Triple Tigers artist Russell Dickerson has earned his fourth consecutive No. 1 single with “Love You Like I Used To,” which tops both the Mediabase country chart and Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart this week.
“This feels really big for us,” Dickerson tells MusicRow. “I had a couple of friends over for a bonfire and I got a call from the radio team saying that the chart had just closed and it was officially No. 1, and it felt great. This one is special because it’s off the new album. I can’t believe it’s No. 1, it’s insane.”
The song follows his previous consecutive No. 1 songs, including “Yours,” “Blue Tacoma,” and “Every Little Thing”—all songs that the Triple Tigers team has propelled to No. 1 on the radio charts.
“The missing piece was the Triple Tigers team—their promo team is hands-down the best in the business,” Dickerson says. “This is my fourth No. 1 and Scotty McCreery has had several, so just out of the gate, to earn that many No. 1s with two artists is a testament to them. It feels like God kind of hand-picked the best radio veterans to all come together and take these to No. 1.”
He wrote the song alongside Parker Welling and Casey Brown. Dickerson recalls how his wife, Kailey Dickerson, even gave the singer-songwriter some direction with “Love You Like I Used To.”
“We had written the song once, and she’s brutally honest, and was like, ‘The title of the song is better than the song.’ And she was right. I got back together later that year with Parker and Casey, they had come on the road with us, and we completely re-wrote the song, just took it down to the studs—different groove, tempo, totally different lyric. Then we played it for the team and the label, and it just clicked and it was like, ‘Boom, there it is.’ In the first verse now, it kind of throws you for a loop, it feels like a breakup song. We wrote that twist in verse one, and then you get to the chorus and it’s like ‘Nope! It’s a big ‘ol love song.’ We knew it was special.”
“Love You Like I Used To” is the first track from Dickerson’s upcoming album, Southern Symphony, set for Dec. 4. The song has earned 96 million streams to date.
Dickerson says the COVID-19 touring shutdowns have allowed him ample time to focus on the production for his upcoming album. “We were throwing mixes around every few weeks up until a few months ago. For me, it’s no question it’s a giant step up from album one, from production and writing and a vocal standpoint,” says Dickerson, who produced the project alongside Brown and Dann Huff.
“We had a cool thing going with album one, it was younger sounding with a pop edge. This one has more roots to it, and more organic instruments, but it’s still a polished, big production. We had done a majority of the recording before quarantine hit, and then I had more time to focus on production.”
Dickerson played the guitar solo on his current chart-topper, something he says he normally wouldn’t get to do because he would be on the road. “I had time to add things like that and actually kind of pull my weight as a producer,” he notes. He also gained more confidence in the studio this time around, thanks to Brown and Huff.
“I’ve learned to speak my mind a lot more freely. It’s a hard road to walk as an artist and producer,” says Dickerson, who studied music at Belmont University. “To go into the studio and really get into the technical jargon and not shy away from my musical knowledge in the studio and just being confident in that. They both really encouraged me to keep doing that in the studio.”
Gold And Platinum Certs Abound For Chesney, Aldean, Brice, And More
/by Lorie HollabaughKenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Lee Brice, Blanco Brown, and Russell Dickerson were among the multitude of artists who received Gold and Platinum certifications in October 2020.
Dickerson received a Gold award for his single “Love You Like I Used To,” Aldean went Gold with his single “Got What I Got,” Brice’s singles “Love Like Crazy” “Rumor,” “I Don’t Dance,” “Hard To Love” “Parking Lot Party” and “Boy” went Platinum while his “One Of Them Girls” went Gold. LOCASH‘s “One Big Country Song” received Gold status, along with Parmalee and Blanco Brown’s “Just The Way.” Old Dominion‘s single “Snapback” went Platinum, while Mitchell Tenpenny‘s “Anything She Says,” featuring Seaforth, also went Gold. Ashley McBryde‘s “A Little Dive Bar Down In Dahlonega” also reached Gold status, along with Cody Johnson‘s “Nothin’ On You.” Danielle Bradbery‘s “Sway” also received Gold certification, along with Kenny Chesney‘s “Here And Now.”
The newcomers achieved a lot of heavy metal last month as well with Parker McCollum and Niko Moon both going gold with their singles “Pretty Heart” and “Good Time” respectively, and Jameson Rodgers‘ “Some Girls” also achieving Gold.
