According to market research company Nielsen (1/3/11), the Apple iPhone operating system remains the top mobile OS in the US enjoying a 28.6% market share. Closely following the Cupertino giant is Google’s Android system with 25.8%. Blackberry, once the top dog in the mobile platform race, slides from 33% in June 2010 to 26.1% in […]
On December 18, the Grand Ole Opry celebrated the 90th birthday of Little Jimmy Dickens, a 62-year Opry veteran. Opry member and Dickens’ good friend Brad Paisley led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday” as Opry members Jeannie Seely, Bill Anderson and Jim Ed Brown rolled out his birthday cake. Earlier in the evening, Paisley […]
Toby Keith made a surprise visit to his I Love This Bar & Grill at Mesa Riverview in Arizona for New Years Eve where he performed a handful of songs to ring in the New Year including “Whiskey Girl,” “I Love This Bar,” “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)” as well […]
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Facebook has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and Russian investor Digital Sky Technologies in a deal which values the social networking company at $50 billion. According to this latest figure, Facebook is worth more than eBay, Yahoo and Time Warner. With rumors circulating about a 2012 public offering for Facebook, Goldman Sachs is expected […]
Attendance at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena hit an all-time high in December. Twenty-two separate events, including nine sold-out Garth Brooks shows, drew 334,917 guests to the venue, making December the most attended month since the venue opened in 1996. In addition to Brooks’ shows, which were record setting in themselves, the venue hosted seven Nashville Predators […]
https://music-row-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/10150319/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00Sarah Skateshttps://music-row-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/10150319/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngSarah Skates2011-01-03 14:25:282011-01-03 14:25:28Garth Brooks, ZBB Help Set Arena Attendance Record
The Academy of Country Music continues to refine its hybrid voting which polls both fans and industry professionals. For the organization’s 46th Annual Country Music Awards—slated for April 3, 2011—Newcomer categories will again be opened up to fan voting through VoteACM.com and GACtv.com/ACM. This is the third year that ACM and Great American Country have […]
Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles will perform a solo show at the Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton, Texas on Jan. 15, to benefit Attic Community Playground, a non-profit organization supporting the performing arts. Jack Ingram will open the show. Proceeds will go to the Ponder High School Band and Choir Program in Ponder, Texas, and the […]
Veteran radio exec Charlie Cook is starting the new year as Director of Programming and Brand Management for West Virginia Radio Corporation. The outfit operates 26 properties in West Virginia and Maryland. He will be based out of the company’s corporate headquarters in Morgantown, WV. Cook’s 27-year career most recently includes time as programmer and […]
https://music-row-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/10150319/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00Sarah Skateshttps://music-row-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/10150319/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngSarah Skates2011-01-03 13:44:482011-01-03 13:44:48Charlie Cook Joins West Virginia Radio Corp.
As we look back at 2010, we see that we have lost some enormous musical talents. Country Music Hall of Fame members Carl Smith and Jimmy Dean passed on, as did Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Hank Cochran. Our r&b community lost Bobby Hebb; our pop scene lost Owsley; and our jazz community lost Dennis Taylor. Studio instrumental greats Ben Keith and Fred Carter Jr. are gone, as are hit songwriters Ronny Scaife, George Richey and Linda Hargrove. Slim Bryant, the last living link to Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music, died at age 101. Here is a remembrance of some of those who passed away during 2010.
