Borman Ups Donna Jean Kisshauer

Donna Jean Kisshauer has been named Vice President, Radio and Tour Marketing for Borman Entertainment. In her 11 years with the artist management company, Kisshauer has coordinated tour and sponsorship efforts, as well as radio campaigns, including chart activity across four radio formats.

“DJ’s passion for our artists and their music has fueled her persistence at radio promotion and the marketing of their live performance,” says company founder Gary Borman. “Her commitment to her work and her ability to seamlessly coordinate our company’s marketing efforts is an asset to all involved in our campaigns.”

Borman Entertainment Nashville’s roster includes Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Michael Franti and Spearhead, and Randy Montana. Borman Entertainment has offices in Nashville and Los Angeles.

Joe Chambers on “Fox and Friends”

Joe Chambers, founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, was on Fox News’ Fox and Friends this morning (2/22) discussing the recent eminent domain ruling that caused the Museum to shut its doors to make way for a new Nashville convention center. See the video.

The museum closed on Saturday, February 13th after Judge Barbara Haynes ruled in favor of the Metro Development and Housing Authority (MDHA), ordering Chambers and company to be out of The Musicians Hall of Fame within seven days.

The museum represented a key piece of property that the MDHA needed in order to move forward with the construction of the Music City Center.

Although the museum’s new physical location is currently undecided, The Musicians Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Awards Show will take place once again in Nashville in the fall of 2010. Further details will be announced at a press conference in late spring.

Jerrod Niemann

“Lover, Lover”

Sea Gayle/Arista

Jerrod Niemann’s new single “Lover, Lover” is impacting country radio, and officially goes for adds March 1. The song appears on Niemann’s upcoming major label debut album, for which his friend Jamey Johnson provided inspiration. Johnson encouraged Niemann to make a record that really meant something to him, and the result earned him a record deal with Sea Gayle/Arista. The album is slated for release later in 2010.

Niemann’s voice may be new to country radio but the Kansas native has already been making a name for himself as a performer and a respected songwriter, best-known for co-writing Garth Brooks’ “Good Ride Cowboy.”

Niemann began writing songs at an early age, and his love for country music found him embracing such classic influences as Keith Whitley, Eddy Arnold, Waylon Jennings, and many others. He is currently out on a radio tour to promote the single, but also has live dates lined up with Johnson in March.

www.jerrodniemannofficial.com

Alan Jackson Maps Tour, Debuts Video

Alan Jackson is prepping for the March 30 release of his new album with a supporting summer tour and new music video. He just revealed dates for the Freight Train Tour, kicking off April 8 in Estero, FL, and continuing for 15 cities before wrapping in Lexington, KY on May 23. Joining him will be Josh Turner and Chris Young. Tickets are already on sale in select markets.

Jackson’s eighteenth album Freight Train was produced by longtime collaborator Keith Stegall. The Arista release has eight songs from Jackson’s pen, as well as four other tracks including lead single “It’s Just That Way,” and a duet with Lee Ann Womack on the Vern Gosdin classic, “Till the End.”

“It’s Just That Way” was written by Stegall, Vicky McGehee and Kylie Sackley. The accompanying video makes its world premiere today (2/22).  It was taped at an old antebellum farmhouse in Spring Hill, TN and various locations in Tampa, FL, with award-winning director Roman White. The video’s concept was created by Jackson’s oldest daughter Mattie, a sophomore at the University of Tennessee.

Jackson will launch the album with appearances on Today (3/30) the Late Show with David Letterman (3/30), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (4/14), and his first visit to Ellen (4/15).

The superstar’s career has spanned 20 years and netted 50 million in album sales.

Buxton’s Busy Release Week

With just days to go before the release of her self-titled debut CD, Lyric Street’s Sarah Buxton is making some sales history. The album’s leadoff single, “Outside My Window,” inspired more than 12,000 paid downloads this week, and the singer can now lay claim to the biggest opening digital single sales from a debut album for any female country artist in the history of Nielsen Soundscan.

Looking ahead to her album’s release, Buxton has a busy week in store. After opening dates in Buffalo, NY (2/19), Baltimore, MD (2/20) and Columbus, OH (2/21) for Martina McBride and Trace Adkins on the Shine All Night Tour, the singer will return to Nashville to for a full-band CD release show at The Rutledge on February 23.

Before the show, Buxton will present an intimate behind-the-scenes look at her debut CD with Premiere: Sarah Buxton on GAC. The 30-minute special, which premiers on the network this Saturday (2/20) at 8 PM CT, showcases Buxton’s music through acoustic performances of several selections from her upcoming album, including “Stupid Boy,” “Space” and “Big Blue Sky.”

In addition, Country Weekly, People Country and Nashville Lifestyles will profile Buxton, while The Tennessean, Kansas City Star and Lawrence Journal World will all feature interviews with the singer.

