Click to read
People Country magazine debuts on newsstands today (8/7), with an accompanying TV special set to premiere on CMT.
Dedicated entirely to the Country music scene and lifestyle, this edition, the third of five special Country issues to be published by People in 2009, takes readers inside the homes of Country’s biggest stars.
In the cover story, Reba McEntire opens the doors to the Tennessee home she shares with her manager and husband of 20 years, Narvel Blackstock. The 54-year-old singer also talks about the upcoming release of her 33rd album, Keep on Loving You, her first solo studio album since the new generation of females took over the charts. “Competition fuels me,” McEntire tells People Country. “I look at the charts, and I want to know where I am and whom I have to beat out. It’s more fun that way.”
Also inside: Miranda Lambert dishes on her favorite things, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill talk about their new fragrances, Jennifer Nettles counts her blessings, and Brad Paisley reveals the inspiration behind his newest single and reminisces about the first time he laid his eyes on his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, when he went to see 1991’s Father of the Bride with his then-girlfriend.
Also included:
Exclusive pics of Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley’s wedding to Cassie McConnell in the Bahamas, attended by brother Josh Kelley and wife Katherine Heigl.
The homes of Darius Rucker, Gretchen Wilson, Holly Williams, Kenny Rogers and Jimmy Wayne.
Yearbook photos of Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Lee Ann Womack and others.
Another bonus: free iTunes downloads from Jack Ingram, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and others. Go to www.people.com/free to get the promo code to download the free People Country playlist.
People Country on CMT is a 30-minute special with exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage of photo shoots and interviews (Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Gretchen Wilson and Darius Rucker). The special premiered today (8/7) at 1:30 p.m. ET/PT, and will encore on Sat., Aug. 8 at 1:30 p.m. ET/PT and Sun., Aug. 9 at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT.
Females Up Front
/by Sarah Skates————————
Taylor Swift appears in the new video game Band Hero, from the makers of Guitar Hero. Players can act as Swift or alongside her as band members, while performing her hits “Love Story,” “You Belong With Me,” and “Picture to Burn” as part of the game. Band Hero allows fans to create a band using any combination of guitar or drum controllers and vocals. It is due out in November for most gaming systems, and will also feature other musical acts such as the Jackson 5, No Doubt, Lily Allen and The All-American Rejects.
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Terri Clark is planning a tour, album and was recently nominated for the Canadian Country Music Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year. As Clark readies The Long Way Home, her first studio project since her mother fell ill with cancer over 3 years ago, she is selling her live album, Road Rage, via her website and at shows. Meanwhile, the studio album’s lead single, “Gypsy Boots,” is the fastest moving of her career in her homeland Canada.
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rista Nashville’s vibrant sibling group Jypsi will be in New York for 10 days this month, playing a string of shows including a free 7-night stand starting Aug. 17 at the Living Room in Manhattan. In addition, Jypsi is slated to perform at the new Southwest Porch at Bryant Park on Aug. 20. Jypsi is made up of siblings, ages 18-28, who grew up on the road singing, playing, and writing since youngest, Lillie Mae (lead vocals / fiddle) was just three years old. The now-seasoned performers include older siblings Amber-Dawn (vocals / fiddle), Scarlett (mandolin) and Frank (vocals / guitar). Their current single is “Mister Officer.”
St. Jude Street Party, Stars For Second Harvest, Blood Drive
/by Sarah SkatesThe party will be 5-8 PM at Roy Acuff Place, between 17th and 18th Aves. S. It is open to the music industry and will be hosted by the St. Jude Country Cares Advisory Board and Country Cares program founder Randy Owen and ALSAC/St. Jude COO Dave McKee.
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Year after year acclaimed songwriter Craig Wiseman puts together a stellar lineup of musicians for the Stars for Second Harvest concert benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank. The 5th Annual Stars for Second Harvest will be held at the Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 29 at 7:30 PM, featuring Phil Vassar, Heidi Newfield, Rodney Atkins and many more. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
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MusiCares and the American Red Cross are partnering together to host a blood drive scheduled for Thurs. Aug. 20, 12– 4 PM at the MusiCares office, 1904 Wedgewood Avenue. To respect the donors’ time, appointments are being scheduled. Please call MusiCares at 615-327-0050 or email cortney.bailey@grammy.com to sign up. Due to parking limitations, valet parking will be available.
Pickler On Tour, Swift Twitters About Awards, More
/by Sarah Skates————————–
The Teen Choice Awards 2009 don’t air until 7 PM/CT tonight (8/10) on Fox, but Taylor Swift’s Twitter feed has been giving away some of the surprises. She posted, “Two of my best friends @therealpickler and Abigail came out and surprised me onstage tonight in Omaha. I won 2 Teen Choice Awards!! AHHH!!” and “Choice female artist and choice female album! YESSSSS!!!”
