Growing Staff at Echo

Sarah Skates – 05/15/2008

Echo has announced many new hires to the entertainment marketing company:
Jonathan Tarlton, Account Manager, formerly New Media Director/Marketing Coordinator for Dolly Parton Management/Dolly Records;
Seth Riddle, Associate Account Manager, formerly head of A&R at Rough Trade America;
Christy Montoya, Associate Account Manager, previously, she was Grassroots/New Media Manager at INO Records.
Amy Jackson, Artist Community Manager, previously Country Music Business Development Manager with Entertainment Media Works;
Candace Comer, Artist Community Manager, previously with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, Calif.;
Jon Armstrong, Artist Community Representative, formerly Creative Director with Muzik Mafia.
Annie Ortmeier, Merchandising Manager, formerly Marketing and Merchandising Coordinator with CMT/MTV Networks (for CMT, VH1 and LOGO).
Paul Shoemaker, LAMP Developer, previously Data Analyst/.Net Developer at Dell, Inc.
Chrissy Sievers, Creative Coordinator, formerly Pre Legal Coordinator with BMI.

Industry News Thursday (5/15/08)

Kenny Chesney's “Better As A Memory” has entered the Top 10 on the Billboard/R&R Country Chart, marking his 24th straight Top 10. It is also the longest consecutive run of Top 10 hits...

Nashville Bids Farewell To Eddy Arnold

Music City said goodbye to its founding father yesterday.

The life of Eddy Arnold, whose 1944 sessions launched Nashville as a recording center, was celebrated in a funeral service at the Ryman Auditorium. Thousands filled the 1892 hall to pay...

Artist News Thursday (5/15/08)

Taylor Swift will perform on the CBS Early Show Saturday morning, May 17, live from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, the site of the upcoming ACM Awards. The following night she is set...

Sierra Hull Releases New Album

05/14/2008

Sixteen-year-old Sierra Hull and band played a sampling of her new Rounder Records CD at an ASCAP's Roots Of The Row party in Nashville recently. Hull, who credits Alison Krauss as her mentor remarked that the release of her long anticipated debut project felt like “graduation from high school into the music business.”

Pictured (L-R): IBMA Exec. Dir. Dan Hays, ASCAP’s Earle Simmons, Rounder Records founder Ken Irwin, Hull and ASCAP VP Dan Keen. Photo: Suzanne Lee

Big Wheels Roll into Charleston for Chesney

05/14/2008

Some of the Sony BMG gang and other music industry executives caught up with Kenny Chesney's Poets & Pirates Tour last week in Charleston, WV.

Pictured (L-R): BNA Promotion VP Bryan Frasher, SBMG Exec. VP Butch Waugh, SBMG VP Mktg. Tom Baldrica, Chesney, XM Sr. PD Country Jon Anthony, SBMG Chairman Joe Galante, SBMG Sr. Dir. Creative Services Scott McDaniel, and EMI Music Publishing Exec. VP/GM Gary Overton.

Clear Channel Deal Moves Forward

Sarah Skates – 05/14/2008

Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital have secured loans to fund a $17.9 billion buyout of Clear Channel radio. The deal prices stock at about $36 per share, down from the original offering of $39.20 per share, following a three-way disagreement between the purchasers, banks and CC. The deal, pending shareholder approval, must close by New Year's Eve.

Montage Adds Songwriter, Staffer

Sarah Skates – 05/14/2008

Montage Music Group has signed Trent Jeffcoat to its publishing division. Bobby Rymer, Head of Publishing, made today’s (5/14) announcement. Jeffcoat is a native of Lexington, SC who has been writing songs since age eight. He has performed for years around his home state and lists Vern Gosdin, Paul Overstreet, Randy Travis, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Keith Whitley, Hank Williams Jr., and Lynyrd Skynyrd as influences.

In addition, Adam Moore has joined Montage’s Internet Marketing Team. He most recently worked as a lifestyle marketing rep for Epic and Columbia Records leading a small grassroots promotion team. Deb Haus, Head of Marketing and Artist Development, said she is thrilled Adam is on the team because he wears brightly colored shirts and cool shoes but most importantly because he is “incredibly good at conceptualizing innovative internet marketing campaigns and has a passion for the great music." Moore can be reached at amoore@montagemusicgroup.com.

Kellie Covers The Scene

David M. Ross – 05/14/2008

Lying on a sea of green and holding a fistful of Benjamins, Kellie Pickler creates a scene on this week’s wraparound Nashville Scene cover. The story, entitled Stimulate Your Summer, offers suggestions on how to spend your soon-to-arrive government tax rebate check.

Greatest Hits Take Top Spots

David M. Ross – 05/14/2008

Neil Diamond (146,000) bested Toby Keith (103,000) this week in the debut album SoundScan sweepstakes, coming in at No. 1 on the Top 200 albums chart. Looking at the country list, Keith and Dierks Bentley (42,537) topped the list, both with new Greatest Hits packages. Mothers Day traffic helped attract buyers into the stores, and as a result the Top 200 sales increased from the previous week by a robust 12%. Country’s Top 75 current album chart recorded a week over week sales jump of 54%! Looking at the big picture, country sales YTD remain down 14.3% while overall sales are off 11%.