Blue Steel Builds Promo Team

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bsrBlue Steel Records’ label head Steve Pope has been building the radio promotion team. Steve Freeman will head the division as Promotion Director and oversee the Southeast territory. Joining Freeman are Blake Hunter handling the Midwest region, and Faron Smith as the West Coast rep. First on the schedule is working Burns & Poe’s new single, “Don’t Get No Better Than That.” The duo is gearing up for a full album release and radio promotion tour. The single is set to impact country radio on Feb. 2, 2010, with a music video following in the coming weeks.

Freeman is a songwriter and producer who also spent 14 years in radio as on-air talent and Program Director. He held positions at KSSN/Little Rock, KMVK/Little Rock, WKXJ/Chattanooga, KFAY/Fayetteville and KTTI/Yuma. Contact: 615-478-4593;  radio@bluesteelrecords.com

Hunter began his radio career at KSSN/Little Rock as an on-air personality and image director. Over the last ten years, he’s spent time as an on-air talent at KCJC-KVOM/Russellville, AR, and others, and secured KCJC-KVOM and KCNY as reporters for the MusicRow Country Breakout chart. Contact: 501-553-2982; blake@bluesteelrecords.com

Smith has spent the last 10 years fine-tuning his relationships with all forms of media, including working promotional campaigns for BMW/MINI, Bronco Camp For Kids, and Texas Motor Speedway. He has also had experience handling radio promotion on the West Coast. Contact: 505-990-9641; faron@bluesteelrecords.com

Sony Signs Jordyn Shellhart

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JS.IAR.3x3Sony Music Nashville has signed Jordyn Shellhart, a 15-year old singer/songwriter from Franklin, Tenn. The label group is distributing her first album, In A Room, which has already been released.

Shellhart got her start by performing for Frank Rogers and Chris Dubois. It was the day after her 14th birthday and Sea Gayle Music offered her a publishing deal on the spot.

Her entire debut was recorded in a room at her manager Rick Barker’s house, using only instruments and sound equipment available at Best Buy. In conjunction, Shellhart is set for a series of summer performances as part of Best Buy’s @15 initiative, which helps give teenagers a voice.

Sony says Shellhart is a straight “A” student at Centennial High School, and that the sophomore is adamant about graduating before pursuing a full-fledged country music career.

CRS Adds To Agenda; Digital Summit Moves To Sept.

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crs 2010 logoCountry Radio Seminar 2010, to be held Feb. 24-26, 2010, has announced an updated list of educational panels and agenda items. Starting with the Keynote Address from financial authority Dave Ramsey, CRS 2010 is packed with expert speakers, comprehensive market research and current industry issues designed to educate attendees, regardless of market size or region. Panel topics will cover getting records played, finding jobs in today’s competitive environment, building revenue streams, avoiding PPM panic, expanding online opportunities and increasing new media effectiveness and profitability.

Newly added panels include: “The Radiothon Effect: The Reality of Radiothons,” “The Big Idea: How to Come Up with Long-term Creative Ideas that Sell in a Tough Economy” and “Town Hall: The Industry Truth Revealed” (moderated by Tony Randall and Kris Rochester with panelists Mike Dungan, John Esposito, Scott Lindy, Larry Wilson and Gretchen Wilson). Previously announced speakers or panelists include bestselling author Bob Rosner, Skip Bishop, Steve Hodges, Craig Morgan, Blair Garner, Rick “Bubba” Taylor, Jimmy Harnen, Michael Deputato, Charlie Cook, Jennie Smythe, Katie Dean and many more.

The unofficial close of CRS will be marked by the Digital Rodeo Guilty Pleasures Show on Friday, Feb. 26 at Cadillac Ranch in downtown Nashville. The show is set to kick off at 10:30 p.m. or immediately following the CRS New Faces of Country Music® Show and Dinner at the Nashville Convention Center. Artists will get to perform cover versions of one of their favorite songs.

