Tag Archive for: featured-2

Dwight Yoakam Re-Teams With Warner

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Dwight Yoakam has reunited with former label home Warner Music Group. The two-time Grammy winner is set to release his first studio album in seven years on Warner Bros. Records.
Yoakam has been co-producing his upcoming album with Joe Chiccarelli, known mostly for his work with rock acts including My Morning Jacket, The Shins, and The Strokes. Recently, Yoakam has also been in the studio with rock star Beck.
This will be Yoakam’s 28th project for Warner and/or Reprise. It follows his 2007 Buck Owens tribute, Dwight Sings Buck, which was released on New West Records.
Yoakam’s more than 25 million career album sales have been fueled by hits including “Honky Tonk Man,” “Please Please Baby,” “Little Ways,” “I Sang Dixie,” “It Only Hurts When I Cry,” “Fast as You” and “Thousand Miles from Nowhere.”

Stars Support ACM Lifting Lives Camp

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ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp was in session last week in Nashville, with 31 campers from around the country participating in activities around Music City.  The residential camp has the dual purpose of studying Williams syndrome and other developmental disabilities, and providing music enrichment through performance and education. The camp is a partnership between ACM Lifting Lives and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.
Photos: Getty Images/Courtesy of ACM Lifting Lives

Gary Allan, Odie Blackmon and Brett James led campers in a songwriting session, creating “In Harmony,” an original song based on campers’ personal experiences and inspirations. (L-R): Odie Blackmon, ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp founder/volunteer Lorie Lytle, Gary Allan, ACM Lifting Lives Exec. Director Erin Spahn, Brett James


Little Big Town participated in a music-driven art activity inspired by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts’ current Andy Warhol exhibit.


 

Wynonna Judd participated in a karaoke event at Winner’s bar. Pictured with camper Brigitte Anderson.


Carrie Underwood visited the campers during their recording session, where they recorded their original song, “In Harmony” with producer Mark Bright and songwriter Brett James. The campers wrote the song with James, Gary Allan and Odie Blackmon. Pictured (L-R): Erin Spahn, ACM Executive Director, Lifting Lives, Carrie Underwood and Lorie Lytle, ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp Chairman


Darius Rucker and campers perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

Connie Smith To Begin Hall of Fame Residency

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Connie Smith has been named the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 2011 Artist-in-Residence and will give special performances at 7 pm August 22, August 29 and September 12 in the Ford Theater. Smith will host the shows, which will feature her own hits as well as appearances by some of her favorite collaborators.
The Museum’s residency program annually honors a master who can be credited with contributing a large and significant body of work to American popular music. Previous honorees for the program, which started in 2003, include Cowboy Jack Clement, Earl Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill and Buddy Miller.
“Connie Smith possesses one of the most powerful and recognizable voices in country music,” says Museum Director Kyle Young. “Her body of work includes more than 50 albums, and her signature song, ‘Once a Day,’ remains one of country music’s most popular classics. When Connie sings, she takes us on an emotional journey, wringing every teardrop and ounce of feeling from her lyrics. We are thrilled that she will be bringing those talents to the Ford Theater for three one-of-a-kind shows.”
Smith’s smash No. 1 hit “Once A Day” emerged from her early partnership with Bill Anderson, and was the first debut single by a female artist to top the country charts. Other hits followed, like “Then and Only Then,” “Ain’t Had No Lovin’,” and “Cincinatti, Ohio.” She pursued a more spiritual direction through the ‘70s, and took a hiatus in the ‘80s to raise her family. In the 1990s she began working with Marty Stuart on her self-titled Warner Bros. album, and the collaboration turned into romance, followed by marriage. Smith’s new album Long Line of Heartaches (Sugar Hill) is due out August 23 and features songs she penned with Stuart as well as compositions by Dallas Frazier, Harlan Howard, Kostas and more.
Tickets for the Hall of Fame shows are $35 for museum members and $45 for the general public. Members will have the opportunity to purchase starting Tuesday, August 2, with the general public tickets available Friday, August 5. All tickets are available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

