Pictured (L-R): Vector Management’s Ken Levitan, Trisha Yearwood, and Carolyn Tate, Senior Vice President of Museum Services at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Chapter 499
You might have met her when she was a Belmont student.
Or you might have met her when she was a tour guide at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
You might have met her when she was the receptionist at MTM Records. Or you might have met her when she was singing demos for the songwriters and publishers on Music Row.
You might have met her when she was singing with Pat Alger & The Algerians at Douglas Corner Café. Or you might have met her when she was a hopeful newcomer at MCA Records.
She tells me that I met her on at least three of those occasions. I don’t remember. “Was I nice?” I asked. “Oh, yes, always,” she assures me. Thank goodness for that.
What I do remember is that the first time I heard her on MCA, I called her “Goddess.” To her face. And that is what I have called her ever since.
And Goddess she was, at the opening of her new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.
Trisha Yearwood during media interviews for her Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum preview. Photo: Momentsbymoser
“You were invited because you are my friends and my family,” Trisha Yearwood told the attendees at the opening party on Tuesday evening (6/30). “You supported me from the beginning.
“Those of you who’ve known me for a long time know that I am not a cryer. But I am so emotional, so bear with me. I am so honored. From having been a tour guide here, I have such respect for the people who work here.
“I’m kind of in a daze….The power of music is why we’re here,” she added, referring to the exhibit’s title, The Song Remembers When. She thanked that song’s composer, Hugh Prestwood. Also thanked was Jon Ims, who wrote her breakthrough hit, “She’s In Love With the Boy.”
She singled out “the first Garth,” producer Garth Fundis, as well as “the second Garth,” husband Garth Brooks, with whom she is now on a record-shattering national concert tour. Both were in the party crowd.
“Our Queen for a Day is Miss Trisha Yearwood,” said museum vice president Carolyn Tate. “She owns one of music’s most expressive and powerful voices.”
Trisha Yearwood Matel Barbie.
Tate added that Yearwood is now a multi-media phenom with her own cookbooks, TV cooking show, kitchenware line, acting credits and, now, her own namesake “Shero” Barbie Doll. OMG: I must have one.
“Enjoy the exhibit,” said Goddess.
We did. It includes mementos from her “Georgia Peach” childhood, including tragic early promo photos and a 45 r.p.m. record funded by her dad. She collected Elvis records as a kid and got an autograph, both of which are illustrated.
She came to Nashville in 1995 to attend Belmont. This is documented, as well. Awards, sheet music and costumes are displayed, including outfits from her roles on JAG and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Gorgeous gowns, including her fabulous wedding dress, are on display.
The exhibit concludes with stuff relating to her new status as a Southern-cuisine diva. Her Emmy-winning cooking TV show is a spin off from her displayed cookbooks and has spawned the also displayed kitchenware, cookware and the like.
Jen Falco, Eric Parker, Allie Brooks and members of Yearwood’s inner circle comprised the younger element of the attending multitude. Regular column fabulons working the room included Chuck Dauphin, Charlie Monk, Chris Horsnell, Bruce Hinton, Scott Borchetta, Bob Paxman, Maurice Miner, Mark Miller, Dave Pomeroy, Donna Hughes and Deborah Evans-Price.
Grammy-wining graphics queen Virginia Team hasn’t been seen at a Music Row party in ages. “I had to come,” she explained. “She is one of the greatest singers, ever.” Or as I put it, “Goddess.”
Yearwood’s own Grammys were admired by Steve Buchanan, Earle Simmons, Jeff Walker, Jane Braddock, Ken Levitan, the Frist Foundation’s Peter Bird, Harold Bradley, Tom Roland, real-estate maven Phil Ryan, Lisa Harless, Rusty Jones, Peter Cooper and Dave Pomeroy, among a throng of others.
All hail the Goddess.
