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Lady Antebellum ‘Owns the Night’ At Home and Abroad

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As this interview hits the web, Lady Antebellum is wrapping up the Australian leg of its Own The Night 2012 World Tour. Once completed, the massive tour will have played 105 shows to over 1 million fans in 11 countries on three different continents. The demand for tickets was high enough to cause sellouts in Los Angeles, Chicago, Frankfurt (Germany), New York City, and three nights at Sydney Opera House. MusicRow spoke with Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood, and Charles Kelley just before they left for Australia and discussed international touring as well as the group’s highly-anticipated fourth album and meeting “Bruuuuuuuuuuce.”

Lady Antebellum performing in Manchester

MR: Are you excited about Australia?
Hillary: We went for the first time last year with Keith Urban. He took us to open for him, which was such an amazing way to see the country. It was awesome to be able to be there with him and meet his fans, and now we’re going back headlining.

MR: Who are you taking with you?
Charles: It’s actually going to be local acts. Our manager had a really cool idea of picking a couple local acts there, so we’re excited about that. We didn’t know what to expect as far as ticket sales. We opened up first nights and they all sold out so we’re doing multiple nights in each place. We’re doing three nights at Sydney Opera House so that’s going to be a big moment for us.

MR: You had to open up extra dates in Europe as well, right?
Charles: It was pretty wild. Again, we didn’t know what to expect going over and doing a full-fledged tour and the response was amazing. There were definitely certain pockets where it was really strong. I didn’t realize Ireland was going to be that great. We did two nights in Dublin; I can’t wait to go back there. Can’t wait to get back to Scotland.
Dave: The London show we had to actually get a bigger place. We’ve been surprised by how many people have been reached by our music around the world. Keith was great in introducing us to Canada and Australia. We opened for him in both countries and are lucky now to be able to go back on our own.

MR: How did the European tour stack up against your expectations?
Hillary: The fact that our music has traveled so far is the most humbling feeling. Our show is going to be a little different from the standpoint of production because getting everything we had here in the States and Canada all the way over to Australia and Europe [wasn’t feasible].

MR: Were there any standout moments from the last few months of touring?
Dave: For Europe, the meet and greets. A lot of the fans were literally crying to meet us. They were so appreciative of us coming that far. We had one girl at one of our shows come from Brazil…
Hillary: That was in Germany…
Dave: …because that was the easiest way for her to see us. When you’re talking to someone and they’re in tears, thanking you for your music and  for traveling, it makes you want to keep playing these places. That was a standout for me.
Hillary: Everyone shared a personal story as to why our music had impacted them. That’s the ultimate compliment; that’s way bigger than us.
Dave: Also from London, I can’t leave out our show where we got to open up for Bruce Springsteen in Hyde Park.

MR: I have that next on my list of things to ask about…
Hillary: We got to meet him!
Dave: He talked to us for 15 minutes. A lot of times you meet other artists or people you look up to and shake their hand, say ‘hi’ and, ‘cool, nice to meet you.’ But he just started talking and dove into the first time he was playing and touring internationally back in the 70s. He was trying to encourage us to keep touring internationally, which is something I’ll never forget. I mean, I never would have forgotten what he said anyway. But he blew us away.
Charles: I was too busy looking at his sunglasses and how cool he is…
Hillary: [He was] the epitome of a class act. You have the opportunity to meet people you look up to and have really admired, and sometimes it’s a little disappointing. With him it was not. It was everything you could ever dream of wanting to have in the experience of meeting one of your heroes. He’s just the real deal. I was a huge fan before, but now, Bruce all the way.

MR: Springsteen has become this important touchstone for country songwriters. Do you guys find yourselves drawing on him for inspiration?
Charles: He was very descriptive in his writing. It was like, how do you take a simple subject and have a way that we all can put ourselves in that moment? When he’s talking about those moments of childhood and high school and racing down the road, and you put yourself in that spot. Writers like him and Kristofferson, they just have a way of saying something very simply, very poetically. I’ve heard Bruce is a fan of a lot of Country music because Country is great about telling a story. It’s not just about the melody, it’s about the lyrics. His music is, the core of it is the lyrics…
Hillary: I wonder if he likes “Springsteen”
Charles: The Eric Church song?
Dave: I think he heard it.

MR: I think he gave it his stamp of approval.
Hillary: You think about for our parents, and us who have grown to love Bruce—I wasn’t born when became the star that he is. That’s the soundtrack to a lot of our lives. It’s ingrained in who you are and in your character because you grew up with it.

MR: Do you have any rituals to prepare you for a show?
Charles: Woodford Reserve [laughs]. Actually, we played a lot of ping pong this year. This was the tour of ping pong.
Dave: “The year of the pong.”
Charles: Dave and I called ourselves ‘The Dynasty.’ We were on a doubles team together and it got really intense.

MR: Who were you playing?
Charles: The band and crew.
Hillary: It was no girls allowed…
Charles: Everybody had their own teams. Dave and I were a team, we recognized each others’ strengths and weaknesses and it worked really well. I have to say, we had the best record out on the tour so that’s something to be proud of.
Hillary: No one’s here to counter that.

MR: So if your crew and band members beat you in a game, do they get in trouble?
Dave: We threaten them with flights home, docked pay…
Charles: A couple times it did look like they were throwing some games…
Hillary: They just want you to feel good about yourself.

Own The Night World Tour stage in Zurich, Switzerland.

