CMHoF Forum To Salute Sarah Trahern

Sarah Trahern

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will present an interview with Great American Country (GAC) executive Sarah Trahern, honoring her at the fifth annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum on Monday, Dec. 12, 2011, at 6 p.m. in the Ford Theater. A reception will follow the program, which is free and open to the public.

The forum interview with Trahern, whose television career has taken her from the Democratic National Convention in 1988 to the White House in 2009, will be hosted by Vice President of Museum Programs Jay Orr. As he tracks her career arc, Orr will talk with Trahern about her memories of the various programs, producers, artists, songs, issues, opportunities and challenges she has met throughout her near 25-year career. The interview will be enhanced by video clips and vintage photos from the museum’s archives, Trahern’s personal collection and other sources.

Made possible by the Gibson Foundation, the forum was established in 2007 to explore issues related to the business side of the music industry and annually recognizes an individual who represents a legacy like that of pioneering agent-manager Louise Scruggs, wife and savvy business partner of Country Music Hall of Fame member Earl Scruggs.

Forum honorees are chosen by representatives of both the Gibson Foundation and the museum and receive final approval from the Scruggs family. Previous honorees are Denise Stiff, Liz Thiels, Mary Martin and Bonnie Garner.

2011 SOCAN Award Winners

(L-R) Steven Page, Michelle Wright and Abdominal. Photo: Grant W. Martin Photography

Canada’s music community gathered Nov. 21 at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto for the 2011 SOCAN Awards gala, co-hosted by Michelle Wright, Steven Page and Abdominal.

Country SOCAN Awards for songs that achieved the greatest number of performances on domestic radio during 2010:

• “I Believe in Angels” (Performed by George Canyon)
Composers: Johnny Reid, Jeremy Campbell (BMI)

• “Make Hay While the Sun Shines” (performed by Steven Lee Olsen)
Composers: Steven Lee Olsen, Bruce Wallace (BMI)
Publishers: ole, Roots 3 Music Inc.

• “Up All Night” (performed by Deric Ruttan)
Composers: Deric Ruttan, Jimmy Rankin
Publisher: Doc’s Cabin Songs, Song Dog Music Company

Meanwhile, The Stampeders were celebrated with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award for a 40-year career which yielded more than a dozen Top 10 hits ( “Carry Me,” “Sweet City Woman”) and four Juno Awards.

Another of this year’s standout winners was Michael Bublé, one of the most successful singers in the world today, who won a Pop/Rock Music Award and the International Song Award for the 2010 hit “Haven’t Met You Yet.”

Prairie Oyster won the SOCAN National Achievement Award for a career of more than 30 years as an award-winning, chart-topping act. The band has won Country Group or Duo of the Year honors six times from both the Canadian Country Music Awards and the Juno Awards. They have numerous hit singles, gold and platinum albums, are Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees.

Click here for a complete winners list.

Cyber Monday Set To Click Into Record Books

Last year, for the first time, during the Monday after Thanksgiving—Cyber Monday—consumers clicked over $1 billion in sales, according to comScore. This year merchants are again expecting to enjoy record results. Sparked by increased access both at work and at home, the marketing strategy which began in 2005 has likely surpassed the dreams of its founder, Shop.org.

Online music is chiming in on the marketer’s holiday with special deals at Amazon and the new Android/Google Music Store. And of course iTunes is packed with product.

Here’s a comparison among the three online retailers.

iTunes which has a lock on the Apple universe is not as price conscious as its  Amazon and Android counterparts. In addition, Amazon has the option to download MP3s or purchase physical CDs through the mail. Shoppers looking to get the best prices and hottest bargains probably need to shop at more than one store to reap the most savings. As an added incentive, Android has a nice selection of free albums and tracks, many of which are live albums or older material.

Happy Shopping…

 

 

Weston Burt Signs With Octagon And Paradigm

Seated: Weston Burt. Standing (L-R): Will Hamrick, Ramblin' Music; Josh Swan, Paradigm; Gene Brooks, Ramblin' Music; Cliff Downs, Ramblin' Music; Greg Janese, Paradigm; Stuart Dill, Octagon; Mike Snider, Paradigm; Zac Koffler, Octagon.

