Country’s Sweetest Night Three of the greatest names in country music history, a new comic duo and heartfelt gratitude marked Sunday’s Country Music Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony (10/26). Mac Wiseman, Ronnie Milsap and the late Hank Cochran were formally inducted into the Hall with music, stories and praise before more than a dozen Hall members and a packed CMA Theater. Each musical performance was backed by the Medallion All-Star Band, led by John Hobbs and featuring Eddie Bayers, Paul
Franklin, Steve Gibson, Michael Rhodes, Deanie Richardson, Biff Watson, Laura Weber Cash, Jeff White and Mark Douthit. In a night for the ages, being in the room as the world’s best musicians play simply can’t be overlooked. Opening the musical tributes, Jim Lauderdale offered an almost breathless “what an honor” before performing Wiseman’s “Going Like Wildfire.” Charlie Daniels performed “Jimmy Brown The Newsboy” and Vince Gill sang “’Tis Sweet To Be Remembered.” Presenting Mac Wiseman, former CMA Exec. Dir. Jo
Walker-Meador spoke of his contributions as the organization’s founding secretary. “He did actually work,” she said. “He gave ideas ... and lots of suggestions that helped. He was a giver and never a taker. Busy but never too busy to respond to the needs of others.” Taking the stage in a wheelchair, Wiseman was in strong voice as he remarked on his (continued on page 7) Steve Buchanan
Keeping It Nashville If you’re familiar with Nashville the city, you know the ABC-TV series that shares its name often features real people, businesses and local organiza-tions. Connecting Nashville with Nashville has been a continuing effort for producer and Opry Entertainment Group EVP Steve Buchanan, with meaning for the show and the individuals and institutions who end up on national television. That integration has become easier over Nashville’s three seasons. “When we were
Claim To Fame: Inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Pictured (l-r) are CMA’s Sarah Trahern, Hank Cochran’s widow Suzi Cochran, Mac Wiseman, CMHoF’s Kyle Young and Ronnie Milsap.
Then-Columbia artist Bobby Bare (l) shows off some newly acquired American Country Countdown swag with host Bob Kingsley in 1980. And how do you like that wallpaper? Send your own vintage shots to [email protected].
first shooting the pilot, I had [Exec. Producers] RJ Cutler and Callie Khouri meet with various people in the industry and in the city,” he says. “Because we’ve been shooting here now for two years, the overall production team has a much better sense of the city and the music community, and relationships have formed for people on the production side as well as the actors.” Including charitable organizations like the W.O. Smith School and the TJ Martell Foundation requires some back-and-forth with the network, which keeps lists of approved fictional institution names for just such purposes. “Those things are not a given,” Buchanan says, but the extra effort is worth it. “We love trying to capture the personality and character of the city. We want to do as good a job as we can at portraying the music industry in a realistic fashion, given that we’re doing it on network television and it’s not a documentary. It’s a drama, so there’s some indication for creative license.” The TJ Martell Foundation made its debut in the Sept. 24 ep-isode, which featured a benefit concert at the (also real) Franklin
Theater. “We got a ton of response from it,” says CEO Laura Heatherly. The organization’s website analytics showed a surge in visits, as did social media. “A lot of people Tweeted and Facebooked us after the show aired,” she says. The drama is in a long line of national television vying to feature country’s
stars, with Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line recently appear-ing and Sara Evans set for an upcoming episode centered on the CMA Awards. Less obvious choices include Nash Nights Live’s Shawn Parr, America’s Morning Show’s Blair Garner, The Bobby Bones Show’s Bones, CA’s Lon Helton and WUSY/Chattanooga’s Gator Harrison. Harrison read for the part of a deejay when iHeartMedia’s Clay Hunnicutt, who has contacts with the producers, sent him a script. He appeared last year as part of character Scarlett O’ Connor’s radio tour, and although the scene was set in Chattanooga, he came to Nashville to shoot it. Harrison said for the most part, he just did what he’d do in a normal artist interview, although it wasn’t all
realistic. “When I’m really interviewing an artist, rarely do I start with the phrase, ‘And we’re back,’” he says. “I didn’t identify the radio station or even the song we came out of. I didn’t want to insult the writers, but I kept pointing these things out to them and they said it was ok.” America’s Morning Show’s Erika Grace Powell has ap-peared once and will be featured again on the red carpet for the show’s version of the CMA Awards. Powell had tried out for the part of Layla Grant long before joining Cumulus. So when they needed a red carpet correspondent they didn’t have to look far. She says they did it right. “It was so real,” Powell says, having been on awards show red carpets before. “It felt very legit to have the amount of media that they did, the lights, the cameras, the right amount of extras. The red carpet really feels like that. “It’s awesome how real everything seems,” Powell continues. “Like when Rayna is trying on a bridal gown in a local bridal store, or saying they want to get oysters at The Southern ... it lets everyone else see the real Music City.”