Dierks Bentley‘s “5150” went 2x multi-Platinum, while his single “Living” went Platinum. Riley Green‘s “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” went Platinum, Brantley Gilbert‘s single “Kick It In The Sticks” went 2x multi-Platinum, and Old Dominion’s Meat And Candy album also went Platinum during the month of October.
Industry Ink: Dolly Parton, Tracy Lawrence, Next Generation Artist Management
/by Lorie HollabaughDolly Parton Holiday Livestream Coming To Amazon
Amazon Music is holding a special holiday livestream, “Dolly Parton‘s Comin’ Home for Christmas,” an exclusive holiday experience featuring a performance and Q&A, on Nov. 13. Emmy Award winner Leslie Jordan will host the event beginning at 12 p.m. CT on Nov. 13 via Amazon Music’s Twitch channel and within the Amazon Music mobile app via Twitch and Amazon Music’s new live streaming functionality, as well as on Amazon Live – Amazon.com/live – on desktop, mobile, Fire tablet, or via the Amazon Shopping App on Fire TV.
“Dolly Parton’s Comin’ Home for Christmas” will include a performance by Parton of new music from her latest album, A Holly Dolly Christmas, including, “Circle of Love,” “Comin’ Home For Christmas” and “Mary, Did You Know?”. Parton will then join live to take questions from viewers, who can submit questions beforehand by commenting on her social posts about the event. Amazon Music and Amazon Live have also collaborated with Parton to raise awareness for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The stream will include a link for viewers interested in learning more about the organization.
Tracy Lawrence’s Turkey Fry And Benefit Concert Set For Nov. 24
Tracy Lawrence‘s annual Mission:Possible Turkey
Frankie Justin, Kyle English Sign With Next Generation Artist Management
Next Generation Artist Management has added two artists to its growing client roster. Frankie Justin, an artist on the company’s SMG Nashville label who is releasing new music soon, and Kyle English, a singer/songwriter from Ohio. Next Generation Artist Management’s Kristin Johnson said, “We are extremely excited about the future with Frankie Justin, and newcomer Kyle English. They have an extremely strong work ethic, passion, and great songwriting and vocal skills.”
Next Generation Artist Management is part of The Spin Doctors Music Group, Nashville.
NIVA Launches National Independent Venue Foundation
/by Jessica NicholsonAs The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA)’s 2,900 members anticipate the passage of the Save Our Stages Act in Congress, NIVA has announced the formation of The National Independent Venue Foundation, a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) which seeks to partner and fundraise through individual, corporate and foundation donations to expand upon NIVA’s mission to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent live performance venues and promoters throughout the U.S. by also seeking to support a transparent, competitive marketplace serving a diverse and inclusive community of artists, fans, and industry workers.
“The National Independent Venue Foundation is built on the same guiding principles as the National Independent Venue Association. While NIVA remains the advocacy, sponsorship, and membership trade organization branch of the cause, The Foundation has been created to focus on separate, supplemental initiatives, such as the Emergency Relief Fund,” said Hal Real, president of NIVF. Real is also president of World Cafe Live in Philadelphia and secretary of NIVA. “The Foundation hopes to learn from existing best practices and training programs undertaken by NIVA’s members and expand upon them to provide education and community programming, employee training and support, and economic development initiatives to further develop both organizations’ efforts to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion. Long-term, we hope to establish an endowment fund to assure sustainability of NIVA and Foundation programming for years to come.”
The National Independent Venue Foundation will be led by the following board members:
NIVF President: Hal Real, founder and president of World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, and secretary of NIVA
NIVF Executive Director: Rev. Moose, managing partner of Marauder, New York, and executive director of NIVA
NIVF Vice President: Tobi Parks, owner of xBk Live, Des Moines, Iowa
NIVF Secretary/ Treasurer: Laura Wilson, live music manager for The Bohemian Foundation, Fort Collins, CO
NIVF Board Member: Torrie Allen, president and CEO, Arts Midwest, Minneapolis
NIVF Board Member: Annie Brinn, senior vice president of publishing administration at Warner Music Group, Nashville, TN
NIVF Board Member; Taneshia Nash Laird, president and CEO of Newark Symphony Hall, Newark, NJ
NIVF Board Member, David M. Mayeri, founder and CEO of Berkeley Music Group – The UC Theatre, Berkeley, CA
“While we wait for Congressional support that would allow our industry of independent venues and promoters to survive, I’m excited to be working with the National Independent Venue Foundation on next steps that, once we are back in business, will allow every member of our community the equal opportunity to thrive,” said Tobi Parks, NIVF vice president and owner of xBk Live. “It’s more than just that feeling of being in an audience, surrounded by other fans of all backgrounds who are connecting in that moment. Our goal is to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in all levels of our industry – from fans to artists, employees to owners, and beyond.”
