George Strait performs at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on March 21, 2014. Photo: Jill Trunnell
It must have been a hard task to select a set list for this tour. With 60 No. 1 songs under his belt and more than three decades of touring, the 61-year-old
George Strait has amassed enough chart-topping material to fill two concerts with hits—without repeating a song. And that’s not including his numerous Top 10 singles or beloved album cuts, often covered by other artists in their own set lists.
In 1981, a then 29-year-old Strait released his first single, “Unwound.” By 1982, his fourth single, “Fool Hearted Memory,” became his first No. 1 on the
Billboard chart. In 2014, he will end his touring days as one of Country’s most-loved entertainers and song interpreters.
At Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday night (March 21), Strait offered fans a career retrospective, comprising 30+ songs. The crowd was on its feet, cheering approval long before Strait actually took the stage. His performance included nearly a dozen No. 1 songs, tracks from his 1981 debut album
Strait Country, two cover songs, his latest single, and a smattering of Top 10 hits.
Indeed, when you have the knack for finding such top shelf material as Strait and his team have done for the past 30+ years, the songs become stars in their own right. The crowd cheered for the mellifluous melodies of “You Look So Good In Love” and “Check Yes Or No” as if Strait had introduced a guest artist to the stage—which he later did, three in fact, throughout the set.
Opener
Sheryl Crow returned to join Strait for “Here For A Good Time.” The musical chemistry and complementary tones of their voices are undeniable.
Eric Church brought swagger and an impassioned performance of “Cowboys Like Us,” while the crowd’s cell phone camera flashes lit up the room when an unassuming
Kenny Chesney walked onstage. Instead of performing their duet “Shiftwork” from Chesney’s
Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates project, Chesney joined Strait for the classic “Amarillo By Morning.” Numerous fan favorites followed, as Strait offered “Ocean Front Property,” “Marina Del Rey,” “River of Love,” “I Saw God Today,” and “Fool Hearted Memory,” among others.
Eric Church joins George Strait onstage. Photo: Jill Trunnell
The crowd hung onto every word, whether it was “Unwound,” or “I Believe,” which was penned after the school shooting tragedy in Newtown, Conn., in 2012. “More than anything it is a song about faith. We all need a little faith; without faith, we have no hope,” said Strait.
Like his starched jeans and ever-present cowboy hat, Strait’s career and connection with his audience has been constant. He has spent all 30-plus years (and counting) at one label home, MCA Nashville—a longer stint at one imprint than Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings or George Jones. His chart-topping singles span more years than most Country legends. In a time when artists find ever more creative ways to initiate and maintain connection with fans, Strait does what he’s always done: deliver solid songs with minimal distractions. A tip of his hat, a pearly white smile, and a few guitar strums are all this troubadour needs to accent his stable of hits.
With the last chord of “Unwound” behind him, Strait took a leisurely stroll around the diamond-shaped stage, allowing fans from every vantage point in the arena to say their farewell to the entertainer affectionately known as “King George.”
As the lights went out, the crowd used their collective cell phone lights to create a glow throughout the arena. In that haunting moment, tens of thousands of fans cheered, clapped, shouted and called for their favorite performer, but the stage was dark—and empty.
Luckily, Strait obliged the (loud) request for an encore, treating the crowd to “All My Ex’s Live In Texas.” The line
That’s why I hang my hat in Tennessee was particularly loved by this Music City crowd. Undoubtedly the evening’s most unexpected cover was a rendition of Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me,” which Strait’s effortless voice handled with ease, and his cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” could have been the national anthem, judging from the crowd’s instantaneous singalong. Strait ended with the tour’s namesake tune, “The Cowboy Rides Away.”
Thanking and waving to the crowd one last time, he walked unassumingly from the stage, having entertained for two and a half hours. He rode in on a song in 1981, and rode out of Nashville that evening a class act, having forged a textbook career that countless artists have tried to recreate, but few, if any, ever will.
Good ride cowboy. Good ride.
Sheryl Crow, an established headliner in her own right, opened the show with her blend of folk, rock and Country. Her set list includes many of her pop hits including “All I Wanna Do,” and “My Favorite Mistake,” though Crow made it clear that her musical influences are steeped in Country. She recalled how she first watched Strait perform years ago in Jonesboro, Ark., and named Jessi Colter, Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton among her influences.