Erika Grace Powell
Gator Harrison
TJ Martell’s Laura Heatherly and Nashville’s Will Chase
MY TUNES: MUSIC THAT SHAPED MY LIFEMercury’s Easton Corbin discusses his most influential music.1. The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard: One of the first records I ever bought. It’s hard to pick one Haggard song that’s my favorite because he’s one of my biggest influences. But “Today I Started Loving You Again” really stood out to me.2. George Jones, Silver Springs, FL. I saw him when I was 18 or 19. Man, it was
just so good. He sung the heck out of everything. 3. Hank Williams/I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry: I grew up around my grandparents and used to go through their record collection. I remember learning this song. For some rea-son, I just love sad songs. They speak to me. The emotion that people like Hank Williams, George Jones and Keith Whitley sang with, it’s real. They made you feel it. They were so good at that – probably because they lived it.4. Merle Haggard, Back To The Barrooms: That whole re-cord is really great. “Easy Come, Easy Go” is on there, plus the title cut. And he does a Hank Jr. song on there called “I Don’t Have Any More Love Songs.” I also love the song “Heaven Was A Drink Of Wine.” I do that song in my set.5. Merle Haggard, Bowling Green, KY: I got to see Haggard in concert for the first time this past year. I also got to meet him. I was speechless and starstruck. He’s such a legend and somebody I’ve looked up to as an artist all my life. Being able to meet him and take a picture, that was really a dream come true.• Highly regarded music you’ve never heard: I love playing guitar but I’ve never explored jazz. You have to be pretty skillful to play it. I’d like to be able to play more of that Western Swing, jazzy-type stuff.• An “important” piece of music you just don’t get: Yeah, The Beatles made great music. I respect it, but it’s not my favorite.• An album you played or listened to incessantly: I still play the heck out of Hank Jr.’s Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound.• One obscure or non-country song everyone should listen to right now: I don’t really keep up with the current music outside of country. But there’s a new artist, a good friend of mine named Jackie Lee. People should definitely be listening.• Music you’d rather not admit to enjoying: I like The Rolling Stones – and I don’t mind admitting it!