“The live music business contributes billions of dollars to the nation’s economy and independently-owned venues are important not only for their economic value but for the quality of life they contribute to their communities,” said Taneshia Nash Laird, NIVF board member and president and CEO of Newark Symphony Hall. “I’m delighted to join the Foundation’s board and contribute my expertise in economic development, equity, and inclusion towards the organization’s important mission of not only saving our stages, but helping these business owners maintain financial resilience.”
“As a proud Nashville native, born and raised in Music City, live music is ingrained in my DNA,” said NIVF board member Annie Brinn. “Joining the board of the Foundation sits directly at the intersection of where my personal and professional lives meet. My mission with the Foundation is to drive change through the music industry and into our communities. I’m excited to help champion DEI initiatives and ensure that the relationships we foster and the partnerships we develop on behalf of the Foundation are as diverse as the music that connects us.“
Kameron Marlowe’s Self-Titled Debut EP To Drop This Friday
/by Lorie HollabaughKameron Marlowe. Photo: Matthew Berinato
Columbia Nashville artist Kameron Marlowe is releasing his self-titled debut EP this Friday (Nov. 13). To celebrate the release, Marlowe will open for Chris Young at a socially-distanced concert at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on Saturday (Nov. 14).
Produced by Brad Hill, the six-song release includes Marlowe’s entirely self-penned debut “Giving You Up” and “Burn ‘Em All,” which has ranked Top 40 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Marlowe has earned more than 77 million on-demand career streams.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. Coming from a small town, things like this just don’t happen,” said Marlowe. “Releasing my debut EP under Columbia Nashville is a dream come true and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come.”
Kameron Marlowe EP Track List:
1. Giving You Up (Kameron Marlowe)
2. Sober as a Drunk (Marv Green, J.T. Harding, Justin Wilson)
3. Goin’ There Today (Dan Isbell, Reid Isbell, Drew Parker)
4. Burn ‘Em All (Kameron Marlowe, Brinley Addington, Aaron Eshuis, Jeff Hyde)
5. Hungover (Kameron Marlowe, Joe Clemmons, Aaron Eshuis, Matthew Gatewood)
6. Leavin’ to Me (Kameron Marlowe, Kyle James)
Eric Church’s “Hell Of A View” Most-Added At Country Radio
/by Jessica NicholsonEric Church. Photo: Anthony DAngio
Eric Church‘s new single, “Hell of a View,” is the most-added this week at country radio, with 46 new adds on Mediabase, bringing his total to 61. EMI Records Nashville’s Church is nominated for Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year at Wednesday’s CMA Awards, where he is slated to perform the song live during the ABC telecast.
Church co-wrote the track alongside Casey Beathard and Monty Criswell, and the recording features Church’s longtime backing vocalist Joanna Cotten.
“We were in North Carolina in the mountains, and when I came back in from a jog Casey immediately started playing the first part of the song he’d been working on with Monty,” Church said.. “He had the line ‘caught your wings on fire when I smoked my Bronco tires out of that town,’ and I just thought that was such a great line. I was smitten with it, so we finished it and then recorded it that night. I knew it was pretty special when it went down, because it felt like a big hit but at the same time it has that timeless quality to it.”