MR: What’s the dynamic like for when you’re on the road? Do you each fall into a role?
Dave: We always travel on the same tour bus and have different things we allow each other to take the reins on. It’s a laundry list of stuff.
Charles: Dave–the instrumentation side of it. I’ll maybe plan on how we should pace it out and what songs should go where and talk where. Hillary was really big from a production standpoint on what was visually going to be coming out, the lights, where we were going to walk. Everybody took their leads and it worked out great that way.
Hillary: On the road here in the States we got into a routine where Charles would go play golf and Dave would be in the studio working on a demo of a song and I would be out with the dog or something. We got into our own little routines. In Europe, we were thrown out of what we were used to and gravitated toward each other. We had so much fun. We went out to the bar together after a show and had a Guinness. We were close before, but Europe was such a sweet time because we really talked and reconnected.

MR: Did getting out of that routine inspire some ideas for the new album?
Hillary: We dreamed and brainstormed, that’s what we talked about.
Charles: For me, it was noticing what songs were globally the songs people could relate to, the kind of universal truths. ‘I Run To You’ was one of those songs wherever we went—like opening for Bruce Springsteen, people were ready for him and that was obvious…
Hillary: They kept screaming [his name] and I thought we were getting booed.
Dave: [laughing] Rookies!
Charles: [The fans] were great, but one of the songs I could tell everyone was really grooving on was ‘I Run To You.’ I love the combination of that driving beat and universal lyric so we focused on a lot of that. This new record, I keep calling it our ‘roll down the windows’ record because it’s definitely more tempo-driven and organic. I think it is one of those records, when people get it, [that] will hopefully be a little bit of a surprise if they’ve heard our last two records. Our last two records were pretty intense and this one will be a little more…
Hillary: Lighthearted.
Charles: Lighthearted… It will still have some intense and lyrically-driven songs but is definitely more live show-oriented.
Hillary: Depth to the lyrics but not as dramatic.
Charles: Less drama.
Dave: Drama-free.

MR: No more drama?
Charles: [laughing] Don’t worry, there’s still going to be a couple of drama songs.
Hillary: There always are, but definitely fewer.

MR: What else can you tell me about the project?
Charles: The last record we used a lot of loops, a lot of big string instrumentation. Most of the stuff we’re using was just the instruments that were just tracked, less overdubs. Just let the songs speak for themselves. We spent more time picking songs.
Hillary: …and we don’t know where it will end up but we’ve cut more outside songs already for this record than we ever have. It’s not that we haven’t written a lot, because we have, but we’re searching and we’re going to find the right songs.
Charles: Trying to find songs that are a bit of a departure. Still familiar, but maybe a road we haven’t been down. A little more tempo-driven. That’s the main thing.

MR: Have you chosen all the songs?
Dave: About halfway. This is the one time where we truly don’t have a deadline.
Charles: And it won’t go out until it’s ready.
Dave: We’re going to wait—spend the rest of the year, go in next year, spend the right amount of time it takes to get the right songs.

MR: What’s the process like for you finding and writing songs? How do you know you’ve found the right one?
Charles: All different ways. We’re in constant contact with our producer and manager, playing for our wives and band. When you start noticing the same thing, it’s like ‘That’s a special song.’ You start hearing it over and over again and honing in on that and going ‘Okay, now that’s the one.’ That kind of what happened with ‘Need You Now.’ We trust the team around us and believe in ourselves and want to make a well-rounded record. It’s creating a well-balanced piece of art.

MR: As you are recording this album and adding to your body of work, do you feel pressured to compete with your past success or can you shake it off and start fresh?
Hillary: I think we’d be lying if we said there wasn’t some on [2011’s Own The Night], comparing to [2010’s Need You Now]. You can only naturally do that, when the second record was the career-changer for us. Being one more record removed from it and having more experience onstage, we’re a lot more assured of who we are as artists and and as a band. We’re just going in with this pure excitement and joy because we have time to soak it all up. The last record happened so fast. We started recording, went out to the Grammys, had that crazy night [six wins, including Album of the Year] and then came home and said, ‘We’ve gotta get going.’ It was a lot of pressure and as much as we tried to not acknowledge, it was still looming. It was that big elephant in the room. With this record, we have time. We can push ourselves and continue to cultivate what we’re doing for as long as we want until it’s ready. There’s a lot of freedom in that and it’s exciting.

Party Pics: CRS Battle of the Bands

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Five label groups formed bands and rocked 3rd & Lindsley Thursday night, Sept. 27, at the inaugural CRS Battle of the Bands. The sold out evening featured entertaining lineups from BBR Music Group, Capitol Nashville, Sony Music Nashville, UMG Nashville and Warner Music Nashville. UMG Nashville was declared the winner, based on an audience applause-meter and monetary donations from the crowd. The industry event raised money for the CRS Scholarship Fund and The Country Radio Hall of Fame.

CRS Battle of the Bands 2012 winners, UMG Nashville’s Tiny Huge City

Sony Music Nashville’s Bushido

Warner Music Nashville’s The Almighty Warner Band

 

BBR Music Group’s One Night Stand Band

Capitol Nashville’s Capitol eMERGing Artists

Dolly Parton Withdraws From Nashville Water Park

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Dolly Parton has announced that she will no longer be involved with Gaylord Entertainment in the development of a new water park in Nashville. The announcement arrives following the approval of Marriott International’s $210 million purchase of Gaylord’s hotel management/operations arm and the company’s subsequent re-branding as Ryman Hospitality Properties.

“Gaylord makes decisions that they feel are good for their company and their stockholders and I have to make decisions based on what is best for me and the Dollywood Company,” said Parton in a statement. “Governor Haslam, Mayor Dean, and all the folks in government have been great to work with. I really appreciate their support through this process.”

