George Jones and Rick Schulman
Entertainer Rick Schulman Finney died suddenly Tuesday morning, September 29, at his home in Nashville at age 63.
During his colorful career as Rick Schulman, he was a songwriter, studio sideman, advertising pitch man, movie actor and Nashville nightclub star. He was the co-writer of the hit 1980 George Jones and Johnny Paycheck duet “When You’re Ugly Like Us (You Just Naturally Got to Be Cool).”
He was adopted by the Schulman family, who owned a variety store and barbecue stand on Jefferson Street. His musical style was heavily influenced by the blues musicians in the neighborhood. While in boarding school in Cleveland, Ohio, he worked as a rock ‘n’ roll disc jockey.
Returning to Nashville after graduation, Schulman joined the house band of the syndicated R&B television show Night Train. There, he worked with Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, Fats Domino and others on the program.
On Music Row, he was signed as a staff songwriter by Cedarwood, Tree and ATV Music. Bobby Bare, Johnny Russell, Freddy Hart, Dr. Hook, The Newbeats, O.C. Smith and Charlie Rich are among those who recorded Schulman’s songs.
As a studio musician and vocalist, he backed Jack Clement, Johnny Cash, John Hartford, John Prine, June Carter Cash and Waylon Jennings, among others. He was a member of Jack Clement’s Cowboy Ragtime Band.
“Rick was a wonderfully talented singer with both a high and low range like that of a piano and the power of an entire brass section,” said Clement. “I’m going to miss him.”
When the Exit-In nightclub opened in 1971, Schulman became its main opening act. His stage repertoire in the 1970s and 1980s was memorable for humor in such songs as “Falling in Love with My Hand,” “Mamma’s Ugly Baby,” “When I’m Drinking,” “I Picked a Lemon in the Garden of Love” and “Submarine Song.”
“Rick could complement anyone from any genre of music,” said the Exit-In’s co-founder Owsley Manier. “He performed at the Exit-In more times than any other act in our history. He was a Nashville treasure.”
Schulman appeared in cameo roles in a number of music videos. His film credits include parts in Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid, The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Concrete Cowboy, Framed and The Witness. He was also in TV movies aired by HBO, Cinemax, PBS, NBC and Fox. He did character voices for Disney and Sesame Street. His advertising voice-over work included such national brands as McDonald’s, Budweiser, NASCAR, Popeye’s Fried Chicken, Ford, Chevrolet, Red Roof Inn, Ken-L-Ration and Pace’s Picante Sauce, among many others.
“He was also the most naturally funny and entertaining person I ever met,” said Rick Sanjek, his friend and former roommate. “He lit up every room he ever entered with his wit, warmth and giving spirit.” Their third roommate was Randy Rayburn, now one of Nashville’s most successful restaurateurs.
After his adoptive parents died, Rick Schulman sought out his biological parents and took Finney as his last name. It was the maiden name of his biological mother.
Rick Schulman Finney is survived by his wife Eleanor Whitworth Finney and son David Whitworth. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3 at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Belle Meade.
Dennis Knutson, Byron Hill, Eddie Burton, Micki Furhman, Rick Shulman, and Jim Rushing, at the ATV Music Nashville office, circa 1982. Photo: www.byronhillmusic.com
Bluegrass DISClaimer (10/2/09)
/by Robert K OermannUp until now it has been mostly panel discussions, showcases, a trade show and last night’s awards gala. Today begins the Bluegrass Fan Fest part of the IBMA’s convention. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday you get nothing but music, music, music on the lower level of the Nashville Convention Center.
Friday’s 21-act lineup includes The Grascals, Dan Tyminski, The SteelDrivers, Cherryholmes, Del McCoury and our Disc of the Day winner, Alecia Nugent.
On Saturday, you can hear such greats as Dale Ann Bradley, Dailey & Vincent, Joe Diffie, The Infamous Stringdusters and The Lonesome River Band among the 22 performers.
It’s bluegrass gospel on Sunday morning, featuring Union Station’s Ron Block, plus Kenny & Amanda Smith and more. Have fun, music lovers.
ALECIA NUGENT/Don’t Tell Me
Writer: Buddy Miller/Julie Miller; Producer: Carl Jackson; Publisher: Bughouse/Music of Windswept/Bug, ASCAP; Rounder (track) (www.alecianugent.com)
—Alecia is rare as a bluegrass star with a music video. This gorgeous, heartbreaking ballad is like a rose petal floating on an icy lake. She is one of the greatest country singers alive, and shimmers on every track of her current Hillbilly Goddess CD. On its title tune and on “Nugent Family Band” she emerges as a songwriter for the first time. The all-star cast includes Rob Ickes, J.D. Crowe, Sonya Isaacs, Bradley Walker and Andy Leftwich, as well as her brilliant producer, Carl Jackson. An essential record. I wrote the liner notes, but don’t let that keep you from buying it.
