Loyalty—it’s the major theme running through TV series Nashville, which premiered last night (10/10) on ABC. The much-hyped drama shot exclusively in Music City wooed about 9 million watchers, coming in second among the major networks for the 10 PM ET hour, according to Zap2It.com. It won the hour in adults 18-49, but will viewers remain loyal and tune in next week?
Here’s a recap of the pilot, which set up plenty of juicy storylines. As the series unfolds most of the players are on Team Rayna, but will they stay true all season?
Past-her-prime country sensation Rayna James (Connie Britton) is married to Teddy Conrad. He’s had some failures, but is ready for his turn in the spotlight. They met as children in Nashville’s old money circles, and those influences show in snippets, as she dons pearls for political events and he politely reminds their daughters, “It’s bad manners to talk about money.” Teddy and Rayna both have father issues: his was a drunk and hers could end up being the show’s worst villain. In the series premiere, they have grown “cash poor” so Rayna needs to hit the road on tour to remedy the situation.
Rayna’s powerhouse father Lamar Wyatt is introduced as a “captain of industry and titan of philanthropy.” Her sister, Tandy Wyatt, is being groomed to take over Lamar’s business. After their mother died when Rayna was 12, Lamar didn’t shape up to be father of the year. (Note Rayna’s last name, James, is not her married name or her maiden name…hmmm.)
Lamar’s plans include building a major league ballpark by the Cumberland river, so he needs some political pull and convinces Teddy to run for mayor. Teddy obliges under the condition that Lamar play nice with the opposing candidate, Coleman Carlisle.
Disapproving of her husband’s mayoral run, Rayna confronts Lamar about his true motivation behind the scheme. At daddy’s mansion a screaming match ensues, during which he tells her for the first time that he funded her debut album. She leaves yelling, “we can’t be bought.” He snuffs, “Don’t be foolish enough to make [me an enemy] because my enemies don’t fare too well.”
Rayna’s professional team includes longtime band leader Deacon Claybourne, producer Randy Roberts, Edgehill Republic Entertainment Records and legendary producer/songwriter Wally “Watty” White. But wait, many of those players are also working with hot young superstar Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere).
During an Opry tribute to White, played by real-life legendary songwriter JD Souther, we get a first look at the characters performing their own songs. Rayna wows the crowd front-of-house when she belts out “Already Gone” (Kyle Jacobs, Ben Glover, Joy Williams), but backstage things are less cheery. She has a snippy first encounter with Juliette, after which the label asks her to “co-headline” —uh, open for— Juliette. At the Opry, observant TV viewers probably caught Eric Paslay, and the Del McCoury Band hanging backstage and heard the voice of announcer Eddie Stubbs.
Rayna’s other song from the pilot is “It’s My Life” (Bob DiPiero, Sarah Buxton), while Juliette’s pop-leaning material includes “Boys And Buses” (Shane McAnally, Brandy Clark, Josh Osborne) and “Love Like Mine” (Kelly Archer, Justin Weaver, Emily Shackelton).
Later when Rayna visits Watty’s WSM radio show, he plays Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” and asks Rayna if she shares that philosophy. She replies, “if he stands by me.” So, where’s the loyalty in that marriage?
Rayna dons a suit to meet Marshall Evans, the new head of Edgehill Republic, and discuss her tour. Her platinum plaques line the walls of the high-rise suite in the Pinnacle building, hanging next to Juliette’s newer plaque. With Rayna’s single stiffing and ticket sales tanking, Marshall says, “You’ve got to find your place in a new market.” “I feel like I built this company,” Rayna asserts, reminding him of her devotion to Edgehill when other labels came calling. But that doesn’t matter these days, and she leaves saying, “You can kiss my decision as it’s walking out the door.”
Toward the end of the episode, she is sitting in her car on a bridge in the middle of a downpour, pondering her major life transition. Bridge, transition, get it?
As Deacon’s story unfolds we learn that he and Rayna have a romantic history, and that he may have fathered her oldest daughter Maddie. For the last 12 years, their relationship has been strictly business, but they remain close. During a walk on the pedestrian bridge, she confides to him, “I’m not ready to hang up my rhinestones yet.” She admits she never cut any of the songs he wrote because they are about her. He tells Rayna that Juliette is trying to lure him away. Given all the team members they have in common, Rayna scouls, “Is she comin’ for my house next?”
In a last-ditch effort to find a winning single, Rayna shows up at her producer Randy’s condo at the Terrazzo. When she finds out he’s also working with Juliette, she likens the younger singer’s sound to “ferrel cats.” Unbeknownst to Rayna, Juliette overhears from the bedroom.
