Industry Items: Release Schedule, Signings, New Business

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bbmRobin Ball and Todd Bradley have opened Burning Blue Music, a full-service entertainment company dedicated to artist management, recording, producing, songwriting, performance, media training and artist development. The pair will continue operating Red Current Recording studio in Brentwood, TN which has hosted sessions by James Otto, Lady Antebellum and the Muzik Mafia, to name a few. Ball and Bradley have worked extensively with Grammy winning producer David Leonard (Prince, Bare Naked Ladies, Indigo Girls, K.D. Lang) in other ventures.

Burning Blue Music is currently developing Tori Bigelow and released her EP, I Believe, last month.
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From NARM:

NARM has been advised by Universal Music Group Distribution that they and their labels have decided to make Monday, November 23 the street date for their titles for the upcoming Thanksgiving week only. It appears that other major label groups may do the same.

The impetus for moving the street date in this instance is to afford retailers the chance to place re-orders on fast-breaking titles and get product back in stock for the long weekend, as well as positively impact sales during this all-important timeframe.

It is also NARM’s expectation that our Association’s established position strongly urging physical and digital album release date parity will be honored with the adjustment to Monday, November 23.

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The Harper Agency has added multi-award winning bluegrass Gospel group Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver to its roster for booking Christian music events and concerts. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver was awarded IBMA Vocal Group of the Year seven consecutive years and can be scheduled by contacting the Harper Agency at 615-851-4500 or via e-mail at info@harperagency.com.

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Artist Laura Bryna has signed an international record and licensing agreement with AGR Television Records in Hamburg, Germany. AGR is distributed by the international division of Universal Music Group. AGR Television Records handles international distribution for U.S. artists including Tracy Lawrence and Mark Chesnutt.

Artists Score TV Slots: Adkins, Flatts, More

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Last Friday (9/25), Capitol recording artist, Trace Adkins performed an acoustic concert at a local fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project. Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization devoted to helping wounded warriors by raising public awareness and offering programs to rehabilitate and reintegrate injured service members from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Earlier this year, Adkins donated proceeds to the Wounded Warrior Project from his 2009 ACM Performance of "Til The Last Shot's Fired" with the West Point Glee Club made available on iTunes after the show's broadcast. More than $100,000 has been raised for the WWP.

In addition to his appearance on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," Trace Adkins performed an acoustic set at the local Soldier Ride benefit for the Wounded Warrior Project. The non-profit organization helps rehabilitate and reintegrate injured service members when they return from war. Photo: Adkins, Soldier Ride founder Heath Calhoun and his wife, Tiffany Calhoun; Photo: Aaron Crisler

Trace Adkins will appear on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Sunday, October 18 (8 pm/ET). For the episode, he volunteers as a builder and travels to Lancaster, Texas to meet Carlton Marshall, who lost most of his mobility and all of his hearing after being shot while leading a Dallas Police Department SWAT team.

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Rascal Flatts will be heading to the west coast for tour dates this weekend but before they take the stage in Fresno, CA they will first make an appearance on the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien on Wednesday, Oct. 14 – 11:35 EST on NBC. The guys will perform new single, “Why,” written by Allen Shamblin and Rob Mathes, marking the song’s television debut. The Rascal Flatts American Living Unstoppable Tour will continue through October with Darius Rucker as opening act.

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Carolwood Records trio Love And Theft will make its late night debut, performing hit single “Runaway” on the Monday, October 12 installment of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC. Fans can enter for a chance to win seats on the show’s “Band Bench” by visiting www.fallonbandbench.com and using the code LAT in the entry form.

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The Atlantic Coast Conference will use James Otto’s song “Ain’t Gonna Stop” in promo spots for the 2009 ACC Football Season. In addition, the ACC and Otto will work together to deliver a promotion entitled “Ain’t Gonna Stop on the Road to Tampa Bay” that will run through November 22 and will offer prizes and experiences focused around the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship in Tampa, Fla. on December 5, 2009.

