SB21 Music Publishing Celebrates First Multi-Week, Chart-Topping Song
SB21 Music Publishing is celebrating their first multi-week No. 1 song with Luke Bryan’s “Most People Are Good” written by SB21 writer David Fraiser. The song claimed the No. 1 spot on March 31 where it remained for three weeks and was recently performed on the ACM awards on April 15, 2018. The single, co-written by songwriting vets Josh Kear and Ed Hill, is off Luke Bryan’s current album What Makes You Country.
Founded by industry vet Steve Pasch and partners Eric Hart and Teresa Smith Ammon in 2011, SB21 Music Publishing is already looking to make 2018 a banner year with high profile cuts by SB21 writers include Steve Pasch, Brian White and Frasier. In addition to “Most People Are Good,” the company is enjoying success with cuts by Broken Bow recording artist Jason Aldean and Universal recording artist Jordan Davis. The songwriting team has already accumulated cuts by Rascal Flatts, Dustin Lynch, Joe Nichols, The Swon Brothers, Gretchen Wilson as well as Canadian stars, Tim Hicks, Jess Moskoluke, Chad Brownlee and many pop and Christian artists.
Gary Morris Helps Meals On Wheels Program With Bluebird Cafe Show
Gary Morris and some friends are helping raise funds for the Meals On Wheels Program in the Mid-Cumberland region with a special show on May 16 at the Bluebird Cafe.
Tickets for the show are $20 and go on sale May 9 at bluebirdcafe.com. Last year, Meals On Wheels provided 314,334 meals to seniors in the area.
Roy Orbison’s A Love So Beautiful Earns UK Gold
Pictured (L-R): Alex Orbison, son of Roy Orbison and President of Orbison Music; Joe Bennett, JBPR National Radio Promotions; Daniel Hinchcliffe, Managing Director, The Soundcheck Group; Orbison Music COO Chuck Fleckenstein; Olivia Walker, Head Of Marketing, Commercial Group, Sony Music UK; Nicola Tuer, COO, Sony Music UK; Phil Savill, Managing Director, Commercial Group, Sony Music UK and album producers Don Reedman and Nick Patrick. Photo: Chris Lopez
A Love So Beautiful: Roy Orbison with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, released globally by Roy’s Boys through Sony Music’s Legacy Recordings, has achieved Gold certification in the UK. To qualify for Gold status there, an album must sell in excess of 100,000 units. In the case of A Love So Beautiful, that plateau has been achieved more than twice over with a platinum award (sales over 300,000) expected later this year. Upon its release, the album debuted at No. 2 on the national album chart.
The Gold Award comes on the heels of the In Dreams: Roy Orbison In Concert that played sixteen sold out dates in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands and Ireland. The tour, produced globally by BASE Hologram, a BASE Entertainment Company, is the first of-its-kind holographic concert performance, including on-stage accompaniment by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the legendary icon recreated through mind-blowing holographic laser imaging.