https://music-row-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/10150319/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00Robert K Oermannhttps://music-row-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/10150319/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngRobert K Oermann2011-01-03 10:40:512011-01-03 10:40:51Nashville-Related Music Obituaries, 2010
Rockhouse Live has been announced as a new division and proprietary technology platform for technology-based entertainment agency, Rockhouse Partners. the Nashville-based firm’s new offering is intended to help live entertainment properties sell more tickets. According to Rockhouse, “The new division will act as an entertainment marketing agency and leverage a technology product that includes a […]
Tim McGraw will take his band the Dancehall Doctors back on the road for the Emotional Traffic Tour this spring. Special guests Luke Bryan and The Band Perry will join McGraw for the tour, which is sponsored by Outback Steakhouse. No dates have been announced yet, but the full itinerary is expected to be revealed […]
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Everyone knows the music business is going through a downturn, but an article in the Tennessean shows just how hard it is hitting songwriters. NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison tells the newspaper that the number of Nashville songwriters making a living from their craft has dropped a drastic 75% in the last five years. Essentially, […]
Nashville music industry veteran Terrell Tye, 58, passed away peacefully on Christmas morning at 7 a.m. She is survived by her loving sons Josh and Zack Allen and brother Dowell Tye. Tye was also the former wife of Grand Ole Opry member Hal Ketchum. Terrell Tye was a partner in Forerunner music, an innovative publishing […]
Have you found yourself thinking lately, “Hey, I wish there were more subscription-based music services available to me as a consumer?” Right. We thought not. But apparently no one notified Sony, who unveiled its Music Unlimited service in the U.K. and Ireland this week boasting a catalog of approximately 6 million titles from Universal Music, […]
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Rodney Crowell will be releasing his memoir Chinaberry Sidewalks on January 18. A limited number of signed hard cover copies of Chinaberry Sidewalks are now available for purchase exclusively at RodneyCrowell.com and will ship directly to fans on or before January 18. Also available exclusively on Crowell’s website is a digital download of Rodney Crowell: […]
Billboard’s Antony Bruno does an excellent job peering under the hood at Soulja Boy’s recent Nov. 30 album release which managed to shift 13,000 units, a surprisingly modest debut considering the artist has 2.5 million Twitter followers. Does this mean that Twitter’s ability to influence and drive sales is becoming less important? What about for […]
An article in the New York Times points out the growing divide between communication modes of people young and old. Not surprisingly, those in the younger bracket prefer real-time online chats and text messaging to traditional email. Actual phone calls have been on the decline for some time. Younger people tend to prefer a more […]
Nielsen SoundScan handicappers are now melancholy with the realization that country will not achieve flat sales compared with 2009. With two 2010 sales weeks remaining—one leading into the holiday and one after,
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SoundExchange reports its distributions to rights holders increased 55% in 2009 to $156 million. Total revenues rose 20% to 204.2 million. SoundExchange is a non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio (such as SIRIUS XM), Internet radio (like Pandora), cable TV music channels and similar platforms for streaming sound recordings on […]
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Perhaps country labels should consider the possibility of making album releases into first person shooter video games. According to an article in the New York Post, Acitivision Blizzard’s Call of Duty: Black Ops game has crossed the $1 billion sales threshold in only 42 days. Though not quite in Avatar territory ($1B in 20 days), […]
Shania Twain is on the cover of the latest issue of US Weekly, as her reps confirmed to the magazine that Twain is engaged to Frederic Thiebaud. Thiebaud is the ex-husband of Twain’s former friend Marie-Anne Thiebaud — the woman Robert “Mutt” Lange, Twain’s husband of 14 years, reportedly left Twain for in May 2008. […]
Who can beat Celebrity Taste-makers when it comes to discerning between the jealous and the zealous? Their snarky wit is discerning and head turning. So when LA Times blog Ministry of Gossip asked the musical question, is Julianne Hough’s new video “Is That So Wrong” deserving of being “kinda banned” by CMT, as the young […]
Lewis Copeland recently debuted his original theme song “Smashville” at the Nashville Predators game vs. the San Jose Sharks (12/15). Later during a special performance at the Stage on Broadway, Copeland again performed the song. Among those present at the “Smashville” after party were several Nashville Predators Ice Girls who passed out Preds merchandise to […]
Josh Turner and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their third son, Crawford Marion Turner, on Monday, December 13. He was born at 8:52 p.m. at a Nashville hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces and was 19 inches long. Both baby and mother are doing well. “Jennifer and I are overjoyed at Marion’s arrival,” Turner says. […]
Jimmy’s holiday ballad “Drunk on Christmas” has officially become a tradition on his show. Fallon reintroduced the song (12/16) on his show with country star John Rich, who came decked out in a Santa costume with golden cowboy boots. Seasons drinkings everybody! In the wake of response to the musical pairing, the “inappropriate holiday duet” […]
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Country Thunder Festival stops in Arizona and Wisconsin have added additional performers to their lineups. Joining the performance schedule for the Florence, Arizona Country Thunder Festival April 7-10 are Clay Walker, Rodney Atkins, Eric Church, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Neal McCoy. Previously announced performers include Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, and Martina McBride. Full weekend […]
I dread this column every year. It’s not that I don’t like Christmas. Far from it. It’s just that so much bad music gets recorded in its name. And, as usual, there is far more of it than I can hope to cover in a column.