Jaron Brings "Sunday Suppers" To Douglas Corner in July

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Jaron Lowenstein (Jaron and The Long Road to Love) and Joe Firstman, former bandleader for Last Call With Carson Daly, are hosting weekly “Sunday Supper” concerts at Nashville’s Douglas Corner throughout the month of July.
The most recent show featured a surprise guest performance by Big Kenny. The week prior, singer/songwriters James Otto and Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley performed a few of their favorite covers. Jason “Slim” Gamble of Lady Antebellum, and Steve Gorman of The Black Crowes have also made appearances.
“The best way to describe this is a bunch of musicians getting together and playing the best music they can find and frequently inviting other artists and musicians to join in when they know a song– and doing it all solely for the purpose of pleasing an audience who have the same passion for music like we do,” says Jaron.
The idea for “Sunday Suppers” emerged when old friends, Jaron and Firstman reunited in Nashville 10 years after having first met in Los Angeles and began picking some songs on the porch. They decided the music was simply too fun not to share with others. The shows also pay homage to a Sunday series that Joe Firstman hosted along with Danny Masterson (That 70’s Show) in Hollywood, California in the mid 2000’s featuring weekly guests such as John Mayer, Christina Aguilera and others.
Shows are every Sunday in July at 8 p.m. and is open to the public, free of charge. Seating is first come first serve.

Weekly Chart Report (7/01/11)

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Becky Brenner


RADIO NEWS
KMPS/Seattle PD Becky Brenner revealed via Facebook earlier today that she will exit her post with the station after more than 28 years. No details on her future plans have been announced.
SPIN ZONE
Kudos to the gang at Capitol Records. In addition to having the CountryBreakout Chart’s No. 1 song for a second straight week with Dierks Bentley’s “Am I The Only One,” three other songs in the Top 5 are Capitol artists. Luke Bryan’s threatening to take No. 1 soon with “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” followed by Lady Antebellum’s “Just A Kiss” at No. 3 and Eric Church’s “Homeboy” (EMI Nashville) at No. 5. Capitol also has a hot new single from Keith Urban called “Long Hot Summer” that is the week’s biggest spin gain at No. 31.

NuCorp Entertainment flagship artist Darren Warren took time out of his stint performing at Cowboys Dance Hall in Dallas to visit 96.3 KSCS and chat up his debut single “Cowboy Up and Party Down.” (L-R): 96.3 KSCS PD Chris Huff and Warren.


Two superstar females have just launched hot new singles after spending some time away from the chart. Dolly Parton’s “Together You and I” is performing well at No. 55, and Shania Twain’s “Today Is Your Day” is just a few steps behind at No. 58. Dolly grazed the chart in late 2007 with “Better Get To Livin’” (from Backwoods Barbie), and Shania’s most recent chart effort was the 2004 Billy Currington duet “Party For Two.” Both artists’ singles added more than 100 new spins this week.
Biggest debut of the week goes to Rascal Flatts’ “Easy,” which is a duet with English pop star Natasha Bedingfield. The song picks up a substantial 274 spin gain and moves into charting territory at No. 59. Also crossing the chart debut threshold are Kellie Pickler’s “Tough” at No. 74 and Alison Krauss & Union Station’s “Paper Airplanes” at No. 80.
Frozen Playlists: KBOE, KFTX, KMGO, KSED, KVAY, KVVP, WATZ, WHWK, WTCR



