The CMA Board of Directors has named industry veteran Steve Moore as CMA’s Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Moore, who will now step down from his post as Chairman of the Board, has been the interim leader of the Association since January.
According to the CMA, Moore possesses the diverse qualities and experience necessary to expand the mission and strategic imperatives of CMA while being mindful of the unique legacy and spirit of the organization, which was founded in 1958 as the first trade association created to promote a specific genre of music.
“We conducted a coast-to-coast search to find the best possible candidates and there were many. But, I think it should come as no surprise that the best person was right here in Nashville,” said Steve Buchanan, who steps up from President to Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. “Steve developed a tremendous affinity and acumen for the position while serving on an interim basis. We are thrilled that he was ultimately interested in making that a permanent role.”
“The Country Music Association is the cornerstone of what makes Nashville Music City,” Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said. “Their involvement in the community, their support of artists and business, and especially the exposure they give to the industry and our city is absolutely priceless. Steve’s depth of experience and the respect that he enjoys amongst his peers will be a tremendous asset to CMA. I look forward to seeing the organization, and its presence here, continue to succeed and grow under Steve’s leadership.”
Moore has been prominent in the Nashville music community for 25 years, going back to his appointment as the first Executive Director of the popular concert venue Starwood Amphitheater and extending through his work as Senior Vice President of one of the world’s largest concert promotion, special event and touring companies, AEG Live!. His innovations and successes have earned him three SRO Awards as Promoter of the Year.
The CMA Board’s “selection of Steve Moore as its new CEO is the right choice to protect and continue the history, legacy and tradition of Country Music around the world,” said John Meglen, President and Co-CEO of Concerts West/AEG Live!. “Steve’s knowledge and respect of that history is paramount. His passion lives in Country Music.”
A longtime member of the CMA Board of Directors (since 1989), Moore was elected President in 2008 and Chairman in 2009 before being asked to fill in as interim director of CMA after former CEO Tammy Genovese resigned in December 2009.
“I approached this with a great deal of enthusiasm and passion for what this organization represents and what it could achieve on behalf of the industry,” Moore said. “The experience has been personally rewarding, professionally challenging, and I am very optimistic and eager to see what the future holds.”
As a Board member, Moore has contributed his experience and knowledge to the Association through some of the most pivotal years in the Association’s history: from the move of Fan Fair from the state fairgrounds to downtown Nashville in 2001 and the creation of a companion, primetime network television special in 2004; the strategic move of the CMA Awards to New York City in 2005 and the subsequent return to Nashville and the downtown arena; the implementation of a massive research initiative in 2008 that has far-reaching benefits for the industry; and the creation of CMA’s music education program “Keep the Music Playing,” which has donated $3.3 million dollars to purchase instruments for public school students since 2006.
As CEO, Moore will work closely with the CMA Board to develop strategies and long-range plans for the continued growth of the organization as well as manage external business relationships including the Association’s numerous corporate sponsors and network television partner ABC.
Moore was born in Pasadena in Harris County, Texas, near Houston. His father was a blue-collar construction worker who eventually moved his family to the small town of Buna, northeast of the fertile Country Music hotbed of Beaumont, where he found construction work in the refineries.
Moore played trumpet in high school and went to Lamar University in Beaumont, where he studied to be a band director, but a Blood, Sweat & Tears concert changed his career plans.
“I was working construction in the refineries at night most of the time, because I put myself through college. About halfway through that, I wanted to go and see Blood, Sweat & Tears coming to the college, but I didn’t have the money – it was $6.75,” Moore recalled. “I went to the back of the stage to see if I could get a job to see the concert, which I did. That’s how I got introduced to the concert business.”
He was hooked. Following college, Moore started a ticketing business delivering tickets from his VW Beetle to a handful of venues in Beaumont.
He quickly moved on to Houston, working for Lone Wolf Productions, which managed ZZ Top and other high-profile acts. After honing his booking/management chops on the road, he left to start a booking agency called IBM, Independent Booking Management. Soon he met Stevie Ray Vaughan and started booking and promoting the blues phenom.
Pace Concerts took notice of the aggressive concert booker and eventually hired him in 1984, booking theme parks including AstroWorld in Houston and Six Flags in Dallas.