Buxton will round out the week with additional dates on the Shine All Night Tour, traveling to Ft. Wayne, IN (2/25); Cleveland, OH (2/26); Pittsburgh, PA (2/27) and Cincinnati, OH (2/28).

TuneCore Bringing Rintones To The Masses

Starting today (2/19), TuneCore.com, which distributes music to iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody and many other major download and streaming sites, will help musicians get heard in even more places by distributing artists’ pre-cut ringtones to the iTunes iPhone ringtone store. Any existing or new TuneCore artist will now have the opportunity to hear their music ringing from iPhones all over the world. As always, TuneCore will take no revenue from the sale of the music.

TuneCore customers can edit their own music into .wav clips of 5-30 seconds for TuneCore distribution to the iTunes iPhone ringtone store, available from the home screen of any iPhone running iTunes 9 or later. An artist will only need to upload a ringtone once for TuneCore to distribute it to iPhone iTunes ringtone stores in the US, Canada, Japan, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the UK. TuneCore will also be adding additional ringtone stores, which can use the same ringtone upload.

To help create ringtones, TuneCore customers will be able to access a free download of PreSonus Studio One – a leading home recording software application – for 30-day trial, with easy step-by-step instructions for creating and exporting ringtones.

Bright Future For The House Foundation

Katie Bright

Nashville’s WSIX has hired personality Katie Bright to become the newest member of The House Foundation, beginning April 1. Bright was most recently morning co-host (with George House) on Marconi Award winner and MusicRow Reporter WAXX/Eau Claire, Wisconsin. During her last 18 months with WAXX, she was based in Nashville. Bright is the first addition to the team since newsman Al Voecks and sportscaster Duncan Stewart departed in December.

“Katie brings a totally new perspective to the show,” says WSIX PD Keith Kaufman. “It will be intriguing. I’m very excited about what the future has in store. This ought to be fun.”

“Joining WSIX and The House Foundation is a dream come true for me,” says Bright. ” I’ve been following Gerry’s show for years and have always wondered what it would sound like to have a chick on the show…now, I’m the chick! It’ll be a blast to join the Boys’ Club at WSIX. I can’t wait to get there…until then you can find me on top of Love Circle jumping for joy!”

“Katie is engaging, attractive, and funny,” adds Gerry House. “As far as I can recall, none of those things have been a part of this show before. Listeners will be thrilled.”

Listeners can hear The House Foundation 6-10 am weekday mornings in Nashville or online at www.wsix.com.

ACM Award Noms Set For CBS’ Early Show

Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton will announce the nominees for the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards live from CBS’ The Early Show on March 2 at 7:30 AM CT.

The on-air announcement festivities will also include an interview with McEntire by show host Maggie Rodriguez and a live performance from Shelton.

Rucker Hits The Hard Rock

CMA Best New Artist Darius Rucker will perform at Hard Rock Cafe Nashville on Wednesday, March 3 at 8 PM as part of Hard Rock’s two-day, multi-city March On Stage launch. The event marks the beginning of Hard Rock’s March On Stage, live music event series, featuring performances by “high-caliber, iconic and emerging artists” and benefiting Musicians on Call, an organization founded with the mission of bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities. Click here for details. www.hardrock.com

In other Rucker-related news, Coke Zero has announced an NCAA promotion and sweepstakes called “An Exclusive Ticket” at LongHorn Steakhouse. Fans can register for a chance to win “An Exclusive Ticket” to the 2010 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Indianapolis and experience the “Coke Zero Countdown” concert, starring Rucker, along with an exclusive VIP party, and tickets to the 2010 NCAA Men’s Final Four.

This is the second in a series of three promotions that give fans the chance to attend an exclusive sporting event and a live Darius Rucker concert. LongHorn recently added the singer to its “Live at LongHorn” country music program in partnership with Coke Zero and Capitol Records Nashville.

“When Capitol came to me with the opportunity to partner with these two great brands, I immediately jumped at the chance to be involved because this allows music fans an opportunity for an unique experience while spotlighting country music,” says Rucker.
Click here for more information.

iTunes Spotlights Corbin

iTunes has selected Mercury artist Easton Corbin’s Top 10 hit “A Little More Country Than That” as this week’s “Single of the Week.” The song is available as a free download through February 22. iTunes is also touting Easton’s self-titled debut album by giving visitors the option to pre-order the record for the next two weeks, which marks the first time the online retailer has ever presented such an opportunity. The pre-order also comes with a bonus acoustic audio track of “The Way Love Looks,” a song from the album written by Corbin, Carson Chamberlain and Mark D. Sanders.

Corbin holds the title for the highest-charting male debut single for 2009 and continuing into 2010, and the single is the best-selling debut single from an upcoming 2010 release, with nearly 119,000 units sold. Easton Corbin hits stores March 2nd.

Click here for the iTunes offer.