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Chrysalis hosted a luncheon to congratulate Jeff Stevens on his inclusion in Billboard’s Year In Music 2010 Hot Country Songs Producers list. “2010 was a great year for Jeff,” says Chrysalis Nashville Executive VP Dale Bobo. “With another hit single (“Someone Else Calling You Baby”), a gold record for his production on Luke Bryan’s “Doin’ […]
A recent Wall Street Journal article by Damian Kulash Jr., lead singer and guitarist of rock band OK Go delves into some of the corners around which the new models are being built. “We once relied on investment and support from a major label,” says Kulash. “Now we make a comparable living raising money directly from fans and through licensing and sponsorship. Music isn’t going away. We’re just moving out of the brief period—a flash in history’s pan—when an artist could expect to make a living selling records alone.”
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The 140,000 concertgoers turning out this week for Garth Brooks’ Nashville shows haven’t been disappointed. His infectious energy radiated through the sold-out Bridgestone Arena last night (12/19) as the headset-wearing hit machine ran through two hours of material. Dubbed Nashville 10: The Rescue Party, the series of shows benefiting flood relief has raised $5 million to date.
Nominations from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) Awards were recently announced, with the Grascals and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage both earning multiple nominations. Reigning SPBGMA Bluegrass Band of the Year The Grascals are up for 10 SPBGMA Awards, including Album of the Year (The Famous Lefty Flynn’s), Entertaining […]
Schatzi Hageman, President and founder of Hot Schatz PR, has announced that her long-term professional relationship with Trace Adkins will be ending at the end of the year. Hageman and Adkins have worked together since 1998. “Changes like these are difficult, but they can be very invigorating and energizing, as well,” Hageman continues. “I’m really looking forward to […]
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Emrose/Stroudavarious/Nine North’s Margaret Durante played the WPOC Charm City Country Showcase at Hightopps Backstage Grill in Baltimore last night while promoting her single “Mississippi’s Crying.” Durante, now 22 years old is a native of Potomac, Maryland. Some of her influences include Mary Chapin Carpenter and Bonnie Raitt whose voices gave her a love of “soulful, […]
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Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus (L) and wife Allison DeMarcus (R) welcomed their first child on Fri., December 17. Madeline Leigh DeMarcus was born in Nashville at 4:49pm, weighing in at 6 pounds and 9 ounces. “Allison and I are thrilled!” shares Jay. “Madeline is absolutely gorgeous; she looks just like her daddy! Both mom […]
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Nashville’s own Jeremy Lister and Street Corner Symphony have made the finals of NBC’s The Sing Off, which will air live tonight (12/20) at 7 pm CT. The a capella singing competition began with 10 vocal groups and has been whittled down to a final four groups: Street Corner Symphony, Committed (Huntsville, AL), The Backbeats […]
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Hot Schatz PR has hired Michelle Lorge as Associate Publicist and Operations Manager. In this role, Lorge will be responsible for implementing regional media campaigns for Hot Schatz artists as well as overseeing the office’s day-to-day administrative functions. “I’m very excited about adding Michelle to the Hot Schatz PR team,” says President/Owner Schatzi Hageman. “With […]
Grammy winning producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon and KMG recording duo Curtis and Luckey recently recorded new music at Blackbird Studios. Cannon said of the duo, “The songs these guys are writing and recording offer a fresh, energetic and exciting take on country music.” (L-R): Cannon, Curtis Baxter and Luckey Moore (standing). • • •
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Orville Almon has announced he will open a private practice on Jan. 3, 2011. Almon, a founding partner of Zumwalt, Almon and Hayes and known for his expertise in contract law, is now making the jump to focus more on business affairs for entertainment and corporate entities. “The business model for an entertainment law firm […]
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, “Amazon Can’t Dent iTunes,” when it comes to selling music. One of the key differences between the two music retailers is pricing. Amazon often employs steep discounts to draw consumers. For example, Amazon will sometimes price new front line albums $3.99. iTunes usually sells albums for $9.99 […]
Trace Adkins will appear on CBS’ new daytime talk show The Talk today (12/17) at 1 pm CT as a guest and performer. He will talk with show hosts Julie Chen, Leah Remini, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Sara Gilbert as well as performing the holiday classic, “The Christmas Song.” Adkins […]
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SPIN ZONE Note: Today’s chart edition is the final one of 2010, and we will take the next two weeks off. The first chart of 2011 will be published on Friday, January 7. Happy Holidays! • • • • Keith Urban will close out 2010 with “Put You In A Song” at the top of […]
Recently, two country artists’ teams successfully deployed new singles and managed to keep their current singles on the rise. At the 44th edition of the CMA Awards, Brad Paisley and Jason Aldean both debuted songs other than their current singles. Thanks to years of hard work at radio by the artists and labels, the move […]