She also proved that her voice, a beautifully versatile instrument, can handle breezy, whispery uptempo songs such as her signature “Soak Up The Sun” and “Everyday Is A Winding Road” and vocally challenging compositions such as the heart-tugging single mom ballad “Waterproof Mascara” (co-written with Chris DuBois and Brad Paisley) with equal aplomb. Perhaps her biggest crowd response came with “Redemption Day,” which was recorded by Johnny Cash in the midst of his final recording years. She owned the stage like the touring veteran that she is, bringing a rock sensibility and an engaging, pure Country vocal that thrilled the Music City audience.
The Cowboy Rides Away Tour George Strait Set List
1. “The Fireman”
2. “Check Yes Or No”
3. “Ocean Front Property”
4. “Marina Del Rey”
5. “Blame It On Mexico”
6. “Fire I Can’t Put Out”
7. “Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her”
8. “Arkansas Dave”
9. “Here For A Good Time” (featuring Sheryl Crow)
10. “When Did You Stop Loving Me”
11. “River Of Love”
12. “You Look So Good In Love”
13. “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls”
14. “Cowboys Like Us” (featuring Eric Church)
15. “I Saw God Today”
16. “Still Make Cheyenne”
17. “Drinkin’ Man”
18. “I Believe”
19. “Give It Away”
20. “Fool Hearted Memory”
21. “Amarillo By Morning” (featuring Kenny Chesney)
22. “Give It All We Got Tonight”
23. “The Chair”
24. “I Got A Car”
25. “I’ll Always Remember You”
26. “Troubadour”
27. “Unwound”
28. “You Wreck Me” (Tom Petty cover)
29. “All My Ex’s Live In Texas”
30. “Run”
31. “Folsom Prison Blues” (Johnny Cash cover)
32. “The Cowboy Rides Away”
Nashville Set To Remember Sherman Halsey on April 9
/by Jessica NicholsonThe event will be held Wednesday, April 9 at BMI’s Nashville office, located at 10 Music Square East. The event will take place from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Halsey was the Vice Chairman of the Jim Halsey Co. from 1980-1990, representing nearly 50 Country artists, and with his father, also headed the MCA/Churchill Record Co. Halsey produced and directed hundreds of television shows, and was represented by Tacklebox Films. Halsey helped create more than 30 videos for Tim McGraw, including the clips for “Indian Outlaw,” “One of Those Nights,” “When The Stars Go Blue,” “My Little Girl,” “Live Like You Were Dying” and “She’s My Kind of Rain.” Halsey also helmed many of Dwight Yoakam‘s early videos, including “Little Sister,” “Guitars, Cadillacs,” and “Honky Tonk Man,” which earned the distinction of being the first Country music video to be played on MTV. Other artists Halsey worked with include the Oak Ridge Boys, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn and Lorrie Morgan.
Any photos that industry members, colleagues and friends have taken with Sherman can be sent to Gina Halsey by Friday, April 4.
ACM Awards Fan Voting Now Open
/by Jessica NicholsonNominees for Entertainer of the Year include Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and Taylor Swift. Nominees for the ACM New Artist of the Year presented by Kohls include Brett Eldredge, Justin Moore and Kip Moore.
New Artist of the Year voting will close at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 6, and Entertainer of the Year voting will close in the third hour of the live broadcast. Online fan voting is open to fans in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Text voting for Entertainer of the Year is open to fans in the U.S. only.
The awards will be given out during the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, to be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 8 p.m., live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Appoints VP, Communications
/by Jessica NicholsonPaul Williams
Sony/ATV Music Publishing has appointed Paul Williams as Vice President, Communications. He will officially join the company on April 14 and will report to Martin Bandier, Chairman & CEO of Sony/ATV.
Williams will oversee all of Sony/ATV’s corporate communications and media relations on a global basis, and will be based at Sony/ATV’s offices in London.
“Sony/ATV is home to many of my favorite songs and songwriters and is a company I have followed closely and admired for many years,” Williams said. “I cannot wait to be part of Marty’s team, at what is a truly exciting time of change for music publishing.”
