© 2009 CMA Close Up ® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Tanya Tucker doesn’t intimidate easily. Since unleashing “Delta Dawn” at 13, she has stared down plenty of challenges. Still, when offered the opportunity to record an album of vault-enshrined Country classics, this two-time CMA Awards winner hesitated.

The problem wasn’t the material; she’d been singing these songs since she was a kid growing up in Arizona. Nor was it the fact that each song was identified closely with a male Country legend; Tucker has always had sufficient swagger and sass to deliver any song she took on with the braggadocio needed to make it totally hers, if not to erase comparisons to the original completely.

No, there were other reasons why she didn’t jump quickly into recording My Turn. For one thing, she hadn’t released a new studio album since Capitol Records Nashville issued Tanya in 2002. For another, she was still recovering from the death of her father and longtime manager, Beau Tucker, in 2006. And, frankly, Tucker didn’t know if audiences still cared about hearing her sing. So when Time Life came knocking at her door, she didn’t say yes immediately.

“I didn’t know what I was supposed to do,” she explained. “I was depressed — probably major depressed, actually. I’d lost my dad. I felt like I didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know if I really mattered anymore.”

Fortunately, the executives at Saguaro Road Records, Time Life’s fledgling imprint, weren’t in a hurry. Since they were the ones who had come up with the album concept, they were willing to wait as long as it took for Tucker to come onboard.

“One of the fun things we get to do is sit around and decide who we would like to record with and who we would ideally want to put them with,” said Mike Jason, Senior VP of Audio & Video Retail, Time Life and Saguaro Road Records. “And two names we came up with were Tanya Tucker and Pete Anderson. We thought, ‘Wow, Tanya doing classic Country songs, Pete adding that edgy, guitar-driven aspect to it.’ It took us six months to a year to catch up with both of them, get them on the phone to talk about songs and start the groundwork. But once it came together, it was fantastic.”

Anderson and Tucker clicked from the start. They spent hours sifting happily through their favorite Country standards, discussing arrangements and choosing keys. It was Anderson’s idea to recruit guest vocalists and musicians that included Flaco Jimenez, Jim Lauderdale, Jo-El Sonnier, Rhonda Vincent and her brother Darrin from Dailey and Vincent and members of The Grascals. But it wasn’t easy to narrow their choices down to the dozen tracks that ultimately made the album.

Initially, Anderson had about 20 songs and Tucker had 15 to consider. His proposals included Ray Price’s “Crazy Arms” and Buck Owens’ “Love’s Gonna Live Here,” while she contributed several tunes that were among her father’s favorites, including Charley Pride’s “Is Anybody Going to San Antone?,” Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues,” Merle Haggard’s “Ramblin’ Fever” and Eddy Arnold’s “You Don’t Know Me.”

“There were a couple of songs I wasn’t keen on in the beginning, like ‘Big, Big Love,’” Tucker said. “It’s a Wynn Stewart song. I love Wynn Stewart but he died young so I didn’t get a chance to hear a lot of his music growing up. If you mention Wynn Stewart to me, I think of ‘It’s Such a Pretty World Today.’ That was the song I wanted to do, but Pete was pretty adamant about doing ‘Big, Big Love.’ I honestly didn’t know if I could pull it off, if I could sing it the way it needed to be sung, but he convinced me to try it.” Good thing too, since Tucker now counts “Big, Big Love” among her favorites from the album.

My Turn became a labor of love for Tucker in an unexpected way. “It ended up being a tribute of sorts to my dad, a gift, because I don’t think I’d have fallen in love with Country Music if it weren’t for him,” she said. “He introduced me to this music when I was a little girl. My dad would spend his last dollar on something to help me practice my songs. He was always trying to get me to put more feeling into the songs. He’d say, ‘Sing it like Hank Williams would sing it!’”

He also gave her some sobering advice. “He said I had two strikes against me when I started my career. He said, ‘You’re young — and you’re a girl. So now you’re going to have to sing those songs with twice as much feeling as any guy,” Tucker remembered, with a laugh. “Well, it turned out that’s nothing unusual for me; that’s what I’ve always done. Most of the songs I’ve recorded were written by men. I’ve always liked singing songs with a male attitude.”

Did she feel any trepidation about reinterpreting some of Country Music’s most beloved chestnuts? Tucker laughed broadly. “You know, I never even thought about it. If I had, I probably wouldn’t have done it. No matter what you do, you just can’t do it like the originals, though we tried to stay pretty close to the way they were done originally. Of course, no matter what I do, it’s still going to sound like Tanya Tucker because I don’t really know any other way to sound.”

That’s fine with Anderson. “The biggest thing about this album is the way Tanya makes every song her own. She wasn’t intimidated at all by the fact that these are some of the biggest Country classics ever recorded or that they were made famous by men. Tanya takes over anything she sings. Let me tell you, I’ve worked with some of the greatest singers in the business,” said the producer, whose credits include Rosie Flores, k.d. lang, Michelle Shocked, Lucinda Williams and Dwight Yoakam. “And she’s as good as it gets. The whole concept for this album kind of evolved into ‘Tanya takes on the boys.’”

“We’re seeing a tremendous amount of online activity regarding Tanya,” said Jason. “She’s one of these artists who resonates well with every age group and demographic, so we’re finding our kind of marketing works really well for her. We did an iPhone application that allows people to track her tour dates, buy merchandise, link to the CD and do streaming and downloading. We’ll make sure that every time she’s anywhere in a market, our viral and online marketing efforts will let people know how they can buy tickets and CDs, and we’ll coordinate with a key Country station in the area through its Web site.”

Although Saguaro Road has released “Love’s Gonna Live Here” as the album’s first single and plans to follow with more, radio airplay isn’t a determining factor in its strategy for My Turn. “Because we don’t put out that many albums, we can afford to take our time and work each project,” said Jason. “We may well work this album for 18 months to two years. Tanya’s been fantastic about doing this.”

That feeling is mutual. “I’ve been so damned impatient my whole career,” said Tucker. “I’ve either been too late or too early, or ahead of my time or way behind it. What I really want now is to just be right on time. I’m really excited. This project feels like my stepping stone back into Country Music. Putting out this album of classic songs kind of lays the groundwork and introduces me to a whole new audience. It’s just amazing that people still want to hear about me after so many years.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up ® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Even if they never sang a note, Trailer Choir would turn heads just by walking out onstage. There’s Butter, the front man with the smooth delivery and sharp comic timing; Crystal, whose smile and soulful singing can light up any venue; and Big Vinny, whose determination to entertain would win over any crowd even if he didn’t happen to be a 400-pounder with a killer pop-worm dance move.

Not surprisingly, Trailer Choir broke in as a party act at clubs and frat houses throughout the Southeast. Gradually, they began road-testing originals between the hits they covered. By the time they’d landed their first gig in Nashville, they decided to present only their own material, just to see what happened.

What happened was an invitation from Toby Keith to showcase and sign with his record label, Show Dog Nashville, and then to join his “Big Dog Daddy Tour.” He even added their song “Off the Hillbilly Hook” to the soundtrack for his film “Beer for My Horses.”

Several producers are involved in the group's debut album, Off the Hillbilly Hook, with Keith at the console on some tracks, Butter and Mills Logan on others. But whether rollicking through “Rockin’ the Beer Gut,” lazing through a summer idyll on “Rollin’ Through the Sunshine” or riding the catchy chorus on the title cut, their sound is already as unique as their look.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS Q&A

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN A BIOPIC
BUTTER: “Mark Wahlberg.” CRYSTAL: “Julia Stiles or Hayden Panettiere (because I get that I look like her a lot).” VINNY: “John Goodman.”

WHAT YOU’D BE IF NOT AN ARTIST
BUTTER: “Standup comedian.” CRYSTAL: “A makeup artist — I’d be an artist of some form, doing something creative.” VINNY: “Sonic General Manager.”

SONG YOU WISH YOU’D WRITTEN
BUTTER: “‘Life’s a Dance.’” CRYSTAL: “‘The Dance.’” VINNY: “‘Whiskey Lullaby.’”

WORD OR PHRASE YOU SAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN
TRAILER CHOIR: “Holla!”

SONG YOU’D SECRETLY LIKE TO COVER
TRAILER CHOIR: “The Joker.”

SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER
VINNY:  “’Sexy Back’ by Justin Timberlake.”
CRYSTAL: “’Hero’ by Mariah Carey.”

CD IN YOUR STEREO
CRYSTAL: “Government Mule.” BUTTER: “Fergie.” VINNY: “Toby Keith, That Don’t Make Me A Bad Guy.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

It’s been seven years since Joe Nichols released his first album, Man with a Memory, so fans and music executives alike might feel confident that they have a pretty good handle on this artist and what he represents.

But with the release of his sixth album Old Things New on Oct. 27, Nichols challenges all the old ideas about who he is, mostly by challenging himself in ways he’s never done before. After putting a self-defeating relationship with alcohol behind him, the 2003 CMA Horizon Award winner found that his engagement with his music had changed dramatically. As documented on this new album, his voice grew more confident, his performances more connective. He undertook his first tour of Australia in February, his first appearances for U.S. troops in Iraq in June, and he has agreed to star for the first time on Broadway with a theatrical version of the George Strait musical “Pure Country,” expected to open in early 2010.

“I’m just more open to doing that stuff now than I ever have been,” Nichols said during a sunny afternoon chat at Universal Records South. Touring Australia, for example, “would have scared the hell out of me before. I’d probably be like, ‘I don’t want to go down there and mess with Australia. My God, what do we have in common with them?’ That’s the kind of stupid stuff I’d probably say.”

Old Things New definitely represents a major step in this artist’s evolution. It is, in some ways, like balancing modernity with an obvious respect for Country’s back story. The title track, written by Bill Anderson, Paul Overstreet and Buddy Cannon and featuring Vince Gill, vividly evokes the experience of listening to music in 1952; “This Bed’s Too Big,” by Gary Burr and Victoria Shaw, borrows from Western swing balladry; and “Man, Woman,” by Shawn Camp and Marv Green, has a sound reminiscent of Country in the ’70s, with a sad lyric encased within a buoyant melody.

Nichols delivers it all with conviction, his vocals veering between the refined masculinity of Merle Haggard and the raw emotionalism of Keith Whitley. In the process, the Arkansas native stakes out territory that belongs solely to him within the landscape of modern Country, though he remains a bit uneasy about that claim.

“It’s hard to listen to myself and say, ‘Yeah, I own that and that’s me,’” he admitted. “When I hear myself, I say, ‘Did I sing that like Merle Haggard? Did I sing that the way I would do it imitating him? Or did I do that trying to imitate Keith Whitley? Or, just a random thought, is that really me?’

“And here’s another thing,” Nichols mused. “There’s stuff on this album that doesn’t sound like any of the three of us. But it still comes out of me naturally. There are lots of moments like that, where I go, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool. I didn’t know I could do that.’ It’s really strange with this album. It’s unlike anything I’ve been through, in large part because I’m in a different place mentally.”

That fact is made exceedingly clear in the album’s final song, “An Old Friend of Mine,” by Rick Tiger and Brock Stalvey, in which the protagonist takes what he envisions as his last drink. This one strikes especially close to home, as Nichols went to rehab in October 2007, weeks after the release of his Real Things album, and began the process of reordering his life.

He has since done a major makeover. Nichols is now lean and muscular. He’s much more in touch with the spiritual part of his being. And he’s moved to Texas, which allows his wife Heather to be closer to her family and also provides some constructive space between his home life and his career.

“He just felt more consistent,” said Mark Wright, President, Universal Records South, who shared production credits on Old Things New with Brent Rowan. “He was just able to get into more of a groove. Joe Nichols is back and he’s better than ever.”

These positive changes in Nichols’ life are reflected in some alterations he undertook on the album itself. Originally the opening track was supposed to be “Cheaper than a Shrink.” Composed by Anderson, Cannon and Jamey Johnson, this raucous honky-tonk number laughingly holds up alcohol as an ideal replacement for therapy. Lyrically, however, it raised too many questions about the authenticity of the more sober and reflective final track. For that very reason, Nichols decided to change the sequencing and remove “Cheaper than a Shrink” from its leadoff position.

“I don’t want the message to be that I’m not serious about the guy that sings the last song on the album,” he insisted. “I think ‘Cheaper than a Shrink’ is hilarious. It’s funny to me. It’s a great-feeling song. I don’t think there’s any harm in saying it’s a funny way to look at this situation. I have been that guy.”

Still, Nichols emphasizes, “that guy” lives now only in his past. Instead, he noted, “I can sing about having eight kids. I haven’t got eight kids, but I can sing about it. And I can be believable too.”

Just as much as in his music, believability is critical in his decision to take on the lead role of “Pure Country.” Not only has Nichols never acted before, he has never even felt any strong desire to try. But when Bruce Phillips, an attorney friend who had been working on contracts for the Broadway production, met Nichols by chance at a Nashville grocery store and suggested that he could have a shot at the part, Nichols rolled the dice and read for it. Despite never having been coached on acting, he figured he could at least bring that much to the production, given that the character is a Country singer. Director Pete Masterson listened to him along with several actors based in New York who read for the part one morning, but Nichols’ performance made a strong enough impression for him to offer the artist the role over lunch that same day.

“He has kind of a bad-boy thing about him that you like — you like him anyway,” Masterson said. “I think that’s neat. And that’s what we would be trying to explore with him in the production.”

Numerous complications ensue for any production that aims to open on Broadway, particularly because of the unpredictability of schedules for plays and the theaters that present them. “Pure Country,” whose cast also features two-time CMA Awards winner Lorrie Morgan, could start later than planned, it could open and close immediately or it could open and run for years. If it does get off the ground, the schedule would involve eight performances per week with no specific end date. Even a successful launch, then, may pose problems for Nichols’ attempts to pursue his primary goals as a recording artist and touring performer.

“A lot of these things are potential dangers,” he conceded. “They create risk and they make everybody kind of nervous. But I’m a firm believer that this is there for a reason.”

The old Nichols probably would not have pursued something as foreign to his experience as “Pure Country.” But with old things made new, he is open to and ready for the challenge.

“I’ll try anything,” he insisted. “As long as it’s healthy, as long as it grows, I’m open to hearing what the possibilities are.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Produced by J. R. Rodriguez and Phil O’Donnell, Arrivals & Departures, Darren Kozelsky’s debut on Major Seventh Entertainment, conveys a restless, rough-edged energy. Backed by the band he’s fronted in clubs all along the Lone Star circuit, Kozelsky sounds right at home with steel-sweetened ballads as well as rowdy showstoppers, delivering these 14 songs (and one extended version of "When I Get There") with urgent but good-spirited intensity.

He discovered Country Music as a child while working at his dad’s car shop in Ballinger, Texas. Their radio pumped a stream of Merle Haggard, George Jones, Willie Nelson, George Strait and a singer who is honored on Kozelsky’s single, “Seven Vern Gosdins Ago.” Written by Liz Hengber and Arlos Smith, this waltz-time lament profiles a casualty of romance who would be doing just fine if only that jukebox would stop playing heartbreak songs. Kozelsky tells this story perfectly, with a sensitivity to its pathos and humor that applies equally well to the next track, “When I Get There” by Monty Criswell and Wade Kirby, when he belts the climactic line, “I want to go where the beer is cheap,” with completely believable conviction.

Finding material this suitable was more important to Kozelsky than packing the album with original songs for their own sake. “I’m not going to put a song on the record simply because I wrote it,” he said. “I’m not going to force something. If it’s something that I relate to then I’m totally comfortable cutting it.”

Kozelsky did join with Seth Borsellino and Chris Claridy to write the title track, on which lessons of life unfold along images of trains rolling toward horizons as distant as the edges of Texas itself. This superb writing hopefully forecasts what’s to come from this gifted artist.

IN HIS OWN WORDS Q&A

MUSICAL HERO
“George Strait.”

WORD YOU SAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN
“Dude.”

FAVORITE FOOD ON THE ROAD
“Mexican.”

FIRST GIG
“A wedding reception in San Angelo, Texas. We had a blast even though we played horribly, but at the time we thought we sounded great.”

SOMETHING WE’D NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU
“I am so thankful that I have both of my feet. At the age of 5, my right foot was cut up really bad by a lawn mower. After numerous surgeries and many answered prayers, I was blessed to live my life with both feet on the ground.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The music industry can seem like a labyrinth. Destinations are clear, but the paths toward them are prone to run head-on, double back and, too often, terminate in dead ends.

CMA Industry InSite offers a roadmap through this tangled terrain. Developed by CMA’s Artist Relations Committee under the leadership of its Chairman, Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, and Vice Chairman Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts, as part of CMA’s ongoing strategic mission to serve as an industry resource, this project makes complex issues easier to understand through 11-minute Webisodes. Each of these covers one aspect of the business and is posted on the third Monday of every month at the CMA members-only Web site My.CMAworld.com.

Episode 3 went online in July. “The Record Label Machine” follows the approach of the two previous installments, on Publishing and Artist Management, by mixing reflections from leaders in the field into a clear presentation enhanced by graphics, commentary and a bit of humor.

The topic is addressed generally at first, as the participants explain what makes labels vital. Their emphasis is on business, with CMA Board President Randy Goodman, President, Lyric Street and Carolwood Records, describing himself and his counterparts as “music venture capitalists.” As a specific example, he noted how Lyric Street built “a small company called Rascal Flatts into a global brand.”

Acknowledging that this terminology may puzzle up-and-coming artists, narrator Alex Kendig introduced a floor plan of a hypothetical record label office. One by one, the different departments are highlighted, beginning with A&R and continuing through Publicity/Media, Radio Promotion, Digital Service Providers and Marketing/Sales.

One key contribution of each label is its ability to coordinate and, equally important, finance the activities of these departments. Mike Dungan, President and CEO, Capitol Records Nashville, estimated that it costs about $1 million to launch a new artist. Joe Galante, Chairman, Sony Music Nashville, broke that into physical production, advertising and other components and added, “You see these dollar signs rolling by.”

This explains why labels hesitate to take risks with artists that seem unlikely to generate a return on their investment. But artists are advised to approach label deals with caution too. For example, Fletcher Foster, Senior VP and GM, Universal Records South, suggested that male artists might consider signing with labels whose talent rosters are dominated by women.

The focus stays on business as the impact of digital distribution and the advent of the “360 deal” are examined. Though negotiations between artists and prospective labels can be tough, the bottom line remains that these two players are as vital to each other as they ever have been. “If you want big success,” Dungan summed up, “you need the machine that goes behind it.”

Taking that step can start with Episode 4, “The Music Rule of Law.” Posted in August, it emphasizes the importance of legal representation. After an amusing intro, complete with stern music punctuated by gavel-like beats, the lesson begins with intellectual property, whose chief divisions as far as music is concerned are copyrights and trademarks. Their relevance is made clear by Duff Berschback, VP, Business Affairs, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, who observed, “The most valuable thing a band owns is its name.”

Whether the focus is stage names or songs, ownership is critical in a business built around intellectual property. It is therefore important to find an attorney who is not only knowledgeable in these areas but specifically in their application to music, especially in digital distribution and other areas of increasing importance. “To be effective, you have to know how to be a lawyer but you also have to know the entertainment business,” said Rusty Jones, Attorney, Harris, Martin, Jones, Shrum, Bradford & Wommack P.A.

“The legal issues aren’t necessarily new,” said Berschback, while discussing the impact of digital downloading and social networks. “It’s just new circumstances that test and stretch the old legal issue.”

Billing depends on a number of circumstances, including whether an attorney is retained for a single assignment such as contract negotiation or for ongoing relationships; the Webisode explores typical terms for various options. And Tyler Middleton of Baker & Kelly PLLC (B&K) cautioned that long-term arrangements in particular should include the right of the client to audit an attorney’s charges. “It’s not a malicious thing or a sneaky thing,” she said. “It’s simply about administrative and human error.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Nathan Lee Jackson nourished his talent with a regimen of piano lessons, church choirs, talent contests and opening slots at shows around Winchester, Ky. Moving to Nashville after high school graduation, he followed the well-trod path into the music business, though with two unusual advantages. The first was one of his roommates, Billy Strange’s former wife, who happily introduced the young newcomer to her industry friends.

The second was Jackson’s artistry. His expressive vocals and the dramatic poetry of his lyrics resonated on a recording he’d made of his ballad, “Powerful,” which caught the ear of Jeff Glixman. With deep roots in classic rock, the producer related to this intensity and, with Zak Rizvi co-producing, helmed Complicated Hearts, Jackson’s StarCity Recording Company debut, with Jackson's wife Stephanie among the participants.

On 14 tracks, including 12 co-writes and the self-penned “Powerful.” This album weaves a complex tapestry of influences and unusual arrangements, from two a cappella tracks to the jazzy ballad “Kentucky Breeze,” written by Jackson and Jesse Lingo, and the tightly harmonized fiddles and screaming lead of “Sittin’ by the River,” written by Jackson and Jim Femino. There’s Country in the steel guitar on the new single, “Desperate Man,” by Jackson and Bud Tower. But here too there’s edginess in the power guitar driving home a story of finding God at a moment of final reckoning. Throughout Complicated Hearts, Jackson swings for the fences and connects every time.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS Q&A

MUSICAL HERO “Garth Brooks. Ropin’ the Wind was one of the first albums I owned, and ‘The River’ was the first solo I sang in church.”

SONG YOU’D LOVE TO COVER “‘Two Sparrows in a Hurricane’ by Tanya Tucker. I loved that song as a kid and it applies to my life now more than ever.”

CD IN YOUR STEREO “Nichole Nordeman’s Wide Eyed.”

FAVORITE FOOD ON THE ROAD “Free food!”

DREAM DUET PARTNER “My wife Stephanie … however, if Stephanie was at home, sick with the flu, and LeAnn Rimes just happened to want to sing a duet with me on the CMAs, I guess, through my tears, I would enjoy that thoroughly.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

In the early hours of Sept. 9, an unlikely combination of professional focus and eager anticipation, intensified by the hushed volumes of conversation and the countdown of the clock, set the mood at Studio 330, inside the Downtown Nashville headquarters of CMT. At 9 AM, on-air personalities Cody Alan and Alecia Davis and special guest Randy Houser would go live with “Insider Special Edition: 2009 CMA Awards Nominations.” But as the crew checked lighting and sound, the excitement next door, in the Green Room, was somewhat less restrained. Members of the media and other guests crowded onto a couch, several chairs and a few crates as another live broadcast, from ABC’s “Good Morning America,” lit the television screen.

Over the next several minutes, viewers watched as ABC News correspondent Robin Roberts joined Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack in the New York studios. Their chemistry was relaxed as they bantered back and forth, the conversation flowing easily from the strong bonds between artists and fans to shoes Womack chose to wear for her appearance. But listeners in Nashville, and around the United States and beyond, paid special attention as Rucker and Womack revealed the names of the nominees in five CMA Awards categories. Almost simultaneously, the information flashed onto phone screens or was forwarded in quick viral messages.

All of this set the stage for Alan, Davis and Houser to announce the nominees in the remaining seven categories. Houser, who was surprised that morning with news of his own two nominations, took his place on the stage and joked with his colleagues as the seconds ticked down.

“I’ll just start making it up,” he said, playfully riffling through the cards that listed each group of finalists. “I’ll just start nominating my friends.”

Of course, all three stuck to the script as the show began. And between interludes that included pre-recorded interviews by CMT’s Katie Cook with CMA Awards co-hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, they revealed a list of names that included longtime favorites as well as some first-timers.

“It is great for the format and speaks to the strength of our music and talent of our artists that there are so many new faces on the list of nominees this year,” said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. “With more than a quarter of the nominees making their debuts, representing a variety of major and independent record labels, there will be a heightened level of excitement and anticipation for the CMA Awards in November.”

In the final tally, Brad Paisley topped the list of finalists with seven nominations for Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for American Saturday Night, produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois; Single and Song for “Then” (for writing the song, DuBois and Ashley Gorley shared this nomination with Paisley); Musical Event and Music Video for “Start a Band” with Keith Urban, directed by Jim Shea.

Urban shared those Musical Event and Music Video nominations with Paisley for “Start a Band” as two of five that he received, along with Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Album for Defying Gravity. He is eligible to win a second trophy in the Album category for producing Defying Gravity with Dann Huff, who is also a nominee for Musician of the Year.

Jamey Johnson, George Strait, Taylor Swift and Zac Brown, frontman for the Zac Brown Band, each received four nominations.

George Strait is in the running for Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Music Video for “Troubadour,” directed by Trey Fanjoy; and Musical Event with Lee Ann Womack for “Everything But Quits” — a category both won for “Good News, Bad News” in 2005. Strait now has 79 career CMA Awards nominations, which ties him with Alan Jackson for the most nominations to date. He also leads the trophy count with 22.

Taylor Swift’s four nominations include her first for Entertainer — the first time since Faith Hill’s nomination in 2000 that a solo female artist has been proposed for this honor. (Shania Twain was the last to win it, in 1999). Swift, who won the Horizon Award in 2007, is also in the running for Female Vocalist category in which she was nominated for the first time in 2008, and Music Video for “Love Story,” with Trey Fanjoy directing. In another first for the 19-year-old artist, she is nominated for Album for Fearless, for which she may also receive a second trophy for producing with Nathan Chapman.

Jamey Johnson’s list of nominations includes New Artist; Single and Song for “In Color,” which he co-wrote with Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto; and Album for That Lonesome Song, produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys. These are Johnson’s first artist nominations, but as a songwriter he won Song of the Year in 2007 for George Strait’s “Give It Away,” which he co-wrote with Bill Anderson and Buddy Cannon.

Zac Brown claims his first CMA Awards nominations, three of them with his self-named group and one for penning their hit “Chicken Fried.” The Zac Brown Band received nominations for New Artist, Vocal Group and Single for “Chicken Fried,” which Keith Stegall produced. Brown picked up the additional nomination for Song for writing “Chicken Fried” with Wyatt Durrette.

Kenny Chesney’s victories as Entertainer in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 tie him with Garth Brooks for the most wins in that category. He is nominated for this distinction again, as well as for Male Vocalist and Musical Event, the latter with Mac McAnally for “Down the Road.” McAnally is also contending for Musician of the Year along with Eddie Bayers, Paul Franklin and Brent Mason.

Darius Rucker wasn’t just handing out good news on “Good Morning America,” he was receiving it as well. Celebrated initially as lead vocalist and songwriter for the pop group Hootie & The Blowfish, Rucker is recognized as a solo Country artist with his first CMA Awards nominations, for Male Vocalist and New Artist. His Awards debut came in 2008 as a performer.

After winning Female Vocalist in 2006, 2007 and 2008, Carrie Underwood returns with two nominations. She’s up for Female Vocalist and Musical Event, for “I Told You So,” featuring Randy Travis. For writing that song, Travis picked up a nomination for Song of the Year. His original version was nominated for Single and Song in 1988.

A victory in the Female Vocalist category would tie Underwood for most wins in that category with Martina McBride (1999, 2002–2004) and Reba McEntire (1984–1987). McBride and McEntire are each nominated for Female Vocalist, along with Miranda Lambert.

McEntire is nominated as well for Musical Event for her performance on “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” with Brooks & Dunn. This brings her career total for nominations to 48 — the highest achieved to date by any female artist in the 43-year history of the Awards.

Brooks & Dunn have been presented with 19 trophies throughout their career, and in 2009 in addition to sharing the Musical Event nomination with McEntire they are nominated for a record 14th time for Vocal Duo.

Last year’s Vocal Duo winner, Sugarland, is nominated for that title again, along with Album for Love on the Inside. Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles may also each win a trophy for producing that album with Byron Gallimore.

Other contenders in the Vocal Duo listing are Big & Rich, Joey + Rory in their first Awards nomination, and Montgomery Gentry.

Until 2008, it was a long dry spell for the Eagles between their nominations for Vocal Group; they were among the finalists in 1976 and 1977 before earning nominations in 2008 and again in 2009. The Zac Brown Band is the new addition to the category along with returning nominees Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town and Rascal Flatts, who have swept the Vocal Group category the past six years. Reigning New Artist of the Year Lady Antebellum also received a second nomination for Single for “I Run to You,” produced by Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley.

Artists debuting in the New Artist category include Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, Darius Rucker and the Zac Brown Band. (Artists can be nominated in this category only twice.)

Houser also earned a Music Video nomination for “Boots On,” which was directed by Eric Welch. Rounding out that category is Billy Currington’s “People Are Crazy,” directed by The Brads. That song also picked up nominations for Single and Song, for writers Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones. Currington, who has two nominations, can receive an additional trophy for producing Single with Carson Chamberlain. His last CMA Awards nomination was in 2005, for Musical Event with Shania Twain for “Party for Two.”

Making their debut in the Musical Event category are The Raconteurs with Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe, for “Old Enough.” Raconteurs frontman Jack White, of The White Stripes and The Dead Weather, is no stranger to the format, having produced Loretta Lynn’s critically acclaimed album Van Lear Rose. In 1999, Skaggs received his last nomination in this category for “Same Old Train,” which included a veritable Who’s Who of Country stars.

CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the more than 6,000 industry professional members of CMA. The first “CMA Awards Banquet and Show” was held in 1967. The following year, NBC aired its first broadcast of the CMA Awards. The event has broadcast every year since then, making it the longest-running annual music awards program on network television. NBC aired it through 1971 and CBS from 1972 through 2005 before the broadcast premiered on ABC in 2006.

Winners of “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards” will be determined in a final round of online voting by eligible CMA members up to 5 PM/CT on Nov. 3. CMA Awards balloting is officiated by the international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

Nominees may inform CMA voting members through mail and e-mail services. Information is available at www.CMAemailservice.com. 

CMA Individual Sterling and Organizational members may purchase Awards tickets at My.CMAworld.com. CMA Individual Regular members and the public may purchase tickets through www.Ticketmaster.com, 1-800- 745-3000 or the Sommet Center at 501 Broadway in Nashville.

“The 43rd Annual CMA Awards,” Country Music’s Biggest Night, broadcasts live Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8–11 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network from the Sommet Center in Downtown Nashville.  Reigning CMA Male and Female Vocalist of the Year Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return for a second year to host “County Music’s Biggest Night.”

Visit www.CMAawards.com for information on Awards nominees and past winners, highlights, games, merchandise and Radio Player, offering music playable as a stream or on demand for specific titles. Join the CMA Mob, sign up for CMA Exclusive and visit CMA’s Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and other networks.