Swift, Carrie Underwood and Miley Cyrus are among the nominees for the popular show, honoring everything from music, TV, and film, to favorite athletes, celebrity babies and celeb pets.
There isn’t a Country category, so the music nominations listed here are all-genre. Swift received four nods, including favorite Female Artist, Love Song, Tour and Female Album. Underwood’s Carnival Ride is also competing for Female Album. Cyrus is one of the leading nominees, with the chance to take home 10 surfboard trophies, including one for her Country/Pop crossover single “The Climb,” which was written by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe.
The most nominations, 12, went to vampire teen flick Twilight and its cast. Also up for 10 awards are High School Musical 3: Senior Year and its cast, and TV’s Gossip Girl.
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Donovan is set to be named a BMI Icon at the performing rights organization’s annual Oct. 6 London Awards. The gala celebration honors UK/European songwriters and publishers of the year’s most played BMI songs on American radio and TV. The Icon award indicates, “a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” Other winners have included Bryan Ferry, Ray Davies, Van Morrison, the Bee Gees, Paul Simon and many more. Donovan’s hits include “Sunshine Superman,” which has earned over 3 million performances and “Mellow Yellow” which has tallied over 2 million. Other hits include “Wear Your Love Like Heaven,” “Jennifer Juniper,” and “Lalena.” BMI collects royalties for Donovan in the U.S. and he is a member of British Performing Rights Organization PRS.
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Christian rockers MercyMe (Provident-Integrity) were in an accident over the weekend in northeastern Indiana, when their tour bus hit a car which turned into its path unexpectedly. Witnesses told police the bus was going through a green light about 1:15 a.m. Saturday when the car made a left turn in front of it. Two passengers in the car were killed, as well as the pregnant driver’s unborn child. The driver remains in critical condition. There were no injuries reported on the bus. The band canceled its Saturday show in St. Louis.
“People Country Special” On Newsstands And TV
/by Sarah SkatesClick to read
People Country magazine debuts on newsstands today (8/7), with an accompanying TV special set to premiere on CMT.
Dedicated entirely to the Country music scene and lifestyle, this edition, the third of five special Country issues to be published by People in 2009, takes readers inside the homes of Country’s biggest stars.
In the cover story, Reba McEntire opens the doors to the Tennessee home she shares with her manager and husband of 20 years, Narvel Blackstock. The 54-year-old singer also talks about the upcoming release of her 33rd album, Keep on Loving You, her first solo studio album since the new generation of females took over the charts. “Competition fuels me,” McEntire tells People Country. “I look at the charts, and I want to know where I am and whom I have to beat out. It’s more fun that way.”
Also inside: Miranda Lambert dishes on her favorite things, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill talk about their new fragrances, Jennifer Nettles counts her blessings, and Brad Paisley reveals the inspiration behind his newest single and reminisces about the first time he laid his eyes on his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, when he went to see 1991’s Father of the Bride with his then-girlfriend.
Also included:
Exclusive pics of Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley’s wedding to Cassie McConnell in the Bahamas, attended by brother Josh Kelley and wife Katherine Heigl.
The homes of Darius Rucker, Gretchen Wilson, Holly Williams, Kenny Rogers and Jimmy Wayne.
Yearbook photos of Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Lee Ann Womack and others.
Another bonus: free iTunes downloads from Jack Ingram, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and others. Go to www.people.com/free to get the promo code to download the free People Country playlist.
People Country on CMT is a 30-minute special with exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage of photo shoots and interviews (Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Gretchen Wilson and Darius Rucker). The special premiered today (8/7) at 1:30 p.m. ET/PT, and will encore on Sat., Aug. 8 at 1:30 p.m. ET/PT and Sun., Aug. 9 at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT.
Chris Young, Shawna Russell At CRB Meeting
/by Sarah SkatesRCA Nashville hitmaker Chris Young delivered a lunchtime performance for members of the Country Radio Broadcasters’ Board of Directors and CRS 41 Agenda Committee amid meetings recently in Nashville. Chris is currently all over the country airwaves with “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song),” from his upcoming sophomore album, The Man I Want to Be, in stores September 1.
Pictured (l-r): RCA Nashville Promo VP Keith Gale; CRB Board President and KMPS Seattle PD Becky Brenner; Young; CRB Executive Director Ed Salamon; and Sony Music Nashville Executive VP Butch Waugh. Photo credit: Kristen England Photography
Shawna Russell played the Country Radio Broadcasters Board Meeting Breakfast in Nashville. She and her band delivered a 6-song set to the radio and music industry luminaries. Russell’s label, Way Out West Records, of which she is a co-owner, sponsored the event, which was emceed by the label’s radio consultant, Mike Borchetta.
