Strait Shows No Signs of Slowing

Sarah Skates – 03/28/2008

As George Strait prepares for Tuesday’s (4/1) release of his 37th album, the stalwart continues to break his own records. The project’s lead single, “I Saw God Today,” debuted higher on the charts than any of his previous songs. Strait sees the new album, Troubadour, as a bit self-reflective. “It tells a pretty good story that fits my whole career from start to finish." After the success of his previous release, It Just Comes Natural, Strait returned to the studio where he recorded the CMA Album of the Year—Jimmy Buffett’s Shrimpboat Sound in Key West. “In the beginning, we went to Shrimpboat on a whim,” offers co-producer Tony Brown. “This time we went back because the last album turned out so awesome. I have a funny feelin’ we'll be goin’ back again.” For the title track he recruited MCA labelmate Vince Gill for backing vocals. Dean Dillon, songwriter of 13 Strait hits dating back to 1981’s “Unwound,” also appears. Patty Loveless lends harmonies to “House Of Cash,” about the legacy of Johnny Cash and June Carter. Accompanying the release date, XM Radio will dedicate a channel to the Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. “Strait Country” will be available April 1 through May 31 on XM channel 17 and online.

McGraw Hits Package Enters At No. 1

Sarah Skates – 05/09/2008

Tim McGraw’s Greatest Hits-Limited Edition has become his ninth album to debut at No. 1 on SoundScan’s country album chart. The combo pack, available only at Wal-Mart, contains Tim McGraw Reflected: Hits Vol 2 as well as Greatest Hits. Both albums originally debuted at the top of the country albums chart and have sold a combined 7.5 million copies. He has sold a total of 40 million albums worldwide. McGraw kicks off his Live Your Voice Tour today (5/9) in Tampa, Florida.

Pop Hitmaker Visits Music City

05/09/2008

Cristyle, co-writer of Mariah Carey's current hit “Touch My Body” had a productive writing trip to Nashville. Through the collaborative efforts of ASCAP Atlanta's Tremayne Anchrum and Nashville's Dan Keen, Cristyle spent three days writing with ASCAP Nashville songwriters Chris Stapleton, Chris Tompkins and Kyle Jacobs.

Pictured (L-R): Keen, Tompkins, Cristyle, Jacobs and ASCAP's Earle
Simmons.

Industry News Friday (5/8/08)

Memorial services for Eddy Arnold will be held next week. The Country Music Hall of Fame member passed away yesterday (5/8) at age 89. A public viewing in the Country Music Hall of Fame rotunda...

2008 Music Row Award Nominees

Industry Voting Begins May 16

It’s been an intense week at Music Row preparing for today’s announcement and we are excited to share some new developments! Drum roll please, lift the curtain and voila!—the...

Tennessee Association of Broadcasters Celebrates 60 Years

05/08/2008

BMI hosted a reception at their Music Row office for the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters (TAB) in celebration of TAB's 60th anniversary. The event was attended by nearly 100 Tennessee radio and TV broadcasters and more than a dozen songwriters. Leslie Satcher, Tim Nichols and Bob DiPiero performed many of their hit songs, and Lee Thomas Miller closed the show with a hilarious salute to Music Row's “Musica” sculpture. Among dignitaries who addressed the group were FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. BMI's Mason Hunter presented TAB President Whit Adamson with a gold record commemorating 60 years of dedicated service to the broadcast industry.

Pictured (L-R): BMI's Tom Annastas, attorney William H. Tate, FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, Governor Phil Bredesen, TAB Chairman Debbie Turner, BMI's Fred Cannon, songwriter Leslie Satcher, and TAB President Whit Adamson. Photo: John Russell

Lifenotes: Eddy Arnold

Jon Freeman – 05/08/2008

Eddy Arnold

Country Music Hall of Famer Eddy Arnold passed away early this morning (5/8) in Franklin, Tenn. at the age of 89. Known for hits like “Make The World Go Away,” “I’ll Hold You In My Heart (Until I Can Hold You In My Arms),” “I Really Don’t Want To Know” and “You Don’t Know Me,” Arnold reigned over the Billboard country charts for the latter half of the 1940s and continued to chart hits into the 1960s. He reportedly sold 85 million albums to date. Arnold was not only a driving force in the widespread popularity of country music, but a star of television and film as well.

Born in 1915 to a farming family in Chester County, Tenn., Arnold honored his roots by adopting the stage name “Tennessee Plowboy.” After his father passed and the Great Depression set in, Arnold and his family worked as poor sharecroppers and he sang for extra money at various gatherings. In 1940 he joined WSM personality and Grand Ole Opry star Pee Wee King’s Golden West Cowboys, where he gained notoriety on the Opry and toured U.S. military bases. After heading out on his own with his band The Tennessee Plowboys, Arnold acquired a manager in Colonel Tom Parker and recorded Nashville’s first major label session for RCA Records in 1944. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of fame in 1966. Arnold’s wife Sally Gayhart Arnold passed away earlier this year. They are survived by two children, Richard Edward Jr., of Nashville, and Jo Ann Pollard, of Brentwood, Tenn., two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Pictured (L-R): Bill Monroe, Arnold and George Jones. Photo: Alan Mayor

Industry News Thursday (5/8/08)

Warner Music Group has suspended its quarterly dividend in the wake of disappointing financial results—a loss of 25¢ per share for the quarter ending March 31 compared with a loss of 19¢ per share...

Arista Nashville Adds Tyler Waugh

Sarah Skates – 05/07/2008

Tyler Waugh

Tyler Waugh has been hired as Regional Promotion Manager at Arista Nashville. He fills the vacancy left by Lesly Tyson, who was recently named Director of National Promotion for the label. A six-year promotion veteran, Waugh spent almost two years with the RCA Music Group in Atlanta where he has been Associate Director, Southeast Regional Promotion. He previously spent nearly four years as Southeast Regional Director of Promotion for Roadrunner Records.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Music Business from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Waugh began his music career as an Alternative College Marketing Representative and later as Sales & Marketing Assistant for BMG Distribution in Los Angeles. Slated to officially begin his new role later this month, Waugh will remain based in Atlanta.

Morreale Opens Firm

Sarah Skates – 05/07/2008

Tony Morreale

Tony Morreale has launched a boutique marketing and promotion firm, signing Republic/Universal South Records artist Eli Young Band as the first client. Most recently Director/National Promotion for Show Dog Records, Morreale’s career in the music industry spans more than 20 years. He has held executive positions in marketing, promotions and public relations for such companies as BNA, Columbia Records, CBS Records and Evelyn Shriver P.R. Based in Nashville, Morreale can be reached at Tony_Morreale@bellsouth.net or 615-595-2523.

The Five Month SoundScan Mile Marker

David M. Ross – 05/07/2008

As we pass the five month Nielsen SoundScan mile marker, country music sales departments are in need of special vitamins to lift our numbers back to health. Country album scans through the week of May 5 are down 15.2% compared to overall sales which are down a mere 11.4%. In actual numbers, country albums (physical and digital) sold 14,754,000 units this year and 17,392,000 for the same period last year. As expected, when country sales lag the overall industry, Music City market share suffers. Therefore, it’s no surprise to see country’s market share falling from 10.9% in ’07 to 10.4% in ’08.