But Randy’s not the only one sleeping with Juliette. Later at her house (set in Hillwood’s tony gated community Hill Place) she’s seducing Deacon. They first met outside the Bluebird Café where he was singing in a round with Gary Nicholson, Fred Knobloch, and Pam Tillis (a longtime friend of series creator and exec. producer Callie Khouri). After the round, the sly star corners him in the parking lot and says she wants to record his song “Back Home” (Kyle Jacobs, Lee Brice, Joy Yelton). She also offers to double his salary if he joins her band. And in another storyline, we learn about Juliette’s strained family relations with her junkie mom.
The Bluebird figures so prominently in the series that the Nashville team created an exact replica of the venue for shooting. That’s a good indication of the growing prominence of the characters we meet at the Bluebird, including Deacon’s niece Scarlett O’Connor, her alt-country songwriter boyfriend Avery Barkley (word is he will bring some East Nashville scenes to the show) and venue sound guy, songwriter Gunnar Scott.
Gunnar, who has an eye on Scarlett, puts her poems to music with the smoky tune “If I Didn’t Know Better” (John Paul White, Arum Rae). They sing it onstage, and guess who happens to be in the audience—Watty, who immediately calls Rayna and says “I’ve got an idea.”
Leave comments below and tune in next week to Primetime Nashville. For more on Nashville, check out MusicRow’s exclusive interview with executive producer Steve Buchanan in the upcoming Publisher Issue.
• • • •
Here are the other songs featured on last night’s episode: “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” Eli Young Band, “Small Town USA” Justin Moore, “Type Of Gurl” Rasheeda, “Too Good To Be True” Edens Edge, “Sin For A Sin” Miranda Lambert, “Did It For The Girl” Greg Bates, “Stand By Your Man” Tammy Wynette, and “Rose Colored Glasses” John Connlee.
Series creator and executive producer Callie Khouri is married to T Bone Burnett, who is the show’s executive music producer. See what Connie Britton told Rolling Stone about working with Burnett:
It really is everything it’s cracked up to be. Before I worked with him, I was thinking to myself, “What is it with this guy? What is it that he does, exactly?” I knew he was an incredible music producer, but I didn’t know what that entailed. And when we started, we spent a lot of time – I mean, hours – listening to music. The more obscure stuff was [artists like] Memphis Minnie, but then we’d listen to Hank Williams or Emmylou Harris. There’s a huge list of stuff, and then he literally put together a disk drive full of thousands of songs for me, all of which is “Rayna” music. Songs she would’ve listened to, songs that might have inspired her, songs that might have impacted the way her voice sounds. And then he would pull out his guitar and we would sing duets together. We would sing Hank Williams songs or Johnny Cash songs, and he’d sing harmonies. It’s truly been an immersion.
Primetime “Nashville”: Pilot Episode
/by Sarah SkatesHere’s a recap of the pilot, which set up plenty of juicy storylines. As the series unfolds most of the players are on Team Rayna, but will they stay true all season?
Past-her-prime country sensation Rayna James (Connie Britton) is married to Teddy Conrad. He’s had some failures, but is ready for his turn in the spotlight. They met as children in Nashville’s old money circles, and those influences show in snippets, as she dons pearls for political events and he politely reminds their daughters, “It’s bad manners to talk about money.” Teddy and Rayna both have father issues: his was a drunk and hers could end up being the show’s worst villain. In the series premiere, they have grown “cash poor” so Rayna needs to hit the road on tour to remedy the situation.
Rayna’s powerhouse father Lamar Wyatt is introduced as a “captain of industry and titan of philanthropy.” Her sister, Tandy Wyatt, is being groomed to take over Lamar’s business. After their mother died when Rayna was 12, Lamar didn’t shape up to be father of the year. (Note Rayna’s last name, James, is not her married name or her maiden name…hmmm.)
Lamar’s plans include building a major league ballpark by the Cumberland river, so he needs some political pull and convinces Teddy to run for mayor. Teddy obliges under the condition that Lamar play nice with the opposing candidate, Coleman Carlisle.
Disapproving of her husband’s mayoral run, Rayna confronts Lamar about his true motivation behind the scheme. At daddy’s mansion a screaming match ensues, during which he tells her for the first time that he funded her debut album. She leaves yelling, “we can’t be bought.” He snuffs, “Don’t be foolish enough to make [me an enemy] because my enemies don’t fare too well.”
Rayna’s professional team includes longtime band leader Deacon Claybourne, producer Randy Roberts, Edgehill Republic Entertainment Records and legendary producer/songwriter Wally “Watty” White. But wait, many of those players are also working with hot young superstar Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere).
