Tag Archive for: featured-2

Bluegrass Legend Earl Scruggs Passes

Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs died March 28, 2012 in a Nashville area hospital at age 88. When asked about the banjo pioneer’s career, most who knew him site his kindness first and his musical achievements second.

From early commercial success with The Beverly Hillbillies theme “The Ballad of Jed Clampett,” to a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in more recent years, Scruggs captivated generations of musicians and music lovers.

Historian Robert K. Oermann explains, “He was such a sweet soul. No one in any genre of music has so profoundly influenced the playing of his or her instrument the way Earl did.”

Earl Eugene Scruggs was born in Flint Hill, NC on Jan, 6, 1924 and by his teens had developed a unique three-finger style of banjo picking that would revolutionize the genre. In 1945 he met future duo partner Lester Flatt, when both were members of the landmark group Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys.

In a recent column for The New Yorker, Steve Martin wrote, “Some nights [Earl] had the stars of North Carolina shooting from his fingertips. Before him, no one had ever played the banjo like he did. After him, everyone played the banjo like he did, or at least tried. In 1945, when he first stood on the stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and played banjo the way no one had ever heard before, the audience responded with shouts, whoops, and ovations….There aren’t many earthquakes in Tennessee, but that night there was.”

Flatt & Scruggs

By 1948 Flatt and Scruggs left Monroe’s band and formed the Foggy Mountain Boys, which later become known simply as Flatt & Scruggs. Together, they popularized bluegrass throughout the fifties and sixties with national television spots such as The Beverly Hillbillies, with performances at famed events including the Newport Folk Festival, and a morning radio show on WSM in Nashville, sponsored by Martha White Flour.

Jody Williams, BMI VP Writer/Publisher Relations, reflects on Scruggs, a lifelong BMI writer. Williams’ uncle also booked Flatt & Scruggs for the original Martha White commercial. “He was traditional, and at the same time he was avant garde,” muses Williams. “With Flatt and Scruggs he defined the banjo, taking it from rural stages to the Opry, then college campuses in the ’60s, all the way to Carnegie Hall. He is an architect of the genre of bluegrass. It’s popularity would never have soared without Earl…We salute his contribution to American music. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Scruggs family.”

The duo called it quits in 1969 and continued separate careers. Flatt died in 1979, and the duo was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985.

“Earl Scruggs was the single most important instrumentalist in Bluegrass music,” explains Tony Conway. “Along with Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs was responsible for helping create a much larger audience for the format of Bluegrass, particularly a new and younger fan base. He was always a first class Gentleman.”

Family played a significant role in Scruggs’ career. His wife Louise, who died in 2006, is credited with steering his remarkable success and was a pioneering female in the music business in her own right.

Scruggs teamed with sons Randy and Gary for the Earl Scruggs Revue in 1969. The group veered into folk-rock territory and included a rotating cast of musicians, including Randy and Gary’s brother, Steve. In 1972 Earl, Gary and Randy played on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s landmark album Will The Circle Be Unbroken.

Scruggs’ achievements earned numerous accolades including a National Heritage Fellowship, and the National Medal of Arts. He was inducted into the IBMA Hall of Fame in 1991. Even late in his career the honors kept coming. His album Earl Scruggs and Friends won a Grammy in 2001, one of three Grammys he earned between 1998 and 2004, as well as a 2008 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Nashville writer Holly Gleason recalls him fondly, including friendly encounters at the most modest of restaurants, the Waffle House. “When you make the musical mark Earl Scruggs did, you won’t ever be gone,” she sums. “People will listen to his records and marvel; pick up their instrument and practice the complicated three fingers rolls, the wildly accelerated picking. His mark shall last forever. So will his soul.”

Scruggs’ health waxed and waned in recent years, including a September 2010 hospitalization in North Carolina for an undisclosed illness.

He was preceded in death by his son Steve, and wife Louise.

The family will receive friends during visitation Fri., March 30 and Sat., March 31 between 3 – 7 p.m. at Spring Hill Funeral Home, 5110 Gallatin Pike, Nashville. Funeral services will be held Sun., April, 1 at 2 p.m. at the Ryman Auditorium. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum or the Earl Scruggs Center.

