Veteran radio consultant Rusty Walker died today (5/21) at age 59. He suffered a heart attack over the weekend and was airlifted from his hometown Iuka, MS to a hospital in Tupelo. He passed in the hospital.
Walker, whose real name was Sammy Darwin, was a much loved member of the radio community, earning a 2012 induction into the Country Radio Hall of Fame.
Walker had over 40 years of broadcast experience, including time as a programmer, consultant and on-air personality. He launched his firm in 1983 and grew to be one of the most powerful consultants in country radio. During his career, he worked with more than 750 different country stations from market 1 (NYC) to market 543 and smaller. As a personality and Program Director, his stops included WQYK, WQIK, WZZK and KFKF.
Walker was named by R&R in a three way tie for “Country Radio’s Greatest Programmer” of the 20th Century in 2000. He was also named Billboard’s Country “Consultant Of The Year” seven consecutive years out of the eight years the award was given. He also served on the CMA Board of Directors.
Outside work, he enjoyed being a father, boating and high school sports. He was an active member of Mt. Evergreen United Methodist Church and an enthusiastic supporter of the Tishomingo County School System. He volunteered in many civic capacities, including serving as emcee of the Iuka Christmas Parade and on the Iuka Heritage Day Committee Board of Directors.
The last few months were extremely difficult for Walker and his family. His 17-year-old daughter Kinsley Darwin died unexpectedly in March. He was also preceded in death by son Jay, who died in a hunting accident, and his parents, Jimmy and Mollie Darwin.
He is survived by wife of 38 years Teresa Darwin; two daughters, Nikki Darwin Clark and husband Nathaniel, of Iuka, and Beth Darwin Huntley and husband, Ryan, of Jacksonville, FL; and two grandchildren.
Visitation is scheduled for 4:00 until 8:00 p.m., Friday, May 25, at Mt. Evergreen United Methodist Church. Funeral services are scheduled for 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 26, at the Tishomingo County High School Gymnasium. The body will lie in state at the gymnasium from 11:00 a.m. until service time on Saturday. Interment will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery. Cutshall Funeral Home of Iuka, MS is entrusted with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Sammy Darwin/Rusty Walker Memorial Fund, c/o BancorpSouth, P.O. Box 377, Iuka, MS 38852.
MusicRow offers sincere condolences to all his loved ones. More here.
Craig Morgan to Host 6th Annual Charity Weekend
/by Caitlin RantalaThe family-friendly event will kick-off at 10 am Saturday, August 11 with a motocross exhibition followed by a group trail ride and lunch. Previous motocross celebrity participants have included Kevin Windham, Cowboy Kenny Bartram, Fred Andrews and Barry Hawk. That evening at 7 pm, Morgan and several of his country music friends give an intimate acoustic concert at Dickson Middle School. A live and silent auction will also take place where attendees can bid on everything from autographed memorabilia to the chance to give the singer a high-and-tight haircut onstage during the event. Last year’s new addition, the hugely popular Sporting Clay Shoot, will return again the morning of August 12 at Nashville Gun Club.
All three events are open to the public. Individual event and bundled tickets will go on sale in June. Celebrity participants for all three events will be announced soon.
In other Morgan news, the singer’s hit outdoor television show Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors is making its return. The third season of the show will premiere July 1 on Outdoor Channel, and air at 10 pm/CT on Sundays.
Nashville Film Festival Names New Development Director
/by FreemanPinger’s career includes time with the Tennessean, as well as the VIA Institute on Character. She also served as Executive Director of RISE Learning solutions, a non-profit distance learning organization.
“I am honored to join the Nashville Film Festival, particularly at this time in the organization’s history,” said Pinger. “The Festival has been a Nashville tradition for 43 years and is poised to make even more significant contributions to our community in coming years as it offers an even more meaningful, year-round series of events.”
Congratulate her at deb@nashvillefilmfestival.org.
Arrangements Set For Rusty Walker
/by Sarah SkatesWalker, whose real name was Sammy Darwin, was a much loved member of the radio community, earning a 2012 induction into the Country Radio Hall of Fame.