“Gone Too Soon” Hitmaker Andrew Jannakos Inks Sony Label Deal
/by Jessica NicholsonTop row (L-R): Steve Hodges, Sony Music Nashville EVP, Promotions & Artist Development; Randy Goodman, Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO; Andrew Jannakos; Andrew Cohen, Cohencidence Projects; Ken Robold, Sony Music Nashville EVP & COO; Jim Catino, Sony Music Nashville EVP, A&R. (Middle row, L-R): Caryl Atwood, Sony Music Nashville SVP, Sales; Dennis Reese, Sony Music Nashville SVP, RCA Nashville Promotions; Margaret Tomlin, Sony Music Nashville Director, A&R; Anthony Stone, Cohencidence Projects; Jennifer Way, Sony Music Nashville Sr. Director, Marketing; Tracy Fleaner, Sony Music Nashville VP, Creative. (Bottom row, L-R): Lauren Thomas, Sony Music Nashville VP, National Promotion; Angie Magill, Sony Music Nashville SVP, Legal & Business Affairs; Matt Cottingham, Ritholz Levy Fields LLP.
Former The Voice contestant Andrew Jannakos, singer-songwriter behind the recent viral hit “Gone Too Soon,” has inked a deal with Sony Music Nashville’s RCA Nashville imprint.
In July, Jannakos’ girlfriend (now wife) posted a video to TikTok of Jannakos singing along to “Gone Too Soon.” The video earned more than 250,000 likes overnight and brought him over half a million followers on the TikTok platform.
When it released in September, Jannakos debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Emerging Artist chart. The song also reached No. 12 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, No. 1 on the Country Digital Song Sales Chart, and No. 2 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart. “Gone Too Soon” has earned nearly 14 million on-demand streams to date.
“I’m so excited to be starting this journey with Sony Music Nashville!” shares Jannakos. “I could not be more grateful to my team and my family, who have supported me from the beginning. It just goes to show that hard work and dedication pay off.”
Russell Dickerson Celebrates Fourth No. 1 With “Love You Like I Used To”: “We Knew It Was Special”
/by Jessica NicholsonTriple Tigers artist Russell Dickerson has earned his fourth consecutive No. 1 single with “Love You Like I Used To,” which tops both the Mediabase country chart and Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart this week.
“This feels really big for us,” Dickerson tells MusicRow. “I had a couple of friends over for a bonfire and I got a call from the radio team saying that the chart had just closed and it was officially No. 1, and it felt great. This one is special because it’s off the new album. I can’t believe it’s No. 1, it’s insane.”
The song follows his previous consecutive No. 1 songs, including “Yours,” “Blue Tacoma,” and “Every Little Thing”—all songs that the Triple Tigers team has propelled to No. 1 on the radio charts.
“The missing piece was the Triple Tigers team—their promo team is hands-down the best in the business,” Dickerson says. “This is my fourth No. 1 and Scotty McCreery has had several, so just out of the gate, to earn that many No. 1s with two artists is a testament to them. It feels like God kind of hand-picked the best radio veterans to all come together and take these to No. 1.”
He wrote the song alongside Parker Welling and Casey Brown. Dickerson recalls how his wife, Kailey Dickerson, even gave the singer-songwriter some direction with “Love You Like I Used To.”
“We had written the song once, and she’s brutally honest, and was like, ‘The title of the song is better than the song.’ And she was right. I got back together later that year with Parker and Casey, they had come on the road with us, and we completely re-wrote the song, just took it down to the studs—different groove, tempo, totally different lyric. Then we played it for the team and the label, and it just clicked and it was like, ‘Boom, there it is.’ In the first verse now, it kind of throws you for a loop, it feels like a breakup song. We wrote that twist in verse one, and then you get to the chorus and it’s like ‘Nope! It’s a big ‘ol love song.’ We knew it was special.”
“Love You Like I Used To” is the first track from Dickerson’s upcoming album, Southern Symphony, set for Dec. 4. The song has earned 96 million streams to date.
Dickerson says the COVID-19 touring shutdowns have allowed him ample time to focus on the production for his upcoming album. “We were throwing mixes around every few weeks up until a few months ago. For me, it’s no question it’s a giant step up from album one, from production and writing and a vocal standpoint,” says Dickerson, who produced the project alongside Brown and Dann Huff.
“We had a cool thing going with album one, it was younger sounding with a pop edge. This one has more roots to it, and more organic instruments, but it’s still a polished, big production. We had done a majority of the recording before quarantine hit, and then I had more time to focus on production.”
