Pictured (L-R): CRB/CRS Executive Director RJ Curtis, UMG Nashville EVP, Promotion Royce Risser, Luke Bryan, CRB/CRS Board President and Townsquare Media’s Kurt Johnson, and UMG Nashville Chairman & CEO Mike Dungan. [Note: All personnel on-site for CRS 2021 were required to take COVID-19 tests upon arrival on-site]
During the CRS Artist Interview,
Luke Bryan was named Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) 2021 Artist Humanitarian Award recipient. The interview, sponsored by BMI, was conducted by CRS/CRB Board President
Kurt Johnson during CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience.
Bryan was recognized for his charitable work with numerous organizations throughout his career, including ACM Lifting Lives, CMA Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Shriners Hospital, St. Jude, TJ Martell, and more. His charitable work also includes his ongoing efforts with the Brett Boyer Foundation and Bayer’s #HeresToTheFarmer campaign through his annual Farm Tour.
Johnson, who surprised Bryan with the honor, commented, “Luke is a big star with a bigger heart. From his earliest days to as recently as Super Bowl LV, he’s leveraged his influence for good and helped songwriters, farmers, children, small businesses—people in so many different walks of life that Luke Bryan’s philanthropic work has touched. We’re so proud to honor him with this much-deserved award.”
Luke Byran, CRB/CRS Board President and Townsquare Media’s Kurt Johnson
Bryan, who finished the 2011-2020 decade as the most played artist on country radio, walked through his career with Johnson, starting with his debut single “Do I,” and his Spring Break EPs.
“I think there’s a lot of naiveness behind building stuff like Spring Break and Farm Tours,” Bryan said. “It was methodical, controlled, naiveness.”
In addition to his full length albums targeted for radio airplay, Bryan released a series of seven Spring Break EPs, targeted at college-aged fans, with an accompanying Spring Break concert series. “I kept it going until it just seemed like I was too old and it got weird,” Bryan joked, “and Panama City said there’s 200,000 people on the beach and we can have you here anymore.”
Taking the party further down south, Bryan’s annual Crash My Playa concert series in drew fellow country artists and fans to resorts in Mexico. The 2020 Crash My Playa festival, that took place in January of 2020 before the pandemic halted touring, was the sixth annual event.
“What I’m proud about with Crash My Playa is that the artists come down and they have fun,” Bryan says. “I remember being the artist to go play festivals and I remember going, ‘They’re really not doing this properly. I mean, Hillshire Farm deli meat for your main entree probably isn’t the way this ought to go.’ The fact that we can go to Playa and I can ask, ‘Where do we knock it out the park?'”
Bryan’s annual Farm Tours, launched in 2009, highlight and celebrate the contributions of America’s farmers. Every year a portion of the concert proceeds are donated as college scholarships for students of farming families where the tour is played. In 2015, Luke partnered with Farm Tour sponsor Bayer who launched the #HeresToTheFarmer campaign to support their hard work and help fight hunger throughout the country. Since its inception, the campaign has donated four million meals across the U.S. in addition to thousands of dollars to area food banks and local farmers in each of the Farm Tour cities.
“To grow up with a farming background and to go do the Farm Tours is great,” Bryan says, commenting about his great partnership with Bayer and the thrill of giving back.
Now that Bryan, a four-time entertainer of the year, is looking back on his career, he can point out two moments in his career where the gravity of his success hit him.
“When add-day came for ‘Country Girl (Shake It For Me),’ which was a crazy song, we had about 35 adds. Me and my wife sat in my room, and everyone at the label and Kerri [Edwards, Bryan’s manager] said we had 35 adds, and I was just crying. Caroline was crying. That was the moment that I knew radio was starting to trust. They had to trust me with a song ‘Country Girl (Shake It For Me).’ When they started trusting me and what me and my team were doing, I was like, ‘We’re turning a corner, radio is coming around.'”