Mark Your Calendar—May 2018
/by Eric T. ParkerSingle Add Dates
Granger Smith/You’re In It/BBR Music Group-Wheelhouse Records-BMG
Jordan Davis/Take It From Me/MCA Nashville
Scotty McCreery/This Is It/Triple Tigers Records
Kelsey Lamb/Little By Little/Marco
Rachel Steele/Here To Get My Stuff/Brick Road Records
Jim Brown/That’s What I’m Talkin’ ‘Bout/Jim Brown Music
Brandon Maddox/Good Side/Brandon Maddox Music
May 8
Frank Vieira/Fill It Up
May 14
Maddie & Tae/Friends Don’t/Mercury
Alexandra Demetree/Coastin/SSM Nashville
Richard Schroder/Wildest Dreams/Amplifier Records
May 18
Cowboy Troy/Laugh With Me/Shakin’ Bacon Productions
May 21
Tyler Farr/Love by the Moon/Columbia
Abi/A Day Without/One Country/Nine North
Ryan Sims/American Things/High 4 Recordings
Industry Events
AIMP Awards at the Ryman Auditorium
May 7-9
ASCAP’s 13th annual “I Create Music” EXPO at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles
May 8
Gospel Music Association Foundation’s 5th Annual GMA Honors and Hall of Fame Ceremony at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena
May 14-17
Music Biz at the Omni Nashville Hotel
May 27
2018 K-LOVE Fan Awards returns to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House
May 28
Memorial Day
Album Releases
Drake White/Pieces [Digital EP]/BMLG Records
May 11
Brent Cobb/Providence Canyon/Low Country Sound-Elektra Records
Ashley Campbell/The Lonely One/Whistle Stop Records
Buck Owens and the Buckaroos/The Complete Capitol Singles: 1967–1970/Omnivore Recordings-Buck Owens Estate
May 18
Trent Harmon/You Got ‘Em All/Big Machine Records
Kelly Willis/Back Being Blue/Premium Records-Thirty Tigers
Various/Outlaws & Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ’70s” exhibit in Nashville/CMHoF
May 25
Tyler Dial/Repaint/Neon Cross Music
Country Lakeshake Announces Next From Nashville Stage Lineup
/by Lorie HollabaughThe announcement follows the news that superstars Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, and Florida Georgia Line will perform at the fourth-annual event at Chicago’s Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island on June 22-24. Also on the bill are Lee Brice, Billy Currington, Russell Dickerson, Jillian Jacqueline, Tracy Lawrence, Chris Lane, Jackie Lee, LOCASH, RaeLynn, Runaway June, Dylan Scott and Cole Swindell.
Launched in 2015, Country LakeShake takes place amidst the backdrop of the Chicago skyline. Three-day and single-day passes are available now at lakeshakefestival.
Chris Stapleton Earns Triple Platinum Album Honors
/by Jessica NicholsonChris Stapleton just earned new album sales honors, including a triple Platinum certification for his 2015 debut solo album, Traveller. The album ranks in the Top 5 this week on the Nielsen Soundscan Country Albums chart.
Additionally, Stapleton’s two 2017 albums have earned sales honors, with From A Room: Vol. 1 earning RIAA Platinum certification, and From A Room: Vol. 2 earning RIAA Gold certification.
The certifications are the latest accolades for Stapleton, who recently earned Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year (From A Room: Vol. 1 as both artist and producer) at the ACM Awards, as well as Best Country Album (From A Room: Vol. 1), Best Country Song (“Broken Halos”), and Best Country Solo Performance (“Either Way”) at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
In celebration of From A Room: Vol. 1 and From A Room: Vol. 2, Stapleton will hit the road again this year as part of the expansive “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show” tour. Dates include New York’s Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles’ The Forum and Chicago’s Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre among many others. Produced by Live Nation, the tour will feature Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb as special guests.
Moreover, Stapleton is featured on Justin Timberlake’s new song, “Say Something.” The music video—which was filmed in a single shot at L.A.’s historic Bradbury Building—has been viewed over 173 million times.
Chris Lane Surprised With Gold Plaque For “Take Back Home Girl”
/by Lorie Hollabaugh[Click to enlarge]
“I can’t think of a better way to kick off album number two than with a Gold single. The response on ‘Take Back Home Girl’ has been the biggest of my career and I’m so excited to share this moment with my team,” says Lane. “I definitely want to shout out to Tori Kelly, she’s an amazing singer and the perfect fit for this song. Having her be part of it makes it even more special.”
Already riding a hot streak for summer 2018, Lane has also scored his first-ever Radio Disney Music Awards nomination, as “Take Back Home Girl” vies for Play It Again! – Radio Disney Country Favorite Song.
Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Zach Williams Added To K-Love Fan Awards
/by Jessica NicholsonThe K-LOVE Fan Awards have added more performers for its sixth annual event, including Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Hillsong Worship, Matt Maher, Tauren Wells featuring Natalie Grant, We Are Messengers featuring Social Club Misfits and Zach Williams.
Additionally, Danny Gokey, Mike Donehey (Tenth Avenue North), Natalie Grant and Plumb have been added as presenters. The fan-voted awards show will take place May 27 at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, and will be hosted by Matthew West and Mandisa.