2009 CMA AWARDS NOMINEES

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Keith Urban

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
Darius Rucker
George Strait
Keith Urban

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Randy Houser
Jamey Johnson
Jake Owen
Darius Rucker
Zac Brown Band

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Eagles
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Producer)
“Chicken Fried”
Zac Brown Band
Produced by Keith Stegall
Atlantic Records

“I Run To You”
Lady Antebellum
Produced by Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley
Capitol Records Nashville

“In Color”
Jamey Johnson
Produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys
Mercury Nashville

“People Are Crazy”
Billy Currington
Produced by Carson Chamberlain and Billy Currington
Mercury Nashville

“Then”
Brad Paisley
Produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois
Arista Nashville

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Producer)
American Saturday Night
Brad Paisley
Produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois
Arista Nashville

Defying Gravity
Keith Urban
Produced by Dann Huff and Keith Urban
Capitol Records Nashville

Fearless
Taylor Swift
Produced by Nathan Paul Chapman and Taylor Swift
Big Machine Records

Love On The Inside
Sugarland
Produced by Byron Gallimore, Kristian Bush, and Jennifer Nettles
Mercury Nashville

That Lonesome Song
Jamey Johnson
Produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys
Mercury Records

SONG OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Songwriter(s))
“Chicken Fried”
Zac Brown/Wyatt Durrette

“I Told You So”
Randy Travis

“In Color”
Jamey Johnson/Lee Thomas Miller/James Otto

“People Are Crazy”
Bobby Braddock/Troy Jones

“Then”
Brad Paisley/Chris DuBois/Ashley Gorley

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to each Artist)
“Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire
Arista Nashville

“Down The Road”
Kenny Chesney (with Mac McAnally)
Blue Chair Records, LLC & BNA Records

“Everything But Quits”
Lee Ann Womack (duet with George Strait)
MCA Nashville

“I Told You So”
Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis
19 Recordings/Arista Nashville

“Old Enough”
The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe
Third Man Records/Warner Bros. Records

“Start A Band”
Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban)
Arista Nashville

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Director)
“Boots On”
Randy Houser
Directed by Eric Welch

“Love Story”
Taylor Swift
Directed by Trey Fanjoy

“People Are Crazy”
Billy Currington
Directed by The Brads

“Start A Band”
Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban)
Directed by Jim Shea

“Troubadour”
George Strait
Directed by Trey Fanjoy

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Eddie Bayers– Drums
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
Dann Huff – Guitar
Brent Mason – Guitar
Mac McAnally – Guitar

REACTIONS FROM SOME OF THE CMA AWARDS NOMINEES

“It is an honor to be recognized by the CMA membership. I am an avid supporter as well as a member for all that CMA does for us to support and promote the genre and for many that are in need, with how CMA gives to charity from CMA Music Festival proceeds.”
Eddie Bayers Musician of the Year

“This nomination makes me ever mindful of my blessings and humbly grateful to all who voted for our song.”
Bobby Braddock Song of the Year

“So much of what we do to make an album is in a windowless 2 AM environment. To be so lucky as to have that work nominated and brought to light is beyond humbling and words can’t describe how I felt when the nominations came out. To be nominated as co-producer with such an extraordinary artist/entertainer/ singer/songwriter as Taylor is just one of the coolest things red-headed bald guys can say they’ve done — unless of course you’re Ron Howard. He’s pretty cool too.”
Nathan Paul Chapman Album of the Year

“The more you do this, the more those nominations mean. You realize what it takes to receive an honor like this, especially from your peers who make it happen and know the work and commitment it takes. You’ve got to be humbled knowing what you do is recognized. … Moments like this force you to slow down and think about everything that goes into a nomination like this — all the pieces, the team who helps you pull stuff like this off and especially the faces of the fans when you’re on a gator in the parking lot or flying over them on that swing we used for entrances this year. Obviously, I want to win Entertainer. But looking at all of this, thinking about everything we’ve seen and done, in some ways I’ve already won because of the memories we made.”
Kenny Chesney Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Musical Event of the Year

“Watching the CMA Awards as a kid, I always said, ‘One day, I’m going to be on there.’ So this is a huge, huge thing. Finally, I feel like somebody actually listened. That’s all you could ever ask for.”
Randy Houser New Artist and Music Video of the Year

“I spend more of my time producing records than playing, so I’m aware of the high level of musicianship in this town because of the guys I hire. To be nominated amongst them is a high honor. I appreciate being in that category.”
Dann Huff Album and Musician of the Year

“Wahoo! We’re dancing a jig on our kitchen floor! Today is Joey’s birthday — and what a birthday surprise. Thanks to everyone!”
Rory Feek of Joey + Rory Vocal Duo of the Year

“Being halfway around the world and hearing that we got two CMA nominations is totally surreal. We’re so far from home, but we’re also really connected to Nashville because there are so many fans over here who absolutely love Country Music. Being in the ‘Group of the Year’ category is just unbelievable because we feel like we’re only getting started. We still have so much to write about and say and do as artists. We honestly will never get used to seeing our name in the same category as the Eagles or Rascal Flatts.”
Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum Vocal Group and Single of the Year

“We work so hard at songwriting and trying to find subjects and sounds that resonate with people, so getting our first No. 1 hit and now a CMA nomination for ‘I Run to You’ totally blows my mind. It definitely helps us validate quitting our old day jobs to start a band.”
Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum Vocal Group and Single of the Year

“Each time I’ve been nominated, it’s very validating but also very surreal to see my name listed next to legends like Reba. I mean, Reba McEntire … There is no higher in Country Music.”
Miranda Lambert Female Vocalist of the Year

“It’s really cool to be included among all these other great artists and we’re incredibly grateful to have our music recognized by our peers.”
Jimi Westbrook of Little Big Town Vocal Group of the Year

“I’m a guy that is hard to surprise, at a point in life that makes surprise even less likely. Yet here I sit with a CMA Awards nomination for singing a song with a real good friend, surprised as all git out. And when you wake up in the morning with music in your head (and hands and heart), it is truly a blessing to recognized for making music. Thanks to CMA for validating my license to pick. I’m honored.”
Mac McAnally Musical Event and Musician of the Year

“I’d like to thank my wife Julie, my daughter Zoe and everyone in CMA who voted for me … Wait … Oh, I’m just being nominated! Sorry … It’s still an honor."
Brent Mason Musician of the Year
 

“When we originally wrote 'In Color,’ I knew it was special and for it to be acknowledged by our peers and the CMA is extremely rewarding. Jamey Johnson's performance of the song is amazing. He deserves every accolade he has received.”
James Otto Song of the Year

“Everything with this record has been wild, and this really caps the year we’ve had with these two honors.”
Darius Rucker Male Vocalist and New Artist of the Year

“It’s an honor to be considered. Congrats to Zac and the band for a stellar year of Love, Peace and Chicken Grease.”
Keith Stegall Single of the Year

“This is our first nomination in the category for Album of the Year,” said Kristian Bush. Jennifer Nettles continued, “And we are thrilled. Writing is a joy for us and we loved putting our songs together for this album. Besides, what’s more satisfying than being honored for a collection of your scars, dreams and total dysfunction?”
Sugarland Vocal Duo and Album of the Year

“I am jumping up and down surrounded by dogs and my mom and screaming like it’s Christmas morning. I’ll never forget this.”
Taylor Swift Entertainer, Female Vocalist, Album and Music Video of the Year

“I am thrilled that a new generation of young Country fans have had the opportunity to hear ‘I Told You So’ and are enjoying it once again. The song means so much to me, and to be able to collaborate with Carrie Underwood was pure joy.”
Randy Travis Musical Event and Song of the Year

“I am always so honored to receive award nominations, but this year I am even more thrilled to share a nomination with Randy Travis. Collaborating with him on ‘I Told You So’ was a dream come true, and I am especially happy for him to be nominated for Song of the Year as the sole writer of this beautiful song.”
Carrie Underwood Female Vocalist and Musical Event of the Year

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Final nominees for the nation’s top Country radio stations and broadcast personalities were delivered to Country radio on Sept. 9, when Chuck Wicks revealed the CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year finalists live from Premiere Radio Networks’ New York City studios.

A tough race to call this year is who will claim bragging rights for the CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year. Nominee Bob Kingsley has won the trophy two times, in 2001, which was the inaugural year for the Award, and 2003. Lia Knight was nominated in 2003 and won in both 2005 and 2007. Nominated for the first time in 2008, Kix Brooks, of Brooks & Dunn, host of “American Country Countdown,” is nominated again in 2009 and if he wins it would be the first time that a County artist would claim a CMA Broadcast Awards trophy.

Five finalists are selected for CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year in four categories defined by market size based on population as ranked by Arbitron (Major, Large, Medium and Small market).

Entries for CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement and biographical information. Candidates for CMA Radio Station of the Year are judged on airchecks, ratings history, community involvement and format leadership. Three finalists are selected for CMA National Broadcast Personality all of whom must be syndicated, short-form, hub voice-tracking and satellite personalities heard in at least three markets with a minimum of 40 shows per year.

CMA members who are full-time, on-air personalities and CMA member radio stations in the United States and Canada were eligible to enter. Entries are judged by a panel of distinguished broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions.

Winners are determined by an aggregate score of the first round and a decision by a different panel of judges for the second round. The international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche, LLP tabulates scoring by the judges.

CMA Broadcast Awards winners are not eligible to enter in consecutive years, therefore, those who received trophies in 2008 were not eligible in 2009. Winners will be notified in mid-October and acknowledged on “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards.”

“The 43rd Annual CMA Awards,” Country Music’s Biggest Night, broadcasts live Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8–11 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network from the Sommet Center in Downtown Nashville.  Reigning CMA Male and Female Vocalist of the Year Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return for a second year to host “County Music’s Biggest Night.”

CMA Individual Sterling and Organizational members may purchase Awards tickets at My.CMAworld.com. CMA Individual Regular members and the public may purchase tickets through www.Ticketmaster.com, 1-800- 745-3000 or the Sommet Center at 501 Broadway in Nashville.

Visit www.CMAawards.com for information on Awards nominees and past winners, highlights, games, merchandise and Radio Player, offering music playable as a stream or on demand for specific titles. Join the CMA Mob, sign up for CMA Exclusive and visit CMA’s Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and other networks.

2009 CMA BROADCAST AWARDS FINALISTS

CMA BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
National
“American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Citadel Media

“Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40” (Bob Kingsley) – KCCS Productions, Inc.

“The Lia Show” (Lia Knight)  – Dial Global

Major Market
“The All New Dr. Don Morning Show with Doc, Grunwald, Rachael, and Jason” (Don Carpenter, Steve Grunwald, Rachael Hunter, Jason “The 300 Pound Cowboy” Raithel) – WYCD, Detroit, Mich.

“Cliff and Company: Cliff, Morgan, Tanner, and Tori” (Cliff Dumas, Morgan Thomas, Bill Tanner, Tori Peck) – KSON, San Diego, Calif.

“The Cornbread Morning Show featuring Cornbread, Pat James, Producer Annie, Father

Harry, and Captain Mac” (Cornbread, Pat James, Annie Henson, Harry Schroeder, Mac “Captain Mac” Douglas) – WIL, St. Louis, Mo.

“The Laurie De Young Morning Show” (Laurie De Young) – WPOC, Baltimore, Md.

“Paul Schadt and Sarah in the Morning” (Paul Schadt, Sarah Waters) – WKKT, Charlotte, N.C.

Large Market
“Bucky & Bob: The Talk of Austin” (Bucky Godbolt, Bob Cole) – KVET, Austin, Texas

“Chris Carr & Company” – (Chris Carr, Jeffrey “Maverick” Bolen, Jason Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio

“Jeff Roper in the Morning” (Jeff Roper, Angie Ward, Adam “Flash” Dellinger) – WTQR, Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, N.C.

“Jim Denny and Friends” (Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt, Kevin Freeman) – WFMS, Indianapolis, Ind.

“Karen, Scott and Radar…The Moo Crew” (Karen Dalessandro, Scott Dolphin, Tony “Radar” Hess) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.

Medium Market
“The 97 Country Breakfast Club with Roger, Tom, and Melissa” (Roger Todd, Tom O’Brien, Melissa Moran) – WPCV, Lakeland, Fla.

“Brian and Kellie Morning Show” (Brian Pierce, Kellie Michaels) – KFDI, Wichita, Kan.

“The Kat 103 Morning Show with Steve Lundy, Gina, and Craig (Steve Lundy, Gina Melton, Craig Allen) – KXKT, Omaha, Neb.

“Tom & Becky in the Morning” (Tom Owens, Becky Palmer) – WBBS, Syracuse, N.Y.

“WIVK at Night with Jack Ryan” (Jack Ryan) – WIVK, Knoxville, Tenn.

Small Market
“Barrett, Fox & Berry” (Bill Barrett, Tim Fox, Tracy Berry) – KKNU, Eugene, Ore.

“Bearman and Ken in the Morning” (Benny “Bearman” Martin, Ken Hicks) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.

“Gator & The StyckMan” (Gator Harrison, Greg “StyckMan” Owens) – WGSQ, Cookeville, Tenn.

“Mee in the Morning” (Kevin Mee, Brenda Mee) – KIZN, Boise, Idaho

“Middays with Philip Gibbons” (Philip Gibbons) – WGSQ, Cookeville, Tenn.

CMA RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR

Major Market
KMPS – Seattle/Tacoma, Wash.
KYGO – Denver/Boulder, Colo.
WPOC – Baltimore, Md.
WUSN – Chicago, Ill.
WYCD – Detroit, Mich.

Large Market
KAJA – San Antonio, Texas
KASE – Austin, Texas
WQDR – Raleigh, N.C.
WTQR – Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, N.C.
WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio

Medium Market
KSSN – Little Rock, Ark.
KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.
KXKT – Omaha, Neb.
WBBS – Syracuse, N.Y
WGNA – Albany/Schenectady/Troy, N.Y.

Small Market
WAXX – Eau Claire, Wis.
WBKR – Owensboro, Ky.
WKSF – Asheville, N.C.
WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn.
WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.

REACTIONS FROM SOME OF THE CMA BROADCAST AWARDS FINALISTS

“When I was first approached about hosting ‘American Country Countdown’ it was a head-scratcher! I’m sure it left the longstanding ACC affiliates wondering, ‘Is this guy serious?’ It definitely left me wondering, ‘Can I be worthy of such an important job? A year or so later I was in L.A. with Ronnie Dunn, receiving our star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and looking at Gene Autry’s star. I found out later that he’s the only recipient ever to receive three stars, for music, radio and the movies. I realize I’m not Gene Autry, and my movie career is not exactly on fire, but it certainly inspired me to make his memory proud, as well as the memories of Eddy Arnold, Carl Smith and other Country singers who got their start in radio. I couldn’t be more excited about how far we’ve come and how many exciting new ideas we have on the table! My entire production team is laughing, crying, serious-thinking and I’ve gone from being a nervous wreck to truly looking forward to getting into the ACC studio to record the show each week. This CMA nomination is a very important acknowledgment of our hard work. It means the world to me and I thank everyone who is a part of this success, including each of our great affiliates. All the fans who listen each week know they can count on ‘American Country Countdown’ to bring them behind-the-scenes stories, the best songs and the biggest stars in Country Music — and one grateful Country singer having the time of his life!”
Kix Brooks | “American Country Countdown”

“It’s hard to describe the feeling that comes with being nominated. It’s a lot of things: gratitude, affection for the industry, pride in the team that puts the show together. It never gets old. I’ve never lost the thrill that goes with counting them down and sharing the stories behind the songs. That moment behind the microphone ties it all together for me — the artists, the fans, the music. I get to be right there in the midst of all that positive energy, doing what I love. To be nominated, to have earned the trust and appreciation of my friends in Country Music, means the world to me.”
Bob Kingsley | “Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40”

“KAJA feels very fortunate to have been nominated. It made our day here in San Antonio. We all feel very proud of our accomplishments over the past 12 months, so this huge honor caps off an incredible year. Thanks to all at CMA!”
George King | KAJA

“We’re so touched to be honored by the Carpet Manufacturers Association. I hope the prize is shag.”
Tracy Berry | KKNU

“I freaked out immediately when I got the news. I danced with my wife, our little girl and our dog. I phoned all the team members and shared the news. They were absolutely thrilled. Being recognized by CMA is a career peak for anybody. It’s an incredible accomplishment. Our thanks to you and our listeners, who make this possible. I’m excited at the success of this radio station and this great team."
Cliff Dumas | KSON

“To hear that we had been nominated was very exciting news. It’s always an honor to be recognized by your peers and to be alongside the other outstanding stations. None of this would be possible without our listeners and the great team we have at KSSN.”
Chad Heritage | KSSN

“We’re proud to be honored as one of the country’s better Country stations. We won in 1998 and 2002 and I’d love to see us front and center again.”
Evan Bridwell | KUZZ

“We’ve worked really hard to give back to our community. With the help of our wonderful listeners, we’ve been able to raise more than $1 million for 40 charitable causes and events in the Omaha area. The children and charities mean the world to us. We surely don’t do it for the Awards. However, recognition from CMA is a true honor. Thank you so much.”
Erik Johnson | KXKT

“It is pretty incredible to think that there are close to 2,000 Country radio stations in the United States and we are honored and blessed to be one of the Top 5 in our categories. We accept these nominations on behalf of the entire Central New York community. It is a total culmination of listener participation, the contributions of time and effort they put into charity work and the support they give to Country Music.”
Tom Owens and Becky Palmer | WBBS

“Jim, Kevin and I are humbled by the nomination and feel fortunate to be among such great talent. We are extremely excited by the recognition of our peers in the radio industry. We are fans of Country Music and couldn’t be more grateful to work among Hoosiers in our home state.”
Deborah Honeycutt | WFMS

“This nomination validates all of the hard work my staff and I conduct each year. This honor is also representative of the very tight and honored relationships WGNA has with Country Music, its performers and the people who market it to the masses. It is most of all a true honor because my peers, fellow broadcasters and programmers were the ones who voted. To be one of five stations nominated nationally is a blessing — but I would be remiss if I didn’t say, ‘We want to win this one for Albany, N.Y.!’”
Tom “Jake” Jacobsen | WGNA

“This is my first CMA nomination and I feel honored and blessed to be recognized by my peers. And it’s terrific that my co-workers, Gator and The StyckMan, hosts of the morning show, are up for the same Award. Country Music is my life. I’ve been in the industry for 35 years, and I’ve spent all of them in radio on The Country Giant, 94.7. It’s a blessing and an honor.”
Philip Gibbons | WGSQ

“CMA Awards is the World Series, the Super Bowl, of Country Music, and to be nominated is an honor that most don’t get to taste. I feel privileged because we are the only format that makes a big deal about who we are and that’s what makes me the proudest. The CMAs is Country pride.”
Cornbread | WIL

“As a lifetime CMA member, it’s a privilege every year to vote for Country Music’s best entertainers. Now to be nominees with some of our industry’s most entertaining broadcasters is truly an honor.”
Pat James | WIL

“To be nominated feels like something in the middle of my Tennessee Volunteers winning a football game and that thrill you get when you go upside down on the Mystery Mine at Dollywood. This is the fifth year in a row 'WIVK at Night' has been included on this prestigious list. And while a trophy would look mighty nice on the mantel above my fireplace, the certificate on the wall next to the mantel looks pretty good too. Thanks, CMA!”
Jack Ryan | WIVK

“All of us at 99.9 Kiss Country are sincerely grateful and honored to be nominated. It’s great for the entire team to be recognized for its hard work and commitment to serving our audience and community with the best possible product. Congratulations to all the nominees and best of luck.”
Jeff Davis | WKSF

“We were blessed to win this incredible Award in 2001 and have been nominated in previous years, but it never gets old. The CMA Award is the greatest honor a Country broadcaster can receive. We’re humbled and excited and can’t wait to celebrate the nomination with everyone in Nashville this November.”
Karen Dalessandro | WMIL

“How exciting is this? Did you hear the shout of excitement all the way in Nashville? To be nominated two years in a row is an honor above words. The 97 Country Breakfast Club feels blessed to be able to wake up central Florida every morning and share the best music in the world with them — Country Music. We are very humbled and honored.”
Roger Todd | WPCV

“We were very excited to learn of our nominations. To be recognized by your peers is a tremendous honor. The amount of emphasis placed on community events is what makes us most proud.”
Meg Stevens | WPOC

“I was on vacation at Disney World, having breakfast with my kids and Snow White, when my PD John Roberts called to let me know both the station and my morning show had been nominated. So we celebrated with all the Disney characters! I’m very proud of the station and the work all our staff does. It’s a great feeling to know others are listening to your work and think what you do between the songs is worthy of a CMA Award.”
Jeff Roper | WTQR

“We are having one of those coveted ‘pinch ourselves’ moments. But we know it’s certainly not anything that we’re doing to deserve the nomination; it’s all about the listeners and the support they’ve shown us over the past 25 years that keeps our water running and our lights on. Everything else is icing on the cake and something we certainly don’t want to take for granted.”
Brian Stewart | WUSY

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

"You know, some of the all-time greats — some of the great men of Country — have hosted this show, so I’ve got some massive, and I mean huge, boots to fill. And also, I believe Dolly hosted the show once, so good luck.”

With those words and a wide-eyed glance at his co-host, which was returned with a deadpan stare straight out of a classic TV sitcom, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood kicked off last year’s CMA Awards and set the tone for the three hours that followed. Their show-opening banter and monologue made it clear to anyone inside Nashville’s Sommet Center — and to the millions of Country Music fans watching on television — that “Country Music’s Biggest Night” had been placed in the hands of two people who were going to handle their duties with a perfect balance of revelry and reverence.

“It was definitely on our minds,” Underwood said. “Everybody’s there for a common goal: to celebrate a wonderful year in music with each other. You don’t want to be the reason that people think, ‘That was just an “OK” show.’” Looking back on the evening, Paisley echoed those thoughts: “This is a night when Country Music should have lots of class.”

That goal remained on their minds all night long, even as she won a third Female Vocalist of the Year Award and he repeated as Male Vocalist. But they felt confident they’d achieve it following those opening moments.

“Nobody knows until you walk out what that’s going to be like, because that’s not what we do for a living,” Paisley explained. But then people responded to their jokes — the pair saw long-time host Vince Gill laugh and bury his face in his hands at their exchange — and they stepped backstage to find that they’d already earned the approval of another veteran award show host.

“Right after the monologue, Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman were waiting backstage (as presenters) and I heard that he said to someone, ‘They’re doing really good,’ which was really cool to hear,” Paisley recalled. Having won rave reviews for hosting the Tony Awards in recent years, Jackman would go on to host the Oscars — high praise indeed.

At the end of the night, Paisley and Underwood had one question on their minds: Was there a chance they’d get asked back? “We both left there feeling like we were starting to get the hang of it and hoping we would get this chance again,” Paisley remembered. “Right away, we were both talking about that.”

So when the call came this year, they were ready. “You think of all the people that have hosted it in the past,” Underwood said. “And for them to ask, we must be doing something right.”

What makes these two the perfect hosts for this year’s 43rd annual celebration? Beyond the success they enjoyed in their hosts debut last year, the reasons are many: Both remain at the top of their respective games, continuing to score hits, top the sales charts, sell out arenas on tour — and through it all they provide the world with two consistent examples of what Country Music in the new millennium is all about.

Each thinks the other is worthy of the role too. “She is exactly what she wants this show to be. It’s classy the minute she walks out,” Paisley said.

“He’s fun, he’s smart, he’s quick and he knows how to do all that without offending anybody. And, like me, he respects the CMA Awards so much that he wants to do a good job,” Underwood offered.

That appreciation for “Country Music’s Biggest Night” — and everything it represents — is deep-rooted in both of these entertainers. Paisley remembers watching the show as a youth in his native West Virginia; Underwood did the same growing up in Oklahoma. Both dreamed of one day being part of the show. And each counts the CMA Awards they’ve earned among the highest honors of their career.

“It means a lot. It means that you’ve made history in a way that very few people in Country Music have,” Paisley said. And Underwood added, “In the back of the program book, they list all of the winners from the past. You get to see every Female Vocalist, Male Vocalist, Entertainer of the Year — everything. It’s amazing to see your name there with so many incredible artists. That’s something that can never be taken away from you.”

Paisley has won 11 CMA Awards since the start of his career a decade ago. Underwood has earned five since arriving on the scene a few years back. Both began their winning ways with the Horizon Award (now the New Artist of the Year Award), and both artists walk into this year’s event with multiple nominations.

Paisley leads the pack; his seven nominations are more than any other artist earned this year. A pair (Single and Song) are for his hit song, “Then,” from his nominated album, American Saturday Night, produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois; two more (Musical Event and Music Video directed by Jim Shea) are for “Start a Band,” the duet with Keith Urban that kicked off last year’s CMA Awards. He could also take home a third Male Vocalist trophy or become a first-time Entertainer of the Year. Paisley’s 48 nominations place him in some impressive company — only Brooks & Dunn (49), Vince Gill (51), Alan Jackson (79), Reba McEntire (48) and George Strait (79) have earned as many or more nods in the 43-year history of the CMA Awards.

Underwood, who releases her third album, Play On, a week before this year’s CMA Awards, is in select company too. She is one of just five women to be named Female Vocalist three times; a fourth win this year would place her alongside Reba McEntire and Martina McBride in the record books. Underwood is also nominated in the Musical Event category with Randy Travis for their remake of “I Told You So,” a hit for Travis 20 years ago that also earned him a Song of the Year nod this year.

Though they’ll be onstage Nov. 11 as hosts, nominees and performers, both hosts know that for three hours their role is to be the “face” of Country Music for millions of music lovers coast-to-coast and around the world. Each is proud to be entrusted with that opportunity. “We want to do our best to show people what we (the Country Music community) are all about,” Underwood said. “It’s about contributing and giving back. We love this town. And we love this music,” Paisley added.

That same thinking is a big part of what made their hosting debut a success. Though they made some jokes to start, and though a quick change following his show-opening performance left Paisley tucking in his shirt and found Underwood reaching over to straighten his tie, he offered these words on their behalf just minutes into last year’s show:

“Before we go any further, Carrie and I just want to take a moment to say that we both grew up watching the CMAs each and every year, so to be here together actually hosting this show has got to be the honor of a lifetime. We really want to do this show justice and take you all along on this exciting ride tonight.”

Underwood replied with a resolute “Absolutely,” and the evening unfolded. This year, on Nov. 11, nominees will become winners, performances will bring people to their feet and magical memories like those we all recall from CMA Awards broadcasts of the past will be created. Paisley and Underwood will be part of all that — and they’ll do their best to showcase those nominees, winners, performances and memories-in-the-making for all of us to see and enjoy.

CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the more than 6,000 industry professional members of CMA. The first “CMA Awards Banquet and Show” was held in 1967. The following year, NBC aired its first broadcast of the CMA Awards. The event has broadcast every year since then, making it the longest-running annual music awards program on network television. NBC aired it through 1971 and CBS from 1972 through 2005 before the broadcast premiered on ABC in 2006.

Winners of “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards” will be determined in a final round of online voting by eligible CMA members up to 5 PM/CT on Nov. 3. CMA Awards balloting is officiated by the international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

Nominees may inform CMA voting members through mail and e-mail services. Information is available at www.CMAemailservice.com. 

CMA Individual Sterling and Organizational members may purchase Awards tickets at My.CMAworld.com. CMA Individual Regular members and the public may purchase tickets through www.Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000 or the Sommet Center at 501 Broadway in Nashville.

“The 43rd Annual CMA Awards,” Country Music’s Biggest Night, broadcasts live Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8–11 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network from the Sommet Center in Downtown Nashville. 

Visit www.CMAawards.com for information on Awards nominees and past winners, highlights, games, merchandise and Radio Player, offering music playable as a stream or on demand for specific titles. Join the CMA Mob, sign up for CMA Exclusive and visit CMA’s Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and other networks.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc

Following a competitive review, CMA has named MS&L, one of the world’s leading communications firms, its exclusive sales, marketing and branding partner.

MS&L will work with CMA primarily on entertainment marketing, branding and sponsor partnerships with an eye towards expanding the relationship into assistance with research, digital communications and program content creation and execution. The sponsorship sales and branding effort will be designed to support Country Music and CMA’s constituents, including artists, management companies, record labels and Country-based networks and media.

“Following a period of research, discovery and competitive selection, CMA decided that MS&L’s communications, entertainment and branding expertise will help us achieve our marketing goals, including expanding our fan base, identifying and securing strong business partners and elevating our brand,” said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese.

MS&L will be charged with developing and marketing sponsorship packages around premier CMA properties, including the CMA Awards and CMA Music Festival. In addition, MS&L will work with CMA to develop new CMA equities to offer more opportunities for brands and companies to partner with Country Music.

“Our goal is to work with CMA to support and grow this vital and vibrant art form,” said Bruce MacKenzie, MS&L Senior VP of Entertainment Marketing and head of MS&L’s entertainment marketing, branding and sponsorship sales group. “We are excited and proud to be a partner in this new chapter in CMA’s history and to help take the organization to new levels.”

Founded in 1938, MS&L is a leading global communications firm and part of MS&L Worldwide, a network of communications brands and consultancies with 54 offices in 28 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, as well as an extensive affiliate network. The agency specializes in using research, insights and technology to create and execute powerful communications strategies that are critical to success. Through a unique combination of advice, advocacy and action, MS&L delivers measurable business results for many of the world’s largest companies and most successful brands, including Allergan, Best Buy, Eli Lilly, General Motors, Heineken, The Home Depot, Hoffmann-La Roche, Philips, Nestlé and Procter & Gamble.

MS&L Worldwide is a member of the Publicis Groupe, the world’s fourth largest communications group, and a global leader in digital and online advertising, media consulting and healthcare communications. With some 45,000 professionals in 104 countries, the Groupe’s activities cover advertising through three global advertising networks: Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi, as well as through its two multi-hub networks Fallon Worldwide and 49 percent-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty; media agencies with two worldwide networks Zenith Optimedia and Starcom MediaVest Group; and marketing services, including digital and interactive communications through Digitas, relationship and direct marketing, public and media relations, corporate and financial communications, multicultural communications and event communications.

Though CMA helped pioneer the practice of bringing sponsors into the Country Music realm, MS&L promises to take these already successful efforts to greater levels of benefit and to expand into potentially fruitful areas yet to be tapped.

“Any sponsorship or marketing effort that we present on behalf of CMA is going to be customized and built from the ground up, from its foundation to the top,” said MacKenzie. “We match that up with a brand new eye on the great assets of CMA and the needs of the brand.”

