iTunes Crowd Continues To Swell

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NPD’s latest research reports one in four U.S. Internet users now use iTunes—almost 51 million people—and an increase of 3% since last year. Music remains the primary activity of iTunes users, although app downloads is also seeing growth. 54% of iTunes users downloaded or listened to music this year and 28% downloaded a free app (up 4% over last year). 16% downloaded a paid app (also up 4%).

NPD’s report aptly titled, “iTunes User Report 2011” shows that the total number of U.S. consumers purchasing content of any kind from Apple’s store grew by over a million this year. Of that consumer group a growing number of purchases are coming from app buyers. Last year 82% of iTunes buyers bought music and 31% purchased apps. In 2011, however those levels have changed. This year only 75% of iTunes content buyers chose music and 39% purchased apps. Video purchases declined from 20% to 19%.

“The beauty of the iPad is that it brings together social media, access to artist websites, apps from IMBD, and Flixster, and Pandora and other streaming radio sites, all of which can be cross-leveraged to foster more awareness of movies and music,” says Russ Crupnick, Sr. VP and Entertainment Analyst for The NPD Group. “There is a continuing opportunity to build video and music revenue by creating a linear path from content discovery to content purchasing.”

The survey was based upon over 4,000 interview from respondents 13 and older that reported using iTunes and least once in the past three months.

 

Walk The West, Cactus Brothers Leader Dies At Age 48

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Paul Kirby, who co-founded the Nashville rock band Walk the West and also led the country-rocking Cactus Brothers, has died of cardiac arrest at age 48.

The native Nashvillian passed away on Sunday at his home. Paul Kirby was the son of the late country songwriter Dave Kirby (“Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” “Memories to Burn,” “There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang,” etc.). The elder Kirby wrote several songs for Merle Haggard and later married Haggard’s ex-wife, singer-songwriter Leona Williams.

But although Haggard, Willie Nelson and other stars were frequent visitors to his father’s home, Paul Kirby was inspired by the country-punk music of Nashville’s Jason & The Scorchers. He and friends John Goleman, Will Goleman and Richard Ice formed Walk the West in 1984, eager to join the emerging Nashville rock scene of that era. The band signed with Capitol/EMI and issued its self-titled LP in 1986.

The singles from that record were “Living at Night” and “Lonely Boy,” both issued in 1986. Despite critical acclaim and a national tour with The Smithereens, the label didn’t put out the second album that Walk the West recorded.

By the early 1990s, the group had morphed into the more countrified Cactus Brothers. Multi-instrumentalist Tramp, dulcimer player David Schnaufer, steel guitarist Sam Pollard and drummer Dave Kennedy joined Kirby in The Cactus Brothers.

The group recorded two albums for the country division of Capitol/Liberty Records, as well as the well-received music videos “Crazy Heart” (1993) and “Sixteen Tons” (1994). The Cactus Brothers also appeared in the 1993 George Strait movie Pure Country.

Since The Cactus Brothers dissolution around 1995, Kirby had been working as an independent musician and songwriter. Walk the West reunited earlier this month for a show to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Exit/In nightclub.

Paul Kirby’s survivors include his companion Elizabeth Forsythe, mother Emma Lou Kirby, brother Wade Kirby and sister Janis Ross.

Read more in this LA Times article from 1993.

Make It 10 For Chesney

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Kenny Chesney has reached another significant milestone with his latest album, Hemingway’s Whiskey (BNA), being certified platinum by the RIAA, making it the 10th platinum album for the country star. The CD has spawned three No. 1 singles as well as current hit “You and Tequila,” featuring Grace Potter, which has been certified gold and hit No. 2 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart.

These milestones come on the heels of the 2011 Corona Presents Kenny Chesney’s ‘Goin’ Coastal’ Tour, which made its mark as one of the year’s biggest tours, selling more than 1.3 million tickets. Chesney performed more than 60 shows including a performance at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field and at the landmark New Meadowlands Stadium which was the biggest ticketed country event in NY/NJ history.

Chesney recently performed on Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas alongside acts Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Coldplay and others.

Chesney will release the rocking, introspective “Reality” as the fifth single from Hemingway’s Whiskey, with the song shipping to radio on Oct. 3. “Reality” was co-written by Brett James, with whom Chesney teamed to write the hits “Keg In The Closet” and “Out Last Night.” Chesney is nominated for four awards at the Nov. 9, 2011 CMA Awards, including Song of the Year and Musical Event of the Year nominations for “You and Tequila.”

Industry Toasts Moore’s No. 1 “If Heaven…”

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BMI and ASCAP teamed up yesterday afternoon (9/26) at CMA’s headquarters to honor the songwriting team behind Valory Music Co. artist Justin Moore’s No. 1 “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away.” Written by Dallas Davidson, Rob Hatch, and Brett Jones, the song was originally given to Moore’s producer Jeremy Stover over five years ago. As they finished recording Moore’s second album Outlaws Like Me, Stover recommended that “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” be the first single and the rest is fairly recent history.