The proposed water park was originally announced in early 2012 as a 50/50 joint venture between Parton’s Dollywood Company and Gaylord, with Dollywood Company serving as the operating partner. The 114-acre family entertainment center would boast both water and snow park features, and employ up to 450 full-and-part time features. The original plan was for construction to begin in late 2012 and be ready to open in summer 2014 but with this announcement the park’s future remains uncertain.

The Gibson Brothers Take Top Bluegrass Awards Prize

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It was destined to be a bittersweet evening.

The 23rd Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, held last night (9/27) at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium will be the final one in Music City before the Conference and Awards move east to Raleigh in 2013. On top of that, the past year has dealt the bluegrass community some tough blows with the losses of bluegrass icons Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson.

So it was destined to be bittersweet, but it was also a time to celebrate and bring joyful sounds to life.

The opening number featured Del McCoury, Laurie Lewis, J.D. Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Jerry McCoury, and Bobby Osborne in a roof-raising all-star collaboration. Lewis and McCoury stayed on stage to serve as the evening’s hosts.

“Thank you, and welcome to the, uh, I didn’t bring my glasses, folks,” said McCoury as he tried to read the prompter. No worries, Lewis was there to back him up until he was seeing clearly.

Lewis also acknowledged the upcoming move of the Awards and surrounding World of Bluegrass Week, saying there was excitement but compared hosting the IBMA Awards at the Ryman to “holding the Gospel Music Awards in Heaven.” After all, the Ryman stage did play an integral role in the growth and nurturing of the musical form.

As one might expect, that stage had some fantastic performances. Highlights included The Gibson Brothers’ “We Called It Music,” with some lickety-split mandolin work; newcomers Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen turning in a cool, moody interpretation of The Box Tops’ (or Joe Cocker’s, if you prefer) “The Letter”; and perhaps most memorable of all, Dailey & Vincent’s heart-stopping gospel quartet a capella rendition of “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder.” The performance was so stirring, it induced wild cheers by the second verse and left audience members collecting their jaws off the floor. That’s how you do the Mother Church proud.

The Gibson Brothers performing at the Ryman. Photo: Alane Anno for IBMA

Other performers included nominees Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, Dale Ann Bradley (with her “Somewhere South of Crazy” co-writer Pam Tillis), Special Consensus (with Josh Williams, Chris Jones and Sam Bush), The Boxcars, Blue Highway, and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (on Lee Greenwood’s “Dixie Home”).

Lest you think I’ve forgotten, there were also awards. (The full list appears below).

The coveted Entertainer of the Year prize went home with The Gibson Brothers, who also also picked up the award for Gospel Recorded Performance for “Singing As We Rise,” which they recorded with Ricky Skaggs.

Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice also came up big, picking up awards for Song of the Year for “A Far Cry From Lester & Earl” and Album of the Year for Heart of a Song. “I’ve had speeches made up for years,” said an emotional Sisk, “and I’ve had to can them for a long time. This time it’s for real.”

Vocal Group of the Year went to Blue Highway, and its member Rob Ickes earned the Dobro player honor. Multiple nominee Russell Moore picked up the Male Vocalist of the Year award, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers earned the Emerging Artist Award, and Dale Ann Bradley took home the Female Vocalist Award.

“The Lord gave us this particular genre because the songs are so heartfelt and true to life,” said Dale Ann.

Lonesome River Band’s “Angeline the Baker” won the Recorded Instrumental Performance Award and, rather conveniently, LRB banjo player Sammy Shelor was already onstage presenting the award.

Best Instrumental Group went to the Boxcars and then its member Adam Steffey nabbed the Mandolin Player Award. “I don’t consider myself the best at anything but I love this music and I consider it an honor to get up and play for y’all every night,” said Steffey.

Doyle Lawson and the late entrepreneur Ralph Rinzler were the 2012 Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductees.

Broadcaster Eddie Stubbs introduced Lawson, pointing out how at age 5 the artist heard Bill Monroe play bluegrass on the Ryman Stage during WSM’s broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry, and would now enter the Hall of Fame on the very same stage and radio station.

Clad in his signature sparkling scorpion-emblazoned jacket, Lawson rhapsodized about how bluegrass music had allowed him to play in every state in the country and 49 foreign countries as well.

“Because they’re putting me in the Hall of Fame, that don’t mean I’m done,” said Lawson. “I’ve got a lot of fuel left in my tank.”

The evening concluded with a spectacular tribute to the late, great Earl Scruggs. A visibly choked up Steve Martin hailed the banjo master as an inspiration to all banjo players. “Before Earl Scruggs, no one played like him. After him, everyone played banjo like him. Or at least they tried,” said Martin.

The tribute performance featured an ensemble cast of over 30 banjo players onstage. Everyone was there: Martin, Kristin Scott Benson, J.D. Crowe, Alison Brown, Sam Bush, Sammy Shelor, Chris Pandolfi, Sleepy Man Banjo Boys (with 10-year-old banjo wiz Johnny Mizzone), and many more. Del McCoury led the entire gang through a rousing version of Scruggs “Little Girl of Mine in Tennessee” to close out the evening.

From us folks in Nashville, farewell Earl, Doc, and the Bluegrass Awards. We’ll miss you.