According to MacKenzie, whose professional history includes work with Country Music while on staff at Warner/TBA, an entertainment, marketing and event production company, and SFX, which is now Live Nation, this partnership is well timed, given the emergent position of Country Music within contemporary culture and society.

“If the past decade was about opulence, bling and how much you have, the next decade is going to be more about emotional connections — less materialism, more care for your neighbor,” he said. “That really resonates with Country Music as a genre, which in our mind is more authentic as a marketing place for a brand to interact with consumers than any other form of entertainment at this time. The correlation of Country Music to what is going on in the world makes it potentially much more critical to marketing success than maybe at any other time in history.”

MS&L has also hired Sheri Warnke as VP of Strategic Partnerships, assigned specifically to help spearhead its CMA efforts. Based in Nashville, Warnke has served on the CMA Board of Directors as well as on Boards for Gilda’s Club, Leadership Music and the T.J. Martell Foundation, and has maintained memberships in CMA, NARAS, the National Advertising Federation and other organizations. Prior to her most recent position as Regional Sales Manager at Playboy Enterprises, she spent more than 15 years in high-level consumer magazine publishing roles, which included four years as VP and Group Publisher of Country Music and Country Weekly magazines.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Late in 2008, Rolling Stone ran a piece on Willie Nelson that featured a picture of the singer on his bus, lighting up a doobie while seated at a table bearing a tray full of marijuana seeds.

Problem? For Nelson, not at all. Given his well-documented history, celebrated not only by the singer’s own words in Willie: An Autobiography and marijuana leaves artwork on the cover of his Countryman album but also in Toby Keith’s “Weed with Willie,” any denial of this part of his life would be counterproductive.

The issue isn’t really the specific image. It’s whether the image portrays the artist accurately and, beyond that, whether the public gets the message. And the key to facilitating this can come down to media training.

“I truly don’t try to clean these people up,” said media coach Jeri Lynn Burgdorf, who established her Media Images company in the early ’80s. “I don’t try to unmake them and remake them, because that is a disastrous thing to do. A lot of times, people who don’t know me, when they send me an act, they’ll say, ‘Now, don’t change this person into something pretty.’ They don’t know the kind of work that I do, because I would never do that. What I do is give them confidence about being who they are.”

An artist’s personality is his or her best conduit to the public. Reba McEntire gets high marks for her deep drawl and aw-shucks demeanor because they’re both real. Dolly Parton is bubbly, flirtatious and fun. And Trace Adkins got a boost last year through NBC-TV’s “The Celebrity Apprentice,” on which non-Country viewers were introduced to a guy who is decisive and honest.

Three different personalities with two things in common: One, they reflect who each artist actually is. And two, for that reason, they are fundamental reasons for each artist’s success.

“Given our very short attention span as a nation, you get about 90 seconds on the air before people flip the channel,” said Kip Kirby, who worked as a media coach from the mid 1990s to 2001.

To make best use of those moments, a media coach will begin with research through reading the client’s bios and press clips, meeting with management and publicists and listening to the artist’s music. For Laura Huie, an independent TV producer who established Huie Media, her media training practice in 2006, the next step is to ask the artist to fill out a questionnaire.

“That gives me a bit of an idea of who they are and where they come from,” she explained. “There’s a lot of ‘getting to know you’ in that first session and building a rapport. I want them to be able to trust me and feel comfortable with me, so I don’t rush into anything, even if it takes a few hours to go through everything. It’s not me telling them what to do; it’s us working through things together.”

Once that foundation is laid, the heavy lifting begins with helping the artist define a message and learn how to get it across. Though most up-and-coming performers have spent years studying their craft, they generally give much less consideration to dealing with reporters. Many head into the public realm without insight into the needs and motivations of interviewers, whether from national publications or local radio stations.

That understanding often begins with mock interviews, conducted by the media coach or someone that they recruit to play the journalist role, with a video camera up and running. In working with one artist who had expressed skepticism about the validity of media training, Kirby grilled him with the toughest set of questions she could anticipate him being asked. “Then we played it back,” she said. “And I didn’t really have to say a lot. He saw immediately what the problems were. You can give the artist advice all day long, but when they see themselves on a video, and they’re rolling their eyes or looking away or their hands are moving or they’re nervous or they’re rambling, that’s the best teacher of all.”

Often these rough spots stem from a lack of confidence or even from fear, especially among those who are new to the spotlight, that they don’t have anything interesting to say. “I have sat across from a client who told me, ‘I don’t really have a story,’” said Huie. “But then, when we go through everything, even they are surprised at the things they can pull out of themselves. The point is, everybody has a story. You just have to find a way to communicate it.”

That process involves helping clients find their own stories and then showing how others have learned to convey their messages in ways appropriate to the media and the moment. Whether sustaining a conversation through a long sit-down interview or condensing the point you want to make into a 20-second sound bite, this means in many cases overcoming apprehension about the process to the point that the artist can take control of it.

“The artist can go into an interview looking at it as a partnership, knowing that whatever they get asked, they’re going to know a way to take it somewhere they’re comfortable answering,” Kirby said. “But they have to understand that this is within their grasp. It's not up to the interviewer to set the tone; that’s the artist’s responsibility.”

This applies as well for those who have been well known for a few years but may have been thrust into a difficult situation by some recent development — a divorce, perhaps, or problems with substance abuse that had leaked into the media. Here, too, a media coach can offer invaluable service, most often by advising that the artist maintain control while confronting the issue head-on, as much as he or she can comfortably manage.

Huie cited one notorious episode involving a famous actor as an example of how candor works better than evasion in defusing explosive situations. “Not long after Hugh Grant got in trouble for soliciting a prostitute, he went on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.’ And right off the bat, Jay asked, ‘What were you thinking?’ They addressed the elephant in the room, and while people still joked about it for a while, it didn’t become as big a deal as it could have been. And eventually it went away.”

Whether devoting several days to a major national feature or weathering a marathon of five-minute phone interrogations by local radio stations, the best results ensue when the artist is fully engaged. Recalling when Hillary Clinton allowed herself to react emotionally before the press to the pressures of her presidential campaign, Burgdorf wondered, “Think of what she would give if she knew how to do those moments again. It’s a simple thing to be authentic but it’s not an easy thing. You have to know how to do it.”

Some artists — Nelson, Parton — seem born with that ability. For the rest, there’s media training.

MEDIA COACH LAURA HUIE’S FIVE ESSENTIAL STEPS FOR ARTISTS TO FOLLOW DURING INTERVIEWS:

1. You can’t control what an interviewer asks. You can control your answers. Stay calm, even during tough questions.

2. Prepare. Anticipate the questions you will be asked.

3. Provide facts but also provide flavor. Paint a picture for the audience. Have stories in your back pocket to share.

4. Do your homework. Watch or listen to interviews on TV and radio. What makes each person interesting — or boring?

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Still going strong after five years as a recurring event at Joe’s Pub in New York City, the CMA Songwriters Series expanded to the West Coast in September with its first Los Angeles show, at the House of Blues. As usual, the show featured a panel of top Music City songwriters, whom are celebrated within the industry and others also embraced as recording artists. But no matter who is in the lineup, each CMA Songwriters Series show serves the purpose of taking listeners into the creative process behind the craft of writing great songs.

On July 30 the action was at Joe’s Pub, with Bob DiPiero playing his frequent role as host. With a long list of hits to his credit (George Strait’s “Blue Clear Sky,” Faith Hill’s “Take Me as I Am”), DiPiero kept the standards of music and discussion high with guests Billy Currington (“I Got a Feelin',” “Walk a Little Straighter”), Keith Follese (Martina McBride’s “I Love You,” Tim McGraw’s “Something Like That”) and Jason Sellers (Montgomery Gentry’s “Some People Change,” Reba McEntire’s “Strange”).

Joe’s Pub welcomed the CMA Songwriters Series again Sept. 9. DiPiero emceed a panel that included Ashley Gorley (Carrie Underwood’s “All American Girl,” Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This”), Marv Green (Lonestar’s “Amazed,” George Strait’s “It Just Comes Natural”) and Chuck Wicks (“All I Ever Wanted,” “Stealing Cinderella”).

The House of Blues event on Sept. 15, hosted by DiPiero and sponsored by Artwerk Music, featured Chris Lindsey (“Let’s Make Love” by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Aimee Mayo (“This One’s for the Girls” by Martina McBride) and Kellie Pickler, who with Lindsey and Mayo, co-wrote “Small Town Girl” and “Red High Heels.”

The CMA Songwriters Series makes its Chicago debut Oct. 2 at Joe’s Bar, with DiPiero presiding and a lineup of Dean Dillon (Kenny Chesney’s “A Lot of Things Different,” George Strait’s “She Let Herself Go”), Scotty Emerick (Toby Keith’s “Good as I Once Was,” “I Love This Bar”) and Lee Ann Womack (“Everything But Quits,” “Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago”).

The Series comes back to Joe’s Pub in New York on Nov. 5 with Jessi Alexander (Trisha Yearwood’s “Baby Don’t You Let Go,” Little Big Town’s “Lonely Enough”), Jon Randall (Gary Allan’s “She’s So California,” “Whiskey Lullaby,” by Brad Paisley with Alison Krauss) and Mark Sanders (Jo Dee Messina’s “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance”).

© 2009 CMA Close Up ® News Service / Country Music Association ®, Inc.

If anyone has proven the merits of the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” it’s The Oak Ridge Boys.

For more than 35 years, the internationally renowned quartet has been making hit records, collecting honors that include three CMA Awards and selling out concert halls with much the same ebullient blend of Country, pop and gospel — and, except for one late ’80s interruption, the same four voices.

So what’s with the version of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” on the quartet’s new Spring Hill Music album, The Boys are Back? And not just that, but what about the hip-hop-inflected rhythms on the title track and producer David Cobb’s blues- and rock-influenced arrangements elsewhere on the album?

It all started with Shooter Jennings, according to group members Duane Allen and William Lee Golden. Jennings, they explained, wrote “Slow Train,” a song from his 2007 album The Wolf, with the idea of having the Oaks sing on that track. Not long after the group did, Jennings invited them to join him onstage during a gig at City Hall, a now-shuttered rock club in the trendy Nashville district, The Gulch.

“We went down and performed with him,” said Golden, who sings baritone in the group. “And then he and his band backed us up on ‘Elvira’ and ‘Bobbie Sue,’ and man, that young crowd was just so enthusiastic about the music.

“After that, we were thinking about doing a new album,” he continued. “We got to talking to Shooter’s producer, David Cobb, since the music we were doing that night was so much fun and the audience it appealed to was such a hip audience. The music had that edge, that Country-rock feel.”

“Those kids were Shooter supporters and they sang along to our songs,” added lead singer Allen. “They responded so well, we got offstage and looked at each other and said, ‘We can do this.’”

“This” became The Boys Are Back, the latest Oak Ridge Boys album — and nowhere near the second coming of “Elvira.” With fresh arrangements of songs from artists as diverse as blues great John Lee Hooker, classic rocker Neil Young and alt rock troubadour Ray LaMontagne, the Oaks’ latest is as bracing as it is inspired.

“We make no excuses about going for that youth market that Shooter appeals to,” said Allen. “But to do that, we knew we had to be relevant. We knew that the only way to get them to follow us in a new day was to record something for them, with them in mind. So we went with a young, hip producer who could take us in a new direction and yet who still respected our past, much to the tune of what Rick Rubin did with Johnny Cash.”

The gamble paid off, at least if early reports from the road are any indication, including house-rocking performances before a young rock-leaning crowd at Austin’s annual South by Southwest music festival in March and an eclectic audience at CMA Music Festival in June. Even so, none of the group’s members — who, besides Allen and Golden, include tenor Joe Bonsall and bass vocalist Richard Sterban — knew quite what to make of it when Los Angeles-based producer Cobb brought “Seven Nation Army” to the table.

“David said, ‘I want to get y’all singing things that you maybe haven’t done before,” Golden recalled. “When the bass comes in — bum, bum, bum — I want Richard to match that vocally. And then on the chorus, where those guitar lines are, I want that chord that Jack White played done vocally, with harmonies.”

The result, an ominously atmospheric track that sounds like the Oaks are ushering in Judgment Day, sounds nothing like the White Stripes’ original. “I had a funny feeling about covering that song,” Allen remembered. “But David said, ‘We’re not going to cover this, we’re going to take these licks and do them like The Oak Ridge Boys would do them. We’re going to reinvent it.”

Golden admitted that Cobb had to push the group at times to get those kinds of results. “David would sing the parts if we were not getting it,” he said. “He would teach Duane how to put the inflections to his voice, to get the rhythms to flow not like a metronome, the way we usually do it, but to lay back and push. David wanted us to sing with more of a rock-type phrasing than we use when we’re singing Country or gospel.

“It was a real raw, emotional thing he was after,” Golden continued. “There would be times when we’d be trying to do it too straight and, standing in the control room, he would mash that button and sing it for us until what he was after sank in.”

Cobb doesn’t remember being quite the taskmaster that Golden describes, but he does agree that he was going for something different in the studio. “If anything, I was trying to get them on the edge of not being in control,” the producer said. “If you look at the way that Duane sings that last verse of ‘Seven Nation Army,’ he really blows it out.

“The main thing I got out of them was that fire and I think some of the phrasing, like on the title track, the song Shooter wrote,” Cobb continued. “It’s a really interesting rhythm. It’s very modern. They had to learn some rhythms they weren’t accustomed to, but they were down for everything and anything, and it sounds like it. If you could have seen Richard singing ‘Boom Boom’ [written by John Lee Hooker], there was such energy to it. He was cracking up, just laughing. Everyone was just having a blast.”

Cynics might write off all of this carrying on and these newfangled rhythms as pandering to the youth market. But that’s not how the group sees it. “We didn’t sell our soul,” Allen insisted. “We just found another way to get to it. David provided us with the bridge to get us to another place without abandoning where we’d been all along.”

Even a cursory listen to The Boys Are Back bears this out. By turns tender and robust, “Hold Me Closely” and “You Ain’t Gonna Blow My House Down,” written by Ethan Johns and LaMontagne, find the quartet drinking deeply of the Southern gospel music well.

“I wanted to pull from gospel because that’s where they came from,” said Cobb, whose cousin, Brent Cobb, wrote “Hold Me Closely.” “I grew up in a Pentecostal church, and I wanted that one to feel like a church service with gospel piano. I thought there was nobody better to play church piano than Jessi Colter, so we brought her in to play on it.”

In an amusing turn of events, Cobb, until then playing the role of producer/teacher, found himself in the role of student while working on that track. “I said, ‘We should do this like a Stamps Quartet thing. Y’all know what I’m talking about, right?’” he began. “And then Richard comes over and says, ‘Well, you know, Dave, I sang background for Elvis with the Stamps.’

“I felt like such an idiot,” Cobb said, laughing.

“You Ain’t Gonna Blow My House Down” likewise brought the group full circle by reuniting them with “Elvira” writer Dallas Frazier, who came out of retirement to co-write the song with Glenn Ashworth for this album. Taking the Oaks back even further was the Jennings-penned title track, which name-checks gospel great Wally Fowler, who assembled the very first version of the group, the Oak Ridge Quartet, back in the mid 1940s.

All of which is to say that for all its new wrinkles and twists, The Boys Are Back is undeniably an Oak Ridge Boys album.

“The song selection is different, and the production is maybe rawer than what they’ve usually done, but it still sounds like them,” insisted Cobb. “They’re maybe just opening up a little bit more.”

In any event, it’s not like the group, which has recorded with Ray Charles, George Jones and Bill Monroe and sung on Paul Simon’s “Slip Slidin’ Away,” hasn’t reinvented itself before. “We crossed over from gospel,” said Allen, alluding to how the Oaks recast their church-bred harmonies on their 1977 breakthrough hit “Y’all Come Back Saloon.”

“When we did that, we sang [Glen Campbell’s] ‘Try a Little Kindness’ and [The Youngbloods’] ‘Get Together,’ all kinds of songs that talked about the good life, even if they weren’t necessarily about Jesus. They weren’t really Country songs, they weren’t really gospel songs.

“This is really something we’ve done all along,” Allen elaborated. “And the new album is no different. It has a modern Country song written by Jamey Johnson [‘Mama’s Table’], a classic by Dallas Frazier and a mix of blues, rock and other stuff aimed directly at the youth market we met through working with Shooter.”

This synthesis of different strains of classic American music is what made so many people fans of the Oaks over the years — including Cobb’s father.

“Country, rock, blues, bluegrass — they’re all American music,” the producer concluded. “At the end of the day, that’s what Southern people like. We have broad tastes, and I think with the Oaks and those rhythms, it’s a very Southern approach, even if it has a little hip-hop in it. That’s what people listen to in the South.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Ray Price could relax and look back on an incredible career. Instead, the Country music Hall of Fame member is looking ahead. He's starting his own record label, recording new music and performing for his enthusiastic fans.

But doesn’t he ever think about taking it easy, maybe doing a little fishing? “I’d be wondering why the hell I ain’t out there singing — that’s what I’d be doing on a fishing boat,” he said. “I love making music. It’s my life. I was born for it, I guess. I want to do it better and better and better and better. I’m not satisfied. I don’t think anybody should be.”

That ambition, coupled with a natural vocal gift, made Price a Country Music pioneer and star. Born near Perryville, Texas, he served in the U.S. Marines during World War II and then returned to Texas with plans to become a veterinarian. That ambition was forgotten as he began performing around the Lone Star state.

An early friendship with Country Music Hall of Fame member Hank Williams played a significant role in Price’s career. This was the topic on the table when WSM/Nashville radio personality Eddie Stubbs welcomed Price in March to the Ford Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Their discussion was timed to coincide with a special exhibit, “Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy,” on display at the Museum through Dec. 31, 2011.

“We were both young and he had plenty of damn talent,” Price recalled while seated in his tour bus following the Ford Theater event. “He could write good songs because he wrote what people felt. If you can do that, you can write anything.”

An endorsement from Williams went a long way on those days. “I can’t explain why on all those shows, everywhere he went, he was telling everybody to watch out for a young guy named Ray Price — ‘He’s going to be No. 1,’” Price recalled, with a smile. “He took me and introduced me to some people on the Grand Ole Opry. He just helped me in general. I didn’t know anything about the business. I was young and just out of college. The way I got a contract was I sang a song for a publisher. The next thing I knew, I had a contract, signed to Bullet Records in Nashville. It was a brand new world for me when I came here, and he helped me get started with it.”

Williams took Price on the road and let him use his band, the Drifting Cowboys, in the studio. They wrote one song together, “Weary Blues (From Waiting),” one of Price’s early recordings. They were also roommates for a while after Price moved to Nashville. “He’d just go eat or cook something and eat at the house,” Price remembered. “And he was always on the phone calling his wife [Audrey]. He was trying to get everything back together and just couldn’t do it. She was just too hard-nosed about it. Of course, after he was gone, it was too late. But Hank was top-notch. He was the leader.”

In time, Price also assumed a leadership role in Country Music. He maintained his ties to Williams, though, by playing for a while with his band after their leader’s death. He also included two of its members, steel guitarist Don Helms and fiddler Jerry Rivers, in the group he subsequently formed, the Cherokee Cowboys. “We loved each other,” Price recalled. “We built all our houses together and lived right there for 14 years, Jerry across the street, Don behind me. We were friends, all the way to the grave.”

On his own, Price helped grow the Country Music audience with an evolving style that encompassed traditional honky tonk in the ’50s and ’60s with hits that included “Crazy Arms” and “My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You.” In the ’70s, he broadened its reach even more with pop-flavored ballads that included “For the Good Times” and “I Won’t Mention It Again,” the title track of the 1971 CMA Album of the Year.

Like Williams, Price had an eye for new talent, and over the years his Cherokee Cowboys band would include Johnny Bush, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson and Johnny Paycheck. “I know a good musician when I see him and hear him,” said Price. “Of course, Willie was easy to spot after the first song I ever heard he’d written. They were all great. Willie is still making it.”

Price is still making it too, with a busy recording and touring schedule that continues to enhance his legacy. When asked why Price has endured for so long as a successful and productive artist, Michael McCall, Writer/Editor at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, laid it out clearly.

“His voice and his musicality,” he said. “Ray’s voice is one of the great instruments of Country Music history. He’s smoother than most Country singers, as he’s studied opera and loves the jazz and pop singers of the ’40s and ’50s. So he has a control you can hear, and he understands a microphone and how to use it to his advantage. But he’s got this incredibly rich tone too, and his range is amazing, although he uses it subtly and, unlike most singers, doesn’t bring a lot of attention to it. Add to that his phrasing and how nuanced he is in expressing the emotions of his songs, and you have the basis for why he’s been such a primary influence and big star for so many years.”

McCall also appreciates Price’s role in mentoring other musicians. “He loves good musicians and understands good musicianship,” said McCall, who served as Co-Curator of the Museum’s “For the Good Times: The Ray Price Story” exhibit in 2006 through 2007. “He’s open to change and experimentation, which you can hear throughout his career. That’s why he led two movements, beginning with the back-to-basics traditionalism of the late ’50s shuffle recordings, which are so dynamic and fresh yet also so rooted in the swing and honky-tonk traditions. It’s the basic DNA of Texas Country Music, really. But by the ’60s, he was experimenting with blues and jazz and ultimately created these lush recordings with strings that were influenced by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Price always loved that music and he had a voice for it, and I think his recordings in the late ’60s and early ’70s represent some of the best Nashville Sound records ever cut.”

This urge to move forward drives Price to this day. High on his agenda is an upcoming collaboration with some of his friends, including Willie Nelson, with whom Price and Merle Haggard had performed in their “Last of the Breed Tour” in 2007. “It will be me and Willie, Billy Bob Thornton, Leon Russell and Bob Dylan,” he said. “We’re going to do a CD. I don’t know exactly what we’ll be doing, but I’m sure Willie will let me know about two minutes just before they turn the mic on.”

Price also plans to record a gospel album, which he’ll release on his own record label, Priceless Records. Asked whether he will be signing other acts to Priceless, he replied, “It depends on what I run into. I always like to give a hand up to anybody, but I have to be in a position to do it. If it goes good, we’ll let the company build itself and then as it builds, if I find new talent, you bet we’ll sign them.”

Still vital at 83, Price credits his health and longevity to good genes and clean country living. “I was raised in the country — good fresh air and good food,” he said, who currently makes his home near Dallas. “We raised our own food. I had a good mother and a good dad. My mother lived to be 96 and all her people lived to be over 100. On my dad’s side, my grandpa died at 98. I come from a family of hearty people, I guess. I haven’t done all that good trying to take care of myself. Like some old boy said, if I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have took better care of myself. But that’s the way it is. I’m doing fine. I can’t complain.”

On the Web: www.BobbyRoberts.com/Artist/Ray-Price; www.OfficialRayPriceFanClub.com;

www.CountryMusicHallOfFame.com

Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy Exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Williams family has had a major impact on Country Music. This 5,000-square-foot exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum examines the personal lives of Hank Williams and Hank Williams Jr. and explores the dynamics that inspired some of the most influential music recorded.

See the connections between these iconic figures and their creative heirs and discover how American music continues to be measured by the standards they set. To help tell the story, Hank Jr., Jett Williams and members of the Williams family have offered more than 200 rare artifacts never seen by the public, enabling the Museum to create a memorably compelling saga of love, heartache and redemption. The voices and music of the family are heard throughout the exhibit — an intimate, behind-the-scenes portrait of a great American musical dynasty. The Exhibit has been extended through Dec. 31, 2011.

Hank Williams III will perform at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Oct. 10.

Hank III, like his father, blends the honky-tonk and Country blues sounds of his grandfather with the rock & roll sensibility of his own generation. The result – hard-charging musical arrangements and swaggering, bluntly personal lyrics that probe relationships and southern culture and challenge contemporary mores – can be heard when Hank III visits the Museum on Oct. 10 for a special performance in the Museum’s Ford Theater.

The program, which is presented in conjunction with the Museum’s exhibition Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy, Co-presented by SunTrust and the Ford Motor Company, will begin at 1:30 PM and is included with Museum admission and is free to Museum members.

Hosted by Family Tradition co-curator Michael McCall, the program will feature an acoustic performance by Hank III and members of his touring band. The concert will draw on Hank III’s four solo albums released on Curb Records since his 1999 debut, Risin’ Outlaw.  Please note that this program may contain mature content.

Shelton Williams, who performs as Hank III, was born Dec.12, 1972, the first child of Hank Williams Jr. and his second wife, Gwen. In his mid-teens, Hank III played drums and guitar on stage with his father. By high school, the Nashville resident shifted to punk rock, touring regionally with the bands Buzzkill and Bedwetter. In 1996, Hank III began performing Country songs in Branson, Mo., to raise money for child support payments. That year, he recorded an album, Three Hanks: Men with Broken Hearts, which merged his voice in a trio with his grandfather, Hank Williams, and father. Since signing with Curb and recording his own albums, Hank III has gained a passionate underground following and tours internationally to wildly enthusiastic crowds.

These programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and by an agreement between the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Music found its way early to 18-year-old Sarah Jarosz, beginning with solfège and ear training in kindergarten and culminating with her participation for seven consecutive years in the Organization of American Kodaly Educators National Honor Choir.

But her true muse came in the form of a mandolin, given by her parents one Christmas when she was almost 10 and living in Wimberley, Texas. Her proximity to Austin may have been the final ingredient in leading her toward American roots music.

Jarosz’s road wound through the bluegrass festival circuit to Sugar Hill Records, which released her debut album. Produced by Jarosz and Gary Paczosa, filled with 11 of her solo-penned songs and two covers,Song Up In Her Head reflects varied influences, from Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell to Mike Marshall, Chris Thile and other acoustic innovators.

But her handiwork transcends their contributions, in her emphasis on tasteful, melodic picking and vocals that are understated yet emotionally compelling. As a singer, arranger and storyteller, Jarosz shows distinction in her cover of the Decemberists’ “Shankill Butchers.” Add to that her multi-instrumental technique, narrative lyric skills and compositional artistry, and it’s clear that her journey is just beginning.

IN HER OWN WORDS

CD IN YOUR STEREO

“Graceland, by Paul Simon.”

GREATEST CHALLENGES

“My greatest short-term challenge is to finish high school, begin college and balance that with my music career. My long-term challenge will be to not get lost in the music business and to stay true to who I am.”

GREATEST PERFORMANCE TO DATE

“The Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2007. When Planet Bluegrass producer Craig Ferguson invited me to have my own set on that magical stage, it was a dream come true. I performed with Mike Marshall and Ben Sollee. I had watched countless performances of my heroes on that stage for several years. Gary Paczosa heard my set at Telluride and that's where we met for the first time. Shortly after that performance, I was offered a record contract with Sugar Hill Records.”

HOMETOWN

“I was born in Austin, Texas and raised just outside the Austin city limits in Wimberley.”

INFLUENCES

“I listen to and have been influenced by countless musicians and artists of many genres of music. Some of my influences include Tim O'Brien, Mike Marshall, Chris Thile, Gillian Welch, Abigail Washburn, Aoife O'Donovan, Darrell Scott, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin and The Decemberists.”

LEGACY

“I hope people are still listening to and enjoying the music I created in my life. I hope people will say that I was always original and true to my music. I hope people will have respect for me both as a musician and a person.” 

MUSICAL BACKGROUND

“I first started my musical development in kindergarten by learning music theory based on the Kodaly method of solfege and ear training. I studied with my music teacher, Diana Riepe, through the eighth grade, and that program had a profound impact on me musically. I auditioned and was selected for seven consecutive years for the Organization of American Kodaly Educators National Honor Choir. That opportunity gave me the unique experience to travel around the country, meet other musicians and perform at some of the best concert halls in the country. When I was almost 10 years old, my parents bought me a mandolin for Christmas, and I found out about a weekly Friday night bluegrass jam in my hometown of Wimberley, Texas. The first time I attended the jam, I fell in love with the music and I begged my parents to take me back every week. Everyone I met at that jam was so encouraging and supportive of my new found love of acoustic and bluegrass music. From there, my parents realized how much I really loved making music, so they made it possible for me to travel to music festivals and camps around the country. All of these experiences in my life have built on each other. Making friends and developing relationships through music has been a huge part of my life.” 

SONG YOU WISH YOU’D WRITTEN

“‘Everything Is Free,’ by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The blonde with the face that carries the delicate features of her grandfather likes to drop in to check out the goods in her upscale Nashville boutique, where boots that were dragged by a truck through Italian dirt go for $1,200-plus.

“I love it,” said Holly Williams, granddaughter of Hank, daughter of Hank Jr., talking about her Nashville store H. Audrey, whose stock of contemporary clothing and accessories ranges from those Golden Goose boots at the higher end to some $198 jeans on sale for $50. Audrey is her middle name as well as the name of her dad’s mother, the woman who inspired Hank Williams to compose some of Country’s greatest songs of heartbreak and love.

“My grandparents sold clothing, cowboy boots and all that at a place called Hank and Audrey’s Corral,” she said, referring to the family-run store that once operated on Commerce Street in Downtown Nashville. “I’ve always had this business side. So did they. I’d always secretly wanted to have a little boutique with off-the-cuff designers — and after the wreck, I decided to do it.”

Williams was referring to a near-fatal auto accident in 2006, which has affected her somewhat surprisingly, personally and professionally, in a positive way. Instead of facing life with her feet hanging out the window of a fast-moving car, she is firmly grounded. And some of that matter-of-fact approach is evident when she drops in at her store on days off from the road.

“She likes to come in and try on the jeans,” said Sarah Richey, who has worked at H. Audrey since it opened in 2007. “This is like her big clothes closet.”

Richey’s eyes twinkled as she talked about her boss, who makes sure each piece of clothing meets her personal approval. “She’s such a sweetheart.”

With the early radio interest shown to her first full-album foray into Country Music, Here With Me, co-produced by Williams, Tony Brown and Justin Niebank, she may have a little less hands-on time at the boutique. Williams’ songs on the album include “I Hold On,” “He’s Making a Fool Out of You,” and “Mama,” which tells the story of her mother and the positive attitude she displayed to her daughters while splitting up with their father. She’s able to wrap her voice around a lyric and wring the emotion out of every syllable as evident on the first single, “Keep the Change,” written by Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird.

“My whole thing with writing is I love to tell a story,” Williams said. “When I listen to songs, I play the movie in my head. I’ve always hoped some of my songs inspire vivid pictures.”

Her measured choice of words and haunting vocal performance of “Three Days in Bed” paint a startling visual in the listener’s mind as they recount a love affair in Paris. “This song speaks for itself, inspired by truth and fantasy,” explained Williams. “It’s the only track on the record that is a live performance with me and my guitar, completely raw, which was very important to me to have on this record.”