(l-r): Ed Salamon- CRB Executive Dir.; Michael Osterhout-MCC Radio; Shawna Russell; Carole Bowen-WKIS Radio; Mike Borchetta Photo credits: Kristen England Photography
Deana, Milsap, Swift, Seals, Daniels, and Towns
/by Sarah SkatesAdditional activities include a silent auction. Sponsorships are still available and silent auction donations welcome. Details and tickets at franklin4thecure.org.
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A new single by BLEVE recording artist Ronnie Milsap featuring Capitol’s Trace Adkins will be released by BLEVE Entertainment Group. “My First Ride” will debut Sept. 1 and is the lead single from a compilation album. Proceeds will go to the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Fire Fighters’ disaster relief funds. The idea is the creation of Mickey Milam, a retired Metro Nashville police officer who founded BLEVE Entertainment.
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Taylor Swift performs songs from her sophomore album Fearless in a new episode of Studio 330 Sessions on CMT.com. In a stripped-down studio presentation, Swift delivers new takes on some of her biggest hits including “Love Story,” “White Horse,” and the current hit “You Belong With Me.” Click here to watch.
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Rhonda Towns (Dawn Records) made the rounds to visit media outlets and radio in New York City recently, where she appeared on “The Strategy Room” (Fox.com) and the syndicated radio show “The Joey Reynolds Show” to introduce her current single “Slow Rain.” She also spent time with the staff of KISS FM 98.7 and radio talk personality Bob Slade.
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Brady Seals with the cover character from new album "Play Time."
StarCity Recording Company artist Brady Seals sat down with Maxim.com to film a two minute segment dubbed “A Drink with Brady Seals” where he discusses his new album, video games and Richard Marx’s hair. Seals is preparing to release his new album, Play Time, on Aug. 18 and is currently on tour promoting the first single, “Ho Down,” which, as Brady says, isn’t your average square dancin’ song.
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Tennessee Titans’ kicker Rob Bironas surprised Charlie Daniels with one of his game worn shoes after a recent Charlie Daniels Band appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. The shoe had been dipped in gold and was given to Charlie as a thank you for the golden fiddle Charlie had presented to Rob a few months prior. The plaque reads…”To Charlie Daniels, Keep Playin That Fiddle. – Rob Bironas #2.”
As Ubiquitous Availability Becomes Reality
/by bossrossThe radio business is largely built upon two foundations.
Scarcity—terrestrial radio is built upon demand for a limited number of FCC licenses.
Barrier To Entry— costs to purchase a frequency plus operate are substantial.
Enter the Internet. Startup costs become basic—a URL web address, some readily available low cost software, content and music royalties. Scarcity and barriers to entry are no longer part of this equation. In this morning’s subscriber-only @MusicRow an article about streaming radio says that over half of teens 13-17 are already using the quickly proliferating number of available online services.
Now imagine that in addition to getting the signal on your computer and mobile devices (iPhone, Blackberry, etc.) Internet is also available on your car radio. As ubiquitous availability becomes reality, virtual Internet stations will mushroom overnight.
Kenny Chesney is surfing this wave of change with his newly launched No Shoes Radio channel (www.noshoesradio.com) which features the artist’s music, plus a diverse sampling of other artists and formats. Demand from fans was so high that over 50,000 streams were served on launch, temporarily freezing the servers in the process. “It’s…knowing that you’re still in sync with the fans,” said Chesney. Commenting upon the launch glitch he said, “When you try something that people tell you is crazy, in the back of your mind you’re glad there was so much demand.”
So where is this going?
Will it change the country music business which is still tied tightly to country radio exposure and the radio charts?
Will a changing radio landscape open up playlists and expand the format’s diversity?
What do you think?
Ads In CDs, Twitter, Nashville Symphony
/by Sarah Skates“The idea was really simple thinking: ‘We sell millions of records, so you should advertise with us,’” Antonio “L.A.” Reid, chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group told Brandweek. “My artists have substantial circulation—when you sell 2 million, 5 million, 8 million, that’s a lot of eyeballs.”
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When Twitter went down yesterday, it was because a group of Russians were trying to stop a blogger from the Republic of Georgia from communicating with sympathizers, reports the Telegraph. The denial of service attack also interrupted Facebook and LiveJournal. The Telegraph says, “This technique uses a network of tens of thousands of compromised computers, known as a botnet, to flood a website’s servers with access requests, leaving ordinary traffic unable to get through, and causing the system to overload and crash.” Max Kelly, chief security officer at Facebook, corroborated the story to CNET News.
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The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce recently won the nationwide award for Chamber of the Year. It was given by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives.
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Although The Nashville Symphony doesn’t even charge tax, it is joining in the Sales Tax Holiday festivities this weekend (Aug. 7-9) by offering a 9.25% discount on all SunTrust Classical Series concerts. You can redeem this discount online by using the promo code TAXFREE, over the phone at 615-687-6400 or by visiting the box office in person. www.nashvillesymphony.org