Big Vinny Competes On “The Biggest Loser”

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Trailer Choir member, Big Vinny, joined this season of NBC’s The Biggest Loser, which premiered Sept. 20. Joining the show as one of the largest contestants of the season, Vinny’s starting weight was 426 lbs.

Along with fourteen other competitors, Vinny is currently competing for a chance at $250,000 and is working with this season’s trainers Bob Harper, Dolvett Quine and Anna Kournikova.

The singer/songwriter weighed in last night at 367 lbs, losing 59 lbs since the beginning of the season.

In the past, Trailer Choice has opened for Toby Keith, Sugarland and ZZ Top. Their music video “Rockin’ The Beer Gut” was nominated in 2010 for CMT Best Group Video of the Year.

To follow Vinny’s progress on The Biggest Loser, tune into NBC on Tuesday night’s at 8/7c.

 

Industry Ink Wednesday

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Sea Gayle Records / Arista Nashville recording artist Brent Anderson visited MusicRow last week for an acoustic set. He is busy promoting debut single “Amy’s Song,” which includes snippets of the Pure Praire League classic "Amie." Former PPL members Vince Gill and Craig Fuller joined Anderson on the new track.

 

• A memorial service for songwriter Don Wayne will be held Fri., Nov. 11 at Nashville’s Texas Troubadour Theatre from 7:00-9:30 p.m.

• The Fall 2011 Curb Creative Leadership Lecture will feature Robert Levine, the former executive editor of Billboard, and contributor to Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times. In his first book, Free Ride, Levine charts how companies like YouTube built businesses on copyrighted content, and how Apple and Amazon drove down the price of music and books. The event is free and open to the public. See him Nov. 2, at 4:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt’s First Amendment Center Lecture Hall. More at www.vanderbilt.edu/curbcenter.

• Racecar driver Dan Wheldon was laid to rest Saturday (10/29) in St. Petersburg, Fla. and a public memorial was held Sunday at Indianapolis’ Conesco Fieldhouse, in the city where Wheldon won the 2011 Indy 500 championship. Special guests included Garth Brooks who performed “The Dance,” Reba who performed “If I Had Only Known” and The Band Perry who delivered a medley of “Go Rest High On This Mountain/Amazing Grace.” Wheldon was sponsored by Big Machine Records and Curb Records.

Donna Botts

• Lamon Records Nashville welcomes Donna Botts as Director of Media Relations and Promotions, and Josh Moody as Vice President of Creative Operations. Lamon Records Nashville will soon be celebrating 50 years in the music industry, and is home to Bobby Dean, Kathryn Scheldt, Kimberly Patrick, Courtney Stewart, George Hamilton IV, The Moody Brothers and more. www.lamonrecords.com

• Celeste Kellogg, a 17-year-old actress and singer, will host a music video premiere party and perform an acoustic set on Thurs., Nov. 3, 5:00 pm at Nashville’s Gibson Guitar Showroom. Kellogg is a former member of teen pop groups RD7 and No Limit. Her solo debut, This is Where I Wanna Be, was produced by multi-platinum producer Andrew Lane (Miley Cyrus, Backstreet Boys, High School Musical). The free event is open to the public.

Good Works: Jake Owen, Jerry Douglas

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Jake Owen will headline “Rockin’ & Raising The Green Benefiting Evergreen” next Tuesday, Nov. 1 at the Wildhorse Saloon. HGTV’s Shane Tallant will host the event, which will also feature special guests Gary Jenkins and DJ Mindub. Tickets are available here.

Evergreen is devoted to serving people with developmental disabilities in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. At present the organization works with over 1,000 individuals. The Nov. 1 fundraiser at the Wildhorse will be Evergreen’s Nashville debut.

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Renowned musician Jerry Douglas will help celebrate the holiday season by bringing his show “Jerry Christmas” to the Franklin Theatre Nov. 26 to help raise funds for the Children’s Organ Transplant Association.

“Jerry Christmas” will be held in honor of Witt “Baby Witt” Deane, a Franklin-area child who had a heart transplant in 2010, and proceeds will help with transplant-related expenses. Tickets are on sale here and range from $35 to $55, or $500 for a table.

Chesney’s Video, Gloriana’s Single, Durante’s Scream Stream

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Chesney's new video.

Kenny Chesney’s high-octane live show is the centerpiece of the music video for new single “Reality.” Directed by longtime collaborator Shaun Silva, the four-minute reel highlights the star’s summer Goin’ Coastal Tour. See it here.

Over the weekend, Chesney performed an intimate acoustic set for former President Bill Clinton at the “Decade of Difference” event, celebrating 10 years of the William J. Clinton Foundation. Grace Potter joined Chesney for “You and Tequila.” Other performers included Lady Gaga, Usher, and Bono. Watch the concert on Yahoo!