Yearwood’s wedding dress she wore when marrying Garth Brooks, designed by Sandi Spika. Photo: Moments by Moser
Garth Brooks Leads Country Stars On ‘Forbes’ List of Top Paid Celebrities
/by Troy_StephensonGarth Brooks
Forbes has released a new list of The World’s Highest-Paid celebrities, with several country artists included in the rankings.
The Top 5
No. 1 Floyd Mayweather $300 million
No. 2 Manny Pacquiao $160 million
No. 3 Katy Perry $135 million
No. 4 One Direction $130 million
No. 5 Howard Stern $95 million
Country Stars
No. 6 Garth Brooks $90 million
No. 8 Taylor Swift $80 million
No. 32 Toby Keith $53 million
No. 47 Jason Aldean $43.5 million
No. 48 Luke Bryan $42.5 million
No. 49 Kenny Chesney $42 million
No. 58 Tim McGraw $38 million
No. 61 Florida Georgia Line $36.5 million
No. 78 Zac Brown Band $32 million
No. 95 (tie) Miranda Lambert $28.5 million
No. 95 (tie) Blake Shelton $28.5 million
To see the entire list, click here.
According to Forbes, “Our list measures money earned from June 1, 2014 to June 1, 2015 before subtracting management fees and taxes; figures are based on data from Nielsen, Pollstar, Box Office Mojo and IMDB, as well as interviews with agents, managers, lawyers—and many of the stars themselves.”
WeddingNotes: Alison Toczylowski and Andrew Webber; Stephanie Quayle and David Couch
/by Kelsey_GradyWeekly Register: Kacey Musgraves Crowned With No. 1 Debut
/by Sarah SkatesThe critically acclaimed sophomore album is the follow-up to her Grammy winning debut album Same Trailer Different Park which also entered at No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart. Musgraves co-wrote all of the tracks on Pageant Material as well as co-produced with Shane McAnally and Luke Laird. She celebrated the release last month in Nashville with a party at Play, complete with performances by drag queens.
Musgraves’ Mercury Nashville labelmate Canaan Smith also scored a top 5 debut, coming in at No. 4 country with 16,000 (12,000 album only). His debut album Bronco features hit single “Love You Like That” which has been certified Gold by the RIAA for digital sales in excess of 500,000. It garnered almost 33 million combined streams (total streaming partners). He worked with producers Brett Beavers, Jimmy Robbins, Ryan Tyndell and Luke Wooten on the project.
Elsewhere, Corey Smith’s Sugar Hill release entered the country chart with 3,100. He just wrapped a week of special events in Nashville surrounding the release, including concerts at Bluebird Café and Grand Ole Opry.
It’s worth noting that this is the mid-year point for 2015. As regular Weekly Register readers know, sales continue to slump:
YTD Albums
Overall -4 percent
Overall digital -.1 percent
Country -9.1 percent
Country digital -1.8 percent
YTD Tracks
Overall -10.4 percent
Country -15.8 percent
Starting July 10, the official worldwide release day for music will move to Fridays. Accordingly, the Nielsen SoundScan week will run Friday through Thursday.
*sales according to Soundscan
Bucky Covington is a ‘Happy Man’ With Release of New EP
/by Lorie HollabaughThe indie EP marks the first new music from Covington in three years, and was co-produced by Covington and Dale Oliver. Fans can pre-order the six-song collection and download the new single immediately.
“This project means a lot to me as an independent artist,” Bucky says. “The good part is that there’s no one telling me what songs to pick, and the bad part is no one is there to tell me what songs to pick or paying for making the music, so all the risk is on me. That said, I hope everyone loves it as much as I do!”
Happy Man EP track listing:
1. “I Feel Ya” (Eric Mallon, Ruben Estevez, Jason Afable)
2. “Girl You Get To Me” (Dale Oliver, Serg Salinas, Michael Harter)
3. “I’m Saying Something” (Matt Warren)
4. “Somewhere Looking Beautiful” (Bucky Covington, Dale Oliver, Dan Couch)
5. “Buzzin” (Brad Hull)
6. “Happy Man” (Shannon Lawson)
New Virgin Hotel to Break Ground by Fall
/by Lorie HollabaughVirgin Hotel
Image courtesy of BLUR Workshop
Work on a new Virgin Hotel located by 17th and Division near the Music Row Roundabout will begin by October, according to a story in Nashvillepost.com.