The next moment came after the label had decided to release the single “I Don’t Want This Night To End.” Bryan’s dad, who was not a fan of the decision, had driven to Louisville, Kentucky for a concert and watched the audience’s reaction to the song.
“When I hit the stage it was crazy energy. And when I kicked into ‘I Don’t Want This Night To End,’ they lit up [the crowd] and I looked at my dad. He’s over there drinking a beer, checking it all out. We get off stage and my dad was like, ‘Well son, you picked the right next damn single.'”
Now, many singles and more than 25 No. 1 songs later, Bryan has expanded his brand into more avenues of entertainment. For the past several years, Bryan has served as a judge on American Idol.
“Every phase of your entertainment career is about pushing yourself into new little avenues and challenges,” Bryan said about his journey into American Idol. “At the core of what I am, I will always be a guy that likes to sit down and write a song, play it for people, record it, hear it on the radio and watch the people respond to that.
“My biggest thing with Idol was will it affect my music career? Will country radio go ‘He thinks he’s went on to other things,” Bryan said. Turns out the soon to be Idol judge called some fellow country artist friends, including Blake Shelton and Keith Urban, to run the idea by them. “They were like, ‘Man, you’re just going to enjoy learning something different.'”
Now on his fourth season of Idol, Bryan has found his footing as a judge. Earlier in February, Bryan announced that he will release a deluxe version of his No. 1, Gold-certified album BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE (Deluxe Edition) on April 9, 2021 adding six new songs to add to the album’s original 10 tracks.
Luke Bryan Featured In CRS Artist Interview, Honored With Humanitarian Award
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): CRB/CRS Executive Director RJ Curtis, UMG Nashville EVP, Promotion Royce Risser, Luke Bryan, CRB/CRS Board President and Townsquare Media’s Kurt Johnson, and UMG Nashville Chairman & CEO Mike Dungan. [Note: All personnel on-site for CRS 2021 were required to take COVID-19 tests upon arrival on-site]
Bryan was recognized for his charitable work with numerous organizations throughout his career, including ACM Lifting Lives, CMA Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Shriners Hospital, St. Jude, TJ Martell, and more. His charitable work also includes his ongoing efforts with the Brett Boyer Foundation and Bayer’s #HeresToTheFarmer campaign through his annual Farm Tour.
Johnson, who surprised Bryan with the honor, commented, “Luke is a big star with a bigger heart. From his earliest days to as recently as Super Bowl LV, he’s leveraged his influence for good and helped songwriters, farmers, children, small businesses—people in so many different walks of life that Luke Bryan’s philanthropic work has touched. We’re so proud to honor him with this much-deserved award.”
Luke Byran, CRB/CRS Board President and Townsquare Media’s Kurt Johnson
Bryan, who finished the 2011-2020 decade as the most played artist on country radio, walked through his career with Johnson, starting with his debut single “Do I,” and his Spring Break EPs.
“I think there’s a lot of naiveness behind building stuff like Spring Break and Farm Tours,” Bryan said. “It was methodical, controlled, naiveness.”
In addition to his full length albums targeted for radio airplay, Bryan released a series of seven Spring Break EPs, targeted at college-aged fans, with an accompanying Spring Break concert series. “I kept it going until it just seemed like I was too old and it got weird,” Bryan joked, “and Panama City said there’s 200,000 people on the beach and we can have you here anymore.”
Taking the party further down south, Bryan’s annual Crash My Playa concert series in drew fellow country artists and fans to resorts in Mexico. The 2020 Crash My Playa festival, that took place in January of 2020 before the pandemic halted touring, was the sixth annual event.
“What I’m proud about with Crash My Playa is that the artists come down and they have fun,” Bryan says. “I remember being the artist to go play festivals and I remember going, ‘They’re really not doing this properly. I mean, Hillshire Farm deli meat for your main entree probably isn’t the way this ought to go.’ The fact that we can go to Playa and I can ask, ‘Where do we knock it out the park?'”