“We’ve tried to show the real side of what’s required of an artist and the various interactions they have, including those within the industry,” Buchan-an says. “So it’s about the stunt casting and cameos that are pre-cious in terms of the detail we try to create.” So precious, in fact, that getting on the show may lead to a new version of the songwriting valet leaving a CD in your car. “People are interested,” Buchanan admits. “The primary thing we hear is, ‘Will you please shoot at my business?’ or even at their house, which surprises me. We do a good job of taking care of people’s homes and businesses, but they are definitely giving up their space.” –Jess Wright
News & Notes The Reynolds Group has renewed its talent coaching agreement with KSON/San Diego and inked a new one with WIL/St. Louis. Radio veteran Maurice Miner was honored Friday (10/24) by the North Stonington Education Foundation as the 2014 recipient of the organization’s annual Wheeler High School Dis-tinguished Alumni Award for his efforts in living up to the school’s mission “to mold students to live a life of accomplishment and satisfaction in a changing and complex world.” Big Machine’s Rascal Flatts will play a private concert for SiriusXM listeners Nov. 6 from Nashville’s Fiddle & Steel Guitar Bar. The performance will air live on Y2Kountry channel 57. Flying Island’s Gwen Sebastian has signed with Artist Events for booking representation. RaeLynn collaborated with the Boston Brass Sunday (10/26) to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Music in Our Schools Month and debut “Always Sing,” a song she wrote with Nicolle Galyon & Jimmy Robbins for the organization’s efforts. For the 14th consecutive year Charlie Daniels will headline the Christmas 4 Kids Benefit Concert Nov. 24 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Phil Vassar, Andy Griggs, Ty Herndon, Jamie O’Neal, The Roys and Ryan Weaver will perform. Warner Music Nashville and Watkins College of Art, Design & Film have partnered for a new “Music Industry and the Visual Arts” course. The class will teach students how to conceptu-
Black River’s Joe Carroll discusses a restau-rant he goes out of his way to visit. The Place: Charley’s Steak House in Tampa, FL. The Appeal: “I love the atmosphere, the food and the service. Honestly, everything is good there, from steaks, fish, lamb and chicken to appetizers and desserts. I go there every chance I get and I take radio there. The last PD I took had the swordfish and the
steak, two apps, dessert, a cappuccino, wine and a martini. He couldn’t walk out. We had to get him a wheel chair. I took Kelsea Ballerini and she didn’t want to leave, she loved it so much.”
Counterpoint: WFUS/Tampa PD Travis Daily feels a little sorry for Carroll’s choice. “Oh Joe, if only you knew,” he says. “I’ll trust Joe if I am in Nashville, but when it comes to Tampa, for high end you can’t come close to beating Bern’s Steak House. They have the biggest wine collection in America or some-thing crazy like that. They have a separate dessert room upstairs and the rooms are made from old oak barrels. And you have not lived until you see [UMG Nashville SVP/Promotion] Royce Risser prank call the pi-ano player. They have a direct phone line to him where he takes requests but, as we found out, he doesn’t speak double talk no matter how hard Royce tried.” Adds Risser, “That dude’s name was Kenny. He didn’t know how to play the song I wanted. I think Kenny may still be trying to figure out what song that is.” “There are so many hole-in-the-wall places that catch their own grouper daily, you
almost can’t go wrong in Tampa,” says Daily. “For me, the best is the Cuban sandwiches at either the Columbia Restaurant or Carmine’s. I will put either place’s sandwich against anything in America – or Cuba, for that matter!”
Reach Carroll here, Daily here and Risser here.
Have a must-visit restaurant and a fun story to go with it? Tell us here.
FARE CHECk: BEST EATS
Joe Carroll
Travis Daily
Royce Risser
accomplishments. “I tried to be true to myself and [the business], and to give back as much as I could,” he said. “I could not even begin to give back what the music business have given to me in the past 70 years, professionally.” He also spoke to the timeless nature of country. “The music has been handed down from generation to generation. The reason for its great endurance is it’s such a slice of life. You’re seeing things going on today that have been going on since the beginning of time. I sound a bit trite, but I firmly believe people don’t change, we just get a new batch.” Respected for his business acumen as well as his expressive tenor, Wiseman pointed out a few differences in the
industry. “Back then, the disc jockeys chose their own country music,” he said. “There’d be five different DJs on a station and five different catalogs. I didn’t send a record to one DJ, I sent one to each one of them hoping one or two might play it a little bit.” He closed with a nod to the organization he helped form. “I just can’t believe what we started in 1958 ... and what it has developed into today. To be accepted as one of your comrades in this Hall of Fame means more to me than anything that has ever happened during my musical career.” In the introductory video for Garland Perry Cochran, “Hank” boiled country songwriting down to its essence. “Make it short, make it sweet, make it rhyme,” he said. Making it especially sweet was Alison Krauss, who charmed with a funny story about wanting to play Cochran’s overtly sad “She’s Got You” at Carnegie Hall. “I remember telling the guys, I really want to do this but I don’t want to be stupid. And they said, ‘Well, there’s not much you can do about the latter, but go ahead and do the song.’” Krauss sang “Make The World Go Away” and “Don’t Touch Me” before Gene Watson closed the musical tribute to Hank with “Don’t You Ever Get Tired Of Hurting Me.” Presenting was Bobby Bare, whose lifelong friendship with Hank began in 1954. “It
alize a visual approach to branding new artists. Matraca Berg, Deana Carter, Jim Collins and Wendell Mobley will appear at Champions For A Cause Presents, a con-cert and silent auction Nov. 6 at Nashville’s Cabana. Details here.