Niebank, whose client list includes Vince Gill, George Jones, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and now Williams, noted that this album is destined to connect with her targeted audience because “I think she has something to say.

“To me, Country Music, in the perfect world, is about great songs and great personality,” he explained. “As a songwriter, she gets better with each song. As a singer, I love the directness of her voice.”

Perhaps that directness is what distinguishes this sophomore album from her debut in 2004, The Ones We Never Knew. While suggesting that “the songs have stayed the same, we just added some steel guitar to them,” Williams allowed that her first album was more “organic” singer/songwriter than Country.

“This time, it’s a little more lyrically driven, more vocally driven,” Niebank continued. “Her first record was too closed off vocally. This time, I let it out, let it be who she is, let her open up that expression. Holly was trying to find a way to communicate her personality to people,” which was why she double-checked every take, striving to ensure that the vocal was dead-on for the message the song was intended to convey.

To Williams, this more-defined self-expression suggests the possibility of accelerating her career. The critical acclaim of her previous album (as well as an earlier EP) didn’t translate into significant commercial success. “I didn’t realize how hard it is for women in the genre,” she admitted. “At the time, Country radio was so into the pop Country world. The genre wasn’t open to the singer/ songwriter stuff until Miranda Lambert, Michelle Branch and Sheryl Crow came along. We experimented with Country stations, but for the time I was left of center.”

The timing is better now, with female singers among the biggest Country artists on radio, stage and video. “I used to feel young. And then Taylor Swift came along and I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I’m such an old lady’,” Williams said, with a self-deprecating laugh. “When I was her age, I couldn’t even play a guitar.”

Williams began playing, with a vengeance, when inspiration hit. At 18, just out of high school, she became a regular at, as she put it, “every club in Nashville.” Fueled by a passion for Jack Kerouac’s rambling tales, she embraced life on the road as she opened for John Mellencamp, Ron Sexsmith, Billy Bob Thornton and other performers. In stumbles and starts, she began discovering herself and fashioning her own spot in her family’s hierarchy.

Good-timing and rowdy living are components of that heralded family’s tradition. But so is tragedy. And just as it shaped the legends of her grandfather and father, so too did it play a big part in defining the artistry of the 28-year-old Williams.

That near-fatal car wreck in 2006, from which her older sister Hilary is still recovering, left a gory scene that recalls Hank Jr.’s life-defining, 400-plus-foot fall down a Montana mountain in 1975. After arduous reconstructive surgery, he returned to Country with a new, live-for-tonight attitude.

In contrast, rather than transform into a female Bocephus, she emerged from her near tragedy with the conviction that “I was left here for a reason.”

Her conclusion stems from one simple detail. A mile before the accident, Hilary advised her to buckle her seatbelt. “It was a sunny day and I had my feet out the window,” Williams recalled. “I usually didn’t wear my seatbelt, I guess maybe because everyone said you had to.”

Still, she went against her nature, buckled up — and survived, with injuries less severe than those of her sister. “When they found my sister, she was medically dead. Her blood pressure was 55 over 0. She was blue.”

Even so, Williams sustained serious injuries that “were worse visually” than Hilary’s. “Neither of our faces was damaged,” she said. “It was like an angel was covering our faces. But when I first saw myself, my head was so swollen up I didn’t recognize myself. Mine was more gore. There was no white in my eyes. It’s a wonder I didn’t have brain injuries. I have all these scars on my head and in my hairline. They tried to shave my head but I was like, ‘No!’ I was pulling glass out of my head for about a year.”

Both parents hovered and prayed over their daughters after their hospitalization. “It was good for my dad that he had that experience with the mountain fall,” Williams reflected. “He was so helpful. He would sit at the bedside for 24 hours.”

As the healing began, Williams found spiritual fortification. “My faith was reinstilled,” she said. “I did see the light and have a ‘come-to-Jesus’ moment,” documented on the album with an original song, “Without Jesus Here With Me.”

“I don’t know why I’m still here or why I lived that Wednesday morn,” she sings before wondering in the song about her grandfather’s legacy, her terrified parents, physical and spiritual salvation and seeing the light.

Even with the maturity and artistry exemplified by that song, Williams wasn’t sure she was ready for the big time in the Country market as she began work on Here With Me, for Mercury Nashville. She leaned initially toward the Lost Highway part of the Universal Music Group family, home to Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams and other icons of alternative Country. But when Luke Lewis, Chairman, UMG Nashville, suggested Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris as models for a strategy of pursuing wider, more mainstream radio and venue exposure on the way toward establishing their niches as artists, Williams was receptive to the point of accepting invitations to open arena shows for Sugarland and Keith Urban.

“Where I am most comfortable is on a theater stage, with me and a guitar and a piano,” she said. “Country tours don’t lend themselves to that. But when I’m 60, I want to be touring the world with a sit-down audience. That is my favorite thing in the world.”

“Family Tradition: The Williams Legacy,” a 5,000 square foot major exhibition examining the personal lives of Hank Williams and Hank Williams Jr. and their musical heirs,  runs through Dec. 31, 2009 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Established through club gigs in North Carolina as a duo, brothers Mike and Tom Gossin moved to Nashville in 2007 and soon after hooked up with Rachel Reinert. Working now as a trio, they connected with Cheyenne Kimball, a member of the audience during one of their gigs at Nashville club 3rd & Lindsley; instrumentally as well as vocally, she proved the last ingredient in the sound of Gloriana.

They rehearsed for six months before sending a demo to Emblem Music Group. Matt Serletic, founder of the new record label, responded immediately, welcomed them to the roster and got to work lining up material for their debut album. With Stephanie Bentley and Josh Kear, he co-wrote their first single, “Wild at Heart.” Rock-solid chords are their vocal trademark; on this track, they sing in a single, high-impact sound, roaming over a restless rhythm bed and climbing between verse and chorus to a peak of exuberant intensity.

Produced by Serletic, Gloriana overflows with an upbeat, attractive energy. Much of it stems from the material, from the electrifying opener “How Far Do You Wanna Go?” to the group’s one co-write, with Kyle Cook, on “Time to Let Me Go,” set over a relaxed train-track beat and sweetened by fiddle and steel. A lot owes to the positive qualities of the group’s main influences, which range from Ryan Adams to Fleetwood Mac and Keith Urban. But ultimately it’s the performance that distinguishes this foursome — a union of voices so confident and strong that it seems guaranteed to succeed.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS Q&A

SONG YOU WISH YOU’D WRITTEN
(REINERT) “‘Beautiful,’ by Christina Aguilera.”
(TOM GOSSIN) “’God Only Knows,’ by the Beach Boys.”

CD IN YOUR STEREO
(MIKE GOSSIN) “The Beatles — every album they did.”

DREAM DUET PARTNER
(KIMBALL) “Jason Michael Carroll.”

SOMETHING WE’D NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU
(TOM GOSSIN) “I can cut hair. I went to hair school.”

FAVORITE FOOD ON THE ROAD
(EVERYONE) “Mexican!”

SONG YOU’D SECRETLY LIKE TO COVER
(TOM GOSSIN) “’Blue Ridge Mountains,’ by Fleet Foxes.”

PET PEEVE
(REINERT) “When people sing along to a song but don't really know the lyrics so they kind of mumble them.”

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN MOVIE
(TOM GOSSIN) “Jon Stamos.”

WHAT YOU’D BE DOING IF YOU WEREN’T IN MUSIC
(MIKE GOSSIN) “Air Force pilot.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The reigning CMA Male and Female Vocalists of the Year, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will reunite to host “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards.” This will be the second consecutive time that Paisley and Underwood have hosted “Country Music’s Biggest Night.” “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards” airs live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.  
 
“We are thrilled to have Brad and Carrie return as hosts after doing such a great job last year,” said Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Both Brad and Carrie are in their prime as artists, as evidenced by them being named Male and Female Vocalist of the Year, respectively, last year. They each possess a great sense of humor and timing, which are two essential ingredients for hosting the Awards.”

"I am thrilled to get the chance to co-host the CMAs for a second time with my pal Carrie,” said Paisley. “This year we'll pull out all the stops, like a miniature poodle balancing act, tightrope walking, and a new world record for the number of costume changes by my co-host. Don't miss it!"

“I regret to inform Brad that I do not have a poodle, and I would appreciate it if he asks me permission before he tries on all my dresses this year,” responded Underwood. “But all kidding aside, I’m really excited to be hosting again this year with my friend, Brad, as we celebrate another wonderful year of Country Music!  It’s going to be a great show!”

Paisley has won 11 CMA Awards since receiving the CMA Horizon Award in 2000, including Male Vocalist (2007, 2008) and Album (2006 for Time Well Wasted). He also won Musical Event twice, first in 2004 with Alison Krauss for “Whiskey Lullaby,” and second in 2006 for “When I Get Where I’m Going” with Dolly Parton; Vocal Event in 2001 for “Too Country” with Bill Anderson, George Jones, and Buck Owens; and Music Video of the Year three times, first in 2002 for “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song);” second in 2004 for “Whiskey Lullaby” (again with Krauss), and third in 2007 for “Online.” He is currently tied with Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw at No. 5 on the list of top CMA Awards winners.    

Paisley is a consummate singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer, which has also earned him three Grammy awards. He has released eight critically acclaimed studio albums that have accumulated sales of more than 10 million units, including the Double Platinum Time Well Wasted. His most recent Arista Nashville album, American Saturday Night, released June 30 and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums sales chart. Paisley has 14 No.1 singles – the last 10 consecutive – extending a streak already unmatched by any other Country artist in the 19-year history of Nielsen BDS- monitored airplay. Recently he was a featured performer on “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock,” which aired Aug. 31 on ABC.  

Underwood has received five CMA Awards in her young career, including three consecutive wins as Female Vocalist (2006-2008), as well as Single of the Year (2007 for “Before He Cheats”) and the Horizon Award (2006). 

Underwood, after wrapping her 2008 concert tour with 1.2 million fans in attendance, launched into early 2009 as the first Country artist in history to achieve 10 No. 1 singles from their first two albums, when “I Told You So” became her tenth single to top a key sales or airplay chart and her fifth consecutive chart-topper from Carnival Ride. To date, Underwood, who has also won four Grammy awards, is the U.S. best-selling “American Idol” winner with album sales more than 10 million. Underwood will release a new album Nov. 3 on 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville with producer Mark Bright, who helmed 2007’s hit-filled Carnival Ride, as well as seven tracks (including four No. 1 singles ) from Underwood's blockbuster 2005 debut, Some Hearts.
 
The announcement of the final nominees for the 2009 CMA Awards will be carried live on Wednesday, Sept. 9, from the "Good Morning America" studios in the heart of New York City's Times Square on the ABC Television Network. 

The final nominees in select categories will be announced by Darius Rucker, who has quickly established himself as a fan and industry favorite with three No. 1 singles to his credit, and Lee Ann Womack, a former CMA Female Vocalist of the Year with 18 career CMA Awards nominations to her credit. The live announcement will take place during the 8:30 AM/ET half-hour of the morning news program.  

In addition to the nominees announcement, Chuck Wicks will announce the finalists for the 2009 CMA Broadcast Personality and Radio Station of the Year in four categories (small, medium, large, and major markets) as well as the finalists for the CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year live on Premiere Radio Networks from their New York studios.

The audio announcement of the CMA Awards nominees and CMA Broadcast Awards finalists will be available via satellite and FTP from CMA's official radio partner Premiere Radio Networks. Premiere has provided outstanding radio coverage of the CMA Awards nominations for more than a decade.

As part of their comprehensive 2009 CMA Awards radio package, Premiere Radio Networks will offer the 2009 CMA Awards Nominations Special hosted by Senior Producer of Country Programming Rosemary Young, a preview special, Red Carpet features, a live feed of the Awards gala, and a backstage wrap up show. Country radio stations interested in receiving the radio package, including the nominations feed, should contact Premiere Affiliate Relations at (818) 377-5300.

The 2008 CMA Awards, held in Nashville during November Sweeps (Nov. 12), ranked behind only the Academy Awards and Grammy Awards during the 2008-2009 season for awards shows among total viewers. With "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," ABC won Wednesday evening in both total viewers (15.9 million) and adults 18-49 (5.0/13). According to Nielsen research, 34.6 million unique viewers 2+ watched six minutes or more of the program. 

The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the 6,000 plus industry professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music in 1958. The first "CMA Awards Banquet and Show" was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards were broadcast on NBC for the first time – making it the longest running, annual music awards program on network television. The show aired on NBC through 1971 and on CBS from 1972 through 2005 before moving to ABC in 2006. 

Tickets for the 2009 CMA Awards will go on sale to the public Sept. 19, and can be purchased by logging on to www.Ticketmaster.com;  calling (800) 745-3000; or in person at the Sommet Center box office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, in Nashville). Ticket prices begin at $110 for Upper Level, $218.50 for Club Level, and $382.50 for Lower Level. All prices include sales tax but exclude applicable service/handling fees.

"The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director, and David Wild is the writer. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

ABC News' "Good Morning America" is co-anchored by Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts. Chris Cuomo is the news anchor and Sam Champion is the weather anchor. The Emmy Award-winning morning news broadcast airs live Monday through Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 AM/EDT on the ABC Television Network. Jim Murphy is the Senior Executive Producer and Tom Cibrowski is the Executive Producer of ABC News' "Good Morning America."

Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards. American Airlines is the official airline of the 2009 CMA Awards. Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The announcement of the final nominees for the 2009 CMA Awards will be carried live on Wednesday, Sept. 9, from the "Good Morning America" studios in the heart of New York City's Times Square on the ABC Television Network. 

"The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" will be broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on ABC and is hosted for the second year by reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Brad Paisley and reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Carrie Underwood.

The final nominees in select categories will be announced by Darius Rucker, who has quickly established himself as a fan and industry favorite with three No. 1 singles to his credit, and Lee Ann Womack, a former CMA Female Vocalist of the Year with 18 career CMA Awards nominations to her credit. The live announcement will take place during the 8:30 AM/ET half-hour of the morning news program.  

"I was so honored to perform at the 2008 CMA Awards show, and I feel privileged to be a part of this year's nominees announcement," said Rucker. 

Rucker first came to prominence as the lead vocalist and songwriter for the pop group Hootie & The Blowfish, whose 1994 debut, Cracked Rear View, sold more than 16 million copies to become one of the best-selling albums in history. In early 2007, Rucker signed with Capitol Records Nashville and has since been embraced by the Country Music community with his chart-topping 2008 debut, Learn To Live – a Platinum album that has produced three consecutive No. 1 singles. Rucker's transition has been highly praised, with The New York Times proclaiming he has "one of the year's most vibrant Country albums." Rucker is currently on tour with Rascal Flatts. Check out news and photos at www.DariusRucker.com.

"The excitement that comes with the announcement of the CMA Awards nominations brings me such delight every year," Womack said. "I can remember watching the Awards as a young Texas girl and dreaming of one day being a part of something that brings such honor to what I've always been so passionate about. It's a time to celebrate the artists, songwriters, musicians, producers and the industry in general."
 
Womack has sold more than 6 million albums, won six CMA Awards and two Grammys, numerous other milestone awards, and received notoriety for her last album There's More Where That Came From. Released February 2005 on CD and classic vinyl, There's More Where That Came From swept CMA Awards trophies the fall of the same year for Album and Single of the Year ("I May Hate Myself In The Morning"). She is also recognized for No 1 singles "The Fool," "A Little Past Little Rock," "I'll Think Of A Reason Later," and the mega smash "I Hope You Dance."  Womack's current MCA Nashville album Call Me Crazy has garnered critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, and The New York Times, to name a few.  Debut single "Last Call" was nominated for a Grammy earlier this year in the "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" category. Visit www.LeeAnnWomack.com to see the video for her latest, "Solitary Thinkin.'"

In addition to the nominees announcement, Chuck Wicks will announce the finalists for the 2009 CMA Broadcast Personality and Radio Station of the Year in four categories (small, medium, large, and major markets) as well as the finalists for the CMA National Broadcast Personality of the Year live on Premiere Radio Networks from their New York studios.

"I am thrilled once again to be able to announce the CMA Broadcast Awards Nominees," explained Wicks. "Country radio has been so supportive of me this year and I'm happy to be able to be back again and be a part of these special announcements."

RCA Nashville recording artist Wicks found an instant hit with his first single, "Stealing Cinderella," from his debut album, Starting Now. The song was the first single from a new Country artist to crack the Top 5 in 2008. His follow-up single, "All I Ever Wanted," also soared up the Country charts to Top 15. After a hugely successful run as the opening act on the final leg of Brad Paisley's "Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour" in 2007, Wicks rejoined Paisley in 2008 for the "Hershey's Presents the Paisley Party Tour." In 2009, Wicks has been on tour on his own playing at festivals across the country.

The audio announcement of the CMA Awards nominees and CMA Broadcast Awards finalists will be available via satellite and FTP from CMA's official radio partner Premiere Radio Networks. Premiere has provided outstanding radio coverage of the CMA Awards nominations for more than a decade.

As part of their comprehensive 2009 CMA Awards radio package, Premiere Radio Networks will offer the 2009 CMA Awards Nominations Special hosted by Senior Producer of Country Programming Rosemary Young, a preview special, Red Carpet features, a live feed of the Awards gala, and a backstage wrap up show. Country radio stations interested in receiving the radio package, including the nominations feed, should contact Premiere Affiliate Relations at (818) 377-5300.

The 2008 CMA Awards, held in Nashville during November Sweeps (Nov. 12), ranked behind only the Academy Awards and Grammy Awards during the 2008-2009 season for awards shows among total viewers. With "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," ABC won Wednesday evening in both total viewers (15.9 million) and adults 18-49 (5.0/13). According to Nielsen research, 34.6 million unique viewers 2+ watched six minutes or more of the program. 

The CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the 6,000 plus industry professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music in 1958. The first "CMA Awards Banquet and Show" was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards were broadcast on NBC for the first time – making it the longest running, annual music awards program on network television. The show aired on NBC through 1971 and on CBS from 1972 through 2005 before moving to ABC in 2006. 

Tickets for the 2009 CMA Awards will go on sale to the public Sept. 19, and can be purchased by logging on to www.Ticketmaster.com;  calling (800) 745-3000; or in person at the Sommet Center box office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, in Nashville). Ticket prices begin at $110 for Upper Level, $218.50 for Club Level, and $382.50 for Lower Level. All prices include sales tax but exclude applicable service/handling fees.

"The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director, and David Wild is the writer. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

ABC News' "Good Morning America" is co-anchored by Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts. Chris Cuomo is the news anchor and Sam Champion is the weather anchor. The Emmy Award-winning morning news broadcast airs live Monday through Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 AM/EDT on the ABC Television Network. Jim Murphy is the Senior Executive Producer and Tom Cibrowski is the Executive Producer of ABC News' "Good Morning America."

Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio packager of the CMA Awards. American Airlines is the official airline of the 2009 CMA Awards. Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Anyone who has studied Marketing 101 knows that music can help sell a brand, and a brand can help sell music. That’s a simple truth. What’s not so simple is the task of researching, constructing and strategically activating a sponsorship deal that will benefit the recording act and the brand alike.

Marketing experts frequently mention four key questions that artists and brands should consider when pondering a partnership. First of all, does the artist’s fan base match well with the target demographic that the brand wants to reach? Second, would an endorsement by the artist have credibility and believability? Third, what tactical components must be utilized for the program to succeed? And most important, will the program help both parties meet their overall goals?

Marcus Peterzell, Managing Director, Engagement and Entertainment Marketing, Fathom Communications, is familiar with each side of the sponsorship equation because his agency advises both brands and artists. “Brands hire us because we have the criteria to enable them to make an informed decision,” he explained. “In terms of empirical data, first we look at the artist’s historic album sales, historic concert ticket sales and historic press. Sometimes we look at their Q Scores or their E-Scores, which show their relative popularity based on a standardized consumer opinion survey. We look at the artist’s history with other brands. We look at any demographic information, either from the music label or from an independent research company. Then we combine it all to make a picture for the brand and we say, ‘Here’s the data that backs up why we think this artist is a good choice for you.’”

Experts agree that analyzing consumer research data is vital to the process, but the numbers have to be paired with sound judgment.

“The research can point you in the right direction,” said Russ Crupnick, VP/Senior Industry Analyst, The NPD Group. “But as important as the research is, the issue of believability, the issue of match, the issue of credibility — all of that is probably more important than what the research says.”

Corporations are turning increasingly to Nashville to help them sell their products and services. A series of recent and current sponsorship deals reflects the enduring confidence that corporations have in the appeal of Country Music.

Among the artists who have signed marketing deals are Luke Bryan (Lucchese Boots), Sara Evans (Libby’s Vegetables), Faith Hill (Coty) and Chuck Wicks (Dr Pepper). In each case, the endorsement has high credibility because consumers will believe the artist would actually use the product. It’s easy to imagine Bryan pulling on a pair of Lucchese boots, Evans serving her children Libby’s canned vegetables, Hill dabbing on some Coty perfume and Wicks sipping a can of Dr Pepper.

Crupnick explained how these types of marketing partnerships can help both parties. “From the branding standpoint, artists have the ability to break through all the clutter and get your message through,” he said. “This is because of the types of fan bases they have. For instance, George Strait will get someone’s attention. From the artist’s perspective, a sponsorship deal is a sensational way for the brand to help them be retailers. Whereas artists traditionally were promoted by having an end-cap display in a store, now they might promote their music through an affiliation with Cotton, Ford or Wrangler. That helps artists at a time when it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get promotion in retail stores and on radio. That’s where the two-way street is. When a deal is done correctly, it’s a clutter-breaker for the brand, and it’s an awareness vehicle for the artist.”

Earlier this decade, stadium-filling superstar Kenny Chesney enjoyed a multi-year deal with Cruzan Rum, which sponsored his concert tour. GMR Marketing, which worked on the campaign, reported that the tour resulted in a 50 percent sales growth for Cruzan Rum in every market that Chesney visited. Sales figures like this certainly helped pave the way for Chesney’s current deal with the beer brand Corona Extra, which sponsors his ongoing “Sun City Carnival Tour.”

Another act bolstering this trend is Rascal Flatts. The band’s partnership with JCPenney is one of the most expansive and integrated deals to involve a Country Music act. For the retailer, the central focus of the campaign is its American Living apparel, which was developed by Polo Ralph Lauren’s Global Brand Concepts and is sold at JCPenney stores as well as online at www.jcp.com.

Band members Jay DeMarcus, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney composed an original song, “American Living,” which is featured in the campaign. The song is included on an exclusive version of the trio’s Unstoppable album, available only at JCPenney. For each one sold, the retailer will donate $1 to the JCPenney Afterschool Fund, a charitable organization that assists children in need.

This fully integrated marketing campaign will run at least two years. In addition to sponsorship of Rascal Flatts’ concert tour, it includes primetime television commercials that star the band, customized American Living apparel that the trio wears onstage, tour merchandise sold in stores and at concert venues, a fleet of semi trucks decorated with American Living imagery, brand signage in concert venues, live radio remotes, a Web site (www.jcp.com/RascalFlatts) with concert updates and exclusive video clips, and social media elements that involve online interaction with users of Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. It’s a massive program and music is its linchpin.

“First and foremost, we’re trying to make an emotional connection with our customer,” said Mike Boylson, Chief Marketing Officer, JCPenney. “Nothing connects emotionally more than the power of music. When you get the music right, and you can tie your brand to a sound and an artist, it elevates your brand. The thing that attracted us to Rascal Flatts is the fact that not only are they the No. 1 group across all genres of music but also they have many fans who are females 18-35, which is a customer we’re trying to grow our base with. It didn’t take a lot of research to figure out that they were hitting right in the sweet spot of our target demographic.”

JCPenney enlisted the services of Executive Visions Inc. (EVI) to serve as architects of the campaign. “Our company helps to fully integrate the band and the brand,” explained Michael Marto, President and CEO, EVI. “Notice the tour name: ‘Rascal Flatts American Living Unstoppable Tour Presented by JCPenney.’ The name ‘American Living’ will be everywhere — on the radio, on a ticket stub, on a promotion, on a bus, on a truck and on a computer screen. It’s an integrated part of the name of the tour. Even integrating the name was a very strategic success.”

Before the tour kicked off in June, LeVox said, “We are proud to represent the American Living brand with JCPenney and the relationship is off to a great start. We are excited about the things we have planned with them for the tour.”

The scale of this program is certain to raise the profile of Rascal Flatts among consumers. According to Advertising Age, JCPenney spent more than $1.1 billion on U.S. advertising efforts in 2007. The company, which has 1,101 department stores, posted revenue of $18.5 billion in 2008.

Another Country act with a high-profile sponsorship deal is Miranda Lambert, who has teamed with Cotton Incorporated. Lambert, R&B vocalist Jazmine Sullivan and actress/pop singer Zooey Deschanel have each recorded a new version of the brand��s theme song with its memorable hook, “the touch, the feel of cotton.” The song was retired in 2001 but revived this year; Lambert’s version is posted on www.TheFabricOfOurLives.com, with new verses that were written specifically for her.

“People of all ages fondly remember the ‘cotton song,’” said Ric Hendee, VP, Consumer Marketing, Cotton Incorporated. “With these new renditions, cotton gains a stylish, youthful energy, which will help demonstrate that cotton is in the full range of today’s fashion.”

Though she has turned down other sponsorship offers, Lambert described her decision to partner with Cotton a no-brainer. “There were just a lot of things that coincided with me as a person and with Cotton as a brand,” she said. “It has an All-American image, and overall, that’s what I have. The majority of cotton is grown in Texas, my home state. It’s natural and it’s good for you. This is a ‘feel-good’ type of campaign, and the company was open to letting me be myself in the press and all the commercials, really representing who I am.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

If you can make your past come alive through music, then you’ve got a gift that will serve you well. In this department, Justin Moore is amply blessed.

Case in point: Though written by Randy Houser and Jeremy Stover, Moore’s first single, “Back That Thing Up,” conjures how life must have felt back on the Arkansas farm where he was raised. Kids grew up there hunting, fishing, milking the cows and working the land — the kind of routine that feeds the good-natured, double-entendre swagger in this tale of a country boy as he introduces a city lass to the wonders of rural recreation.

In addition to driving a Bush Hog and excelling at sports, Moore spent a lot of time singing, whether in the church choir or onstage with his uncle’s Southern rock band. His passion for music catapulted him right out of Poyen High School, shortly after graduation, to Nashville. For several years he divided his time between the two locales, writing for Keith Stegall’s Big Picture Music, playing shows for friends and family back home and eventually cutting his self-titled debut album for The Valory Music Co., with Stover producing. And on these 10 tracks, nine of them bearing his credit as co-writer, including his Top 25 second single, the wistful hometown hymn “Small Town USA,” which he wrote with Stover and Brian Maher, Moore makes his world feel like you’d grown up there too.

IN HIS OWN WORDS Q&A

DREAM DUET PARTNER
“Ronnie Dunn.”

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
“How I Got This Way.”

LUCKY CHARM
“A necklace with a cross my wife gave me.”

GREATEST PERFORMANCE TO DATE
“My debut on the Grand Ole Opry.”

SOMETHING WE’D NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU
“I’m a good cook.”

SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER
“It’s the only time I don’t sing.”

MUSICAL HERO
“Dwight Yoakam.”

SONG YOU’D SECRETLY LIKE TO COVER
“’Bad Company’ by Bad Company.”

CD IN YOUR STEREO
“Travis Tritt’s Greatest Hits.”

PET PEEVE
“Slow-driving people in the fast lane.”

SONG YOU WISH YOU’D WRITTEN
“’Believe’ by Brooks & Dunn.”

PHRASE YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING OVER AND OVER
“’I’m sorry’ to my wife.”

MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE YOU’D LIKE TO RELIVE
“Hunting with my late uncle.”

FIRST GIG
“Hot Springs, Ark.  I don’t want to brag, but I got a standing ovation.  The audience was pretty much all my family though.”

© 2009 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

What started as a way to make sure favorite artists didn't slip by unnoticed has turned into a powerful information tool for fans and artists.

Launched in 2004, San Diego-based Eventful was conceived by founder and Board Chairman Brian Dear, a veteran of eBay and RealNetworks, among other companies. His motivation, according to Jordan Glazier, CEO, Eventful, was that Dear was "fed up" at finding out that events he would have liked to attend had already come and gone.

"There was no good way to find out what was happening across your interests in your local market or in a market you're traveling to," Glazier said.

So Dear launched Eventful, which utilizes a Web site (Eventful.com) and e-mail notification as well as mobile applications and content distributed through widgets and apps to keep users informed about things they're interested in before they happen.

"Eventful gives people time to make plans with their friends or to connect with people with common interests, so they can go together," Glazier explained.

From that service goal, it was a short step to address another common concern: events you wish would happen but had not been scheduled. This inspired Eventful to create its Demand feature, which helps fans register and influence where and when events such as music performances can occur. "It's a way to finally be able to communicate to event organizers, promoters and performers that you would be willing to buy a ticket to see your favorite performer," Glazier said.

Through this process, fans become emotionally invested in the performers they help bring into their markets. "Instead of just reading about it in your local daily and deciding whether you're going to go, which is a very passive experience, for months in advance of the event you have been a part of the process of where that event is going to occur," Glazier pointed out. "When the event happens, not only do you go, you also bring your friends and family."

Eventful's users select from nearly 4 million events taking place in local markets throughout the world, from concerts and sports to singles events and political rallies. While some of the first events to use the Demand feature were book signings and art gallery openings, Glazier noted, "It very quickly became apparent that we'd struck a nerve in the music industry."

That connection has amplified to the point of KISS partnering with Eventful to route its upcoming U.S. and Canadian tours. Fans "demanded" where the legendary rock band would perform, beginning this September. And along with registering votes in hopes of bringing KISS into the market, fans could monitor the tally of votes elsewhere to see which cities were in the lead.

"We help performers make the right decisions about where to perform, based upon really good, substantial, rigorous data about where there is demand by their fans for events," Glazier said. "Whether to go to Nashville or Chicago or Los Angeles, those are easy decisions. When they're deciding to go to Columbus or Cleveland, historically it's like throwing a dart. Economically, where should they tour to sell tickets?"

Eventful has impacted the Country market too, as Little Big Town teamed with the organization to find an opening act for four shows on "A Place to Land," the group's first headlining tour, in March. Prospective artists and groups responded by encouraging their fans to "demand" that they get the opportunity.