Bryan’s annual Farm Tours, launched in 2009, highlight and celebrate the contributions of America’s farmers. Every year a portion of the concert proceeds are donated as college scholarships for students of farming families where the tour is played. In 2015, Luke partnered with Farm Tour sponsor Bayer who launched the #HeresToTheFarmer campaign to support their hard work and help fight hunger throughout the country. Since its inception, the campaign has donated four million meals across the U.S. in addition to thousands of dollars to area food banks and local farmers in each of the Farm Tour cities.
“To grow up with a farming background and to go do the Farm Tours is great,” Bryan says, commenting about his great partnership with Bayer and the thrill of giving back.
Now that Bryan, a four-time entertainer of the year, is looking back on his career, he can point out two moments in his career where the gravity of his success hit him.
“When add-day came for ‘Country Girl (Shake It For Me),’ which was a crazy song, we had about 35 adds. Me and my wife sat in my room, and everyone at the label and Kerri [Edwards, Bryan’s manager] said we had 35 adds, and I was just crying. Caroline was crying. That was the moment that I knew radio was starting to trust. They had to trust me with a song ‘Country Girl (Shake It For Me).’ When they started trusting me and what me and my team were doing, I was like, ‘We’re turning a corner, radio is coming around.'”
The next moment came after the label had decided to release the single “I Don’t Want This Night To End.” Bryan’s dad, who was not a fan of the decision, had driven to Louisville, Kentucky for a concert and watched the audience’s reaction to the song.
“When I hit the stage it was crazy energy. And when I kicked into ‘I Don’t Want This Night To End,’ they lit up [the crowd] and I looked at my dad. He’s over there drinking a beer, checking it all out. We get off stage and my dad was like, ‘Well son, you picked the right next damn single.'”
Now, many singles and more than 25 No. 1 songs later, Bryan has expanded his brand into more avenues of entertainment. For the past several years, Bryan has served as a judge on American Idol.
“Every phase of your entertainment career is about pushing yourself into new little avenues and challenges,” Bryan said about his journey into American Idol. “At the core of what I am, I will always be a guy that likes to sit down and write a song, play it for people, record it, hear it on the radio and watch the people respond to that.
“My biggest thing with Idol was will it affect my music career? Will country radio go ‘He thinks he’s went on to other things,” Bryan said. Turns out the soon to be Idol judge called some fellow country artist friends, including Blake Shelton and Keith Urban, to run the idea by them. “They were like, ‘Man, you’re just going to enjoy learning something different.'”
Now on his fourth season of Idol, Bryan has found his footing as a judge. Earlier in February, Bryan announced that he will release a deluxe version of his No. 1, Gold-certified album BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERE (Deluxe Edition) on April 9, 2021 adding six new songs to add to the album’s original 10 tracks.
Chart Action: Goodvin Debuts; Ballerini Sees Spin Bump
/by Alex ParryAaron Goodvin debuts at No. 52 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week with his latest single “Lonely Drum.” He is also the most added record with 26 new stations and has the greatest spin increase with 290 spins. The single was certified Platinum in Canada and peaked in the top 10 of Billboard’s Canada Country chart.
Kelsea Ballerini sees an increase in plays this week on the Mediabase and Billboard charts propelling her to No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. “Hole In The Bottle” rose to No. 1 in October on MusicRow‘s CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
Dan + Shay’s “Glad You Exist” continues to be most added for the second consecutive week on the Mediabase and Billboard charts with 29 stations adds per chart.
Ashley Monroe Readies Fifth Album For April
/by Lorie HollabaughAshley Monroe is set to release her fifth studio album Rosegold on April 30 via Mountainrose Sparrow/Thirty Tigers. On Friday (Feb. 19) she released the video for the album’s first single “Drive,” which was co-written with Niko Moon and Mikey Reaves, who co-produced the track with Monroe.
“I had this chorus and idea when I went in to write with Mikey Reaves and Niko Moon on September 10 (my birthday),” says Monroe. “I told them my dad/other angels always send special songs on my birthday. It didn’t take long into the session until we knew we were on to a special one. I always imagine me singing this while driving on a desert highway.”