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Pizza Hut’s new in-store video network, Hut TV, has picked up Jonalee White’s “Long Road to Nashville,” an online country music entertainment series. Jonalee has signed with 7ate9 Entertainment of Hollywood, Calif., to provide content for Pizza Hut’s new high-tech venture. Hut TV has already launched in dozens of Pizza Hut stores with plans to go nationwide in 2010. Jonalee will be entertaining pizza-munching patrons alongside Wheel of Fortune and Entertainment Tonight. 7ate9 specializes in branded content and entertainment marketing and has worked with clients such as Disney, 20th Century Fox, MTV and Vh1.

IEBA Opens With Performances, Panels

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Bob Lefsetz will give closing remarks at IEBA.

The International Entertainment Buyers Association Conference opened in Nashville last night (10/11) with showcases by Point of Grace, Heartland and others in the ballroom of the downtown Hilton, the hotel serving as headquarters for the three-day event. Later in the evening a group including Ricky Skaggs, MercyMe, and Eli Young Band was set to take over The Stage.

As the panels start today, there will be an opening keynote by leadership/management expert Dan Clark, and showcases featuring Uncle Kracker, TobyMac, Emily West, Rhett Akins, Jamie O’Neal, Mark Wills and Jeff Bates.

Tonight, the IEBA Honors at the Ryman Auditorium will be hosted by Luke Perry, with awards going to Chubby Checker, Joan Saltel & Barbara Hubbard, and others to be announced during the show. Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Chris Young, Jessie James, Judson Laipply, Lorrie Morgan and Brenda Lee stack the performance line-up for the awards. And The Stage will host the after-party with Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack, Clay Walker, Randy Rogers Band, Wade Bowen, and more.

Among the conference panel highlights are Marcie Allen (MAC Presents) discussing sponsorship agreements with the team responsible for the Lady Antebellum/Brita partnership including Drew McGowan (Clorox Company), John Grady (Borman Entertainment) and Mary Hilliard Harrington (The Greenroom). Also on the schedule: Lang Scott of Music City Networks will share tips on music and social networking sites MySpace, iLike, Facebook and Twitter. Attorney Derek C. Crownover of Crownover Tisinger will lead a panel about payment disputes. Others on the conference line-up include Ali Partovi (iLike), Steve Lassiter (APA), John Huie (CAA), Kevin Neal (BLA), Jay Williams (WME), Greg Janese (Paradigm), and John Romero (Vector Management).

Tomorrow, the conference continues at the Hilton with closing remarks from industry blogger Bob Lefsetz and showcases by Phil Vassar, Michelle Branch and Joey + Rory, followed by the closing party “A Night at the Hotel California with Don Felder & Late Night Performance from The Wailers.” Tickets for the IEBA Honors, the closing party, and single day conference admission are available at the Hilton. Full conference details and agenda posted at www.ieba.org.

Gwen Sebastian

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gsebastian101209Gwen Sebastian’s debut single “Hard Rain” on Open Road Record/Lofton Creek Records is being released to country radio Oct. 12. She’s currently at work on her upcoming album, and she also has a holiday release available now called Christmas In July.

Born to a ranching family in Hebron, North Dakota (pop. 800), Sebastian’s childhood summers were spent rounding up cattle on the farm and cooking with her mother in the kitchen. But when she turned  her attention to music, she had a built in audience: she and her brother are but two of an incredible 117 grandchildren in her extended family.

“Before I could even walk, I would sit beneath the organ as my grandma played. I would watch her feet play the pedals,” recalls Gwen. By age 11 she became the local church organist, and by her early teens she was regularly performing on stages alongside her parents at local weddings, fairs and bars around North Dakota.

Once she arrived in Nashville, Sebastian became a regular performer at the Wildhorse Saloon, and moved on to play at fairs, festivals, casinos and clubs all over the country. She has opened for acts including Taylor Swift, Sugarland, and Phil Vassar. Sebastian enjoys the creative songwriter community in Music City and the opportunity to co-write with hit songwriters. “I want my fans to really connect with me and I feel that through my songwriting is the best way they can,” she explains.

http://www.gwensebastian.com/
http://www.myspace.com/gwensebastian

Keith Takes “American Ride” To The Streets

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toby AmericanRide coverToby Keith’s new studio album, American Ride, hit stores this week, with the title track/lead single planted firmly at the top of MusicRow’s Country Breakout chart for two weeks in a row. He kicks off his prime time appearances on The Jay Leno Show (10/14), where he will be racing an electric car in the program’s Green Car Challenge.