During an Opry tribute to White, played by real-life legendary songwriter JD Souther, we get a first look at the characters performing their own songs. Rayna wows the crowd front-of-house when she belts out “Already Gone” (Kyle Jacobs, Ben Glover, Joy Williams), but backstage things are less cheery. She has a snippy first encounter with Juliette, after which the label asks her to “co-headline” —uh, open for— Juliette. At the Opry, observant TV viewers probably caught Eric Paslay, and the Del McCoury Band hanging backstage and heard the voice of announcer Eddie Stubbs.
Rayna’s other song from the pilot is “It’s My Life” (Bob DiPiero, Sarah Buxton), while Juliette’s pop-leaning material includes “Boys And Buses” (Shane McAnally, Brandy Clark, Josh Osborne) and “Love Like Mine” (Kelly Archer, Justin Weaver, Emily Shackelton).
Later when Rayna visits Watty’s WSM radio show, he plays Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” and asks Rayna if she shares that philosophy. She replies, “if he stands by me.” So, where’s the loyalty in that marriage?
Rayna dons a suit to meet Marshall Evans, the new head of Edgehill Republic, and discuss her tour. Her platinum plaques line the walls of the high-rise suite in the Pinnacle building, hanging next to Juliette’s newer plaque. With Rayna’s single stiffing and ticket sales tanking, Marshall says, “You’ve got to find your place in a new market.” “I feel like I built this company,” Rayna asserts, reminding him of her devotion to Edgehill when other labels came calling. But that doesn’t matter these days, and she leaves saying, “You can kiss my decision as it’s walking out the door.”
Toward the end of the episode, she is sitting in her car on a bridge in the middle of a downpour, pondering her major life transition. Bridge, transition, get it?
As Deacon’s story unfolds we learn that he and Rayna have a romantic history, and that he may have fathered her oldest daughter Maddie. For the last 12 years, their relationship has been strictly business, but they remain close. During a walk on the pedestrian bridge, she confides to him, “I’m not ready to hang up my rhinestones yet.” She admits she never cut any of the songs he wrote because they are about her. He tells Rayna that Juliette is trying to lure him away. Given all the team members they have in common, Rayna scouls, “Is she comin’ for my house next?”
In a last-ditch effort to find a winning single, Rayna shows up at her producer Randy’s condo at the Terrazzo. When she finds out he’s also working with Juliette, she likens the younger singer’s sound to “ferrel cats.” Unbeknownst to Rayna, Juliette overhears from the bedroom.
But Randy’s not the only one sleeping with Juliette. Later at her house (set in Hillwood’s tony gated community Hill Place) she’s seducing Deacon. They first met outside the Bluebird Café where he was singing in a round with Gary Nicholson, Fred Knobloch, and Pam Tillis (a longtime friend of series creator and exec. producer Callie Khouri). After the round, the sly star corners him in the parking lot and says she wants to record his song “Back Home” (Kyle Jacobs, Lee Brice, Joy Yelton). She also offers to double his salary if he joins her band. And in another storyline, we learn about Juliette’s strained family relations with her junkie mom.
The Bluebird figures so prominently in the series that the Nashville team created an exact replica of the venue for shooting. That’s a good indication of the growing prominence of the characters we meet at the Bluebird, including Deacon’s niece Scarlett O’Connor, her alt-country songwriter boyfriend Avery Barkley (word is he will bring some East Nashville scenes to the show) and venue sound guy, songwriter Gunnar Scott.
Gunnar, who has an eye on Scarlett, puts her poems to music with the smoky tune “If I Didn’t Know Better” (John Paul White, Arum Rae). They sing it onstage, and guess who happens to be in the audience—Watty, who immediately calls Rayna and says “I’ve got an idea.”
Leave comments below and tune in next week to Primetime Nashville. For more on Nashville, check out MusicRow’s exclusive interview with executive producer Steve Buchanan in the upcoming Publisher Issue.
• • • •
Here are the other songs featured on last night’s episode: “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” Eli Young Band, “Small Town USA” Justin Moore, “Type Of Gurl” Rasheeda, “Too Good To Be True” Edens Edge, “Sin For A Sin” Miranda Lambert, “Did It For The Girl” Greg Bates, “Stand By Your Man” Tammy Wynette, and “Rose Colored Glasses” John Connlee.
Series creator and executive producer Callie Khouri is married to T Bone Burnett, who is the show’s executive music producer. See what Connie Britton told Rolling Stone about working with Burnett:
Kristen Kelly To Release Self-Titled EP
/by Eric T. ParkerThe four-song EP includes Kelly’s current single, “Ex-Old Man,” as well as three additional tracks co-written by the singer.