Steven Curtis Chapman is set to host Saturday’s Songwriters Showcase. The popular Run for Love 5K to benefit Hands & Feet Project will return giving weekenders the opportunity to serve the orphaned and abandoned in Haiti.
Marking the show’s first appearance on television, TBN will broadcast the 2018 K-LOVE Fan Awards on Thursday, May 31 at 8 p.m. ET to its audience of more than 100 million households, with most markets experiencing the show in HD. Coca-Cola Consolidated will again sponsor the awards show, marking the third consecutive year for the partnership.
Weekly Register: Jason Aldean’s ‘Rearview Town’ Spends Second Week At No. 1
/by Jessica NicholsonJason Aldean‘s Rearview Town continues to top the Nielsen Soundscan Country Albums rankings for a second week (and lands at No. 5 on the overall albums chart), following the album’s debut at the pinnacle of the Top 200 albums chart last week. The reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year’s album moved 38K (total consumption) this week.
At No. 2 is Brothers Osborne‘s Port Saint Joe, which debuts at No. 2 with 22K. Kane Brown‘s self-titled album is at No. 3 this week, with 17.9K in total consumption. Thomas Rhett‘s Life Changes is at No. 3 with 13K. Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller rounds out the Top 5 with 12.9K.
On the digital country sales rankings, the new Sugarland/Taylor Swift collaboration “Babe” debuts atop the chart, with 38K in sales. Aldean’s “You Make It Easy” follows at No. 2, with 21.8K.
Kane Brown‘s “Heaven” is at No. 3 with 18K. Kenny Chesney‘s new single “Get Along,” which he debuted at the recent Academy of Country Music Awards, is at No. 4 with 15.3K. Carrie Underwood‘s “Cry Pretty,” which she also debuted on the recent ACM Awards, is at No. 5 with 15K.
Guitar Maker Gibson Brands Files for Bankruptcy
/by Jessica NicholsonGibson Brands has more than $500 million in loans due within the next six months. According to a statement from Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, the majority of Gibson’s creditors (69 percent) have agreed to a restructuring agreement that will allow Gibson to continue operating, as well as refocus on providing musical instruments. As part of that plan, the company will dissolve its Innovations unit, which operates largely outside the United States.
The company also said existing noteholders have agreed to provide $135 million in debtor-in-possession financing.
In addition to guitars, Gibson manufactures instruments under the Dobro, Wurlitzer and Baldwin Piano brands. The company employs nearly 900 people in its Nashville, Memphis, and Bozeman, Montana facilities.
Edison Research Releases Heavy Radio Listener Study
/by Lorie HollabaughA new study from “The Infinite Dial: Heavy Radio Listeners,” released by Edison Research, shows that one-fifth of broadcast radio’s biggest users already own a smart speaker. The report looks at the 30 percent of the American population ages 12 and over who are “Heavy Radio Listeners” – defined as those who listened to more than one hour of radio in the last day.
The study finds that 82 percent of heavy radio listeners have a radio in their home, which means nearly 18% of this group achieved ‘heavy’ status primarily through in-car or at-work listening. Intriguingly, 20% of heavy radio listeners have Smart Speakers in their homes, which may allow for more at-home listening over time, but can also make it easier to use competing audio services.
In keeping with findings from past Edison research studies, radio’s best customers are heavy users of all audio – they listen heavily to broadcast radio, but do not limit themselves to it, something which has implications for future smart-speaker behavior. Nearly two-thirds listen to audio online, with large numbers choosing YouTube, Pandora, and the streams of AM and FM radio stations. Over one-in-six heavy radio listeners say they have listened to a podcast in the last week.
“At this time of industry transition, it is vital that radio managers have high-quality research that represents the full U.S. population to use to understand their audiences. This look at the Heavy Radio Listener from Infinite Dial allows everyone to understand not just what other kinds of audio and media people are using, but how Heavy Radio Listeners compare to the population at large,” said Larry Rosin, President of Edison Research. “Readers of this report will see that the qualitative profile of Heavy Radio Listeners is very strong. This is the kind of information that Radio managers can show to agencies and clients with confidence in the quality of the data.”
The Infinite Dial is the longest running study of consumer behaviors related to media and technology in America. It uses ‘gold standard’ scientific telephone sampling to accurately reflect the entire U.S. population.