The hotel will include 240 rooms and suites as well as 15 residential penthouses.
D.F. Chase will be the general contractor for the project and the team will use Atlanta-based architecture firm BLUR Workshop for the design. Early renderings show two different buildings, with the tallest of the two rising 13 stories and about 160 feet. The hotel will reportedly feature a centerpiece bar, a live entertainment venue, an outside veranda with views of the city skyline, a rooftop pool, a gym, a wellness center, and 14,000-square-feet of meeting space.
“With Virgin Hotels Chicago now open and bustling, we’re thrilled to reveal our plans for our next property, Virgin Hotels Nashville,” Raul Leal, CEO of Virgin Hotels, said in a press release. “Partnering with BLUR Workshop and interior design firm MarkZeff has enabled us to incorporate our musical heritage and playful tone of voice into this new building, bringing something entirely different to the Nashville hotel scene.”
The hotel is slated to open in fall 2016.
Bobby Karl Works Trisha Yearwood’s Hall of Fame Exhibit Preview
/by Bobby KarlPictured (L-R): Vector Management’s Ken Levitan, Trisha Yearwood, and Carolyn Tate, Senior Vice President of Museum Services at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Chapter 499
You might have met her when she was a Belmont student.
Or you might have met her when she was a tour guide at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
You might have met her when she was the receptionist at MTM Records. Or you might have met her when she was singing demos for the songwriters and publishers on Music Row.
You might have met her when she was singing with Pat Alger & The Algerians at Douglas Corner Café. Or you might have met her when she was a hopeful newcomer at MCA Records.
She tells me that I met her on at least three of those occasions. I don’t remember. “Was I nice?” I asked. “Oh, yes, always,” she assures me. Thank goodness for that.
What I do remember is that the first time I heard her on MCA, I called her “Goddess.” To her face. And that is what I have called her ever since.
And Goddess she was, at the opening of her new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.
Trisha Yearwood during media interviews for her Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum preview. Photo: Momentsbymoser
“You were invited because you are my friends and my family,” Trisha Yearwood told the attendees at the opening party on Tuesday evening (6/30). “You supported me from the beginning.
“Those of you who’ve known me for a long time know that I am not a cryer. But I am so emotional, so bear with me. I am so honored. From having been a tour guide here, I have such respect for the people who work here.
“I’m kind of in a daze….The power of music is why we’re here,” she added, referring to the exhibit’s title, The Song Remembers When. She thanked that song’s composer, Hugh Prestwood. Also thanked was Jon Ims, who wrote her breakthrough hit, “She’s In Love With the Boy.”
She singled out “the first Garth,” producer Garth Fundis, as well as “the second Garth,” husband Garth Brooks, with whom she is now on a record-shattering national concert tour. Both were in the party crowd.
“Our Queen for a Day is Miss Trisha Yearwood,” said museum vice president Carolyn Tate. “She owns one of music’s most expressive and powerful voices.”
Trisha Yearwood Matel Barbie.
Tate added that Yearwood is now a multi-media phenom with her own cookbooks, TV cooking show, kitchenware line, acting credits and, now, her own namesake “Shero” Barbie Doll. OMG: I must have one.
“Enjoy the exhibit,” said Goddess.
We did. It includes mementos from her “Georgia Peach” childhood, including tragic early promo photos and a 45 r.p.m. record funded by her dad. She collected Elvis records as a kid and got an autograph, both of which are illustrated.
She came to Nashville in 1995 to attend Belmont. This is documented, as well. Awards, sheet music and costumes are displayed, including outfits from her roles on JAG and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Gorgeous gowns, including her fabulous wedding dress, are on display.