Throughout the past 17 years, Williams has held a number of senior editorial roles at Music Week, the UK-based music industry trade publication, and is currently head of business analysis. During his time at Music Week, he has interviewed a number of the world’s leading music business executives, artists and songwriters.
CMA To Present Tin Pan South Songwriters Showcase
/by Michael_Smith“Nashville’s songwriters are among the most talented storytellers in the world,” said CMA CEO Sarah Trahern. “CMA and NSAI’s Tin Pan South both have traditions of promoting and honoring songwriters, so we are proud to partner with them again this year.”
Last year, thousands of fans attended Tin Pan South, which featured nearly 350 songwriters and more than 90 shows at numerous Nashville venues. CMA honors songwriters throughout the year with its CMA Award for Song of the Year, the annual Triple Play Awards and the CMA Songwriters Series, which returned to the U.K. this year as part of the C2C (Country to Country) festival.
CMA Presents at Tin Pan South will be held Thursday, March 27 at 6 p.m. CST. Admission is $15 at the door or free with a Tin Pan Fast Access Pass.
MusicRowPics: MusicRow's Rising Women On The Row
/by Jessica NicholsonMusicRow celebrated five accomplished ladies on Friday, March 21, with the third annual MusicRow Rising Women on the Row awards. Sony Music Nashville’s vice president of sales Caryl Healey; Essential Broadcast Media founder Ebie McFarland; BMLG’s senior vice president of sales, digital and marketing Kelly Rich; Warner-Chappell Music’s senior director of A&R Alicia Pruitt; and co-owner of business-management firm Flood Bumstead McCready & McCarthy Julie Boos were feted during a sold-out morning event that featured speaker Nancy Shapiro, national chief of member services for the Recording Academy.
Special guest Jo Dee Messina performed songs from her latest project, Me, in front of the 300 attendees.
For a full recap of the celebration, read Bobby Karl’s writeup from the event.
All photos by Bev Moser.
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To purchase photos from MusicRow’s 3rd Annual Rising Women on the Row, click here.
City National Bank served as the Presenting sponsor for the third consecutive year while Supporting sponsorships included ASCAP; Marbaloo; Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy; Big Machine Label Group; Loeb & Loeb; The Recording Academy; and Martin, Allbee & Associates.
Brinson Strickland To Head The Collective Nashville
/by Sarah SkatesBrinson Strickland
Collective Music Management has appointed Brinson Strickland President of the Nashville division, which is home to clients including Sara Evans and Corey Smith.
Strickland brings more than 20 years of experience to post, including the past eight years as a manager at McGhee Entertainment where his roster included Clint Black, The Willis Clan and Ronnie Dunn. He previously spent 10 years as Managing Partner at 262 Five, Ltd.
The Collective Nashville is one of four locations that make up Collective Music Management, with offices in Beverly Hills, New York and San Francisco. Clients include Linkin Park, Stone Temple Pilots, Staind, Slash, Toni Braxton, Plain White T’s and Kelli Rowland.
Genevieve Jewell has exited The Collective Nashville.
Strickland can be reached at brinson@thecollective-la.com.
The Collective Nashville can be reached at 615-610-1960 and 1103 Holly St., Nashville, TN 37206.
Good Ride Cowboy: George Strait Reviews Hits On Farewell Tour
/by Jessica NicholsonGeorge Strait performs at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on March 21, 2014. Photo: Jill Trunnell
It must have been a hard task to select a set list for this tour. With 60 No. 1 songs under his belt and more than three decades of touring, the 61-year-old George Strait has amassed enough chart-topping material to fill two concerts with hits—without repeating a song. And that’s not including his numerous Top 10 singles or beloved album cuts, often covered by other artists in their own set lists.
In 1981, a then 29-year-old Strait released his first single, “Unwound.” By 1982, his fourth single, “Fool Hearted Memory,” became his first No. 1 on the Billboard chart. In 2014, he will end his touring days as one of Country’s most-loved entertainers and song interpreters.
At Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday night (March 21), Strait offered fans a career retrospective, comprising 30+ songs. The crowd was on its feet, cheering approval long before Strait actually took the stage. His performance included nearly a dozen No. 1 songs, tracks from his 1981 debut album Strait Country, two cover songs, his latest single, and a smattering of Top 10 hits.