A year later he moved to Nashville to open Starwood Amphitheater on the outskirts of town. In 1992, he launched Moore Entertainment and continued to work with Country acts and blues festivals. After nine years, Moore sold his business to TBA Entertainment. He left in 2004 to reinvent his independent operation as Moore Entertainment Group, LLC, where he created the CMT OnTour franchise.
In April 2005, he entered a multi-year deal with AEG Live! and was named Senior Vice President. His activities included organizing tours; booking Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and Tim McGraw into a run of sold-out New Year’s Eve concerts at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena; and a three-year effort that led to Sir Paul McCartney’s first-ever Music City performance at Bridgestone in July.
An honored humanitarian, Moore is the founder and president of the Shalom Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational, nutritional and medical assistance to underprivileged children and their families in Guatemala. He and his wife, Charmione, have three sons, Remick, Sterling, and Hunter.
More than 6,000 music industry professionals and companies around the globe are members of the Country Music Association. The organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advance the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s strategic imperatives – CMA Music Festival and the CMA Awards. For information about CMA visit www.CMAworld.com.
Moore has over 30 years experience in the concert promotion and production business. He joined AEG live! in April, 2005 as Senior VP. He first came to Nashville with Pace Concerts to open Starwood Amphitheater where he spent six years. He formed Moore entertainment Inc., which he sold to TBA Entertainment Corporation in 2001 and joined them as Executive VP until 2004.
NSAI Readies Annual SongPosium
/by contributorThe Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)’s SongPosium Week is set to educate, elevate and celebrate songwriters from Monday, September 20 through Saturday, September 25.
Kicking off the week is the World’s Largest #1 Party at NSAI (1710 Roy Acuff Place) on Monday, September 20 from 4:00 PM-6:00 PM. Industry professionals and SongPosium attendees are invited to this event, co-sponsored by Avenue Bank and The Recording Academy, which honors songwriters from the past year for their chart-topping tunes. Three special organizational awards – the Stephen Foster Award (in recognition of generous support for – and dedication to – songwriters, the music industry and NSAI), the Maggie Cavendar Award of Service (in recognition of extraordinary service to the songwriting community) and the NSAI’s President’s Choice Award (in recognition of outstanding contributions to the protection and betterment of the songwriting profession) will be presented as well.
From Tuesday, September 21 through Friday, September 24 NSAI will turn Music Row into a songwriting university to educate the songwriting community during SongPosium. Featuring more than 120 classes taught by some of the biggest names in the music industry, this is the most comprehensive songwriting educational event available. Attendees can fashion their schedule based upon individual needs and interests. Classes are available a la carte or in a discounted bundle called the Max Pack. Registration is now open here.
The Bluebird Café will also host 2 shows nightly from Tuesday, September 21 through Saturday, September 25 featuring songwriters like Brett James (“Cowboy Cassanova”), Rebecca Lynn Howard (“Forgive”), James Dean Hicks (“Goodbye Time”) and many more. Reservations can be made at bluebirdcafe.com are strongly recommended. SongPosium attendees will have priority access to shows via a promo code.
Universal Ups Putnam, Adds Tyrell
/by contributorJoe Putnam
Universal Group Music Nashville has expanded its promotion staff with the promotion of Joe Putnam to Vice President of National Promotion and the appointment of Michelle Tyrrell to Director of Promotion/Northeast for MCA Nashville. The announcement was made today by Royce Risser, Senior Vice President of Promotion for Universal Music Group Nashville.
In his new role, Mr. Putnam will work with both the MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville labels. Most recently, Mr. Putnam served as Senior Director of Promotion for the company. He will report directly to Mr. Risser.
Ms Tyrrell joins MCA Nashville from Lyric Street Records, where she served as Director of Regional Promotion. She will report to Van Haze, Vice President of Promotion for MCA.
Michelle Tyrrell
“Joe has risen through the ranks to become one of the most reliable promotion execs in our company,” stated Mr. Risser. “He has become an integral go-to player at MCA, and he is always the one you depend on during challenging situations. His relationships and instincts are second to none, and I am absolutely confident he will transition into this expanded role with ease.”
On Ms. Tyrrell’s appointment, Mr. Risser commented: “Michelle’s passion, work ethic, personality, and her slew of PD/MD fans will be a welcome addition to our staff. We are proud to make her the newest member of Team UMG!”