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Entertainment law firm Zumwalt, Almon & Hayes, founded in 1975, is joining with Shackelford, Melton & McKinley creating the only law firm with offices in Nashville, Dallas and Austin. Beginning Jan. 1 the new group in Nashville will be named Shackelford, Zumwalt & Hayes. The newly combined firm brings together over 45 lawyers with experience […]
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If, as pundits proclaimed 12 months ago, “flat is the new up,” then 2010 will have been a pretty good year for country music sales—at least on the surface. Happily, for the week ending 12/5/2010, YTD country sales (down 5.7%) are handily outperforming the all genre average (down 12.7%) compared with the same period in 2009…
Americana Dates Announced The Americana Music Association (AMA) has announced that the 12th Annual Festival & Conference will take place October 12-15, 2011 in Nashville. The event, hailed as the “Best Music Festival” by Southern Living Magazine, features over 100 performing artists, 50 panels, and fans and industry professionals from all of the world. Past […]
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JaneDear girls in YouTube Challenge the JaneDear girls are one of 50 artists selected to participate in MyYouTube, an online promotion that encourages fans to help musicians score points and subscribers on their YouTube channel. The contest, which runs through February 4, 2011, features artists such as B.O.B., Justin Bieber and Rihanna. The JaneDear girls […]
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BMI honored Lee Brice’s record-breaking Billboard Song of the Year, “Love Like Crazy,” at a reception at BMI’s Music Row office on December 14. The song, produced by Doug Johnson and co-written by Johnson and Tim James, was on the Billboard Country Singles cart for an unprecedented 56 weeks, breaking Eddy Arnold’s previous record of […]
Rascal Flatts performed at the Grand Ole Opry on Dec. 14 to wrap up their year-long celebration of their 10th anniversary year. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean presented the band with an official city proclamation to recognize the band for their charitable endeavors and honors, including the Jason Foundation and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital […]
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Womack Aids Africa Lee Ann Womack has joined forces with Join My Village, a click-to-commit social change initiative that hopes to release $500,000 of General Mills’ charitable dollars to leading international humanitarian organization CARE. CARE will use the money for economic and educational opportunities for girls and women in Malawi. Join My Village allows individuals […]
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Smartphones Becoming Dominant
/by adminAccording to market research company Nielsen (1/3/11), the Apple iPhone operating system remains the top mobile OS in the US enjoying a 28.6% market share. Closely following the Cupertino giant is Google’s Android system with 25.8%. Blackberry, once the top dog in the mobile platform race, slides from 33% in June 2010 to 26.1% in […]
Little Jimmy Celebrates 90
/by contributorOn December 18, the Grand Ole Opry celebrated the 90th birthday of Little Jimmy Dickens, a 62-year Opry veteran. Opry member and Dickens’ good friend Brad Paisley led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday” as Opry members Jeannie Seely, Bill Anderson and Jim Ed Brown rolled out his birthday cake. Earlier in the evening, Paisley […]
Toby Keith New Year's Eve; Bobby Bare at Fontanel
/by contributorToby Keith made a surprise visit to his I Love This Bar & Grill at Mesa Riverview in Arizona for New Years Eve where he performed a handful of songs to ring in the New Year including “Whiskey Girl,” “I Love This Bar,” “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)” as well […]
Facebook Worth $50 Billion
/by Sarah SkatesFacebook has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and Russian investor Digital Sky Technologies in a deal which values the social networking company at $50 billion. According to this latest figure, Facebook is worth more than eBay, Yahoo and Time Warner. With rumors circulating about a 2012 public offering for Facebook, Goldman Sachs is expected […]
Garth Brooks, ZBB Help Set Arena Attendance Record
/by Sarah SkatesAttendance at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena hit an all-time high in December. Twenty-two separate events, including nine sold-out Garth Brooks shows, drew 334,917 guests to the venue, making December the most attended month since the venue opened in 1996. In addition to Brooks’ shows, which were record setting in themselves, the venue hosted seven Nashville Predators […]
ACM Reveals Newcomer Nominees
/by adminThe Academy of Country Music continues to refine its hybrid voting which polls both fans and industry professionals. For the organization’s 46th Annual Country Music Awards—slated for April 3, 2011—Newcomer categories will again be opened up to fan voting through VoteACM.com and GACtv.com/ACM. This is the third year that ACM and Great American Country have […]
Nettles and Ingram Benefit Concert
/by MichelleSugarland’s Jennifer Nettles will perform a solo show at the Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton, Texas on Jan. 15, to benefit Attic Community Playground, a non-profit organization supporting the performing arts. Jack Ingram will open the show. Proceeds will go to the Ponder High School Band and Choir Program in Ponder, Texas, and the […]
Charlie Cook Joins West Virginia Radio Corp.
