HoF’s Poets and Prophets to Feature Songwriter Sonny Curtis

/by

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Sonny Curtis will take a seat at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Saturday, Feb. 25, as the latest subject of the quarterly programming series Poets and Prophets: Legendary Country Songwriters. The in-depth interview and performance is included with museum admission and free to museum members. The program will be held at 1:30 PM in the Museum’s Ford Theater and streamed live at www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

The 90-minute program, hosted by Museum Editor Michael Gray, will include recordings, photos and film clips from the museum’s collection and marks the Poets and Prophets series’ fifth anniversary. Immediately following, Curtis will sign autographs in the Museum Store.

Curtis has written a host of country and rock & roll hits in his 50-plus year career. Among them are “I Fought the Law,” “Rock Around with Ollie Vee,” “Walk Right Back,” “I’m No Stranger to the Rain,” “More Than I Can Say” and the theme for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “Love Is All Around.”

The Poets and Prophets series honors songwriters who have made significant contributions to country music history.  Previous Poets and Prophets honorees include Bill Anderson, Matraca Berg, Bobby Braddock, Wayne Carson, Jerry Chesnut, Hank Cochran, Dean Dillon, Jerry Foster, Dallas Frazier, Red Lane, John D. Loudermilk, Bob McDill, Roger Murrah, Dan Penn, Curly Putman, Don Schlitz, Whitey Shafer, Jeffrey Steele, Norro Wilson and Craig Wiseman.

Performers Named For Post-Marathon Concert

/by

Rodney Atkins will headline the post-race concert following the 13th annual St. Jude Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon presented by Nissan on April 28. Joining Atkins for the event at Bridgestone Arena will be special guest performer Gloriana.

Each year the popular road race attracts over 30,000 runners, walkers and 6,000 junior racers through ING KiDS ROCK Nashville, to tackle the 26.2 or 13.1 mile courses. Many of Nashville’s best bands help keep the energy level up, performing music for runners every stretch of the route.

“For all these people to come out and push themselves to this great of a length for such a good cause is exciting and definitely something to celebrate,” shared Atkins.  “It will be a fun night and I’m looking forward to being a part of it all.”

In October 2011, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital signed on with Competitor Group as a title partner for the race. Charity partners have raised over $22 million since the race started 12 years ago, making it one of the largest fundraising platforms in Tennessee.

Sales Report: The Quiet Season

/by

It lacked the pomp and glamour of the Kentucky Derby or the firery roar of the Daytona 500, but the 2012 Sales Year has now officially begun. But I’m not complaining, because it always starts quietly. Actually the year doesn’t get tightly wound until the last 6 weeks of the calendar year when the holidays induce the mouse-click-mania which still accounts for an enormous percentage of country’s annual sales. In fact, during 2011, country music shifted over 25% of its total album sales during the final two months!

But there are some promising signs among this year’s early album data as we carefully look over the wealth of info collected by the venerable folks at Nielsen SoundScan. Most notably, country ends Jan. 2012 with a 4.7% lead in YTD album sales over 2011 and a total of 2.621 million units. Helping to move the needle were No. 1 and No. 2 country album chart debuts this week from Tim McGraw (No. 1; 68k) and Kellie Pickler (No. 2; 27k).

To add a pinch of perspective, we should note that in 2010 Lady Antebellum released Need You Now during the last week of January and debuted with 481k units for a YTD total of 2.770 million. If we use that as a baseline, this year’s sales would be down 5.3%. But however you chose to view things, it remains early in the year and too soon for meaningful projections, except with regard to release schedules, which are also still pretty vague. Next up on our CD country radar is Home from Dierks Bentley which debuts Feb. 7.

The percentage of country albums sold as digital downloads continues to rise. YTD 2012 about 27% of the total albums were purchased as downloads which shows an increase over last year when the digital percentage at this time was about 23.5%. Debut week digital sales are usually higher than the eventual average. For example this week: Tim McGraw’s disc sales were 34% digital, and Kellie Pickler’s were 33%.