Participants in the Scruggs tribute included Tom Adams, Eddie Adcock, Jessie Baker, Terry Baucom, Sam Bush, Kristin Scott Benson, Alison Brown, Jason Burleson, Greg Cahill, Jason Carter, J.D.Crowe, Jason Davis, Joe Dean, Steve Dilling, Glenn Gibson, Eric Gibson, Mark Johnson, Doyle Lawson, Laurie Lewis, Del McCoury, Rob McCoury, Lynn Morris, Joe Mullins, Mike Munford, Chris Pandolfi, Graham Sharp, Sammy Shelor, Sleepy Man Banjo Boys (Jonny, Robbie & Tommy Mizzone), Ron Stewart, Mike Sumner, Tony Trischka, Scott Vestal, Pete Wernick, and Roland White. Photo: Alane Anno for IBMA

The 2012 International Bluegrass Awards
Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductees: Doyle Lawson, Ralph Rinzler
Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients: Byron Berline, Joe & Lil Cornett, Orin Friesen, Pee Wee Lambert, Kitsy Kuykendall
Entertainer of the Year: The Gibson Brothers
Vocal Group of the Year: Blue Highway
Instrumental Group of the Year: The Boxcars
Emerging Artists of the Year: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Male Vocalist of the Year: Russell Moore
Female Vocalist of the Year: Dale Ann Bradley
Song of the Year: “A Far Cry From Lester & Earl” Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
Album of the Year: Heart Of A Song, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
Gospel Recorded Event of the Year: “Singing As We Rise” by the Gibson Brothers w/Ricky Skaggs
Instrumental Performance of the Year: “Angeline The Baker” by Lonesome River Band
Recorded Event of the Year: “Life Goes On”
Banjo Player of the Year: Sammy Shelor
Bass Player of the Year: Marshall Wilborn
Fiddle Player of the Year: Stuart Duncan
Dobro Player of the Year: Rob Ickes (dedicated to Mike Auldridge)
Guitar Player of the Year: Doc Watson
Mandolinist of the Year: Adam Steffey
Broadcaster of the Year: Kyle Cantrell
Bluegrass Event of the Year: ROMP,produced by the International Bluegrass Music Museum; Owensboro, KY
Print Media Person of the Year: Marty Godbey, author of Crowe on the Banjo: The Music Life of J.D. Crowe (Univ. of Illinois Press)
Best Graphic Design: Bedrock Manufacturing (designer) for Nobody Knows You, by the Steep Canyon Rangers (Rounder Records)
Best Liner Notes: Marian Leighton Levy (liner notes), for Tony Rice: The Bill Monroe Collection, by Tony Rice (Rounder Records)
Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year: Jon Weisberger

Earlier in the week, IBMA’s new Momentum Awards, designed to recognize promising new talent, were presented. This year’s recipients are:
Band of the Year: Monroeville
Vocalist of the Year: Emily Bankester (performs with The Bankesters)
Instrumentalists of the Year: bassist Samson Grisman (son of legendary mandolinist David “Dawg” Grisman, performs with The Deadly Gentlemen), fiddler Alex Hargreaves (performs with Sarah Jarosz), and fiddler Christian Ward (performs with Sierra Hull)
Event/Venue of the Year: Appalachian Uprising, produced by Steve Cielic (new festival in Scottown, Ohio)
Industry Achievement: Crash Avenue publicist Emilee Warner
Mentor of the Year: Five-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year and producer Mike Bub

Marc Driskill Joins Sea Gayle

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Marc Driskill

Chris DuBois, managing partner, Sea Gayle Music, has announced the hiring of Marc Driskill as executive VP & GM, to oversee the operations of the company. Driskill comes to Sea Gayle Music from ASCAP Nashville, where as VP & GM, he managed ASCAP’s Nashville operations.

“I have known Marc for over 25 years and have had the pleasure of working closely with him during his tenure at ASCAP,” said DuBois. “He will be a great asset to me and our company providing leadership and guidance as we continue to establish ourselves as one of the top music publishers in Nashville. On behalf of my business partners, Brad Paisley and Frank Rogers, we are thrilled to welcome Marc to Sea Gayle Music.”

Driskill has served ASCAP’s songwriter and publisher members for over 10 years and along with his music publishing experience, he has been a part of the Nashville music community for almost 14 years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Country Music and the Music City Music Council.

“I have such respect for what Sea Gayle Music has been able to accomplish as an independent music publisher in Nashville and am excited about joining their team,” said Driskill. “I’m grateful to everyone at ASCAP for 10 wonderful years and look forward to working with them as an integral business partner to Sea Gayle Music.”

ASCAP Executive VP of Membership, Randy Grimmett commented, “Marc’s leadership has helped us to build a truly excellent team in Nashville, who will continue to offer stellar creative and business services to our members. We look forward to working with Marc in his new role at Sea Gayle, founded by ASCAP members Brad Paisley, Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois. We are delighted that Marc’s role there will keep him in the extended ASCAP family.“

Loretta Celebrates 50 Years at the Opry

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Pictured (L-R): Steve Buchanan (President Grand Ole Opry Group), Trace Adkins, Lee Ann Womack, Crystal Gayle, Angaleena Presley, Loretta Lynn, Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, Pete Fisher (VP/GM Grand Ole Opry). Photo: Chris Hollo

Loretta Lynn looked and sounded like Country music royalty yesterday evening (9/25), as she celebrated 50 years of membership with the Grand Ole Opry, to a sold-out audience at the Opry house in Nashville.

Lynn, who received the Country Music Association’s first Female Vocalist of the Year in 1967, was joined onstage by family and friends who received similar recognition by the organization, including her sister Crystal Gayle (1977-78), Lee Ann Womack (2001), and Miranda Lambert (2010-11).

Guest performer Bill Anderson reminisced about his own 50-year anniversary in 2011. Gayle performed the first No. 1 song written by sisters Lynn and Peggy Sue Webb, “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind).” Womack turned in her version of “I Know How.”