Steve Moore Named CMA CEO
/by contributorAccording to the CMA, Moore possesses the diverse qualities and experience necessary to expand the mission and strategic imperatives of CMA while being mindful of the unique legacy and spirit of the organization, which was founded in 1958 as the first trade association created to promote a specific genre of music.
“We conducted a coast-to-coast search to find the best possible candidates and there were many. But, I think it should come as no surprise that the best person was right here in Nashville,” said Steve Buchanan, who steps up from President to Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. “Steve developed a tremendous affinity and acumen for the position while serving on an interim basis. We are thrilled that he was ultimately interested in making that a permanent role.”
“The Country Music Association is the cornerstone of what makes Nashville Music City,” Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said. “Their involvement in the community, their support of artists and business, and especially the exposure they give to the industry and our city is absolutely priceless. Steve’s depth of experience and the respect that he enjoys amongst his peers will be a tremendous asset to CMA. I look forward to seeing the organization, and its presence here, continue to succeed and grow under Steve’s leadership.”
Moore has been prominent in the Nashville music community for 25 years, going back to his appointment as the first Executive Director of the popular concert venue Starwood Amphitheater and extending through his work as Senior Vice President of one of the world’s largest concert promotion, special event and touring companies, AEG Live!. His innovations and successes have earned him three SRO Awards as Promoter of the Year.
The CMA Board’s “selection of Steve Moore as its new CEO is the right choice to protect and continue the history, legacy and tradition of Country Music around the world,” said John Meglen, President and Co-CEO of Concerts West/AEG Live!. “Steve’s knowledge and respect of that history is paramount. His passion lives in Country Music.”
A longtime member of the CMA Board of Directors (since 1989), Moore was elected President in 2008 and Chairman in 2009 before being asked to fill in as interim director of CMA after former CEO Tammy Genovese resigned in December 2009.
“I approached this with a great deal of enthusiasm and passion for what this organization represents and what it could achieve on behalf of the industry,” Moore said. “The experience has been personally rewarding, professionally challenging, and I am very optimistic and eager to see what the future holds.”
As a Board member, Moore has contributed his experience and knowledge to the Association through some of the most pivotal years in the Association’s history: from the move of Fan Fair from the state fairgrounds to downtown Nashville in 2001 and the creation of a companion, primetime network television special in 2004; the strategic move of the CMA Awards to New York City in 2005 and the subsequent return to Nashville and the downtown arena; the implementation of a massive research initiative in 2008 that has far-reaching benefits for the industry; and the creation of CMA’s music education program “Keep the Music Playing,” which has donated $3.3 million dollars to purchase instruments for public school students since 2006.
As CEO, Moore will work closely with the CMA Board to develop strategies and long-range plans for the continued growth of the organization as well as manage external business relationships including the Association’s numerous corporate sponsors and network television partner ABC.
Moore was born in Pasadena in Harris County, Texas, near Houston. His father was a blue-collar construction worker who eventually moved his family to the small town of Buna, northeast of the fertile Country Music hotbed of Beaumont, where he found construction work in the refineries.
Moore played trumpet in high school and went to Lamar University in Beaumont, where he studied to be a band director, but a Blood, Sweat & Tears concert changed his career plans.
“I was working construction in the refineries at night most of the time, because I put myself through college. About halfway through that, I wanted to go and see Blood, Sweat & Tears coming to the college, but I didn’t have the money – it was $6.75,” Moore recalled. “I went to the back of the stage to see if I could get a job to see the concert, which I did. That’s how I got introduced to the concert business.”
He was hooked. Following college, Moore started a ticketing business delivering tickets from his VW Beetle to a handful of venues in Beaumont.
He quickly moved on to Houston, working for Lone Wolf Productions, which managed ZZ Top and other high-profile acts. After honing his booking/management chops on the road, he left to start a booking agency called IBM, Independent Booking Management. Soon he met Stevie Ray Vaughan and started booking and promoting the blues phenom. Pace Concerts took notice of the aggressive concert booker and eventually hired him in 1984, booking theme parks including AstroWorld in Houston and Six Flags in Dallas.
A year later he moved to Nashville to open Starwood Amphitheater on the outskirts of town. In 1992, he launched Moore Entertainment and continued to work with Country acts and blues festivals. After nine years, Moore sold his business to TBA Entertainment. He left in 2004 to reinvent his independent operation as Moore Entertainment Group, LLC, where he created the CMT OnTour franchise.
