Arbitron just released its new “Radio Today” 2011 edition. There are a number of things in the report that will be interesting to MusicRow readers beyond radio personnel.
There is a lot of good news, like the fact that Country Radio is the number one format. Arbitron lists Country + New Country as scoring 12.7 percent (with persons 25-54) of all listening to radio. Country Radio is way ahead of the number two format, Adult Contemporary, with 9.5 percent.
Country is the number two format in terms of number of outlets, when you add in HD and streaming. News and Talk is number one by a huge number but Country has almost three times more outlets on the FM dial versus News and Talk. And FM is still the number one source of listener usage.
In fact, Country Radio reaches more than 65 millions listeners each week and a fourth of all radio listeners in non-metro countries. The places where people still visit Wal-Mart and Target to buy their music.
Radio has given away usage in the house. I work with stations every day trying to recapture listening in the home, particularly in the morning. As more and more radio stations have gone away from providing news and information in the morning, TV has come and taken away that position. Now TV is the source for school closings, weather and even traffic information during early morning hours.
In fact, two thirds of Country Radio listening is done away from home. This has been the trend for six years now.
What I like about this information is that Arbitron reaches out and talks to people engaged with radio. You can quote a number of researchers and you might find some different results but Arbitron talks to people that are most important to me—people who have agreed to carry a meter or fill out a diary to track their media usage.
We should all care about these people because they are the kind of people that are willing to participate. They wouldn’t have agreed to participate in the ratings process if they weren’t active.
Nearly 50 percent of Country listeners live in households earning at least $50,000 a year. According to the report, this might be because our listeners are becoming increasingly more educated. Funny how one follows the other.
Similar information has come out of CMA studies that also show the growing income and educational levels.
Loyalty to the format has been so important for artists and radio stations through the years. Arbitron publishes numbers based on Time Spent Listening (TSL) to specific radio stations. As a station programmer you have two goals: attract as many people as possible to the station and then keep them there as long as possible.
The first is called cume, which is the total number of different persons who tune in during the course of a daypart for at least five minutes. Remember when I wrote a few weeks ago that making songs like “Need You Now” and “Remind Me” would be good for radio? That’s why.
TSL is an estimate of the amount of time the average listener spent with a station during a particular daypart. The explanation was made to point out that Country Radio is ranked first among English-language music formats. This is a format that appeals to its fans way beyond any other format.
I suspect that many in the music community do some sort of perceptual research on their artists and their music. But I wonder how many do research on the listeners. What do the listeners do with their discretionary time?
Again, using the new Arbitron information, we can learn a lot about those same people who spend so much time with Country Radio. The most popular recreational experiences and hobbies are camping, fishing and sewing/crafts. Swimming, bowling and photography are also high on the list.
Coupons are really big with the Country core, and I suspect every American today. Seventy-nine percent of the respondents use grocery coupons and 54 percent use coupons for other goods and services. Does it make sense to partner with radio stations and provide coupons for CDs/downloads and or concerts?
Despite what you see at concerts, remote broadcasts, and NASCAR, light beer is preferred over regular beer. And like at my house, salty snacks, candy and ice cream are very popular.
Where are you going to find these folks? At a country concert, rodeo, monster truck rally, or NHRA drag racing event. The Country radio listener is more likely to be a Republican than a Democrat and less likely to embrace environmental causes.
None of the above is earth-shattering information, but hopefully some of it is enlightening when thinking about how to interact with your listeners and your fans. We don’t tell our radio stations to adjust their thinking or to put on a front if they don’t understand or participate in the same things.
But you are more likely to run into your fans in a bowling alley than you are at an Occupy Yazoo City rally.
Weekly Chart Report (10/21/11)
/by FreemanJesse Keith Whitley (L) visits with Gordon Stack of WOWF WOW-FM in Crossville, TN. Whitley’s latest single “Kentucky Thunder” is currently No. 61 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart.
RADIO NEWS
RJ Jordan has joined CountryBreakout reporting station WCJW/Warsaw, NY as PD following the recent exit of Lee Richey. Most recently he was with Max Media’s WWBE/Selinsgrove, PA, and previously held promotion positions with Stroudavarious, 903 and Country Thunder. Reach out to him here.