The exhibit concludes with stuff relating to her new status as a Southern-cuisine diva. Her Emmy-winning cooking TV show is a spin off from her displayed cookbooks and has spawned the also displayed kitchenware, cookware and the like.
Jen Falco, Eric Parker, Allie Brooks and members of Yearwood’s inner circle comprised the younger element of the attending multitude. Regular column fabulons working the room included Chuck Dauphin, Charlie Monk, Chris Horsnell, Bruce Hinton, Scott Borchetta, Bob Paxman, Maurice Miner, Mark Miller, Dave Pomeroy, Donna Hughes and Deborah Evans-Price.
Grammy-wining graphics queen Virginia Team hasn’t been seen at a Music Row party in ages. “I had to come,” she explained. “She is one of the greatest singers, ever.” Or as I put it, “Goddess.”
Yearwood’s own Grammys were admired by Steve Buchanan, Earle Simmons, Jeff Walker, Jane Braddock, Ken Levitan, the Frist Foundation’s Peter Bird, Harold Bradley, Tom Roland, real-estate maven Phil Ryan, Lisa Harless, Rusty Jones, Peter Cooper and Dave Pomeroy, among a throng of others.
All hail the Goddess.
Yearwood’s wedding dress she wore when marrying Garth Brooks, designed by Sandi Spika. Photo: Moments by Moser
Production Music Association Establishes The Mark Awards
/by Lorie HollabaughNamed in honor of the late Andy Mark, a music library owner/founding member of the PMA, the Mark Awards will recognize the very best in production music in 17 categories. The PMA has assembled an independent group of industry professionals from TV networks, ad agencies, promo departments, trailer companies, and licensing organizations to facilitate the submissions, judging, and final selection of the winners. Entries for submissions for the first annual Mark Awards are open to both PMA and non-PMA members. For details on the submissions process, visit pmamusic.com.
“Production music has long been the sonic lifeblood of so many audiovisual productions, ranging from television programs to promotional campaigns to major theatrical releases,” said Nashville based PMA Executive Director Hunter Williams. “With its proliferation across the gamut of media productions and distribution channels, companies responsible for the contribution of production music to the creative process have never before had their own awards event. These people and companies are truly worthy of long-overdue recognition—thus the establishment of the Mark Awards.”
Founded in l997, the Production Music Association (PMA) is the leading advocate and voice of the production music community, with over 675 members, including publishers, composers, and industry professionals.
American Eagle Awards Land In Nashville For First Time
/by Lorie HollabaughKris Kristofferson is among the American Eagle Award honorees.
The National Music Council’s 32nd Annual American Eagle Awards are coming to Nashville July 11 during the NAMM Convention. This marks the first time the awards have been held in Music City.
This year’s celebration will honor Kris Kristofferson, Charley Pride, Jim Lauderdale, manager Jim Halsey, and producer/director Sherman Halsey for their long-term contribution to America’s musical culture and heritage. A special award will also be presented to the Nashville Mayor’s Office, Metro Nashville Public Schools, the CMA, and the Country Music Foundation recognizing the Music Makes Us arts education initiative. Rosanne Cash, The Oak Ridge Boys, John Oates and Jack Ingram will pay tribute musically to this year’s honorees during the awards ceremony.
Tickets to the noon awards presentation are free with a $10 NAMM day pass for July 11, and will be available on site at the Nashville Music City Center. The VIP luncheon that follows is also a ticketed event but is open to the public, and proceeds from that will benefit the Council’s Music Education and Creator’s Rights Advocacy Programs.
For 75 years the NMC has served as a forum for free discussion of music affairs and challenges and is comprised of nearly 50 national music organizations. For more information, schedules and luncheon registration information, go to www.musiccouncil.org.
Past American Eagle Award recipients include Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Clive Davis, Van Cliburn, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Lena Horne, Roy Clark, Stephen Sondheim, Sesame Street, and VH1 Save the Music Foundation.