In April 2005, he entered a multi-year deal with AEG Live! and was named Senior Vice President. His activities included organizing tours; booking Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and Tim McGraw into a run of sold-out New Year’s Eve concerts at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena; and a three-year effort that led to Sir Paul McCartney’s first-ever Music City performance at Bridgestone in July.
An honored humanitarian, Moore is the founder and president of the Shalom Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational, nutritional and medical assistance to underprivileged children and their families in Guatemala. He and his wife, Charmione, have three sons, Remick, Sterling, and Hunter.
More than 6,000 music industry professionals and companies around the globe are members of the Country Music Association. The organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advance the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s strategic imperatives – CMA Music Festival and the CMA Awards. For information about CMA visit www.CMAworld.com.
Moore has over 30 years experience in the concert promotion and production business. He joined AEG live! in April, 2005 as Senior VP. He first came to Nashville with Pace Concerts to open Starwood Amphitheater where he spent six years. He formed Moore entertainment Inc., which he sold to TBA Entertainment Corporation in 2001 and joined them as Executive VP until 2004.
CAA’s Dennis and Murphy, Pretty Good At Beer Pong
/by FreemanCreative Artist Agency’s Marc Dennis and Darin Murphy (team name: The CAA Chupacabra) took home the coveted Bud Light trophy after winning UMG Nashville’s amazingly-named First Annual, Last Ever, Inaugural Billy Currington For Your CMA Consideration Music Row “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer” Beer Pong Tournament yesterday (8/18) at Nashville’s Tin Roof. MusicRow’s own David Ross and Jon Freeman (team name: Breakin’ News) were ousted handily in the second round by Dennis and Murphy, and are reported to be lobbying UMG for more effective measures in testing for beer pong performance enhancing drugs.
The event was hosted by the evanescent Storme Warren who called the matches and kept the tournament bouncing along.
(L-R): CAA's Darin Murphy and Marc Dennis
Behind The Scenes With Joey+Rory
/by contributorFans can head to CMT.com on Friday, August 20 for the world premiere of the full length video. Streaming of the video will begin August 25 in addition to being available on iTunes starting August 31. Album #2 hits shelves on September 14.
Check out the behind the scenes video below.
Currington Set To Release “Enjoy Yourself”
/by contributor“It’s a great mix,” Currington says about the collection of 10 songs. “It reflects who I am. I’m definitely not just one thing. I’m the beach guy, I’m the country guy, I love my dirt roads and fishin’, but I love New York City and L.A. and Miami, too.”
Billboard claims first single “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer” “is the kind of ditty worth spinning on loop. Currington is pretty good at more than just knocking back a few cold ones and this lead single sounds like a sure thing.”
The album features some of Nashville’s top songwriters, including Dave Barnes, Shawn Camp, Scotty Emerick, Jones and Mark Nesler.
“This record was about recording songwriter’s songs,” says Billy. “I could have gone back and recorded a bunch of mine that I’ve written, but there were a lot of writers I wanted to record, like Shawn and Troy. I had to put their songs on this album.”
Currington is a multi Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music award nominated artist who’s garnered five career No. 1 singles. This fall he joins Carrie Underwood on a 46-city tour which kicks off September 25 in Portland and includes stops in San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Kansas City, Tampa, Charlotte, Toronto and Vancouver, to name a few.
Sales Magic Might Turn Deficit
/by adminCountry album sales were off again this week—2%—despite the debut of Blake Shelton’s second six pak, All About Tonight, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Blake’s offering scanned over 32,000 units, 8,000 of which were digital albums (25%). The set’s title track, also debuting this week, was downloaded over 27,000 times, placing it at No. 9 on the digital genre country tracks chart. (At the top of the same chart was Taylor Swift’s current new single, “Mine” which was downloaded over 176,000 times and Zac Brown Band debuted “As She’s Walking Away” at No. 7 downloading over 29k copies.) Shelton’s first six-pak on March 7 was driven by “Hillbilly Bone” and sold about 71k its first week.
All genre Album sales hit a new SoundScan-era record low this week of 4.95 million units, the lowest since the bar code stat keeper began tracking in 1991. Country’s Top 75 current albums chart is also showing the decline, routinely falling below the 300k mark. (Week ended 8/15=258k; week ended 8/8=241k.) At some point, shrinking album sales will cause the radio promotion cost equation to be reconfigured, even for country music. But the relationship between airplay and sales remains powerful. A quick glance at the many similarities between the top of the SS digital country tracks chart and the BDS country airplay list tell the tale.