Nashville Shines at T.J. Martell Honors Gala

(L-R): Thomas G. Cigarran (Spirit of Nashville Award), C. Wright Pinson (Lifetime Medical Achievement Award), Kris Kristofferson (Frances Williams Preston Lifetime Music Industry Award), Joe Galante (Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award), Colin V. Reed (Lifetime Humanitarian Award)

The fourth annual T.J. Martell Honors Gala was held at the Hutton Hotel this past week, raising over $400,000 for 11 top U.S. cancer research hospitals, including the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

The sold-out event was hosted by Vince Gill and musical performances included K.T. Oslin (“80s Ladies”); Emmylou Harris (Kris Kristofferson’s “The Last Thing to Go”); Gill (“Together Again”); Charlie Daniels (Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”); Martina McBride (“Independence Day”); Ronnie Dunn (Brooks & Dunn’s “Believe”); and Bruce Hornsby (a piano interpretation of “A Night on the Town”).

Former TN Governor Phil Bredesen and Nashville Chamber President Ralph Schulz presented Tom Cigarran with the Spirit of Nashville Award for professional and charitable work within the Nashville community.

Kris Kristofferson was honored with a standing ovation while accepting the Frances Williams Preston Lifetime Music Industry Award, presented to him by Harris and the legendary BMI executive herself, Frances Williams Preston.

Gaylord Chairman and CEO Colin Reed received the Lifetime Humanitarian Award from Gill and Lew Conner, who spoke of Reed’s leadership during the 2010 Nashville flood.

C. Wright Pinson, who founded Vanderbilt University’s liver transplantation program and liver surgery division in 1990, was awarded by Vanderbilt’s liver transplant recipient Julie Damon with Charlie Daniels.

The final, Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award, went to music executive Joe Galante. Dolly Parton and Kenny Chesney presented Galante, who thanked his mentors: Jerry Bradley, Frances Preston, Joe Talbot and Irving Waugh.

“I didn’t get the town or the music,” said Galante. “But that all changed when I was asked to go with Dolly on a promo trip in New York City. Dolly was to ride the Long Island Rail Road and at every stop get out and sing a song on a flatbed car…In between stops we just talked and laughed. It became a turning point for me. I know I’m home now in Nashville — this has been a very special night.”

Over the last four years, the Honors Gala, which is a part of The T. J. Martell Foundation, has raised a total of $1.8 million for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research. The foundation was founded in 1975 by music executive Tony Martell and his colleagues, in memory of his son, T.J., who died of leukemia. The Foundation has provided over $250 million dollars for research at top research hospitals in the United States.

(Photos: Rick Diamond, Getty Images)

 

DISClaimer Single Reviews (3/28/12)

(L-R): Jessie James, Matraca Berg

Sometimes less is more.

And sometimes you have to vote for class rather than flash. Matraca Berg’s “The Dreaming Fields” is a very simple production, but it packs a big emotional wallop. There are more famous record makers in this week’s stack, but this Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member wins the Disc of the Day.

Both of the DisCovery Award contenders are Universal products. Greg Bates records for Republic, and Jessie James is on Show Dog. In a tight contest, I’m giving the nod to Jessie James.

I don’t give out an Album of the Day award. But if I did, it would most certainly go to Tuskegee by Lionel Richie and his country pals. Those songs of his are just so enduringly extraordinary.

EDEN’S EDGE/Too Good to Be True
Writer: Gordie Sampson/Hilary Lindsey/Troy Verges; Producer: Dann Huff; Publisher: No Such Music/Bug/Music of Windswept/BMG Chrysalis/Songs of Southside Independent/Raylene/Songs of Universal/Songs From the Engine Room, SOCAN/ASCAP/BMI; Big Machine
—This is a trio, but somebody decided to make it sound like a female solo performance with some background vocalists. Next time, bring the other two voices up in the mix. The song is cool and so are the Dobro licks.

DANIEL SMITH/Sometimes Love
Writer: Daniel Smith; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Daniel Smith, ASCAP; DLS (www.danielsmithmusic.net)
—I’ve always liked this guy in the past. This new ballad is about the sad side of love that you discover when a loved one passes away. He aches in all the right places.

