Issue 250 Blake Shelton’s Voice Post-Mortem · 2011-07-06 · I have seen them several times. This was the Stones at their very best. George Thorogood and the J. Geils Band opened.
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Flying Island Sets Radio Promotion Team Nashville-based Flying Island Entertainment has firmed up its radio promotion staff, led by label/promotion consultant Nancy Tunick. Managing the Northeast/Southeast is longtime music industry executive Shelia Shipley Biddy; Brian Fee is covering the West Coast/Southwest; Jill Tomalty is handling the Midwest/South; and Bonita Allen is the new Promotion Coordinator. Concurrently, the Flying Island has secured its first client, FUNL Music, whose roster includes
Blake Shelton’s Voice Post-Mortem In one of his first interviews after completing work on the first season of The Voice, Blake Shelton sat down with our Lon Helton for CMT’s Country Countdown USA. In the midst of that interview, he spoke with Helton for Country Aircheck about his experience on the show: CA: Congrats on the huge success of The Voice and, most of all, thanks for representing all of us in country so well. BS: Thank you. I’m happy about the impact it’s had on my career, but, more than that, just working with those kids and getting to know them has changed my life. How so? I learned a lot about myself. I’ve been doing this for 10 years and may have gotten a bit calloused. Being around Xenia and Dia and seeing that fire in their eyes awakened part of me and reminded me why I love what I do. At one point they cut to you when Miranda and Dia were singing “The House That Built Me.” What were you thinking? I was mostly thinking about Dia. No more than two months ago she was about to give up on her dream of music and had moved back home with her mom and sisters in Utah. I was so happy for her because I got so emotionally invested in Dia. I had never wanted to see something happen so bad for somebody who wasn’t family. Miranda wanted [success] really badly for Dia, too.
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Blake Shelton
Old Men River: WDSY/Pittsburgh’s brain trust shepherds Uncle Kracker back to Heinz field following a private fundraiser brunch at the Hard Rock Café prior to his performance with Kenny Chesney Saturday (7/2). Pictured on a Gateway Clipper (l-r) are Uncle Kracker, the station’s Mark Anderson and Stoney Richards and Bigger Picture’s Michael Powers.
July 5, 2011 Issue 250
Amber Hayes and Ty Herndon. Hayes’ new single “Wait” is Flying Island’s initial project. Flying Island co-founder Nancy Eckert says, “Our team is smart, enthusiastic and aggressive, and that’s exactly the type of personalities we were looking for to help talented up-and-coming artists like Amber Hayes get the attention they deserve at Country radio.” Tunick’s role is in association with her own GrassRoots Promotion firm. Shipley Biddy, a former president at Decca and senior executive at MCA and other labels, most recently was Manager/Project Consultant at Hallmark Direction Co. Fee is a 10-year promotion veteran from Lofton Creek and Quarterback. Tomalty brings radio promotion background from Curb and Word. Allen was a producer at Westwood One and recently held an executive post at WSM-AM/Gaylord Entertainment. The staff can be reached at [email protected]. Tunick can be reached here.
Toby Keith Tour Opens “We had a heat advisory Friday,” WMIL/Milwaukee PD Kerry Wolfe says of Keith’s headlining performance at Summerfest on the opening weekend of his Locked & Loaded tour. “It was the hottest day of the year and felt like 150 degrees with all those people packed in. He came out in a long-sleeved black shirt that was drenched by the end of the night.” Ford, Keith’s tour sponsor, figured prominently in the new video open for the tour. “You definitely want to be in your seat before the show starts,” Wolfe explains. “He’s riding around with his dog, and they end up at an illegal poker game.
The dog ends up running out of money and, needing to place a bet, grabs Toby’s keys and bets the truck. Before we can see whether he won or lost, Toby dives across the table, grabs the keys, jumps in the truck and drives it through a wall. And that’s when the show starts, as the truck pops out onstage.” As for the music, Wolfe says it was “hit after hit until, seven songs in, he paused to tell us they were about to shoot the music video for ‘Made In America.’” It was a one-take shot, though. He didn’t stop and start over and redo it three times. The producers filled the lower bowl with American flags, so it was a red, white and blue spectacular. A great way to kick off the Fourth of July weekend. The video crew stuck around an extra day and filmed an Independence Day parade in nearby Cedarburg, which is one of the largest community parades of its kind. That’s the home of Josh Thompson, incidentally. “Eric Church was a great opener – as high-energy as you can get. He super-soaked the audience and, with Busch Light as a
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No-Chair Men Of The Board: Warner Bros./Nashville power players join Travis Tritt prior to recording their now-legendary barbershop quartet version of “Blame It On The Rain.” Pictured (l-r) are Brad Howell ([email protected]), Tritt, Ken Tucker ([email protected]) and Jon Loba ([email protected]). Got nostalgic images? Send them to [email protected].