Walker had over 40 years of broadcast experience, including time as a programmer, consultant and on-air personality. He launched his firm in 1983 and grew to be one of the most powerful consultants in country radio. During his career, he worked with more than 750 different country stations from market 1 (NYC) to market 543 and smaller. As a personality and Program Director, his stops included WQYK, WQIK, WZZK and KFKF.
Walker was named by R&R in a three way tie for “Country Radio’s Greatest Programmer” of the 20th Century in 2000. He was also named Billboard’s Country “Consultant Of The Year” seven consecutive years out of the eight years the award was given. He also served on the CMA Board of Directors.
Outside work, he enjoyed being a father, boating and high school sports. He was an active member of Mt. Evergreen United Methodist Church and an enthusiastic supporter of the Tishomingo County School System. He volunteered in many civic capacities, including serving as emcee of the Iuka Christmas Parade and on the Iuka Heritage Day Committee Board of Directors.
The last few months were extremely difficult for Walker and his family. His 17-year-old daughter Kinsley Darwin died unexpectedly in March. He was also preceded in death by son Jay, who died in a hunting accident, and his parents, Jimmy and Mollie Darwin.
He is survived by wife of 38 years Teresa Darwin; two daughters, Nikki Darwin Clark and husband Nathaniel, of Iuka, and Beth Darwin Huntley and husband, Ryan, of Jacksonville, FL; and two grandchildren.
Visitation is scheduled for 4:00 until 8:00 p.m., Friday, May 25, at Mt. Evergreen United Methodist Church. Funeral services are scheduled for 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 26, at the Tishomingo County High School Gymnasium. The body will lie in state at the gymnasium from 11:00 a.m. until service time on Saturday. Interment will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery. Cutshall Funeral Home of Iuka, MS is entrusted with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Sammy Darwin/Rusty Walker Memorial Fund, c/o BancorpSouth, P.O. Box 377, Iuka, MS 38852.
MusicRow offers sincere condolences to all his loved ones. More here.
Hunter Hayes Becomes Martin Guitar Brand Ambassador
/by FreemanHayes is slated to join Carrie Underwood’s 2012 Blown Away tour this summer, and he will bring his new Martin Parlor 42-style instrument with him on the road. Hayes had the unique opportunity to collaborate with Martin’s custom shop to create the instrument.
“It is an absolute honor to be named an official Martin Ambassador and to be recognized by the Martin family. To me, the Martin brand is a name I can trust,” said Hayes. “They make timeless guitars and prove themselves time and again with their elegant tone and sound. The craftsmanship that goes into every piece is one that has shaped some of my favorite music, and is certainly at the forefront of my own sound. I can’t wait to show off my new Parlor 42-style model on the road!”
“We are excited to add Hunter Hayes to our ever-growing list of new brand ambassadors,” said Amani Duncan, vice president of brand marketing, C.F. Martin & Co. “Hunter is a naturally-gifted performer whose songwriting and dynamic live performances have made him one of the brightest new stars to emerge from Nashville. Hunter is a perfect addition to our rich roster of Martin players and we are excited to have him as a member of the Martin Guitar family.”
Get Hunter Hayes tour info here.
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Reschedules Induction Ceremony
/by MichelleJohn Van Mol, chairman of the organization, said the songwriters moved two weeks earlier than their previously announced date of October 21 to accommodate a schedule conflict with another organization that involved artist contractual tour commitments. “Many of the same music industry people would want to attend both events, and since we had more flexibility, our board felt it was in the best interest of all to change our date,” Van Mol said.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame dinner is one of the highlights of the Nashville Awards season and honors Nashville-connected writers who write songs that define country music and other genres as well. The 2012 inductees will be announced in the coming months. Last year’s honorees included Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, John Bettis, Thom Schuyler and Allen Shamblin.
For more information please click here.