The Week’s Top Stories Full coverage at countryaircheck.com.• Nielsen Audio released day one October 2014 PPM ratings. (10/27)• iHeartMedia’s The Bobby Bones Show set off EAS alerts across the country. (10/27)• The ACM announced its Board of Directors for 2014-2015. (10/22)• Reba is the flagship artist for the Cumulus/Big Machine Label Group joint venture label Nash Icon Music. (10/21)• Capitol’s Keith Urban will be among the featured speakers at CRS 2015 during Keith Urban: Being Present. (10/21)
(continued from page 1)Country’s Sweetest Night
Fore Score: Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and brother Josh host the Kelley Brothers and Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament and Concert at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, GA today. Pictured (l-r) are MCA’s Kip Moore, UMG/Nashville’s Royce Risser, Warner Chappell’s Patrick Davis, Josh and Charles Kelley and Country Aircheck’s Lon Helton.
James Otto puts an industry spin on the artist interview: As a kid I listened to Y94 [WDAY/Fargo, ND]. I didn’t live too far from the station. I would lie to the people at the front desk and tell them I was doing a project for school on radio and I wanted to meet the deejays. Eventually they all caught on to my game, but they allowed me to hang out and
watch them spin records and talk to them. I’d get free tickets to the circus. So years later when radio played my music, it was magic. It was something I had waited for my whole life. I love to have my wife and daughter on the road with me. That’s always fun. It can also be very difficult at times, too, because they’re not used to the road lifestyle. We roll a certain way out there and it’s usually pedal to the metal all the time. My least favorite travel companion is anybody who complains about whatever conditions are when we’re out there. We’re there to do a job, we’re out there working and every-body’s getting paid. I can’t stand complaints. When I’m at a truck stop I usually pick up beef jerky. I will kill a pepperoni stick. My new music is country soul meets 2014. I read an article the other day that said not one artist in 2014 has sold a platinum record. Being an independent artist now, I am study-ing the way people consume music. It isn’t the traditional way. For better or for worse for our business, I don’t think we’re go-ing back to album sales any time soon. So I’m going to release singles and probably an EP with several singles on it once we’re one or two deep in. That’s probably the way I’ll roll until the business model changes. It’s adapt or die. I don’t want to die. I have an addiction to Apple products. I’m one of those guys. My iPhone or my iPad is generally welded to my hand. I have to have one of those things to either play games with, do my schedule or write a song. My favorite app is called News Addict. It’s basically all of the major news sources in one place. I was just in Oregon with some loggers. We were blowing up Tannerite, shooting exploding targets up into the mountains of Oregon. It was a blast. I don’t know why men like to blow stuff up, we just do.
was the Cochran Brothers then. Hank and Eddie, and they sang duets ... kinda like the Everly Brothers, except not as good,” Bare quipped. Cochran’s genius was hailed with honor and humor. “He could feel things nobody else could feel and he was a brave man because he wasn’t afraid of falling in love ... throwing it out there and letting the world know how he felt. And the world loved it. “He was shameless when it came to getting songs recorded,” Bare continued. “He was the best song plugger the world has ever known. He was like a heat-seeking missile. If you were hot or gonna get hot, Hank knew it before you did. And he’d move in with you. If he had a song for you, might as well go ahead and cut it because he was relentless and ... nine times out of 10 it would be a big hit.” Hank’s wife of more than 30 years, Suzi, accepted by sharing a letter he’d written in 1960 at the brink of giving up. “’I guess things weren’t meant to be ... at least it seems that way and I just don’t care anymore,’” she read. “’I’ve had just about all I can take. I just want to run off someplace and hide.’ Well, Hank didn’t run off and hide, he stayed. And a year and a half later, in August of 1961, ‘I Fall To Pieces’ was No. 1.” She choked up as she related how he wished to be remembered. “’I’d like them to say I was a survivor, that I was truthful and that I told it like it was,’” she quoted her late husband. “’And that I did the best I could do for my family, my friends and myself.’ And that’s the way I remember him.” The musical tribute to final inductee Ronnie Milsap had Sam Moore bringing some comic relief. Telling of a 1965 date
where the upstart Milsap was opening for Sam & Dave, he said, “I had never seen this man. I’d heard the song ‘Never Had It So Good,’ [but] thought it was Ray Charles, to show you how much I knew. “I was coming to rehearsal, going across the stage and saw this lady with this guy. I ran back and I said, ‘Dave, he’s a white boy! He ain’t gonna make it.’ And Dave didn’t believe me, so he went over and came back and said, ‘Oh shit.’ This is in a predominantly black part of Washington. When he got through with our butts – when he got
through singing [that evening] – I had sloshed in my shoes ... and I couldn’t find Dave!” “That’s where I come in,” chimed Vince Gill, who joined Moore on Milsap’s “Lost In The Fifties Tonight (In The Still Of The Night).” Gill added, “We’re a new duo. We just got signed. Sam & A Lighter Shade Of Dave.” Hunter Hayes followed with “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me” before Martina McBride performed “(I’d Be) A Legend In My Time.” Speaking to Milsap’s remarkable vocal range, the not-too-shabby vocalist herself admitted, “I wanted to sing ‘What A Difference You’ve Made In My Life,’ but I couldn’t get the key low enough to get the high notes.” Presenting Milsap, Brenda Lee filled in for Reba, who is grieving the loss of her father. She told of manager Jack Johnson asking her to help him check out Milsap, unsure how he fit in the business. “He started singing and after about the first two lines I said, ‘Jack, I don’t know what you’re going to do with him, but don’t let him get away.’” Comparing their meager, poverty-drenched childhoods, Lee said, “As I have come to find out through life and the wisdom of age, only God knows the seeds of greatness that often come wrapped in personal challenges. How our disadvantages are often just the disguises for our true gifts.” Milsap thanked business associates including Tom Collins, Jack Johnson, Jerry Bradley, Charlie McCoy and Rob Galbraith. “Most of all, thanks to my family for being by me all the time and
making this so much fun,” Milsap said. “I love you all and thank you so very much for having me in the Country Music Hall of Fame. It’s a true honor, believe me.” Leave it to Little Miss Dynamite to add some levity. “I’m coming over there with this medal and you better bend over,” Lee told Milsap. The night ended with Milsap leading the band, attending Hall members and a choir in a slow, soulful rendition of the traditional closing song “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.” –Chuck Aly
October 27, 2014 Chart Page 1
LW TW Artist/Title (Label) Total Points +/- Points Total Plays +/- Plays Audience +/- Aud Stations ADDS
1 1 JASON ALDEAN/Burnin' It Down (Broken Bow) 23022 -624 7669 -120 55.129 -1.616 148 0
3 2 SAM HUNT/Leave The Night On (MCA) 4 22466 1839 7445 576 54.356 4.088 148 0
CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Something In The Water (19/Arista) 539KENNY CHESNEY/Til It's Gone (Blue Chair/Columbia) 475
Country Aircheck Top Point GainersRAELYNN/God Made Girls (Valory) 2225 4FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE/Sun Daze (Republic Nashville) 2137 4LITTLE BIG TOWN/Day Drinking (Capitol) 1940 4SAM HUNT/Leave The Night On (MCA) 1839 4FRANKIE BALLARD/Sunshine & Whiskey (Warner Bros./WAR) 1825 4KEITH URBAN/Somewhere In My Car (Capitol) 1802
CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Something In The Water (19/Arista) 1790
Activator Top Point GainersKENNY CHESNEY/Til It's Gone (Blue Chair/Columbia) 920 4LITTLE BIG TOWN/Day Drinking (Capitol) 804 4FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE/Sun Daze (Republic Nashville) 762 4SAM HUNT/Leave The Night On (MCA) 758 4KEITH URBAN/Somewhere In My Car (Capitol) 747 4ERIC CHURCH/Talladega (EMI Nashville) 725
COLE SWINDELL/Hope You Get... (Warner Bros./WMN) 9447
DIERKS BENTLEY/Drunk On A Plane (Capitol) 8355
LUKE BRYAN/Play It Again (Capitol) 6258
TIM MCGRAW f/FAITH HILL/Meanwhile... (Big Machine) 5952
JOE NICHOLS/Yeah (Red Bow) 5851
BILLY CURRINGTON/We Are Tonight (Mercury Nashville) 5616
Country Aircheck Add Leaders AddsFLORIDA GEORGIA LINE/Sun Daze (Republic Nashville) 69BILLY CURRINGTON/Don't It (Mercury) 48GLORIANA/Trouble (Emblem/Warner Bros/WAR) 32LADY ANTEBELLUM/Freestyle (Capitol) 25JUSTIN MOORE/This Kind Of Town (Valory) 24JOSH TURNER/Lay Low (MCA) 22JON PARDI/When I've Been Drinkin' (Capitol) 14TOBY KEITH/Drunk Americans (Show Dog-Universal) 14KELSEA BALLERINI/Love Me Like You Mean It (Black River) 12BRETT ELDREDGE/Mean To Me (Atlantic/WMN) 10ERIC PASLAY/She Don't Love You (EMI Nashville) 10JOE NICHOLS/Hard To Be Cool (Red Bow) 10JOSH ABBOTT BAND/Hangin' Around (Atlantic/WEA) 10
ERIC PASLAY/She Don’t Love You (EMI Nashville) 1,171 points, 419 spins 10 adds: KEEY, KKBQ*, KKWF, KWJJ, KZSN, WCTK, WGGY, WKMK, WWQM, WYRK
CouNTRy AIRCheCK ACTIvITy
NovembeR 3DUSTIN LYNCH/Hell Of A Night (BBR)COLE SWINDELL/Ain’t Worth The Whiskey (Warner Bros./WMN)THE SWON BROS./Pray For You (Arista) DYLAN SCOTT/Lay It On Me (Sidewalk) DALLAS SMITH/Wastin’ Gas (Big Loud Mountain)
NovembeR 10CHASE RICE/Gonna Wanna Tonight (Columbia)
NovembeR 17HALEY & MICHAELS/Just Another Love Song (H&M/NewVision)
C H E C K O U T 1 0 / 2 7Sam Hunt Montevallo (MCA)Hunt’s debut album was produced by Zach Crowell and Shane McAnally and features the lead, gold-certified single “Leave The Night On.” He co-wrote all 10 tracks.
Gretchen Wilson Still Here For The Party (Redneck)The “Redneck Woman” celebrates the 10-year anniversary of her debut album with this live performance of the entire project, with Wilson’s daughter Grace adding vocals to “Chariot” this time around.
Darius Rucker Home For The Holidays (Capitol)Featuring classics plus two Rucker originals – “Candy Cane Christmas” and “What God Wants For Christmas” – the album also includes a duet with Sheryl Crow on the standard “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”
Stoney LaRue Aviator (eOne)The Texas Music star worked with producers Frank Liddell and Michael McCarthy on the album, which features lead single “Golden Shackles” and bonus track, “Studio A Jam.”
The LACS Nothing In Particular (BackRoad/Average Joes)As a tribute to their fans, the duo have unlocked the vault on this 11-track collection, which features songs not previously released.
LeAnn Rimes One Christmas - chapter 1 (Iconic) Rimes gets in the holiday spirit with songs including “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas,” “Blue Christmas” and “Carol Of The Bells.”
