Jimmy C. Newman
Grand Ole Opry star
Jimmy C. Newman died Saturday night (June 21) in Nashville after a brief illness. He was 86.
A public service will be held Wednesday, June 25 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium at 10 a.m., followed by a private visitation and a memorial service for close friends and family. Contributions can be made to the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund.
Newman joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1956; his final performance at the Opry was Friday, June 6, 2014.
Newman was born in Mamou, La., in 1927. As children, he and his brother Walter helped support the family farm. Later, Newman formed a band and hosted a show on KPLC-TV (Lake Charles) and joined the Louisiana Hayride.
Newman’s first Nashville deal was a publishing contract with Acuff-Rose Music, which led to a recording deal with Dot Records. His hits included “A Fallen Star,” “Cry, Cry Darling,” and the Cajun-laced singles “Diggy Liggy Lo,” “Alligator Man,” and “Bayou Talk.” He was later inducted into the Cajun Hall of Fame, Cajun Music Hall of Fame, and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
In his later years, he enjoyed spending time on his ranch in Rutherford County with his wife, Mae.
Blue Chair Bay Rum Presents 'Hit Makers & Rum Chasers'
/by Jessica NicholsonSongwriters Danny Myrick, Marti Frederiksen and Paul Jenkins are slated to return to the island for an evening of acoustic performances on Saturday, July 19.
“We are proud to support the Hit Makers project, and nothing goes better with a great song than a great cocktail made with one of our Blue Chair Bay Rums,” said Mark Montgomery, CEO of Fishbowl Spirits, parent company of Blue Chair Bay Rum.
Myrick has penned a number of hits including Craig Morgan‘s “International Harvester” and Jason Aldean‘s “She’s Country.” Frederiksen’s songs have been recorded by Carrie Underwood, Gavin Rossdale, Daughtry, Aerosmith and more. Jenkins boasts writing credits including Blake Shelton‘s “Over,” Thompson Square‘s “If I Didn’t Have You,” and more.
In addition to Blue Chair Bay Rum (distributed by Glazer’s Premiere Distributors), “Hit Makers & Rum Chasers” is sponsored by Virgin Islands Lottery, Southland Gaming, Westin St. John, Eco Green Caribbean, 93.5 Caribbean Country, and Love City Radio.
For more information, visit hitmakersandrumchasers.com.
Urban, Lopez, Connick To Return to 'Idol;' Nashville Audition Set
/by Jessica NicholsonAuditions for American Idol XIV will take place in New Orleans (June 25); Uniondale, N.Y. (July 23); Nashville, Tenn. (July 30); and San Francisco (Sept. 29). Additionally, the American Idol XIV will launch a bicoastal bus tour July 9 both in Portland, Me., and Portland, Ore. Hopefuls can also submit auditions online through social media using #TheNextIdol.
“Jennifer, Keith, Harry and Ryan are the very best in the business at what they do, and I’m absolutely ecstatic that they are returning to American Idol for another season. Each brings unique qualities and expertise to the team, but they all share the same passion for helping undiscovered singers achieve the American dream,” said David Hill, Senior Executive Vice President, 21st Century Fox.
“I am thrilled our consummate host, Mr. Ryan Seacrest, is returning for Season 14, together with Jennifer, Harry and Keith,” said American Idol creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. “Their interaction, warmth and experience made them an absolute joy to watch. I can’t wait to see their evolution together continue next season.”
Jamey Johnson Welcomes Friends for Nashville Benefit Show
/by Jessica NicholsonJamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson will welcome friends and fellow musicians Shooter Jennings, Jessi Colter, Jerrod Niemann, Chris Stapleton and other special guests for a musical tribute to Waylon Jennings and Hank Cochran at Nashville’s Marathon Motor Works on July 9.
Full Moon Full Life presents “A Night Of Influence Celebrating Waylon Jennings & Hank Cochran,” will raise money for the Nikki Mitchell Foundation, which aids in the early detection and cure of pancreatic cancer. Doors open at 6 p.m., the live auction begins at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 for Golden Circle and $25 for general admission.
Nikki Mitchell passed away in July 2013 of pancreatic cancer. She had served as President and CEO of Waylon Jennings’ music for more than 23 years.
For more information, visit nikkimitchellfoundation.org.
BMLG Reveals Artist Performance Lineup for Brickyard 400
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Band Perry, Justin Moore and Brantley Gilbert will headline concerts at the Brickfest Music Festival on Saturday (July 26) and Sunday (July 27) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Additionally, music and racing fans will be introduced to newcomers A Thousand Horses and Drake White during the weekend of entertainment, which is free with track admission each day.
For more information, visit brickyard.com.
Through The Lens (6/23/14)
/by Jessica NicholsonLucy Hale made her Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday, June 21, when the Memphis native performed her new single, “Lie A Little Better.”
“Lie A Little Better,” written by Melissa Peirce, Mike Daly and Chris DeStefano, will be released to Country radio on July 21. Hale shot a video for the song over the weekend at the Grand Ole Opry house.
Lucy Hale at the Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry
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The Academy of Country Music welcomed singer Kree Harrison to the office while she was in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, she signed up for professional ACM membership, as part of the Academy’s complimentary one-year membership offered to support emerging artists.