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Gloriana released new single, “(Kissed You) Good Night,” to iTunes on Monday (10/24). Written by band member Tom Gossin with hit writer Josh Kear, the song is from Gloriana’s forthcoming second studio album on Emblem Music Group/ Warner Bros. Records. Gloriana, made up of brothers Tom and Mike Gossin, along with Rachel Reinert, is on the road through the end of the year.

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On Sun., Oct. 30, Margaret Durante will host her first live online broadcast called Margaret’s Halloween Scream Stream LIVE! The party celebration will take place at 7pm ET / 6pm CT and will feature lots of Halloween fun, music, giveaways and a chance to chat with Margaret. Watch it here.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (10/26/11)

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Toby, Trace, Blake, Dolly, Merle and more—it’s all stars and no waiting in this week’s column.

Our Female Vocalist Disc of the Day goes to the indomitable Dolly Parton. Long may she sing. Trace Adkins, Toby Keith, Merle Haggard and our surprise winner, Billy Currington, vied for the Male Disc of the Day. Billy was the one who was smart enough to dip into the catalog of the late, great Harley Allen for his new single.

Owing to the glut of big-name record makers, there was, alas, no room for any worthy DisCovery Award.

TOBY KEITH/Red Solo Cup
Writer: Jim Beavers/Brett Beavers/Brad Warren/Brett Warren; Producer: Toby Keith; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Beavertime/BMG/Chestnut Barn/Chrysalis One/EMI Blackwood/StyleSonic, BMI; Show Dog (track)
—It’s sing-along drinking song with a spare banjo-guitar accompaniment. The recording sounds strikingly “live” and un-produced, and is therefore quite refreshing.

RODNEY ATKINS/He’s Mine
Writer: Casey Beathard/Phil O’Donnell/Tim James; Producer: Ted Hewitt & Rodney Atkins; Publisher: Sony-ATV Acuff-Rose/Sixteen Stars/Immokalee/Hodges House of Songwriters/Warner-Tamerlane/T-Bird’s, BMI; Curb (track)
—This, on the other hand, is totally compressed, auto-tuned and electro-produced within an inch of its life. The lyric has the Dad showing pride in his boy no matter what happens, good or bad.

KEITH URBAN/You Gonna Fly
Writer: Jaren Johnston/Chris Lucas/Preston Brust; Producer: Dann Huff & Keith Urban; Publisher: Sony-ATV Harmony/Texa Rae/Sony-ATV Cross Keys/Sony-ATV Tree, ASCAP/BMI; Capitol Nashville (track)
—The fourth single from Keith’s Get Closer collection is an upbeat, uplifting ode to escape and hope. His singing is super convincing, and the guitar solo blisters.

DOLLY PARTON/The Sacrifice
Writer: Dolly Parton; Producer: Kent Wells; Publisher: Velvet Apple, BMI; Dolly/Warner (track) (www.dollypartonmusic.net)
—The woman’s ongoing creativity is one of the wonders of our time. Five decades into her career, she is still writing and singing as powerfully as ever. This pulse-quickening little rocker is an autobiographical tale of how she willed herself to be a winner. And, boy, did she.

BILLY CURRINGTON/Like My Dog
Writer: Scotty Emerick/Harley Allen; Producer: Carson Chamberlain & Billy Currington; Publisher: Florida Room/BPJ/Coburn/Harley Allen, BMI; Mercury Nashville (track)
—For locating great songs, Currington has some of the best ears in Music City. This wickedly clever ditty praises the affections of a pooch, as compared to the judgmental attitudes of his gal. I grinned. So will you.

MERLE HAGGARD/Working In Tennessee
Writer: Merle Haggard; Producer: Merle Haggard & Lou Bradley; Publisher: Merle Haggard, BMI; Hag/Vanguard (track) (www.merlehaggard.com)
—The title tune to the Hag’s new CD is a quick-step western swinger. Guitarist Reggie Young, pianist Doug Colosio and fiddler Scott Joss all get in some hot licks while the vocalist offers some light-hearted, bluesy digs at Tune Town.

TRACE ADKINS/Million Dollar View
Writer: David Lee Murphy/George Teren; Producer: Kenny Beard & Mark Wright; Publisher: Old Desperados/Carol Vincent & Associates/EMI Blackwood/Terenator/Done and Dusted, ASCAP/BMI; Show Dog Universal
—As you might expect, the finest view isn’t from a beach, a mountaintop, a high rise or a vacation spot. It’s gazing at his baby in their humble, little living room. The band cooks with gas on this mid-tempo bopper, and Trace totally owns it, vocally.