RICKY SKAGGS/Foggy River
Writer: Fred Rose; Producer: Ricky Skaggs; Publisher: Sony-ATV, ASCAP; Skaggs Family (track) (www.skaggsfamilyrecords.com)
—Ricky’s latest is called Solo: Songs My Dad Loved. It leads off with this dazzlingly melodic Carl Smith goldie. Ricky’s nimble guitar work on it is as stellar as his vocal. I’ll say one thing: Hobart Skaggs had excellent taste. The set also includes “This World Is Not My Home,” “What Is a Home Without Love,” “Branded Wherever I Go,” and a very cool, overdubbed Ricky-and-Ricky performance of “God Holds the Future in His Hands.”
DALE ANN BRADLEY/Don’t Turn Your Back
Writer: Louisa Branscomb; Producer: Alison Brown; Publisher: Millwheel, BMI; Compass (track) (www.compassrecords.com)
—Don’t Turn Your Back is Kentuckian Dale Ann’s first album since moving to Nashville last year. Appropriately, the title tune is a high, lonesome, wistful song about making a journey by train. She sings with the delicacy of bird in flight. The CD’s repertoire casts its net wide, from Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” to The Carter Family’s “50 Miles of Elbow Room,” from Fleetwood Mac’s “Over My Head” to Dale Ann’s own “Music City Queen.” This is the finest work of her career to date.
DAILEY & VINCENT/Years Ago
Writer: Donald Reid; Producer: Jamie Dailey & Darrin Vincent; Publisher: Songs of Universal, BMI; Rounder (track) (www.daileyvincent.com)
—Darrin and Jamie have always had a thing for The Statler Brothers, so it’s no surprise to find a revival of that group’s 1982 hit on their superb Brothers From Different Mothers CD. It remains a delightful, bitter-funny song, and no one sings with as much thrilling timbre as these two do. The bluegrass vocal treatment they apply to Roger Miller’s “You Oughta Be Here with Me” made the hairs on my arms tingle. They are particularly exciting on “Your Love Is Like a Flower” on the gospel tunes and in their twin-guitar and vocal duet of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings’ “Winter’s Come and Gone.” Oh what am I saying, every track is a minor masterpiece.
Gloriana
/by ProgrammerPlaylist“How Far Do You Wanna Go?”
Emblem Music Group/Warner Bros.
Ultimately it’s the fans who have made Tom Gossin, Mike Gossin, Rachel Reinert and Cheyenne Kimball collectively one of 2009’s hottest new country acts. Gloriana’s self-titled Emblem Music Group/Warner Bros. Records debut premiered at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top 200 and at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Album Chart. The album had the best first-week sales of any new country artist in 2009, and “Wild At Heart” is the best-selling song by a new country artist in 2009, selling over 350,000 copies to date. The diversity of their appeal can be seen in the fact that they have appeared both on the Grand Ole Opry and in the pages of several magazines aimed at teens.
Gloriana was produced by Grammy Award-winner and Emblem Music Group label owner Matt Serletic (Rob Thomas, Willie Nelson, Aerosmith), and mixed by Justin Niebank (Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts) and Chris Lord-Alge (Faith Hill, Tim McGraw). Emblem Music Group is Serletic’s Diamond and multi-Platinum award-winning label, with over 50 million album sales to its credit. In the early stages of the album’s development, Serletic began writing with one of Nashville’s finest songwriters, Jeffrey Steele, and co-wrote the group’s debut single “Wild At Heart” with Josh Kear and Stephanie Bentley. At the same time, the group was collaborating with a talented array of Nashville songwriters including Trey Bruce, Kyle Cook, Ben Glover, Chuck Jones, Kevin Kadish, Wayne Kirkpatrick, and Danny Myrick.
“I know how much music has impacted all of our lives,” says Tom. “It connects us all, it moves us and it can change a person,” adds Mike. “We hope that our music will do that for others for a long time to come.”
http://www.gloriana.com/
http://www.myspace.com/gloriana
Opry Plans Annual Birthday Bash
/by Sarah SkatesJosh Turner
Some of country music’s favorite artists will be part of the excitement as the Grand Ole Opry® celebrates its 84th birthday with birthday shows and special events Oct. 9 and 10. The weekend will include three Opry shows, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers in concert, backstage tours, and an Opry Plaza Birthday Party presented by Martha White. Among those scheduled to appear on Birthday Bash Opry shows are Diamond Rio, Jimmy Dickens, Joe Diffie, Kathy Mattea, Montgomery Gentry, Lorrie Morgan, and Josh Turner. Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers will celebrate the Opry’s Birthday with a Saturday afternoon concert in the Acuff Theatre.
