Debuts make the headlines this week in the top country albums rankings. New RCA Nashville signing Kane Brown debuted at No. 9 on the overall album rankings, and No. 3 on the country chart, with Chapter 1 (28k, 22k album only).
Joey+Rory‘s Hymns collection remains at No. 1 on the country album rankings (27k, album only), followed by Chris Stapleton‘s million-seller Traveller (26k this week, album only).
The rest of the top 5 is rounded out by three debuts, including Brown, Bobby Bones And The Raging Idiots at No. 4 (11k, album only), and the Dave Cobb-produced Southern Family (11k, album only). William Michael Morgan‘s latest EP, featuring his single “I Met a Girl,” landed at No. 28, with 1.8k sold.
Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots
Gwen Stefani take the top overall album position this week with This Is What The Truth Feels Like (84k). Notably, Passion: New Orleans soundtrack (featuring Trisha Yearwood, among others) comes in at No. 8 on the overall albums chart, with 31k sold (28k album only).
Overall album sales are down 16.9 percent from last year, while overall digital album sales are down 24.4 percent from last year. Country album sales have decreased 4 percent from this time last year, while country digital album sales are down 13.1 percent.
Tim McGraw‘s “Humble and Kind” tops the digital country tracks chart, with 35k sold, followed by Maren Morris’ “My Church” (31k), Blake Shelton‘s “Came Here To Forget” (31k), Dierks Bentley‘s “Somewhere on a Beach” (28k), and Cole Swindell‘s “You Should Be Here” (27k).
Kane Brown also lands the highest debut country track this week, with “There Goes My Everything” selling 22k, and landing at No. 8 country and No. 35 in the overall rankings.
Meghan Trainor‘s “No” is at No. 1 on the overall digital tracks rankings, with 128k.
Overall, digital tracks sales are down 26.1 percent, while country track sales have decreased 22.1 percent over last year.
Information provided by Nielsen Soundscan
Weekly Register: Kane Brown, Bobby Bones, ‘Southern Family’ Make Top 5 Debuts
/by Jessica NicholsonDebuts make the headlines this week in the top country albums rankings. New RCA Nashville signing Kane Brown debuted at No. 9 on the overall album rankings, and No. 3 on the country chart, with Chapter 1 (28k, 22k album only).
Joey+Rory‘s Hymns collection remains at No. 1 on the country album rankings (27k, album only), followed by Chris Stapleton‘s million-seller Traveller (26k this week, album only).
The rest of the top 5 is rounded out by three debuts, including Brown, Bobby Bones And The Raging Idiots at No. 4 (11k, album only), and the Dave Cobb-produced Southern Family (11k, album only). William Michael Morgan‘s latest EP, featuring his single “I Met a Girl,” landed at No. 28, with 1.8k sold.
Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots
Gwen Stefani take the top overall album position this week with This Is What The Truth Feels Like (84k). Notably, Passion: New Orleans soundtrack (featuring Trisha Yearwood, among others) comes in at No. 8 on the overall albums chart, with 31k sold (28k album only).
Overall album sales are down 16.9 percent from last year, while overall digital album sales are down 24.4 percent from last year. Country album sales have decreased 4 percent from this time last year, while country digital album sales are down 13.1 percent.
Tim McGraw‘s “Humble and Kind” tops the digital country tracks chart, with 35k sold, followed by Maren Morris’ “My Church” (31k), Blake Shelton‘s “Came Here To Forget” (31k), Dierks Bentley‘s “Somewhere on a Beach” (28k), and Cole Swindell‘s “You Should Be Here” (27k).
Kane Brown also lands the highest debut country track this week, with “There Goes My Everything” selling 22k, and landing at No. 8 country and No. 35 in the overall rankings.
Meghan Trainor‘s “No” is at No. 1 on the overall digital tracks rankings, with 128k.
Overall, digital tracks sales are down 26.1 percent, while country track sales have decreased 22.1 percent over last year.
Information provided by Nielsen Soundscan
Steven Tyler Signs With WME
/by Jessica NicholsonSteven Tyler
Steven Tyler has signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME), MusicRow has confirmed. Tyler was previously with CAA.