Indeed, when you have the knack for finding such top shelf material as Strait and his team have done for the past 30+ years, the songs become stars in their own right. The crowd cheered for the mellifluous melodies of “You Look So Good In Love” and “Check Yes Or No” as if Strait had introduced a guest artist to the stage—which he later did, three in fact, throughout the set.
Opener Sheryl Crow returned to join Strait for “Here For A Good Time.” The musical chemistry and complementary tones of their voices are undeniable. Eric Church brought swagger and an impassioned performance of “Cowboys Like Us,” while the crowd’s cell phone camera flashes lit up the room when an unassuming Kenny Chesney walked onstage. Instead of performing their duet “Shiftwork” from Chesney’s Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates project, Chesney joined Strait for the classic “Amarillo By Morning.” Numerous fan favorites followed, as Strait offered “Ocean Front Property,” “Marina Del Rey,” “River of Love,” “I Saw God Today,” and “Fool Hearted Memory,” among others.
Eric Church joins George Strait onstage. Photo: Jill Trunnell
The crowd hung onto every word, whether it was “Unwound,” or “I Believe,” which was penned after the school shooting tragedy in Newtown, Conn., in 2012. “More than anything it is a song about faith. We all need a little faith; without faith, we have no hope,” said Strait.
Like his starched jeans and ever-present cowboy hat, Strait’s career and connection with his audience has been constant. He has spent all 30-plus years (and counting) at one label home, MCA Nashville—a longer stint at one imprint than Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings or George Jones. His chart-topping singles span more years than most Country legends. In a time when artists find ever more creative ways to initiate and maintain connection with fans, Strait does what he’s always done: deliver solid songs with minimal distractions. A tip of his hat, a pearly white smile, and a few guitar strums are all this troubadour needs to accent his stable of hits.
With the last chord of “Unwound” behind him, Strait took a leisurely stroll around the diamond-shaped stage, allowing fans from every vantage point in the arena to say their farewell to the entertainer affectionately known as “King George.”
As the lights went out, the crowd used their collective cell phone lights to create a glow throughout the arena. In that haunting moment, tens of thousands of fans cheered, clapped, shouted and called for their favorite performer, but the stage was dark—and empty.
Luckily, Strait obliged the (loud) request for an encore, treating the crowd to “All My Ex’s Live In Texas.” The line That’s why I hang my hat in Tennessee was particularly loved by this Music City crowd. Undoubtedly the evening’s most unexpected cover was a rendition of Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me,” which Strait’s effortless voice handled with ease, and his cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” could have been the national anthem, judging from the crowd’s instantaneous singalong. Strait ended with the tour’s namesake tune, “The Cowboy Rides Away.”
Thanking and waving to the crowd one last time, he walked unassumingly from the stage, having entertained for two and a half hours. He rode in on a song in 1981, and rode out of Nashville that evening a class act, having forged a textbook career that countless artists have tried to recreate, but few, if any, ever will.
Good ride cowboy. Good ride.
Sheryl Crow, an established headliner in her own right, opened the show with her blend of folk, rock and Country. Her set list includes many of her pop hits including “All I Wanna Do,” and “My Favorite Mistake,” though Crow made it clear that her musical influences are steeped in Country. She recalled how she first watched Strait perform years ago in Jonesboro, Ark., and named Jessi Colter, Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton among her influences.
She also proved that her voice, a beautifully versatile instrument, can handle breezy, whispery uptempo songs such as her signature “Soak Up The Sun” and “Everyday Is A Winding Road” and vocally challenging compositions such as the heart-tugging single mom ballad “Waterproof Mascara” (co-written with Chris DuBois and Brad Paisley) with equal aplomb. Perhaps her biggest crowd response came with “Redemption Day,” which was recorded by Johnny Cash in the midst of his final recording years. She owned the stage like the touring veteran that she is, bringing a rock sensibility and an engaging, pure Country vocal that thrilled the Music City audience.