Pictured: BMI’s Jody Williams, Universal Music Publishing’s Pat Higdon, producer Jeremy Stover, co-writers Dallas Davidson and Rob Hatch, Valory Recording artist Justin Moore, Big Machine/Valory Music’s Scott Borchetta, co-writer Brett Jones and ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan. Photo: Eric England

Bluegrass Blooms In Downtown Nashville

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This week is the 2011 IBMA World of Bluegrass conference, convention and fan festival in Music City. Collectively, more than 20,000 will attend the events.

To kick off the event, The Del McCoury Band and special guests including Dierks Bentley and Vince Gill performed today (9/27) on the grounds of the Ryman Auditorium.

World of Bluegrass week (Sept. 26-Oct. 2) includes the Business Conference, the IBMA Awards Show (Sept. 29) and Bluegrass Fan Fest (Sept. 30-Oct. 2).

Here are some of the week’s highlights. Unless otherwise noted, all events are at the Nashville Convention Center on Commerce Street. Details here.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 27:
8:00 – 11:30 a.m. Educational Sessions
12:00 noon Del McCoury & Friends Salute the 100th Birthday of Bill Monroe Ryman Auditorium Patio free and open to the public
12:30 – 5:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open
4:00- 5:30 p.m.  Seminars
6:30 – 7:15 p.m. Attendee Happy Hour
7:15 – 7:45 p.m. Bearfoot showcase
7:45 – 8:10 p.m. The Farewell Drifters showcase
8:15 – 8:40 p.m. Nu-Blue showcase
8:50 – 9:15 p.m. Jim Lauderdale showcase
9:20 – 9:45 p.m. Town Mountain showcase
10:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. IBMA Songwriter Showcases
10:00 p.m. – 1:30 a.m. After Hours Showcases including Rob Ickes & Jim Hurst, Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Eddie & Martha Adcock, Donna Ulisse & The Poor Mountain Boys, Dehlia Low
11:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Songwriter Jam Session

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28:
8:00 – 10:30 a.m. Seminars
11:00 – 11:15 a.m. The Roys showcase
11:30 – 11:55 a.m. Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen showcase
12:00 – 12:25 p.m. Blue Moon Rising showcase
12:45 – 5:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open FREE ADMISSION DAY
1:00- 3:00 p.m. Workshops and Seminars
5:00 –5:30 p.m. The Gibson Brothers showcase
5:30 – 6:00 p.m. Lonesome River Band showcase
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Ron Block showcase
5:00 – 5:20 p.m. The Ridgerunners showcase
5:20 – 5:40 p.m. Carolina Road showcase
5:40 – 6:00 p.m. Melvin Goines & Windy Mountain showcase
6:30 – 6:45 p.m. Attendee Happy Hour
6:45 – 7:10 p.m. Mountain Faith showcase
7:15 – 7:40 p.m. No One You Know showcase
7:45 – 8:10 p.m. Cumberland River showcase
8:20- 8:45 p.m. Monogram showcase
8:50 – 9:15 p.m. The April Veach Band showcase
9:20 – 9:45 p.m. Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass showcase
10:00 p.m. – 1:30 a.m. After Hours Showcases, including Ronnie Bowman, Johnny & Jeanette Williams, Melonie Cannon, Flatt Lonesome, Travers Chandler & Avery County, Edgar Loudermilk, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, Lonesome Meadow, Breaking Grass
11:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Songwriter Jam Session

THURSDAY, SEPT. 29:
8:00 – 10:30 a.m. Seminars
10:45 a.m.- 12:45 p.m. Special Awards Luncheon
1:00 – 4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open
1:15 – 3:00 p.m. Seminars
2:00- 4:00 p.m. Disc Jockey Taping Sessions
7:30 – 10:00 p.m. International Bluegrass Music Awards, Ryman Auditorium
10:00 – 12:00 p.m. After Party at The Hard Rock Café featuring The Boxcars, The Cleverlys, Monroeville

FRIDAY, SEPT. 30:
10:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open
MAIN STAGE
11:00 a.m. The Grascals
11:35 a.m. Don Rigsby & Midnight Call
12:10 p.m. Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
12:45 p.m. The Larry Stephenson Band
1:20 p.m. Darin & Brooke Aldridge
1:55 p.m. Balsam Range
2:30 p.m. Grasstowne
3:05 p.m. Blue Highway
3:40 p.m. Ronnie Bowman
4:15 p.m. Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers
4:50 p.m. Jim Lauderdale
5:15 p.m. intermission
6:15 p.m. The Steep Canyon Rangers
6:50 p.m. Joey + Rory
7:25 p.m. The Boxcars
8:00 p.m. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
9:40 p.m. J.D. Crowe & The New South
10:30 p.m. Marty Raybon & Full Circle
11:20 p.m. Peter Rowan’s Bill Monroe Tribute