Ride GM Harry Nelson discusses his most influential songs, albums and concerts:1. Wilson Pickett/In The Midnight Hour: When I was a kid and dreaming of getting in radio, I really wanted to be on the air playing this.2. The Moody Blues/Nights In White Satin: This is my favorite song with my ex-wife. We still are best friends today.3. The Police/Every Breath You Take: One of the great pop radio hits of all time.
4. The Rolling Stones, Candlestick Park, San Francisco, 1981: I have seen them several times. This was the Stones at their very best. George Thorogood and the J. Geils Band opened. The radio station that I worked for at the time, KFRC, bought all of the shuttle buses to and from the show. 5. The Police, Fenway Park, Boston, 2007: Maybe the best concert I have ever seen. Went with my best friend. It was a magic evening in the Big Bean.• A highly regarded song or album you’ve never heard: I have never listened to an Alicia Keys album all the way through. I should. She has this classic, smokin’ R&B sound that I love.• An “important” piece of music you just don’t get: Marilyn Manson. Seriously, what was it that [screwed] this dude up so bad?• An album you played or listened to incessantly: Lyle Lovett’s Pontiac. I’ve loved it since the first time Gerry Cagle played it for me. We drank a lot of Jack Daniel’s and listened to it umpteen-million times! There’s magnificent poetry in every song.• One obscure or non-country song everyone should listen to right now: Allen Toussaint’s Bright Mississippi. He is one of America’s great jazz and R&B artists. Most people have never heard him. I grew up near New Orleans. Oh, I hear him!
tour sponsor, shot-gunned two beers onstage. He sprayed the audience with two more.” Milwaukee was actually the tour’s second stop. TKO Artist Management’s Suzanne Durham reports that the Mt. Pleasant show (6/30) was “sold out and the biggest show they’ve had in their 13 years. And they not only sold twice the beer they normally do, but sold out of beer as well! It was a ticket and beer sell-out!” Whiskey for my men ... beer for just about everybody?
ACM/Lifting Lives Camp Grows Darius Rucker’s ACM Lifting Lives performance with Vanderbilt Kennedy Center music campers was one of the highlights of April’s ACM Awards, and the effects were certainly being felt at the 2011 camp last week in Nashville. “So much of what we’ve done over the years is to try to educate the industry about what the Kennedy Center does, and the awards performance did that in a way we never could before,” says Lorie Lytle, the camp’s founder and Chairman. Many of the 31 campers have Williams Syndrome, a developmental disability that also manifests in a unique gift for music. During the 2011 camp, they were shepherded through the writing, producing and recording of a song (“In Harmony”) by a host of songwriters, producers, musicians, engineers and artists on the way to the climactic finish on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry Friday night (7/1).
Gary Allan, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood and Wynonna were among the counselors participating in this week’s operation of the seven-year-old camp. Rucker reprised his awards performance by joining the campers at the Opry. “We had a lot of returning campers, but more new campers than ever, as well,” Lytle says. “The awards performance was just a magical event for them and their parents. Darius was great with
ACM Lifting Lives’ Erin Spahn, Carrie Underwood and Lorie Lytle
Atlantic/WAR’s Brett Eldredge gives an industry spin on the artist interview:Did any locales make a strong impression during your radio tour? I remember being in this dive diner somewhere in Pennsylvania, or maybe it was New Hampshire. They served this stuff called Scrapple, which is a meat-looking pancake thing covered in syrup. It’s all the extra parts of the pig. We ordered it as a group
and just had a bite. If you didn’t know that it was all the pig nastiness thrown in a blender and fried up, you might be okay with it. But they definitely explain what it is to you first.Do you remember the first time you heard yourself on the radio? We were in Cookeville, TN on my first visit ever. They pulled me into the studio and recorded it. When we were driving home, we heard, “Here’s Brett Eldredge. He’s in the studio with us right now.” I’m like, “I’m actually in the car, but here we go!” I’m a big high-fiver so I was throwing high fives at everyone in the car at least twice. It was a really cool feeling and kind of surreal.What is your go-to food stop? Chili’s. If we’re going chain, we’re going Chili’s to dominate the fajitas. Which regional is the worst driver? Nathan Cruise. He drives like James Bond, but crazier. He and Lindsay Walleman. They get a little angry sometimes at the other drivers. But they’re just trying to get you to the radio station so you can try to make your dreams come alive ... as long as you’re alive by the time you get there. Who’s the best road companion? Rhonda Christensen. She’s got the laid-back West Coast vibe. Her husband manages Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, so she introduces me to all the hip rock music.Ever had a prank go wrong? We were in Hartford having dinner next door to a gym, and I dared Chris Palmer to go jog on a treadmill, thinking it’d be really funny if he’s sprinting in jeans when the people from the radio station walk by. So he commits, takes off and just clean wipes out on the gym door glass because he thinks it’s open. I was crying laughing once I figured he was all right. The next day, we walk by and there’s Palmer’s face smudge implanted on the window.