MATRACA BERG/The Dreaming Fields
Writer: Matraca Berg/Gary Harrison; Producer: Matraca Berg; Publisher: Songs of Universal/Hannaberg, BMI; Dualtone (track) (www.matracaberg.com)
—The yearning title tune of Matraca’s lustrous album mourns the loss of her grandparents’ farm. Her trembling, highly emotional vocal is accompanied only by her piano playing and a sighing, moaning cello. Which makes it all the more moving. The song has just become the subject of her new video.

LIONEL RICHIE & SHANIA TWAIN/Endless Love
Writer: Lionel Richie; Producer: Nathan Chapman & Lionel Richie; Publisher: none listed; Mercury (track)
—Thirteen songs from Lionel’s awesome catalog have become country duets on his new CD Tuskegee. Some of the biggest stars of the genre eagerly participated — Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Willie Nelson, Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts among them. Shania takes the Diana Ross part on what was a massive, massive hit in 1981. She has a fuller, richer voice than the reedy Supremes diva, so this raises genuine goose bumps. This is a thrilling performance by both partners. The whole album is one delight after another. And I have always believed that Lionel Richie was really a country artist.

RACHELE LYNAE/Party ‘Til the Cows Come Home
Writer: Rachele Lynae/Stephanie Bentley/Jamie O’Neal/Jimmy Murphy; Producer: Jamie O’Neal; Publisher: Rachele Lynae/Fru Fru/Sugar Dumplin/Pakimo, ASCAP; Momentum (www.rachelelynae.com)
—It sounds pretty much like you’d expect it to, given the title. Lots of screaming guitar work, pumping percussion and crowd shouting. Pass.

SCOTTY McCREERY/Water Tower Town
Writer: Cole Swindell/Lynn Hutton/Tammi Kidd; Producer: Mark Bright; Publisher: Sony-ATV/House of Sea Gayle/Mike Curb, BMI/ASCAP; Mercury/19 (track)
—The production on this celebration of small-town life rocks brilliantly. Scotty keeps up with it, but sounds like he’s having to make an effort.

JESSIE JAMES/When You Say My Name
Writer: Marshall Altman/Dylan Altman/Rose Falcon; Producer: Mark Wright; Publisher: Sons of the Galt Line/Razor and Tie/Music of Cal IV, BMI; Show Dog Universal
—Lively and tuneful, this has the sound of young romance running all through it. James has an intriguing vocal delivery, throaty in her lower register and brightly sunny on her soprano notes. Very radio ready.

DIERKS BENTLEY/5-1-5-0
Writer: Jim Beavers/Brett Beavers/Dierks Bentley; Producer: Brett Beavers & Luke Wooten; Publisher: Sony-ATV Tree/Beavertime/BMG/Chestnut Barn/Big White Tracks, BMI/IMRO/ASCAP; Capitol Nashville (track)
—The girl is driving him insane, and he can think of nothing else. It’s Dierks in his upbeat rocker mode, accompanied by plenty of stuttering, twang guitar and thumping beats. Highly infectious.

JASON STURGEON/Time Bomb
Writer: Jason Sturgeon; Producer: Greg Archilla & Jason Sturgeon; Publisher: Jason Sturgeon, BMI; Tool Pusher (www.jasonsturgeonmusic.com)
—It’s a roaring, rocking car song. It also has no melody.

GREG BATES/Did It for the Girl
Writer: Greg Bates/Lynn Hutton/Rodney Clawson; Producer: Jimmy Ritchey; Publisher: Super Effusion/Big Music Machine/Bates ‘N’ Hooks/Songs of Universal/House of Sea Gayle/Big Red Toe/Big Loud Bucks/Amarillo Sky, BMI/ASCAP; Republic Nashville
—This sways like a summer hammock in the backyard. He cleans up to look sharp for her. He shines his car for her. He plays his favorite George Strait tunes for her. He dances, sips Corona, enjoys the moonlight, lights candles and drives slow. Let’s face it, the boy is dizzy in love. An excellent debut.

New YouTube Revenue Streams for Publishers

Since it’s inception in 2005, YouTube has provided a platform for users from around the world to upload audiovisual content. Major labels, with the exception of Warner Music, independently reached agreements to receive compensation for their master recordings with YouTube, but publishers have been unable to establish any formal agreement with the video provider.