The campaign was a natural fit for Little Big Town. "We're all about nurturing new artists and struggling artists because we did the exact same thing," said band member Phillip Sweet. "We went out and played in front of whomever so we could get our name out there. It was about giving these artists an opportunity and letting them do their thing in front of our audience. There are fewer and fewer opportunities for new artists."

Fifty thousand fans participated and 309 bands competed. It was, as Sweet described, a "good all-around experiment. There was no faking it. You definitely had to get your fans going for you. It's good to find new ways to market yourself and generate activity for yourself. We didn't know what to expect or what would come from it. We got four different and unique artists [to open for us], which was cool."

One of those winners was Josey Greenwell, an independent artist from Kentucky who earned the chance to open for the group in Tulsa, Okla. While Greenwell, who counts John Mayer, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban among his influences, had considered entering talent search-type contests in the past, the Eventful experience exceeded his expectations.

"I never thought there'd be a contest where you could go straight to opening for someone," he said. "It was a great opportunity and a great experience. I can't believe someone in Little Big Town's position would extend this opportunity to someone trying to get started. I'm so thankful to them. I've been introduced to a broader audience. We've been getting a few more gigs here and there, and more people have been checking out my MySpace page."

Greenwell, who also stays in touch with fans through his Twitter account, had been using Eventful's Demand widget on his MySpace page even before entering the contest. He also uses the company's Performer Dashboard feature. "They give you a lot of stats that I can look at and see who is listening to my music and where we should go," he noted.

Record label executives are also taking note of the Eventful model. "What can we do to add more ticket sales and word of mouth when it's a smaller tour?" asked Cindy Mabe, Senior VP, Marketing, Capitol Records Nashville. "You want to build as much word of mouth as you can. When there's less cash involved, getting fans involved is just the way you've got to go."

Club owners and venue operators are utilizing Eventful too. "Venues are coming to our site to see who is in demand in their local market to make informed decisions about who they should book," Glazier said. "We've got venues all across the country using the data."

Luke Bryan, whose second Capitol Nashville album Doin' My Thing is due in October, has partnered with Eventful for a promotion that allowed his fans to bring an album release show to their city. Bryan's hometown of Leesburg, Ga., won the honor by submitting the most demands over an eight-week period.

Mabe chose Eventful for the Bryan promotion because of the label's experience with the Little Big Town promotion. "It generated a lot of noise, got people excited about the tour and helped propel their first headlining tour," she explained.

"In this day and age, it's so critical to encourage fan involvement and accessibility," added Bryan. "You're always looking for a new way to capture a fan and get them involved."

Almost immediately after the contest was announced in May, fans began posting Demand banners and widgets on their local networks, according to Mabe. "We're competing for everyone's attention, time and money," she said. "Having the fan involvement and word of mouth is more critical than ever these days."

People use Eventful to track and share events in many ways, which include importing iTunes and Last.fm performer lists, exporting events via feeds, calendar widgets and services, e-mail alerts and customized e-mail event guides and watch lists.

Supported by advertisers, Eventful is free to artists, labels, booking agents and managers. The company also makes money through ticketing partnerships and ringtone partnerships and from licensing event content to other companies that use the information to power their online calendars and mobile applications.

And it's expanding its fan base to include many of the artists who have made use of it. "It's a really cool idea," Sweet said. "I think we're going to see it evolve and grow. They are making an impact, and I think we're going to see a lot of artists experimenting with this in the future."

© 2009 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.

Dierks Bentley: up 96 percent annually for the past four years. Keith Urban: up 170 percent in his first year. Brooks & Dunn: up more than 500 percent in 18 months. Kenny Chesney: from 3,000 to 30,000 in less than 18 months. Lady Antebellum: a 10 percent increase every month since March 2008.

If this sounds like a rally from the good old days of Dow Jones, think again. These numbers, supplied by industry sources, reflect across-the-board increases in artist online fan community growth.

"Thanks to the Internet, fans and fan clubs today are absolutely more important than they've ever been," stated T.K. Kimbrell, President, TKO Artist Management and longtime manager to Toby Keith. "More and more people every day have access to computers and the Web. That's where people go to get their information. We can spread news about our artists and instantly reach fans all over the world."

"Fan clubs are an online community of like-minded people who care about your music and your lifestyle," said Shelia Shipley-Biddy, President, Stringtown Records and Artist Manager, Hallmark Direction Company. "The more they get that personal touch, the better it is, because that's their opportunity - and yours - to share."

"It benefits all artists to have an online community," said Heather Conley, Director, Marketing, Lyric Street and Carolwood Records. "As a record company, we really look to the Web and fan communities as major components of our marketing strategy. We've developed online tools like widgets, countdowns and wakeup calls for fans, as well as viral mechanisms to alert and activate these core consumers. In most cases, our artists' fan communities are a significant part of our overall marketing plans."

From record sales and ticket buys to sponsorship tie-ins, e-commerce and other promotional activities, nearly every element of branding and broadening an artist's career draws on the close-knit connectivity of online fan communities to spread their message.

According to Jon Wright, Creator of Directives and Managing Partner, MusicCityNetworks (MCN), ABOCs - affinity-based online communities - are critical to extending an act's career. "The fan is in control," he insisted. "They can and do demand that artists be interactive with them. They expect it. It's in the artists' best interest to incorporate this relationship into their own daily lifestyles."

Moving beyond the models of yesteryear, today's fan clubs have become sophisticated, multi-tiered operations, where fans choose which level they want to join. Anyone can sign up at no cost for inclusion into an artist's Internet, e-mail or mobile community, but at paid levels of membership the benefits increase.

"Typically speaking, when you talk about fan clubs, you're talking about a paid subscription level with lots of content and interaction," observed Hal Hassall, former VP, Marketing Services, echo, Ticketmaster Entertainment's Nashville-based digital entertainment marketing firm. "Price points in Country Music usually work out to around $25, $35 and $50. The two upper tiers usually involve discounted product and merchandise in addition to digital access to content hidden behind the log-in. As a visitor to an artist's Web site, you might find a few hundred photos to view for free; there might be a few thousand photos available to paid members behind the log-in screen. There might be a handful of videos for fans on the outside; there might be a few hundred videos for members on the inside."

In other words, joining a fan club appeals to fans willing to shell out a few extra dollars for an all-access online pass. This can include viewing personal interview segments and backstage footage; joining live chats, blogs, forums and message boards; a chance to pre-order upcoming CD releases or buy discounted merchandise and apparel; entering contests to win prizes and autographed gifts; purchasing concert tickets in VIP seating sections or even registering for meet-and-greets backstage after the show.

In the case of Kellie Pickler, for example, those who joined her official fan club, launched in March at KelliePickler.com, were eligible to buy tickets to her shows (including her concert dates with Taylor Swift) before they went on public sale, as well as access to rare photos and videos, a members-only message board, contests, giveaways and merchandise discounts - all for a $19.99 annual subscription.

In return for this level of support, artists can galvanize a significant portion of their fan base into a dynamic marketing resource. As street teamers, fans spread the word virally through MySpace, Facebook, iLike, imeem and other social networking Web sites. They link music and videos to their own pages, participate in promoting specific events and even shoulder some of the responsibility for publicity and promotion.

"Rascal Flatts has a very large and rabid online community," said Conley. "We use those fans on all our online initiatives because they've learned how to be really good marketers in their own right. We send out packages to 'regional marketing leaders' who have developed a community of fans in their own areas that they oversee. These leaders are fans that management has picked out as being responsible and able to do 'above and beyond' what a regular street team member does. They function almost as an extension of our label marketing or distribution. They hand out thousands of postcards, put up posters, take pictures in stores and send back reports about product placement and inventory. They are totally invested in the band, and they help us as a record company to get the word out about new product, new ringtones or a new single at radio."

In April, Lyric Street and Turner, Nichols and Associates mobilized this force on a national scale to promote Rascal Flatts' latest album, Unstoppable. In return, participants received opportunities to interact personally with the band as well as to receive free merchandise.

"We've had people download artwork they've created with the street date on it, blow it up to a poster, plaster it on the side of a hot air balloon and fly it over the city," said Lang Scott, President and Managing Partner, MCN. "We could never dream up what these fans come up with when you give them the marketing assets and a little added incentive to help their favorite artist. If you then add viral components such as trackable promotional banners for them to embed on their own social networking sites, you're talking about thousands and thousands of instant impressions, which help the artist, the label and everyone connected with that act."

When does it make sense to add paid memberships to a fan club operation? Hassall suggested a rule of thumb: "If your e-mailable audience is greater than 30,000 people, you're probably at the point of having a profitable fan club operation. Below this, it's probably not going to be a money-maker."

Money remains an issue, not only in challenging fan clubs to make sure they deliver what members want but also to stay afloat in today's turbulent economy. "People are cutting corners everywhere they can," acknowledged Wright. "If your Sara Evans fan club membership is coming up for renewal, it may be hard to warrant such a discretionary expenditure when simply paying the rent is a challenge. We're trying to tackle these issues by expanding member benefits and discounts, providing physical goods as part of a membership or adding a paid membership subscription when you purchase the artist's CD package."

Others follow a more traditional approach by keeping their fan club management in-house, including Alan Jackson, who employs two full-time staffers to oversee his operation. "I know we're probably a dying breed nowadays, doing a fan club the way we do," admitted Cindy Hart, President, Alan Jackson International Fan Club. "But people really like it. I think fans respond to being able to hold something in their hand that you send them for free and a personal voice they can talk with."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The sights that open up on your screen are either comfortably familiar or enticingly just out of reach. You recognize these citadels of history up and down Music Row, in which deals have been made, classic albums recorded and opportunities for the next generation of songwriters, artists and other music industry professionals reside.

You stroll through offices, past trophies, plaques and images of Harlan Howard as a narrator reminds us of his famous recipe for great Country Music: "three chords and the truth."

Then you're sitting with some of the best-connected people in the business, sharing their time and wisdom freely. Songwriter Victoria Shaw, President and Owner, AvaRu Music, is educating us on the virtues of "exploiting" copyrighted material and laughingly inviting artists to "exploit me!" Pat Higdon, President, Universal Music Publishing Group, compares the relationship of a staff writer and a publisher to marriage, which is why it's wise to think of setting it up as "a dating process."

And if you're visiting from out of town, Rusty Gaston, GM and Partner, This Music, has blunt advice: "If you want to be serious as a full-time Country songwriter, you need to be in Nashville."

All of this is the first of many steps in a tour through vital corners of the music business, created and conducted by CMA as part of its strategic mission of being a resource for the Country Music Industry. Titled "CMA Industry InSite," this online educational series will include a new episode posted each month on the CMA members-only Web site, www.My.CMAWorld.com. The first one, "It All Begins with a Song," focuses on Publishing and went online in May.

Digital Downloading, Entertainment Law, Radio, Record Labels, Personal Management, Performance Rights Organizations, Royalties, Social Networking and Touring are among the topics that will be covered in months to come. Each new installment will post on the third Monday of the month. CMA members will also be able to submit questions to the experts interviewed for each one.

"We hope to create a dialogue with our members and provide valuable information for everyone in the industry," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "With the pressures of doing business in a tight economy, it's easy to forget that this is a very symbiotic business with many overlapping interests. This series is designed to provide information about each segment of our business in a clear, entertaining and informative way."

The series was developed by CMA's Artist Relations Committee, chaired by Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, to lay a foundation for how the various business interests within the industry function.

"Initially, this information was available to new artists on DVD," said Brooks, referring to the Music Business 101 program created by CMA several years ago. "But the format made the information obsolete very quickly and did not allow us to keep pace with the changing face of the industry. Housing the series online and archiving the episodes once they are posted enables us to routinely update the material to stay current with changing business trends."

It was also important to the Artist Relations Committee that the project reach beyond the artist community and become a tool that could be accessed easily at any time by CMA's entire membership. Each segment, which runs eight to 10 minutes long, will feature specialists from that field. A new segment will be rolled out to the community every month.

In addition to Gaston, Higdon and Shaw, participants in the Publishing episode include Chris DuBois, Partner, Sea Gayle Music; Ree Guyer Buchanan, President and Owner, Wrensong Publishing and WE Records; and Troy Tomlinson, President and CEO, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville.

The series is produced by digital marketing firm Hi-Fi Fusion, whose music industry experience and video production expertise made them an ideal fit for this project.

"As a longtime CMA member, I'm honored to work with the CMA team to create these videos that will help give back to our community," said Todd Cassetty, President, Hi-Fi Fusion. "What's been particularly interesting is that despite my 15 years in this business, I'm finding out how much I didn't know about specific aspects of our industry. So no matter their tenure on Music Row, I'm certain that anyone can glean new and useful information from these episodes."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The opening of "The Art of Artist Management" might seem a little strange - a tropical forest, a burning sun overhead, exotic bird chirps in the distance. But it all becomes clear just a few moments into this second installment of CMA's educational Web series on the music industry, as narrator Alex Kendig warns, "Make no mistake. When it comes to the music business, you're in the jungle, baby!"

Following the lead of the first CMA Industry InSite episode, which was focused on songwriting and music publishing and posted in May on CMA's members-only Web site My.CMAworld.com, Episode 2 further reflects CMA's ongoing strategic mission of being a resource for the industry by outlining what managers do and how artists can search those best equipped to meet their needs.

"The Art of Artist Management," which went online in June, features interviews with several leaders in that field, who share wisdom in ways that inform newcomers while enhancing the knowledge that more experienced members have picked up in the business.

For example, anticipating the question of how young artists might find the right manager, Kerry Hansen, President, Big Enterprises, suggested that they begin by finding out who manages their favorite artist - someone whose success and style might serve as a model to follow. From that point, you can learn about them by asking questions and listening to what people say throughout the musical community.

On the other hand, it can be a mistake to connect with any manager too hastily. Clarence Spalding, President, Spalding Entertainment, observed that it can take as long as three years for a new performer to be ready for a management deal. Experience is always a plus in choosing management, though Clint Higham, Executive VP, Morris Management Group, admitted to being "young and hungry" himself when he began his ongoing 16-year run as Kenny Chesney's manager.

In any event, when the time is right, it's critical to have an attorney go through the contract before signing on the dotted line. "This town is full of artists who have signed with managers and then realized pretty quick that this person is not legitimate," said Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn and Chairman of CMA's Artist Relations Committee, which developed the series. "But if you've signed a contract, you may have to pay that person for the rest of your career."

Basic information mingles throughout this 11-minute episode with advice that only insiders can provide. Standard rates are spelled out. Three years is indicated as the usual length for a binding management contract. Yet everything is negotiable too. This means, as noted by Kevin Levitan, President, Vector Management, that artists should not be afraid to ask their managers questions throughout the life of their arrangement.

Amidst all this practical advice, an unexpected and ephemeral truth emerges on the bottom line. "If I love you but I don't love your music, it doesn't work," Spalding said. "Hopefully we'll be friends, but I'm not going to be your manager. I really have to love the music."

From sunset clauses and percentage points to the differences between personal and business managers, "The Art of Artists Management" packs ample information into a presentation that's concise yet detailed, easy to understand and vital to finding the right manager, identified as "the most important person to have by your side."

"We are getting a lot of positive feedback for the series," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "We are hearing from our members that this is a very valuable industry awareness tool and something they are encouraging their members, employees and business associates to watch."

Produced by the digital marketing firm Hi-Fi Fusion, CMA Industry InSite will be updated on the third Monday of every month on www.My.CMAworld.com. Upcoming episodes will focus on digital downloading, entertainment law, performance rights organizations, radio, record labels, royalties, social networking, touring and other topics. CMA members are invited to submit questions to the experts appearing in each episode, with replies posted when received.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Several years ago, seeking a better insight into their customer base, Red Roof Inn assigned its public relations and marketing partner, Florida-based Hill & Knowlton/SAMCOR, to look into the subject.

The results of the investigation were clear. "The Red Roof Inn customer is 'gray-collar,' not quite white- or blue-collar," said Jim Rink, President, Rink Entertainment. "They don't need to spend a lot of money. They don't care about frills. And their passion lifestyle experience is dead on target with two areas: NASCAR and Country Music."

This was the picture the company gave to Rink along with an assignment to create a media campaign based on that commitment to Country. As producer of GAC's "GAC Short Cuts Series," which helped catapult Taylor Swift at 15 into the spotlight, he knew the strength of the artist/fan bond. This became the basis of a series of Webisodes created by Rink Entertainment, with a goal of tapping into and extending that bond to the economy hotel chain.

Because Country fans were already responsive to that brand, the campaign grew from a solid foundation. Rink reasoned that multiple artists from various record labels should serve as brand ambassadors. Not only did Phil Vassar, Whitney Duncan and Little Big Town fit that bill, but GAC also engaged KingBilly, whose experiences as a fast-rising band were chronicled by the network's reality series "Who Is KingBilly."

Several themes wove through these Webisodes, posted at www.RedRoofLovesCountry.com within the www.GACtv.com Web site and aired on GAC. These involved real-life fans, whose stories reflect some element of the artist's latest work or views of life. For example, Vassar's dedication to the military tied into an anniversary trip for a soldier and his wife to Nashville, where he surprised them with a private concert in the Red Roof Inn lobby as they emerged from their room.

Webisodes, photo galleries, promotions and contests as well as TV commercials and print ads are all part of the Red Roof Loves Country Road Trips campaign, which awards thousands of prizes.

"All of us look for new ways to get our artists in front of people," said Greg Hill, President, GHM/Red Light Management. "I'd already been talking with several hotels about doing partnerships, but Red Roof was actually willing to print up cards with information about Phil and place them on pillows for everybody who checked in - and that's tens of thousands of people each week."

The benefits come back to Red Roof too, as they post links to the hotels nearest to stops on each artist's tour just below the Webisode screen. "We measure the campaign's impact in multiple ways," said Marina MacDonald, VP, Sales and Marketing, Red Roof Inn. "We know how many unique visitors we're getting. There's click-through to book rooms. At the end of the day, we look at whether distribution is going up on www.RedRoof.com. And it is."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

There were plenty of reasons why it made sense that Craig Morgan and Bush's Baked Beans could form an ideal partnership of artist and product, each enhancing and benefiting from what the other had to offer. But for Morgan himself, none of it mattered if not for one essential truth.

"I love to grill," he said. "I could probably try to sell something I'm not that into, but when I'm looking at potential sponsors or endorsements I try to affiliate myself with products I would use. I ride Kawasaki motorcycles. When I'm on a tractor, it's my Case IH. I'm loyal to these products."

And he is loyal to the pleasures of the grill, to the point of packing one onto his bus and using it to whip up aromatic meals for his band and crew during tours.

That got the attention of Scott Daniel, who as Senior Brand Manager at Bush's Baked Beans was in the midst of searching for a spokesperson for the company's upcoming Grillin' Beans campaign. Research confirmed that a Country artist would be the best fit for their customer base.

"But it was also important that we have someone who is truly passionate about grilling," Daniel said. "It took just a couple of minutes of speaking with Craig to know that he's a guy our consumers can relate to."

By February, Morgan, company spokesman Jay Bush, great-grandson of the company's founder Condon Bush, and Jay's dog Duke were filming vignettes for GrillU.com, which now includes a space reserved for Morgan where visitors could go behind the scenes during the video shoots, check out his favorite recipes and download "Love Remembers," from his latest BNA Records album, That's Why. More Morgan items - albums, T-shirts and hats - were among the prizes offered in a game and sweepstakes hosted at the Web site.

Morgan took his message to the media too, beginning with "Fox & Friends" in April and "The Bonnie Hunt Show" in May, as well as via TV commercials and print ads. This represented an immediate return on the Bush's arrangement, according to his manager, Faith Quesenberry of Vector Management. "We'd hit a lot of media when Craig's album dropped in October," she said. "But by having an angle that's not necessarily his music, he could hit all these shows with his grilling expertise."

As Morgan sees it, the payoff can go further than that. "Someone might win my CD in that sweepstakes, take it home, listen to it and go, 'Wow, I really like this!' That not only benefits me, it benefits the entire Country industry. It really is a win/win for everybody."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

When Eric Church wanted to leave college to pursue music, his dad made him an offer he couldn't refuse. "He told me if I'd graduate from college, he would pay for my first six months living expenses in Nashville," the North Carolina native recalled. "I graduated with a degree in marketing and my dad was true to his word."

That degree has paid off. Church's sophomore album, Carolina, is out. He has already wrapped up the 37-stop first phase of "The Young & Wild Tour," to resume in mid June. And his fan base, known as the Church Choir, is expanding not only because of their hero's all-stops-out shows and originals-only sets but also because of where many of those shows take place - like, for instance, Lollapalooza.

As in previous years, the three-day, all-star blowout, scheduled for August in Chicago's Grant Park, is all about rock, with the Beastie Boys, Depeche Mode, The Killers, Jane's Addiction and other headliners throwing down their mixes of metal, neo-punk, hip-hop and all shades between. But Church, and a couple of other Country artists, will be performing there as well.

"We're in Rolling Stone too," he pointed out, referring to his profile in the May 14 issue. "We're getting a chance with that and with Lollapalooza to talk with some people who probably have no idea what goes on over here in Country Music. Country is the coolest format. It's where the true singer/songwriter lives. It's where the true troubadour lives. But we sometimes hide that. That's why I love being there on the fringes, like an ambassador introducing Country Music to the rest of the world."

These appearances also reflect a strategy that has allowed Church to solidify and build his fan base through bookings into venues where many Country artists seldom tread. "That's always been the plan," said Jay Williams, VP, Music, William Morris Agency. "For so many artists, the first tour or two is opening for someone bigger, and then they go on the fair and festival run in the summer. We did that with Eric too - but when you're opening for Brad Paisley or Rascal Flatts, it's hard to see who you're connecting with. So early on, we came up with that strategy for building Eric's career from the ground up."

Williams and Church, along with Manager John Peets and Director of Touring Fielding Logan, both of Q Prime South, worked together to implement this approach. The idea was to book into rock clubs, often in university towns, where regular customers might be won over and fans from the Country realm could be persuaded to attend. It worked from the start, with shows often selling out if not the first time then on return bookings. Not once, according to Williams, did Church draw smaller attendance on subsequent visits to those markets.

"We bring a lot of Country fans into venues they've probably never seen," Church observed. "They're used to going to places where there's line dancing and stuff like that, and in these rock clubs it's standing room only. It's a different experience, more about the camaraderie you have with the crowd. It's hot and sweaty and loud - and I love that. It becomes as much about the environment as what we present onstage. It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, but it's an experience for the fans."

By strategic planning, Church has upped total sales for his debut album, Sinners Like Me, above the 300,000 mark, without having lofted a single into the Top 10. "We shouldn't be where we are, but I have to say it's the fans that have pulled us through," he said. "We go into a market and we'll have more people at the show than we had the last time. We've made ourselves a brand - Eric Church and The ECB Band - and the merchandise is all consistent with that brand. We're headlining this year in venues from 1,500 to 5,000 capacity and we're pretty excited about that."

Church is also excited about his new album, Carolina, produced by Jay Joyce, who also worked with him on Sinners Like Me. "I think Jay is just a genius," he insisted. "He is sonically like nobody I've ever been around. He has the greatest ability to hear me play a song acoustically and hear it in a produced and developed manner. He brings such an interesting element to a project. Truthfully, Jay is not a guy who sits around and listens to Country Music, so he comes from a fresh place. He tells me that as a songwriter I need to get out of the way of the song, not let the song get too complicated. And we're committed to making cool records, which is indicative of the kind of fan base we want to have."

As for Joyce, he bases his working relationship with Church on the respect he has for him as an artist. "Eric actually had some things that he wanted to say and some songs that he wrote, so that was the one thing that attracted me to him," the producer said. "I got more of a sense of an artist from him."

The goal for Carolina was simple: Both Church and Joyce resolved not to remake Sinners Like Me while still giving fans something just as special as the debut album had been. "We were both committed to the same vision of making a great record," Church said. "It took us some time to record this album, but that's OK. I may not make many records, but the ones I make will be quality and I think Jay shares that vision."

Assessing the rise in Church's confidence and quality of work since their first collaboration, Joyce added, "His voice has matured, and he's found a range for his voice that works emotionally. And the craft of songwriting has also matured. He knows what he wants, so that makes it easy as far as production. He's not afraid to take chances, and it just makes it more fun and interesting to work on things like that."

The mindset throughout the Carolina sessions was in Church's words to "kick the door down, here we are, you guys better be ready to party." It starts rowdy and hard and keeps that energy cranked to high throughout the first several tracks, peaking with "Lotta Boot Left to Fill," the younger generation's answer to the question George Jones posed in "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes."

"I'm anxious to see what happens with this song," Church admitted. "It's an observation song of how I see some of the people who maybe don't respect the industry. If you're going to call yourself an artist, take yourself seriously, like the people who have gone before us. If you're not serious about it, I think you should move on."

Yet on balance, he added, "I think Carolina is a little friendlier record than Sinners was. The first part of the album is similar, but around the middle of the record it starts to change. 'Love Your Love the Most' (written by Church and Michael Heeney), which is the first single, is where you can really begin to see our growth as an artist. We're the same but we are taking you on a little bit different journey.

"I think you'll also see a record that is a little more vulnerable, a little more intimate," he continued. "The song 'You Make It Look So Easy' is one I wrote for my wife and sang at our wedding. That's a song that's a definite growth stretch for us. I really struggled with putting it on the album. The song 'Carolina' (written by Church) is sonically the masterpiece of the record; it's unlike anything I've cut before."

Just as Sinners Like Me reflected Church's life at the time of its release in 2006, Carolina captures where he is today. "On that first record I was single. Now I'm married," he pointed out. "You know, some of the greatest records ever made were snapshots. Waylon's Dreaming My Dreams was where he and Jessi [Colter] were at the time he recorded that album. That's what real artists do, and it's why I put the song from my wedding on here."

Because Carolina took more than three years to complete, Church is grateful that Capitol Records Nashville gave him the time he needed to write or co-write each of the album's 13 tracks and record. "The 'sophomore curse' exists because you have success with your first release and then the label rushes you in and you hurry to make that second album," he said. "That rush is what ends up making the quality not as good. Our thought going in was that we had to keep the quality as good as Sinners. We were fortunate to have wide critical acclaim with that record, so the bar had been raised. I felt like we could meet that bar and go over it. I loved that challenge, so even though it took a little longer I'm happy with it."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Launched in 2005, the CMA Songwriters Series has become a popular recurring event at Joe's Pub in New York City. The fifth year of this successful run kicked off March 19, as the latest all-star assembly showcased some of the best recent songs to emanate from Music Row.

"Knowing what a treasure our Nashville songwriters are, we wanted to share their talents with other music lovers," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "So five years ago, we took a group to Joe's Pub in New York for the first CMA Songwriters Series. New Yorkers embraced them and it has been an amazing success ever since."

Presiding over two sold-out shows, host Bob DiPiero mixed his deftly humorous emcee skills with performances of some of his many hits, including "Blue Clear Sky" (recorded by George Strait) and "You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl" (Brooks & Dunn).

The spotlight also settled on BMI Songwriter of the Year Casey Beathard, making his first trip to the Big Apple in 15 years, who presented "Don't Blink" and "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" (Kenny Chesney), among other highlights from his catalog. ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Dave Berg shared his songs "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" (Rodney Atkins) and "Moments" (Emerson Drive).

Lyric Street Records artist Sarah Buxton made a strong impression with her originals, including "Stupid Boy" (Keith Urban) and "Innocence," which she'd recorded and released. Rivers Rutherford offered "Ain't Nothing 'Bout You," (Brooks & Dunn), "If You Ever Stop Loving Me" (Montgomery Gentry) and "Real Good Man" (Tim McGraw).

The next round of CMA Songwriters Series at Joe's Pub took place May 21, with two shows that featured Dean Dillon (George Strait's "Marina Del Rey," "Ocean Front Property," and "The Chair"), Scotty Emerick (Toby Keith's "Good As I Once Was" and "I Love This Bar," and "Beer for My Horses," recorded by Keith and Willie Nelson) and The Valory Music Co. artist Jimmy Wayne, who wrote as well as recorded "I Love You This Much," "Paper Angels" and "Stay Gone." DiPiero once again emceed the evening.

"Bob has done an outstanding job in bringing many of Nashville's greatest songwriters to New York, and this lineup was particularly impressive," said Genovese. "Combining a legend like Dean Dillon with Scotty Emerick and Jimmy Wayne, two talents that have risen to prominence over the last few years, made for a fascinating and entertaining night of music."

The series continues July 30, with two shows featuring Billy Currington (whose hit co-writes include "Walk a Little Straighter," "I Got a Feelin'" and "Why, Why, Why"), Keith Follese (who wrote Faith Hill's hit "The Way You Love Me," Martina McBride's "I Love You" and Tim McGraw's "Something Like That") and Jason Sellers (Keith Anderson's "I Still Miss You," Reba McEntire's "Strange" and Montgomery Gentry's "Some People Change"). Bob DiPiero (Brooks & Dunn's "You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl," Faith Hill's "Take Me As I Am," Montgomery Gentry's "Gone" and George Strait's "Blue Clear Sky") will reprise his frequent role as emcee.

Tickets for the July 30 CMA Songwriters Series at Joe's Pub are $25 each. For more information or to order tickets, visit www.JoesPub.com or call (212) 967-7555 between the hours of 10 AM and 9 PM/ET. Joe's Pub is located at 425 Lafayette Street in New York City.

"We are proud to once again showcase a stellar roster of songwriters," said Genovese. "New York music fans know that the CMA Songwriters series is not to be missed, which is why each event continues to sell out quickly."

Upcoming CMA Songwriters Series performances at Joe's Pub are Sept. 9 and Nov. 5.

CMA Songwriters Series at Joe's Pub is sponsored by American Airlines, ASCAP, BMI and GAC. American Airlines is the official airline of the CMA Songwriters Series.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.
 
Those Gold and Platinum walls are unforgettable. Among the most memorable exhibits in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum are the massive, floor-to-ceiling displays of Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum record plaques, which chronicle Country albums that have been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America as having achieved respective status in sales.

The rules for certification have changed over the decades, as have the materials and means by which recorded music is marketed. Still, artists continue to dream of going Gold and beyond - and earlier this year, the dream came true for Lady Antebellum, who received a Gold record plaque to commemorate more than 500,000 units sold of its self-titled, debut album on Capitol Records Nashville.

Thousands of Lady Antebellum fans learned of this milestone by watching the reigning CMA New Artist of the Year's weekly Webisodes. These Web-based mini-documentaries offer a glimpse at what the band has been doing lately. Each is about five minutes long, and every one begins with the opening title sequence and the 10-second "Webisode Wednesdays" theme song. All of the group's members participate actively in these Webisodes, which are posted at www.ladyantebellum.com.