New entertainment company Ramblin’ Music recently announced the signing of country singer/songwriter Weston Burt as the flagship artist for its Ramblin’ Records label. Burt has also signed with Octagon Entertainment for management and Paradigm for booking.

“Weston Burt is a young talent who simply loves to entertain,” said Stuart Dill, Senior Vice President/General Manager of Octagon—Nashville. “His music and live shows are absolutely infectious and we’re proud to be in business with Weston, with Ramblin’ Music and with Paradigm.”

Co-founded by Atlanta business couple Gene and Donna Brooks, Ramblin’ Music includes Ramblin’ Records and Young Guns Publishing. Veteran producer and songwriter Cliff Downs is President of the company, and Teddi Bonadies’ Teebo Consulting coordinates radio promotion and marketing. The company is located in Nashville at 1105 16th Ave. S., Suite A.

Catch Emmylou, The Civil Wars and Buddy Miller for Free

Emmylou Harris will host the 2nd annual Miracle on Music Row holiday pet adoption event Dec. 17, benefiting Bonaparte’s Retreat. The Nashville organization is dedicated to providing foster care and permanent homes for animals after their time has expired from animal control.

The event is free to the public with a suggested $10 donation between 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the O.liv Body Bar’s Edgehill Village storefront.

Buddy Miller and The Civil Wars will join Harris for music and a silent auction beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Adoption opportunities for both dogs and cats from Bonaparte’s Retreat, Metro Nashville Animal Care & Control and Nashville Humane Society will be available, and supporters are invited to kick-off the event by bringing their dogs to join the Dog Parade, which will be led by Emmylou and Santa Clause.

For more information, visit the event website: http://miracleonmusicrow.eventbrite.com.

Photos: Eric Paslay; SOURCE Luncheon

EMI Records Nashville artist Eric Paslay visited the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum recently and received an honorary Friends and Family membership to the Museum. Membership revenue supports the not-for-profit museum’s mission; for more information, please visit www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

(L-R): Sharon Burns (Vice President, Sales and Marketing), Pamela Johnson (Vice President, Development), Eric Paslay, Kyle Young (Director), Jay Orr (Vice President, Museum Programs) and Rachel Weingartner (Membership Coordinator)

• • • •

 SOURCE, an organization of women executives in Nashville’s Music Industry, held its monthly members’ luncheon at ASCAP on Nov. 17. Brock Jones, VP of Events & Operations for Bridgestone Arena, was the guest speaker at the event.

(L-R): Gillie Crowder (Live Nation), Brock Jones (VP of Events & Operations for Bridgestone Arena) and SOURCE President Laurie Hughes. Photo: Denise Fussell

Singer-Songwriter Wayne Scott Passes

Country singer-songwriter Wayne Scott died Friday, Nov. 18, as a result of a traffic accident in Kentucky.

The crash occurred near Corbin, KY on the Cumberland Gap Parkway. Scott was airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, where he was pronounced dead. His wife, Linda, remains hospitalized there with injuries.

Wayne Scott released his debut CD, This Weary Way, in 2005, when he was 70. It was produced by his son, Darrell Scott, and featured studio contributions by such notables as Dan Dugmore, Tim O’Brien, Casey Driessen, Suzi Ragsdale and Verlon Thompson. One of its tracks, “It’s the Whiskey That Eases the Pain,” was a duet with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Guy Clark.

Wayne Scott grew up in the 1930’s and ’40’s in the small town of Cranes Nest, Kentucky, and was fascinated by the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts from Nashville. He began writing country songs as a teenager, but did not initially pursue music as a profession.

He worked in the car factories of Michigan and the steel mills of Indiana before moving to California. At age 40, he put a band together and began playing the honky-tonks and roadhouses of the Golden State. Sons Denny, Dale, Darrell, Don and David eventually joined his band. They all became professional musicians after being mentored by him.

Although he wrote songs all this time, Wayne Scott never shared them with audiences. He sang the country hits of the day for their dancing pleasure. In his 60s, he moved back to Kentucky.