Industry Ink: SB21 Music Publishing, Gary Morris, Roy Orbison
/by Jessica NicholsonSB21 Music Publishing Celebrates First Multi-Week, Chart-Topping Song
SB21 Music Publishing is celebrating their first multi-week No. 1 song with Luke Bryan’s “Most People Are Good” written by SB21 writer David Fraiser. The song claimed the No. 1 spot on March 31 where it remained for three weeks and was recently performed on the ACM awards on April 15, 2018. The single, co-written by songwriting vets Josh Kear and Ed Hill, is off Luke Bryan’s current album What Makes You Country.
Founded by industry vet Steve Pasch and partners Eric Hart and Teresa Smith Ammon in 2011, SB21 Music Publishing is already looking to make 2018 a banner year with high profile cuts by SB21 writers include Steve Pasch, Brian White and Frasier. In addition to “Most People Are Good,” the company is enjoying success with cuts by Broken Bow recording artist Jason Aldean and Universal recording artist Jordan Davis. The songwriting team has already accumulated cuts by Rascal Flatts, Dustin Lynch, Joe Nichols, The Swon Brothers, Gretchen Wilson as well as Canadian stars, Tim Hicks, Jess Moskoluke, Chad Brownlee and many pop and Christian artists.
Gary Morris Helps Meals On Wheels Program With Bluebird Cafe Show
Gary Morris and some friends are helping raise funds for the Meals On Wheels Program in the Mid-Cumberland region with a special show on May 16 at the Bluebird Cafe.
Tickets for the show are $20 and go on sale May 9 at bluebirdcafe.com. Last year, Meals On Wheels provided 314,334 meals to seniors in the area.
Roy Orbison’s A Love So Beautiful Earns UK Gold
Pictured (L-R): Alex Orbison, son of Roy Orbison and President of Orbison Music; Joe Bennett, JBPR National Radio Promotions; Daniel Hinchcliffe, Managing Director, The Soundcheck Group; Orbison Music COO Chuck Fleckenstein; Olivia Walker, Head Of Marketing, Commercial Group, Sony Music UK; Nicola Tuer, COO, Sony Music UK; Phil Savill, Managing Director, Commercial Group, Sony Music UK and album producers Don Reedman and Nick Patrick. Photo: Chris Lopez
A Love So Beautiful: Roy Orbison with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, released globally by Roy’s Boys through Sony Music’s Legacy Recordings, has achieved Gold certification in the UK. To qualify for Gold status there, an album must sell in excess of 100,000 units. In the case of A Love So Beautiful, that plateau has been achieved more than twice over with a platinum award (sales over 300,000) expected later this year. Upon its release, the album debuted at No. 2 on the national album chart.
The Gold Award comes on the heels of the In Dreams: Roy Orbison In Concert that played sixteen sold out dates in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands and Ireland. The tour, produced globally by BASE Hologram, a BASE Entertainment Company, is the first of-its-kind holographic concert performance, including on-stage accompaniment by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the legendary icon recreated through mind-blowing holographic laser imaging.
Blake Shelton, Oak Ridge Boys, Luke Combs Add CMA Fest Opry Shows
/by Jessica NicholsonBlake Shelton. Photo: Chris Hollo
Grand Ole Opry member Blake Shelton is headed back to the Opry stage on the Thursday night of CMA Fest week for the second straight year. Among those scheduled to join Shelton for two shows on Thursday, June 7 are fellow Opry members the Oak Ridge Boys, Charley Pride, and Josh Turner as well as country music newcomers Luke Combs and Maggie Rose. Tickets for the night’s two shows (7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.) go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 2 at opry.com and 800-SEE-OPRY.
The CMA Fest week Thursday night Opry shows will follow two Tuesday shows that week featuring Opry members Carrie Underwood and Terri Clark as well as newcomer Ashley McBryde and more.
Other Opry performances scheduled for CMA Fest Week include Friday June 8 and Saturday, June 9 as well as a Saturday matinee performance of Opry Country Classics featuring Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, Pride, and more at the Ryman Auditorium.