Among the Opry fans from across the country who will descend on Nashville for the annual celebration is radio personality/author/songwriter Delilah, whose eponymous nationally syndicated radio show attracts millions of listeners nightly. Delilah will serve as an Opry guest announcer on Saturday’s first Birthday Bash show.
For a complete schedule and details, go to opry.com.
Taylor Swift Stars In Band Hero Video Game
/by Sarah SkatesOther new characters for the game include Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, and more songs are being added as well.
From the makers of Guitar Hero, Band Hero will allow multiple gamers to play with any instrument combination of guitar, bass, drums and vocals.
Check out the video below to see how Swift’s character was created.
Artist News From David Nail and Gloriana
/by Sarah SkatesThe Chicago White Sox and WUSN celebrated “Country Music Night” on Sept. 22 and featured MCA Nashville artist David Nail performing the national anthem and a four-song acoustic set on the field. He is also acting as MLB.com’s first ever celebrity blogger and will post weekly updates through the World Series. Nail will return to the Windy City Nov. 13 for a performance at Joe’s Bar to benefit cancer research.
Elsewhere, Nail will be GAC’s “Fan Focus” artist in October with special coverage and promotional spots. He continues to tour in support of his recent release I’m About To Come Alive, which is up 15% in sales this week.
(L-R): Erich Wigdahl, Nail, and Eric Kinney perform before the White Sox game. Photo: Ron Vesely
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Gloriana is hosting a contest for fans with the winner receiving a new iPod Touch loaded with the band’s music. Because the band loves to watch videos of fans performing their songs, they are having fans send in these videos via YouTube, where they will choose their favorite. To enter, reply via YouTube.
Carrie’s Single Sales Explosion
/by Sarah Skates“Cowboy Casanova” is the lead single from her Nov. 3 Arista/19 Recordings release, Play On, and is the fastest rising single of her career. The music video debuts tomorrow (10/2) as part of CMT’s multi-artist “Big New Music Weekend” of nine exclusive video premieres. Fans can also look for the video beginning tomorrow on CMT.com, and CMT Pure.
A four-time GRAMMY Award winner, ACM Entertainer of the Year, and reigning, three-time CMA and ACM Female Vocalist winner, Underwood re-teamed with producer Mark Bright for the new album. He also helmed her Carnival Ride collection as well as seven tracks from her 2005 album debut, Some Hearts. To date, Underwood has amassed more than 10 million in U.S. album sales with Some Hearts and 2007’s Carnival Ride.
Writer’s Den Emerges From Montage Ashes
/by Sarah SkatesWriter’s Den has already secured cuts overseas as well as TV and movie placements, including “Rains Here Too” (Tami Hinesh with Kate York) recently featured on the CW’s One Tree Hill; “Courageous” (Ben Cooper and Melinda Schneider) recorded by both Olivia Newton John and Australian artist Melinda Schneider; “I’m Gonna Make You Want To” (Tami Hinesh with Betsy Ulmer and Kelly Archer) recorded by Nathalia on Universal Records in Brazil, and “Bluer Than Blue” (Minnie Murphy) included in the upcoming film Bailey about bluesman Jefferson Bailey.
Rymer explains, “Our philosophy is to encourage creativity in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. We are so looking forward to a lot of great songs, long lasting relationships, and loads of laughter to come.” www.writersdenmusicgroup.com
Updated: Lifenotes: Rick Schulman
/by Robert K OermannGeorge Jones and Rick Schulman
Entertainer Rick Schulman Finney died suddenly Tuesday morning, September 29, at his home in Nashville at age 63.
During his colorful career as Rick Schulman, he was a songwriter, studio sideman, advertising pitch man, movie actor and Nashville nightclub star. He was the co-writer of the hit 1980 George Jones and Johnny Paycheck duet “When You’re Ugly Like Us (You Just Naturally Got to Be Cool).”
He was adopted by the Schulman family, who owned a variety store and barbecue stand on Jefferson Street. His musical style was heavily influenced by the blues musicians in the neighborhood. While in boarding school in Cleveland, Ohio, he worked as a rock ‘n’ roll disc jockey.
Returning to Nashville after graduation, Schulman joined the house band of the syndicated R&B television show Night Train. There, he worked with Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, Fats Domino and others on the program.
On Music Row, he was signed as a staff songwriter by Cedarwood, Tree and ATV Music. Bobby Bare, Johnny Russell, Freddy Hart, Dr. Hook, The Newbeats, O.C. Smith and Charlie Rich are among those who recorded Schulman’s songs.