Mark Your Calendar–July 2015
/by Eric T. ParkerJuly 9-11
NAMM at the Nashville Music City Center
July 11
The National Music Council’s 32nd Annual American Eagle Awards during the NAMM Convention
July 16
CMA Awards first ballot closes 6:00 p.m. CT
July 22
WHO KNEW event
July 14
Bucky Covington/Happy Man [EP]
July 17
Alan Jackson/Angels and Alcohol/EMI Records Nashville
Moonshine Bandits/Blacked Out/Backroad-Average Joes
July 21
The Cains/The Cains [digital EP]
July 24
Ashley Monroe/The Blade/Warner Bros.
Sarah Ross/Calm Before The Storm [EP]/Average Joes Entertainment
July 6
Cam/Burning House/Arista Nashville
Lindsay Lawler/Goodbye Go/Red River Girl Music
Scott Hooper/Our Children’s Future/Rudder Records
July 13
Scotty McCreery/Southern Belle/Mercury Nashville
Ashley Campbell/Remembering/Dot Records
James Otto/Somewhere Tonight/Blaster Records
Clark Manson/Track 9/ole Music
Boone/Summer Girls/Supergroup Records-Nine North-Turnpike Music-Edgehill Nashville
Bobby Wills/Crazy Enough/Willing Nashville
Gord Bamford/When Your Lips Are So Close
July 14
John Clark Blackwell feat. Susie McEntire/Daddy’s Hands/Blackwell Music Group
July 20
Kelsea Ballerini/Dibs/Black River Entertainment
Striking Matches/Miss Me More/I.R.S. Nashville
Blair Mathews/Ride/StoneyHill Records
Brandon Holland/Blame It On The Whiskey
July 27
Kayla Adams/Burn A Little Colder/SSM Nashville
Artist Pics: Dustin Lynch Gets RIAA Plaque, Chris Young Visits ACM, ASCAP Hosts Showcase
/by Kelsey_GradyDustin Lynch Surprised With Platinum Plaque
Broken Bow’s Dustin Lynch was surprised by the RIAA on Friday afternoon (June 26) with a Platinum plaque for his multi-week No. 1 single “Where It’s At.”
Lynch served as a special guest panelist alongside RIAA Chairman & CEO Cary Sherman and Broken Bow VP of Promotion Lee Adams for the first “RIAA Live” event of summer 2015 at its D.C. headquarters. The audience of music industry and political tastemakers was also treated to an acoustic performance.
“What a dream come true!” shared Lynch. “I have an incredible team of people that believe in me and my music and work so hard and spend time away from their families…this is theirs as much as mine. Big thanks to everyone at country radio that believed in this song and chapter 2 of my music!”
Dustin Lynch and RIAA Chairman & CEO Cary Sherman. Photo: Daniel Swartz
Chris Young Visits The Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music welcomed RCA Nashville recording artist Chris Young to the office while he was in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, Young previewed songs from his upcoming fifth studio album to be released this fall. The lead single, “I’m Comin’ Over,” is currently climbing the charts.
Pictured (L-R): Paul Barnabee, SVP, Marketing, Sony Music Nashville; Chris Young; Tiffany Moon, ACM Exec.VP /Managing Director; Bob Romeo, ACM CEO; Larry Fitzgerald, Manager, Fitzgerald Hartley Company. Photo: Courtesy of the ACM
ASCAP Hosts June “We Create Music”
ASCAP hosted the June edition of “We Create Music,” its monthly multi-genre showcase held at The Basement. Featured performers included Courtney Drummey, NYC-based singer-songwriter Owen Danoff, Bear Creek Brothers, Kris Hitchcock and Kirsten Arian.
Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Ralph Murphy, Kris Hitchcock, Kirsten Arian, Owen Danoff, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Courtney Drummey, Bear Creek Brothers’ Dylan Wright and Kevin Vermillion, and ASCAP’s Robert Filhart