After releasing 15 albums as part of rock band Aerosmith, Tyler’s first solo country album will release this year on Dot Records/Big Machine. The project includes the single “Love Is Your Name,” penned by Eric Paslay and Lindsey Lee, as well as “Red, White and You,” written by Tyler along with Nathan Barlowe, Levi Hummon, and Jon Vella.
Aerosmith will continue to be represented by Paradigm.
Tyler is managed by Rebecca Lambrecht Warfield and Larry Rudolph at Maverick.
Ticketing Company Eventbrite To Triple Space In Cummins Station
/by Jessica NicholsonThe company has been adding to its team in Nashville, which includes more than 100 staffers.
“Since first opening our doors in Nashville two years ago, we’ve found Music City to be home to tremendous tech and support talent,” said Matt Rosenberg, Chief Revenue Officer at Eventbrite. “We look forward expanding our presence in Nashville and bringing on-board the great sales talent that the city has to offer.”
Eventbrite has processed more than $5 billion in gross ticket sales, and serves a broad range of customers including music festivals, marathons, conferences, art shows, sporting events, and food and drink events. In 2015, Eventbrite supported more than two million events in more than 180 countries, and processed more than 100 million tickets.
Eventbrite has offices in San Francisco, Nashville, Mendoza, Sao Paulo, Berlin, Melbourne, Dublin and London.
Eric Paslay Gets ‘Dressed In Black’ For Sophomore Release
/by Jessica NicholsonEric Paslay. Photo: Joseph Llanes
EMI Records Nashville artist Eric Paslay is gearing up to release his sophomore album Dressed In Black. Paslay co-wrote all 12 of the album’s tracks including the first single “High Class.” The album is expected to be released this summer, although a release date has not yet been announced.
The project, produced by Marshall Altman, follows Paslay’s self-titled debut album which produced “Friday Night,” “Song About A Girl,” and “She Don’t Love You.”
Paslay says, “I’m grateful that we are getting to celebrate some life in another album. I always strive for, as an artist and musician, something that lasts. Not just popular now. It’s not just something on a page, but it somehow finds you in a restaurant, or on a dance floor, or in your car alone that makes you go ‘what is that?’”
1. “Angels In This Town” (Eric Paslay, Corey Crowder, Erik Dylan)
2. “All Or Nothin’” (Eric Paslay, Skip Black, Matt Nolen)
3. “Takin’ My Heartbeat Higher” (Eric Paslay, Sarah Buxton, Zach Crowell)
4. “High Class” (Eric Paslay, Corey Crowder, Jesse Frasure)
5. “Dressed In Black” (Eric Paslay, Ross Copperman, Jaren Johnston)
6. “Let You In My Heart” (Eric Paslay, Dylan Altman)
7. “Pretty Girl Fly” (Eric Paslay, Ross Copperman, Jon Nite)
8. “Backstage Pass” (Eric Paslay, Jessi Alexander, Liz Rose)
9. “Fall Apart” (Eric Paslay, Natalie Hemby)
10. “Water Into Wine” (Eric Paslay, Tom Shapiro, Neil Thrasher)
11. “Sun” (Eric Paslay, Nathan Chapman)
12. “Wild And Young” (Eric Paslay, Chris Wallin)
Watch the making of Dressed In Black Below:
Artist Updates: Bobby Bones And The Raging Idiots, Chris Stapleton, Kristian Bush, Allie Louise
/by Jessica NicholsonBobby Bones And The Raging Idiots Make Grand Ole Opry Debut
Bobby Bones And The Raging Idiots, the comedy group composed of Bobby Bones and Producer Eddie from iHeartMedia’s The Bobby Bones Show, made their Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday, March 25.
Pictured (L-R): Gordon Kerr, CEO, Black River Entertainment; Producer Eddie, Bobby Bones; Pete Fisher, VP, Grand Ole Opry.
Chris Stapleton To Play Lollapalooza
Chris Stapleton’s touring schedule keeps getting busier. The singer-songwriter just added a performance slot for Lollapalooza on Saturday, July 30 in Chicago.
Stapleton joins the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ellie Goulding, J. Cole, Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, Lana Del Ray and more to play the four-day annual festival.
Lollapalooza will be held from July 28-31, with 170 acts performing in Grant Park. For more information on Lollapalooza, visit Lollapalooza.com.