Written and recorded over the past two years, the record finds Monroe pushing her sound in new directions. Monroe tracked and co-produced the album one song at a time, inviting collaborators including Nathan Chapman, Jake Mitchell, Jordan Reynolds, Ben West, and longtime producer/co-writer Tyler Cain, to help build and produce full tracks in the studio.
“I’ve always been good at writing sad songs because I’ve experienced a lot of sadness in my life,” Monroe reflects. “When my son was born, though, it was like some sort of innocence got plugged back into my heart. I’d never really felt that kind of joy before, and I wanted to find a way to make it last. I told everyone I was working with that I didn’t want even a hint of sadness this time around. I wanted to embrace all the light and love in my life and find ways to share it with people.”
CMA Recognizes Charlie Monk With Joe Talbot Award
/by Lorie HollabaughCountry Radio Hall of Fame member Charlie Monk (center) receives the Joe Talbot Award from CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern and Townsquare Media SVP of Programming and CRS/CRB Board President Kurt Johnson. Monk was honored Thursday, Feb. 18 during CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience in Nashville. Photo Credit: Courtesy of CRB/CRS
Country Radio Hall of Fame member Charlie Monk received the CMA Joe Talbot Award, recognizing outstanding leadership and contributions to the preservation and advancement of country music’s values and traditions. He was honored on Thursday, Feb. 18 during CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience.
With a career that spans broadcast and publishing, Monk has rallied behind country’s brightest stars. In 1969, he joined industry friends as one of the founders of Country Radio Seminar. He continues to promote the genre as a longtime host of “Prime Country” and “Willie’s Roadhouse” on SiriusXM.
“If you know Charlie, you know why he’s called the Mayor of Music Row,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern. “His tireless passion for Country Music and everything our industry represents is contagious. He has always been a champion of moving this genre forward.”
“Joe is one of my favorite people in the entire world,” said Monk. “I can’t believe I might be lost for words, but I am truly honored because of this man. Probably anything that I might have accomplished, he touched it at some point. His whole family are friends and I am truly honored.”
Monk is the ninth recipient of this award since it was first presented in 2001. Prior recipients include Janette Carter, Kitty Moon Emery, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Louise Scruggs, Marty Stuart and Joe Talbot.
Artist Action: BRELAND, Scotty McCreery, Chris Janson
/by Lorie HollabaughBRELAND’s ‘My Truck’ Gets Chevy TikTok Reboot
Photo: Alaina Mullin
As part of a new partnership with Chevrolet, BRELAND reworked the lyrics to his hit song “My Truck” and created an accompanying music video. Marking the vehicle brand’s TikTok debut, the new version of “My Truck” highlights the Chevy Trucks lineup and has dynamic visuals that feature the Silverado in a starring role.
The “My Truck” video is viewable now on Chevrolet’s new TikTok profile, which launched this February. Chevrolet is one of only a few automotive brands with a channel on TikTok.
Scotty McCreery, Branford Marsalis Join ‘Big Night In’ Benefit Lineup
Scotty McCreery, Branford Marsalis, and more are set to perform on “Big Night In For the Arts” on Raleigh’s WRAL-TV on March 11. Money raised will go toward arts programming, initiatives for equity in the arts, and artist/arts organizations’ relief.
“I cannot imagine my life without the arts,” said McCreery. “Just like so many others, I started playing the guitar at an early age and began writing my own songs. I was in choral groups in school and performed in a musical in high school. We all benefit from the arts. They inspire us, enrich our lives, help us to connect, help us to feel, help us to dream, and help us to learn more about each other and the world. I am happy to lend my support to the arts community in my hometown and surrounding area.”
Chris Janson To Count Down The Hits
Chris Janson will help reveal America’s 30 favorite songs of the week on Country Countdown USA alongside superstar Luke Bryan, who is filling in on hosting duties, this weekend Feb. 20-21.