Upcoming Singles
July 5
Dirt Drifters/Always A Reason/Warner Bros./WMN
July 11
Sonia Leigh/My Name Is Money/Southern Ground/BPG
Jason Sturgeon/The Cover/Toolpusher/Spinville
Christian Kane/Let Me Go/Bigger Picture
Katie Armiger/I Do But Do I/Cold River
Ashton Shepherd/Where Country Grows/MCA
Billy Ray Cyrus/Runway Lights/Buena Vista/CO5
Jason Cassidy/Honky Tonk Heaven/A-Blake/Quarterback
July 12
Royal Wade Kimes/500 Miles Away From Home/Wonderment
•  •  •  •  •
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Rascal Flatts f. Natasha Bedingfield/Easy/Big Machine — 59
Kellie Pickler/Tough/BNA — 74
Alison Krauss & Union Station/Paper Airplanes/Rounder — 80
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Keith Urban/Long Hot Summer/Capitol — 602
Ronnie Dunn/Cost Of Livin’/Arista — 412
Toby Keith/Made In America/Show Dog-Universal — 396
Alan Jackson/Long Way To Go/EMI — 305
George Strait/Here For A Good Time/MCA — 296
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Keith Urban/Long Hot Summer/Capitol — 36
Rascal Flatts f. Natasha Bedingfield/Easy/Big Machine — 24
Ronnie Dunn/Cost Of Livin’/Arista — 21
J.T. Hodges/Hunt You Down/Show Dog-Universal — 11
Jerrod Niemann/One More Drinkin’ Song/Arista — 10
Alan Jackson/Long Way To Go/EMI/ACR — 9
Sawyer Brown/Smokin’ Hot Wife — 9
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Susan Hickman/Just Missed This Train/4 L Clover Entertainment — 230
D.J. Miller/Between Sundays/Evergreen/Nine North/Spinville — 200
Deborah Allen/Anything Other Than Love/Delta Rock — 192
Jody Booth/Golddigger/Vigilante Music — 192
Susan Cattaneo/Girls Night Out/Jersey Girl Music — 189

Davis Music Group’s Jacob Lyda recently joined Columbia Nashville’s Bradley Gaskin at the Slidebar in Fullerton, CA for a special Go Country 105 (KKGO) performance, with all proceeds from the night going to the station’s “Avon Walk for Breast Cancer” team. KKGO has set a goal of $85,000 for the September 17-18, 39-mile team walk in Santa Barbara. (L-R): Davis Music Group National Director of Radio Mktg. Glenn Noblit; Lyda; KKGO Sr. Acct. Exec. Michelle Abel; KKGO morning show host Ashley Paige; KKGO Sr. Acct. Exec. Monique Renea; Gaskin; Columbia Nashville West Coast regional Larry Santiago


Sunny Sweeney recently visited with WLHK “Hank FM”/Indianapolis before her opening performance on Brad Paisley’s H2O II: Wetter & Wilder World Tour. Sweeney’s upcoming album is due out August 23. (L-R) Hank FM’s Morning Show Host Dave O'Brien, Sweeney and PD Bob Richards.

"The Tennessean" Cuts Hit Entertainment Staff

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The Tennessean was hit hard today (6/30) by lay-offs, with numerous writers exiting the newsroom of the Nashville publication.
The paper cut Sr. Music Writer Peter Cooper to part-time status. After more than 10 years with the publication, Cooper is one of Nashville’s most respected music journalists. He was recently honored with a Charlie Lamb Award for country music journalism during the International Country Music Conference at Belmont University.
Exiting The Tennessean are entertainment writer Nicole Keiper, and Metromix editor Heather Byrd.
Remaining on board are full-time entertainment writers Cindy Watts and Dave Paulson.
Some sources estimate the number leaving the newsroom to be as high as 20, while the Nashville Post is reporting 14 staffers were affected.
Gannett, owner of The Tennessean, announced plans to cut staff last week, but didn’t reveal who would be exiting. As the second quarter ended today, the staff was notified of the changes.

Quonset Hut Hosts Reunion Celebration

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Ray Stevens (L) honors iconic guitar player Harold Bradley (R).


Legendary artists and musicians including Harold Bradley, Whispering Bill Anderson, Little Jimmy Dickens and Ray Stevens gathered Monday night (6/27) at Nashville’s famed Quonset Hut for a reunion, swapping stories and songs.
The Curb Foundation, Belmont University and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame arranged the celebration to honor the legacy of the studio and those who worked there. Also on hand for the event were Charlie McCoy, Jim Glaser, David Frizzell, Beckie Foster, Norbert Putnam, Steve Gibson, Ray Edenton and Glenn Snoddy.
Originally purchased in the mid-‘50s by producer Owen Bradley and his “A-Team” guitarist brother Harold, The Quonset Hut played host to sessions by Buddy Holly, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Bob Dylan, Dusty Springfield and Brenda Lee.
After 25 years of churning out hit songs in the country, pop and rock genres, the Quonset Hut doors were shut in 1982, and eventually the building was used for office and storage space. Mike Curb acquired the property in 2005 and had the studio restored back into a recording facility. Belmont University now operates the Quonset Hut for teaching, sessions and events.