The Cowboy Rides Away Tour George Strait Set List
1. “The Fireman”
2. “Check Yes Or No”
3. “Ocean Front Property”
4. “Marina Del Rey”
5. “Blame It On Mexico”
6. “Fire I Can’t Put Out”
7. “Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her”
8. “Arkansas Dave”
9. “Here For A Good Time” (featuring Sheryl Crow)
10. “When Did You Stop Loving Me”
11. “River Of Love”
12. “You Look So Good In Love”
13. “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls”
14. “Cowboys Like Us” (featuring Eric Church)
15. “I Saw God Today”
16. “Still Make Cheyenne”
17. “Drinkin’ Man”
18. “I Believe”
19. “Give It Away”
20. “Fool Hearted Memory”
21. “Amarillo By Morning” (featuring Kenny Chesney)
22. “Give It All We Got Tonight”
23. “The Chair”
24. “I Got A Car”
25. “I’ll Always Remember You”
26. “Troubadour”
27. “Unwound”
28. “You Wreck Me” (Tom Petty cover)
29. “All My Ex’s Live In Texas”
30. “Run”
31. “Folsom Prison Blues” (Johnny Cash cover)
32. “The Cowboy Rides Away”
Big Deal Music Signs Duhon
/by Jessica NicholsonZeke Duhon
Zeke Duhon, a young singer/songwriter from Tulsa, Okla., has signed his first publishing deal with Big Deal Music in Nashville, TN. Charlie Peacock (Civil Wars) will produce the artist’s first project.
“We are thrilled to welcome Zeke into the Big Deal family,” says Pete Robinson, Senior VP of Big Deal Music Nashville. “He represents the best of Nashville’s new music scene.”
Duhon moved to Nashville in August 2013, and soon became the flagship artist for boutique management firm Nashville Underground Management.
ACM New Artist Honor To Be Presented at ACM Fan Jam
/by Jessica NicholsonThey will join previously announced ACM Fan Jam performers Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line.
Nominees Brett Eldredge, Justin Moore, and Kip Moore will compete for the coveted title of ACM New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s. The winner will be announced and the award presented on the ACM Fan Jam stage during the live Awards telecast. Fans can vote for their favorite New Artist on Monday, March 24 at 3 p.m. ET/12noon PT at voteACM.com until Sunday, April 6 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT (before the LIVE show starts).
Online fan voting for New Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year categories is open to fans in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Fifth Annual 'We're All 4 The Hall' Returns May 6
/by Jessica NicholsonThe We’re All 4 The Hall benefit concert, led by Keith Urban and Vince Gill, will return to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on May 6.
This year’s theme is all about the songs. Songtellers (A LARGE Intimate Evening) will feature Urban, Gill, Brantley Gilbert, Brett Eldredge, Carrie Underwood, David Nail, Deana Carter, Kacey Musgraves, Kip Moore, Lee Ann Womack with Buddy Miller, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Reba McEntire and Ronnie Milsap.
Each artist will perform a song they have written or recorded, or a classic hit, and each artist will tell a story regarding why the song was written, or why it was recorded.
Reserved seat tickets, which are priced at $35 and $50 (does not include Ticketmaster surcharge), will go on sale April 4 at 10 a.m. CST and are available at ticketmaster.com, the Bridgestone Arena box office or by calling 800-745-3000. A limited number of VIP ticket packages will also go on sale on April 4 at ticketmaster.com.
“I think this is going to be an extremely unique and revealing night for everyone,” said Urban. “Not only are we going to see extraordinary ‘one of a kind’ performances, but we’re going to hear some stories that just may have us hearing these well known songs in a whole new way.”
Previous We’re All 4 The All concerts have collectively raised more than $2 million in support of the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum’s preservation efforts, exhibitions and educational programs. In addition, Urban has teamed up again with rally.org to help fans raise funds for the Country Music Hall of Fame and to compete for prizes including VIP tickets. For more information go to keithurban.net.
“The first four All 4 the Hall concerts have netted more than $2 million,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “They continue to be our most successful fundraisers, with the proceeds helping to fund the care of our unrivaled collection, exhibitions, educational programs and more. The museum appreciates the generosity and unwavering support that Keith Urban and Vince Gill continue to display for our institution and for this genre of music. Fans eagerly anticipate this show, expecting, and getting, a unique, entertaining, and world-class line-up that only Keith and Vince can inspire. This year’s concert will not disappoint.”