/by Sarah SkatesVeteran radio exec Charlie Cook is starting the new year as Director of Programming and Brand Management for West Virginia Radio Corporation. The outfit operates 26 properties in West Virginia and Maryland. He will be based out of the company’s corporate headquarters in Morgantown, WV. Cook’s 27-year career most recently includes time as programmer and […]
Nashville-Related Music Obituaries, 2010
/by Robert K OermannAs we look back at 2010, we see that we have lost some enormous musical talents. Country Music Hall of Fame members Carl Smith and Jimmy Dean passed on, as did Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Hank Cochran. Our r&b community lost Bobby Hebb; our pop scene lost Owsley; and our jazz community lost Dennis Taylor. Studio instrumental greats Ben Keith and Fred Carter Jr. are gone, as are hit songwriters Ronny Scaife, George Richey and Linda Hargrove. Slim Bryant, the last living link to Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music, died at age 101. Here is a remembrance of some of those who passed away during 2010.
[updated photos] Shania Weds; Dierks Welcomes Baby
/by Sarah SkatesOver the holidays Shania Twain got married and Dierks Bentley welcomed a new baby. Click for more.
Rockhouse Aligns Live Marketing Channels
/by adminRockhouse Live has been announced as a new division and proprietary technology platform for technology-based entertainment agency, Rockhouse Partners. the Nashville-based firm’s new offering is intended to help live entertainment properties sell more tickets. According to Rockhouse, “The new division will act as an entertainment marketing agency and leverage a technology product that includes a […]
McGraw Gets "Emotional" In Spring
/by FreemanTim McGraw will take his band the Dancehall Doctors back on the road for the Emotional Traffic Tour this spring. Special guests Luke Bryan and The Band Perry will join McGraw for the tour, which is sponsored by Outback Steakhouse. No dates have been announced yet, but the full itinerary is expected to be revealed […]
Artist Co-Writes Feed Songwriter Slump
/by Sarah SkatesEveryone knows the music business is going through a downturn, but an article in the Tennessean shows just how hard it is hitting songwriters. NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison tells the newspaper that the number of Nashville songwriters making a living from their craft has dropped a drastic 75% in the last five years. Essentially, […]
Publisher Terrell Tye Passes
/by adminNashville music industry veteran Terrell Tye, 58, passed away peacefully on Christmas morning at 7 a.m. She is survived by her loving sons Josh and Zack Allen and brother Dowell Tye. Tye was also the former wife of Grand Ole Opry member Hal Ketchum. Terrell Tye was a partner in Forerunner music, an innovative publishing […]
Sony Goes To The Cloud With Music Unlimited
/by FreemanHave you found yourself thinking lately, “Hey, I wish there were more subscription-based music services available to me as a consumer?” Right. We thought not. But apparently no one notified Sony, who unveiled its Music Unlimited service in the U.K. and Ireland this week boasting a catalog of approximately 6 million titles from Universal Music, […]
Rodney Crowell Authors Memoir
/by MichelleRodney Crowell will be releasing his memoir Chinaberry Sidewalks on January 18. A limited number of signed hard cover copies of Chinaberry Sidewalks are now available for purchase exclusively at RodneyCrowell.com and will ship directly to fans on or before January 18. Also available exclusively on Crowell’s website is a digital download of Rodney Crowell: […]
Do Twitter Followers Equal Sales?