Trace Adkins’ newest is now on shelves, and next week Little Big Town and the Randy Rogers Band will become available inventory. That’s all for now…
MyWerx Offers Innovative Copyright Ownership ID
/by contributorFor record labels, publishers and performing rights organizations MyWerx offers a way to modernize the record collecting process. After a work is created, the author logs onto the MyWerx site and registers the work, which is added to the author’s database of works. If the work has co-creators, all need to validate the information before the work is secured and finalized by MyWerx. This helps to eliminate problems and discrepancies that can arise if too much time passes before a work is registered. Each step in the validation process requires consensus of the parties.
Tim Smith
MyWerx was founded by Tim Smith, the entrepreneur behind innovative copyright administration systems Copyright Management, Inc. and Copyright.net. MyWerx Chairman Tim DuBois is VP/Managing Director of ASCAP. The MyWerx advisory board consists of former National Songwriters Association President Steve Borgard, Copyright Management CEO Terry Smith and veteran Nashville publisher and former Atlantic Records head Barry Coburn. The foundation of the MyWerx platform is a validated-wiki, copyright registry. Registering and validating a work is a free service to help creators and their representatives organize a portfolio of the life’s work of an author. Premium subscriptions provide access to services that will benefit all stakeholders in a work.
Subsequent MyWerx versions will allow storing and communicating with business representatives of a work and track copyright ownership transfers throughout the life cycle a registered work. MyWerx promises to continuously research and develop forward-thinking copyright focused services that bring value to the global copyright community.
DISClaimer Single Reviews (8/18/10)
/by Robert K OermannAshley Gearing, Taylor Swift, The Roys and Amber Hayes are all bopping brightly. Joey + Rory have teamed with The Zac Brown Band to record an excellent ode to country’s core fans.
Jesse Lee wins the DisCovery Award. She not only has a richly evocative country vocal style, but also the listening session’s best written song.
What, exactly, makes a Disc of the Day? This town puts Wikileaks to shame. The rush-release of “Mine” by Taylor after a leaked version appeared certainly made it the most newsworthy these singles. But for being true to life, sonically dynamic and utterly musically winning, you can’t deny two-time-daddy Brad Paisley the real Disc of the Day prize.
JOEY + RORY WITH THE ZAC BROWN BAND/This Song’s For You
Writer: none listed; Producer: Keith Stegall; Publisher: none listed; Sugar Hill (track)
—A splendid, uplifting anthem for everyday, working-class folks who yearn for better times. “We’re up on this stage, but you’re the star.” Amen to that. By the way, hang on for the perfectly harmonized, a cappella finale.
GEORGE DUCAS/Never Goes Away
Writer: George Ducas/Randy Rogers/Jon Henderson; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Propel/Pure Bluie/Warner-Tamerlane/Lonely Motel/Bug, no performance rights listed; Propel (972-800-0004)
—Dizzy in love, then drowning in heartbreak. It’s enough to give a guy’s neck whiplash. In any case, the track fizzes and sizzles right along, all the way through.
AMBER HAYES/C’Mon
Writer: Amber Hayes/Bill DiLuigi/Brian Paroah; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Okie Girl/888 Blue/Spunkem, ASCAP; Funl (www.funlmusic.com)
—A bright, pert, bopping invitation to dance and party. Sunny, sparkly and shiny as a newly minted penny.
ASHLEY GEARING/What You Think About Us
Writer: Brian Davis/Ashley Gearing/Ben Glover; Producer: The Fringe; Publisher: Curb/Mike Curb/Melrose Nashville/WB/Screaming Norman, ASCAP/BMI; Curb
—This rumbling rocker has enough “bottom” to kick you right out of your seat and send you twirling around the room. It’s a big, big sound, but she manages to ride atop the whole thing with plenty of vocal authority. Sing it, sister.
BRAD PAISLEY/Anything Like Me
Writer: Brad Paisley/Chris DuBois/Dave Turnbull; Producer: Frank Rogers; Publisher: EMI April/New Sea Gayle/Circle C/V Bulls/Full Circle, ASCAP; Arista
—It’s easy to imagine where Dad Brad got his inspiration for this loping outing. He meditates on what his kid is going to grow up to be like. Just before the bridge, the acoustic instruments go into a twinkling, enchanting break. If you weren’t completely charmed by that point, you will be.