As a studio musician and vocalist, he backed Jack Clement, Johnny Cash, John Hartford, John Prine, June Carter Cash and Waylon Jennings, among others. He was a member of Jack Clement’s Cowboy Ragtime Band.
“Rick was a wonderfully talented singer with both a high and low range like that of a piano and the power of an entire brass section,” said Clement. “I’m going to miss him.”
When the Exit-In nightclub opened in 1971, Schulman became its main opening act. His stage repertoire in the 1970s and 1980s was memorable for humor in such songs as “Falling in Love with My Hand,” “Mamma’s Ugly Baby,” “When I’m Drinking,” “I Picked a Lemon in the Garden of Love” and “Submarine Song.”
“Rick could complement anyone from any genre of music,” said the Exit-In’s co-founder Owsley Manier. “He performed at the Exit-In more times than any other act in our history. He was a Nashville treasure.”
Schulman appeared in cameo roles in a number of music videos. His film credits include parts in Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid, The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Concrete Cowboy, Framed and The Witness. He was also in TV movies aired by HBO, Cinemax, PBS, NBC and Fox. He did character voices for Disney and Sesame Street. His advertising voice-over work included such national brands as McDonald’s, Budweiser, NASCAR, Popeye’s Fried Chicken, Ford, Chevrolet, Red Roof Inn, Ken-L-Ration and Pace’s Picante Sauce, among many others.
“He was also the most naturally funny and entertaining person I ever met,” said Rick Sanjek, his friend and former roommate. “He lit up every room he ever entered with his wit, warmth and giving spirit.” Their third roommate was Randy Rayburn, now one of Nashville’s most successful restaurateurs.
After his adoptive parents died, Rick Schulman sought out his biological parents and took Finney as his last name. It was the maiden name of his biological mother.
Rick Schulman Finney is survived by his wife Eleanor Whitworth Finney and son David Whitworth. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3 at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Belle Meade.
Dennis Knutson, Byron Hill, Eddie Burton, Micki Furhman, Rick Shulman, and Jim Rushing, at the ATV Music Nashville office, circa 1982. Photo: www.byronhillmusic.com
Robin Roberts Joins “Opry Goes Pink”
/by FreemanRobin Roberts
When the Grand Ole Opry joins the fight against cancer in this Friday’s (10/2) special “Opry Goes Pink,” one of America’s favorite morning news personalities will be on hand to help. Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts, who is a breast cancer survivor, will serve as a special guest announcer for part of the night’s first show. Roberts will introduce acts as well as the Greater Nashville Affiliate Susan G. Komen for the Cure® 2009 Honorary Survivor of the Year Tracie Shelby to the crowd.
During each of Friday’s shows, Carrie Underwood will “flip the switch,” turning the Opry’s signature barn backdrop pink in support of Women Rock for the Cure and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. These shows include performances from Underwood, Terri Clark, Jo Dee Messina, Lorrie Morgan, Mindy Smith and more. Tickets are available at opry.com or by calling 800-SEE-OPRY. Mention code OPRYPINK when ordering to have $5 of the sale donated to Women Rock for the Cure and the Greater Nashville Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Music Video Debuts From Nichols, Adkins, Bowers & Covington
/by MichelleThe video for Trace Adkins’ “All I Ask For Anymore” made its premiere on CMT and GAC earlier this week. The video was directed by the award-winning team of Robert Deaton and George Flanigen of Deaton Flanigen Productions, and was shot on location at the Tennessee Air National Guard in Nashville. The video features soldiers and their families as well as cameo’s by Adkins’ family.
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Filming the music video for Ash Bower's "Stuck."
The video for Stoney Creek Records’ Ash Bowers’ debut single, “Stuck,” debuted recently on CMT. Directed by Curt Apanovich, produced by William Shockley, David Bennett and executive produced by John Small of Picture Visions, the video was shot in two days from three different locations in Southern California. Part of the video was shot on a helipad atop a 28-story building in downtown L.A. Bower’s debut album is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2010.
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AOL’s TheBoot.com is premiering the Joe Nichols’ video for “An Old Friend of Mine” today (9/30) The video was directed by Rob Dennis and Mason Dixon and was filmed with one camera in one take. Nichols’ sixth studio recording for Universal Records South, Old Things New, will be released Oct. 27.
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The music video for Bucky Covington’s “Gotta Be Somebody,” was shot during a hometown concert in Rockingham, North Carolina and is expected to hit online and TV within the next month. The single is from his upcoming sophomore album, I’m Alright, releasing spring 2010.