/by adminBillboard’s Antony Bruno does an excellent job peering under the hood at Soulja Boy’s recent Nov. 30 album release which managed to shift 13,000 units, a surprisingly modest debut considering the artist has 2.5 million Twitter followers. Does this mean that Twitter’s ability to influence and drive sales is becoming less important? What about for […]
OMG, Email, WRU?
/by FreemanAn article in the New York Times points out the growing divide between communication modes of people young and old. Not surprisingly, those in the younger bracket prefer real-time online chats and text messaging to traditional email. Actual phone calls have been on the decline for some time. Younger people tend to prefer a more […]
Country ’10 Sales Fall Short
/by adminNielsen SoundScan handicappers are now melancholy with the realization that country will not achieve flat sales compared with 2009. With two 2010 sales weeks remaining—one leading into the holiday and one after,
SoundExchange Reports Record Distributions, New Rates
/by adminSoundExchange reports its distributions to rights holders increased 55% in 2009 to $156 million. Total revenues rose 20% to 204.2 million. SoundExchange is a non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio (such as SIRIUS XM), Internet radio (like Pandora), cable TV music channels and similar platforms for streaming sound recordings on […]
“Black Ops” Boasts Explosive Sales
/by FreemanPerhaps country labels should consider the possibility of making album releases into first person shooter video games. According to an article in the New York Post, Acitivision Blizzard’s Call of Duty: Black Ops game has crossed the $1 billion sales threshold in only 42 days. Though not quite in Avatar territory ($1B in 20 days), […]
Garth Tickets on StubHub; Twain Gets Engaged
/by MichelleShania Twain is on the cover of the latest issue of US Weekly, as her reps confirmed to the magazine that Twain is engaged to Frederic Thiebaud. Thiebaud is the ex-husband of Twain’s former friend Marie-Anne Thiebaud — the woman Robert “Mutt” Lange, Twain’s husband of 14 years, reportedly left Twain for in May 2008. […]
Hough’s Video Banned… Really?
/by adminWho can beat Celebrity Taste-makers when it comes to discerning between the jealous and the zealous? Their snarky wit is discerning and head turning. So when LA Times blog Ministry of Gossip asked the musical question, is Julianne Hough’s new video “Is That So Wrong” deserving of being “kinda banned” by CMT, as the young […]
Copeland Debuts “Smashville” Theme
/by adminLewis Copeland recently debuted his original theme song “Smashville” at the Nashville Predators game vs. the San Jose Sharks (12/15). Later during a special performance at the Stage on Broadway, Copeland again performed the song. Among those present at the “Smashville” after party were several Nashville Predators Ice Girls who passed out Preds merchandise to […]
Josh Turner Welcomes Son; Jake Owen Benefit Concert
/by MichelleJosh Turner and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their third son, Crawford Marion Turner, on Monday, December 13. He was born at 8:52 p.m. at a Nashville hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces and was 19 inches long. Both baby and mother are doing well. “Jennifer and I are overjoyed at Marion’s arrival,” Turner says. […]
Fallon And Rich Holiday Duet On iTunes
/by adminJimmy’s holiday ballad “Drunk on Christmas” has officially become a tradition on his show. Fallon reintroduced the song (12/16) on his show with country star John Rich, who came decked out in a Santa costume with golden cowboy boots. Seasons drinkings everybody! In the wake of response to the musical pairing, the “inappropriate holiday duet” […]
Country Thunder Lineup Expands
/by FreemanCountry Thunder Festival stops in Arizona and Wisconsin have added additional performers to their lineups. Joining the performance schedule for the Florence, Arizona Country Thunder Festival April 7-10 are Clay Walker, Rodney Atkins, Eric Church, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Neal McCoy. Previously announced performers include Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, and Martina McBride. Full weekend […]
DISClaimer Single Reviews (12/21/10)
/by Robert K OermannI dread this column every year. It’s not that I don’t like Christmas. Far from it. It’s just that so much bad music gets recorded in its name. And, as usual, there is far more of it than I can hope to cover in a column.