As a result, the publishing community, in accordance with the NMPA, set out a longstanding class action lawsuit against YouTube and its owner, Google. In recent months, legal rulings for the suit have favored YouTube over publishers. As the case waits in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, YouTube has prepared three licensing options for publishers to begin receiving compensation. If a publisher chooses to enter any agreement, they release all pending litigation rights to the class action suit and forgo the ability to benefit from future judgments from those suits.

The licensing process is being facilitated by RightsFlow, a royalty service provider purchased by YouTube in January of this year. Earlier this month, YouTube and RightsFlow representatives held a small conference for independent music publishers at Nashville’s BMI offices to discuss the available licensing options.

Option 1: The first option available for independent publishers is a three-year agreement with the Harry Fox Agency (HFA) under terms negotiated by the NMPA. Under the terms, the HFA charges a 7.5 percent administrative fee from YouTube earnings. Those publishers who opted into the HFA agreement by mid January of this year were subject to share in a $4 million recoupable advance determined by mechanical earnings and market share between 2007-2010. The advance is not a settlement; just a pool paid-forward towards future earnings by YouTube. The HFA has also secured exclusive rights for auditing YouTube’s royalty statements on behalf of its participating publishers. For delinquent payment over 45 days, the HFA has secured a 1.5 percent, per month late provision.

Option 2: Publishers can sign a five-year direct license with the video site. Through this option, publishers evade the third-party HFA administrative fees, but forgo audit rights or the late payment provisions. A publisher also retains direct control with their YouTube online content ID tool. This site manages publishers’ accounts including blocking, monetizing and tracking musical works on YouTube. Under the HFA agreement, the HFA would perform content monitoring on behalf of its clients.

Option 3: Independent publishers can enter Third Party Aggregator agreements. These arrangements enable publishers to collaborate amongst each other to negotiate alternative terms with YouTube. Specific terms of this option have yet to be determined.

The proposals are not retroactive for revenue previously accrued from the site, nor will royalties be based on ‘per view’ rates. Rather, revenues will be based on ad sales within the particular upload as outlined below.

Under the agreements, videos are classified within three categories. 1) Official Commercial Artist Music Videos; royalties typically handled directly between labels and publishers, therefore not included in the agreement. 2) User-Uploaded Videos with Commercial Recordings earn 15 percent of net ad revenue from the video. 3) User-Uploaded Cover Videos can earn 50 percent of net ad revenue.

VEVO President/CEO Rio Caraeff shed light on rarely seen financials for his company in a recent interview. About 35-40 percent of VEVO’s traffic comes from YouTube, which is an outlet for VEVO’s syndicated content. In an effort to provide perspective, Caraeff’s financials surrounding digital video income for his site will be helpful.

“In the last year alone we’ve generated over $150 million,” he explained. “We paid the labels about $100 million over the last two years, specifically to artists, songwriters and content owners. Today we’re seeing 3.5 billion views per month. That’s about 42 billion views per year.”

If you’re calculating a per-view rate on today’s numbers, the average view turns out to earn $0.0012. 100,000 views averages $120.00, and 1 million views, $1,200.00. Granted, YouTube agreements do not propose calculating royalties on a per-view basis. However, for the purposes of this article, it is easy to see how royalties of $100 million spreads thin.

Perhaps the most important aspect of these proposals, as they unfold over the next few months, is that they set out to establish a framework of aqueducts hopeful to carry revenue from digital-age sources to claimants. Time will tell if substantial resources will ever flow.

RIAA Touts First Sales Uptick Since 2004

Uplifting sales news arrived this week from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The trade organization reports that for the first time since 2004, U.S. music sales are up .2% vs. the previous year. RIAA sales data differs from Nielsen SoundScan’s accounting because it is based upon the dollar value of net shipments not units sold. RIAA, whose members are the music labels, also certifies Gold®, Platinum®, Multi-Platinum™ and Diamond sales awards.

For perspective, note that the 2011 total digital and physical sales of $7.007 billion is still less than half of the industry highpoint of over $14.584 billion in 1999. According to the just-released report, this is also the first year that digital sales edged out physical formats, moving from 46% last year to slightly over 50% for 2011.

