The Country Radio Broadcasters recently elected its Board of Directors for 2016-2017.
Charlie Morgan, Sr. VP and Market Manager for Emmis Communications/Indianapolis, has been re-elected as President of the Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. for the 2016-2017 term. In addition, R.J. Curtis (All Access Music Group) will return as Vice President and Beverlee Brannigan (Scripps Co.) will serve as Secretary.
Those elected and appointed to the Board include: Becky Brenner (Albright & O’Malley & Brenner Consulting), George Couri (Triple 8 Management), John Crenshaw (Cumulus Media), Mike Culotta, Ryan Dokke (Curb), Mike Dungan (UMG), Randy Goodman (Sony Nashville), Scott Huskey (Rusty Walker Programming Consultants, Inc.), Kurt Johnson (Townsquare Media), Keith Kaufman (Center Stage Tour Promotions), Dave Kelly (Big Machine Label Group), Mike McVay (Cumulus Media), Charlie Morgan (Emmis Communications), Rod Phillips (iHeartCountry), John Shomby (Cumulus), Joel Raab (Joel Raab Country Radio/Media), and Annie Sandor (Capitol).
Returning to the Board with continuing terms are: Chuck Aly (Country Aircheck), Brannigan (Scripps Co.), Johnny Chiang (KKBQ-FM), R.J. Curtis (All Access Music Group), Andy Denemark (United Stations), John Esposito (Warner Music Nashville), Dan Halyburton (Falls Media Group), Clay Hunnicutt (Big Loud Records), Jeff Kapugi (WUSN-FM), Jon Loba (BBR Music Group), Nick Martin (Big River Broadcasting), Royce Risser (UMG), and Tim Roberts (WYCD).
Charlie Monk continues as a Lifetime Director Emeritus.
“I am honored to serve again as President of the CRB Board,” said Morgan. “This promises to be another important year for Country Radio Seminar. With Bill Mayne as our Executive Director, our terrific returning staff and the incoming board, I feel we are set up for success.”
Country Radio Seminar 2017 is set for Feb. 22-24, 2017 in downtown Nashville at the Omni Hotel.
Dolly Parton Says She Did Not Make Presidential Endorsement
/by Craig_ShelburneDolly Parton
Dolly Parton has clarified her comments about this year’s presidential candidates after numerous media outlets said that Parton had endorsed Hillary Clinton.
In a story published on June 24 on the New York Times website, the following exchange was published:
In her statement released on Tuesday (July 5), Parton said:
In Pictures: Let Freedom Sing, Nashville’s Fourth of July
/by Craig_ShelburnePhoto: Penny Adams. All photos used by permission of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.
Estimated attendance for the 2016 Let Freedom Sing event was 125,000 to 150,000 people, according to a statement from the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. Sheryl Crow and Maddie & Tae were among the Fourth of July festival’s performers on stage at Ascend Amphitheatre.
Maddie & Tae. Photo: Ann Richardson
The figures account for attendance across the festival’s downtown footprint. Thousands more people were just beyond the designated area. The numbers are similar to last year’s tally, which was 150,000 people. With perfect weather, the annual event has drawn nearly 260,000 people.
Sheryl Crow with the Nashville Symphony. Photo: Donn Jones
Michael Guth Named COO Of Ryman Hospitality Properties’ Entertainment Segment
/by Craig_ShelburneIn this role, Guth will oversee all operations at the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium and WSM 650 AM, including the retail, food & beverage and marketing departments that support these operations as well as the new venues the company has in the planning phase.
Colin Reed, chairman and chief executive officer of Ryman Hospitality Properties, said, “We are thrilled to have Michael on board as we enter into an important phase of growth for the Entertainment side of our business. Michael brings a wealth of operations, marketing and business development expertise to this new role for our Company. With his addition to our senior leadership team, we are creating the infrastructure we need to support the recent growth our Entertainment segment has experienced and also to accelerate the strategic initiatives we have outlined as part of our future plans for this business.”
Guth’s most recent role was chief operating officer for The Bleachers Corporation, a global digital media startup specializing in HD production and streaming for sports and entertainment events.
Prior to The Bleachers Corporation, Guth spent eight years as executive vice president of sales and marketing for The Madison Square Garden Company, where he was responsible for developing the overarching consumer vision, sales strategy and sponsor integration plan throughout the facility’s award-winning $1 billion transformation.
Guth began his career developing sales and marketing strategies for the New York Mets Baseball Club and The Coca-Cola Company before moving on to a number of leadership roles in media and product marketing that included serving as senior vice president of Time Warner Global Marketing.