“American Ride” is Keith’s 16th No. 1 single this decade, and 27th overall since he made his chart debut in 1993. The new single’s speedy rise up the charts forced Keith’s label, Show Dog Nashville, to bump up the release date for his new album by a week.

Keith will be promoting his new album with a whirlwind slate of A-list television performances and media interviews in the coming weeks. His TV schedule includes The Ellen DeGeneres Show (airing Oct. 9), Jimmy Kimmel Live (Oct. 14), Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (Oct. 15), and The Bonnie Hunt Show (airing Oct. 15), and more. He played The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien on Wednesday (Oct. 7).

On Oct. 18 The Nashville Songwriters Assn. International will honor him with its Songwriter/Artist of the Decade Award at an event in Nashville. Among the smash hits Keith is being recognized for are “As Good As I Once Was,” “God Love Her,” “Who’s Your Daddy?” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).”

Keith is set to launch his first European tour in November.

ShortNotes: Darryl Worley, George Jones, Lifenotes

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Darryl Worley has recorded “Bring It On,” the new theme song for the Titans Radio Network. The song was co-written by Worley, Jim “Moose” Brown and the Titans’ own starting quarterback, Kerry Collins. Prior to the Titans game this Sunday, October 11 against the Indianapolis Colts, Worley and Collins will be featured guests on Titans Radio.

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Lifenotes: Ruth McGinnis, a classically trained violinist and frequent collaborator of Amy Grant, died Tuesday at age 52. She had suffered with ovarian cancer in recent years. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. today (10/9) at the Marshall Donnelly Combs Funeral Home, and a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Christ Church Cathedral.

Barbara Bates, mother of Black River recording artist Jeff Bates, also passed away on Sunday, October 4.

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George Jones will appear on CBS Sunday Morning this Sunday, October 11. Host and interviewer Bob Schieffer visited Jones’s Nashville home and also stopped by the Ryman Auditorium late this summer to talk musical history, and much more with the legend.

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Ralph Stanley II, Randy Kohrs, and Ken Mellons are among the artists playing the Keith Whitley Memorial Tribute Concert at the Nashville Palace tomorrow (10/10) starting at 8:30 PM. Proceeds will go to help Bonnie Cherrie Hill (co-founder of The Keith Whitley Association) with costs incurred during her cancer treatment. Admission will be $20 at the door. www.lyricfrizzell.com.

“People Country” Special Issue Out Today

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peopleBrad Paisley graces the cover of the new People Country issue, available exclusively on newstands today (10/9). Dedicated to the Country music scene and lifestyle, the magazine is the fourth of five special Country issues to be published by People this year.

Inside, Paisley talks about lessons learned from his dad, as well as wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley and their sons Huck, 2, and Jasper, 6 months. Tim McGraw opens up about what he’s most thankful for including wife Faith Hill, daughters, music, football and chili dogs. There is a Josh Turner exclusive with his wife Jennifer, and sons Colby, 4 months, and Hampton, 3. Trisha Yearwood shares her favorite music, food and dishes about her husband Garth Brooks. And Kenny Chesney tells the story behind his song “I’m Alive.”

Also included are exclusive interviews and photos of Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and twins Bucky Covington, Jake Owen, Kate & Kacey and the Carters.

To coincide with the issue, People is offering free downloads from artists Jason Aldean, Terri Clark, Emma Jacob, Patty Loveless and Kingbilly at www.people.com/free.

For more on this issue, tune-in to People Country on CMT, a 30-minute special with exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage of photo shoots and interviews, premiering tomorrow (10/10) at 1:30 p.m. ET/PT, with an encore on Sunday (10/11) at 11:00 a.m. ET/PT.