GRAND MASTER FIDDLER CHAMPIONSHIP STAGE
10:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Grand Master Fiddling Championships
4:45 p.m. Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike
5:15 p.m. Suzy Bogguss
6:00 p.m. Volume Five
8:00 p.m. Kids on Bluegrass

SATURDAY, OCT. 1:
MAIN STAGE
11:30 a.m. NewTown
12:00 noon Mark Johnson & Emory Lester
12:30 p.m. The Spinney Brothers
1:00 p.m. The Darrell Webb Band
1:30 p.m. Special Consensus
2:05 p.m. Jesse McReynolds & The McReynolds Tradition
2:40 p.m. Sierra Hull & Highway 111
3:15 p.m. The Josh Williams Band
3:50 p.m. New Found Road
4:25 p.m. Audie Blaylock & Redline
5:00 p.m. Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time
5:25 p.m. intermission
6:25 p.m. Tribute to Harley Allen
7:00 p.m. 18 South
7:30 p.m. Presentation of the Grand Masters Fiddle Champion
7:50 p.m. Alison Krauss & Union Station
9:00 p.m. The SteelDrivers
9:45 p.m. Dale Ann Bradley
10:30 p.m. Russell Moore & 111rd Tyme Out
11:15 p.m. The Cleverlys

GRAND MASTER FIDDLER CHAMPIONSHIP STAGE
10:00 a.m.- 5:45 p.m. Grand Master Fiddling Championships
12:45 p.m. Della Mae
2:30 p.m. The Whites
4:00 p.m. The Crystal Plohman Fiddlers

SUNDAY, OCT. 2:
9:00 a.m. Bluegrass Chapel service
9:45 a.m. Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa
10:10 a.m. Mike Scott
10:35 a.m. America’s Bluegrass Gospel Show
11:20 a.m. The Isaacs

 

 

Armiger Launches Deluxe Package With Opry Performance

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Katie Armiger bumped into WIVK Programmer and Hall of Fame inductee Mike Hammond backstage shortly before her Grand Ole Opry debut. (L-R) Cold River Rep, Halie Hampton, Armiger and Hammond.

Katie Armiger finally got to stand in country music’s inner circle, that is the six foot circle of dark oak wood cut from the original Ryman Auditorium and inlaid into the stage at the Grand Ole Opry House. Armiger made her debut on the coveted stage Sept. 23 and performed during the 7 p.m. show. The timing was no accident, as it coincided with the Sept. 20 release of a deluxe package to iTunes of her album, Confessions of a Nice Girl.

The deluxe package features four original songs including her current single “I Do, But Do I,” a brand new song entitled “Worth It,” a dance mix of her smash hit “Best Song Ever,” and an acoustic version of “Cry Cry Cry.” The Confessions of a Nice Girl (The True Confessional) deluxe album also includes music videos for “Best Song Ever” and “I Do, But Do I.”

Armiger wrote or co-wrote nine of the 13 songs on the disc, sharing talents and ideas with some of Nashville’s most innovative tunesmiths, such as Sarah Buxton and Blair Daly (“Kiss Me Now,” “Leaving Home,” “Scream”), Rebecca Lynn Howard (“That’s Why”) and Joe West (“Can’t Keep Myself From Loving You”).

The feisty 19-year-old singer/songwriter is currently on the road opening for Darius Rucker and has also opened shows this year for Ronnie Dunn, Little Big Town and Clay Walker. Armiger has been stoking her career fires since the release of her first album almost five years ago. In 2007 her single, “17 In Abilene” hit the MusicRow chart with a record-setting debut for a solo independent artist.

Promoting #Hashtag Happiness

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Twitter is becoming a favored source for entertainment industry news and promotion, however the volume of tweets is reaching tsunami proportions.

One way to fine tune the tweet-flow, is by using hashtags, a word preceded by the poundsign, i.e. #mynews. Hypebot.com recently wrote about some of the favorite tags its readers are using to parse the news. Although the hashtag uses up some of Twitter’s precious 140 character real estate, most news stories are a headline with a shortened link to the full article, so the space taken up is less of a consideration than the increased search visibility which the tag provides.

For example, Sonicbids, a company which helps connect bands and promoters recommends #ArtistTip or #MusicNews. Music 3.0, a book by author Bobby Owsinski dedicated to how companies can use social media, provides a pretty long list of tags—#musicbiz, #musicbusiness, #musicindustry, #musicadvice, #musicmarketing, #crowdfunding, #recordlabels, #artistadvice, #majors, #musicindustrytips.