SPIN ZONE
The folks over at Big Machine Label Group might be feeling pretty happy about this edition of the CountryBreakout Chart, because Taylor Swift’s “Sparks Fly” just hit No. 1 and Brantley Gilbert’s “Country Must Be Country Wide” is occupying the No. 2 spot. Lady Antebellum’s “We Owned The Night” will likely soon give them some competition as it moves up to No. 3, as will Miranda Lambert’s “Baggage Claim” at No. 4. Jason Aldean’s “Tattoos On This Town” and Eric Church’s “Drink In My Hand” are also moving quickly, and add an amped up sensibility to the Top 10 at No. 7 and 8.
Kenny Chesney’s “Reality” experiences a second consecutive increase of 500+ spins, which propels it onward to No. 23 in its third week charting. Brad Paisley’s three-week-old “Camouflage” is pretty much keeping pace with it at No. 27 after a 446 spin gain. Toby Keith’s unofficial single “Red Solo Cup” seems to have intoxicated programmers, as it leaps on the chart at No. 50. Also appearing for the first time is Keith Urban’s “You Gonna Fly,” pulling in enough stations to debut at No. 60.
Other chart debuts include Taylor Made’s “Good Love” at No. 77, Donny and Marie’s “A Beautiful Life” at No. 78, and Clay Dustin’s “I’ll Take That Job” at No. 80.
Frozen Playlists: KTTI, KTWI, KYKX, WBKR, WBYZ, WKWS, WMEV, WUCZ, WQNZ
Upcoming Singles
October 24
Gloriana/(Kissed You) Good Night/Emblem/WMN
Bill Gentry/This Letter/Tenacity
October 31
Trace Adkins/Million Dollar View/Show Dog – Universal
Katie Armiger/Scream/Cold River
Uncle Kracker/My Hometown/Top Dog/Atlantic/BPG
• • • • •
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Toby Keith/Red Solo Cup/Show Dog-Univeral — 50
Keith Urban/You Gonna Fly/Capitol — 60
Taylor Made/Good Love — 77
Donny and Marie Osmond/A Beautiful Life/MPCA — 78
Clay Dustin/I’ll Take That Job/Pure Heart Records — 80
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Kenny Chesney/Reality/BNA — 511
Toby Keith/Red Solo Cup/Show Dog-Univeral — 495
Brad Paisley/Camouflage/Arista — 446
Billy Currington/Like My Dog/Mercury — 359
Keith Urban/You Gonna Fly/Capitol — 349
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Toby Keith/Red Solo Cup/Show Dog-Univeral — 42
Keith Urban/You Gonna Fly/Capitol — 30
Billy Currington/Like My Dog/Mercury — 25
Brad Paisley/Camouflage/Arista — 21
Kenny Chesney/Reality/BNA — 19
Neal McCoy/A—Ok/Blaster Records — 13
Trace Adkins/Million Dollar View/Show Dog-Universal — 13
Rodney Atkins/He’s Mine/Curb — 12
Jake Owen/Alone With You/RCA — 11
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Landon Michael/Might As Well Be Me/Big Dog Records — 166
Corey Wagar/I Hate My Boyfriend/GTR — 156
Erica Nicole/Shave/Heaven Records — 148
Attwater/Never Gonna Happen/Twenty Ten Music — 143
Casey James/Let’s Don’t Call It A Night/BNA — 141
EMI Records Nashville artist Eric Paslay recently paid a visit to KIIM/Tucson in support of his debut single “Never Really Wanted, which lands at No. 31 on the CountryBreakout Chart this week. (L-R) EMI Nashville’s Ron Bradley, Paslay, KIIM PD Buzz Jackson
Bold Gold Media’s WDNB/Liberty, NY “Thunder 102” recently raised over $42,000 for St. Jude in its first ever Country Cares For St. Jude Radiothon. Sponsors for the event held Sept. 15-16 included M & M Auto Group, Yellow Cab, Formaggio Cheese, Catskill Regional Medical Center, Hilltop Homes and Bethel Woods Center For the Arts. (L-R): WDNB’s Paul Ciliberto, Regina Hensley, Mike Sakell, Michelle Semerano, and St. Jude’s Courtney Lynch.
Coy Taylor (Flying Island/Twang City) toasts WTHT in Portland, ME during his recent visit to support his current single, ‘Fall For You.” (L-R): Corey Garrison (WTHT MD), Michelle Taylor (APD and morning host), Coy Taylor, and Dave Winsor (morning host)
Charlie Cook On Air
/by contributorThere is a lot of good news, like the fact that Country Radio is the number one format. Arbitron lists Country + New Country as scoring 12.7 percent (with persons 25-54) of all listening to radio. Country Radio is way ahead of the number two format, Adult Contemporary, with 9.5 percent.