Updated: Hear McGraw’s New Album

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tim-mTim McGraw will celebrate his new album Southern Voice with a concert for select fans in Chicago on release day, Oct. 20. It is one of a handful of fall dates on the singer’s schedule, with other stops including Las Vegas (10/23) and Highland, CA (11/19). But fans can listen to the release a week early via AOL’s The Boot.

The Curb Records artist is set for two nights on CBS-TV’s Late Show with David Letterman (Mon., Oct. 12; Fri, Oct. 16), and he will follow the Oct. 12 show with a Live On Letterman exclusive concert for CBS.com and CBS Radio Country stations. As the fourth artist to play the Late Show’s live concert series, he joins a select list of artists including Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam and Elvis Costello.

McGraw teamed with longtime collaborator producer Byron Gallimore for his first studio effort since 2007’s Let It Go. The lead single “Business Doing Pleasure With You” will be followed at radio by the album’s title track.

According to McGraw’s Web site, a 2010 tour is also in the works.

Musicians Hall Inductions Set For Monday

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Charlie Daniels

Charlie Daniels

The Musicians Hall of Fame Award Show will take place Monday, Oct. 12 at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center, with an all-star class of inductees and performers. Joining the Hall this year are some of the most influential and highly regarded musicians, producers and arrangers of their generations including Chet Atkins, Billy Cox (Jimi Hendrix Experience), Dick Dale, Charlie Daniels, Victor Feldman, Producer Fred Foster, Motown Arranger Paul Riser, and original members of the band TOTO (Jeff Porcaro, Steve Porcaro, David Hungate, David Paich, Steve Lukather, and Mike Porcaro).

Several inductees will perform at the event, as well as special guests Rascal Flatts, Steve Wariner, Beach Boy Al Jardine, Union Gap’s Gary Puckett, Allman Brothers’ Dickey Betts, Stevie Ray Vaughn/Double Trouble’s Chris Layton, and a few surprises.

Inductees are nominated nationally by the Musicians Union’s 90,000 members and top industry professionals. Past inductees include: Booker T. & The MG’s, The Crickets, Duane Eddy, Al Kooper, The Memphis Horns, The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Billy Sherrill, The Nashville A-Team, The Blue Moon Boys, The Funk Brothers, The Memphis Boys, The Tennessee Two, and The Wrecking Crew.

Tickets are still available by visiting www.nashvillesymphony.org or by calling 615-687-6400.

Underwood Preps Album Release With Hot Single

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Superstar Carrie Underwood is red-hot on the airwaves with her smash, “Cowboy Casanova,” and she’s pictured here in the recording studio recently at work on her third album, Play On, set for release on November 3. Pictured (l-r): Album producer Mark Bright; Sony Music Nashville A&R Exec VP Renee Bell; Underwood; Sony Music Nashville Exec VP Butch Waugh; and 19 Entertainment’s Ann Edelblute. Photo Credit: Chris Hollo

Carrie Underwood's new smash is “Cowboy Casanova,” the lead single from her upcoming album. She’s pictured here in the studio during the recording of Play On, due out Nov. 3 on 19/Arista/Sony. Pictured (l-r): producer Mark Bright; Sony Music Nashville A&R Exec VP Renee Bell; Underwood; Sony Music Nashville Exec VP Butch Waugh; and 19 Entertainment’s Ann Edelblute. Photo Credit: Chris Hollo

Carrie Underwood is building up to the Nov. 3 release of her new album, Play On, with hot lead single and video “Cowboy Casanova,” and a re-designed Web site, carrieunderwoodofficial.com, with its own music download store.

“Cowboy Casanova” is sizzling on the radio, landing at No. 12 on the Country Breakout Chart, and debuted last week with triple-digit single download sales. The music video premiered last weekend as part of CMT’s Big New Music Weekend, and is now available for digital purchase.

For the first time, fans can shop Underwood’s Web site for CDs and digital music. The store is exclusively offering a pre-order bundle for the new album including a limited edition print, 500 of which will be autographed and randomly distributed. The re-designed carrieunderwoodofficial.com also has an updated news section, blogs, and fan photos, as well as official videos, and tour dates.

With 10 million units in sales from her first two releases, Underwood returned to work with producer Mark Bright for Play On.