Before officially debuting on the Opry stage with her girl group Pistol Annies, Lambert performed “Honky Tonk Girl.”

“We call [Loretta] the alpha omega Annie,” said Lambert on behalf of her bandmates Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley, who paid tribute to the legend with “Fist City.”

For the first half of the show Lynn watched on from the theater’s front row. But as the legend prepared side stage, as she did for her 1962 induction, emcee Bill Cody reminded the audience, “Tonight, we are going to make Country music history.”

Lynn’s voice was as strong as her spirit as she skipped center stage for performances of “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy,” “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” and a duet with Trace Adkins, who took Conway Twitty’s part on “Lead Me On.”

Opry General Manager Pete Fisher recognized the icon’s contributions by presenting her with a handcrafted 18-karat pink and gold diamond watch by Johnathon Arndt.

Finally, the Opry’s “Honky Tonk Angel” (as Fisher called her) invited her female vocalist friends back to the stage for a revival of her signature hit “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

“I spent the night in the car out front of the old Grand Ole Opry,” recalled Lynn of her first Opry experience with husband Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn. “We were so poor, the next morning we divided a doughnut and got our picture made in front of it. I was so nervous I don’t remember anything other than tapping my foot to the songs.”

When asked her secret, Lynn joked, “Well, I’m good! In sincerity, hard work. You have to live a life before you can write.”

Thankfully, that life has been commemorated through her own words and melodies. She remains radiant and dignified, continuing to make Country music history, even today.

The Cowboy Rides Away: George Strait’s Final Tour

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George Strait is preparing for his last rodeo, but not retirement. The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, his final full-scale outing, was announced today (9/26) during a special press event at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Strait, known for his limited promotional appearances, entered and exited the room to a standing ovation. “It’s been a hard decision for me to make, but I’ve decided I’m not going to tour anymore after these next two years,” he said. “Don’t think I’m retiring, because I’m not. I’m still going to make records as long as Mike [Dungan] will let me.”

The tour will run through 2014, with the first leg opening Jan. 18 in Lubbock, Texas. Martina McBride, who joined him at the press conference, will be his special guest. “I get to see 21 George Strait shows,” she enthused, “After my set, I’m going to be hanging out front-of-house and drinking wine with Norma.” Among the dates is a stand-alone concert timed to coincide with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which will also include the Randy Rogers Band, and the tour-closing June 1 show in his hometown, San Antonio. Otherwise, Strait chuckled, “There’s no telling who might show up.”

Strait celebrated his 60th birthday on May 18, and said he had long planned to evaluate his touring situation at that age. He wants to spend more time with his new grandson, play golf and fish. “This is going to be a very special, emotional tour for me,” he admitted. “Everywhere we’re going holds fond memories and I’m looking forward to paying my respects.” For years he’s closed his shows with the song “The Cowboy Rides Away,” his 1985 hit penned by Sonny Throckmorton and Casey Kelly. Strait recalled singing it to former President George Bush on the President’s final weekend at Camp David before leaving office.

UMG Nashville’s Dungan assured, “This is not a retirement party.” In fact, Strait is heading into the studio next month.

A celeb-stacked video opened the event in the Ford Theatre, with each star recalling how Strait impacted their lives. For Taylor Swift, it was an early-career opening spot on his tour, and him surprising her at her first rodeo show. For Jamey Johnson, it was a pre-record-deal episode of drinking too much and trying to join Strait onstage, until Birmingham police let him know that wasn’t a good idea. Ronnie Dunn stated, “I wanted to be George Strait.” Kenny Chesney said Strait heavily impacted his touring career, and Reba recalled end-of-tour parties with King George donning silly wigs along with the rest of the crew.

Longtime promoter Louis Messina called him “King Dude,” and said, “If it wasn’t for George Strait I wouldn’t be here today. He taught me how to treat and respect an artist.”

When asked about career longevity, the Hall of Famer summed it up, “The most important thing is the song. That’s what this business is all about.”

The event also streamed live on GeorgeStrait.com and Strait’s Facebook page.

Strait has had 59 No. 1 songs, earned more than 60 major industry awards, and sold over 65 million albums. He is the only artist in music history to achieve at least one Top Ten hit each year during his 30-year career and was only the second artist at the time (after Eddy Arnold in 1966) to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (2006) while still actively releasing hits.

George Strait fan club members will have an opportunity to purchase tickets beginning at 10 a.m. in each venue’s respective time zone on Oct. 9, 2012, and tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Oct. 12 (same time zone restraints apply). Ticket prices start at $69.50 and may be purchased at www.georgestrait.com.

The Cowboy Rides Away 2013 Tour Dates

Jan 18 Lubbock, Texas, United Spirit Arena
Jan 19 Oklahoma City, Okla., Chesapeake Energy Arena
Jan 25 Salt Lake City, Utah, Energy Solutions Arena
Jan 26 Nampa, Idaho, Idaho Center
Jan 31 Sacramento, Calif., Power Balance Pavilion
Feb 1 Fresno, Calif., Save Mart Center
Feb 2 Las Vegas, Nev., MGM Grand Garden Arena
Feb 15 St. Paul, Minn., Xcel Energy Center
Feb 16 Grand Forks, N.D., The Alerus Center
Feb 22 Buffalo, N.Y., First Niagara Center
Feb 23 Hartford, Conn., Xl Center
Mar 1 Knoxville, Tenn., Thompson-Boling Arena
Mar 2 Lexington, Ky., Rupp Arena
Mar 17 Houston, Texas, Houston Livestock Show And Rodeo
Mar 22 Greenville, S.C., Bi-Lo Center
Mar 23 Greensboro, N.C., Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Apr 5 Albuquerque, N.M., The Pit
Apr 6 Las Cruces, N.M., Pan American Center
Apr 12 N. Little Rock, Ark., Verizon Arena
Apr 13 New Orleans, La., New Orleans Arena
Jun 1 San Antonio, Texas, Alamodome

Weekly Register: Digital Divide Becoming Key Metric?