Meanwhile, on March 3, Janson will join artists such as Amy Grant and Radney Foster to participate in the American Red Cross (Tennessee Region) Nissan Lifesaver Special, airing on WKRN News 2 at 7 p.m. CT.
His latest single “Waitin’ On Five” is currently climbing the charts.
RVSHVD Signs With The Penthouse
/by Sarah SkatesRVSHVD
The Penthouse has signed viral sensation RVSHVD (pronounced Ra-Shaad) for management representation and production. The 23-year-old Georgia native gained national attention for his country version of Roddy Rich’s “Ballin,” which has amassed more than 20 million streams across platforms.
His new single, “Raised Up” was released Friday, Feb. 19 and hit No. 1 on the Country iTunes Singles Chart, following the success of other recent releases “Dirt Road” and “My Side of Town,” which have appeared on multiple Spotify and Apple playlists. RVSHVD has more new music in the pipeline including a collaboration with country singer Trey Lewis.
“When you hear that voice cut through, you know it’s RVSHVD,” says Jonnie Forster, CEO of The Penthouse. “He’s equal parts talent and hustle so when you find a self contained artist like him, you do whatever you can to be on that rocket ship.”
RVSHVD’s influences range from Lil Bow Wow, Eminem and Tupac, to Alan Jackson, George Strait, Jason Aldean, and Keith Urban.
He is represented by attorney Christian Barker, Partner at Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP, with distribution by EMPIRE Nashville.
2021 CRS/Country Aircheck Awards Winners Revealed
/by LB CantrellThe final winners for the CRS/Country Aircheck Awards have been announced. Winners have been revealed each day of CRS 2021: The Virtual Experience.
Big Loud was named Platinum Label of the Year, and Big Machine Label Group was named Gold Label. Big Loud’s VP of Promotion, Stacy Blythe, was recognized, as was the independent label’s National Dir. of Promotion Ali Matkosky.
The late Warner Music Nashville Regional Tom Starr was posthumously honored.
Read the full list of 2021 CRS/Country Aircheck Awards Winners below:
Station:
KNIX/Phoenix (Major Market)
WSIX/Nashville (Large)
WUSY/Chattanooga (Medium)
WYCT/Pensacola, FL (Small)
Platinum Label: Big Loud
Gold Label: Big Machine Label Group
Operations Manager/Programing Director:
Cindy Spicer, WFUS/Tampa (Major)
Carletta Blake, WGAR/Cleveland (Large)
Ashley Wilson, WAMZ/Louisville (Medium)
Scott Gaines, KGNC/Amarillo, TX (Small)
Music Director:
Caitlin “CJ” Johnson, KKBQ/Houston (Major)
Tyler Reese, WKDF/Nashville (Large)
Melissa “Mo” Wagner, WUSY/Chattanooga (Medium)
Chris O’Kelley, WKXC/Augusta, GA (Small)
SVP-VP/National Promotion: Stacy Blythe, Big Loud
Director/National Promotion: Ali Matkosky, Big Loud
Market Manager/GM:
Sarah Frazier, KILT/Houston (Major)
Allison Warren, WKDF & WSM-FM/Nashville (Large)
Mel Owens, KUZZ/Bakersfield (Medium)
Melissa Kibler, KGNC/Amarillo, TX (Small)
Personality/Show:
Bobby Bones Show (National)
Angie Ward, WUBL/Atlanta (Major)
Marty McFly, WSM-FM/Nashville (Large)
Mo & StyckMan, WUSY/Chattanooga (Medium)
Eddie Foxx, WKSF/Asheville (Small)
Regional Promotion: Tom Starr, Warner/WAR
Independent Promotion: GrassRoots
New Face of Country Music: Nicole Michalik, WXTU/Philadelphia
Tennessee Songwriters Week Starts Sunday
/by Sarah SkatesThe Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and The Bluebird Cafe will kick off Tennessee Songwriters Week with virtual performances by songwriters from across the state on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m./CT, streaming on YouTube and the cafe’s Facebook page.