Brett Eldredge
the campers, doing press and coming out to meet the families. It was so kind of him to come back this year to camp and to perform at the Opry. It was truly like a family reunion. “The mission of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is to focus on the abilities within the disability,” Lytle continues. “This isn’t just a camp about music, but about showcasing what a great place the center is. The next evolution is the Music & Mind initiative, which is utilizing all the disciplines at Vanderbilt and the Kennedy Center, as well as the resources of Music City, to understand why the mind reacts the way it does to music: From infants and lullabies to the fact that Alzheimer’s patients who can’t remember their children’s names can sing hymns from memory.” Find out more about the camp here.
News & Notes Digital media vet Jessica Northey has been named Online Correspondent for the Tony & Kris In The Morning Show. Best wishes to Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott and drummer Chris Tyrell, who were engaged over the holiday weekend. More here. Publishing vets Pat Finch, Steve McMellon and Reynold D’Silva have formed Pat Finch Music Publishing/Southern Crossroads Music. The company will be located at 1229 17th Ave. South, Nashville; phone 615-320-7766. Infinity Music signs songwriter Brent Baxter to a publishing deal, as well as hiring Paul Compton (Music Highway Writer Services) to handle the company’s publishing catalog. Connie Smith will host the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Artist-In-Residence performance series Aug. 22, Aug. 29 and Sept. 12. More here.
The Week’s Top Stories Full coverage at www.countryaircheck.com.• Qantum/Myrtle Beach, SC’s Country WGTR PD/morning personality Tige Rodgers was named OM. (CAT 6/28)• Clear Channel/Greenville, SC Market Manager Bill McMartin added those duties for the company’s Asheville, NC cluster, which includes WKSF. (CAT 6/29)• CBS Radio’s KMPS/Seattle PD Becky Brenner exited. (BN 7/1)
Blake Shelton’s Voice (continued from page 1) Once Dia figures out what her plan is, you’ll probably see her and Miranda write together. Was there much disappointment that Javier won? The night before the results show, Dia said to me, “I would feel stupid if I beat Javier because I think he represents more what the show is than me.” And I can’t argue with her on that, because Dia is a unique artist. Javier is The Voice. Dia is an amazing singer who did give it everything she had and almost won that thing. She’s going to do everything she ever wanted to do, and she’s also really genuinely happy and relieved that Javier won. You came out OK, too. I saw a New York magazine blog that said you were the winner among the judges. That’s cool, but I probably had the most to gain. The other three are pop and rock stars; they’re on TV and in magazines a lot more than country artists. I was in a situation to not make a difference at all, which would have been expected, or to get up there and wave my arms and get noticed. I really appreciate what you said when I first sat down because the one thing that was in the back of my mind the whole time – the thing that probably kept me from self- destructing like I often do – is knowing what I was representing. I felt a responsibility to country music and to Nashville to take it serious and to work as hard as I could because everything that happens in this genre on a stage like that affects what happens back here. There may be people who never listen to country music that might go buy one of my records now because of that show. And when they buy one of my records, they’ll say, “Who’s Miranda Lambert?” and buy that one, and, next thing you know, they’re buying country records. That’s important to me. Is it true you almost passed on the show? When I heard it was another music talent show I just thought, “That’s stupid, there’s already one of those. Why would I get involved in that? People are going to laugh at it.” The turning point was two things: They sent me a link to watch the Dutch version of “The Voice,” and there was so much going on, which I thought was a lot of fun. But mostly when I saw the other three coaches had signed on [I realized] how big they were and really felt stupid for dragging my feet.
July 12 Blake Shelton Red River Blue (Warner Bros./WMN) Ashton Shepherd Where Country Grows (MCA) Chris Young Neon (RCA)
July 19 Ricky Skaggs Country Hits Bluegrass Style (Skaggs Family)
July 26 Eric Church Chief (EMI Nashville) Randy Montana Randy Montana (Mercury) Ronnie Milsap Country Again (Milsap Music Group/BPG)
Aug. 2 Trace Adkins Proud To Be Here (Show Dog-Universal)
With the show’s success, are you concerned about remaining who you are with the music and not going Hollywood? I actually haven’t gotten back to my normal life yet. The show just ended, and now I’m back here promoting my album, which is the heart and soul and core of what I do, [which] still, and always will be, is country music. And it is hard to stay focused, not because of being on television and that type of exposure, [but] because of dumping all my energy and focus into those kids. It’s an adjustment to go back to, “Oh, now it’s about me again” and concentrating on selling me. And the network probably did this with everyone on the show, but my manager said the network wanted to talk about me appearing on a sitcom or maybe even writing one for me. But here’s how I look at it: This is a dream job for me. I get to be on TV and basically make an ass of myself, as I would at a karaoke bar or somewhere, but I get to do it with rock and pop stars. I’m never going to be on a show bigger than this, and I still get to go make country music and tour and do what I love. Everything else would be a step down from this. I just want to enjoy these two things I have going on and live them out as much as I can, and not muddy the water. CAC
Country Aircheck Top Spin GainersKEITH URBAN/Long Hot Summer (Capitol) 626LADY ANTEBELLUM/Just A Kiss (Capitol) 571TOBY KEITH/Made In America (Show Dog-Universal) 560BRAD PAISLEY & CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Remind Me (Arista) 523ZAC BROWN BAND f/J. BUFFETT/Knee Deep (So. Grnd/Atl./BPG) 348BAND PERRY/You Lie (Republic Nashville) 237RONNIE DUNN/Cost Of Livin' (Arista) 212GEORGE STRAIT/Here For A Good Time (MCA) 211JAKE OWEN/Barefoot Blue Jean Night (RCA) 204RODNEY ATKINS/Take A Back Road (Curb) 199
Country Aircheck Top Point GainersKEITH URBAN/Long Hot Summer (Capitol) 1830 4LADY ANTEBELLUM/Just A Kiss (Capitol) 1694 4TOBY KEITH/Made In America (Show Dog-Universal) 1485 4BRAD PAISLEY & CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Remind Me (Arista) 1472 4ZAC BROWN BAND f/J. BUFFETT/Knee Deep (So. Grnd/Atl./BPG) 958 4BAND PERRY/You Lie (Republic Nashville) 679JAKE OWEN/Barefoot Blue Jean Night (RCA) 659GEORGE STRAIT/Here For A Good Time (MCA) 659RONNIE DUNN/Cost Of Livin' (Arista) 620RODNEY ATKINS/Take A Back Road (Curb) 580
Activator Top Point GainersKEITH URBAN/Long Hot Summer (Capitol) 1795 4TOBY KEITH/Made In America (Show Dog-Universal) 1319 4RONNIE DUNN/Cost Of Livin' (Arista) 1215 4BRAD PAISLEY & CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Remind Me (Arista) 1207 4LADY ANTEBELLUM/Just A Kiss (Capitol) 1181 4ZAC BROWN BAND f/J. BUFFETT/Knee Deep (So. Grnd/Atl./BPG) 996GEORGE STRAIT/Here For A Good Time (MCA) 869SCOTTY MCCREERY/I Love You This Big (19/Interscope/Mercury) 794ALAN JACKSON/Long Way To Go (EMI Nashville) 715RASCAL FLATTS/Easy (Big Machine) 690