Dickerson played the guitar solo on his current chart-topper, something he says he normally wouldn’t get to do because he would be on the road. “I had time to add things like that and actually kind of pull my weight as a producer,” he notes. He also gained more confidence in the studio this time around, thanks to Brown and Huff.
“I’ve learned to speak my mind a lot more freely. It’s a hard road to walk as an artist and producer,” says Dickerson, who studied music at Belmont University. “To go into the studio and really get into the technical jargon and not shy away from my musical knowledge in the studio and just being confident in that. They both really encouraged me to keep doing that in the studio.”
BMI Honors Dolly Parton With “Songteller To Songteller” Video Series
/by Jessica NicholsonBMI celebrated its annual Country Awards by honoring one of its most prolific writers, BMI Icon Dolly Parton, with a series of videos featuring seven BMI award-winning writers, each discussing the impact Parton’s art and songwriting have had on them.
Parton’s songs have earned more than 22 million performances and she has earned 36 BMI songwriting awards. Parton recently teamed with acclaimed author and journalist Robert K. Oermann for her upcoming book, Songteller:My Life In Lyrics, which releases Nov. 17.
In the video series, Parton discusses the craft of songwriting and is lauded by artists and songwriters including Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Brandi Carlile, Ashley McBryde, Scotty McCreery, Thomas Rhett, and Carrie Underwood.
BMI announced this year’s Country Awards winners earlier today, including Ross Copperman as Songwriter of the Year, and “Whiskey Glasses” (co-written by BMI writer Ben Burgess) as Song of the Year.
See the video tributes below:
Ashley McBryde:
Brandi Carlile:
Carrie Underwood:
Kane Brown:
Luke Bryan:
Scotty McCreery:
Thomas Rhett:
Luke Combs Skyrockets To Top Of MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by LB CantrellLuke Combs. Photo: Zack Massey
Luke Combs leaps 17 slots to the No. 1 position on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week, with 11 songs from his What You See Ain’t Always What You Get Deluxe Edition release fueling his ascent. The deluxe edition set the new weekly streaming record last week for a country album with 102.26 million on-demand streams, breaking his’ own record, which he set last November when he released What You See Is What You Get.
Combs’ co-writers also make gains this week, with Randy Montana at No. 4 with Combs’ “Better Together” and “Cold as You,” as well as Parker McCollum’s “Pretty Heart” and Justin Moore’s “We Didn’t Have Much.” Dan Isbell jumps from No. 77 to No. 11 as a co-writer on Combs “Without You,” “1, 2 Many,” “Moon Over Mexico,” “My Kinda Folk,” and “Better Together.”
HARDY is at No. 2 this week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, after a seven-week reign at No. 1.
The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.
Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.
FlyteVu Partners With AB Bernstein to Launch Agency Philanthropic Donor Fund
/by Lorie HollabaughFlyteVu employees will now have the ability to apply for funds, including on behalf of clients and partners, to support nonprofit organizations throughout the year. FlyteVu has committed to an initial investment of $250,000 in 2020 to start the fund, and all donations will support causes aligned with FlyteVu’s values including music, health and family.
Over the past five years, and including the Fund’s initial investment, FlyteVu has donated more than $750,000 to a wide range of certified nonprofits chosen by employees, including Musicians On Call, Youth Villages, Porter’s Call, Ronald McDonald House of Charities Nashville, Safe Haven Family Shelter, Thistle Farms, and many others, as part of the agency’s ongoing ‘FlyteVu Gives Back’ program. This new fund comes as part of the FlyteVu’s continued growth and commitment to the community.
The agency stated, “At FlyteVu, we believe we can only move forward by giving back. Now more than ever, our community and our nation needs companies and leaders who challenge our culture’s definition of success, not by earnings but by lives changed from radical generosity. Rising tides lift all ships and our deepest hope is that God will use this Fund to shine hope, light, and love to those who need it most.”
“As a philanthropic organization ourselves that is investing heavily into Nashville, we are excited to be working with FlyteVu to support their mission. For over 50 years, AB has been dedicated to helping clients align their values with their investments and it is the innovative businesses like FlyteVu that are dedicating resources to impact investing and philanthropy that will create a better future for generations to come,” said Adam Sansiveri, Managing Director of Bernstein’s Private Wealth Group in Nashville.