Justin Moore Reels In Sales

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Justin Moore fishing for album sales in Central Park.


Album Sales
Justin Moore’s sophomore effort debuted at the top of the Country album charts this week moving 65K units, which also brought him in at No. 5 on the all-genre chart [Soundscan].
Outlaws Like Me was propelled by hit single “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away,” and a launch event where the Valory artist held a six-hour media fest from a bass boat in the Central Park lake.
Thirty-four percent of Moore’s sales were digital downloads, while fellow new country releases from Corey Smith and Cody Canada & the Departed reaped almost 50 percent digital.
Canada, previously of Cross Canadian Ragweed, sold a total of 7.8K units, and the debut from Average Joe’s artist Smith moved 4.8K.
Outside the Country front, Jill Scott and Bon Iver had big debuts, with 135K and 104K, respectively.
Digital Tracks
On the singles front, Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton are ruling the roost. Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” rap has reacted with fans to the tune of 1.11 million paid downloads. This is the combined tally from both his solo, and Ludacris-duet versions.
Shelton’s performance of “Honey Bee” on The Voice made fans buzz over to their computers, equaling a 35 percent bump from the week before. This additional 110K units brings the song’s RTD total to 938K.
2011 Sales Status

As we near next week’s mid-point for 2011, Country music is down 2.6% YTD, while all-genre album sales are up a tiny .4%. Overall digital track sales continue to climb, and are up 10% YTD.

Google Goes Social With Google+

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Google has revealed details of its new social networking service, Google+, which is now in limited use by invitation only. The service aims to integrate seamlessly with Google’s other products like maps and images, while enriching the experience of online interaction.
According to Google’s official blog, online sharing is “awkward,” and Google+ is an attempt to correct that. By adding selective features such as +Circles for organizing friends into niche groups (work, music buddies, running partners, etc.) and +Sparks for easy discovery and sharing of web content that matches user interests, Google+ is addressing what it deems Facebook’s problem of being too “rigid.”
Other features in Google+ include +Hangouts, which hopes to promote group video chat and encourage easy, low-pressure interaction with friend circles. Mobile apps, starting with Android, are also in development.
If successful, the service could be serious competition for social king Facebook. The appearance and operation (see screen shots here) are similar enough that users should have little trouble making the transition. The Google navigation bar has been redesigned and will now appear black instead of the usual gray. Once the service is ready, Google+ icons with options for profile access, notifications, and content sharing will appear in this area.
At present membership is invitation-only, but interested parties can request an account here. There is also a Twitter feed to keep everyone informed about developments with the service. The limited invite rollout is not unlike Google’s introduction of Gmail a few years back, which successfully drove demand for addresses sky high.

BE Music & Entertainment Opens in Nashville

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Dallas-based London Broadcasting Company has opened BE Music & Entertainment, headed by executives Terry London, Carl Kornmeyer and Michael Blanton. With offices in Dallas and Nashville, the full-service artist development agency provides management, production and publishing services to clients across a range of music genres, as well as in film, television, visual art, and literature.
All three executives have more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, including time at Gaylord Entertainment, where London previously served as President and CEO.
Today he is President and CEO of London Broadcasting, which owns and operates 12 television stations in Texas and also owns 41 Entertainment, a Dallas-based television production company.
Kornmeyer is COO of the company’s Content Group, and Blanton is on board as President of BE Music & Entertainment.
Blanton’s background in production and management has been instrumental in developing the careers of Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith.
For more information, visit www.BEMusicEntertainment.com or call them at (866) 339-8686.

Michael Blanton, Carl Kornmeyer and Terry London