The 43rd installment in this series, posted on Feb. 11, featured Hillary Scott describing the concert stage at a rodeo in Mississippi, Charles Kelley doing pushups on the band bus and Dave Haywood preparing to walk the red carpet before the Grammy Awards. It also included the thrilling moment when Ellen DeGeneres surprised the trio with a Gold record plaque following their performance on her daytime talk show.

"We've got a crazy schedule, so it's nice to document it all, and we feel so close to our fans that we don't mind sharing all of it," said Haywood. "Webisodes are a great way for us to stay connected weekly with our fans. It takes some work to stay on top of it, but we're committed to this."

"At meet-and-greet gatherings, Lady A fans commonly refer to quotes, stories and inside jokes that come from the Webisodes," said videographer Adam Boatman, founder and head of rocktheBoat Productions, who films and edits these Lady A adventures as well as Web videos for Faith Hill and Darius Rucker. "One time last summer, as a joke, Dave created a set list for himself that was nothing but hieroglyphic-looking symbols that represented song titles. In this particular Webisode, he explained what each of his symbols meant. The following week, at a concert in Maryland, a girl in the front row held up a neon-yellow sign. It was her version of Dave's hieroglyphic set list! That was a priceless moment for me, and it really let me know that fans were paying attention to the Webisodes."

Others who have explored this same path toward connecting with their fans include Universal Records South artist Randy Houser, who premiered his eight-part Webisode series "The Road Home" on www.gactv.com, and Justin Moore, signed to The Valory Music Co., who features episodes on his label's Web site, www.thevalorymusicco.com.

Record labels have found this device especially effective for launching new artists. Whitney Duncan, signed to Warner Bros. Records Nashville, documented numerous behind-the-scenes moments in a Webisode series promoting her debut album, Right Road Now. A separate Webisode series, titled "Whit's Wit," featured Duncan speaking directly to the camera as she offered humorous explanations of Southern slang. Its seven installments built momentum steadily, with each one drawing more viewers than the one that had preceded it.

"Because I'm a new artist, this is a great way for fans to get to know me," Duncan observed. "It lets fans come along for the whole ride, rather than just giving them some music and hoping they like it. With the Webisodes, we filmed the making of the album, went behind the scenes of a music video shoot and went on a photo shoot. I think it's awesome. This helps fans get more invested in the artist as a person and get invested in the artist's entire career."

This is just one of several ways that Duncan has raised her profile online. In addition to her official Web site at www.whitneyduncan.com and her pages on the social networking sites www.facebook.com, www.imeem.com and www.myspace.com, she conducts live chat sessions, writes a blog, creates online playlists and uses an iPhone to post tweets - short blog entries - at www.twitter.com.

Duncan and her team are exploiting the viral nature of these tools. For example, fans have helped spread the word about Duncan by embedding her Webisodes in their blogs and sharing her online playlists with their friends.

"Some artists really get this movement of community and viral marketing," said Kelli Cashiola, VP, Marketing, Warner Bros. Records Nashville. "To these artists, it's a lifestyle. So it's natural for them to do things like use Twitter, get online to do live chats and have a video camera follow them around all the time."

Warner Bros. Records Nashville artist Blake Shelton is one of those who gets it. Like Dierks Bentley, Pat Green and The Eli Young Band, he makes particularly effective use of humor to draw viewers to his Webisodes. In one example, he took to the streets of Manhattan to see if he had acquired an enigmatic "super power" as a result of being named to the "Sexiest Men Alive" list compiled annually by People magazine. This and other Webisodes in Shelton's "Pure BS" series are streamed at www.imeem.com and are available as well on his official channel at www.youtube.com.

"Humor is a huge selling point," Cashiola noted. "People love artists who make them laugh. We want people to put a personality and a face with the music. Webisodes are one more way to do that. Blake Shelton takes a camera with him wherever he goes, and we meld that footage together into funny little clips that his fans go crazy over. We've had over 1 million views."

The growing popularity of Webisodes in marketing campaigns relates to two important challenges that currently face the music industry. First, as online applications continue to evolve, artists, record labels and management must come to agreements about who is responsible for the financial and labor requirements associated with the frequent production of videos. This presents terrific opportunities for collaboration with new business partners from the online realm.

The second challenge involves the erosion of the traditional album cycle. Traditionally, artists would record and release an album, embark on a tour, take some time off and then start the cycle again. Web-based videos are beginning to change this routine because fans crave a steady flow of entertainment from their favorite artists, especially during the downtime between album releases.

"This is where the business has changed," Cashiola agreed. "Of course, we try to create a lot of awareness around an album release date. But I look at these projects as ongoing, 365 days a year. This is a commitment, a partnership with the artist, so we work on these projects every single day. Sure, everybody needs a vacation every once in a while, but artists nowadays need to have the drive, the will and the endurance to go at all times. For most artists, it's easy because they truly care about their fans."

The future looks undeniably bright for Webisodes. As younger consumers may migrate away some from radio and television, they will consume more and more of their entertainment online. Webisodes are a key way to hold the fan's attention 52 weeks per year. When done well, a creative Webisode can be just as addictive as the melodic hook in a catchy chorus.

Six Essential Ingredients for Successful Webisodes

As Founder and President of Nashville-based Hi-Fi Fusion, Todd Cassetty has designed new-media marketing campaigns for Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and other artists. Based on what he's learned from supervising Webisode series in many of these campaigns, Cassetty offers six points that Webisodes should address to best serve clients.

Make It Entertaining
"If a Webisode isn't entertaining, no one is going to want to watch it, much less virally pass it around."

Make It Serial
"Each Webisode should either tease the next one or establish that it is part of a series. You want people to come back, not just to visit one time."

Make Your Pitch
"Whether it's a new album, a tour, merchandise or an appearance on a television program, make sure that whatever you're selling comes across."
 
Make Sure the Artist Buys In
"The moment your artist loses interest, the quality of the series is going to diminish significantly."

Content Trumps Quality
"I'm not saying that quality isn't important, but if you're getting an inside tour of an artist's bus, that fact alone is much more important than whether the camerawork is a little jerky."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

As technologies accelerate, channels of commerce proliferate and issues undreamed of even a few years ago demand attention, the lessons of the fifth annual Leadership Music Digital Summit (LMDS) can be pared down to one simple but essential truth.

That would be that the music industry's prime mission is to service the consumer - and, while they're at it, to think of that person primarily as a fan rather than, at least initially, a targeted potential buyer. As stated by Duncan Freeman, President, Bandmetrics, at "Drastic Measures: New Metrics in the Music Business," "It's not mainly about sales anymore. Sales are a byproduct of that meaningful relationship" between artists and fans.

That idea occupied most of the panels during this annual assembly of music business innovators. Over two days in March, more than 850 attendees gathered in the Curb Event Center at Nashville's Belmont University for addresses, interviews and discussions.

The Summit opened with a debate over copyright law in the YouTube era, followed by proposals for creating a universal and accurate publishing database, passionate demands for prosecuting online pirates, a look at ISP liability for unauthorized music distribution and a guide to networking in Music City that brought the conference to a close.

In every context, the point was reiterated that today's listener harbors unprecedented power and high expectations. Conversations ensued over how artists, record labels and everyone else in the music business can monetize their relationship with that listener.

Current economic conditions make this challenge even more complex. In "Just the Facts: State of the Industry and Consumer Trends," Russ Crupnick, VP and Senior Industry Analyst, The NPD Group, cited figures from a survey conducted by his company last August in which older consumers, the most active CD buyers, voiced their intention to reduce entertainment expenditures by 35 percent even before the "economic meltdown" that would follow just a few weeks later. He noted among those who purchase entertainment products, CD purchases account for only 15 percent of those expenses.

These and other statistics indicate not that the consumption of music is down but the means by which it is acquired are in transition. There are encouraging signs that peer-to-peer file sharing has given way to paid legal downloads as the dominant means for moving music over the Web, in part because of apprehension over spyware, spoof music and other byproducts of unrestricted transmission.

Of greater concern to the pay-and-purchase model is a potentially significant trend. Crupnick reported NPD's finding that teens, while continuing to show great interest in attending live shows, are abandoning the idea of collecting music in favor of accessing it. This points toward subscriptions becoming an increasingly viable approach of monetizing the listening experience.

His point was echoed by Rio Caraeff, Executive VP, eLabs, Universal Music Group, who opened his keynote address by asserting that "the concept of selling music is antiquated. Access to music is more important than ownership of music." However alternate strategies may allow the industry to capitalize on this development, including one that harked back to the vinyl era.

Citing his father's work as a photographer and album cover designer, Caraeff argued that digital music has stripped a tactile element from the purchase of music that was vital to previous generations of consumers. "We've broken out the music and left packaging up to the retailer or device manufacturer," he said. "With music piracy, there's no difference between what you buy and what you can steal. The content, in this scenario, becomes worthless" and the presentation of music shrinks down to "a cold, antiseptic spreadsheet."

This opens the door toward adding value, even in the non-tactile online world, through engaging fans in artwork, offering lyric transcriptions and otherwise "reinventing the concept of the album" along the lines of what he dubbed a "Wiki-package."

Michael Masnick suggested the concept could be broadened to incorporate a more interactive physical component of experiencing music. In his keynote presentation, the Editor of the technology and business analysis-oriented Techdirt Blog and President and CEO of the "insight company" Floor64 examined recent campaigns that in effect trumped illegal music distribution, embraced fans and turned a significant profit to boot.

He focused on Trent Reznor, leader of the group Nine Inch Nails. For his album Ghosts I-IV the artist began by posting nine of its 36 tracks on his Web site for free download - but then added options for value-added purchases that rose to a $300 "ultra deluxe edition" that included vinyl as well as CD, personally autographed items and other incentives. Only 2,500 copies were readied - and all were sold within 30 hours, adding up to an immediate $750,000 in sales and helping to boost Ghosts I-IV to the top of www.amazon.com's best-selling MP3 albums of 2008.

Masnick cited a number of other campaigns, by artists less established than Reznor, all of which suggested that strategic giveaways of music, combined with involving fans creatively, have stimulated income streams for artists and record labels that include music sales. And in scanning the horizons, panelists under the spotlight and attendees mingling during lunch breaks agreed that mobile phones are well on their way toward becoming the critical medium for accomplishing this goal over the next few years.

Discussions of this topic veered often toward granular levels, such as the market for SanDisk's microSD cards that can store up to 1,000 songs in phones, and toward problems still to be addressed in establishing mobile phones as playback media. "Eighty-three percent of music listening today is still radio because all you do is that," insisted Dave Ulmer, Senior Director, Multimedia, Motorola, illustrating the point by jabbing his finger against an imaginary button during "Mobilizing Music: From Ringtones to Revolution." "Simplicity is everything - and we haven't done our part to make it easy."

Yet mobile phones have already made themselves the cornerstone of a rapidly evolving music industry model. At "Mobilizing Music, Part II: Cultivating a Fan Base on the Road," John Gusty, VP, Marketing and Artist Relations, echo, declared, "The best viral marketing an artist can possibly have is sitting right in front of them at a live show. It's the ultimate opportunity to grab data and with that data communicate back to fans, whatever the objective may be."

As tantalizing as this technology is, putting it to use requires a common-sense first step: You've got to have some people on your list to call. Luckily, it's easier than ever to attain this goal. Gusty gave one example of how even a new artist could get this ball rolling. "In the course of an interview on radio, the artist could say, 'If you text this keyword to this short-code, I'll give you a free download.' With that one sentence, that artist is creating a fan base through mobile data collection."

The job is even easier for major acts. In any case, once adequate numbers are achieved, a protocol of communicating with those fans has to be established, consistent with their perceived and real empowerment. In the uniquely personal dynamic of how artists and their fans relate, that lesson is already understood. Chris Stacey, VP, Music Industry, Mozes, told attendees at "Fan Base on the Road," even he was bowled over when he received a text message from Faith Hill, indicating that she had left him a voicemail message - not knowing that it was part of a campaign that his own company had just set up.

"I connected," he remembered, laughing. "The message was really cool. It was like, 'Hey, it's Faith. I just wanted you to know I'm so happy spring is coming. The weather is finally warming up. What are you doing right now? Call me and let me know!'"

Gusty amplified on the use of mobile phones to enhance the concert experience while also harvesting data. When LeAnn Rimes was opening on "The Poets & Pirates Tour" in 2008 with Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban, her latest single was "Good Friend and a Glass of Wine." "Each night in front of this enormous audience, she said, 'I'd like to bring some of you backstage to have a glass of wine with me and my husband.' You could watch the numbers just pour in. We picked the winners right there, and in 17 shows we went from zero to 25,000 on our database numbers - and she was third on the bill, playing in daylight."

The moral here, and of the Summit as a whole, is that fans who are approached with respect are more likely to become customers. Stacey described a campaign Mozes undertook in which 10,000 fans in Urban's mobile database received a phone message from him, inviting them to take part in a one-day discount sale of T-shirts. "We sold 435 T-shirts in two hours and generated $9,000 in merchandise with that one text blast," he remembered.

"That brand [Urban] is very respectful of fans," Gusty observed. "His e-mail isn't spam. I know of other clients who have lists just as big if not bigger than Keith's, and it wouldn't have monetized out the same way because those particular communities may have been either abused or neglected, so when there's a call to action it's not as responsive."

Or, as stated by Greg Estes, VP, Marketing, Mozes, at "From Ringtones to Revolution," "There's a time and place to monetize and a time and a place not to."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Music was intrinsic to film even before Al Jolson ended the silent era with "The Jazz Singer" in 1927. But that relationship is growing more mutually beneficial as Hollywood and Nashville's songwriting community explore what each can offer to the other.

This point was illustrated in several of the premieres at this year's Nashville Film Festival (NaFF), perhaps especially with "Noble Things," whose soundtrack bristled with edgy Country along with elements of blues and even orchestral music - and whose cast included a high-profile appearance by Lee Ann Womack.

More critically, though, NaFF provides an increasingly important forum for this meeting of interests.

April 16-23, actors, directors and all manner of movie industry players, well known as well as up-and-coming, walked the red carpet and into the Regal Green Hills Cinema complex to attend screenings and receptions, grant interviews, share insights on panels and meet members of the local creative community.

This last point is especially relevant to Music City's songwriters, which is why CMA, as a "marquee sponsor," has developed events at NaFF to help empower local talent and bring it to the attention of film industry leaders. In the same spirit of service that powered its Consumer Research Study introduced earlier during the Country Radio Seminar, CMA facilitated this connection through a panel, "Music Supervisors: The ABC's of Song Placement and Licensing," co-sponsored with SESAC on April 21.

An attentive crowd, composed mostly of songwriters, filled every seat, spilled into the aisles, and stretched toward the theater doors as Nashville music attorney Jim Zumwalt moderated a discussion by a group of leaders in the business of matching music to film. Tips centered around the concept of professionalism, in how CDs are presented ("If you hand-write on your CD, it automatically gets thrown in the garbage," stated Frankie Pine, President, Whirly Girl Music, and Music Supervisor on "Arctic Tale," "Believe in Me," "Vice" and many other films), music pitches are recorded ("Submit music that's broadcast quality, that we could use in a show or a film that day," said Rudy Chung, Music Supervisor, Hit The Ground Running (HTGR), whose television credits include "Everybody Hates Chris," "Kath & Kim" and "The Cleaner") and common sense applied ("Watch the show," insisted independent Music Supervisor Lindsay Fellows, with "Bridge to Terabithia," "How to Eat Fried Worms" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth" among his recent films. "You would be amazed how many people think they know what's on 'Grey's Anatomy,' even though they've never watched it.").

More broadly, there was consensus that in a precarious economy, favorable licensing deals can be leveraged in untraditional ways. "If you license something for a show and you're not getting much money up front, ask if they could put a link on their Web site to your MySpace page," suggested Rachel Levy, Senior VP, Motion Picture Music, Weinstein Co. And Marianne Goode, VP, Music, Lifetime Television, illustrated the point with an account of how her network posted a link to Nashville singer/ songwriter Megan McCormick's MySpace page after adding one of her songs to the soundtrack for "Prayers for Bobby" - which drew 8,000 hits within two hours after the special aired in January.

For the second consecutive year, CMA added a social component to NaFF with its "CMA Speed Dating" reception. On the clear-skied evening of April 20, six tables were arranged throughout the CMA atrium, each impeccably set. Following an informal reception, attendees took their seats, with nine representatives from the local music scene and one film industry guest at every table. Stacy Widelitz, NaFF President, then reviewed the rules: Everyone was encouraged to converse for 25 minutes over appetizers, three courses and dessert catered by the Clean Plate Club, after which Widelitz would play a flourish on a xylophone and each film person would rotate to the next table.

The results were convivial as well as professionally promising. "A number of people who attended last year's Speed Dating event have told me they've stayed in touch," said Widelitz. "Every music supervisor that's ever come to Nashville through the Film Festival goes away knowing that there's a lot of great music going on, in all genres. That's the whole purpose of these events, to create relationships and open the right channels."
Levy can testify to that. Noting that this was her first visit to Nashville, the Los Angeles-based executive admitted, "I knew I would love it here, and it's everything I expected it to be - and more."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Head in the clouds and dirt in her hair" - that's how Megan Munroe describes herself as a child growing up in Sultan, Wash. She might have added "with a song in her heart," as her father's Country albums provided a soundtrack to her horseback rides with the Cascade Mountains as a backdrop. After adding Tori Amos, Jewel, Pearl Jam and Bonnie Raitt to her potpourri of influences, she headed at 17 to Los Angeles to see whether an acting career felt right.

It didn't, and despite some professional success she was back in Washington, wiser and committed to music by 20. A few years of performance and a self-released regional album helped prepare her for Nashville, where Munroe has spent the past three-plus years writing, modeling, acting, designing book covers and recording One More Broken String.

Produced by Doug Deforest, all 12 tracks bear Munroe's writing credit, one of them solo and the rest with Brian Oaks. They penned the debut single, "Moonshine," on which we hear Munroe's highly expressive delivery. Whether derived partly from her acting background or simply from her fusion of Country's narrative tradition and alt-rock's flair, she turns the lyrics into compelling and decidedly frank evocation of love, adventure and risk.

We may or may not see Munroe on the silver screen, but her Diamond Music Group debut album makes it clear that we've only starting hearing from this gifted newcomer.

IN HER OWN WORDS Q&A

CD IN YOUR STEREO
"Failer, by Kathleen Edwards."

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
"Scribbling in the Sand: Christ and Creativity, by Michael Card."

SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER
"'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' (my secret 'American Idol' audition song)."

SOMETHING WE'D NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU
"I had severe hearing and speaking disabilities as a child."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
"Tattered and Re-sewn: A Performer's Tale from Thread to Needle."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

On the final stop of their hugely successful Australian tour, duo Brooks & Dunn (Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn) and Dierks Bentley were both surprised with CMA International Artist Achievement Awards for their contributions to Country Music overseas.

CMA Board member Rob Potts, CEO, Rob Potts Entertainment Edge, and Ray Hadley, Presenter, Radio 2GB Sydney, presented the Awards backstage at the Acer Arena in Sydney.

"Halfway around the world, it is easy to say, but it takes an amazing amount of coordination and commitment from so many people to pull it off - and ultimately, and most importantly, the support from the fans," said Brooks. "As usual, we get to just walk out on stage and do our thing. But it's hard not to stand there in Sydney or wherever and go, 'Wow, how did this happen?' Thanks so much to everyone who shared this experience with us."
 
"It's fantastic to be recognized by CMA after all my international touring in Japan, Europe and now Australia," said Bentley. "This is very cool."

"I can't think of any more deserving U.S. artists to win this award," Potts said. "Their tour here has had a huge impact on the profile of Country Music in this territory and it's fantastic that we were able to present the Awards to them in Australia. It's also terrific to have a former CMA International Broadcaster of the Year and Australia's No. 1 rating radio presenter, Ray Hadley, here to help us surprise the guys with their Awards."

"It's fantastic that artists like Brooks & Dunn and Dierks make the effort to travel half way around the world to play to their Australian fans," said Hadley. "They bring huge excitement to this market."

"Ronnie, Kix and Dierks have all impacted and expanded the international market place for Country Music," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "As representatives for Country Music on a global scale, they are all very deserving of this prestigious award."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Three respected international media representatives were presented awards from CMA during an Irish showcase at the Sommet Center Plaza Stage Friday during the 2009 CMA Music Festival in Downtown Nashville in June.

Joe Fish and Pio McCann, who hosted the Irish showcase, were each presented with the International Country Broadcaster Award for 2008. Roger Ryan received the 2008 Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award.

"I would like to thank CMA," said Fish. "It's an honor to receive an Award for something that I still enjoy after 30 years."

"I'm hugely honored to receive such a prestigious award from CMA - one of the best days of my life," said McCann. "It makes me proud to be a part of the musical bridge between Nashville and Ireland."

"I am deeply grateful to CMA for giving me the Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award," said Ryan. "Promoting Country Music has been a lifelong passion for me, and to be rewarded in this way is really a dream come true."

Fish has presented Country programs in the United Kingdom for more than 30 years. And since 2000, he has presented the Country shows on BBC Radio Lancashire. He has a successful tour operator company bringing groups to CMA Music Festival each year representing a variety of countries including England, France, Spain, Norway, and Italy.

McCann has been a radio broadcaster for almost 30 years. He has produced a three-hour radio special "When Nashville Came to Ireland," a program which strongly reflects the links between America and Ireland musically and culturally. And he has been a presenter of artist spotlight radio specials including his last special with guest Dolly Parton, which aired in September.

Ryan founded the Country Music Association of Ireland in 1969 and he has spent most of his life promoting Country Music. He has been a Country Music correspondent for the Cork Evening Echo for more than 20 years. He is also the chief writer for Personalities magazine as well as a host of a video show on www.ptvireland.com.

The CMA International Broadcaster Award recognizes outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside the United States who have made important contributions toward the development of Country Music in their country.

The Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievements in the media, which contribute to the development of Country Music outside the United States. Radio, TV, print journalists, authors, editors, television writers, producers, and PR representatives who reside outside of the United States are eligible to win this award. Previous winners CMA International Awards are listed at www.CMAworld.com.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

For much of the music world, Call Me Crazy is a welcome reunion with the voice and interpretive gifts of Lee Ann Womack after her three-year hiatus from recording.

But for Tony Brown, this album represents fulfillment of a dream that dates back to a fateful day in his office at MCA Nashville, when an intern unexpectedly caught his ear.

"The tape copy room was across the hall from my office," recalled Brown, who was at the time a staff producer and A&R executive with the record label. "Usually interns got the job of making compilations of songs when an artist is about to cut, so one day I heard one of them singing in there; when the music stopped, she'd keep singing by herself. And I was thinking, 'Man, she's got a killer voice!'"

She still does, but in those days Womack was an undergraduate at what was then Belmont College, a young Texas transplant in the early stages of her push toward success in Country Music. She was also, by her own admission, not exactly an ideal student.

"I didn't pay as much attention as I should have. That was my own fault. I don't want to say I didn't learn anything at Belmont, but I learned a whole lot more - and I hate to say it - sitting on the barstool, getting married a couple of times, having kids and living life. Basically, I wouldn't want somebody with my educational background to take care of my money," she said, laughing.

Luckily, Womack could compensate for any academic laxities with tons of talent and a bit of luck. Being in the midst of work with Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett and other artists, Brown admitted to not moving quickly enough in connecting with her. That became clear to him when producer Mark Wright dropped by with Womack to announce that they were about to start work together on her self-titled debut album.

"And," Brown summed up, "I said to myself, 'How stupid of me to not have followed up on this!'"

Sometimes time can help correct mistakes of the past. Over the next decade, Womack's star rose high into the Country Music firmament. She sold more than 6 million albums, won two Grammy Awards and six CMA Awards: Single for "I Hope You Dance" in 2000, Female Vocalist in 2001, Vocal Event for "Mendocino County Line" with Willie Nelson in 2002 and a trifecta in 2005 as she was honored with Musical Event for "Good News, Bad News" with George Strait, Single for "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" and Album for There's More Where That Came From.

She also worked with two of the best producers in and beyond Music City, Wright and Byron Gallimore. But with Call Me Crazy an important circle was closed as she recorded her first album with Brown at the helm.

"Tony was really good for me because he's worked with so many kinds of artists and personalities and also because he ran a lot of record labels and played on the road," Womack said. "He brings a lot of things to the table, so when he makes a record, he thinks about all the aspects of it. He converses with the players as you're listening down to a demo or me playing on guitar, and the ideas start flowing. Tony is real good about letting everybody speak up and say, 'What about this? Let's try this.' That's why the vibe of Call Me Crazy is different from what I've done in the past."

To understand that feeling, Brown advised, start with Womack's qualities as a singer. "When you're cutting Keith Urban or Rascal Flatts, it's about the voice but the track is what really drives the song," he explained. "With the way Lee Ann sings, the vocal drives the song, so the musicians have to play with her as opposed to her singing with them. Her voice isn't loud but it's really full and rich. Her pronunciation is so good. It's a pure voice, like Alison Krauss has. So I really wanted to complement her as if she was singing with no band around her."

Brown also made sure that Womack didn't do more than a couple of takes on each tune. "He was real adamant about that," she said. "When you sing something five or six times, it's not going to be as fresh. That was part of the reason why this album seems maybe a little deeper emotionally."

Writing and finding the right material made this easier. Most of the album reflects a preference that distinguishes much of her catalog, for songs that tell stories, often brushed with sadness or pain. "It's not that she's depressed, but sad songs make her happy: The more misery, the better," said Dale Dodson, who wrote four tracks with Womack on Call Me Crazy: "If These Walls Could Talk," "Everything But Quits" and "Have You Seen That Girl" (both with Dean Dillon as a third co-writer) and "New Again" (with Casey Beathard). "It's that old Tammy Wynette kind of thing: 'We've got a big house and big cars. We live in Brentwood. And we're miserable.'"

"When you sit down with Dale, he'll come right out and say, 'We need some more color in here. We've got to paint this picture,'" Womack said. "That's important, whether you're writing a short story or a song. When I'm reading something, I'm much more likely to get into it if I can see the picture in my head. If I'm listening to music, I want to be taken somewhere on a journey. If I'm singing or making a record for somebody, I want to take them with me."

Dodson, who met Womack in 1995 when she joined him on the writing staff at Sony Tree Publishing, draws from his experience of writing with her on songs that include "The Man That Made My Mama Cry" and "Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago" to observe that her co-writes usually begin with an idea from her for a fragment of a lyric or a title. Focusing on "If These Walls Could Talk," he remembered when she played him two initial verses as a starting point for their collaboration. From there, he came up with the chorus and introduced the poignant image, in the last verse, of a child praying bedside in a troubled home. Dodson also suggested a key change but couldn't find a convincing place or means to add it.

That problem was solved in the studio by Brown. Humming the zigzag line that lifts the tune through a modulation after an instrumental break, Dodson marveled, "It sounds so natural. When they called me over to hear the track, I just looked at Lee Ann and she pointed at him. That's just one reason why Tony, to me, is the best producer in this town since Billy Sherrill."

Sweetened by two all-star duets , with George Strait on the beautifully old-school "Everything But Quits" and Keith Urban on the more experimental "The Bees," and nourished from the classic well of saloon songs with its first two singles, "Last Call" and "Solitary Thinkin', "Call Me Crazy lifted Womack back into the spotlight following its October 2008 release on MCA Nashville. The months that followed included a Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Performance, concert bookings that stretch through the summer and TV appearances that included "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," on which her 17-year-old daughter Aubrie provided backup guitar and harmony with her band.

One thing remains constant as long as Womack continues to write, record and perform. "I've changed a lot over the past 10 years," she mused. "I can look back at my records and see that growth, but my love of real Country Music is always the foundation. Whether it be Appalachian, bluegrassy, rootsy stuff or straight-ahead Texas shuffles, I love that kind of music. And all of my albums have dealt with real-life things. That's certainly not going to change either."

Neither is Brown's respect for his onetime intern. "I must say, I hustled Lee Ann to do this record," he admits. "And I was so nervous; I felt like it was my first record with George Strait. But now, when somebody says, 'Play me something you're really proud of,' I always play them this album. And I'm just glad she's back."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Mother's Day brought a special prize to two lucky women: a bouquet of European tulips, Peruvian lilies, deep pink petite spray roses and traditional white and lavender daisies; an autographed copy of Jewel's Lullaby, the first album to be released in the Fisher-Price music series; and a personal call from the artist.

But this outreach was a gift to Jewel as well. Thanks to her partnerships with Fisher-Price and FTD, her fan base promises to stretch beyond its already formidable range while also giving her loyal followers some extra music to savor between her most recent and upcoming Country albums.

"I've known for about 10 years that I was going to make a somewhat non-commercial album in terms of how I could promote it," Jewel explained.

Lullaby fits that niche as a 15-track mix of original and traditional material, recorded by Jewel at her Texas ranch, with simple instrumentation and a soothing sound designed to appeal to kids and parents. To avoid the conflict of positioning it alongside her record label product in CD outlets, Jewel and her manager, Virginia Davis of Azoff Music, arranged for Fisher- Price to present the album as the first of its Fisher-Price Music Series and to display it within children's sections of Babies "R" Us, Sears, Wal-Mart, and Toys "R" Us, as well as in the infant sections and music departments of Target and in Kroger stores. "That's a great distribution tool for a fan base I don't necessarily have," Jewel noted. (Lullaby sells online as well.)

But why not reach even further toward the maternal consumer? That was the question Davis brought to her meeting with echo, Jewel's digital marketing agency. An answer presented itself quickly, thanks in part to the job history of Laura Hutfless, Director of Brand Integration, echo. "All during high school and college, I worked in a flower shop," she said, laughing. "So as soon as I heard 'Mother's Day,' I knew that we could work with companies that are trying to market during that time period. That means flowers and chocolate - and flowers don't melt in the mail."

Though they had never worked with an artist, FTD jumped onboard. Jewel taped three tracks live from Lullaby, with the video posted on livedaily.com near banners announcing the album's May 5 release and launching the Mother's Day Lullaby Memories Sweepstakes. A link led to Jewel's Web site, jeweljk.com, where anyone could nominate someone they considered to be an especially deserving mother. The two grand prize winners were picked at random, as were 10 runners-up who received autographed CDs and the FTD Jewel Lullaby Bouquet.

