CMT Awards Adds Performers, Offers Flood Relief

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Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Zac Brown Band have been added to the performance line-up for the CMT Music Awards. The show is set for Wednesday, June 9 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena with host Kid Rock, who has added performer to his list of duties. Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban were previously announced to take the stage.

In addition to honoring winners’ charities, CMT One Country is partnering with show sponsor Rhapsody® to make donations on behalf of all nominees. Through Wednesday, June 16, proceeds from the purchase of any 2010 CMT Music Awards nominated song from Rhapsody.com will go to CMT One Country to support Tennessee flood relief.

Chesney Movie Out Via Kmart

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Kenny Chesney has teamed with Kmart for exclusive nationwide distribution of his “Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D” movie. The 2-D version is available for preorder on DVD and Blu-ray at Kmart.com, and will out in Kmart stores on June 13.

In more Chesney news, he opened a two weekend stand at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino club The Joint on Friday night (5/14). His freewheeling shows were streamed live on his No Shoes Radio, and—true to his Keg in the Closet style—showcased hits, gems and cover songs.

Chesney spent more than four hours on stage Saturday night. “We knew we were gonna be putting it up for another month, so we figured we’d go as long as they stayed… and we hit everything!” he says. “I did ‘Hungry Heart’ acoustic… We played ‘I’m Alive’ for the first time, and ‘You Saved Me,” half the Be As You Are record… a buncha covers form the Violent Femmes to Steve Miller… and we went and we went and they stayed and they stayed, and then we played some more.” Chesney returns to the Joint on July 2-3.

Randy Houser Sets Sophomore Release Date

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Show Dog – Universal is planning the Sept. 14 release of Randy Houser’s sophomore album, They Call Me Cadillac. “I’m All About It,” the self-penned lead single, is already building steam at radio, while another new track, “Whistlin’ Dixie,” has generated over 100,000 in digital single sales.

For the album produced by Cliff Audretch and Mark Wright, Houser culled songs from hitmakers such as Mark D. Sanders and Brice Long (“Anything Goes”), and backing vocals from Lee Ann Womack.

They Call Me Cadillac will be the follow-up to his 2008 debut Anything Goes, which produced hit singles including the title track and “Boots On.”

Houser will make a series of appearances in support of the new album before joining Gary Allan on the “Get Off on the Pain” Tour commencing later this fall with good friend Jerrod Niemann.

They Call Me Cadillac Track List:
1  “Lowdown and Lonesome”
2  “They Call Me Cadillac”
3  “Addicted”
4  “Man Like Me”
5  “Will I Always Be This Way”
6  “Out Here In The Country”
7  “I’m All About It”
8  “Here With Me”
9  “Whistlin’ Dixie”
10 “Somewhere South Of Memphis”
11 “If I Could Buy Me Some Time”
12 “Lead Me Home”

Artist Photo Spread

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Wade Bowen’s charity event…Fast Ryde visits CMA…Gloriana on “Good Day New York”….Chuck Wicks stops by “CMT Top 20 Countdown.”

Texas charttopper Wade Bowen raised over $106,000 for Postpartum Support International at his 12th annual “Wade Bowen Classic” celebrity concert and golf tournament, held recently in Waco, TX. Bowen recruited friends Cody Canada, Randy Rogers, Stoney LaRue, Brandon Rhyder, Kyle Park, Josh Abbott, Kristen Kelly, Gordon Collier and surprise guest Lee Ann Womack to play for the crowd of over 2100 people. Pictured Wade Bowen and Cody Canada. Photo by Todd Purifoy.

Republic Nashville's Fast Ryde stopped by the CMA offices recently to perform songs for the staff including their single "Top Down." (l-r) One Music Group's Shannon Myers and Jeff Stevens, One Music Group and CMA Board member Steve Bogard, Fast Ryde's James Harrison and Jody Stevens, Fast Ryde publicist Judy McDonough of JEMMedia, CMA Vice President of Corporate Communications Wendy Pearl, and CMA Senior Coordinator of Membership & Industry Relations Betsy Walker.

Gloriana appeared on Good Day New York recently, pictured here with anchors Roasanna Scotto and Greg Kelly. L-R Cheyenne Kimball, Rachel Reinert, Rosanna Scotto, Greg Kelly, Tom Gossin, Mike Gossin

Last week Chuck Wicks stopped by CMT Top 20 Countdown for the world premiere of his new video, "Hold That Thought." (l-r): Top 20 host Evan Farmer, and Chuck Wicks

Unbundling’s Curse On Profitability

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According to reports from NARM 2010, held this year in Chicago May 15-17, there were a number of outspoken comments and speakers. NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) is a non-profit trade association that attracts music distributors, retailers, record labels, tech companies and more. One of those opinionated speakers was Big Champagne’s Joe Fleischer.

HitsDailyDouble.com reports that Fleischer convincingly argued that unbundling the single from the full-length album has caused more harm to the record industry than piracy and in his opinion has made the current kinds of label deals unprofitable. “The LP isn’t dead; it’s just optional,” Fleischer was quoted saying. “Producing albums, but marketing singles makes for an enormous business challenge.”

Fleischer’s idea was also echoed last November in a thoughtful interview published on the Harvard Business school’s faculty research website, Working Knowledge. HBS Associate Marketing Professor Anita Elberse summed, “Record labels have depended on album sales to boost profits. But in the digital music era, consumers prefer single songs over music ‘bundles.’ The result? It is time for the industry to rethink its products and prices.”

Anita Elberse

Elberse, using data from Nielsen SoundScan analyzed a sample of over 200 artists from Jan. 2005 to April 2007. “I analyzed the data using an econometric model that related the growth in online music buying to the revenues per bundle,” she explains.