Kree Harrison signs up for membership with the Academy of Country Music
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Chris Lane‘s debut single, “Broken Windsheld View,” broke into the Top 10 recently on the iTunes Country Songs chart, with 11,247 downloads in its first week. The guitar-driven song was written by Rodney Clawson, Shane Minor, and David Lee Murphy, and produced by Joey Moi.
Chris Lane performs in Charleston, S.C., opening for Florida Georgia Line’s This is How We Roll Summer Series 2014 tour. Photo: Lloyd Norman / Big Loud Mountain
'Rising Star' Debut Earns Second-Place Ratings
/by Sarah SkatesBrad Paisley, Kesha and Ludacris make up the panel of experts on the show, where their votes are added to real-time votes from at-home viewers as the contestants attempt to “raise the wall.” The show, hosted by Josh Groban, airs live so that voting can be conducted in real-time via app. If the contestant scores enough points, the video wall between them and the experts is raised and they move on to the next level.
According to Variety, NBC planned a special edition of America’s Got Talent opposite the premiere of Rising Star to intercept the new show’s viewers. Talent won the 9 PM ET hour for NBC.
Country singer Sarah Darling was among the first round of contestants and received enough votes to return to the competition (see video below). Teenage boy band Beyond 5, who recently moved to Music City, also competed but did not receive enough votes to continue on the show.
In recent months, talent competitions have saturated TV line ups. Fox cancelled The X Factor, and American Idol had its lowest-rated year ever. NBC’s popular series, The Voice, also experienced a ratings slip.
UK Singles Chart Adds Streaming Data
/by Sarah SkatesAs music streaming has grown in popularity, there has been a decline in single track sales. The chart’s new methodology reflects these changes.
100 streams will be equivalent to 1 single purchase (whether download, CD or vinyl). The streaming data represents on demand plays via services such as Spotify, Deezer, Napster, O2 Tracks (Musicqubed), rara, Sony’s Music Unlimited and Xbox Music, all members of the Entertainment Retailers Association, co-owner of the Official Charts Company.
ERA already supplies data from physical and digital stores to the Official Charts including specialist chains such as HMV, internet retailers like Amazon, the UK’s big four supermarkets and hundreds of independent retailers.
The Official Singles Chart is compiled from midnight on Sunday morning to midnight on Saturday evening every week. Streams will be counted for the first time in the chart measuring the period from Sunday, June 29, 2014 through Saturday, July 5 (week 27). Read more here.
Industry Ink (6/23/14)
/by Jessica NicholsonBrett Eldredge
Brett Eldredge recently signed with Sony/ATV Music.
Eldredge co-wrote his chart-topping debut single, “Don’t Ya,” as well as his current hit single, “Beat of the Music,” co-written with Ross Copperman and Heather Morgan.
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Outshyne
Country band Outshyne has signed a music distribution deal with Sony RED. The company will assist in the distribution of Outshyne’s project Startin’ Over, which includes the single “Moonlight Crush,” penned by Marv Green, Rodney Clawson and Blake Wise.
“I have been a huge fan since the first time I heard them back in October 2013,” said Dewayne Brown, Southeastern Director of Artist & Label Development at RED Nashville. “The song ‘Moonlight Crush’ is written by some of the most unbelievable songwriters here in Nashville, and Waylon [Owings]’s vocal blew me away. But it’s not just Waylon, I love what the boys – Josh, Casey, Jason and Smiley – bring to the party.”
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Luke Bryan Sets Attendance Record At Pittsburgh's Heinz Field
/by Troy_StephensonLuke Bryan headlined his first stadium concert at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Saturday, June 21. With more than 50,000 people at the show, it marked the largest number of tickets sold for a Country event at the stadium.
The night included openers Cole Swindell, Lee Brice, and Dierks Bentley.
“I want to thank you so much for selling Heinz Field out,” said Bryan. “As long as I live I will remember the great city of Pittsburgh.”
The That’s My Kind of Night Tour continues through the fall with three more stadium dates planned this summer: Aug. 10 in Boston at Gillette Stadium, Aug. 15 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and Aug. 31 in Chicago at Soldier Field.
Additionally, Bryan made recent Billboard chart history when he reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Play It Again,” while “This Is How We Roll” with Florida Georgia Line claimed the No. 2 spot. Bryan becomes the first artist to ever hold the two top positions since the chart began in 1990.
LifeNotes: Opry Star Jimmy C. Newman Dies
/by Jessica NicholsonJimmy C. Newman
Grand Ole Opry star Jimmy C. Newman died Saturday night (June 21) in Nashville after a brief illness. He was 86.
A public service will be held Wednesday, June 25 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium at 10 a.m., followed by a private visitation and a memorial service for close friends and family. Contributions can be made to the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund.
Newman joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1956; his final performance at the Opry was Friday, June 6, 2014.
Newman was born in Mamou, La., in 1927. As children, he and his brother Walter helped support the family farm. Later, Newman formed a band and hosted a show on KPLC-TV (Lake Charles) and joined the Louisiana Hayride.
Newman’s first Nashville deal was a publishing contract with Acuff-Rose Music, which led to a recording deal with Dot Records. His hits included “A Fallen Star,” “Cry, Cry Darling,” and the Cajun-laced singles “Diggy Liggy Lo,” “Alligator Man,” and “Bayou Talk.” He was later inducted into the Cajun Hall of Fame, Cajun Music Hall of Fame, and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
In his later years, he enjoyed spending time on his ranch in Rutherford County with his wife, Mae.