Chris Stapleton
Kristian Bush Pens Songs For ‘Troubadour’
Kristian Bush has composed a set of original songs for Janece Shaffer‘s play Troubadour, which will stage its premiere at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta on Jan. 18-Feb. 12, 2017.
A romantic comedy set in 1950s Nashville, Troubadour follows the son of a country music legend who joins forces with a singer-songwriter and a rodeo tailor to carry on his father’s legacy.
Allie Louise Appears On Nashville Today
Sixth Beat Productions’ Allie Louise celebrated the release of “Stilettos” with WSM-AM Nashville Today hosts Nan Kelley and Devon O’Day. The track from her debut self-titled EP was written by Lindsey Lee, Rachel Proctor and Victoria Banks, and produced by Eddie Gore in Nashville. The singer is scheduled to embark on the second leg of her radio tour Sunday, April 3.
Jerry Duncan Promotions is spearheading the radio promotion campaign.
Pictured (L-R): Tim Riley, Industry Consultant; Nan Kelley, 650 AM WSM; Allie Louise; Devon O’Day, 650 AM WSM.
American Red Cross Enlists Country Artists For Campaign
/by Craig_ShelburneLauren Alaina, Cam, Kenny Chesney and Hunter Hayes have partnered with the American Red Cross for The 2Steps2Minutes campaign. The initiative aims to keep families safe from fires with two simple steps: practicing a two-minute fire drill and checking smoke alarms each month.
Cam, Lauren Alaina, Dakota Bradley, and Diamond Rio’s Marty Roe all share personal home fire stories in a new 2Steps2Minutes PSA launching this week.
New experiences and prizes have launched on 2Steps2Minutes partner platforms Prizeo and Charitybuzz. The offerings include tickets to see Chesney in concert, a VIP concert experience with Rascal Flatts, and a meeting at the studio with award-winning songwriter and producer Marshall Altman. Fans also have the chance to win a number of prizes from Hunter Hayes, including a signed guitar, personal Skype video call, or a VIP hang out with the singer at a show.
“People think a home fire is something that will happen to somebody else,” said Russ Paulsen, executive director of community preparedness at the Red Cross. “But these stars know it can happen to anyone, so we all need to take two simple steps to keep our families safe. Fire drills aren’t just for school.”
The American Red Cross responds to nearly 66,000 disasters a year, the vast majority of which are home fires. On an average day, seven people die and 36 are injured from a home fire, resulting in over $7 billion in property damages each year. To combat this, in less than 18 months, the Red Cross and its partners have installed over 264,000 free smoke alarms in homes across 4,500 cities.
In Photos: Carrie Underwood, Cam, Chris Janson, Hilary Williams, Shenandoah
/by Eric T. ParkerCarrie Underwood Entertains Radio During Tour Stop
Pictured (L-R): Luke Jensen, Regional Promotion Manager, Arista Nashville; KXKT MD Hoss Michaels; Carrie; KXKT PD Erik Johnson.
Carrie Underwood visited with KXKT’s PD and MD during a stop on her Storyteller Tour in Lincoln, Nebraska, on March 26.
Cam’s Homecoming Performance
Pictured (L-R): Vanessa Kuhlman with KTOM’s Sam Diggedy, KRTY’s Tina Ferguson, Live Nation’s Aaron Siuda, KRTY’s Nate Deaton, Arista Nashville’s new Manager, Regional Promotion, Lisa Owen.
Country newcomer Cam headlined a performance at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, California, on March 23. This was a homecoming appearance of sorts, since Cam was raised in the bay area of California in nearby Lafayette.
Chris Janson Performs “Favorite Song” On America’s Morning Show
Pictured (L-R): America’s Morning Show’s Blair Garner, Warner Nashville’s Chris Janson, Kelly Ford, Chuck Wicks and NASH Director of Programming John Shomby.
Chris Janson paid a visit to America’s Morning Show at the NASH Campus in Nashville on March 24 to perform the self-proclaimed favorite song he’s ever written, “When I’m Holding Her,” a tribute to his wife.
Hilary Williams Promotes Grandfather’s Story On Film
Hilary Williams (L) with Inside Edition’s Megan Kelly (R).