It took only two weeks to move from conceiving to implementing this campaign - yet its impact could linger for years, partly because FTD sold out of the bouquets by Mother's Day. "So many of my fans have been parents and Country Music fans as they've grown up," Jewel mused. "And my music has evolved, just as my fans have. This has been a great way to keep them engaged while reaching people who might have known my name but not necessarily bought my albums before."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Most kids can't wait to get out of high school, but Taylor Swift seemed even more excited about going back.

Her visit lasted just one day in April, though for many who crowded into the Garwood Whaley Auditorium at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Va., it would be a day to always remember.

For an hour, the 19-year-old phenomenon treated them to a private concert as their reward for winning a contest sponsored by Verizon Wireless. Specifically, by sending more than 19,000 text messages and online entries to a number set up for the competition, Bishop Ireton's 804 students bested the efforts of every other school in the United States.

This was just one of many synchronicities achieved in a partnership that goes back to when Verizon used the cover of Swift's first album in an ad campaign several years ago. From that humble start, their arrangement has blossomed in ways that manifest not just at Ireton but at every stop of her ongoing "Fearless Tour" - her first as a headliner.

Verizon is omnipresent at these shows. They provided her with a mobile studio bus as a writing and demo resource on the road, in exchange for Swift's agreement to create content, whether music or video, exclusively for download via their V Cast Music with Rhapsody service. They ran a text-to-win contest, by which subscribers who have purchased Swift music or ringtones via the Verizon store can receive free bar-coded mobile tickets to her show in their market. A "green-screen" setup at each show allowed fans to record themselves singing along with Swift and her band on "Love Story" and "Picture to Burn," which would be forwarded as MP3 files directly to the phones of Verizon users and to e-mail for everyone else.

The gains from this campaign have been significant for both sides. Swift, for example, benefits from fan pre-show Text2Screen and Pix2Screen messages, which trigger responses to buy her music directly from the sender's phone. "And Verizon's print advertising was substantial," noted Scott Borchetta, President and CEO, Big Machine Records and The Valory Music Co. "It put us into a lot of places where we would not necessarily be - The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times. There have been huge marketing benefits."

"It always starts with, 'How do we create the best win/win relationship?'" added Ed Ruth, Director, Digital Content and Programming, Verizon Wireless. "We're a music retailer, so when her music does well, we do well. For the artist, it's about connecting and interacting with fans in new and innovative ways."

And that includes, literally, going back to high school - while whipping up a messaging frenzy for the honor of hosting her next gig, with results updated every other day online to push the competition even more. "But even at the schools that didn't win, her fans got to engage in something they knew Taylor was paying attention to," Ruth added. "So it was a great opportunity for everybody. At the end of the day, Taylor wins, the fans win and everyone goes home happy."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

It was the kind of day that invites lingering outside: abundant sun, just enough breeze to keep the air fresh. But on this late afternoon of May 17, the place to be was past the red carpet that stretched from Demonbreun Street up the steps and inside its destination: the lobby of Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where an Olympian assembly of music industry notables had gathered for the inductions of Roy Clark, Barbara Mandrell and Charlie McCoy as members of the Hall.

No greater distinction exists in the world of Country Music than membership in the Hall, founded by CMA in 1961 to honor the artists, songwriters and industry executives who had done the most to preserve and further this beloved genre.

These Medallion Ceremonies serve as rites of induction into the Hall. They represent a mixture of sometimes contradictory elements: Respect for tradition and even a hint of solemnity before the mantel of history coexist with the humor and informality that have established Country as a distinctively American genre. Just as saloon songs and hymns live together in the Country catalog, so does this temple open to a diverse congregation.

Shortly before 7 PM, as guitarist David Andersen brought another soothing, jazz-inflected treatment of a Country standard to its close, WSM Nashville radio host and GAC personality Bill Cody invited guests to file into the Ford Theater, where the special events began with a recording of Jerry Reed's "The Claw" and a welcoming address from Steve Turner, Chairman, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Museum's Director, Kyle Young, promising an evening of "fellowship, incredible music, at least two fibs, tall tales and other stories," introduced CMA CEO Tammy Genovese.

While noting that the honorees had each won multiple CMA Awards, Genovese focused on their contributions to Country Music on television. Observing that Clark and Buck Owens had co-hosted "Hee Haw" for 23 years, McCoy had served the same series for 18 years as Music Director and Mandrell had starred on her own variety show "Barbara Mandrell and The Mandrell Sisters," she said "all three of tonight's inductees looked at the way Country Music was presented on television and said, 'We can make this even better. We can present Country Music to a mainstream audience with respect, love and even humor.'"

"That's the example we at CMA try to follow each year when we produce the Festival TV special and present 'Country Music's Biggest Night' - the CMA Awards," Genovese continued. "It all boils down to the lessons we have learned from Barbara, Charlie and Roy."

Each Medallion Ceremony includes memorable performances, and this one began with one that will not soon be forgotten. Much of that owes to the Medallion All-Star Band, featuring Eddie Bayers on drums, Paul Franklin on steel guitar and dobro, Brent Mason on electric guitar, Michael Rhodes on bass, Deanie Richardson on fiddle and mandolin and Jeff White on acoustic guitar and vocals, with keyboardist John Hobbs as music director. Dawn Sears, who joined the group as a backup singer through most of the evening, sang lead on their opening number, "The Old Rugged Cross," beginning quietly with just voice and electric piano, building gradually through a crescendo and key change and peaking with a finish that triggered the first of the night's many ovations.

Four more performances then set the stage for McCoy's introduction. Rodney Crowell, backed by Sam Levine on tenor saxophone, sang a version of "Candy Man" that rooted into the roadhouse blues tradition; as Jim Hoke wrapped up his harmonica part at the end, he and McCoy, seated with Clark, Mandrell and their guests in the first row, pointed appreciatively to each other. This led to another exhibition of mouth-harp artistry, as Jelly Roll Johnson played "Today I Started Loving You Again" to a classic Country ballad feel; as soon as he hit the first notes of the tune, artfully and elegantly, McCoy smiled and bobbed his head to the groove.

The next performers held musical as well as sentimental value for McCoy, as Russ Hicks and Wayne Moss took to the stage. Both had played with McCoy in Barefoot Jerry, whose members represented some of the best young studio talent in Nashville. McCoy grinned again and flashed a "thumbs-up" sign as they delivered "Summit Ridge Drive" over a mean shuffle beat, with PT Gazell sitting in on harmonica.

And then the master himself stepped forward to perform "Shenandoah" with the taste and exquisite phrasing that would justify studio guitar giant Harold Bradley's subsequent introduction of McCoy as, quite simply, "the greatest harmonica player in the world." After Bradley inducted his longtime friend into the Hall of Fame, McCoy reminisced about highlights of his career, beginning with his move as a young man to Nashville. He hoped at the time for a break as an entertainer but changed his mind after Owen Bradley, Harold's brother, brought him to his first recording session.

"I watched a 13-year-old girl recording a great record called 'Sweet Nothings.' She's here tonight, a Hall of Fame member," he noted, as Brenda Lee beamed in the audience. "And when I watched those Nashville A-Team musicians at work, I said to myself, 'To heck with singing. I want to do this.'"

Three memorable performances followed, to set the stage for Clark. Duane Eddy filled the theater with his famous heavy-tremolo, low-note guitar sound in a galloping rendition of "Ghost Riders in the Sky." Josh Turner interpreted "Thank God and Greyhound" impeccably, from the heart-tugging opening to the sudden swerve into a hilarious chorus. Garth Brooks spoke briefly about how Clark had inspired him personally as well as musically and then, with eyes closed and reaching deep down for inspiration, sang "Come Live with Me," backed by the Carol Lee Singers.

A rousing welcome met Little Jimmy Dickens, back in action after surviving his recent ailment. His storytelling skills were razor-sharp as he regaled the room with a tale involving himself, Clark, their bands and a Volkswagen that met its watery end in a Las Vegas motel pool. And then he called his friend forward to accept his medallion; they held fast to a long handshake as cheers and applause washed over the stage.

Clark showed that he could also spin a yarn or two. But after delivering several punch lines, he became reflective as he looked back on his long run on "Hee Haw," his many friends in the music industry and on what this evening would ultimately mean to him: "To be included with Barbara Mandrell and Charlie McCoy as the 2009 inductees, that in itself is worth the price." He closed by strapping on his guitar for a performance of "Yesterday, When I Was Young," practically speaking the vocals in the depth of his emotion and demonstrating with his solo that his fluid, melodic and jazz-inflected style as an instrumentalist is fully intact.

Tributes to Mandrell came in the form of a dramatic performance of "The Midnight Oil" by Alison Krauss, animated by extraordinary control of dynamics and interpretive intensity; a rollicking version of "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed" by Louise Mandrell, who subsequently blew a kiss and mouthed "I love you" to her sister from the stage; a smoky, soulful rendering of "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" by Michael McDonald; and a commanding reading by Reba McEntire of "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool," with McCoy joining the band on harmonica and George Jones making a surprise entrance to sing the last stanza, as he does on Mandrell's original recording.

With dignity and eloquence, Ralph Emery eulogized Mandrell, recalled being introduced to her through Merle Travis and humorously summed up both her enthusiasm and commitment to faith with what he described as her favorite prayer: "God give me patience - and could you please hurry?"

After her induction, Mandrell spoke affectionately of the many who had shared her journey. At times she wiped away tears while sharing her love for her family and colleagues; when recalling her recently deceased father Irby Mandrell, she struggled not to succumb to the poignancy of the moment. Noting that he had managed her for 38 years, she said, "I'm deeply grateful to my Lord God Almighty that he allowed my daddy to be here at the press conference where it was announced that I was going to be inducted into the revered Country Music Hall of Fame, before he took my daddy to holy Heaven. I thank you with my entire being for putting me - and my daddy's name - into the Hall of Fame."

The traditional closing followed, as members of the Hall of Fame came to the stage to sing "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." This finale is always a reminder of how deep the well has been, with so many who have contributed so much brought together again. But signs were there as well that this story is far from over. This was clear hours before, among the fans who had cheered each dignitary's arrival by the red carpet. A young boy stood there, a ball cap on his head, flicking a yo-yo while watching as his heroes arrived. When Dickens emerged from his limousine, he turned to his parents and said, with a smile, "Jimmy's here. Now the party begins."

In the hands of these fans, young and old, this party will continue through years to come.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

CMA Board members attended a special presentation at the Hilton Nashville Downtown on April 29. The topic on the table was the state S.379, the Performance Rights Act, introduced into the United States Senate by Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and under review at the time of this meeting by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The main aim of S.379 is to "grant performers of sound recordings equal rights to compensation from terrestrial broadcasters." However, conversation expanded quickly from this starting point toward issues beyond the scope of the bill that are also of paramount importance to the music industry.

Introduced by moderator Jim Free, President and CEO, The Smith-Free Group, Mitch Bainwol, Chairman and CEO, Recording Industry of America, outlined his reasons for supporting the principles of S.379, after which John David, Executive VP, Radio, National Association of Broadcasters, took the opposite view. David Israelite, President and CEO, National Music Publishers' Association, noted that two camps of copyright holders that had traditionally come into conflict - songwriters and record labels - both endorse efforts to ensure that payment revert to artists and musicians for terrestrial broadcast of songs, and expressed optimism that they would stand together as well on compensation for audio/video downloads.

"Our top legislative priority is to get that performance right established," Israelite said. "The method by which you watch the show should not matter. What's important is that the right exists."

Discussion shifted then to "Net neutrality," or the extent to whether Internet service providers (ISPs) such as AT&T should be liable for content downloaded illegally through their channels. David McClure, President and CEO, U.S. Internet Association, drew laughter by admitting that "being invited by content owners to discuss copyrights is a little like being invited to dinner by Hannibal Lecter" but then proceeded to argue it is in everyone's interest to adapt to a new producer/consumer relationship.

Harking back to the advent of cable television as a sign of viewer empowerment and even citing Burger King's vintage "Have it Your Way" slogan, McClure observed, "We used to live with mass production followed by mass advertising leading to mass consumption. That model is dead . and the music and Internet industries, together, have to figure out how to deliver to consumers what they want."

A spirited question-and-answer session delineated these positions more clearly, but in the end songwriter and CMA Board member Bob DiPiero brought participants together with a reminder that the future lay in pooling the talents and resources among CMA membership on one path toward common goals. Describing himself as "the guy who makes the little things you guys are trying to count," he said, "if you guys banded together, you would be so powerful and everybody in this room would be enriched."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

April 28 seemed like any other day at Nashville's McGavock High School - aside from the summons that drew 50 music students into the Choir Room. The risers where singers usually stood were lined this morning with chairs; shortly after these were filled, Principal Karl Lang stepped forward, welcomed everyone and then introduced a visitor: Steve Buchanan, Senior VP, Media and Entertainment, Gaylord Entertainment and CMA Board President-Elect.

Buchanan spoke briefly, noting that CMA's Keep the Music Playing program has donated more than $2.2 million through the Nashville Alliance for Public Education because "the CMA Board and the members of CMA believe that every student has the right to quality music education."

The kids in the room listened intently but perhaps wondered what all this was leading to. That became clear when Buchanan said, "It is now my pleasure to introduce you to a guy that really believes that - a great musician, singer and songwriter who continually gives back to our community." With that, the door swung open and Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts walked into the room.

Shrieks of surprise and a storm of applause erupted as the superstar and CMA Board member leaned against the weathered piano in the center of the room and began to speak. He recounted his own history with music education in high school. "The fact that I knew I had music to look forward to is what kept me interested in school," he admitted. "For us at CMA, we're very passionate about making sure we have programs in our public schools that allow kids this outlet."

He invited questions, jokingly advised one young saxophonist to get his hair cut because he looked too much like a guitar player, and encouraged everyone to follow their dreams of pursuing music. "I came to Nashville, lived in a one-bedroom apartment and barely had enough money to buy soup sometimes," DeMarcus remembered. "So while you worry about where the next dollar is going to come from, I promise you that the power of your dream is bigger than your needs."

Then, casually, he asked if he could play and sing a tune for them. He moved over to the keyboard on the grand, played a couple of out-of-tune, sticky or completely silent notes, shook his head and said, "That piano is funky! I can't work with this. We got something else here?"

The door swung open again, and to the astonishment of the students a new Baldwin grand piano from Steinway Galleries was rolled on its dolly into the room - one of four pianos being delivered that were purchased and donated to Metro Nashville
Public Schools via Keep the Music Playing.

"As artists we donate our time to CMA Music Festival so that we're able to give back," DeMarcus said. "Music education was very important in my life and because of that, I'm able to do what I do today."

Carol Crittenden, Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator, Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), smiled as DeMarcus performed a solo version of "Bless the Broken Road."

"That older piano was the original piano of this school when it opened in 1973," she said. "It's time for it to take a well-deserved rest. We're extremely happy, thanks to CMA. You have made dreams come true."

Pam Garrett, Executive Director, Nashville Alliance for Public Education (NAPE), agreed. "We're going to thank CMA a million times this year because they gave the largest gift ever to the music program this year," she announced. "Because of CMA, we really are Music City U.S.A."

"I had bruised fingertips because the action on the old piano was so hard," said Mitch Fuller, Choir Director, McGavock High School. "But you work with what you have and pray for something better. Now, with this new piano, it'll be a lot easier for me and for the kids."

"It's been terrible because some notes wouldn't even sound on the old piano," added Greg Hines, a senior and member of the McGavock choir. "A lot of people learn by ear, so if a note is silent, or if it's sharp or flat, the experience is totally different. With the new piano, it'll be so much easier to learn."

Like all students who have benefited from Keep the Music Playing, the McGavock kids now have superior tools to use as they develop their music. Enthusiasm, though, has never been in short supply. That was evident as many of them crossed arms, linked hands, swayed gently and mouthed the lyrics along with DeMarcus' vocal. Taking note, Principal Lang asked if he would do the song once more, this time with everyone who knew the words invited to join him for backup. DeMarcus readily agreed, and once more "Bless the Broken Road" filled the room, this time buoyed by a wall of spontaneous but spectacular harmony.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Threatening weather couldn't keep the crowds away from the Mercy Lounge on April 2, as CMA hosted a songwriter summit during Tin Pan South, NSAI's 17th Annual Songwriters Festival.

Seated on barstools before a red curtained backdrop, all four participants presented songs with the relaxed humor that comes from experience and camaraderie. Referring to his advocacy work on behalf of songwriters as NSAI President, Steve Bogard quipped, "I get to sit in rooms with lawyers whose suits cost more than my guitar."

Co-Chairman of CMA's Artist Relations Committee Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, teased Bob DiPiero and Craig Wiseman for including Jeffrey Steele in their group, the Hitmen of Music Row, noting "It's like having a cute dog in the park that girls stop to pet."

DiPiero responded with a performance of Brooks & Dunn's "You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl," which he credited as paying for the "Brooks & Dunn Memorial Hot Tub" at his home. Wiseman offered a sage reflection: "I know it's been a good gig when I come back with only two strings left on my guitar."

© CMA Close Up® New Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

CMA Music Festival hit an all-time high attendance record in 2009 despite a downturn in the economy and a general decline in festival attendance across the nation with a 7.2 percent increase over 2008 during the four-day Festival,   Thursday through Sunday, June 11-14, in Downtown Nashville.

"Even with gasoline prices more than $2 a gallon and weak economic conditions around the country, we saw increases in our attendance from local and regional residents," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese. "We believe that is due in large part to a strong regional advertising push, the addition of free concerts, the popularity of our artists, and the entertainment value of the nightly shows at LP Field."

The average daily attendance in 2009 was 56,000. By comparison, in 2008 the average daily attendance was 52,000. The uptick was felt in single concert tickets and attendance in the Festival's free zones and concert venues including Riverfront Park, which was free to the community for the first time.  

Fans definitely enjoyed themselves and made it known at the box office. Tickets for CMA Music Festival 2010, which will be held June 10-13, went on sale Saturday and consumer ticket sales, which include pre-sale tickets, are up 4.6 percent over 2008. 2010 CMA Music Festival tickets go on sale nationwide today.

"You know you are giving the fans what they want when they put down their hard-earned money - especially in light of economic uncertainty - for an event that is 12 months away," remarked Genovese.

When the final counts were tallied Sunday night, there was a slight 3.6 percent drop in four-day ticket sales. The biggest increases were in single night tickets, which increased 19.5 percent, and record attendance in the free areas - including Riverfront Park, the Dr Pepper®-McDonald's® Family Zone, Fun Zone, Sports Zone, and the new Music City Zone on the Public Square at Metro Courthouse.

"The Music City Zone was a hit and is a lock for the future - more value, more music, more fun!" said Butch Spyridon, President of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, which programmed the concerts and activities in the Music City Zone.

According to the NCVB, the direct visitor spending generated by CMA Music Festival in 2008 was $22 million. And it is seems that 2009, was a boon to business again. Figures for 2009 will be released at a later date.
 
"This was another home run," Spyridon said. "Hotels were full, sales were up downtown, and it seemed like the fans came earlier than ever."

"This was absolutely the best CMA Music Festival EVER," said Brenda Sanderson, owner of The Stage on Broadway, Legends Corner, Second Fiddle and Nashville Crossroads. "Crowds were over the top and so excited to be here in Music City. CMA really created an attitude that Nashville puts on a great party. I saw a lot of families this year and people of all ages seemed to enjoy all the diverse events going on."
 
Surprise appearances are a hallmark of this event. And 2009 didn't disappoint.  The lineup Friday night at the VAULT(tm) Concert Stage at LP Field included an unannounced appearance by Kid Rock. On Sunday, Sugarland delighted the crowd.

"Each year we strive to give the fans something fun and unexpected," Genovese said. "We delivered again this year."

And it all benefits children and music education in Music City. The artists and celebrities participating in CMA Music Festival donate their time. They are not compensated for the hours they spend signing autographs and performing. In appreciation of their exhaustive efforts, CMA donates half the net proceeds from the event to music education on their behalf through a partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education called "Keep the Music Playing." To date, CMA has donated more than $2.2 million on behalf of the artists who participate in the Festival.  

To supplement the thousands of instruments purchased by funds from the Festival, the Nashville Alliance collected gently-used band instruments in the Dr Pepper-McDonald's Family Zone, including a clarinet from "American Idol" finalist Bo Bice. The potential value of the program prompted the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum to be a drop off location for the instrument drive through the end of June. Instruments may be dropped off during regular Museum hours at Guest Services in the Conservatory. As an added incentive, the Museum is offering a $5 discount off admission to the Museum for up to five family members that can be used until Dec. 31, 2009.

This year, the Hard Rock Cafe Nashville stepped up to support the music education program by creating two collectible pins for the Festival with funds going to support "Keep the Music Playing." By Friday, the CMA Music Festival branded guitar pin was sold out.

"We are thrilled about how well-received Hard Rock's partnership with CMA has been by the fans during this 2009 CMA Festival season," said Vilma Salinas, Sales and Marketing Manager for Hard Rock Cafe Nashville. "Thanks to the success of our co-branded pin program, Hard Rock is pleased to foster continued music education and help 'Keep the Music Playing' for many years to come in Music City."

CMA Music Festival is - and always will be - about the fans and their relationship with the artists and the music. The theme is universal and in 2009, Festival attendees came from every state, including Washington, D.C., and 26 foreign territories including Africa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (which includes England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland).

The Festival got underway Wednesday with Grand Marshall Rodney Atkins leading the way for "The Fifth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade."   

Following the procession, the fun kicked into high gear with "The Fourth Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party" on the Sommet Center Plaza Stage. Atkins, Jason Michael Carroll, Eric Church, Emerson Drive, LoCash Cowboys, The Lost Trailers, James Otto, and Trent Tomlinson performed for an estimated crowd of more than 6,000.

Nightly Concerts on the VAULT(tm) Concert Stage at LP Field 
In all, nearly 30 acts participated in the star-packed Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field.

Lightning and high winds interrupted the concerts for three hours Thursday. Fans were safely evacuated into the corridors of LP Field to wait it out. The storm passed, and the show went on, ending at 2:00 AM.

Show closer Brad Paisley had this to say from stage: "Good morning, Nashville! You guys are hardcore! Half the time I say we'll stay until 2:30, jokingly. Heck, if we play three songs, we'll be here until 3:00 in the morning!"

The lineup Thursday also included Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, and Darius Rucker. Several artists had previous commitments, including out of town concert dates, forcing them to leave before the all clear from the weather service including Rascal Flatts, Julianne Hough, and Jimmy Wayne, who had been scheduled to perform an acoustic set.   

Pre-show activities included the presentation of the Stars and Stripes by the United States Marine Corps Recruiting Station Nashville Color Guard and a fly over with FA-18s from The Thunderbolts of VMFA 251 from Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, S.C., a tradition that was a crowd pleaser all four nights. Artist and "Dancing with the Stars" alum Chuck Wicks sang the national anthem, and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean officially welcomed fans to Music City for the 38th annual event, which began as Fan Fair® in 1972.

Fans were treated to performances Friday by Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Jake Owen, and Zac Brown Band. Martina McBride made a surprise appearance to sing the Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow duet "Pictures" with Kid Rock. 
           
"He just called and asked if I wanted to do the duet with him, and I said 'Absolutely,'" McBride recalled of being asked to perform with Kid Rock. "He's a great guy and it was a blast. I had so much fun."
           
Saturday's lineup featured Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson, Martina McBride, Josh Turner, Lee Ann Womack, and Wynonna (with a special appearance by The Judds). Jason Michael Carroll delivered an acoustic performance.

After performing a selection of her memorable hits as a solo artist, Wynonna primed the crowd with an announcement: "The time has come. Get your cameras ready. It's Bring-Your-Mom-To-Work Day! So, come on out wherever you are Mama!" With that introduction, Naomi joined her daughter for a reunion of The Judds.

Sunday's lineup rocked the house with Jack Ingram, who was introduced by the stars of Lifetime's "Army Wives" Sally Pressman ("Roxie") and Wendy Davis ("Joan"), Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, John Rich, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, and reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney, who capped the night and closed the Festival. Heidi Newfield performed an acoustic set. 

"I'm really proud to be back here this year," Chesney said to the adoring crowd. "Thank you for loving Country Music."
 
Riverfront Daytime Stage
After an hour-long delay due to rain and high winds, fan favorite Gretchen Wilson got the 2009 CMA Music Festival off to an energetic start Thursday morning during the kick-off concert at Riverfront Park. Fans were waiting before dawn to see the powerhouse performer.

The stage bustled throughout the four days with a talented roster of outstanding performers delivering longer sets for the appreciative crowd. In all, 44 acts performed nearly 32 hours of concerts over the four days.

Sommet Plaza Stage
The single stage at Riverfront made it easier between sets for fans to experience some of the other daytime concert venues in the new Music City Zone, the Sommet Center Plaza Stage, and the Hard Rock stage in the Fun Zone.

The lineup at the Plaza Stage included 39 acts performing 20 hours of concerts. The lineup included up-and-comers, established stars, and legends. The Hard Rock stage hosted 33 acts performing for nearly 18 hours. The venue also presented several songwriter performances, featuring 15 of Nashville's best tunesmiths.
 
Greased Lightning® Fan Fair® Hall
The state of continuous commotion that's been the standard for the Greased Lightning Fan Fair Hall was back in force with 433 artists and celebrities appearing at the Nashville Convention Center. Exhibit booths sold out with 86 exhibitors. Attendance over the four days exceeded 53,000.

Making her first appearance in the Exhibit Hall in 13 years was Reba McEntire, signing 350 autographs. Also signing this year were Carrie Underwood, who signed for four hours, and Taylor Swift, who signed for five hours Sunday. Dedicated fans camped out on the street outside of the Exhibit Hall starting at 2:30 PM Saturday for an opportunity to be first in line to meet Swift on Sunday.

Jennifer Kardell, 23, from Lincoln, Neb., was camped out to be first in line to meet Underwood. "We were definitely dedicated to being the first in line," she said. "A lady here in line was saying that there were always these same two guys in front; that was their goal as long as they've been coming here. And she was like, 'They'd better watch their back!' We're the new competition!" 

Autograph seeking as a competitive sport aside, there are perks for the patient. Neal McCoy stopped by at 7:00 AM Thursday to visit with the people waiting to get into the Nashville Convention Center.

Swift signed 500 autographs in the Big Machine Records booth and stayed from the moment the doors opened until closing time. Another 400 to 500 "hopefuls" waited all day Sunday for a slim chance of meeting her. She was able to hug a few of the hopefuls and sign autographs for a few more as she had to made her way out of the Convention Center for her LP Field sound check.

Other popular draws were Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Dierks Bentley, Jason Michael Carroll, Bucky Covington, Emerson Drive, Julianne Hough, Lady Antebellum, The Lost Trailers, Montgomery Gentry, James Otto, LeAnn Rimes, Chuck Wicks, Gretchen Wilson, Wynonna, and Zac Brown Band.    
 
Durango® Boots presented the Acoustic Corner, which launched in 2004 as a showcase for independent artists, featured 24 solo or group performers. The area on the second floor of the Convention Center hosted a steady stream of fans during nearly 18 hours of music.

Premiere on the Air
CMA's official radio partner, Premiere Radio Networks, brought 20 of Country radio's top-rated stations from markets including Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Louisville, Nashville, Norfolk, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, Washington, D.C., and overnight syndicated radio program "After MidNite with Blair Garner" to Nashville for three days of remote broadcasts from the Convention Center. Seventy-five artists and celebrities participated in the remotes reaching 14.7 million listeners ages 12+ according to Arbitron Nationwide Fall 2008 figures.

CMA Music Festival Merchandise
The official CMA Music Festival merchandise line was very popular with attendees. According to Music City Merchandise, which designs and produces the collection, the Festival experienced record sales in 2009. The most popular items were related to the weather with CMA Music Festival rain ponchos and pink tank tops popular choices with attendees. Music City Merchandise, which had booths at the Greased Lightning Fan Fair Hall, Daytime Stage at Riverfront Park, Dr Pepper-McDonald's Family Zone, the Sommet Center, and VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field, has been CMA's merchandise partner for the past 15 years.

Sports Zone
CMA's free Sports Zone was a huge hit with participants and fans looking for fun and friendly competition. 

The Field & Stream Celebrity Total Outdoorsman Challenge was a highlight Thursday with Country Music artists and other celebrities showing off their hunting and fishing skills in a lively competition. After casting, shooting and archery, Rhean Boyer of Carolina Rain was first, followed by Matt Dame from the duo Taylor Dame, and Scot Marcin, the 2005 Total Outdoorsman Challenge winner. Boyer will be featured in Field & Stream magazine and the top three finishers each took home a Diamond Archery bow.

On Friday, Field & Stream held a regional event with 50 pre-qualified local sportsmen and sportswomen competing to move on to the National Championships to be held Sept. 10-13, in Springfield, Mo. Tom Boatright, of Perdido, Ala., had the best overall score among the competitors moving on to the National Championship, with a grand prize of $25,000, a Yamaha ATV, a trip to Nashville for the 2009 CMA Awards, and a spread in Field & Stream magazine.

Also on Friday, Daniel Lee Martin, of The Sportsman Channel's "Backstage & Backroads," hosted the Outdoor Life Save-A-Stream Charity Pro-Am with artists and the Primos Hunting Pro staff testing their game-calling skills in a friendly competition. The winning team was artist John Stone and Keith Burgess of Primos Hunting Calls. Stone donated his $1,000 winnings to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

Another fan favorite, the K9s In Flight "Ultimate K9 Sports Show Presented by Waggin' Train," returned to the Sports Zone with shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with packed bleechers of cheering pet lovers.

The Mahindra Tractors Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge returned to the Sports Zone on Friday with artists and champion bull riders competing for the best mechanical bull ride. The event was hosted by Susie Dobbs, singer and executive producer/co-host of "Beyond Rodeo" on RFD-TV. The winning team, who took home belt buckles, was professional rider Jake Littlefield and artist Jason Brown, who also won the event in 2008.

Sunday's "Fifth Annual New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race, hosted by Michael Peterson" had artists and celebrities revved up with contestants racing against the clock through an obstacle course on a New Holland BoomerT compact tractor. The winner in a VERY close contest was singer/songwriter Darby Ledbetter (last year's champion), with an astounding time of 48.31 seconds, besting second-place finisher Stephen Barker Liles, of Love and Theft with 48.34 seconds. Joey Feek, of Joey + Rory, defeated her husband, Rory Feek, for a third place score of 49.31 seconds.
 
Dr Pepper®-McDonald's® Family Zone
Growing in popularity each year since it was introduced in 2001, the free Dr Pepper-McDonald's Family Zone was buzzing during CMA Music Festival with activities for youngsters and the young at heart.