Thenextweb.com warns readers to use caution however, and be careful to not cause, “hashtag fatigue.” It suggests some pound sign Dos and Don’ts. For example Do use hashtags to keep track of communities, join a cause, run a contest or encourage topic participation. But Don’t use them on every word in your tweet or string several of them together in an effort to get picked up by more searches.

Social media still lacks the precision to allow users to pinpoint and discover specific topics. Until that search ability improves, hashtags are one way to find and be found.

 

Honky Tonk TV Acquired

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Weekly country music news and entertainment television show Honky Tonk TV has been acquired by Phoenix-based Morgans Media Group, it was announced today (9/27). Morgans Media Group will retain HTTV’s current production team and hosts, who have been with the program since 2009.

“We are thrilled to welcome Honky Tonk TV to the Morgans’ family and to expand our love for music and entertainment,” says Geoff Owens, President/Chief Executive Officer of Morgans Media Group. “We’re committed to an immediate growth strategy, beginning in the 4th quarter, to help the show maximize its target audience and more aggressively establish its brand. Our plan also includes building a stronger presence in Nashville and other key markets.”

HTTV Executive Producer Chris James will become Chief Creative Officer of the new company, which recently relocated its headquarters to the back-lot of Universal Studios Orlando.

“Morgans Media Group believes in our creativity and innovation, which was important to us, ” says James. “We started the Honky Tonk brand back in July 2007 and I’m glad to say that they share our vision for building on a well-established foundation. Additionally, they have the sources and know-how to help us forge a new path in this industry and it’s exciting to know what their plans are, including who they’re bringing on board in other cities like Nashville to help us reach our goals.”

Morgans Media Group delivers entertainment content through a range of media, with brands including Chill Report, Freestyle, Blu Ink Entertainment and more. Honky Tonk started in Orlando in 2007 as a print magazine, and has evolved into a national weekly program shown in numerous markets. MusicRow Chart Director Jon Freeman also contributes special Music Row insider segments for HTTV shows.

Johnnie Wright Passes

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Country singer Johnnie Wright died this morning (9/27) at age 97 following a lengthy illness. He is known as a solo artist, as husband of female pioneer Kitty Wells, and as part of the duo Johnnie & Jack.

He was born Johnnie Robert Wright in Mount Juliet, Tenn. on May 13, 1914. Wells and Wright married in 1937 when she was 18, and formed a trio with her sister Louise, known as Johnnie Wright and the Harmony Girls. Louise later married Johnnie’s duo partner Jack Anglin. Also, Wells sang with Johnnie & Jack in the early ‘40s.

By 1947 Johnnie & Jack secured a regular spot on the Grand Ole Opry and went on to join the Louisiana Hayride. Signing with RCA brought the duo its biggest hits in the 1950s including “Poison Love,” “Cryin’ Heart Blues,” “Oh, Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely),” and “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight.” They were known for intertwining latin and calypso influences with their country sound.

At one point Wright even hired a young Chet Atkins as a fiddler, prior to his rise to fame as a guitar player.

Switching to Decca in the 1960s resulted in changing the spelling of Johnnie to Johnny. Anglin passed in 1963, and by 1965 Wright was working as a solo artist and scored the No. 1 “Hello Vietnam.”

He was a lifelong booster of his wife’s career, encouraging her to go by the stage name Kitty Wells, and guiding her business endeavors. He also steered her toward her career-making hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.”

Later they toured with their children the late Ruby, Carol Sue, and Bobby as The Kitty Wells-Johnnie Wright Family Show.

Services will be at the Madison Church of Christ (corner of Gallatin Rd. and Old Hickory Blvd. 615-868-3360). Visitation will be Thurs., Sept. 29, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Funeral will be Fri., Sept. 30 at 2 p.m.

Kitty Wells and Johnnie Wright. Photo: Patricia Presley

peermusic Adds Creative Manager

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Kim Wiggins

peermusic has tapped Kim Wiggins to serve as Creative Manager. The announcement was made today (9/28) by Kevin Lamb, Vice President, peermusic Nashville.

Wiggins comes from Sony/ATV, where she held a similar post. Before her tenure at Sony/ATV, Wiggins was a songplugger at Blacktop Music as well as Acuff-Rose Music Publishing.

“Kim is going to be a great addition to our family,” said Lamb. “She’s well respected, and has a great way of working with and nurturing songwriters. Kim understands the creative atmosphere Michael Knox and I are developing and she will be a vital part of helping this to come together.”

Added Michael Knox, peermusic Senior Creative Director, “She is hands down one of the best songpluggers and creative minds in town and I’m very lucky to have gotten her on the peermusic/Nashville team.”

Founded by Ralph S. Peer in 1928, peermusic operates 35 offices in 28 countries and has more than 250,000 titles in its catalogue.

As previously reported, Ben Strain is filling the vacancy at Sony/ATV left by Wiggins’ departure.