Hilary Williams was recently interviewed by Inside Edition‘s Megan Alexander in promotion of I Saw the Light, a new feature film about the life and career of Williams’ grandfather, Hank Williams. The interview took place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and the house where Hank Williams lived in Nashville. Hillary Williams’ father is Hank Williams Jr.
Larry’s Country Diner Lineup To Include Shenandoah
Shenandoah on Larry’s Country Diner.
The lineup for Larry’s Country Diner on RFD-TV (Rural Media Group) includes Shenandoah, Hot Club of Cowtown, Jimmy Fortune and Darrell McCall. On April 7 (re-airing on Saturday April 9), Shenandoah’s performance will include “Two Dozen Roses” and “Next To You, Next To Me.” Scheduled performers will share fan-favorite hits with new music and never-before-heard stories during interviews with Larry and the cast. Each episode is filmed live-to-tape in front of an audience.
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry To Speak At Music Biz 2016
/by Jessica NicholsonNashville Mayor Megan Barry
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry will deliver the welcome address at the Music Biz 2016 Awards Breakfast on Tuesday, May 17, at 9:15 a.m. at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. After welcoming the Music Business Association (Music Biz) back to Nashville, Mayor Barry will discuss her work with the Music City Music Council and their efforts to attract and retain music industry professionals.
The Breakfast, which is sponsored by the Country Music Association (CMA), will also feature awards presentations to John Esposito, President and CEO of Warner Music Nashville and Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors, and Redeye, a leading physical and digital distributor and label services provider for some of the biggest independent artists and labels in the world.
James Donio, President of Music Biz, will also sum up the past year and lay out the Association’s priorities for 2016, while YouTube’s Fred Beteille, Chairman of the Music Biz Board of Directors, will announce the 2016-2017 Music Biz Board of Directors and the Scholarship Foundation Class of 2016.
Brett Eldredge will close out the event with a performance.
Charles Kelley, Blake Shelton, Little Big Town, Old Dominion Added As ACM Awards Performers
/by Jessica NicholsonAdditionally, a lengthy list of presenters has been revealed, including Miss America Betty Cantrell, Chris Janson, Jana Kramer, Martina McBride, Kip Moore, Kacey Musgraves, Nancy O’Dell, Jake Owen, Chase Rice, Kiefer Sutherland and Cole Swindell.
The 51st Academy Of Country Music Awards, co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, is produced by dick clark productions and will be broadcast live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, on Sunday, April 3 at 8 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.
Previously-announced performers include Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Cam, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton with Katy Perry, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Chris Young with Cassadee Pope.
Pandora’s Westergren Returns As CEO, Management Structure Changes
/by Jessica NicholsonTim Westergren
In the wake of Pandora’s former CEO Brian McAndrews leaving the company, Pandora founder Tim Westergren, 50, has taken over as CEO. The changes are effective immediately, the Oakland, Calif.-based company announced Monday in a statement.
Westergren founded what ultimately became Pandora in 2000 with the Music Genome Project. He served as Chief Creative Officer and Treasurer from February 2000 to May 2002, as Chief Executive Officer and President from May 2002 to July 2004, and as Chief Strategy Officer from July 2004 to February 2014. He has served on Pandora’s board of directors from the company’s inception.
“I am incredibly excited about the future of Pandora. We’re on the cusp of realizing an extraordinary vision: fundamentally changing the way listeners discover and enjoy music, and the way artists build and sustain their careers,” said Westergren. “We are pursuing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a massive, vibrant music marketplace. We have the audience, the technology infrastructure, the monetization engine and most importantly the right team with the passion and commitment to do it. I’m 100 percent committed to Pandora’s growth strategy, as is our executive team and Board.
A former advertising executive, McAndrews, 57, joined Pandora in 2013.
“I am honored to have been the CEO of Pandora for the past two and a half years, and I am proud of what I and our team of talented and highly passionate colleagues have achieved during this time. We have put in place a robust strategy to make Pandora the go-to source for fans and artists and position the company for long-term success in a highly dynamic space. With the team and strategy in place and execution underway, I am passing the baton on to Tim. I wish the company all the best as it continues on its next phase of growth,” McAndrews said.
Additional changes to the management structure include: