Warner Music on Motorola Phones

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 01/12/2007

Earlier this week, Warner Music Group announced a partnership with cell phone company Motorola to create music products for the mobile platform. As part of the agreement, Motorola will offer Warner products such as mobile music videos, ringtones, full-length songs and wallpapers.

Warner Chappell Signs The Lucky Bucks

01/12/2007

Warner Chappell has signed Warner Bros. act The Lucky Bucks, made up of Jay Clementi, Matt Thompson and Andy Thompson. Their debut album is set for release later this year. Pictured (L-R): Alicia Jordan, Andy Thompson, Dale Bobo, Jay Clementi, Kos Weaver, Matt Thompson and Jeff Biederman.

Crystal Ball Rumblings

01/12/2007

Your Humble Scribe’s crystal ball is overheating with unofficial, but highly likely happenings. Watch for Joe Fisher to join newly announced VP A&R Brian Wright at UMGN...At Universal South Mike Owens will/has exited with Cliff Audretch Jr.

Regrouping at Rust Records

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 01/12/2007

Rust Records will spend the first quarter of 2007 looking for new financial partners after two investors recently withdrew their support. VP/GM Kevin Mason confirmed this information for Music Row. The label was forced to lay-off promotion and A&R staffers including VP Promotion Rick Baumgartner, Regional Promotion Directors Ryan Barnstead, Joe Carroll and Dave Kirth; Promotions Coordinator Melissa Grayson; A&R head Mark Brown and Sr. VP Publicity Susan Niles. Staying on will be President Ken Cooper, Mason, and a handful of operational staff. Remaining on the roster are Povertyneck Hillbillies, Aaron Tippin and Blackhawk. Rust Nashville opened in July 2006.

CMT.com Holds Online Awards

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 01/12/2007

CMT.com will premiere its new Loaded Awards on Tues., Jan. 23, exclusively online. Awards will go to content with the most online traffic during 2006 at CMT.com and its broadband channel, CMT Loaded. Each winner will be presented with the Loaded Mouse Award, a gold computer mouse mounted inside a Mason jar. Original categories for the show include “Hottest Chick with a Baseball Bat Video” and “Not-to-be-Viewed at Work,” as well as more traditional categories like “Number One Streamed Music Video” and Most Digitally Active for Group/Duo, Female and Male Artist. The show, helmed by CMT Loaded hosts Adam Black, Lauren Rainey and Charla, will feature the music and antics of Phil Lee as well as guest appearances by Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts and Two Foot Fred. On hand to present awards will be Little Big Town, Kellie Pickler, Josh Turner, Montgomery Gentry, Pam Tillis, Taylor Swift, Trent Tomlinson, Billy Gilman, James Otto, Chris Young, Hazel Smith, Deanna Kay (“Muzikmafia TV”), and Nashville Predators’ Martin Erat and Darcy Hordichuk. Log on to CMT.com to view streaming clips of nominated videos.

Opry Sued For Age Discrimination

Michelle Ross – 01/12/2007

Singer Stonewall Jackson filed a $10 million lawsuit Thursday against the Grand Ole Opry and its management, claiming age discrimination, breach of contract and retaliation. Jackson, age 74, has been a member of the show since 1956. He contends that his appearances on the show have declined after general manager Pete Fisher was hired in 1998. According to the Associated Press, Jackson says Fisher told him "I don't want any gray hairs on that stage or in the audience, and before I'm done there won't be any," and, "You're too old and too country." Steve Buchanan, VP of media and entertainment for Gaylord Entertainment denied the allegations, commenting "The allegations of age discrimination are without merit, as evidenced by our lineups in each and every show." Opry performances regularly feature performers older than Jackson, including Porter Wagoner, Jimmy Dickens and others. Jackson claims that he lost his health insurance coverage through the Opry and suffered humiliation, embarrassment and hardships which led to heart problems.

EMI Sacks Levy, Munns

David M Ross – 01/12/2007

EMI Group PLC has announced the departure of Music Chairman/Chief Executive Alain Levy and Vice Chairman David Munns, effective immediately. The surprise change cames as the company issued a profit warning for its music division and was accompanied by notice of further cost-cutting measures soon to come. Observers point to the failed attempts to merge EMI with Warner Music and sales disappointments from Robbie Williams and Janet Jackson as added reasons for the change.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, U.S. all genre first week 2007 album sales were down almost 18%.

Stroud Exits; Lewis Re-Signs Deal

James Stroud has officially exited Universal Music Group Nashville. The veteran producer and label executive has been a Nashville music mover for over 20 years. In 1997 he was chosen to launch and head the...

Sony BMG Nashville Snags Most Marketshare

David M Ross – 01/11/2007

Here’s how country’s 12.7% of total all genre marketshare breaks down by label group. Sony BMG retained its lead again in 2006 with 33.98%, although its share of the sales pizza got slightly smaller. Second place UMGD, which includes Lyric Street and Universal South, narrowed the gap, but still fell about 4 percentage points behind the top dog. (Is Nipper still the mascot?) Also significant was the “Others” category which includes indies such as Sugar Hill, Broken Bow and Equity that increased it’s share by 30%.

Industry News Daily (1/12/07)

Kenny Chesney’s Flip Flop Summer 2007 Tour includes six stadium shows with guests Brooks & Dunn, Sugarland, Sara Evans and Pat Green. Chesney will play his first stadium show June 9 at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field, home...