID VP Ian Wolczyk

••••James Otto visited with and played songs for the University of Florida’s Athletic Association earlier this week. An employee from the University Athletic Association won the visit from WOGK.

(l-r) Lou Ramirez (WMN SE Regional Rep), James Otto, Mr. Bob (PD WOGK) hang out on the Gator's baseball field.

Radio Use Shrinks; Concert Industry Faltering

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This slide shows that radio usage in a 24 hr. period has dropped from 2:43 in 2000 to 1 hr. 24 minutes in 2010. Conversely, Internet usage has expanded from 59 minutes, to 2:52 in 2010. Time spent reading magazines and newspapers has fallen. TV use has grown slightly.


Radio’s Future II: The 2010 American Youth Study conducted by Edison Research and sponsored by Radio-info.com contains a multitude of slides showing changes in attitude toward radio and other media since the study was conducted a decade ago in 2000. Results are based upon 1,533 interviews nationwide, split almost evenly between age 12-24 demo and age 22-34 demo. While this sequel to the 2000 study measures large changes in media and radio use there are also some interesting slides that do not concern radio.

For example, it is not surprising that cell phone ownership increased from 29% in 2000 to 81% in 2010. Of the 81%, 43% say theirs is a smart phone. When the age 12-24 group was asked how often they read a printed newspaper, 58% said, “Never” and 28% answered “sometimes.”

When asked “How many concerts you attended in the last year?” it became clear that the current economy has not bolstered attendance. In 2000 24% of 12-24s went to three or more concerts and 43% said, “none.” In 2010 only 12% said “three or more,” and 64% replied “none.” In 2000 the mean was 2.1 concerts attended, but ten years later the 2010 mean is .9.

The study also addresses the growth of Internet radio streams and apps such as Pandora. In its recommendations it suggests, “Send more stations after these demos or watch them fade away–the consumer and the advertisers still see radio as a youth medium–why don’t the owners? Claim Internet audio or lose it. It can’t be just your over-the-air product. It must be a font of innovation. Learn from what is driving Pandora.”

This graph shows the steady decline in album sales over the 10 year period, falling from 785 million to 2000 to 380 million in 2009.

Ticket Details For Garth Brooks In Nashville

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Fans who want to get in to see Garth Brooks’ first full-scale concert in 10 years will be manning their computers and phones on Saturday morning (11/6). The die-hard devotees will be hitting the box office tomorrow (11/4).

As announced last week, Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood are set for a flood relief benefit at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 17. Superstar guests are expected to perform.

Tickets will go on sale via Ticketmaster on Saturday morning, Nov. 6 at 10 AM/CT. They will be priced at $25 plus fees and there will an eight-ticket limit. Available at www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster charge by phone at 1–800-745‑3000 or Ticketmaster Express at 1–866-448‑7849.

Here are the details on purchasing in person at the Bridgestone.

Random numbered wristbands will be given out at the outlets and the Bridgestone Arena Box Office beginning 10AM Thursday, Nov 4 through Friday, Nov 5 at 7PM or while supplies last. The wristband does not guarantee a ticket, ONLY a place in line. The wristband will be placed on your left wrist and wristband holders must return to the same location they received their wristband by or before 845AM Saturday, Nov 6th. If wristband holders show up after 845AM then they must go to the late line. Everybody with a wristband has a chance to be first in line if they arrive by or before 845AM. Those fans without wristbands will be allowed to line up behind wristband holders first come, first served. Must be at least 12 years old and able to be in line unaccompanied. 8 ticket limit. Cash only at the Bridgestone Arena and all outlets.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (11/03/10)

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There is nothing particularly earth shattering to report this week.

The column is very much a mixed bag, everything from rocking Elvis to bluegrass Rhonda. Steven Dale Jones is holding down the singer-songwriter slot. Katie Armiger is here with youth appeal. Rosehill, Lathan Moore and Bill Rice have returned and confirmed themselves as promising.

Our two contenders for Disc of the Day are both relative newcomers on major labels, Josh Thompson and our winner, Easton Corbin. He just sings so darn well.

By virtue of the fact that she’s the only complete unknown in this stack of platters, North Carolina’s Madonna Nash takes home a DisCovery Award.

KATIE ARMIGER/Best Song Ever
Writer: Katie Armiger/Amanda Flynn/Bruce Wallace; Producer: Chad Carlson; Publisher: Purple Monkeys/Miss Tomasina/Miss Shaw/Purple Cape/Ole, SESAC/BMI; Cold River ()
—Very pop, like a ‘60s “girl-group” ditty. It is a deceptively bouncy revenge fantasy, complete with cheery “Woah-Oh’s.”