By then, son Darrell Scott was making a name for himself as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in Music City. His songs include “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” (Travis Tritt), “Heartbreak Town” (Dixie Chicks), “Born to Fly” (Sara Evans), “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” (Patty Loveless), “When There’s No One Around” (Garth Brooks), “Out in the Parking Lot” (Brad Paisley & Alan Jackson), “No Way Out” (Suzy Bogguss), “Long Time Gone” (Dixie Chicks), “Family Tree” (Darryl Worley), “Old Town New” (Tim McGraw) and “We’ve Got Nothing But Love to Prove” (Faith Hill), among others. He was ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 2002.

Darrell Scott is also much in-demand as a musician, having appeared on albums by dozens of stars and been recently featured in  Robert Plant’s Band of Joy. He has released six albums of his songs and is also a record producer.

Wayne Scott gave Darrell a notebook containing 100 of his original songs as a Christmas gift. That led to the father and son collaborating on some songs as well as to the creation of This Weary Way. Distributed nationally by Ryko, it contained nine Wayne Scott compositions, two father-son song collaborations and cover versions of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and The Dixon Brothers/Roy Acuff chestnut “Crash on the Highway.”

Wayne Scott’s music received national airplay on the NPR program Fresh Air in 2006. He was also featured on the WHAY Americana radio station in Kentucky.

Funeral arrangements for Wayne Scott have not been announced.

To read Darrell Scott’s reflection on his father’s passing, click here.

Katz’s Greenberg Traurig Named Law Firm of the Year

Joel Katz

Joel Katz’s Atlanta powerhouse law firm Greenberg Traurig was named “Law Firm of the Year” in Entertainment Law – Music by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers earlier this month.

This is the first time U.S. News—Best Lawyers included a music category in its Best Law Firms publication, and only one law firm in each of the nationally ranked legal practice areas received this recognition.

The awards are based on exhaustive client review surveys about Greenberg Traurig’s work in music entertainment law.

In the 2012 Best Lawyers in America, Greenberg Traurig had the most attorneys listed, as well as several attorneys named Lawyer of the Year in their respective practice areas and metropolitan regions.

“It’s quite an honor to receive this music industry designation in the first year it was presented by U.S. News—Best Lawyers,” said Katz, chairman of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Media & Entertainment Practice. “Our team in offices around the world shares this prestigious recognition with our clients who made this possible.”

Katz serves as general counsel for The Recording Academy, special counsel to the Country Music Association, and general counsel/board member for Farm Aid Inc.

Oak Ridge Boys – What’cha Gonna Do

Bass man Richard Sterban’s stuttering delivery of the title lines of this bopper is priceless. The rest of the boys are still harmonizing flawlessly. The song is as catchy as all get out.
—Robert K. Oermann, MusicRow

This summer Cracker Barrel Old Country Store asked The Oak Ridge Boys to record an album incorporating both previously recorded and brand new songs. The result was It’s Only Natural, a 12-track CD with seven rerecorded hits—including the group’s multi-platinum, country-pop hit “Elvira”—and five new songs.

While the combination of Oak Ridge Boys and Cracker Barrel is a natural, the Oaks made the decision to stretch with the music video for their first single from the project. The group invited 16-year-old YouTube sensation Keenan Cahill to join them in Nashville for the taping of “What’cha Gonna Do.” The now-viral video (also embedded below) received nearly 200,000 views during the first week of its release and was Keenan’s first country music collaboration.

“What’cha Gonna Do,” written by Steven J. Williams, Wil Nance and Sherrie Austin, was released to country radio in November and is currently garnering airplay across the U.S. It’s Only Natural was released through the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store exclusive music program on September 19. On August 6, The Oak Ridge Boys were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

http://www.oakridgeboys.com/
http://www.facebook.com/oakridgeboys


 

CountryBreakout No. 1 Song

What a run! Notching its fourth consecutive week at No. 1 on the CountryBreakout Chart, once again, it’s Lady Antebellum’s “We Owned The Night.” Enjoy the video below…