Country is the number two format in terms of number of outlets, when you add in HD and streaming. News and Talk is number one by a huge number but Country has almost three times more outlets on the FM dial versus News and Talk. And FM is still the number one source of listener usage.
In fact, Country Radio reaches more than 65 millions listeners each week and a fourth of all radio listeners in non-metro countries. The places where people still visit Wal-Mart and Target to buy their music.
Radio has given away usage in the house. I work with stations every day trying to recapture listening in the home, particularly in the morning. As more and more radio stations have gone away from providing news and information in the morning, TV has come and taken away that position. Now TV is the source for school closings, weather and even traffic information during early morning hours.
In fact, two thirds of Country Radio listening is done away from home. This has been the trend for six years now.
What I like about this information is that Arbitron reaches out and talks to people engaged with radio. You can quote a number of researchers and you might find some different results but Arbitron talks to people that are most important to me—people who have agreed to carry a meter or fill out a diary to track their media usage.
We should all care about these people because they are the kind of people that are willing to participate. They wouldn’t have agreed to participate in the ratings process if they weren’t active.
Nearly 50 percent of Country listeners live in households earning at least $50,000 a year. According to the report, this might be because our listeners are becoming increasingly more educated. Funny how one follows the other.
Similar information has come out of CMA studies that also show the growing income and educational levels.
Loyalty to the format has been so important for artists and radio stations through the years. Arbitron publishes numbers based on Time Spent Listening (TSL) to specific radio stations. As a station programmer you have two goals: attract as many people as possible to the station and then keep them there as long as possible.
The first is called cume, which is the total number of different persons who tune in during the course of a daypart for at least five minutes. Remember when I wrote a few weeks ago that making songs like “Need You Now” and “Remind Me” would be good for radio? That’s why.
TSL is an estimate of the amount of time the average listener spent with a station during a particular daypart. The explanation was made to point out that Country Radio is ranked first among English-language music formats. This is a format that appeals to its fans way beyond any other format.
I suspect that many in the music community do some sort of perceptual research on their artists and their music. But I wonder how many do research on the listeners. What do the listeners do with their discretionary time?
Again, using the new Arbitron information, we can learn a lot about those same people who spend so much time with Country Radio. The most popular recreational experiences and hobbies are camping, fishing and sewing/crafts. Swimming, bowling and photography are also high on the list.
Coupons are really big with the Country core, and I suspect every American today. Seventy-nine percent of the respondents use grocery coupons and 54 percent use coupons for other goods and services. Does it make sense to partner with radio stations and provide coupons for CDs/downloads and or concerts?
Despite what you see at concerts, remote broadcasts, and NASCAR, light beer is preferred over regular beer. And like at my house, salty snacks, candy and ice cream are very popular.
Where are you going to find these folks? At a country concert, rodeo, monster truck rally, or NHRA drag racing event. The Country radio listener is more likely to be a Republican than a Democrat and less likely to embrace environmental causes.
None of the above is earth-shattering information, but hopefully some of it is enlightening when thinking about how to interact with your listeners and your fans. We don’t tell our radio stations to adjust their thinking or to put on a front if they don’t understand or participate in the same things.
But you are more likely to run into your fans in a bowling alley than you are at an Occupy Yazoo City rally.
New Legislation To Protect Instrument Owners
/by Sarah SkatesThe RELIEF Act (Retailers and Entertainers Lacey Implementation and Enforcement Fairness) clarifies the Lacey Act, which Congress updated in 2008 in an effort to disrupt illegal logging.
U.S. Representatives Mary Bono Mack (CA) and Marsha Blackburn (TN) joined Cooper as original co-sponsors.
“I’m grateful to Rep. Cooper for all of his support,” said Vince Gill. “From the perspective of guitar players, collectors and lovers of old instruments, I wholeheartedly support this bill.”
The Lacey Act has been a hot topic this year following alleged violations by Gibson.
The RELIEF Act includes:
• Grandfathering: Any foreign wood products that a person owned before May 22, 2008 (the date the Lacey Act amendments were signed into law) will be exempt from the law.
• Protection: If a person has any wood that violates Lacey but didn’t know it, he or she will not be penalized, and the government cannot confiscate that individual property.
• Access: The government should compile a database of forbidden wood sources on the Internet so that everyone is fairly warned.
The RELIEF Act preserves punishments for those who knowingly violate the Lacey Act. It also keeps in place existing laws that seek to disrupt illegal logging practices. The RELIEF Act does not affect ongoing cases under the Lacey Act.
RIAA Certs: Aldean, Band Perry, and More
/by FreemanJason Aldean’s My Kinda Party album and hit single “Dirt Road Anthem” have both earned double-Platinum honors for selling over two million copies. Aldean has already been making the rounds on the Row to say thank you, and recently stopped by MusicRow’s offices for a photo.
The Band Perry’s massive hit single “If I Die Young” still has some life, as the RIAA just bestowed a triple-Platinum award upon it. Also earning triple-Platinum status is hip-hop/dance crew LMFAO and “Party Rock Anthem.”
Nashville rockers Hot Chelle Rae picked up double-Platinum honors for their hit “Tonight Tonight,” and Jake Owen’s “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” earned a Platinum award in September. Jamey Johnson’s groundbreaking album That Lonesome Song attained Platinum status, and George Strait’s 2008 No. 1 single “I Saw God Today” was certified Gold. Former Staind singer Aaron Lewis’ country project “Country Boy” also got some love with a Gold certification.
Outside Nashville and country music, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaboration album Watch The Throne was quickly certified Platinum after its release in August. Foster The People was awarded its first ever Gold album for Torches, and their breakout single “Pumped Up Kicks” was certified double-Platinum.
Adele continued her reign by earning the top digital download award for the 5x Platinum smash “Rolling In The Deep,” and her songs “Someone Like You” and “Set Fire To The Rain” have earned Platinum and Gold certs, respectively.
[updated] Industry Ink Thursday
/by Sarah SkatesMargaret Durante opened for YouTube sensation Tyler Ward at Rocketown in Nashville over the weekend, treating the standing room only crowd to material from her upcoming debut album on Emrose/R&J Records. (L-R): Ward’s manager Jordan Howard, 1882 Management; Margaret Durante; Tyler Ward; and Durante’s manager Scott Siman, RPM Management. Photo: Steph Diggs
• [updated] LoCash Cowboys band member Ryan “Troop” Jones has died from complications of pneumonia. He played fiddle, guitar and mandolin with the band.
• Universal Music Publishing Group names Brian Lambert Executive Vice President/Head of Film & Television Music. He is based in Santa Monica, Calif. and has 20 years of music publishing experience.
• Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, Sugarland, and Zac Brown Band are the latest performers added to the Nov. 9 CMA Awards.
• Zac Brown Band is also bringing its dynamic southern rock act to Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 29.
• CBS Radio names Jeff Kapugi VP/Country, and PD for WUSN/Chicago. Jeff Garrison moves to the newly created position of VP/Country Artist Relations.
• Bass player Chris Kent died yesterday (10/19) at age 44. Among the artists he worked with are Lorrie Morgan, Toni Braxton, Steve Winwood and Stevie Wonder. More here.
Paul Kruse
• Paul W. Kruse, a partner at Bone McAllester Norton PLLC, has been named Best Lawyers’ 2012 Nashville Trademark Law, Lawyer of the Year. He has more than 20 years of experience in trademark counseling and litigation.
• Casey Le’Vasseur, daughter of Jeffrey Steele, celebrates the release of her debut novel, Silence & Noise, tonight (10/20) at the Listening Room. Book signing at 7 p.m. followed by a performance by Pearl Heart at 8:30 p.m.
• Christian recording artist and renowned guitar maestro Phil Keaggy releases Live From Kegworth Studio through Strobie Records.
• The Harry Fox Agency, Inc. is providing licensing services for BFM Digital, a leading independent music distributor specializing in customized strategic marketing, promotions and support solutions.
Keith Burns Hosts Charity Golf Tournament
/by FreemanThe event takes place at Ravenwood Country Club Golf Course (1176 Stones River Rd., Hermitage), and players will be expected to use 1920s traditional hickory-shafted golf clubs that were constructed in 2010. Clubs will be issued at check-in, along with two putters so that two players can share one bag. Players need to supply their own gloves, balls, markers and tees. Entry fee is $149 per player. The game will be followed by an acoustic show and silent auction at Dan McGuinness, 3:30-5:30 pm.
BMI Board Elects New Chairman
/by Sarah SkatesSusan Davenport Austin
Susan Davenport Austin was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of Broadcast Music, Inc. at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, held this week in Nashville. A respected media executive, Austin serves as a director and as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sheridan Broadcasting Corporation and President of the Sheridan Gospel Network. Austin’s family founded Sheridan in 1972. She is the first woman and the first African-American elected to serve as Chairman of the BMI Board.
Re-elected Board members: Craig A. Dubow, former Chairman and CEO, Gannett Co., Inc., McLean, VA; Paul Karpowicz, President, Meredith Broadcasting Group, Rocky Hill, CT; Virginia Hubbard Morris, Chair, Hubbard Radio and Vice President, Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc., St. Paul, MN; and G. Neil Smith, President, GNS Media, LLC, Liberty, SC. All will serve terms that expire in 2015.
Continuing their terms on the Board are: Del R. Bryant, President & CEO, BMI, New York, NY; Jack Sander, former Vice Chairman of Belo Corporation in Dallas, Texas; Amador Bustos, President, Bustos Media Holdings, LLC, Portland, OR; N. John Douglas, Chairman and CEO, AIM Broadcasting, LLC, Palo Alto, CA; Kenneth J. Elkins, (Retired) President & CEO, Pulitzer Broadcasting and Senior Vice President, Broadcasting, Pulitzer Publishing Co., St. Louis, MO; Michael J. Fiorile, Vice Chairman and CEO, Dispatch Broadcast Group, Columbus, OH; Catherine L. Hughes, Founder and Chairperson, Radio One, Inc., Lanham, MD; Philip A. Jones, Mission Hills, KS; Jerome L. Kersting, Chicago, IL; Mark P. Mays, Chairman Clear Channel Communications, San Antonio, TX; Mark Pedowitz, President, The CW Network, Burbank CA; and Cecil Walker, (Retired) Chairman and CEO, Gannett Broadcasting, Atlanta, GA.
ACM Establishes New Award
/by Sarah SkatesAmong the Awards committee members who helped create the new category are Pat Higdon, Dale Bobo and Ben Vaughn. “At the ACM, we want to show as much respect for the great craft of songwriting as we possibly can,” explains Vaughn. “I’m a songwriter guy, and I don’t think they get enough recognition—ever. The entire business is built around what a songwriter crafts, so anytime we can recognize them we should. For the ACM to take the lead in this is really gratifying.”
According to Michelle Goble, ACM Sr. Vice President, Membership & Events, “The Academy has always paid tribute to songwriters, whether it was through Song of the Year, hosting songwriter No. 1 parties or honoring legends with the Poet’s Award, as we do every year. We are thrilled to dedicate this annual award to the composers that make the country music genre so special in its rich history of storytelling.”
The ACM Songwriter of the Year award was previously presented only once, to Roger Miller in 1965.
The winner will be announced with the Special Awards recipients, Industry and MBI winners next spring, prior to the televised 47th Annual ACM Awards.
Award Criteria and Nominee Selection: This award is presented to an individual known predominately as a songwriter. The Songwriter of the Year final nominees will be selected by a Blue Ribbon panel of judges comprised of songwriters, publishers, producers, and performing rights organization (PRO) representatives. The Panel will submit 5 (five) nominees, which will be placed on the ballot once approved by the Board.
The final nominees will appear on the third ballot and be voted on by the ACM professional members in Artist-Entertainer/Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist, Composer, Music Publisher/PRO, Record Company, and the Producer/Engineer/Studio Manager subcategory (contained within the Affiliated category).
The factors to be considered include, but are not limited to, a commercially released single crediting the songwriter that charted on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs (BDS) or Country Aircheck (Mediabase) country charts during the prior calendar year of Dec. 1 – Nov. 30. If the single was released prior to the eligibility period, but achieved its highest charted position during the eligibility period, it is eligible, unless it appeared on a final ACM ballot.
Membership to vote in the 2012 cycle: New membership applications for the ACM must be completed by 5:00 PM PT on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011 for members to be eligible to vote during the 2012 Awards cycle. Existing membership renewals must be completed by 5:00 PM PT on Friday, Nov. 18, 2011.
Nominees for the Academy of Country Music Awards will be revealed in February 2012 at a date to be announced. For more information on ACM Awards criteria, please click to download.
Paisley’s Bringing The Camobunga!
/by Sherod RobertsonPaisley’s explanation of the tour name comes from an etymology of the word Camobunga:
Camobunga :n; : //kam,bunga/ – The name of a live musical tour experience. A mind blowing blend of country, fiery 60’s surf guitar acrobatics, futuristic special effects, retro heart and soul, and mind altering liquid beverages. The spirit of the deep woods meets the breakneck excitement of the California coast.
camouflage – N: /kamfläZH/ -fabric w/ splotches of green, brown, black & tan, meant to make the wearer of this pattern hard to distinguish from the background;(or possibly stand out as a redneck). And Brad Paisley’s latest single.
cowabunga (exclamation): Originated as a greeting by Chief Thunderthud on the 50’s cowboy puppet TV program “The Howdy Doody Show,” was later adopted by surfers in the 60’s.
Paisley will also release his first book, Diary of a Player, on Nov. 1, delving into how his musical heroes made a guitar man out of him.
He is currently nominated for five CMA Awards – Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Album of the Year (This Is Country Music), Music Event and Video (“Old Alabama”) and will co-host “The 45th Annual CMA Awards” with Carrie Underwood for the fourth consecutive year on Nov 9.
Industry Photos (10/20/11)
/by contributorFrances Preston Honored as Giant of Broadcasting
Frances Williams Preston made history as the President & CEO of BMI, and on Friday, October 14, her contributions were celebrated by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation. Named one of the foundation’s Giants of Broadcasting, Preston joined 2011 honorees Christiane Amanpour; Rick Buckley; CBS Sunday Morning’s team comprising Charles Kuralt, Rand Morrison, Robert “Shad” Northshield, and Charles Osgood; John F. Dille, III; Brian Lamb; Dawson B “Tack” Nail; Frederick S. Pierce; and Brian Williams.
Preston was selected to open BMI’s Music City outpost in 1958, where she helped define the golden era of the music industry. As BMI’s New York-based president & CEO from 1986 until 2004, she oversaw the company’s unprecedented growth. Preston was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992. (L-R): BMI’s Alison Smith; Preston; and Susan Davenport Austin, Chairman BMI Board of Directors, Sr. VP/CFO Sheridan Broadcasting Corporation and Pres. Sheridan Gospel Network.
Photo: R. Arhold
7th Annual Stars For Second Harvest A Smashing Success
A variety of Nashville celebrities came together to support and participate in the 7th annual Stars For Second Harvest concert which benefits the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. The event helped to raise nearly $50,000 this year. Host Craig Wiseman, Kix Brooks and Dallas Davidson kicked off the evening with a rockin’ songwriters round. The evening included performances by pop artist Martin Johnson of Boys Like Girls, indie artist Dave Barnes and a surprise appearance by country recording artist Jake Owen. Tennessee Titans football players Rob Bironas and Cortland Finnegan were there to auction off autographed memorabilia including jerseys, footballs and even a few penalty flags. Presenting sponsor O’Charley’s underwrote the entire event to ensure that all proceeds benefit the food bank. Also, Nissan Americas, Vice Chairman Bill Krueger presented Second Harvest Pres./CEO Jaynee Day a brand new 2012 Nissan NV stocked with food items. The donated van will be used to help collect and distribute food around Middle Tennessee. Left: (L-R): KK Wiseman and Craig Wiseman. Right: (L-R): Jake Owen, Jaynee Day, Dave Barnes.
Photos: Peyton Hoge
Australian Invasion at 2011 Americana Music Festival
Twenty of Australia’s finest roots artists descended on Music City’s annual Americana Music Festival and Conference last week, held in and around downtown Nashville Oct. 12-15. This year’s Australian lineup included Kirsty Akers, James Blundell, Ange Boxall, Catherine Britt, O’Shea, Chris Pickering, Henry Wagons, 3rd Wheel, Chris Altmann, Lachlan Bryan, Kristy Cox, Mia Dyson, Gleny Rae Virus and Her Tamworth Playboys, Caitlin Harnett, The McMenamins, Shandell and Duke Wilde Band. 2011 Telstra Road to Discovery Songwriter winner David Garnham and Telstra Road to Discovery Performer winner Harry Hookey also made the trip and performed at events throughout the week.
The artists participated in several AMA-related activities, including the Tamworth Presents “A Taste of Australia” showcase at the legendary Bluebird Cafe, the “Are You Prepared To Be Known As A Country Artist Down Under?” seminar panel at the AMA conference, the Maton Presents “Lunch With the Aussies” luncheon and performance at famed Broadway honkytonk The Second Fiddle and a free Aussie BBQ at The Basement.
For the second year in a row, Australian music industry and government-supported organization Sounds Australia sponsored the overseas trip through its strategic partnership with the Nashville-based Americana Music Association. (L-R): Jay O’Shea, Mark O’Shea, Troy Cassar-Daley, Sounds Australia Project Manager Dobe Newton, Catherine Britt, AristoMedia Pres./CEO Jeff Walker, and record producer Mark Moffatt.
Photo: Bev Moser