STEVEN DALE JONES/Grandmother’s Song
Writer: Jones; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; SDJ (track) (www.stevendalejones@yahoo.com)
—On his 10 Favorites CD, hit songwriter Jones offers his own takes on the Diamond Rio popularized “One More Day” and “I Know How the River Feels” plus a clutch of others just as well crafted. His singing is so fine throughout the set that you’ll wonder why he doesn’t record more. This track movingly describes an elderly musician in a nursing home, struggling to hold onto her dignity and her spirit. The sound of truth. It will touch you. I promise.

EASTON CORBIN/I Can’t Love You Back
Writer: Carson Chamberlain/Clint Daniels/Jeff Hyde; Producer: Carson Chamberlain; Publisher: FSMGI/WCCR/State One Music America/Sony-ATV/Mammaw’s Cornbread, IMRO/BMI; Mercury Nashville (track) ()
—CMA New Artist of the Year nominee Corbin is back with a broken-hearted ballad. It showcases what a richly textured singing voice he possesses in that the verses are hushed meditations and the choruses are high-tenor shouts to the heavens. Very effective indeed.

ROSEHILL/Midnight America
Writer: Michael Dulaney/Steven Dale Jones; Producer: Radney Foster & Jay Clementi; Publisher: Michael Dulaney/Steven Dale Jones/Mojave Rain/Full Circle/WB/, ASCAP; Cypress Creek (track) (www.rosehill-live.com)
—I like these guys. Rosehill is comprised of Blake Myers and Mitch McBain, and back in June they won a DisCovery Award in this column. They sing with gumption and drive. And get a load of the production and songwriting credits. This super-melodic and hooky thing rocks splendidly. I’m in.

BILL RICE/Friday Night
Writer: none listed; Producer: Bill Rice & Roger Blevins Jr.; Publisher: none listed; Aaron Ave (830-253-8813)
—He has his buddies, his jalopy and his poor-folks fun. A nicely drawn portrait of small-town America. His vocal is appropriately dusty and yearning.

JOSH THOMPSON/Won’t Be Lonely Long
Writer: Josh Thompson/Arlis Albritton/George Ducas; Producer: Michael Knox; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Songs of Better Angels/Blank Sheet/Warner-Tamerlane/Salt Life/Big Hits of Amylase/Pure Blue, BMI; Columbia (track) ()
—Do not be deceived by the downbeat opening phrases. In no time, this transforms into a lively, chugging, honky-tonk, “kiss-off” number. He figures he’s lucky that she broke up with him at 7:00 on a Friday night, ‘cause that gives him plenty of time to get loaded, dance and pick up girls. Rowdy fun.

LATHAN MOORE/Love in Your Life
Writer: Matt McClure/John Paul Williams/Stan Swinarski; Producer: Rick Holt & Norro Wilson; Publisher: Bow to Stern/Blonde Leading Blind/Flatlanders, BMI; Blue Steel (track) (www.lathanmoore.com)
—This former DisCovery Award winner is back with a second single. I still like his robust singing voice, but this lyric is a little preachy for my taste.

RHONDA VINCENT/Sweet Summertime
Writer: Donna Webster; Producer: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage; Publisher: Sally Mountain, BMI; Upper Management (track) (www.rhondavincent.com)
—The Queen of Bluegrass is making a couple of gutsy moves in forming her own record label and producing herself. This single from her new Taken CD features rippling banjo and guitar work from Rage members Aaron McDaris and Ben Helson, respectively, not to mention a brilliant mandolin break from the lady, herself. The lilting, wistful tune also features sterling vocal harmonies from the guys. (Could it be that this song is the single because it name-checks Martha White, which just so happens to be her tour sponsor?) Guests elsewhere on the album include Dolly Parton, Rhonda’s daughters Tensel and Sally, Little Roy Lewis and Richard Marx (!).

MADONNA NASH/Dirty Little Secret
Writer: Madonna Nash; Producer: Dave Demay & Charles Fulp; Publisher: Madonna Nash/Mad Charm, ASCAP; Mad Charm (www.madonnanash.com)
—It says here that Ms. Nash won the 2010 Female Country Artist of the Year at the Carolina Music Awards. Her roaring, rocking single doesn’t have much of a melody, but there’s plenty of space in it for her to sell it on sheer attitude.

ELVIS PRESLEY/Suspicious Minds
Writer: Mark James; Producer: Erich Von Tourneau; Publisher: Sony-ATV, BMI; RCA (track) ()
—This song has charted country twice, once for Dwight Yoakam and even bigger as a Waylon Jennings & Jessi Colter duet. But unlike many of The King’s other singles, his original 1969 version of this didn’t chart country at all. And this pounding new production of it certainly won’t. That doesn’t mean it isn’t fascinating listening. Elvis’s and the female backup singers’ vocals are retained, but the surrounding track is a crashing, bashing re-imagining of the song (although I can still hear The Memphis Horns in the mix). It is from Viva Elvis, the companion CD to the Las Vegas extravaganza by Cirque du Soleil.