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Today’s sales report “soundbyte” is contained in the weekly grid boxes below—country YTD album sales ticked slightly lower (-1.6%), the format’s digital album sales as a percentage of total country sales was mostly flat, and the Digital Divide is predicted to continue throughout the fourth quarter. Digital Divide? Yes, the difference in digital vs. physical sales rates among various country artists and their fans.

There has been a lot of discussion about the rate at which country consumers are adopting the digital album format. Country’s “heavy” sales season will fast be upon us, specifically new CDs from Jason Aldean (10/16) and Taylor Swift (10/22) whose admirers should show themselves to be above average mouse-clickers. Will these two debuts reset the bar for digital purchases?

According to Nielsen SoundScan, country digital album sales YTD are 27% of total country album sales (week ended 9-23-12). Last year at this time that metric was 20.5%. (For all genre music the metric is 39% YTD vs. 32.4% a year ago.)

Today, with physical shelf space rapidly declining countrywide, the digital storefront is becoming increasingly critical. But as the term Digital Divide suggests, not all artists share in the digital bounty equally, a fact likely to accelerate roster changes as the industry continues to evolve.

A quick look at our Digital Album Sales By Artist example shows the divergence among artists. Zac Brown Band after half a million RTD albums has 46% digital share. Carrie Underwood fans are also purchasing digital format above the 27% average. It’s too early to draw conclusions, but surprisingly, Little Big Town sales (after only two weeks) are leaning strongly physical. Normally, debut week brings a higher digital percentage. For example, this week we have country debuts from Easton Corbin (No. 2; 29k) with 47% digital; Dwight Yoakam (No. 3; 19k) 37% digital, Big & Rich (No. 4; 16k) 27% digital and Ryan Bingham (No. 7; 12k) 58% digital.

Low digital scans could be attributed to several reasons including pricing, but for the immediate future it appears that having a mobilized digital fan base is becoming incrementally more important than ever. When fans can’t easily find their favorite artist’s new music on neighborhood shelves, then sales suffer, UNLESS they are comfortable shopping at their favorite neighborhood online store—iTunes, Play, Amazon or Google.

Artists like Taylor Swift (FB: 34 million; Twitter: 19 million) and Jason Aldean (FB: 6.3 million; Twitter 700k) with passionate online armies are perfectly positioned for the next sales phase.

(Check out MusicRow’s Country Artist Twitter-Facebook chart for more artist info.)

Weekly Register: Taylor Swift, Hunter Hayes Romance?
Hunter Hayes and Taylor Swift make a great couple. I mean chart-wise, of course. Because this week they appear as country’s Queen and King in the top 2 positions on the country tracks chart. Taylor adds a demure 196k downloads this week and Hayes gains a substantially less demure 91k. Don’t look for this chart-top romance to continue, however, because Swift’s just released “Begin Again” track is already No. 1 on iTunes and sure to claim marquee status next week.

Swift’s appeal is so mainstream, her songwriting so inspired and her charisma so powerful that I sometimes wonder if Nashville bizniks realize what we are witnessing firsthand. She ranks with the best of the best and I’ll boldly state that you will never ever ever see another Nashville artist play on this level during your industry tenure.

The country tracks Top 5 also includes Carrie Underwood “Blown Away” (No. 3; 76k), Little Big Town “Pontoon” (No. 4; 63k) and Florida Georgia Line “Cruise” (No. 5; 60k).

DISClaimer Single Reviews (9/26/12)

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Buffy Lawson, The Abrams Brothers

Every dog has his day, and this day belongs to the underdogs.

I am happy to report that we have plethora of contestants for this week’s DisCovery Award. Branch & Dean’s “Your Ol’ Lady’s Gone,” Alex Flanigan’s “Diesel, Guns and Rust,” and Gideon’s Daughter’s “Ain’t Got Nothin’” are all essential listening. So is our winning artist, The Abrams Brothers.

The Disc of the Day prize also goes to an indie act. You won’t find as superb a performance on any major as Buffy Lawson gives us with “I’m Leaving You for Me.”

BUFFY LAWSON/I’m Leaving You for Me
Writer: Buffy Lawson/Angie Russell/Eric Pittarelli; Producer: Walt Aldredge; Publisher: Buffster/Angelinalou/Little Painters, ASCAP/SESAC; Wrinkled (track) (www.wrinkledrecords.com)
—Magnificent. The throbbing production puts every sonic punctuation in its perfect place. The wounded-woman lyric of the power ballad is superbly crafted. Her vocal delivery is a wall of emotional fire. A star-making performance.

THE ABRAMS BROTHERS/Northern Redemption
Writer: John Abrams/James Abrams; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Bug/Rogues Writers Circle/Granite Hall, no performance rights listed; UFO (track)
—There are three of them — John, Elijah and James — and they hail from Canada. This is the title track of an album that’s a banquet of neo-Everly harmonies, percussive energy, folk charm, acoustic thump and sunshine-bright production. What a discovery: This one’s staying in the play-me stack for some time to come.

FAITH HILL/American Heart
Writer: Jonathan Singleton/Jim Beavers; Producer: Byron Gallimore & Faith Hill; Publisher: BMG Gold/Glassbean/We Jam/Sony-ATV Tree/Beavertime, ASCAP/BMI; Warner Bros.
—She remains one of our vocal treasures. Her soulful delivery of this well-crafted anthem gives even its most rah-rah lines believability.