Guth earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and his MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.
In addition, the company has promoted its senior vice president of investments, design and construction, Bennett Westbrook, to executive vice president and chief development officer. In this expanded role, Mr. Westbrook will lead the venue development strategy for the Entertainment segment in addition to his oversight of investments, design and construction for the Hospitality segment.
Reed continued, “This is an exciting time for our Entertainment business, and Bennett will help accelerate our growth further by working closely with our Opry Entertainment Group president, Steve Buchanan, to bring new venue concepts to life in strategic locations across the country and beyond.”
CRB Elects Board of Directors For 2016-2017
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Country Radio Broadcasters recently elected its Board of Directors for 2016-2017.
Charlie Morgan, Sr. VP and Market Manager for Emmis Communications/Indianapolis, has been re-elected as President of the Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. for the 2016-2017 term. In addition, R.J. Curtis (All Access Music Group) will return as Vice President and Beverlee Brannigan (Scripps Co.) will serve as Secretary.
Those elected and appointed to the Board include: Becky Brenner (Albright & O’Malley & Brenner Consulting), George Couri (Triple 8 Management), John Crenshaw (Cumulus Media), Mike Culotta, Ryan Dokke (Curb), Mike Dungan (UMG), Randy Goodman (Sony Nashville), Scott Huskey (Rusty Walker Programming Consultants, Inc.), Kurt Johnson (Townsquare Media), Keith Kaufman (Center Stage Tour Promotions), Dave Kelly (Big Machine Label Group), Mike McVay (Cumulus Media), Charlie Morgan (Emmis Communications), Rod Phillips (iHeartCountry), John Shomby (Cumulus), Joel Raab (Joel Raab Country Radio/Media), and Annie Sandor (Capitol).
Returning to the Board with continuing terms are: Chuck Aly (Country Aircheck), Brannigan (Scripps Co.), Johnny Chiang (KKBQ-FM), R.J. Curtis (All Access Music Group), Andy Denemark (United Stations), John Esposito (Warner Music Nashville), Dan Halyburton (Falls Media Group), Clay Hunnicutt (Big Loud Records), Jeff Kapugi (WUSN-FM), Jon Loba (BBR Music Group), Nick Martin (Big River Broadcasting), Royce Risser (UMG), and Tim Roberts (WYCD).
Charlie Monk continues as a Lifetime Director Emeritus.
“I am honored to serve again as President of the CRB Board,” said Morgan. “This promises to be another important year for Country Radio Seminar. With Bill Mayne as our Executive Director, our terrific returning staff and the incoming board, I feel we are set up for success.”
Country Radio Seminar 2017 is set for Feb. 22-24, 2017 in downtown Nashville at the Omni Hotel.
LifeNotes: Thirty Tigers Executive Bob Goldstone Passes
/by Craig_ShelburneBob Goldstone
Bob Goldstone, an owner and VP of Sales at Thirty Tigers, died from injuries sustained in a cycling accident near his home in Pegram, Tennessee, on Sunday (July 3).
Goldstone held a number of positions in the music industry before joining Thirty Tigers. He had been community relations director for Tower Records and was vice president of sales and marketing at Emergent Music Marketing. He had also worked at record labels such as Eminent, Mercury, Capricorn and I.R.S. Records, all the while being a visible part of the Nashville music community.
On Tuesday afternoon, Thirty Tigers President Davis Macias issued the following statement:
Guy Clark Biography Slated For October
/by Craig_ShelburneA comprehensive biography on songwriter Guy Clark will be published on Oct. 18 by Texas A&M University Press. Starting in 2008, and with Clark’s approval, author Tamara Saviano interviewed more than 200 of Clark’s friends and family members for the book, titled Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark.
The book details Clark’s marriage to Susanna Clark and their friendship with songwriter Townes Van Zandt. It also includes 113 photos from all phases of his life and career. Saviano completed the 406-page book just before Guy Clark died in May. She is currently working on a documentary about the relationship between Guy and Susanna Clark and Van Zandt.
“It was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. I went back to every part of Guy’s life and found the people who were there at that time,” Saviano says. “I learned details that nobody else knew, including his closest friends.”
Saviano is also part of the book’s narrative. She was managing editor of Country Music magazine when she met Clark in 1998. In 2006, she became his publicist for the album Workbench Songs, a role she repeated for 2009’s Someday the Song Writes You. In 2011, she produced the Grammy-nominated album This One’s For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark, which was named the 2012 Americana Album of the Year by the Americana Music Association.