HAYES CARLL/Stomp And Holler
Writer: Hayes Carll; Producer: Brad Jones; Publisher: Highway 87/Bug, SESAC; Lost Highway
—Perennial Americana fave Carll wails the bad-boy lyric like a wounded honky-tonk survivor. Guitars crash and scream all around this catchy rocker.

BLAKE SHELTON/Footloose
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Warner Bros. (track)
—I have said it before, many times: There is absolutely no point to remaking an oldie unless you’re going to put your own stamp on it and reinvent it. This merely apes the 1984 Kenny Loggins arrangement, right down to the grinding guitar licks.

CLAY DUSTIN/I’ll Take That Job
Writer: David Chamberlain/Mark Sherrill; Producer: David Chamberlain; Publisher: Handle It/Key/Mark, SESAC; PureHeart (track)
—The full title is “I’ll Take That Job That Johnny Paycheck Shoved.” His singing isn’t particularly distinctive, but Dustin is country right down to his boots.

CMA Country Christmas, New Awards Merch

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Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles will return to host CMA Country Christmas for the second year. The two hour special featuring country’s hottest artists performing holiday favorites will tape Nov. 10 at the Bridgestone Arena and air at 8 pm CT Thursday, Dec. 1 on ABC.

“The recurring themes you find in Country Music are the foundation of what makes the holidays so meaningful – the comfort of home, family, and friends,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore. “‘CMA Country Christmas’ will be wrapped in those traditions.”

Tickets for the taping are $25 for upper level seating and $50 for club level.

CMA has also launched a new merch store at www.cmaawardsstore.com, featuring a selection of official items including a hat, tote bag, coffee mug, and six apparel selections. One of those items, the black event T-shirt (pictured), was inspired by the 2011 CMA Awards Program Book cover created by Eva Oglander.

Additionally, CMA Awards co-hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood had to beat some tough competition for their hosting gig, if a video on Paisley’s website is to be believed.

SoundExchange Distributions Continue Growing

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SoundExchange, the non-profit performance rights organization (PRO) that was appointed by the Copyright Royalty Board to collect and distribute statutory performance royalties owed to recording artists and sound recording copyright owners, reports it has distributed almost $88 million to more than 18,300 payees during the Q3 2011. This distribution, the organization’s largest to date was collected from royalties paid by Internet radio, satellite radio, and cable TV music only channels.

“We’ve processed an unprecedented amount of digital performance data this quarter, which is proof positive that consumers are listening, purchasing and enjoying music in more ways than ever,” said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “These payments are the result of billions of digital performances by thousands of music services every month. It is our responsibility to ensure that this upsurge of digital performances can be converted into a reliable revenue stream for those who created the music.”

SoundExchange has seen a dramatic increase in payments to artists and labels since it began, as the accompanying graph shows. In 2010, total distributions were $249.2 million up from $155.5 million in 2009.

 

Industry Ink: Green Hills Music Group Signing

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(L-R): Grin Like A Dog Songs’ Leslie Mitchell, Steve Mitchell and Green Hills Music Group’s Woody Bomar

Green Hills Music Welcomes Steve Mitchell
Green Hills Music Group is partnering with Grin Like A Dog Songs to promote the catalog of songwriter Steve Mitchell. The Canadian hitmaker recently relocated to Nashville from Vancouver, BC where he was a member of the Juno Award winning band The Paperboys. He is an international touring act whose music has been included in documentaries, film and TV.

Green Hills president Woody Bomar shares, “I am so impressed with Steve’s unique writing as well as his musicianship and his passion for developing new artist talent. He is a joy to work with.”

Green Hills Music Group started in 2007 and markets the music of Bob Regan, Bonnie Baker, Rick Giles, Georgia Middleman, Steve Williams, Paul Duncan, Patricia Summers and Dave Rivers. The company’s current releases include cuts by Hunter Hayes, The Dirt Drifters, Jaclyn North, Matt Stillwell and Six West.

Publisher Mickey Goldsen Passes
Publisher Mickey Goldsen died Oct. 19 at home in Encino, Calif. He was 99. His career included heading Capitol Records’ publishing division in the 1940s, where he worked alongside such legends as Johnny Mercer, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole. In 1950 Goldsen founded Criterion Music Corp., where he served as CEO until his death. The publisher is home to classics including “These Boots are Made for Walkin’,” “Tiny Bubbles,” “Doctor My Eyes,” “Dream,” “Moonlight in Vermont,” “Papa Oom Mow Mow,” “Seven Year Ache,” and dozens of Charlie Parker compositions. Services were held Mon., Oct. 24 in Mission Hills, Calif. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to MusiCares, The Child and Family Guidance Center of Northidge, or the Society of Singers. More here.