Set to perform are Tennessee song contest winners Allen J. Morrell (Murfreesboro), Jay Da Skreet (Memphis), Courtney Holder (Chattanooga), Jacob Vaughn (Reidsville, NC), Beth Snapp (Kingsport), and Adeem Bingham (Knoxville). The winners received a specialty Tennessee Songwriters Week-branded Epiphone guitar, and a free one-year membership and individual mentoring session with NSAI.
More than 1,000 songwriters competed in 39 qualifying rounds, six showcase events and special events on stages from Memphis to Mountain City. The winners won showcases at Puckett’s in Franklin, Lafayette’s Music Room in Memphis, The Bijou in Knoxville, Bessie Smith Cultural Center in Chattanooga, Ole Red in Gatlinburg, and The Downhome in Johnson City.
Other events for 2021 Tennessee Songwriters Week include Tia Sillers performing on the Songwriter Session at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.
In 2019, a state statute passed designating the last full week of February each year as Tennessee Songwriters Week.
Song contest winners (clockwise from top left): Allen J. Morrell, Jay Da Skreet, Courtney Holder, Jacob Vaughn, Beth Snapp and Adeem Bingham.
Kalie Shorr Releases First Track From Upcoming EP
/by Sarah SkatesSingle artwork for Kalie Shorr’s new track, “Amy.”
Kalie Shorr released her new song “Amy” on Friday (Feb. 19). Produced by renowned hitmaker Butch Walker, the song is the first track from her upcoming EP, which will be out later this year on tmwrk records.
Shorr says she had been working on the song idea for about two and a half years, and it finally came to fruition during a “cathartic” writing session with friends Candi Carpenter and John Caldwell. “After we finished it, I randomly decided to put an acoustic version of the song up on TikTok. I didn’t realize how many people had been in a similar position and needed a song to let them know they weren’t alone in that hurt. I never expected that response, I never expected two million people to see it, and I certainly never expected that I would get to record the song with Butch Walker. Anyone who knows me knows that his music (and the music he’s produced) has been the soundtrack to my life. And now it still is, just a lot more literally.”
Shorr’s critically acclaimed debut album, Open Book, was released in 2019 with its deluxe edition, Open Book: Unabridged, following this past December. Self-released by Shorr, Open Book landed on several “Best of 2019” lists including The New York Times and Variety.
Her podcast, Too Much To Say with Kalie Shorr, is produced by iHeartMedia and Bobby Bones.
Maggie Rose Announces Upcoming Album, ‘Have A Seat’
/by Lorie HollabaughMaggie Rose. Photo: Ford Fairchild
Maggie Rose has announced her new album, Have A Seat, will be released this Summer on Aug. 20 via Starstruck Records. Rose has released the fiery-horn-groove stomp-filled first track, “Do It,” which is available today (Feb. 19) on all streaming platforms.
Have A Seat is Rose’s third full-length project and was produced by Ben Tanner at the iconic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. In a series of pre-pandemic sessions, Rose recorded with a lineup of heavy-hitters including bassist David Hood of the Swampers (the session musicians who played on records from legends like Aretha Franklin and Etta James), guitarist Will McFarlane (Bonnie Raitt, Levon Helm), and longtime bandmates/collaborators Larry Florman (background vocals/percussion), Alex Haddad (guitars), and Sarah Tomek (drums) of Them Vibes, as well as guests such as Marcus King, and others.
“Working with musicians of that caliber and knowing they were giving my music so much attention definitely made me thrive,” Rose said. “I felt so safe going deep into the emotional places within the songs, and I think you can feel that love and camaraderie when you listen to the record.” At the same time, Have a Seat is undeniably the sound of an artist fully coming into her own, without concession or compromise. “I’ve worked in this industry for over a decade, and I feel like I’ve finally carved out a lane that’s genre-bending and all my own,” she says. “I had to really fight to find that space for myself, and this record is my way of staking my claim.”