“I am so excited to share more of my new music with my fans,” says Kelly. “This music is a culmination of years of blood, sweat and tears. Every song is a chapter in the story of my life.”
Earlier this year, Kelly toured with Brad Paisley on the Virtual Reality World Tour.
For more information, visit kristenkellymusic.com.
Kristen Kelly EP track listing:
1. Ex-Old Man (Kristen Kelly/Paul Overstreet)
2. He Loves To Make Me Cry (Kristen Kelly/Paul Overstreet/Even Stevens)
3. Drink Myself Out Of Love With You (Kristen Kelly/Paul Overstreet)
4. Miss Me (Kristen Kelly/Monty Criswell/Shane Minor)
Billboard Introduces New Chart Methodology
/by FreemanSince the advent of BDS in 1990, Hot Country Songs ranked titles entirely monitored airplay data. Going forward, the chart will incorporate digital download sales (measured by Nielsen SoundScan) and streaming data (measured by Nielsen from Spotify, Muve, Slacker, Rhapsody, Rdio and Xbox Music) along with the BDS monitored airplay measurement. The new chart will also incorporate data from over 1200 stations of all genres for songs receiving crossover airplay.
“The way people consume music continues to evolve and as a result so do our genre charts, which now track the many new ways fans experience, listen to and buy music,” says Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard Director of Charts. “We’re proud to be offering updated genre charts that better reflect the current music landscape.”
Factoring in these new metrics will likely mean some big changes, week-to-week. And indeed, Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” reaps the immediate benefits of dominating both the streaming and download worlds and lands at No. 1 on the new chart. Interestingly, “Never Ever” sits at No. 36 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, which will measure only BDS airplay and continue to appear on Mondays.
The change also coincides with the launch of a second weekly Billboard Country Update product, which will be distributed on Thursdays.
Chesney To Perform at Sammy Hagar’s Birthday Bash
/by Eric T. ParkerKenny Chesney will perform a one-night sold-out concert this Friday (10/12) celebrating the 65th birthday of rocker Sammy Hagar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The four-day event kicked off October 7 with Hagar and his band, the Wabos and runs through Hagar’s official birthday, October 13.
VIP winners, as part of a charity package auctioned off at Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans Carnivale du Vin fundraiser, will dine at Hagar’s beachfront home with preparations by Chef Lagasse, followed by VIP access to a private balcony at Cabo Wabo Cantina for Chesney’s concert.
For over 20 years, the annual birthday event has included many of Hagar’s celebrity friends. This year, in addition to Chesney and Lagasse, Michael Anthony (Van Halen), Joe Satriani (Chickenfoot), Matt Sorum (Velvet Revolver and Guns N’ Roses) and Denny Carmassi (Montrose) will attend. Chesney first played at Hagar’s bash in 2004, setting a club record for a performance that lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes.
Tickets for the event went on sale on yesterday and have already sold out.
A livestream of the events is available here.
Sugarland Member Sells Out Solo Shows
/by Eric T. ParkerPhoto: Dana Tynan
Kristian Bush, half of country music duo Sugarland, is adding an encore performance after selling out two solo Thanksgiving weekend shows at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, GA.
“Kristian Bush and Friends” will be two shows (6:30 and 9:30 pm) on Sunday, Nov. 25, with special guests Ellis Paul and Canaan Smith. The newly added show is set for Monday, Nov. 26 with guest singer-songwriter Patrick Davis.
“I’ve been a songwriter my entire life, and Eddie’s is the club where I got my start, so I’m happy to keep on playing for as long as people want to listen,” Bush says.
Bush will make his third appearance on the CMA Songwriter Series when it returns to Nashville Oct. 31 at Marathon Music Works as part of Country Music Month, leading up the annual CMA Awards on Nov. 1. Along with his Sugarland partner Jennifer Nettles, Bush is nominated for CMA Vocal Duo of the Year.
Bush started his career with folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim in the early ’90s. He has garnered five CMA Vocal Duo awards as part of Sugarland, exceeding sales of more than 22 million units with eight No. 1 singles. In 2011, Bush founded the music publishing company Songs of the Architect, recently working with Boys Like Girls frontman Martin Johnson and Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale, as well as Canaan Smith, Lauren Alaina, Jaida Dreyer and Alana Springsteen.
For more information, visit www.kristianbush.com
Streamsound Records Signs New Artist
/by Freeman(L-R): Streamsound co-founder and producer Byron Gallimore, artist Austin Webb, Streamsound’s radio department exec, Mike Wilson. Photo: AristoMedia
Nashville independent label Streamsound Records has announced the signing of new country artist Austin Webb to its roster. Webb’s debut single “It’s All Good” will be released in December.