JESSE LEE/Like My Mother Does
Writer: Nathan Chapman/Nikki Williams/Liz Rose; Producer: Nathan Chapman; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Pain in the Art/Perfect Mess/Sony-ATV Timber/Toreador Tunes, BMI/SESAC; Atlantic/Warner
—Love her sweet, countrified delivery. And the topic of the lyric is refreshingly novel. Promising in the extreme. Spin this and watch the phones light up.
TAYLOR SWIFT/Mine
Writer: Taylor Swift; Producer: Nathan Chapman & Taylor Swift; Publisher: Sony-ATV/Taylor Swift, BMI; Big Machine
—It is somewhat wordy. But the rhythm track carries it along relentlessly as she spins out her saga of a shaky love that turns out to be lasting.
CHARLIE DANIELS/Iraq Blues
Writer: Charlie Daniels; Producer: Charlie Daniels & Patrick Kelly; Publisher: CDB,/Wooly Swamp, BMI; E1/Blue Hat (track) (www.charliedaniels.com)
—Charlie’s new CD is an America-themed collection called Land That I Love. I compiles past successes such as “American Farmer,” “This Ain’t No Rag it’s the Flag,” “In America” and “Still in Saigon” with some new tunes. This traditionally structured, straightforward blues-rock outing is from the point of view of a deployed soldier who can’t wait to get back home. Charlie really bawls and growls it out.
FRANK ORTEGA/My Old Man
Writer: none listed; Producer: Phil O’Donnell & Gary Hannan; Publisher: none listed; Villa One/Quarterback (www.frankortega.com)
—This is kind of the male version of Jesse Lee’s mama song. Frank looks up his dad, who was both tough and tender. The major difference is that in this one, the parent dies too young. And just to rub it in, the heartbeat percussion that closes the song, stops abruptly.
THE ROYS/Comin’ Back Around
Writer: Lee Roy/Elaine Roy/Steve Dean; Producer: The Roys & Steve Dean; Publisher: Roy Family/Leo Roy/Bethar, BMI; Pedestal (track) (www.theroyscountry.com)
—The title tune to this duo’s new CD is a peppy, perky, chin-up bopper about surviving a broken romance. Catchy, cool and complete with multiple vocal overdubs for extra texture.
Rodney Atkins Teams With Cracker Barrel
/by contributorAtkins earned the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Male Vocalist award in 2006, as well as five other ACM nominations and two Country Music Association nominations during the last four years. Having had the Most Played Songs of 2007 and 2008, Atkins maintains an active touring schedule, performing for over a million fans a year for the past three years.
“I love seeing a “Cracker Barrel Up Ahead” sign on the road ‘cause we all know that whenever you stop by, you are guaranteed to get a great meal – just like home,” Atkins says. “I’m excited to team up with the Cracker Barrel family and to make this new CD available exclusively to the folks stopping by.”
“Rodney is a great performer and his shows appeal to fans of all ages, and that’s the same appeal that Cracker Barrel offers to multi-generational families,” said Peter Keiser, Cracker Barrel’s Vice President of Marketing. “We expect that this special CD will provide some good times for a lot of people.”
The previously unreleased song on Cracker Barrel Presents Rodney Atkins, “More Like Your Memory (Always Takes Me Back),” is one of the first songs that Atkins wrote.
In July of this year of this year, Cracker Barrel released Craig Morgan’s That’s Why- Collector’s Edition, and in May the release of Wynonna’s Love Heals debuted at #7 on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart. February’s release of Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart. Releases in 2009 included November’s Songs of Love and Heartache by Alan Jackson, September’s release of an exclusive new version of The Foundation by the Zac Brown Band, August’s George Jones’ release of A Collection Of My Best Recollection, May’s release of Montgomery Gentry’s For Our Heroes, which debuted at #5 on Billboard Magazine’s Top Country Albums chart, and March’s release of Dolly Parton’s Collector’s Edition of Backwoods Barbie, which debuted at #9 on that chart. Over the last few years, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive CDs with Bill Gaither, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Aaron Tippin, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Sara Evans, and Charlie Daniels.