The $99 Unemployment Rate is available through Jan. 31. Contact Kristen McRary at 615-327-4487 or Kristen@CRB.org for more info. Regular Rate registration of $599 is also available through Jan. 31. Full price CRS On-site registration begins Feb. 1, 2010.

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The sixth annual Leadership Music Digital Summit is being rescheduled for September 2010. Specific dates and other details on the Nashville conference attracting music and technology leaders will be announced shortly. Sponsors of all levels are being sought and can contact Vincent Castellucci, LMDS Sponsorship Director, at Vincentc1@earthlink.net or 914-763-1202.

Paisley Creates Pop-up Book Video

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bpThe video for Brad Paisley’s latest hit, “American Saturday Night,” uses over 20,000 still photographs to build a world designed to look like a pop-up book. Paisley’s camp says it is a “2.5D world” that includes Paisley, his band The Drama Kings, and over 100 extras. Production company Branded Picture made the video, using several shoots in front of a green screen to get the final look. [Scroll to the bottom to see the video.]

Looks like a cameo from hit songwriter Ashley Gorley.

Looks like a cameo from hit songwriter Ashley Gorley.

“American Saturday Night” is currently No. 9 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout Chart.

Paisley was just announced as the headliner at the 7th Annual New England Country Music Festival at Gillette Stadium in Boston. Joining him on Aug. 21 will be Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Sara Evans and Easton Corbin.

Fleming Elected to NaSHOF Board; 2010 Officers Announced

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Kye Fleming

Kye Fleming

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation has announced the 2010 officers for its Board of Directors, as well as the election of newly inducted Hall of Fame songwriter Kye Fleming to its 2010/2011 Board.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Kye to our board,” said Bug Music Nashville’s Roger Murrah, Chairman of the NaSHOF Board. “Kye exemplifies the exceptional talent and long-standing resilience it takes to have a successful and impressive career as a songwriter.

Roger Murrah

Roger Murrah

2010 officers for the NaSHOF Board include Murrah (serving his fifth term as Chair); Songwriters Hall of Fame member Wayland Holyfield (Vice Chair); Dye, Van Mol & Lawrence CEO John Van Mol (Vice Chair); Grand Ole Opry VP/GM Pete Fisher (Treasurer); and songwriter Layng Martine, Jr. (Secretary).

Currently serving on the NaSHOF Board of Directors are:
Mike Dye – Managing Partner, GroupXcel
Lisa Harless – Sr. VP, Private Client Services of Regions Bank
Becky Judd – Executive Assistant to Mike Curb, Curb Records
Troy Tomlinson – President and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Nashville
Mike Vaden – Director, Decosimo/Vaden

Ex-officio members serving on the board are:
David L. Maddox – Counsel
Robert K. Oermann – Historian
Jeff Skillen – Director of Development
Mark Ford – Manager of Affairs

Sarah Buxton Joins Shine All Night Tour

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Sarah Buxton

Sarah Buxton

Lyric Street’s Sarah Buxton has been added to the 2010 leg of the SunnyD Presents the Shine All Night Tour starring Martina McBride and Trace Adkins. The tour, also sponsored in part by GAC, kicked off in November 2009 and covers 40 cities across the US through the spring of this year. Both McBride and Adkins will each perform full-length shows and Buxton will be their special guest. Buxton is set to release her self-titled debut album on Feb. 23.

Underwood Added To Grammys; Bradley, Lynn To Be Honored

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cuWith the Grammy Awards coming up on Sunday, Jan. 31, more performers are being revealed, and surrounding special events are being finalized. Carrie Underwood has been added to a Michael Jackson tribute along with Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, and Usher. The performance will feature the 3-D mini-movie for “Earth Song” that was created by Jackson as the centerpiece of his much anticipated This Is It tour, but was never seen by the public. This will be the first time a major awards show broadcasts in 3-D. CBS, which is airing the show has partnered with Target to offer free 3-D Grammy Glasses for viewers at home. From Sunday, Jan. 24, through Sunday, Jan. 31, Target stores nationwide will have the same glasses which will also be worn by the live audience at the LA Staples Center.