A Nashville resident and native of South Carolina, Webb aims to combine influences of his favorite artists from country and soul. He is currently on the road visiting radio stations in advance of his single release.
“Austin Webb is one of those artists that is hard to categorize in conventional terms,” says Streamsound co-founder and Grammy-winning producer Byron Gallimore. “I can tell you that he is a truly gifted and creative force that has been driven solely by his music and his songs since he first picked up a guitar at 16 years old.”
More on Webb here.
Streamsound Records was founded in February 2012 by Gallimore with Jim Wilkes and includes up-and-coming artist Jaida Dreyer. The label also has an exclusive distribution deal through Sony Music Nashville.
Symphony Names Harmony Award Recipient
/by Sarah SkatesPhoto by Jeff Lipsky
Keith Urban will receive the 2012 Harmony Award at the Symphony Ball on Dec. 8 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Each year the honor goes to an individual who exemplifies the harmonious spirit of Nashville’s thriving musical community.
“Music City is home to so many talented people who live and work here, and Keith Urban has been such a vital force in this community,” says Nashville Symphony CEO and President Alan Valentine. “What he brings to Nashville, his passion for music, his presence at Symphony concerts and his involvement in this community, is precisely what the Harmony Award symbolizes. There’s such a wide variety of music in Nashville. Whether it’s country, classical or jazz, this is the essence of what makes our city and its music so distinctive and special.”
Urban has been instrumental in providing support for a number of charities, including his renowned “All for the Hall” annual concert, which has raised millions for the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. In addition, he has participated in efforts to raise money for victims of the 2010 Nashville flood, and has given generously to causes as diverse as Artists for Peace and Justice, Live Earth, Habitat for Humanity and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, to name a few.
The Symphony Ball is co-chaired by Mrs. Ansel Lewis Davis (Jana) and Mrs. Orrin Henry Ingram II (Lee Ann).
Past recipients of the Harmony Award include Amy Grant, LeAnn Rimes, Michael W. Smith, Mike & Linda Curb, Lyle Lovett, Trisha Yearwood, Dolly Parton, The Judds, Steve Winwood, Vince Gill, Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Chet Atkins, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and Marty Stuart.
Two Exit UMG Nashville
/by Sarah SkatesKen Robold and Beverly Keel
MusicRow has confirmed the exits of Universal Music Group executives Beverly Keel and Ken Robold. These are the first staff changes following UMG’s acquisition of EMI’s recorded music division.
Robold served as Executive VP/GM, and Keel worked as Sr. VP Artist & Media Relations. Both had contracts that were up for renewal.
Robold had been with the company over 21 years where he oversaw day to day operations including sales, digital, production, finance and administration.
Keel joined the label group in 2010 and has over 20 years experience as a journalist and 15 as a music industry professor at Middle Tennessee State University. Reach her at 615-310-5602 or email her here.
More staff and artist changes are expected as UMG integrates EMI’s operations including Capitol Records Nashville. This ongoing process will likely take place in the coming weeks, and possibly into the new year.
Former Capitol Nashville head Mike Dungan took on the Chairman & CEO post at Universal Music Nashville Entertainment on May 1, in anticipation of the buyout’s regulatory approval. He succeeded Chairman & CEO Luke Lewis.
MusicRowPics: Parmalee Artist Visit
/by Caitlin RantalaYesterday (10/09), Stoney Creek Records’ Parmalee stopped by MusicRow headquarters before heading back out on the road. The North Carolina based group is made up of member Matt Thomas, Scott Thomas, Barry Knox and Josh McSwain. The band, who is still in the process of recording their upcoming album, played several songs including “Carolina,” “Wanna Take You Home,” “Another Day Gone,” and their single “Musta Had a Good Time.”
Their single “Musta Had a Good Time,” which is based on true events, is now at country radio. It’s been voted by fans as the no. 1 song on The Highway’s The Hot 30 Live for four consecutive weeks.
Parmalee is currently giving fans a chance to submit their crazy “good time” moments through Facebook and Twitter. All photos will be uploaded into an exclusive musical digital photo frame that plays “Musta Had A Good Time.”
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Nashvillians Among Songwriters Hall of Fame Nominees
/by Sarah SkatesNon-performing songwriters up for nomination include Don Covay (“Chain of Fools”), Holly Knight (“Love Is a Battlefield”), Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”), Rick Nowels, Tony Hatch, as well as Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, and P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri.
The induction gala will take place June 13 in New York City. This news is according to the Associated Press, which received the information prior to the official announcement set for Oct. 16.