Avery Earls Arrives
Sr. VP of Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville, Kent Earls, and Martha Earls, Partner and co-GM of Effusion Entertainment are happy to announce the birth of their baby girl. Avery Caroline Earls was born Oct. 19, weighing 6 pounds, 8 ounces and measuring 15 1/2 inches long.

Strong Ratings For Canadian Country Awards
Last month’s broadcast of The Canadian Country Music Awards was another smash-hit for the Canadian Broadcasting Channel, with the show attracting an average audience of nearly 750,000 viewers. At its peak, the two-hour broadcast pulled in almost one million viewers and more than 3.1 million Canadians watched some part of the show. Among the performers at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario were Johnny Reid, Ronnie Dunn, Luke Bryan, and Dean Brody. Country Music Week 2012 is happening in Saskatoon, SK from Sept. 6-9.

UMPG Promotes Brian Lambert
Universal Music Publishing Group, North America has promoted Brian Lambert to Executive Vice President/Head of Film & Television Music. From the company’s Santa Monica, Calif. headquarters, Lambert will report directly to President of Universal Music Publishing Group, North America Evan Lamberg.

Matt Mahaffey Moves To Nashville
Pop/rock artist/writer/producer Matt Mahaffey has relocated to Franklin, Tenn. following a decade in Los Angeles working on projects including DreamWorks’ Shrek, and his own releases under the Self moniker. The Murfreesboro native has built a new studio and recently finished work on an album by Atlantic Records artists I Fight Dragons. He is also working on a new Self project. Reach Mahaffey via David Surnow at Solid Music Company, david@solidmusic.net or (213) 610-1065.

Tuesday Photos

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Museum Honors Fontana

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum recently (10/22) honored drummer D.J. Fontana in its quarterly Nashville Cats: A Celebration of Music City Musicians series. Throughout the program, which included rare recordings and videos, Fontana discussed his time as the staff drummer for the Louisiana Hayride before he joined Elvis Presley and the Blue Moon Boys. Fontana played on over 400 Presley recordings including “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog” and “Heartbreak Hotel.” Fontana also recorded with Waylon Jennings, Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Keith Richards and Ringo Starr. (L-R): Fontana, Jerry Chesnut, Country Music Hall of Fame member Gordon Stoker, David Briggs, Scotty Moore and program host Bill Lloyd.

Photo: Donn Jones

She’s Country Tour Launches

The She’s Country Tour featuring Heidi Newfield with Bridgette Tatum and special guests kicked off with an industry launch party at 12th & Porter in Nashville. The first phase of the all-girl tour, sponsored by Pendleton Whisky, begins next week in Little Rock, AR and runs through December. (L-R): Tatum; Carolyn Miller, 343 Agency; Newfield; and Mike Snider, co-head Paradigm Nashville.

Photo: Randi Radcliff

Neal McCoy Visits MusicRow

Blaster Records artist Neal McCoy stopped by the MusicRow offices last Wednesday (10/19) to preview his latest single, “A-OK,” from his twelfth career album, XII, which is set for a first quarter 2012 release. (L-R): MR’s Christie King, Caitlin Rantala and Sherod Robertson; McCoy; and MR’s Michelle Stephens and Jon Freeman.

Lambert Readies Album Launch

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For Miranda Lambert fans, the two year wait since her last solo outing is almost over. The feisty CMA Female Vocalist of the Year will take the wraps off her new collection Four The Record Nov. 1. The new 14-track set includes the self-penned Lambert songs “Safe,” and “Dear Diamond,” two songs that paint a portrait of both sides of the relationship spectrum. She covers the Gillian Welch & David Rawlings song “Look At Miss Ohio,” and the album closes with the ethereal “Oklahoma Sky,” written for Miranda by singer-songwriter friend Allison Moorer.

Before the official release, five tracks from the album will be “leaked” beginning Oct. 24 and a new track will premiere each day. Fans can click HERE to find info about how to listen to the music. After listening to each song there will be a QR code to unlock and collect an exclusive Miranda Lambert badge. Those collecting all five badges will be eligible to enter for a flyaway trip to meet Miranda and see her in concert.

Lambert’s launch week will kick off with a performance of “Baggage Claim” on The Today Show. On Wednesday, Nov. 2, she will appear on Live With Regis & Kelly where she will be interviewed and also perform the song. Miranda will also appear on the cover of the current issues of Billboard Magazine and Ladies Home Journal.

A Limited Deluxe Edition version of the album that includes a bonus song and a DVD featuring Miranda sharing stories behind each song will also be released.

Miranda will perform on the 45th Annual CMA Awards on Wed., Nov. 9. She is nominated in the Female Vocalist and Musical Event categories. Last August the newly married Texas-born singer songwriter released a unique album with trio Pistol Annies. Titled Hell on Wheels, the disc was only available in digital format and sold almost 42,000 units.