CHRIS DANIELS/South Carolina
Writer: Chris Daniels; Producer: Chris Daniels, Jim Ratts, John McVey & Bradley Kopp; Publisher: none listed; CWD444 (track) (www.chrisdaniels.com)
—This singer-songwriter has a hearty vocal delivery and definite style as a composer. This lively track from his Better Days CD features jaunty, Cajun flavored accompaniment. The album’s cast should give you an idea of its overall quality– Sam Bush, Richey Furay, Mollie O’Brien, Bela Fleck, Lloyd Maines, John Cowan, Tim Goodman, plus sidemen from The Punch Brothers, Joe Walsh, The Subdudes and more. Play on.

BRANCH & DEAN/Your Ol’ Lady’s Gone
Writer: Steve Branch/Marion Dean/Michael Huffman; Producer: Michael Huffman, Jeff Silvey & Marion Dean; Publisher: Shootin’ Straight/Huffstuff, BMI/ASCAP; Spinville (www.branchanddean.com)
—This ode to Hank is loaded with wit and panache. From the yodel to the steel solo, this must be heard to be believed. Absolutely great.

HEARTLAND/The Sound a Dream Makes
Writer: Shana Canada/Gary Duffey/Gordon Mote; Producer: James Stroud; Publisher: none listed; R&J (www.heartlandband.com)
—The “I Loved Her First” fellows from 2006 have weathered label and personnel changes, as well as a self-imposed hiatus, over the past few years. Their comeback single is a sweet ballad of becoming a father (and then a grandfather) that tugs at the heartstrings and sounds just like a hit.

WANDA JACKSON/Tore Down
Writer: Sonny Thompson; Producer: Justin Townes Earle; Publisher: ARC/Carbert, BMI; Sugar Hill (track)
—Her last CD had Jack White in the producer’s chair, and it rocked. This time around, Miss Wanda has enlisted another alt-Nashvillian, Justin Townes Earle, for a collection titled Unfinished Business. Its lead-off single finds her in a stripped-down, urban-blues, rockin’ roots groove. Solid.

GIDEON’S DAUGHTER/Ain’t Got Nothin’
Writer: Gideon’s Daughter; Producer: Brad Petit; Publisher: none listed; Gideon’s Daughter (track) (www.gideonsdaughter.com)
—This trio from the Pacific Northwest features a slamming, slapping rhythm track and alternating male-female vocal leads that are equally sassy. A stomping surprise. Delightfully in-your-face.

MATT NATHANSON/Modern Love
Writer: Matt Nathanson/Mark Weinberg; Producer: Mark Weinberg & Matt Nathanson; Publisher: Little Victories/Stage Three/BMG Chrysalis/Rogue Leader/EMI April, ASCAP; Vanguard (track)
—This guy’s “country” connection comes via his outstanding duet with Sugarland on his album track “Run.” The collection’s second single and title tune confirms him as one of the great vocal newcomers of the year. If you don’t mind a few little horn blasts here and there, it could really liven your country playlist with its completely catchy tune, bopping rhythms and stellar production.

ALEX FLANIGAN/Diesel, Guns and Rust
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; AF (615-329-1032)
—She sings from the dark side of town, where the prison gates are. The song is just this side of Johnny Cash perfection. The production snarls and spits and rocks. She owns it vocally, from start to finish. An outlaw queen is born.

ACM Honors: A Night of Authenticity

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Alan Jackson accepts the Jim Reeves International Award at the ACM Honors.

Country music fans, superstar talent and industry elite turned out in force for the Academy of Country Music’s 6th Annual ACM Honors Monday night (9/24) at the Ryman Auditorium. Hosted by Dierks Bentley and presented by City National Bank, the sold-out event was an evening dedicated to recognizing the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

As a first-time host of the ACM Honors, Bentley kept the pace moving fast during the three-hour show which included a mix of live music, historical video retrospectives, and current video tributes and interviews with industry veterans honoring Special Awards recipients, MBI category winners (Musician, Bandleader, Instrumentalist) and Industry Awards categories. Jana Kramer presented the Industry awards and Love and Theft presented the MBI awards.

One of the best things about this awards show is its authenticity. It was pointed out early in the evening that this show was about sincerely honoring those people who have made significant contributions to our industry and not about acting or speaking a certain way for a televised production. Led by Academy of Country Music CEO Bob Romeo, this set the stage for a very real, and sometimes emotional, evening of accolades and stories.

Upon receiving Promoter of the Year honors, Brian O’Connell with Live Nation said, “This will never suck… never, ever, ever suck.” Kenny Greenberg, honored as Guitarist of the Year confessed, “My favorite guitar player in the world is here tonight–my wife, Ashley Cleveland.”

Kellie Pickler, sporting a recently shaved head in support of a friend’s battle with cancer, introduced Frank Liddell as Producer of the Year along with a list of his impressive accomplishments. Liddell then took the stage asking the audience, “How do I follow that?” Pickler, with her quick wit, responded, “Shave your head!”

Luke Bryan shared how he met the night’s Songwriter of the Year, Dallas Davidson, during deer season in the ’90s when Dallas left a note on his car regarding his unsolicited use of Davidson’s deer stand. After performing “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” and “I Don’t Want This Night To End” in a medley tribute to Davidson, host Bentley shared the best joke of the evening. Looking at Bryan, he quipped “What do Luke Bryan’s pants and Motel 6 have in common? No ballroom!” The audience loved it and “tight pants” vs. “baggy pants” become fodder as Davidson accepted the trophy saying, “This is not pretty cool. This is extremely cool. And I wore my Luke Bryan jeans today, but he let me down with those baggy pants.”

