Here’s a roundup of country singles hitting airwaves soon:
• • •
Wade Bowen
Singer/songwriter Wade Bowen has made the jump to a major with Sea Gayle/BNA, and his first single for his new label “Saturday Night” hit radio last week (Nov. 14). A much-loved live act, Bowen routinely plays over 200 concert dates per year. “I wouldn’t be here today getting the opportunity to record for a major label if it weren’t for all those shows I played and for all those die-hard music fans at home coming out to see me,” said Bowen. “They are the reason I am being afforded this opportunity. When it comes to my intent as a musician, I’ve not changed anything since day one. I’ve only tried to mature and to get better, and I think ‘Saturday Night’ is representative of that.”
• • •
Josh Thompson
Josh Thompson has a new single on the way called “Comin’ Around,” which he co-wrote with Kendell Marvel and Rodney Clawson. The song will appear on Thompson’s second studio album due in 2012 from RCA Nashville. “For me, the point of this song is to be able to look back and see how you’ve grown and where you’re going,” says Thompson. “It’s part of finding that line where you go, ‘OK, it’s time to get my life together.’ I’ve definitely had moments like that in my life, and think my fans will be able to relate to that.”
• • •
Mark Cooke
Mark Cooke has released his latest single, the upbeat “Any Way The Wind Blows” from his limited EP Living For The Weekend (Cotton Valley Records). Written by hitmakers Mark Nesler, Jennifer Hanson, and Marty Dodson, “Any Way…” was produced by veterans J. Gary Smith and John Smith. Cooke is currently on a national radio tour to promote the single and has plans to release a full length album in 2012.
• • •
HER & Kings County
Elektra/WMN group HER & Kings County has released the video for debut single “White Trash Country Boy,” which was directed by David Dutton (“Internet Killed The Video Star”). The song appears on HKC’s self-titled Six Pak, which was released Oct. 11. The band originated in Brooklyn, NY, the brainchild of frontwoman Monique Staffile and Caleb Sherman, and aims to blend elements of bluegrass, hip-hop, country, and rock.
• • •
Shawna Russell
Shawna Russell has released her new single “Waitin’ On Sunrise,” impacting radio Nov. 28. The second single from her self-titled sophomore album, “Sunrise” was written by Russell with her father Keith and uncle Tim Russell. Shawna Russell was produced by Julian King with Clif Doyal and Tim Russell, and was released in June 2011.
• • •
Joanna Mosca
Joanna Mosca is gaining some momentum with her current single “Where Does Good Love Go,” a collaboration with Bryan White and Lonestar frontman Richie McDonald. The song recently charted on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout chart and continues to add spins. “As an artist, this is very exciting for me!” said Mosca. “Knowing that my little song has come so far to be in the same league as some of the industry’s heaviest hitters, I couldn’t be more proud. Let’s hope it keeps climbing!”
• • •
Bryan Cole (L) pictured with WYVY/Union City, TN PD Jason Aldridge.
Bryan Cole has been out making the rounds at radio to support his single, “Pride & Passion.” The song is the title track from his upcoming album, and was used by MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates (Cole’s hometown baseball team) for recent advertising spots.
Twitter Used To Rank Republican Candidates
/by adminBusiness Insider has research which shows that among the Republican presidential nominees, “Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich have more than twice the ‘social pull’ among Twitter followers than nominee favorite Mitt Romney.”
The study was conducted by PeekAnalytics to discover how effectively the candidates were taking advantage of social media with respect to the campaigns. According to the study, “Herman Cain and Michele Bachman have both spent brief periods leading the race, but their influence on Twitter–or lack thereof–suggests they are already also-rans.”
The following Twitter stats show a wide social media spread between the candidates… Interestingly, only 34% of Gingrich’s followers are actually verifiable. Earlier this summer, an article in Gawker.com claimed, “But if Newt is winning the Twitter primary, it’s because of voter fraud. A former staffer tells us that his campaign hired a firm to boost his follower count, in part by creating fake accounts en masse.”
However, as the “Verified” list below shows, even discounting for possible bogus accounts the Speaker has the largest number of Twitter followers by a wide margin among the Republican candidates.
To download a full copy of the report, which offers added details about gender and more, click here.
Total Twitter Followers
Newt Gingrich: 1,370,386
Herman Cain: 168,171
Mitt Romney: 164,416
Michele Bachmann: 115,704
Rick Perry: 108,475
Ron Paul: 79,125
Number of “verified” Twitter followers:
Rick Perry: 51,402 ↔ 47%
Herman Cain: 77,548 ↔ 46%
Mitt Romney: 76,002 ↔ 46%
Ron Paul: 34,845 ↔ 44%
Michele Bachmann: 50,418 ↔ 43%
Newt Gingrich: 477,054 ↔ 34%
Social Pull
Rick Perry: 1082x
Newt Gingrich: 934x
Michele Bachmann: 526x
Mitt Romney: 404x
Herman Cain: 466x
Ron Paul: 184x
Singled Out (11/21/11)
/by FreemanHere’s a roundup of country singles hitting airwaves soon:
• • •
Wade Bowen
Singer/songwriter Wade Bowen has made the jump to a major with Sea Gayle/BNA, and his first single for his new label “Saturday Night” hit radio last week (Nov. 14). A much-loved live act, Bowen routinely plays over 200 concert dates per year. “I wouldn’t be here today getting the opportunity to record for a major label if it weren’t for all those shows I played and for all those die-hard music fans at home coming out to see me,” said Bowen. “They are the reason I am being afforded this opportunity. When it comes to my intent as a musician, I’ve not changed anything since day one. I’ve only tried to mature and to get better, and I think ‘Saturday Night’ is representative of that.”
• • •
Josh Thompson
Josh Thompson has a new single on the way called “Comin’ Around,” which he co-wrote with Kendell Marvel and Rodney Clawson. The song will appear on Thompson’s second studio album due in 2012 from RCA Nashville. “For me, the point of this song is to be able to look back and see how you’ve grown and where you’re going,” says Thompson. “It’s part of finding that line where you go, ‘OK, it’s time to get my life together.’ I’ve definitely had moments like that in my life, and think my fans will be able to relate to that.”
• • •
Mark Cooke
Mark Cooke has released his latest single, the upbeat “Any Way The Wind Blows” from his limited EP Living For The Weekend (Cotton Valley Records). Written by hitmakers Mark Nesler, Jennifer Hanson, and Marty Dodson, “Any Way…” was produced by veterans J. Gary Smith and John Smith. Cooke is currently on a national radio tour to promote the single and has plans to release a full length album in 2012.
• • •
HER & Kings County
Elektra/WMN group HER & Kings County has released the video for debut single “White Trash Country Boy,” which was directed by David Dutton (“Internet Killed The Video Star”). The song appears on HKC’s self-titled Six Pak, which was released Oct. 11. The band originated in Brooklyn, NY, the brainchild of frontwoman Monique Staffile and Caleb Sherman, and aims to blend elements of bluegrass, hip-hop, country, and rock.
• • •
Shawna Russell
Shawna Russell has released her new single “Waitin’ On Sunrise,” impacting radio Nov. 28. The second single from her self-titled sophomore album, “Sunrise” was written by Russell with her father Keith and uncle Tim Russell. Shawna Russell was produced by Julian King with Clif Doyal and Tim Russell, and was released in June 2011.
• • •
Joanna Mosca
Joanna Mosca is gaining some momentum with her current single “Where Does Good Love Go,” a collaboration with Bryan White and Lonestar frontman Richie McDonald. The song recently charted on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout chart and continues to add spins. “As an artist, this is very exciting for me!” said Mosca. “Knowing that my little song has come so far to be in the same league as some of the industry’s heaviest hitters, I couldn’t be more proud. Let’s hope it keeps climbing!”
• • •
Bryan Cole (L) pictured with WYVY/Union City, TN PD Jason Aldridge.
Bryan Cole has been out making the rounds at radio to support his single, “Pride & Passion.” The song is the title track from his upcoming album, and was used by MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates (Cole’s hometown baseball team) for recent advertising spots.
Brick and Mortar Retailers Struggle With Smartphone Shopping
/by Sarah SkatesSome of the nation’s largest merchants are trying to beat the trend. Lowe’s and Best Buy are arming in-store employees with iPhones so that they can research products alongside the shoppers, according to AdAge. Many retailers are going one step further, empowering employees to undercut competitors’ prices on the spot.
Toys”R”Us and Best Buy are listing their in-store inventories with Milo, a service that is available to consumers for their smartphones, reports Reuters. This way, shoppers can use their mobile devices to find and purchase products, and then pick them up in the store.
Other outlets are debuting mobile friendly web stores. J.C. Penney’s offering has a wish list component that can be shared with friends.
Worley’s River Run Donates To Fight Cancer
/by adminHardin County Medical Center board member Jack Adams accepts a $200,000 check from Darryl Worley.
The Darryl Worley Foundation recently donated $200,000 to the Cancer Treatment Center that bears the artist’s name. The funds were raised through Darryl Worley’s Tennessee River Run, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in September. Worley recently presented the check on behalf of the foundation to Jack Adams, board member for the Hardin County Medical Center.
The TN River Run included concerts headlined by Montgomery Gentry, Kansas and Worley, a two-day bass tournament, golf tournament, arts and crafts festival, 5K, youth fishing tournament, motorcycle poker run and boat poker run. Songwriter-in-the-round events were held in Tupelo, Memphis, Jackson and Murfreesboro to raise money, as well. Bumpus Harley-Davidson sponsored the Tennessee River Run, which was named favorite outdoor adventure in West Tennessee by the readers of The Tennessee Magazine and best music event on the water by Life on the Water magazine.
The Darryl Worley Foundation was founded in 2001 to serve the special needs of people in West Tennessee, Northwestern Alabama and Northeastern Mississippi. The Foundation, which is a 501c3 public benefit corporation, has received $1.2 million in funds and paid out $1.15 million in grants.
IBMA Seeks New Exec Dir.
/by adminExpected qualifications include a Bachelor degree or equivalent preferred, plus the person must reside in or be willing to relocate to the Nashville area.
Dan Hays who served as the organizatin’s Executive Director for 21 years resigned earlier this month, but will stay until Feb. 29, 2012. During Hays’ tenure with IBMA, he helped the organization establish its annual Awards, the World of Bluegrass business conference, Bluegrass Fan Fest, the creation of Leadership Bluegrass, and launched “Bluegrass in the Schools” programs for young people. Additionally, Hays has also been responsible for raising several million dollars for the Foundation for Bluegrass Music and the Bluegrass Trust Fund.
For complete information about the position click HERE
Country Divas Ring In The Holidays
/by FreemanThe special’s 12 editions to date have focused on the subject of adoption and foster care, in hopes of raising awareness for the important issue. Actresses Katherine Heigl and Denise Richards, who both adopted children, and Heigl’s sister Meg Heigl-Beltran, who was adopted, will be among the presenters.
• •
She will then journey to Hollywood, to perform a medley of holiday classics “Blue Christmas” and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” for TV special A Hollywood Christmas Celebration At The Grove, airing through January 1. Additional performers on the special include Robin Thicke, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Jackie Evancho, Sean Kingston, and IL DIVO. Check local listings for dates and times.
ACM Renewal Deadline; Marlee Scott Hits New Paradigm; Karen Light Exits BMLG
/by admin>>>Today’s the last day to renew your ACM membership in order to be eligible to submit for the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Closing date for radio submissions is Dec. 9th. Only current ACM members may submit for Station or On-Air Personality category consideration.
Nominees for the ACM radio awards categories, outlined below, will be announced in the spring of 2012.
On-Air Personality of the Year – National, Major (Markets 1-25), Large (Markets 26-50), Medium (Markets 51-100), Small (Markets 101+)
Radio Station of the Year – Major (Markets 1-25), Large (Markets 26-50), Medium (Markets 51-100), Small (Markets 101+)
• • •
>>>BigRide Entertainment recording artist Marlee Scott has signed an exclusive booking agreement with international talent firm, Paradigm Agency. Scott is finishing a full-length album for release in early 2012 and currently has a Christmas single at Country radio titled, “Someday At Christmas.” A native of Ontario, Canada, Scott was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2010 Canadian Country Music Awards. Visit www.MarleeScott.com for more information.
(L-R) Manager Gerry Leiske, Paradigm’s Mike Snider, BigRide artist Marlee Scott and Paradigm’s Greg Janese.
• • •
Karen Light
>>>Industry veteran Karen Light has exited her position as Administration Analyst for Big Machine Label Group and its publishing arm Super 98 Music, where she handled licensing, clearance and copyright matters for both the label and publishing. She joined the company in June 2010, and her resumé includes time with Encore Entertainment, ICG, Still Working Music, and Sussman & Associates. She is currently looking for her next opportunity and can be reached at karen.m.light@gmail.com.
Radio Host Blair Garner Launches TriPower
/by Sherod RobertsonThe company’s first undertaking is BEYOND The Hits, a digital compilation album from top country artists including Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, and Jason Aldean due in January 2012. Garner selected album tracks from previously released collections that he felt could have been hit singles.
TriPower’s other projects include Over/Under, a recently released board game available at Target. AUTOBiography, a new television series in partnership with Reveille Entertainment in Los Angeles, as well as other projects, are in development. The new TriPower office is located in Nashville’s recording complex, Blackbird Studio.
B.A.D. Management Hiring & Staff Promotion
/by Eric T. ParkerWhitney Cheshier
B.A.D. Management has promoted Whitney Cheshier to Associate Manager from her previous position as Management Assistant. Cheshier has been with larger umbrella of Front Line Management for three years and reports directly to B.A.D. Managing Partner, Virginia Davis.
Courtney Grinfeld
Courtney Grinfeld has been added to assist Davis in daily artist management as well as maintain artist digital properties. Grinfeld formerly served as Mobile Production Manager for Warner Bros. Records in Burbank.
B.A.D. Management represents Jewel, Edens Edge and Thomas Rhett.
Reach Cheshier at Whitney.Cheshier@azoffmusic.com and Grinfeld at courtney.grinfeld@azoffmusic.com.
Casting Call For Country Super Group in Nashville Today
/by FreemanPerformers chosen to be part of the group will go on tour in 2012 and write and record. Contestants must “love country music, have a dynamic personality, an incredible voice, uncanny musical abilities or great dance moves” to apply. Those interested can get more info here. Another casting call will be held in Los Angeles December 3.
The performers chosen to be a part of the group will be touring in 2012 and have the opportunity to create a record distributed by a major label.