Filling out the Top 5 country album sales for the week are Luke Bryan (No. 3; 16k), Lady Antebellum (No. 4; 15k), and Jason Aldean (No. 5; 13k).

Track Talk
The world of tracks continues to be a goldmine for the circle of artists with mouse-clicking fans. For example, nestled in the Top 20 tracks of the Digital Genre Country Top 100, we find 17 different artists with total Top 20 sales of 649,914 units or a little in excess of 50% of the entire Top 100 country digital tracks list. Another way to illustrate the space between the haves and have-nots is to show that this week, Toby Keith, Luke Bryan and Taylor Swift account for almost 23.41% of the entire Top 100 country track sales!

So a little like the groundhog who comes out to assess winter and maybe see his shadow, let’s settle back in, because it’s too early for predictions and such. We’ll take a peek in a few weeks to see if we see Dierks’ sales shadow…

Until then–Buy Country!

CountryBreakout No. 1 Song

/by

Today’s the day. Keith Urban wrapped up 2011 in a less-than-desirable way, having to reschedule shows and appearances for his vocal cord surgery. But tonight (Feb. 3) he returns in style, making his first performance after the operation on the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium.

“I’m really looking forward to being back on stage, and more specifically on the Opry stage,” he says. “When I was told earlier this week that the Ryman was going to start renovation on the stage after our show I thought, ‘you know, when we say we’re really gonna tear it up tonight, maybe they’re worried I mean it literally?”

So it’s a sort of cosmically perfect occurrence that his “You Gonna Fly” has just reached No. 1 on this today’s CountryBreakout Chart. The rhythm-heavy rocker offers words of affirmation and encouragement to a partner who’s had a rough go of it, saying “you better believe you’re gonna fly with me.”

Urban is hitting the ground running in 2012, including headlining the All For The Hall benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame on April 10. Joining him will be Vince Gill, Alabama, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Band Perry and many more. Urban will also return to Sydney in his Australian homeland to appear as a mentor on the Aussie version of popular show The Voice.

ANNOUNCING: MusicRow To Honor Rising Women on the Row

/by

MusicRow announces the launch of the Rising Women on the Row event to salute up-and-coming women who have made substantial contributions to the Nashville music industry early in their careers.

This year’s honorees will be feted at a sit-down breakfast and awards ceremony set for Friday, March 16, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. at Maggiano’s.

Nominations are closed and MusicRow is in the process of selecting Nashville’s top women who are fast becoming visionary leaders in the music industry. This year’s honorees will be revealed by MusicRow prior to the March 16 awards breakfast. In addition, the honorees will receive a congratulatory plaque of recognition and be featured in the Rising Women on the Row event program.

“MusicRow’s Rising Women on the Row is a unique opportunity to acknowledge and profile some of the women in the music industry that are quickly making a name for themselves with contributions early in their careers,” says Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson. “MusicRow often features talented new artists and songwriters, and this event gives us the opportunity to do the same for the talented women professionals who are quickly rising in our industry.”

The Rising Women on the Row breakfast joins other annual events hosted by MusicRow, including the CRS Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards on Feb. 21, and the reader-voted MusicRow Awards ceremony in June.

Outlaw Country Celebrates Waylon This Weekend

/by

The music and legacy of Waylon Jennings will be celebrated with a satellite radio special set to air this Saturday, Feb. 4 on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country (Channel 60).

The hour-long special will honor Jennings, featuring stories about the artist and tribute performances from Hank Williams Jr., Jessi Colter, Shooter Jennings, Jamey Johnson, Josh Thompson and Reggie Young. The program was recorded inside the Bridgestone Arena at the SiriusXM Music City Theatre in Nashville, and will be hosted by Outlaw Country’s Hillbilly Jim.

The SiriusXM special will feature songs from Waylon: The Music Inside, a three-part tribute. The second CD in the series WAYLON: The Music Inside, Vol. II, will be released next Tuesday (Feb. 7) via Average Joe’s Entertainment.

Watch a preview from the performance with Hank Jr. below.

YouTube video

Billy Ray Cyrus To Publish Memoir

/by

Billy Ray Cyrus plans to release his memoir, Hillbilly Heart [Amazon publishing] in hardcover and ebook formats in the Spring 2013.

“This is my chance to set the record straight,” said Cyrus. “I realized that over the years that there have been untruths and misconceptions about me, my music, my life, my family and our dreams. I’m going to lay out the facts starting from August 25th, 1961 and work my way to the present, even if it stings a little.”

Cyrus will open up about the life-changing success of his first album, the toll that fame has taken on his personal life and family and the challenges of parenting his superstar daughter Miley Cyrus.

The book will chronicle from the age of 5 when Cyrus took the stage with his father’s gospel quartet, The Crownsmen, and by 20, an inner voice told him he would find his life purpose through music if he bought a guitar and started a band. Cyrus found he was “too country” for L.A., and “too rock” for Nashville, but regardless he shot to No. 1 with his breakout smash single, “Achy Breaky Heart.”

Rascal Flatts Announces New Tour

/by

Rascal Flatts recently announced the launch of The American Band Tour, beginning in summer 2012. The tour will feature an all band set-up with Little Big Town, Eli Young Band and Edens Edge opening. The shows will begin in Hartford, CT, on June 15 at the Comcast Theatre.

“We are always looking for new ways to re-energize our live shows,” says Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts. “We thought bringing out these bands, whom are among some of our favorite vocal groups, would make a great night of entertainment!”

Please check www.rascalflatts.com for up to date tour information.

Weekly Chart Report (2/3/2012)

/by

Ira Dean stopped by KLLL/Lubbock to visit with Jeff Scott and promote his new single, "Somethin ‘Bout A Sunday," which had the highest debut on our chart this week. (L-R): Ira Dean (Average Joe's Entertainment) and Jeff Scott (KLLL PD)

SPIN ZONE
Changes abound in the latest version of the CountryBreakout Chart as Keith Urban’s “You Gonna Fly” soars to No. 1. His Capitol labelmate Dierks Bentley is in hot pursuit with “Home” at No. 2, only 63 spins off Urban’s total. Crossing into the Top 10 for the first time are Taylor Swift’s “Ours” at No. 9 and Jake Owen’s “Alone With You” at No. 10. Positioned just outside the Top 10 and ready to strike are Lady Antebellum’s “Dancin’ Away With My Heart,” which gained 223 spins, and Blake Shelton’s “Drink On It,” which added 378.

Make way for the superstars, folks. Gobbling up a majority of the new spins for the week are the latest offerings from Rascal Flatts (“Banjo” at No. 20), Zac Brown Band (“No Hurry” at No. 27), Alan Jackson (“So You Don’t Have To Love Me” at No. 30), and Jason Aldean (“Fly Over States” at No. 39). Phil Vassar also has a highly reactive new single with “Don’t Miss Your Life,” and it has already jumped to No. 45 in its second week charting.

Leading the pack of new entries to the chart is Ira Dean’s “Something About A Sunday,” which lands the Average Joe’s artist at No. 71. Right behind at No. 72 is Thompson Square’s “Glass,” and Rachel Holder’s “In Your Arms” at No. 75. Also making first appearances are Kaleb McIntire’s “Redneck In All Of Us” at No. 77 and Jana Kramer’s “Why Ya Wanna” at No. 79.

Frozen Playlists: KBCR, KVVP, WBKR, WHMA, WUCZ

Upcoming Singles
February 13
JT Hodges/Goodbyes Made You Mine/Show Dog-Universal
Phil Vassar/Don’t Miss Your Life/Rodeowave
The Dirt Drifters/There She Goes/Warner Bros./WMN

February 21
Thomas Rhett/Something To Do With My Hands/Valory
Julie Ingram/Thank God (For Mom & Dad)/LongShot/Nine North/Turnpike
James Wesley/Walking Contradiction/Broken Bow

• • • • •

New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Ira Dean/Something About A Sunday/Average Joe’s – 71
Thompson Square/Glass/Stoney Creek – 72
Rachel Holder/In Your Arms/Curb – 75
Kaleb McIntire/Redneck In All Of Us/Rockin’ Country Doc Music – 77
Jana Kramer/Why Ya Wanna/Elektra/W.A.R. — 79

Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Zac Brown Band/No Hurry/Southern Ground/Atlantic – 496
Jason Aldean/Flyover States/Broken Bow – 393
Blake Shelton/Drink On It/WMN/Warner Bros. – 378
Rascal Flatts/Banjo/Big Machine – 360
Alan Jackson/So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore/ACR/EMI — 262

Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Jason Aldean/Flyover States/Broken Bow — 30
Zac Brown Band/No Hurry/Southern Ground/Atlantic — 21
Rachel Holder/In Your Arms/Curb — 14
Phil Vassar/Don’t Miss Your Life/Rodeowave — 14
Ira Dean/Something About A Sunday/Average Joe’s — 10
Alan Jackson/So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore/ACR/EMI — 10
Josh Turner/Time Is Love/MCA — 9
Rascal Flatts/Banjo/Big Machine — 9

On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Kinsey Sadler/Sometimes I Forget — 224
Lewis Copeland/She’s Got It Goin’ On/Phull Entertainment – 211
Claudia Lee/Hollywood Sunset/CLM96enterprises – 210
Wade Bowen/Saturday Night/Sea Gayle/BNA — 209
John Maison/Fast Enough/Big High Five — 181

A couple of key members of the Warner Music Nashville staff surprised Blake Shelton at his Duluth, GA show last Friday (1/27). (L-R): Lou Ramirez (WMN Southeast Regional), John Esposito (WMN President & CEO), Blake and Lance Houston (WBUL/Atlanta MD)
Eric Church spent some time with WGKX/Memphis APD/MD Kay Manley before his show in Southaven, MS. Eric broke the Desoto Civic Center’s attendance record previously held by Jason Aldean by selling 8,918 tickets.  (L-R): Trudie Daniell (EMI Nashville Dir. SE Promotion), Kay Manley, Church, and Angela Lange (EMI Nashville VP Promotion)

DISClaimer Single Reviews (2/01/12)

/by

Every now and then I am reminded of why I do this job.

This week, that reminder came after listening to the thrilling new collection by Gretchen Peters. Her Hello Cruel World album is so great it is practically terrifying. She tore me apart with every song. There is going to be a star in Frank Liddell’s crown for bringing this songwriter into the Carnival family. Needless to say, Gretchen has the Disc of the Day.

I’ll spread the love around. This week, Alan Jackson reminded me of why I cherish Real Country Music as much as I do. His new EMI single gets the male Disc Award.

The Dirt Drifters reminded me how much joy it brings me to see a young act on its way up the ladder of success. Give those country-rocking chaps the group Disc Prize.

KELLY PARKES/Don’t Make Me
Writer: Keith Follese/Adrienne Follese/Nicole Johnson/Vencent Hickerson; Producer: Darren Smith & Mark Lambert; Publisher: The Family Business/Overall Attraction/3 in Key/Denham Jeans, BMI/SESAC; Edge (CDX)
—It’s a big-production pop ballad. Her soprano delivery is sure footed and true, but there’s not much memorable “character” in her style.

TRACY LAWRENCE/Pills
Writer: none listed; Producer: Flip Anderson & Tracy Lawrence; Publisher: none listed; LMG (track) (www.tracylawrence.com)
—Tracy’s album The Singer is an audio delight of crisp simplicity. The song selections are superb, and nowhere more so than with this bopping, witty, swinging, sideways look at our pharmaceutical dependence and over indulgence. Essential listening.

GRETCHEN PETERS/The Matador
Writer: Gretchen Peters; Producer: Doug Lancio, Gretchen Peters & Barry Walsh; Publisher: Circus Girl/Carnival, ASCAP; Scarlet Letter (track) (www.gretchenpeters.com)
—You think you’re a songwriter? One listen to Gretchen’s new Hello Cruel World CD will have you thinking again. She has the uncanny ability to not only create commercial hooks, but also to pen lyrics with something to say (witness her prior “The Secret of Life,” “Independence Day,” “If Heaven,” “Let That Pony Run,” “My Baby Loves Me,” “The Chill of an Early Fall,” or “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am”). This stunning first single/video is a hushed ballad of love, violence and artistic striving. If you care about real song craftsmanship, it will bring you to your knees. Buy This Record Now.

JASON ALDEAN/Fly Over States
Writer: Neil Thrasher/Michael Dulaney; Producer: Michael Knox; Publisher: Sweet Summer/BMG Gold/Major Bob/Circle C/Mojave Rain/Full Circle, ASCAP; Broken Bow (track)
—The lyric is simply sensational, a first-class ode to the American heartland. My only quibble is that the title phrase isn’t married to a super melodic hook. As usual, Jason’s performance and Michael’s production are dynamite.

ERNIE HAASE & SIGNATURE SOUND/Here We Are Again
Writer: Ernie Haase/Wayne Haun/Joel Lindsey; Producer: Wayne Haun; Publisher: ErnieSigSound/Blackberry Town/Bridge Building/Hefton Hill, BMI; Stowtown (www.erniehaase.com)
—The tradition of country-gospel harmony singing exemplified by The Oak Ridge Boys and The Statler Brothers is being admirably upheld by this outfit. Its new CD mixes traditional material (”Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” “I Believe,” “Stand By Me”) with newly composed tunes, often by the group’s members. This title tune showcases all four voices in turn, from the sub-cellar bass to the attic-rafter tenor.

THE DIRT DRIFTERS/There She Goes
Writer: none listed; Producer: Justin Niebank; Publisher: none listed; Warner Bros. (track)
—I like these guys, and this is their best yet. This time around, the ultra-cool lead vocal is answered by a ghostly “Greek chorus” commenting on his heartbreak while the country-rock track canters along with chiming guitars and dusty percussion. Delicious sounding.

CHANCE CODY & SPUR 503/You Can’t Argue with That
Writer: Chuck Allen Floyd/Jenn Schott; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Spur 503 (www.spur503.com)
—They have talent, but the mix is mighty muddy. Go for a cleaner sound next time.

DOLLY PARTON & QUEEN LATIFAH/Not Enough
Writer: Dolly Parton; Producer: Mervyn Warren; Publisher: Velvet Apple, BMI; WaterTower (track)
—I haven’t seen the movie Joyful Noise, but I can tell you that the soundtrack is a delight. In addition to gospel-ized versions of “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Man in the Mirror,” “I Want to Take You Higher,” “That’s the Way God Planned It,” and the like, you get three new Dolly tunes. This hand clapper kicks things off with a full soul choir backing the film’s two stars. Latifah holds her own opposite the always-exuberant Dolly.

ALAN JACKSON/So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore
Writer: Adam Wright/Jay Knowles; Producer: Keith Stegall; Publisher: Alrighty Den/Dean-Parnell/Acme Nashville, BMI; EMI (CDX)
—Alan begins a new recording chapter with a plain-spoken heartache ballad that packs a massive emotional wallop, thanks to its terrific songwriting and his devastating vocal. This man is a country-music master, through and through.

THE McCLYMONTS/I Could Be a Cowboy
Writer: Brooke McClymont/Samantha McClymont/Mollie McClymont/Nathan Chapman; Producer: Nathan Chapman; Publisher: EMI Australia/Copy Control/Sony-ATV, no performance rights listed; BSM (track) (www.themcclymonts.net)
—Their creamy harmonies remain audio perfection. Brooke’s throat-catching lead vocal grabs your attention immediately, while Nathan’s production finesse continues to amaze. I particularly liked the mandolin bubbling in and out of the mix.