The MJ tribute joins previously announced performances by nominees Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, the Dave Matthews Band, Green Day, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, Maxwell, P!nk, Taylor Swift, and the Zac Brown Band.

The Recording Academy will also salute Nashvillians Harold Bradley and Loretta Lynn at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony. Lynn will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award and Bradley will be honored with a Trustees Award. Also being honored that day at the Wilshire Ebell Theater are Leonard Cohen, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Walter C. Miller, the late Bobby Darin, the late Thomas Edison, and the late Florence Greenberg; as well as representatives of AKG Acoustics Gmbh.

Among the Grammy’s promotional tools to promote the show is the WereAllFans.com Web site, which uses the FanBuzz Visualizer to compose pictures of Grammy-nominated artists using real-time, fan-generated YouTube, Twitter, and Flickr postings.

New Albums: Jo Dee Messina, Easton Corbin

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Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Messina

The first single from Jo Dee Messina’s forthcoming album, Unmistakable, is “That’s God,” which will be released on Jan. 25. In preparation for the April 13 release of Unmistakable, Messina will perform seven shows in New York City during a five night residency at Feinstein’s at the Regency Hotel March 16-20. Messina will also take the stage at various tour dates scheduled to begin February 12 in Salt Lake City and continue through October 16 in Cerritos, CA.

EC_Cover_300cmykEaston Corbin’s self-titled debut album is slated for release March 2nd on Mercury Nashville. His four song EP, which features single “A Little More Country Than That,” is already available. He wrote four of the eleven tracks on the album and it is produced by Carson Chamberlain. People Magazine named the newcomer to their “Buzz-Worthy” artist list last fall and featured “The Way Love Looks,” a track co-penned by Corbin, in their “Hot Songs” section.

Charlie Daniels Recovering From Mild Stroke

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cdCharlie Daniels was vacationing in Colorado when he suffered a mild stroke while snowmobiling on Friday, Jan. 15. He was treated at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, CO then airlifted to Swedish Medical Center in Denver, CO. Daniels was released from Swedish Medical Center on Sunday, Jan. 17. He is recuperating at his home in Colorado, where he has been on vacation since Dec. 27.

Daniels has no plans to cancel any concert dates. He is doing well and looking forward to beginning The Charlie Daniels Band 2010 concert dates on Feb. 27 in Ft. Pierce, FL and Feb. 28 in Brooksville, FL. Daniels and his family say they are grateful for everyone’s thoughts and prayers during this time.

Swift, Urban On Superstar Concert For Haiti

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kuTaylor Swift and Keith Urban are among the A-list celebs set to sing on the all-star television concert special Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief. For the two-hour telethon this Friday, Jan. 22, at 8/7 CT, there will be performances by Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, and Sting in New York City; Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, and Swift, and a group performance by Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles; and Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, and Rihanna in a newly added London location. The show will air on all the major networks, many cable channels, and will be streamed online at a number of sites (complete list below).

All musical performances will be available for purchase for $.99 per song through the Apple® iTunes® Store beginning Saturday, Jan. 23, with all proceeds benefiting Haiti relief funds managed by “Hope for Haiti Now” charities.

tsIn addition to musical performances, Wyclef Jean in New York City, George Clooney in Los Angeles, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper reporting from Haiti, Hope for Haiti Now will feature more than one hundred of the biggest names in film, television, and music supporting the cause with testimonials and by answering phones during the telethon.

Hope for Haiti Now is on schedule to be the most widely distributed telethon in history, both internationally and across media platforms. It will air on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, COMEDY CENTRAL, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, and international networks. The event will be live streamed on YouTube, Hulu, MySpace, Fancast, AOL, MSN.com, Yahoo, Bing.com, BET.com, CNN.com, MTV.com, VH1.com, and Rhapsody and on mobile via Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and FloTV.