Chrysalis Fetes Jeff Stevens Producer Honor
/by adminChrysalis hosted a luncheon to congratulate Jeff Stevens on his inclusion in Billboard’s Year In Music 2010 Hot Country Songs Producers list. “2010 was a great year for Jeff,” says Chrysalis Nashville Executive VP Dale Bobo. “With another hit single (“Someone Else Calling You Baby”), a gold record for his production on Luke Bryan’s “Doin’ […]
Music Evolves From Commodity To Experience
/by adminA recent Wall Street Journal article by Damian Kulash Jr., lead singer and guitarist of rock band OK Go delves into some of the corners around which the new models are being built. “We once relied on investment and support from a major label,” says Kulash. “Now we make a comparable living raising money directly from fans and through licensing and sponsorship. Music isn’t going away. We’re just moving out of the brief period—a flash in history’s pan—when an artist could expect to make a living selling records alone.”
Garth: Good Ride Cowboy
/by Sarah SkatesThe 140,000 concertgoers turning out this week for Garth Brooks’ Nashville shows haven’t been disappointed. His infectious energy radiated through the sold-out Bridgestone Arena last night (12/19) as the headset-wearing hit machine ran through two hours of material. Dubbed Nashville 10: The Rescue Party, the series of shows benefiting flood relief has raised $5 million to date.
Grascals, Vincent Earn Multiple SPBGMA Nominations
/by FreemanNominations from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) Awards were recently announced, with the Grascals and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage both earning multiple nominations. Reigning SPBGMA Bluegrass Band of the Year The Grascals are up for 10 SPBGMA Awards, including Album of the Year (The Famous Lefty Flynn’s), Entertaining […]
Hot Schatz and Adkins End Business Relationship
/by MichelleSchatzi Hageman, President and founder of Hot Schatz PR, has announced that her long-term professional relationship with Trace Adkins will be ending at the end of the year. Hageman and Adkins have worked together since 1998. “Changes like these are difficult, but they can be very invigorating and energizing, as well,” Hageman continues. “I’m really looking forward to […]
Durante Plays WPOC Show
/by adminEmrose/Stroudavarious/Nine North’s Margaret Durante played the WPOC Charm City Country Showcase at Hightopps Backstage Grill in Baltimore last night while promoting her single “Mississippi’s Crying.” Durante, now 22 years old is a native of Potomac, Maryland. Some of her influences include Mary Chapin Carpenter and Bonnie Raitt whose voices gave her a love of “soulful, […]
Artist Tidbits: Jay DeMarcus, Eddie Montgomery and Joanna Smith
/by MichelleRascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus (L) and wife Allison DeMarcus (R) welcomed their first child on Fri., December 17. Madeline Leigh DeMarcus was born in Nashville at 4:49pm, weighing in at 6 pounds and 9 ounces. “Allison and I are thrilled!” shares Jay. “Madeline is absolutely gorgeous; she looks just like her daddy! Both mom […]
Nashville’s Street Corner Symphony In “The Sing Off” Finale
/by FreemanNashville’s own Jeremy Lister and Street Corner Symphony have made the finals of NBC’s The Sing Off, which will air live tonight (12/20) at 7 pm CT. The a capella singing competition began with 10 vocal groups and has been whittled down to a final four groups: Street Corner Symphony, Committed (Huntsville, AL), The Backbeats […]
Hot Schatz Adds Lorge; Al Brock Launches Spin Doctors
/by FreemanHot Schatz PR has hired Michelle Lorge as Associate Publicist and Operations Manager. In this role, Lorge will be responsible for implementing regional media campaigns for Hot Schatz artists as well as overseeing the office’s day-to-day administrative functions. “I’m very excited about adding Michelle to the Hot Schatz PR team,” says President/Owner Schatzi Hageman. “With […]
Cannon Records Curtis and Luckey
/by contributorGrammy winning producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon and KMG recording duo Curtis and Luckey recently recorded new music at Blackbird Studios. Cannon said of the duo, “The songs these guys are writing and recording offer a fresh, energetic and exciting take on country music.” (L-R): Cannon, Curtis Baxter and Luckey Moore (standing). • • •
Almon Opens Private Practice
/by adminOrville Almon has announced he will open a private practice on Jan. 3, 2011. Almon, a founding partner of Zumwalt, Almon and Hayes and known for his expertise in contract law, is now making the jump to focus more on business affairs for entertainment and corporate entities. “The business model for an entertainment law firm […]