Activator Top Spin GainersKEITH URBAN/Long Hot Summer (Capitol) 345TOBY KEITH/Made In America (Show Dog-Universal) 207RONNIE DUNN/Cost Of Livin' (Arista) 200LADY ANTEBELLUM/Just A Kiss (Capitol) 175BRAD PAISLEY & CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Remind Me (Arista) 163ZAC BROWN BAND f/J.BUFFETT/Knee Deep (So. Grnd/Atl./BPG) 150GEORGE STRAIT/Here For A Good Time (MCA) 133SCOTTY MCCREERY/I Love You This Big (19/Interscope/Mercury) 128RASCAL FLATTS/Easy (Big Machine) 128ALAN JACKSON/Long Way To Go (EMI Nashville) 116DARIUS RUCKER/I Got Nothin' (Capitol) 124
Country Aircheck Add LeadersKEITH URBAN/Long Hot Summer (Capitol) 35RASCAL FLATTS f/NATASHA BEDINGFIELD/Easy (Big Machine) 25RONNIE DUNN/Cost Of Livin' (Arista) 19ALAN JACKSON/Long Way To Go (EMI Nashville) 10TOBY KEITH/Made In America (Show Dog-Universal) 10SARA EVANS/My Heart Can't Tell You No (RCA) 9BRETT ELDREDGE/It Ain't Gotta Be Love (Atlantic/WAR) 7KELLIE PICKLER/Tough (BNA) 7CRAIG CAMPBELL/Fish (BPG) 5BILLY CURRINGTON/Love Done Gone (Mercury) 4DARIUS RUCKER/I Got Nothin' (Capitol) 4JOSH KELLEY/Gone Like That (MCA) 4PHIL VASSAR/Let's Get Together (Rodeowave) 4SHANIA TWAIN/Today Is Your Day (Mercury) 4
CMTDOLLY PARTON/Together You And I (Dolly)LADY ANTEBELLUM/Just A Kiss (Capitol)RASCAL FLATTS f/NATASHA BEDINGFIELD/Easy (Big Machine)STEVE MARTIN & THE STEEP CANYON RANGERS/Jubilation Day (Rounder)
CMT PUREATTWATER/Never Gonna Happen (Twenty Ten)BRADLEY GASKIN/Mr. Bartender (Columbia)COLT FORD/Wastin’ Time (Average Joes)DOLLY PARTON/Together You And I (Dolly)JAMES WESLEY/Didn’t I (Broken Bow)LADY ANTEBELLUM/Just A Kiss (Capitol)RASCAL FLATTS f/NATASHA BEDINGFIELD/Easy (Big Machine)
GACDARIUS RUCKER/I Got Nothin’ (Capitol)LADY ANTEBELLUM/Just A Kiss (Capitol)JASON ALDEAN/Dirt Road Anthem (Broken Bow)BRADLEY GASKIN/Mr. Bartender (Columbia)JAMES WESLEY/Didn’t I (Broken Bow)
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July 5, 2011 Country Aircheck Chart Info Chart Page 3
JULY 11ASHTON SHEPHERD/Where Country Grows (MCA)BILLY RAY CYRUS/Runway Lights (Buena Vista/CO5)CHRISTIAN KANE/Let Me Go (BPG)JASON CASSIDY/Honky Tonk Heaven (A-Blake/Quarterback) JASON STURGEON/The Cover (Toolpusher/Spinville) KATIE ARMIGER/I Do But Do I (Cold River)
JULY 18CRAIG MORGAN/This Ole Boy (Black River)DARREN WARREN/Cowboy Up and Party Down (NuCorp/9 North)KRISTIN CHENOWETH/I Want Somebody (Sony/CO5)LEANN RIMES/Give (Curb)TAYLOR SWIFT/Sparks Fly (Big Machine)
JULY 25BLAKE SHELTON/God Gave Me You (Warner Bros./WMN)MARTINA MCBRIDE/I’m Gonna Love You Through It (Republic Nashville)MONTGOMERY GENTRY/Where I Come From (Average Joes) SONIA LEIGH/My Name Is Money (Southern Ground/BPG)
Aircheck Activity includes the top 15 songs that rank 45-50 on this week’s chart or are those that are not charted and have a minimum of 300 airplay points and have shown growth in two of the past three weeks. (* indicates auto adds)
Country Aircheck Top Recurrents Points
BRAD PAISLEY f/ALABAMA/Old Alabama (Arista) 8670KEITH URBAN/Without You (Capitol) 7626THOMPSON SQUARE/Are You Gonna Kiss Me... (Stoney Creek) 6898SARA EVANS/A Little Bit Stronger (RCA) 6586MIRANDA LAMBERT/Heart Like Mine (Columbia) 6227KENNY CHESNEY/Live A Little (BNA) 5250JASON ALDEAN & KELLY CLARKSON/Don't You... (Broken Bow) 5206TIM MCGRAW/Felt Good On My Lips (Curb) 4775RASCAL FLATTS/I Won't Let Go (Big Machine) 4565DARIUS RUCKER/This (Capitol) 4113
July 5, 2011 Country Aircheck Chart Info Chart Page 4