Gloriana to Release Sophomore Album
/by Caitlin RantalaThe band had a hand in writing all 11 tracks on the album and recorded with Grammy Award winning producer and Emblem Music Group label owner Matt Serletic (Willie Nelson, Matchbox 20, Aerosmith). The group’s single “(Kissed You) Good Night” is currently No. 14 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout chart and is one of the fastest rising of the group’s career. Some of Nashville’s finest songwriters worked with the group to write songs for the album, including Josh Kear, Hillary Lindsey, James Slater, Danny Myrick, and Stephanie Bentley, among others.
“Like any new act, we were finding ourselves on the first record — in the recording process and as musicians,” says Gloriana’s Tom Gossin. “The new album really just feels like us, who and where we are now, to the point where we know exactly what we want to do and how to get there.”
Gloriana released its debut self-titled album in 2009. For more information visit www.gloriana.com.
AIMP Nashville Chapter to Present Music Advertising Panel
/by FreemanThe panel will convene industry experts to discuss the process of music selection for commercial advertising, strategies for pitching, and rights and fee structures. Participating panelists include Amy Rosen (Grey, New York); John Meililo (Meililo Music, New York); Karen Macmillan (Nettwerk Music Group, Los Angeles/New York/London); Sarah Gavigan (Sarah Gavigan Music, Nashville). These individuals have worked with leading global brands including Amazon, Chevy, Coke, NFL Super Bowl, Nokia, Apple and more. Craig Currier of peermusic will moderate the discussion.
To register for this event or to find out more about AIMP membership, visit aimp.org.
Billboard Awards Salute Swift, Aldean, Lady A
/by Sarah SkatesTaylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum and Casting Crowns were among the honorees at Sunday night’s (5/20) Billboard Music Awards, presented at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Adele was the evening’s top winner, scoring twelve awards including Top Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album.
Swift was named Woman of The Year for being a “trailblazing female artist over the past 12 months, and her overall success in the music business and her leadership in embracing the changing industry.”
Aldean’s My Kinda Party was named Top Country Album, and its hit “Dirt Road Anthem,” co-written by Colt Ford and Brantley Gilbert, was awarded Top Country Song.
Lady Antebellum received Top Country Artist. The group was on the road in Columbia, MD and unable to attend. “We hated not being in Vegas for the Billboard Awards, but we got to celebrate the win with our fans on tour, and that was extra special,” said Lady A’s Charles Kelley. “Our backstage tiki bar Club Labellum rocked a little harder than usual last night!”
Casting Crowns won Top Christian Artist and Top Christian Album for Come To The Well.
Carrie Underwood performed the title track from her fourth album, “Blown Away,” which has spent the past two weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart. Julianne Hough was among the presenters.
Click to see the complete list of winners.
Phillip Fulmer & Charlie Daniels Golf Classic Takes Place Today
/by MichelleThis golf classic is a fundraising event benefiting The Jason Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the prevention and awareness of youth suicide. In addition to country icon Daniels and former University of Tennessee football coach Fulmer, other participants in the Classic include former UT football players Al Wilson, Carl Pickens, Brad Lampley and Andy Kelly.
For more information on the Jason Foundation, click here.
Corey Wagar – Take Ya Back
/by ProgrammerPlaylistCorey, who is known for her ‘sweet and sassy’ sound is here to give radio folks a song that will bring back memories of listening to their favorite artists on the radio. “Take Ya Back” was penned by Corey with Beau Fuller and Cece DuBois and produced by Kent Wells (Dolly Parton), who also produced her debut album.
Corey’s last single was the girl-power anthem “I Hate My Boyfriend,” which reached No. 32 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart. Additionally, the Country Music Association named her the “Who New To Watch 2012” artist in CMA Close Up.
This country music spitfire has found a knack for “Jersey meets Nashville” music. Corey has recently opened for the Charlie Daniels Band, LeAnn Rimes and Lee Brice, and her fan base continues to grow. She will also be in Nashville for the CMA Music Festival June 7-10.
www.coreywagar.com
www.facebook.com/CoreyWagarOfficial
www.twitter.com/CoreyWagar