Country Showdown Winner

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 01/26/2007

Megan Peeler won last night’s (1/25/07) 25th Annual Colgate Country Showdown and took home a $100,000 grand prize from the event at the Ryman Auditorium. The show, hosted by LeAnn Rimes, featured five finalists performing for a panel of industry judges including Fletcher Foster, Sr. VP/GM of Universal South; Brian Mansfield, USA Today Nashville Correspondent; Tracy Gershon, VP of A&R Warner Bros. Nashville; Rod Essig, CAA; and Beverly Keel, Tennessean journalist and MTSU professor. The one-hour special will air over syndicated television in April, with a second airing to follow on GAC in May.

Columbia Promo Dept. Adds Thorpe

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 01/26/2007

Jennifer Thorpe has been hired as Manager, Southeast Promotion for Columbia Nashville. She will be based in Jacksonville, Fla. The 13-year promo veteran began her career as the Columbia Nashville promotion coordinator and after covering secondary promotion for the label, she left to work the West Coast for Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. She later worked the Northeast region for MCA Nashville and then Lyric Street Records. When her husband Rick’s job with the PGA Tour took them to Florida last year, she was hired by Category 5 to cover the Southeast.

Chesney Goes Triple Platinum

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 01/26/2007

Kenny Chesney’s latest album The Road & The Radio has been certified triple platinum. The BNA recording artist is busy preparing his Cruzan Rum-sponsored Flip Flop Summer Tour, which is set to play stadiums in six major markets this summer. “Beer In Mexico,” the new single from the reigning Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, is currently climbing the charts.

A Larger Digital Data Harvest

Digital data farmers are creating new harvesting techniques that are greatly increasing information yield. Translated, that means they can glean important attitudes, trends and behaviors based not only upon what you do, but even what...

Artist News Daily (1/26/07)

Tony Rice will perform a series of dates with Rounder label mate Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. The concerts will focus on Rice’s music and he will be accompanied by the vocals...

Industry News Daily (1/26/07)

A new Sirius Satellite Radio program will showcase established and up-and-coming artists from the Lone Star State. The new program, Deep in the Heart of Texas with Dallas Wayne, features legends like Bob...

Grammy Nominees Honored

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 01/25/2007

A reception was held Monday (1/22/07) at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville to honor this year’s Grammy nominees. Pictured (L to R): Nancy Shapiro, VP regional management, member services, The Recording Academy; two-time nominee Carrie Underwood; Joe Galante, chairman, Sony BMG Nashville; Angelia Bibbs Sanders, VP member services, The Recording Academy; and Butch Waugh, Exec. VP Sony BMG Nashville. Photo Courtesy of The Recording Academy®/WireImage.com

Urban Tickets On Sale Soon

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 01/25/2007

The first leg of Keith Urban’s Love, Pain & the whole crazy World Tour begins Fri., June 8 when the tour hits Phoenix, Arizona’s US Airways Center. Tickets for the 33-city, 36-performance arena tour go on sale to the public on Sat., Feb. 3. Members of Urban’s online community, Monkeyville, will have first access to advance tickets through keithurban.net beginning Mon., Jan. 29. Advance ticket access will also be available as of Tues., Jan. 30 through Target in most tour markets, and country radio listener clubs in all markets. “I’m looking forward to getting back on the road, to reconnecting with everyone and to doing what it is that I love to do,” said Urban. “To finally be able to present the songs from Love, Pain (& the whole crazy thing) live, is something that I’ve been looking forward to doing since recording the album.” Love, Pain & the whole crazy World Tour, will also mark Urban’s first arena performances in his native Australia, as well as concerts in Germany, England and Canada.

Colgate Country Showdown Tonight

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 01/25/2007

The Colgate Country Showdown will be held tonight (1/25/07) at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium with LeAnn Rimes scheduled to host the talent competition’s 25th annual national finals. Competing for the top prize of $100,000 will be finalists Hailey Stout, Jill James, Lindsey Earl, Megan Peeler and J Juliano With Adrienne Grove. The contest has been a career-booster for stars like Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, and Miranda Lambert. Free tickets are available by calling Special Promotions Inc. at (615) 321-5131. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the taping set to begin at 7:30 p.m. The show is set to air on GAC in May.

Capitol and Virgin Merge Under New Capitol Music Group

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 01/25/2007

Jason Flom

EMI Group is merging its Capitol and Virgin labels to form The Capitol Music Group, a pop, rock and urban label group that will comprise the Capitol and Virgin Records imprints. Jason Flom has been promoted to lead The Capitol Music Group as Chairman and CEO. Flom, who joined EMI as Chairman/CEO of Virgin Records America in November 2005, reports directly to Eric Nicoli, the Chief Executive Officer of EMI Group. Andrew Slater, who has been President/Chief Executive Officer of Capitol Records in the U.S. since 2001, has stepped down from his post. The formation of this combined U.S. label group is part of EMI Group’s recently announced restructuring program, which is expected to deliver $217 million in annual savings. The restructuring program will result in additional workforce reductions and more specific announcements about the management team will be made shortly. Capitol Nashville President/CEO Mike Dungan will continue to report to EMI Music North America Chief Operating Officer Ivan Gavin.