iTunes And Amazon Consolidate Leads
/by adminAccording to a recent Wall Street Journal article, “Amazon Can’t Dent iTunes,” when it comes to selling music. One of the key differences between the two music retailers is pricing. Amazon often employs steep discounts to draw consumers. For example, Amazon will sometimes price new front line albums $3.99. iTunes usually sells albums for $9.99 […]
Upcoming Media Appearances For Adkins and Reba
/by FreemanTrace Adkins will appear on CBS’ new daytime talk show The Talk today (12/17) at 1 pm CT as a guest and performer. He will talk with show hosts Julie Chen, Leah Remini, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Sara Gilbert as well as performing the holiday classic, “The Christmas Song.” Adkins […]
Weekly Chart Report (12/17/10)
/by FreemanSPIN ZONE Note: Today’s chart edition is the final one of 2010, and we will take the next two weeks off. The first chart of 2011 will be published on Friday, January 7. Happy Holidays! • • • • Keith Urban will close out 2010 with “Put You In A Song” at the top of […]
Paisley and Aldean Enjoy Two Times The Airplay
/by FreemanRecently, two country artists’ teams successfully deployed new singles and managed to keep their current singles on the rise. At the 44th edition of the CMA Awards, Brad Paisley and Jason Aldean both debuted songs other than their current singles. Thanks to years of hard work at radio by the artists and labels, the move […]
Zumwalt Firm Embraces New Model
/by adminEntertainment law firm Zumwalt, Almon & Hayes, founded in 1975, is joining with Shackelford, Melton & McKinley creating the only law firm with offices in Nashville, Dallas and Austin. Beginning Jan. 1 the new group in Nashville will be named Shackelford, Zumwalt & Hayes. The newly combined firm brings together over 45 lawyers with experience […]
As Digital Revolution Continues, Artists Expand Reach
/by adminIf, as pundits proclaimed 12 months ago, “flat is the new up,” then 2010 will have been a pretty good year for country music sales—at least on the surface. Happily, for the week ending 12/5/2010, YTD country sales (down 5.7%) are handily outperforming the all genre average (down 12.7%) compared with the same period in 2009…
Americana Conference and ACM Awards Dates Announced
/by contributorAmericana Dates Announced The Americana Music Association (AMA) has announced that the 12th Annual Festival & Conference will take place October 12-15, 2011 in Nashville. The event, hailed as the “Best Music Festival” by Southern Living Magazine, features over 100 performing artists, 50 panels, and fans and industry professionals from all of the world. Past […]
JaneDear Girls Taking Over YouTube; Upcoming Marty Stuart Film
/by contributorJaneDear girls in YouTube Challenge the JaneDear girls are one of 50 artists selected to participate in MyYouTube, an online promotion that encourages fans to help musicians score points and subscribers on their YouTube channel. The contest, which runs through February 4, 2011, features artists such as B.O.B., Justin Bieber and Rihanna. The JaneDear girls […]
Photos: BMI Honors Brice, CMA Christmas Cheer, and Ballard Hits the Road
/by contributorBMI honored Lee Brice’s record-breaking Billboard Song of the Year, “Love Like Crazy,” at a reception at BMI’s Music Row office on December 14. The song, produced by Doug Johnson and co-written by Johnson and Tim James, was on the Billboard Country Singles cart for an unprecedented 56 weeks, breaking Eddy Arnold’s previous record of […]
Artist News: Rascal Flatts, Josh Thompson and More
/by MichelleRascal Flatts performed at the Grand Ole Opry on Dec. 14 to wrap up their year-long celebration of their 10th anniversary year. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean presented the band with an official city proclamation to recognize the band for their charitable endeavors and honors, including the Jason Foundation and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital […]
Lee Ann Womack Aids Africa; Dierks Bentley is Tops in 2010
/by contributorWomack Aids Africa Lee Ann Womack has joined forces with Join My Village, a click-to-commit social change initiative that hopes to release $500,000 of General Mills’ charitable dollars to leading international humanitarian organization CARE. CARE will use the money for economic and educational opportunities for girls and women in Malawi. Join My Village allows individuals […]