Digital sales are growing. The RIAA digital categories include singles, albums, kiosk and music video which together increased 17.3% to represent a total of $2.6 billion. Digital album sales value jumped 25% to account for $1.1 billion of that $2.6 billion total.

Subscription services aka “access models” surged 13% to a new high in 2011 of $241 million. Users increased from 1.5 million to 1.8 million. Subscription revenue and its 1.8 million users is still an extremely small segment, but industry eyes are paying close attention to this category.

Digital performance distributions which includes payments to performers and copyright holders for webcasting, satellite radio, and other non-interactive digital music services, increased 17% to $292 million in 2011. Revenues from digital performance royalties for the first time surpassed the sales of ringtunes, ringbacks, and other mobile products, which fell 38% to $277 million in 2011.

Sync royalties are included for the first time this year. The sync category increased 4% this year to $196 million and its inclusion helped to push the overall total into the .2% positive territory.

Galante Advises Young Entertainment Professionals

(L-R) Back Row: YEP Board Member Penny Everhard (BMI), MusicRow’s Eric Parker and David Ross, Joe Galante, Artist Growth’s Matt Urmy, and BMI’s Leslie Roberts and Jody Williams. Front Row: YEP Board Members Mary Ann Keen (Cal IV), Marc Rucker (Huskins-Harris), Karli Figueroa (Swift Merchandising), Andrew Cohen (Executive Director of the YEP Network). Photo: Drew Maynard

A variety of executives, young professionals, and college interns were present for the Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) afternoon discussion on Thursday, March 22 with former Sony Music Nashville chairman and T.J. Martell Foundation honoree Joe Galante.

The conversation took place at BMI’s Nashville offices and featured a short interview hosted by MusicRow founder, David Ross. YEP supplied Ross with pre-selected questions and audience members chimed in with their own questions, mostly centering around technology and advances in the industry. After the conversation, a business pitch for the newly established Artist Growth platform was given.

Ross kicked off the segment by asking Galante’s opinion on the state of the industry. Galante replied, “Surprisingly, stable. We have to settle to low sales, although we are not declining. I’ve been in the industry long enough to have seen the shift towards singles before. Major labels are in the industry to move tonnage. Decreasing album sales have resulted in a changing marketplace.”

Ross mentioned the positive sales of Lady Antebellum’s album online earlier this month for 25 cents, and Galante was quick to clarify. “The label was paid the full rate for the album,” he said. “The retailer made up the shortfall, lest people think that’s the right price to pay for our music. Still, the album sold a significant number for a week.”

The young audience also asked about YouTube. Galante remarked, “Every label has their own agreement with YouTube, and I have seen some numbers, and ad revenue does not yet compare to that from radio. Of course, publishing is a whole industry derived from pennies, and pennies do add up. Maybe YouTube will become a revenue stream in the future but at the present, it is not.”

As far as picking the right artist to sign and support, Galante advised, “I would look for something unique, driven, good listener and that they have surrounded themselves with a strong team to support their career. One of the best questions for figuring out if the artist has star power is to ask, ‘what is the artist doing live?’” Finally, he added, “The artist should be willing to pick outside songs to record.”

After the conversation, Galante’s new business partner, CEO of Artist Growth Matt Urmy, gave the audience a preview of his cloud-based dashboard that allows artists and their team to manage a career on the road. The service is designed to help artists try to work in a new marketplace without feeling like their creativity is being strangled trying to understand the business. For more information, click here.

Weekly Chart Report (3/23/12)

Rodeowave recording artist Phil Vassar (L) greets KAJA KJ97/San Antonio PD Travis Moon (R) during the station's successful St. Jude Jam 2012, held at Cowboys Dancehall. Vassar's latest hit "Don't Miss Your Life" provided a poignant moment during the evening, and is currently at No. 21 on the CountryBreakout Chart.

SPIN ZONE
We might need a photo finish on this one. Lady Antebellum’s “Dancin’ Away With My Heart” retains the CountryBreakout Chart’s No. 1 spot by a nose, only six spins separating it from Blake Shelton’s “Drink On It.” In the distance, but quickly closing the gap is Rascal Flatts’ “Banjo” which moves 5-3 after a 172 spin gain. Rounding out the Top 5 are Jake Owen’s “Alone With You,” and Miranda Lambert’s “Over You.”