Events At The Hall: Williams Family Exhibit, Marshall Chapman

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Pictured with Chapman are Sue Havlish, Vanderbilt University Press (L) and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum VP of Museum Programs Jay Orr (R) Photo Credit: John Russell

Marshall Chapman performed at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Oct. 30 to celebrate the official release of her new book, They Came To Nashville. The book features Chapman’s conversations with fifteen artist-songwriters, including Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson and Miranda Lambert, about their first forays to Music City.

•••

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s critically acclaimed exhibition Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy, Presented by SunTrust exhibit has been refreshed with dozens of new artifacts such as notebooks filled with the handwritten musings, lyrics and notes of Hank Williams; an electric guitar crafted of bone and alligator hide; and a Pulitzer Prize. The exhibit, which opened in March 2008, was originally scheduled to close at the end of 2009, but has been extended through Dec. 31, 2011.

Additionally, the museum has debuted Family Tradition Encore, an exclusive online version of the exhibition that features video, photographs, awards, documents and other content not on display in the museum’s galleries. Family Tradition Encore can be viewed here.

•••

Hank Williams Jr.’s oldest daughter, Hilary Williams, has penned a new autobiography, Sign of Life: A Story of Family, Tragedy, Music, and Healing. She will visit the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum on Sat., November 6, for a special program in the Museum’s Ford Theater. The program, which is presented in conjunction with the Museum’s exhibition Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy, Presented by SunTrust, will begin at 1:30 p.m.; it is included with Museum admission and is free to Museum members. It will be streamed live at www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

During the program, which will be hosted by Family Tradition co-curator Michael McCall, Williams will discuss some of the stories she shares in Sign of Life, including her experiences growing up as a member of country music’s first family. She will also perform. Following the program, Williams will sign copies of her book in the Museum Store. Please visit the Museum’s web site for complete details.

•••

The Museum will offer two additional Family Tradition-themed programs in November: Country Costume Design and the Williams Family Style on Saturday, November 20 at 1 p.m.; and a film screening of two episodes of National Life Grand Ole Opry, both of which feature performances by Hank Williams Jr., on Sunday, November 28 at 2 p.m. Country Costume Design, a hands-on program geared toward children ages 5 to 15, will explore the stage wear of the Williams family and teach kids the basics of costume design. The program will be led by Katy K, nationally recognized western-wear designer and owner of the Nashville boutique Katy K’s Ranch Dressing. The 1965–66 episodes of National Life Grand Ole Opry include 16-year-old Hank Jr. performing with his band, the Cheatin’ Hearts. Both programs are free.

Worley’s Cancer Center; Lawrence’s Turkey Fry; Tippin/Stroud Benefit CD

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Tippin and Stroud with the WO Smith School students at Ocean Way Studios.

I WANNA PLAY!: An Album To Put Musical Instruments Into The Hands Of Every Child In America was co-produced by Aaron Tippin and James Stroud, and features Lorrie Morgan, George Jones, Ronnie Milsap, Ray Price, Neal Sedaka and more. And making a special vocal appearance are the students of W.O. Smith Music School. Tippin is also set for a Toys for Tots benefit concert November 13 at The Mill at Lebanon, TN.

••••The Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center in Savannah, TN is celebrating its grand opening today (11/3). Fans can watch the event live on USTREAM.TV beginning at 10:00 a.m. CT. Worley’s foundation has pledged $600,000 towards the construction of the new facility.

Tracy Lawrence

••••Tracy Lawrence will host his Mission Possible Turkey Fry on Tuesday, November 23 to benefit the Nashville Rescue Mission. Joining in on the outdoor fry festivities will be Brad Arnold, GAC’s Suzanne Alexander, Burns & Poe, Chelsea Field, Matt Gary, LoCash Cowboys, Lathan Moore, Lorrie Morgan, Danielle Peck, The Roys, Jett Williams and the Titans Cheerleaders. WKDF, WSIX and WSM-FM/The Wolf will be on-site for the public event. Since the Mission Possible inception, Lawrence and his friends have donated more than 5,000 turkeys, provided nearly 35,000 meals for the homeless and raised more than $100,000.

Kelly Parkes

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“Nothing”
Edge Records/Lofton Creek

Kelly Parkes is releasing her new single “Nothing” to country radio. The feisty 23 year-old from rural Lancaster County, Penn., loves performing and cites Carrie Underwood as her favorite vocalist. Her recording session was produced by Darran Smith (Tim McGraw) and Lofton Creek Records chief Mike Borchetta.

Parkes also recently sang the national anthem live on the SPEED Channel for a NASCAR truck race. She will be heading out on an extensive fall and winter radio promotion tour soon and she is eager to perform for programmers.

“I’m a ham,” she says. “I’ve always been a ham. I love what I do and I love that I get to do it…When I see someone on stage performing, I want to be the one up there performing.”

http://www.myspace.com/kellyparkes

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