(L-R): Bob Romeo, CEO of the ACM; Randy Houser; Dallas Davidson, Songwriter of the Year; Luke Bryan; Butch Waugh, ACM Chairman

Bentley gave nods to Vince Gill being honored with the Career Achievement Award, telling the audience Gill once played with the then unknown star for 122 minutes at a show on Lower Broadway. Referring to Bentley after that night, Gill told a friend, “He has that ‘thing.'” An emotional Gill then shared the story of turning down an offer to join Dire Straits at a point where his career was really struggling saying, “I knew I had something to contribute to Country Music.” He was right. His next single, “When I Call Your Name,” became one of his biggest career hits.

Alan Jackson, who received the Jim Reeves International Award, shared a story of arriving in the Bahamas on a fishing trip and upon landing on a small airstrip was greeted by a dreadlocked fan with one of his CDs to sign. Jackson confessed, “You never know where your music will end up.”

After Clint Black‘s performance of a medley tribute to Roger Miller for his Poet’s Award (posthumously), Miller’s wife Mary Miller and son Dean Miller came on stage to accept the honor from Stan Moress.

Receiving the Crystal Milestone Award from Louie Messina, Kenny Chesney said, “The longer I do this, the more I realize how fortunate we are to be able to do what we do– to catch lightning in a bottle.”

Big Kenny honored Gayle Holcomb with the Mae Boren Axton Award. Holcomb was instrumental in bringing the ACM Awards to Las Vegas and creating the success of ACM Lifting Lives. “It feels like I’m surrounded by family and friends,” Holcomb gushed. “In fact, I am.”

(L-R): Big Kenny; Tiffany Moon, EVP/Managing Dir. of the ACM; Mae Boren Axton honoree Gayle Holcomb; Bob Romeo, CEO of the ACM

Will Hoge performed “Time Marches On,” followed by Randy Houser‘s performance of “He Stopped Lovin’ Her Today” in tribute to Bobby Braddock and Billy Sherrill. Troy Tomlinson called Braddock a “distinguished poet and artist,” adding “artists interpret life for the rest of us.” Braddock took the stage sharing how he was once in Kroger during a rainstorm. Braddock told the crowd, “Roger (Miller) used to say the last word in lonesome is ‘me’ and I wished I could call him and tell him the last word in Kroger is ‘Roger.'” The audience enjoyed the whimsical reference.

Kellie Pickler sings "Stand By Your Man" at the ACM Honors.

One of the many highlights included Kellie Picker’s performance of “Stand By Your Man” as a tribute to Billy Sherrill for his Pioneer Award honor. Norro Wilson referred to Sherrill as “one gifted person” and bestowed the honor to the aging icon standing near his seat on the main floor. Sherill didn’t offer any words. He didn’t need to as we all stood in his honor.

Performances from Rodney Crowell, then T Bone Burnett with Buddy Miller and The Secret Sisters, saluted Emmylou Harris. After receiving her Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award. Harris said, “I share this recognition with so many people. I was a Joan Baez wannabe… and Gram Parsons brought me to Country music.” She added, “I became this obnoxious convert to Country music and my parents are the heroes of my life. I’m not done yet!”

After a performance medley by Dailey & Vincent of “Highway 40 Blues,” “Wouldn’t Change You If I Could,” and “Honey,” followed by Dierks Bentley’s performance of “I Don’t Care,” Ricky Skaggs was honored with the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award. Skaggs gave thanks to the many influences in his career and thanked the Whites “for showing me what family is all about.”

The house band for the evening, led by musical director Buddy Cannon, included Wyatt Beard (background vocals), Eddie Bayers (drums), Jon E. Conley (guitar), Mike Johnson (steel guitar), Liana Manis (background vocals), Larry Paxton (bandleader/bass), Gary Prim (piano) and Bobby Terry (guitar).

In the final tribute of the evening to Dwight Yoakam for his Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, Ashley Monroe performed “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere” and Hunter Hayes performed “Fast As You.” Yoakam took the stage joking, “Hunter, you might want to cut that!” He then thanked the beacons who preceded him in his career which included Emmylou Harris and emotionally admitted to the audience, “My road was paved.”

I think that speaks for us all.

Hunter Hayes performs "Fast As You" at the ACM Honors.

Here’s a recap of the winners:

Industry Awards:
Jimmy Jay, Jayson Promotions, Inc. – Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Brian O’Connell, Live Nation – Promoter of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas (Ft. Worth, TX) – Nightclub of the Year
Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN) – Venue of the Year
Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, NV) – Casino of the Year
Dallas Davidson – Songwriter of the Year

Special Awards Recipients:
Bobby Braddock and Roger Miller (posthumously) – Poet’s Award
Kenny Chesney – Crystal Milestone Award
Vince Gill – Career Achievement Award
Emmylou Harris, Billy Sherrill, Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakam – Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
Gayle Holcomb – Mae Boren Axton Award
Alan Jackson – Jim Reeves International Award

MBI (Musician/Bandleader/Instrumentalist) Awards:
Stuart Duncan – Fiddle Player of the Year
Shannon Forrest – Percussionist/Drummer of the Year
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar Player of the Year
Kenny Greenberg – Guitarist of the Year
Aubrey Haynie – Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year
John Hobbs – Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
Frank Liddell – Producer of the Year
Justin Niebank – Audio Engineer of the Year
Michael Rhodes – Bass Player of the Year