The parade of superstar singles has begun, and it’s shaking up the Top 40 a bit. Toby Keith’s “Beers Ago” is the newest arrival to the party, and it’s the biggest spin gain of the week with a move to No. 34. Also pulling in lots of new plays is The Band Perry’s “Postcard From Paris,” which moves to No. 27. Still, it doesn’t keep Rachel Holder’s “In Your Arms” from making progress at No. 25, or Corey Wagar’s “I Hate My Boyfriend” at No. 32.

Several newer faces are among those making debuts in this chart edition, with Eric Paslay’s “If The Fish Don’t Bite” leading the pack at No. 67. Also making strong first appearances are Joanna Smith’s “We Can’t Be Friends” at No. 72, Hunter Hayes’ “Wanted” at No. 74, and One Night Rodeo’s “We Could Go To Jail” at No. 78. The only more established artist with a new single debuting this week is Chris Young, whose “Neon” is glowing at No. 68.

Upcoming Singles
March 26
Chris Young/Neon/RCA
Martina McBride feat. Pat Monahan/Marry Me/Republic Nashville
Jon Pardi/Missin’ You Crazy/Capitol Records Nashville

April 2
Brandon Bolin/Angel Missing/Render

April 9
Jerrod Niemann/Shinin’ On Me/Sea Gayle/Arista
Edens Edge/Too Good To Be True/Big Machine
Lathan Moore/Nothin Like A Woman/Render
Dierks Bentley/5-1-5-0/Capitol

• • • • •

New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Eric Paslay/If The Fish Don’t Bite/EMI Nashville – 67
Chris Young/Neon/RCA – 68
Joanna Smith/We Can’t Be Friends/Columbia – 72
Hunter Hayes/Wanted/Atlantic Records – 74
One Night Rodeo/We Could Go To Jail – 78

Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Toby Keith/Beers Ago/Show Dog-Universal – 583
The Band Perry/Postcard From Paris/Republic Nashville – 458
Eric Church/Springsteen/EMI Nashville – 341
Carrie Underwood/Good Girl/19 Recordings/Arista – 321
Jason Aldean/Fly Over States/Broken Bow – 294

Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Toby Keith/Beers Ago/Show Dog-cUniversal – 39
The Band Perry/Postcard From Paris/Republic Nashville – 20
Chris Young/Neon/RCA – 17
Justin Moore/’Til My Last Day/Valory – 17
Eric Paslay/If The Fish Don’t Bite/EMI Nashville – 13
Joanna Smith/We Can’t Be Friends/Columbia – 12
Martina McBride feat. Pat Monahan/Marry Me/Republic Nashville – 11
Jon Pardi/Missin’ You Crazy/Capitol – 11
Kix Brooks/New To This Town/Arista – 11

On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Leah Seawright/Til Your Boots Are Dirty – 223
Barry Michael/Uncountrify Me/Stockbridge – 213
Susan Cattaneo/Little Big Sky/Jersey Girl Music – 210
Stephanie Grace/If You Asked Me/SMG – 207
Lucas Hoge/Give A Damn/Animal House – 194

Despite being under the weather 104.3 KSOP/Salt Lake City PD Deb Turpin took some time to listen to Due West’s new music, but made sure to stay far away. (L-R): KSOP PD Deb Turpin; Due West's Matt Lopez, Brad Hull and Tim Gates

Blake Shelton’s “Drink On It” came in at a very close No. 2 on this week’s CountryBreakout Chart, and he is currently on his Well Lit & Amplified Tour. Recently he visited San Jose, CA and KRTY. (L-R): Kristen Williams (WMN National Director of Promotion), Shelton, Tina Ferguson (GSM KRTY), Nate Deaton (GM KRTY)

Bobby Karl Works the HoF’s Bakersfield Sound Opening

Members of Buck Owens’ family, Brad Paisley, Red Simpson and Frank Mull visit with museum staffers in the exhibition gallery. (L-R): Lee Rowe, Tim Davis, Michael Owens, John Owens, Carolyn Tate, Simpson, Paisley, Kyle Young, Michael Gray, Mel Owens and Mull. Photo: Donn Jones

Chapter 393

There’s always a reason to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

For the next two years, one of those reasons is “The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and California Country.” This 5,000 square foot exhibit opens Friday, and some 400 invited fabulons got a sneak peak at an opening gala Wednesday evening (3/21).