“I had no idea that I was going to grow to love the old curmudgeon, but I did,” Saviano said. “I felt I needed to make it very clear that I was not only a reporter. We had become good friends and Guy confided in me about many things. I’m not sure it was a typical relationship for a biographer and subject.”
Clark’s most notable songs include “Desperados Waiting for a Train,” “The Randall Knife,” “She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere,” “L.A. Freeway” and “Texas, 1947.” He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.
Pinnacle Closes Merger With Avenue Bank
/by Sherod Robertson“The completion of our legal merger with Avenue is an important step in our march to build Nashville’s bank,” said M. Terry Turner, president and CEO of Pinnacle Financial Partners. “Associates of both banks have worked incredibly hard to get us to this point and made it possible to close the acquisition only five months after the announcement.”
Joe Galante, former chairman of Sony Music, Nashville, David Ingram, CEO of Ingram Entertainment, and Marty Dickens, former regional executive with AT&T, were appointed to Pinnacle’s board. Additionally, Avenue’s music and entertainment team of Andy Moats, Ron Cox and Cooper Samuels will continue in their roles servicing clients under the new merger.
“The culmination of this merger benefits shareholders and clients of both firms,” said Ronald L. Samuels, Avenue’s chairman and chief executive officer, who will serve as vice chairman of Pinnacle’s board of directors and on Pinnacle’s senior leadership team. “Our teams have the same passion for delivering outstanding client service and the same commitment to Nashville, and we’ll be even better together.”
Based on financial information as of March 31, 2016, on a pro forma basis, the combined company has total assets of over $10.5 billion with offices in 14 Tennessee counties.
Avenue Bank will operate as a division of Pinnacle Bank until September of this year when both firms anticipate combining their operations and the brand converting to Pinnacle. Avenue Bank clients should continue to bank with Avenue as they always have, using their existing checks, ATM/debit cards, payment coupons, etc. until the operational conversion in the fall.
Weekly Register: Chase Rice, Dustin Lynch Singles Make Top 10 Debuts
/by Jessica NicholsonChase Rice
Chase Rice and Dustin Lynch made high debuts on the country tracks chart this week, with Rice’s “Everybody We Know Does” moving 26.3K and landing at No. 2. Lynch’s “Seein’ Red” moved 20.4K to land at No. 8.
Florida Georgia Line‘s “H.O.L.Y.” remains atop the country digital tracks rankings (and is at No. 2 overall this week), moving 79K and landing at 730K to date. Luke Bryan’s “Fishin’, Huntin’, and Lovin’ Every Day” is at No. 3 (23.4K), followed by Carrie Underwood’s “Church Bells” at No. 4 (22.6K) and Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind” (22.1K).
Justin Timberlake‘s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” continues its reign on the overall digital tracks rankings, with 107K sold this week, landing at 1.4 million to date.
Overall digital track sales are down 23.9 percent, while country digital track sales have declined 21.8 percent.
Dustin Lynch
Meanwhile, on the country albums chart, the Top 5 is filled with familiar projects. Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller ranks at No. 1, with 15K sold this week, bringing the album’s sales total to 1.4 million. Blake Shelton‘s If I’m Honest follows with nearly 14K. Music compilation Now Country 9 ranks at No. 3 with 8.8K sold. At No. 4 is Dierks Bentley‘s Black with 7.6K, followed by Keith Urban‘s Ripcord at No. 5 with 7.3K.
Drake‘s Views stays atop the overall chart, with 111K combined units (24.8K album only). Meanwhile, The Avett Brothers‘ True Sadness lands at No. 3 with 45.8K units (43.1 album only).
Overall album sales are down 13.6 percent, while overall digital album sales are down 18.4 percent. Country album sales have declined 5.8 percent, while country digital album sales have decreased 12.6 percent.
Man Arrested Following Threats Before The Band Perry Concert
/by Craig_ShelburneOne man has been arrested after making a threat before The Band Perry concert in Selbyville, Delaware, on Sunday (July 3). Another man involved in the threat has been identified but not arrested, according to the news website Delmarvanow.com.
Dzmitry N. Papou, 35, of Selbyville, turned himself in on Monday night. He was charged with felony terroristic threatening and released on $20,000 unsecured bail, according to the news website. The two men spoke to a front-desk worker at the venue just before 3 p.m., although it has not been disclosed what was said.
The show was canceled just 15 minutes prior to the opening act, after a discussion with venue representatives and the band’s management.
The Band Perry released a statement following the cancellation and rescheduled the show for Aug. 17.
Weekly Chart Report (7/1/16)
/by Troy_StephensonClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.