“My research shows that when consumers start buying music online, they switch from buying full albums to cherry-picking their favorite songs on those albums. On average, each album no longer bought is ‘traded in’ for one, perhaps two, individual songs. And because song prices are relatively low—labels typically have to sell 8 to 10 digital songs to generate the same kind of revenues as they do with one digital album—this causes a sharp reduction in revenues over time.”

The Q&A article discusses a variety of factors including the effect that iTunes has had on the record industry, piracy, and the impact of strategic pricing. Find the interview HERE.

Benefit For Josh Ragsdale

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Friends are rallying to support songwriter Joshua Ragsdale who is undergoing cancer treatment. A benefit is set for Tues., June 1 at the Mercy Lounge featuring Rivers Rutherford, Randy Montana, Leslie Satcher, Luke Laird, host Cledus T. Judd and many more. Ragsdale co-wrote Montana’s debut single “Ain’t Much Left Of Lovin’ You” with the artist.

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A May 24 Songwriter’s Night at The Listening Room in Cummins Station will benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Set to perform are Wil Nance, Bill Whyte, Watson-Nash, Steve Dean, Tony Stampley, Lisa Shaffer, The Broussards, and more. The event starts at 4:30 PM and costs $10 at the door. Blake Gray of Blue Guitar Music Publishing is planning the show to benefit Lissa Maxwell’s LLS Woman of the Year campaign.

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Tube Time: Dolly Parton, Luke Bryan, More

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Luke Bryan and Jay Leno

Luke Bryan made his debut appearance on The Tonight Show last Tuesday, May 11, where he performed his new single, “Rain Is A Good Thing.”
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Dolly Parton rounded up her friends and fellow celebrities for a Hallmark Channel original special marking the 25th anniversary of her Dollywood theme park. Dolly Celebrates 25 Years of Dollywood will air Friday, July 3 (7 p.m. CT) and includes a musical tribute taped at the park in Pigeon Forge, TN featuring Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Kenny Rogers. The special also includes toasts from Faith Hill, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, and others.

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Joe Nichols will perform his three-week No. 1 hit “Gimmie That Girl” tonight (5/18) on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Next week (5/25), he will join the ladies of The View for a chat and performance.
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Catch Wynonna tomorrow (6/19) on CBS’s I Get That A Lot, a show about celebrities tricking everyday citizens in a supposed case of “mistaken identity.” Wynonna is shown working in a tire shop.

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Chely Wright has scored one of the most coveted spots on television, a sit-down with Oprah, where she will discuss coming out. She will appear on tomorrow’s (5/19) episode along with rocker Bret Michaels who will talk about his near-fatal brain hemorrhage.

BamaJam Draws Big Sponsors

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Dodge Ram Trucks and Kraft foods are the latest big-name sponsors on board with the 2010 Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival. The event, running June 3-5 in Enterprise, Alabama, has lined up performances by Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Rodney Atkins, Kenny Chesney, Gretchen Wilson, Zac Brown Band and tons more.

As part of their sponsorships, Dodge will showcase its Ram Trucks at the festival, and Kraft will host tents with artist meet-and-greets and macaroni and cheese.

Among the other national companies offering sponsorship support are Anheuser – Busch, Chrysler, Coldwell Banker, Hardees, Jim Beam, Little Caesars, Playstation, Verizon Wireless and Wrangler Jeans.

Warner Re-works Promo Dept., Hires Chris Palmer

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Radio promotion executive Chris Palmer is joining the team at Warner Music Nashville (WMN). Starting June 14 he will be on board as Vice President of Promotions. Palmer will oversee the newly-created promotion staff team known as Warner Bros., Atlantic & Reprise (WAR), which will complement Warner Music Nashville’s (WMN) current promotion staff headed by Bob Reeves, Vice President of Promotions. Both Palmer and Reeves will report directly to Chris Stacey, Sr. Vice President of Promotions. WMN’s two radio promotion teams will not be label specific, but rather artist specific, with each team focusing their resources on individual artist projects.

Palmer’s career began in radio in 1988. Ten years later he was hired by Disney’s then-new country music imprint, Lyric Street Records, as Director of Regional Promotion/Northeast. He spent 12 years with Lyric Street, handling different regions and then being raised to Sr. Dir of National Promotion for the label’s Carolwood Records imprint. When Carolwood shuttered one year later, he remained as Senior Director of National Promotion for Lyric Street.

Brooks And Dunn Special To Air May 23

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Brooks And Dunn, Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Kristian Bush. Photo: Getty Images/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music & dick clark productions

The all-star Brooks & Dunn ACM tribute will air Sunday, May 23, at 8:00 PM ET/PT on CBS. ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn—The Last Rodeo was previously taped in Las Vegas with performances by Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.

Brooks And Dunn. Photo: Getty Images/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music & dick clark productions

During the tribute concert special, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn receive the Academy’s Milestone Award in recognition of their 20-year career and are honored for holding a record-setting 27 ACM awards, more than any other artist.

Presenters on the special include Dr. Maya Angelou, Miranda Cosgrove and Matthew McConaughey. Ticket proceeds from the live event went to ACM Lifting Lives, and were quickly earmarked to aid those affected by the recent floods in Middle Tennessee.

Sugarland. Photo: Getty Images/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music & dick clark productions

Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire will promote the special with a duet performance on CBS’s Late Show With David Letterman, Friday, May 21 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT).

In more B&D news, the duo will be in Knoxville Wednesday to dedicate a house to a needy family. The “Brooks & Dunn” house is the first of the “Music Row” houses made possible by the Charlie and Moll Anderson Family Foundation, which is teaming up with artists and Knoxville Habitat for Humanity to build homes.