Staged in the same second-floor space that has held the highly heralded Hank Williams and “Night Train to Nashville” exhibits, this is the brightest lit and most colorful of them all. There are loads of vintage videos, touch-screen displays of recording lore, listening stations and biographical plaques. Maps are used as graphic devices. You are greeted by the spangled costumes of The Maddox Brothers & Rose, “The Most Colorful Hillbilly Band in the Land.” You walk beneath a mini replica of the iconic Bakersfield arch. You enter a rotunda Hag listening room.

There are mini history lessons about the Dust Bowl Migration, central California and honky-tonk culture. Glass cases hold vivid costumes, vintage instruments to drool over, posters, LP jackets, evocative historic photos and lots of other cool artifacts. Dwight Yoakam narrates the accompanying Bakersfield film.

During the opening party, Kyle Young called the Bakersfield Sound, “a new brand of loud, danceable country music.” More to the point, vice president of museum services Carolyn Tate called the party, itself, “a wonderful, wonderful celebration. I think we have the best parties in the world when we open these exhibits.”

You certainly couldn’t quibble about the guest list. Among the first people I encountered were Rose Lee Maphis, Jody Maphis, Lynn Anderson, Casey Anderson, Emmylou Harris, Jo Walker-Meador, Jeff Hanna, Webb Wilder, Jeannie Seely, Dallas Frazier, Harold Bradley and Ralph Emery.

As usual, the food was superb. By the way, if you haven’t done lunch in the Conservatory, you’re missing one of Music City’s grooviest menus.

And you couldn’t complain about the music. The beyond-capacity crowd in the Ford Theatre was treated to a Telecaster tornado courtesy of Deke Dickerson, Kenny Vaughan and Red Simpson.

Brad Paisley speaks at the preview reception for the museum’s Bakersfield Sound exhibition. Photo: Donn Jones

Star power? The party agenda had that, too. “I think back to the moments when my heart skipped a beat,” said Brad Paisley, paraphrasing a Buck Owens hit title. “One of them was when I moved to Nashville in 1993.” When he completed his first album, Brad sent a copy to Buck with a note saying, “See if you can hear a little of yourself somewhere in here.” Buck asked if Brad was playing all the guitar solos on the record. Brad said he was. Buck said, “Bullshit,” and “Prove it.” So Brad booked a date at Buck’s Crystal Palace nightclub and did. “My second my-heart-skipped-a-beat moment was driving under the Bakersfield sign. I don’t have any idea what country music would be like without these guys.”

Lucky party goers included Kay Smith, Kay Clary, Peter Guralnick, Pete Finney, Don Light, Don Cusic, Donna & Gerald Nicely, David & Susana Ross, David Ezell & Lois Riggins, Rob McNeilly, Robbie Cogswell, Del Bryant, Joe Galante, George Gruhn, Jerry & Ernie Williams, Lon Helton, Frank Mull, Sarah Trahern, Randy Goodman, Nancy Shapiro, Chris Horsnell, Seab Tuck, Clarence Spalding, Earle Simmons, Karen Leipziger, Lori Badgett, Tom Roland and Tom “Batman” Baldrica (so billed at his request).

“There’s a lot to see upstairs – my whole life growing up,” Michael Owens told the merry mob, reminding everyone that his mom, the late Bonnie Owens, was married to Buck Owens and then Merle Haggard. Upstairs in the exhibit, she is referred to as “The Queen of Bakersfield.” “It’s fabulous what you have done here,” added Michael. “Thank you, on behalf of my dad Buck and my mom Bonnie.”

“I’m honored that Nashville has finally seen fit to give honor to this music,” added Brad Paisley. Amen, brother.

Musician Deke Dickerson, Red Simpson, Paisley and Kenny Vaughan. Photo: Donn Jones

O’Neil Hagaman Names Three Principals

(L-R): Ellen Porter, Craig Owens, and Lillian Williams

Respected business management firm O’Neil Hagaman today announced the promotion of three senior professionals to Principal. Receiving new titles are Craig Owens, previously Consulting Manager; Ellen Porter, previously Business Manager; and Lillian Williams, previously Business Manager.

“Craig, Ellen and Lillian are dedicated, veteran employees of O’Neil Hagaman who have helped build our reputation for exceptional, comprehensive service to the entertainment industry over the years,” said co-founder Kerry P. O’Neil. “We are pleased to elevate them to the well-deserved designation of Principal and know they will provide our clients with unparalleled service in this capacity.”

“Craig has run our Special Projects department for over five years and proved his leadership in keeping our firm at the cutting edge of technology and intellectual property issues,” added O’Neil. Owens has been with O’Neil Hagaman for more than 15 years and is a CPA and has been published in MusicRow magazine. As Principal, he will handle royalty tracking, compliance examinations, intellectual property valuations and investment analysis.

“Ellen is an invaluable talent that understands the essence of our clients, their families, and the complexity of building successful careers,” said co-founder Al Hagaman. “She has worked tirelessly to help our clients meet and exceed their goals.” Porter has been with O’Neil Hagaman for 28 years. As a Principal she will focus on financial management through financial accounting, contractual evaluation, negotiation and monitoring, and risk management. She is an alumna of Leadership Music, a member of the CMA and ACM, and has been published in MusicRow.

“Lillian has developed into a very tenacious and thoughtful business manager who represents her clients and our firm with integrity and it is an honor to be able to recognize her for her exceptional work with our clients,” said co-founder Cheryl Harris. Williams has been with O’Neil Hagaman for more than 20 years and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). Specifically, she will focus on financial accounting, contractual evaluation, negotiation and monitoring and risk management. She is an alumna of Leadership Music, a member of CMA and GMA, and has been published in MusicRow.

Nashvillians the Crickets Headed To Rock Hall of Fame

Middle Tennesseans Jerry Allison, Sonny Curtis and Joe B. Mauldin will be among those entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month.

They are being inducted, along with the late Nikki Sullivan, as members of The Crickets. They recorded such hits as “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue” with Buddy Holly. Following his 1959 death, the band continued to tour and record well into the 1990s. See full bio here. The Crickets were inducted into Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame in 2008.

The band is among several being honored with special inductions, including The Miracles, The Comets, The Blue Caps, The Famous Flames and The Midnighters.

The six bands will be entering the Hall of Fame alongside the previously announced “regular” inductees the Beastie Boys, Donovan, Guns N’ Roses, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Small Faces/The Faces, plus Freddie King as an early influence and non performers Don Kirshner, Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns.

The frontmen of all six bands have already been enshrined as solo members of the Hall. The Crickets’ Buddy Holly and The Famous Flames’ James Brown were inducted in 1986. The Miracles’ Smoky Robinson and The Comets’ Bill Haley were inducted in 1987. Hank Ballard of The Midnighters joined the Hall in 1980, and Gene Vincent was inducted in 1998 without his Blue Caps.

The six new inductions are the result of “a special Rock and Roll Hall of Fame committee review,” according to a recent press release from the organization. The bands’ names will be placed alongside their lead singers.

“These inductees are pioneers in the development of the music we call rock and roll,” said Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “As part of our mission to recognize the most impactful, innovative and influential artists in rock, the committee brought forth these six groups who belong in the Hall of Fame.”

This month’s Goldmine magazine says that these six inductions, “right some pretty serious wrongs.” The magazine and its readers have frequently criticized the Hall of Fame for its oversights.

Among those often cited as being repeatedly overlooked by the Hall are Chicago, Kiss, Linda Ronstadt, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Rush, Connie Francis, Neil Sedaka, The Moody Blues, The Monkees, The Clovers, Deep Purple, The Guess Who, Heart, Grand Funk Railroad, Bon Jovi and The Doobie Brothers. None of them have been made Hall of Fame members. Until now, The Miracles and The Crickets were on this list as well.

Other Nashville-area residents who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame include Duane Eddy, Brenda Lee, Little Richard, The Everly Brothers, Bob Gaudio (4 Seasons), Felix Cavaliere (Rascals), Bernie Leadon (Eagles), Steve Cropper (MGs), Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana.

The 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions will take place in Cleveland’s Public Hall on Saturday, April 14.