The Family Zone was a popular destination Sunday for the Dr Pepper-McDonald's Family Picnic, with McDonald's providing free sandwiches to the first 500 attendees. McDonalds distributed 21,000 coupons for McCafe Coffee, 22,000 coupons for Apple Dippers, 12,500 coupons for Fun Meals and Cookies, and handed out 1,800 Happy Meal toys.

"We are excited to once again to have been a part of the CMA Music Festival," said Ted Bertuca Jr., local McDonald's Operator. "The fans coming to our booth in the Dr Pepper-McDonald's Family Zone are always so appreciative of our efforts. This year we served Apple Dippers and McDonald's Fun Cookies. We distributed coupons good for a free McCafe Coffee and invited fans to use them while in Nashville or back home at their local McDonald's restaurant.

"We were also pleased to be selected to provide the food for Sunday's picnic in the Family Zone. The first 500 fans received McDonald's Southern Style Chicken along with Apple Dippers and Cherry Pies. We believe in supporting the fans of the music that made Nashville 'Music City USA.' We are appreciative to the folks at CMA and Dr Pepper for allowing us to participate in this wonderful event."

ABC Block Party/ABC Daytime
Drama is a staple of both Country Music lyrics and daytime television series, and the artists and actors met at the crossroads during 2009 CMA Music Festival when the ABC Daytime stars of "All My Children," "General Hospital" and "One Life to Live" made their return at the Festival.

Cameron Mathison ("Ryan Lavery" on "All My Children") hosted the ABC All-Star Block Party Friday and Saturday at the Hall of Fame Park. The Divas of Daytime: Kathy Brier and Kassie DePaiva ("Marcie McBain" and "Blair McBain," respectively, from "One Life to Live"), and Bobbie Eakes ("Krystal Carey" on "All My Children"), made their Nashville debut as a musical trio at the ABC event. The Divas also signed autographs and participated in audience Q&A sessions along with their fellow ABC Daytime stars.

There were special musical performances by Sara Evans, and up-and-coming Country artists including Sarah Buxton, Caitlin & Will, and Love and Theft. Over the four days of the Festival, a popular attraction was the toned-down, but hilarious ABC reality show "Wipeout" obstacle course with rolling log and punch wall.

"It was cool and a lot of fun to be up there, but it is not as easy as it looks," said Johnny Edwards, of Johnson City, Tenn., of the "Wipeout" course.

Media Coverage
More than 700 journalists from more than 200 domestic and international media outlets were credentialed for 2009 CMA Music Festival. Among the domestic outlets credentialed for CMA Music Festival were ABC.com, ABC Radio Networks, AOL/The Boot, Associated Press, Associated Press TV, Blender.com, CMT.com, "CMT Insider," CMT Radio Network, Country Weekly, Digital Rodeo, E! Entertainment Television, ESPN, GAC Radio Network, GACtv.com, Getty Images, "Good Morning America," "Headline Country," "Honky Tonk TV," "Inside Music Row," "Larry King Live," Marie Claire.com, MSN.com, OK Magazine, Pentagon Channel, People, People.com, Premiere Radio Network, Reuters, RFD, Rhapsody.com, SiriusXM Radio, SoapNet, The Tennessean, TrueCountry.TV, TV Guide, USA Today, USA Today.com, Us Weekly, Westwood One Radio, and Yallwire.com.

International media from 12 countries were credentialed as well, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Middle East, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and UK. Among the 42 international outlets represented were Bayern 3 (Germany), BBC Radio Lancashire (UK), Highland Radio (Ireland), Morgenpost Sachsen (Germany), NRK (Norway), and RTL (France).

Sponsorship
Sponsorship is a key element to the marketing, fan experience and financial support of the Festival. CMA partners gave out nearly 800,000 product samples.

VAULT, the title sponsor of the LP Field concert stage, distributed 70,106 samples in the Fun Zone, LP Field, and Exhibit Hall.

"The CMA Music Festival once again proved why it is the ultimate Country Music experience and VAULT was proud to refresh the more than 56,000 fans," said Neil Golson, VAULT Brand Manager. "The event gave VAULT so many different ways to bring Country Music to the great fans in Nashville including taking the VAULT Taste Challenge in the Fun Zone on Broadway, rockin' under the stars at the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field, and getting autographs from Montgomery Gentry and others at the VAULT stage in the Exhibit Hall."

Greased Lightning Cleaning Products, the title sponsor of the Fan Fair Hall, passed out more than 32,000 samples, 25,000 glow sticks, and 12,000 yellow Greased Lightning logoed grocery bags during the Festival.

"We are so delighted to have once again been a part of such a legendary event," said Natalie Brooke, Assistant Marketing Manager, Greased Lightning Cleaning Products. "The CMA Music Festival provides an outlet like no other for Greased Lightning to connect with customers and promote brand awareness. For the first time, this year, Greased Lightning claimed title sponsorship of the Fan Fair Hall, located in the Nashville Convention Center. Expanding our presence in the Hall truly afforded Greased Lightning a wonderful opportunity to get our product into customer's hands and to celebrate with the music industry's more loyal fans."

2010 CMA Music Festival Tickets 
2010 CMA Music Festival will take place Thursday through Sunday, June 10-13, in Downtown Nashville and tickets are available now. Tickets for 2010 CMA Music Festival were available to Music Festival attendees during the event and available nationally today. Tickets are selling at a rapid pace, 4.6 percent ahead of 2009 sales figures. Fans are encouraged to order early for best available seating.

To order tickets, call 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378); visit www.CMAfest.com to download an order form to fax or mail; visit www.ticketmaster.com to buy online or charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000. Prices do not include applicable handling fees. Ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable. Four-day ticket package categories correspond to a different level of seating at LP Field. Children 3 years and younger are admitted FREE.

2010 CMA Music Festival Four-Day Ticket prices are:  Gold Circle (Sections A-E), $300; Floor (Field - all sections including ADA - Renewable), $185; Lowere Level Renewable, $175; Lower Level, $155; Club Level Renewable, $155; Club Level, $145; Upper Level Reserved, $120; Upper Level General Admission, $110.

ABC Television Special - Monday, Aug. 31
As previously announced, the Festival was filmed for a three-hour television special "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" scheduled to air on the ABC Television Network Monday, Aug. 31 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET). Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer. Gary Halvorson is the Director. The special was shot in high definition and will be broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

This is the fifth year the special will air on ABC. The primetime special debuted on the CBS Television Network in 2004. The special features both the concerts and backstage access to the artists with heart-pounding performances interspersed with behind-the-ropes encounters with the artists and their avid admirers.

On the Web
The Third Annual Fan Social was held at The Stage on Broadway Saturday, where a maximum capacity crowd of social-networking friends met in person. The Carter Twins, The Eli Young Band, Emerson Drive, Gloriana, Joey + Rory, and Holly Williams performed, took questions from fans and participated in autograph sessions.

© CMA Close Up® New Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Unlike their parents, today's young music consumers purchase most of their music online as data-compressed digital music files - MP3s, AACs, WMAs, etc. That's great for these listeners, since they can load song files into their iPods and other playback devices and take them along wherever they go.

But they pay a price for portability because they may never hear the music as it was produced originally, in all its full-resolution audio glory.

The problem is that the data compression process typically removes more than 90 percent of the original information from the music. That's a lot of subtlety and nuance lost on the road to convenience.

Even so, data compressed (a.k.a. "encoded") music files have become the standard for digital music distribution. It's therefore in the interests of all parties - artists, record labels and producers as well as customers - that these files sound as close to full-resolution audio as possible.

Understanding the terminology is advantageous. Data compression is a software process that makes computer files smaller for storage and transmission. Perhaps the most familiar example of this is the ZIP file, which is compressed to make its contents smaller and then un-compressed to restore contents to their original size.

Unfortunately, data compression formats for music files differ from ZIP files in that they permanently remove some information through a data-encoding algorithm, which generally inhibits musical content at lower volumes and higher frequencies. A number of parameters affect the size of encoded music files, the most fundamental being transmission rate or bit rate. Expressed in kbps (kilobits per second), the bit rate has a dramatic impact on both file size and sonic quality. Put simply, a higher bit rate yields a larger but better-sounding music file.

Though the same principles apply to all the major digital music formats, this article focuses on MP3s and explores strategies for making sure that music sounds as great as it can when transmitted and played back in the digital domain.

Keep the Focus on the Music

The music, not the technology, should drive this process. Trying to compensate for the limits of encoding too early in the music production process can actually make the end product worse.

"When you're recording and mixing a record and you're being creative, it's all about the song and the singer and fitting the audio experience into something suitable for that song and that performance," said producer and mix engineer Chuck Ainlay, whose clients include Mark Knopfler, George Strait, Lee Ann Womack and Trisha Yearwood. "You have to get to the emotion of the listener, and you can't be overly influenced by what kind of playback situation the listener is going to be listening in, because it's so varied. You're making the record to be able to accommodate as many people as possible."

Encode at the Highest Possible Resolution

The higher the bit rate, the better the music will sound because more of the original information is preserved. A 128 kbps MP3 file contains less than 8 percent of the original audio data, while a 320 kbps MP3 contains more than 22 percent. The trick, then, is to find out the limitations of the environment for which you're encoding the music and then make the encoded files as large as possible. A few years ago, for example, a 4 MB e-mail attachment size limit was common; today, 10 MB is more the norm. Similarly, many Internet services used to limit MP3 bit rates to 128 kbps because of bandwidth restrictions; today, 192 kbps can usually be transmitted online with no problems.

Use the Best Algorithm for the Material

A number of MP3 encoding algorithms are available, the most common being Lame (pronounced "Lamay"), which is embedded into many programs for free. An alternative is the Fraunhöfer encoder, included for free in Steinberg's Cubase and Nuendo DAW programs and available for a tiny license fee as an add-on to Steinberg's Wavelab mastering/digital editing program. Some music may sound better with Lame and some may sound better with Fraunhöfer, even at the same bit rate. Try different algorithms with the material at hand and pick the one that sounds best.

Consider Mono

Stereo placement can play a big role in a song's mix, but in some situations a mono version will do. And a mono MP3 file will give you twice as much musical data and correspondingly more audio quality than a stereo one. To put it another way, if you encode a full-resolution mono mix and a full-resolution stereo mix at the same bit rate, their resulting MP3 files will be the same size, but twice as much data will have been stripped from the stereo version during encoding.

Master for the Medium

Mastering is the final stage of music production before encoding. During mastering, if you know the material is going to be encoded, consider producing two different sets of masters - one for the highest-resolution format (CD, SACD, DVD-Audio, etc.) and one for encoded formats - and making subtle EQ and audio compression/ limiting changes specifically with encoding in mind. This would involve running files through an encoding algorithm while mastering (preferably with the same parameters that will be used at the final playback destination, if you know what they'll be like) and then playing the encoded files on the spot. Based on what you hear, you can tweak to compensate for what the algorithm takes away until you achieve the best possible results.

Not everyone follows this approach, by the way. "I don't do anything different for MP3s," insisted Randy LeRoy, Chief Mastering Engineer at Final Stage Mastering in Nashville. "I master for the highest quality of delivery and let the lower-level formats fall where they will. I concern myself with the sound of CDs or high-definition audio. If they sound great, so will the MP3."

While acknowledging that even great-sounding MP3s are not the same as the original uncompressed files, LeRoy added, "I will not allow a client to approve of the mastering of their project based on MP3s. I will only provide CD-quality data files or an actual CD Ref. If a client wants MP3s, I will provide them when I generate the actual production CD master, not before. And I use a SADiE Series 5 [software, manufactured by Prism Sound] to generate 320 kbps (the highest possible rate) MP3s."

Encode Before Limiting

Much of today's music is peak-limited, which results in a very loud end product with very little dynamic range. This can be a plus when it masks - or tricks our ears into not hearing - sonic artifacts of the encoding process that occur when there's so much going on "out front" in the music. That's true especially for dance, hip-hop, R&B, a good amount of Country and other popular genres. But for styles that are more nuanced by nature, including classical, jazz, folk and more intimate Country recordings, peak-limiting can narrow the dynamic range at the expense of the music. For these situations, Ainlay suggested, try applying encoding before peak limiting. This leaves all the original dynamic subtleties in the music, thus giving the encoder more material to work with, after which you can bring the levels up.

All of these tips can help maximize the quality of music in this age of digital commerce. But from the sonic standpoint, better times are hovering just over the horizon, in the form of lossless audio compression. The idea behind this technology is that while the audio is compressed, none of the original data is actually removed, similar to a ZIP file. All of the original audio is restored in real time by the playback software. With this approach, file sizes can still be kept to manageable limits but the music doesn't suffer in any way.

© CMA Close Up® New Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Raised in the shadows of the Canadian Rockies, Dean Brody grew up with an appreciation for rural life in British Columbia. After high school graduation, he continued to work at the local sawmill until the business slowdown forced him to take a new job as a miner.

Brody's musical gifts led him back into the light and down to Nashville, where he got a publishing deal. But as he made his way into the business, the clock on his work permit kept winding down. After two years, he had no choice but to head back home to the mines.

Then word arrived that Keith Stegall wanted to sign him to BBR (Broken Bow Records), and Brody returned to cut his self-titled debut album, with Matt Rovey producing. His gifts as a writer shine on "Brothers," a heartbreaking chronicle of sibling love and one of the album's six tracks that he wrote on his own, in addition to three co-writes.

Elsewhere, the romanticism of "Gravity" belies the title with a melody that floats like a feather on the chorus, while "Undone" takes an opposite approach with a thumping chorus behind lyrics that promise adventure and love at "the only drive-in left from here to Lincoln County."

More than a skilled writer, Brody possesses an expressive voice and an ability to bring stories to life through understated delivery. It's Nashville's good fortune to have him back and on his way toward brighter days.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

MUSICAL HEROES
"Johnny Cash and Ray Charles."

CD IN YOUR STEREO
"Everything Is Fine, by Josh Turner."

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
"Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, by Neal Peart."

SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN
"'Sinners Like Me,' by Eric Church and Jeremy Spillman."

WHAT YOU WOULD BE IF YOU WEREN'T A MUSICAL ARTIST
"I'd be working in a sawmill or a coal mine."
 
SOMETHING WE'D NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU
"I've got three titanium plates and 12 screws in my face from a water skiing accident I had while on my radio tour last summer."

©2009 CMA Close Up® News Service; Country Music Association®, Inc.

In the past several years, Country Music has deepened its understanding of how online marketing can enhance the success of the industry, from music sales to gaining new listeners and even reducing piracy.

"Digital marketing is no longer looked at as something that should be focused on but an area that must be focused on," said Craig Dunn, Senior Client Manager, Music City Networks. "Many Country Music consumers are just as online savvy now as any other demographic and expect their favorite artists to have a strong online presence."

There is also an increased awareness among record labels regarding the importance of driving traffic to online sites where listeners can purchase both physical and digital versions of the promoted music.

"This has led to an increase in the use of affiliate links to online music destinations that sell the promoted music," said Lucas Hilbert, Managing Editor, Music, amazon.com. "It also generates an additional revenue stream for the originating Web site that made the online referral."

As a result, investment in digital space for artists and labels has risen to an unprecedented level. "Two years ago, an artist could succeed without a digital strategy," said Heather McBee, VP, Digital Business, Sony Music Nashville. "Today it's become a key component to the marketing plan that builds a presence for the artist and helps establish a meaningful relationship with fans."

Digital vs. Traditional

Digital marketing is well on its way to assuming the same level of importance long enjoyed by print and broadcast media. The nature of its appeal and the methods by which it makes its impact differ dramatically from those that have been in play within more traditional channels.

"It's all about associations," explained Ashley Heron, Senior Manager, Marketing, Lyric Street and Carolwood Records. "Traditional radio, print and television advertising relies on a shotgun approach, repeating messages over and over and hopefully targeting a fan at some point during the run dates. Digital marketing allows us to communicate directly with only interested customers, such as MySpace friends, Facebook fans, YouTube subscribers, fan clubs and street teams. That's the power of digital marketing: targeted and efficient use of marketing dollars."

"Digital marketing is borderless, interactive and worldwide," added Tawn Albright, GM, echo, Ticketmaster Entertainment's Nashville based digital entertainment marketing firm. "It offers direct relationships and a variety of marketing channels, which changes the economic model. Although digital differs somewhat from traditional materials, it is similar in the sense that it serves to stimulate interest, awareness and fan involvement."

The differences are what drive the expanding digital realm, not in the least by providing more room for experimenting with different marketing ideas. An example of leveraging digital media for traditional marketing is the creation of online listening parties, where fans can listen to a new album and vote on which track should be the first single.

"We've seen some very strong participation in this kind of forum," said Hilbert. "The listener participation allows the label to get direct feedback before spending traditional marketing dollars or pitching a single to radio. Since radio is still the number-one medium for launching a new Country artist, it's more critical than ever for the radio single to be the right one, so online experimentation in advance of a proposed radio single is a smart move."

Marketing becomes that much more interactive in cyberspace, with the effect that relationships that feel much more personal develop between artists and fans, whether through innovative games, puzzles or other content and activities.

"It can be as simple as good, timely information, like a text to register for upcoming announcements about an A-list artist they really want to know more about," said Eric Arnold, an agent specializing in digital media for the William Morris Agency. "It can be as valuable as a new, free song download if they register online for a new artist's e-mail list."

"We always try to have some incentive for users to engage with an e-mail form that leads directly to the official artist site and database," added Tim Putnam, VP, Marketing, Music City Networks. "This control is important for the artist. If MySpace, Facebook, Digital Rodeo and the like go the way of Friendster, all those 'friends' could be lost forever."

With e-mail addresses and mobile phone numbers so easily captured and filed into databases, almost any group of fans and potential consumers can be reached instantly online and via mobile. Putnam specifically claimed success with pre-order campaigns through one artist's official Web site that accounted for more than 40 percent of that artist's first week of sales.

"Digital marketing is often used to drill down and target specific demographic groups with very specific messages," he noted. "For example, fans within a radius of a venue can be targeted to purchase tickets to an upcoming show, or new merchandise can be targeted directly to the appropriate demographic."

Heron took it a step further: "In a single day, we can communicate to well over 1 million unique fans of Rascal Flatts for free. Even with a read rate of 10 percent, that's powerful communication."

Digital Drivers

MTV Networks' CMT group is at the forefront of Country pioneers in the digital frontier, with Web operations at CMT.com, digital downloads via Rhapsody America, digital television via "CMT Pure Country," high-definition television via MHD, 3G video streaming via CMT Mobile, gaming via "CMT Presents Karaoke Revolution Country," e-commerce at Shop.CMT.com and related media franchises such as Music City Madness, a fan-voted online contest, and "CMT Unplugged," where hundreds of exclusive online performances are archived.

The most popular medium for digital marketing, though, is social networking. Certainly, Taylor Swift provides the model for a savvy strategy of creating a profile, uploading music, building a list of "friends" and ultimately parlaying these efforts into creating and powering a commercial juggernaut. And while official sites remain the artist profit centers as the place to visit for fan club memberships and sales of merchandise and tickets, sites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube can generate up to 100 times more traffic in any given week, according to Heron.

"These sites are rarely a direct line to transactions," he observed. "But they are fantastic bulletin boards."

Social networking sites, including Eventful and iLike, have experienced rapid audience growth over the past few years. New media formats are also emerging in the form of mobile, especially CMT Mobile, and streaming video services on Verizon V CAST and other wireless carriers.

"One of the most positive shifts we've seen in digital media is the selling of digital downloads in MP3 format rather than in DRM protected format," said Albright. "That's a huge win for music fans."

From established acts such as Dolly Parton to the generation represented by Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban, more Country artists than ever before are getting personally involved in building their digital presence - including every artist on the Sony Music Nashville roster.

"Our new duo, Caitlin & Will, spent their Christmas holidays posting blogs, recording video clips and responding to messages from fans, just to start gearing up for the launch to radio and a digital EP that's coming out," reported McBee.

"We have also developed several viral campaigns with Toby Keith that led to huge sales of his new records through his official Web site," added Putnam. "Brad Paisley posts blog entries and has the ability to upload photos to his Start page. At the end of a show he can upload a batch of new photos, so the huge background images on his Start page are always insanely current."

"Capitol Records has also done a fantastic job with Lady Antebellum," observed Nick Rogers, Coordinator, New Media, Midas Records. "Last year they ran a Rock Band promotion through CMT, giving fans the chance to win a trip to Nashville to see if they could 'out-rock' Lady A. And if you fly into Nashville International Airport, you are greeted by Dave Haywood's voice over the speakers, saying, 'I'm Dave Haywood from Lady Antebellum and I want to welcome you to Nashville.' I'm not sure it's 'new media,' but it's a pretty great way to advertise."

Challenges Ahead

It has never been easier to get music in front of people, thanks to the digital marketplace - and for that reason, competition there is heated and only getting hotter. "Anyone can do it," said Putnam. "You know your neighbor's kid's band has a profile on MySpace. So the challenge becomes how to stand out in a crowded online marketplace and convert those 'friends' and 'views' into fans and consumers that the artists can touch."

Even though Country fans, particularly those on the young end of the scale, are catching up to their peers in other genres in terms of Web literacy and accessibility, much of the bedrock of the Country demographic, those who have followed the music for years, remains beyond the reach of virtual media.

"We have a lot of blue-collar, hard-working Americans who may not have high-speed Internet, Blackberries or iPods," said Rogers. "With retailers like Wal-Mart and Target limiting the number of physical albums they are placing on their shelves and replacing them with iTunes gift cards, it is forcing more [mainstream] consumers to go digital."

Heron agreed. "Country Music customers are historically awful at adopting new technology or even old technology," he said. "This is illustrated by the Wal-Mart customer, who still represents our largest vendor both in units and in revenue. Wal- Mart states that more than 20 percent of their customers still don't have a checking account. They are a long way from credit card shopping on iTunes or reading our blog on MySpace."

And that, according to McBee, remains the biggest conundrum to confront the Country Music industry at the dawn of the digital age. "The bulk of the consumers are still not there," she said, referring to the digital realm. "We have to educate the Country consumers to the digital outlets. We need to build more Country fans out of the music users that are on the Internet. Based on some of the research we've seen, our consumers are still learning that there are legit services for downloading music. As an industry, we need to invest in educating Country consumers more about the digital space and drawing them into that world."

Putnam believes that social networks, as the hottest digital media sectors, provide the keys that can unlock the digital door for the Country Music industry. "Many of our member communities are leaning toward niche social networks - communities within the artist's official site, where fans have their own profiles, contacts and so on," Putnam said. "Our job is to get technology out of the way so these communities are seamless and provide a closer relationship to the artist."

Mobile phones promise to be another fruitful medium for marketing artists and their products - better than e-mail, in fact, since many users only check their e-mail once a day or even less frequently.

"But everyone carries their cell phones with them at all times," Arnold pointed out. "If artists can reach fans on their mobile phones who have opted in and want to be connected to the artist, that becomes an even more valuable tool than e-mail because you can call people to action at that moment. Hitting fans with a text message in real time and asking them to call and vote on a reality TV show or purchase advance concert tickets is much harder to do and less effective with e-mail."

Finally, the solution to combating illegal music distribution may lie in strategies applicable to the online universe - those same seas sailed by today's digital pirates. But defining and implementing those strategies isn't going to be easy.

"Country Music will have to find something that will beat an album that costs 'free' dollars," Rogers said. "Music is available everywhere, and a lot of places give it away via downloading. A lot has been tried to stop pirating, but whenever one of the large [illegal] music sites gets shut down, it seems like 25 more open up. And on top of those sites, you have bloggers posting downloads on their personal music review sites, programs that allow you to capture a streaming MP3 on MySpace's stand-alone player and the age-old problem of friends sharing music with other friends."

Countering this trend involves developing new concepts of what adds value to album purchases. The music in and of itself retains its appeal - and as far as digital distribution is concerned, that fact is integral both to the problem and its solution. The music will get to fans one way or another; what may affect their decisions about how to acquire it involves enticements that add value to legal means of distribution, whether it might be an exclusive video, unique concert tickets or some sweetening.

"Integrated digital is a boon for marketing the whole music ecosystem - fan, artist, label and venue," Albright explained. "For example, at echo, our marketing services can support an artist throughout their entire lifecycle and be further enhanced during touring season when we work very closely with our parent company, Ticketmaster Entertainment. When it comes to digital commerce, it gets very interesting as we allow fans to purchase physical merchandise such as a T-shirt or CD, digital merchandise such as a download, a concert ticket and a subscription service such as fan club membership in a single transaction. Building successful communities in the future will mean elevating the level of communication not only between artist/brand and fan, but also the fan-to-fan relationships that exist within those communities."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service; Country Music Association®, Inc.

When Whitney Duncan left her hometown of Scotts Hill, Tenn., she took little with her other than a soulful voice, equal parts rawhide and honey, and a determination to seek her musical fortune. It took her a while to find it in the form of Mark Bright, who was so impressed with her that he shared the news with his friend John Shanks. Just like that, the two Music Row veterans were onboard to advise, write with and produce their discovery.

Duncan was just 18 at the time, though she had begun chasing her dream years before. After singing at her kindergarten graduation, she never looked back and began performing in church, at festivals, parties and barbecues, and participating in a talent contest at Loretta Lynn's Ranch, where she took third place in an all-ages competition.

Her first trip to Nashville came in her early teens. Over the next few years she was a regular in town, collaborating with Chris Tompkins ("Before He Cheats") and other top writers and even recording and touring with Kenny Rogers.

The big break came, though, when she teamed with Bright and Shanks on her Warner Bros. debut album, Right Road Now. On all 11 tracks, each one co-authored by Duncan, she displays rock-solid writing technique and a confidence that practically leaps from the disc. From the declamatory rhythm of the vocal-and-drum passages on "The Bed That You Made" to the steady groove and masterfully crafted hook that drive the first single, "When I Said I Would," written by Duncan, Shanks and Gordie Sampson, Duncan demands and deserves attention as a fully-formed artist.

IN HER OWN WORDS Q&A

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
"Holy Bible."

DREAM DUET PARTNER
"John Mellencamp or Bruce Springsteen."

INFLUENCES
"Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tanya Tucker, Shania Twain, John Mellencamp and Bonnie Raitt."

MUSICAL HERO
"Elvis."

PET PEEVE
"People being rude at the airport and bad drivers."

SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN
"'The Story' by Brandi Carlile."

SONG YOU'D LOVE TO COVER
"'Authority Song' by John Mellencamp."

WHAT YOU'D BE IF YOU WEREN'T AN ARTIST
"Homeless."

WHAT ACTOR WOULD PORTRAY YOU IN A BIOPIC ABOUT YOUR LIVE
"Kate Hudson."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

In 1927, as Victor Records producer Ralph Peer recorded The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman and other singer/songwriters in that tiny upstairs studio on State Street in Bristol, Tenn., much of the nation was enjoying a last run of prosperity before the Great Depression ensued. Yet times were already tough throughout much of rural America, a situation reflected in the themes of economic hardship that placed through some of the songs recorded during those "Bristol Sessions." Similar motifs were common in Country Music until the "Urban Cowboy" phenomenon of the 1980s, when Madison Avenue began to discover that Country fans often bought expensive cars, rode mechanical bulls and had money left over to spend on beer and jeans.

From that point, songs about Daddy struggling to put food on the table became a little less frequent on the Country charts. But with a recession underway, are the old hard-time themes becoming relevant again? That was the issue on the table when a stellar panel assembled to share their experiences and insight: songwriter Gary Burr (whose credits include Juice Newton's "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me," LeAnn Rimes' "Nothing About Love" and Kelly Clarkson's "Before Your Love" ), songwriter/publisher Chris DuBois (Jimmy Wayne's "I Love You This Much," Mark Wills' "19 Somethin'" and numerous Brad Paisley tracks including "Me Neither" and "We Danced") and publisher Rusty Gaston, General Manager and, with songwriters Connie Harrington and Tim Nichols, Owner and Partner of THIS Music.

HOW ARE COUNTRY SONGWRITERS RESPONDING TO THE CONCERNS OF AMERICANS IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES?

BURR The challenge for a songwriter is to be able to write about big things in a real small way. If you are writing about a guy who loses his job, the listener doesn't care why he lost his job. That's not really important, as far as the story goes. What's important is the effect it has on him and his family. Those topics will always be the ones that hit the heart.

DuBOIS I think music is an escape for many people. I seem to have more success as a writer writing about things that are positive, not focusing on the negative, whether it is a negative relationship or negative economic circumstances. People don't necessarily need constant reminders that times are hard. They know that. Also, if I write a song today about times being bad, by the time we write it, demo it, pitch it, get it cut and released, times might not be bad anymore and it might not be relevant.

BUT THESE THEMES WERE ADDRESSED OFTEN IN DEPRESSION-ERA COUNTRY TUNES. HAS THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF COUNTRY MUSIC CHANGED SO MUCH THAT IT'S HARD FOR THIS GENERATION OF WRITERS TO RELATE TO THESE THEMES AS THEIR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS HAD?

GASTON Of all genres, Country Music is by far the one that has been the voice of the American spirit. And any time the country comes across hard times, whether it's economic or war or turmoil, it makes people examine their core values. When they do that, it's usually good for Country Music. There's no one better than a Country Music singer/songwriter to express those core values of family and God and country. When there are economic downturns, it takes people who aren't necessarily Country Music fans start looking inside themselves and looking at their values, and they naturally turn to Country Music.

HOW MUCH DOES THE NEWS OF EACH DAY AFFECT WHAT YOU WRITE ABOUT?

BURR If you are a good writer, all you should want to go back and redo is the production. As far as themes, I once read that there are really only seven basic storylines in songs and literature. Those kinds of topics are the ones that Americans will always want to hear.

DuBOIS You have to write what's best for the market and not pay too much attention to what's going on in the news. The obvious exception to that is Alan Jackson with "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)." But that wasn't just an economic downturn. That was a world-changing event. And the way he said it was so poignant. He wrote it and they cut it and rush-released it and it won Song of the Year (at the 2002 CMA Awards). But if you notice, there weren't too many more songs like that after that, because he said it as well as it could be said. It's like watching "Schindler's List:" It's not the kind of movie you watch five or six times. It's very powerful, but you watch it once and you don't need constant reminders of it after that.

GASTON What songwriters in Nashville are trying to do when they sit down to write a song is to write something that is timeless, that can be cut today or 10 years from now and be just as current and relevant then as it is today.

MAYBE THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT SEEING NEW VERSIONS OF DARRYL WORLEY'S "HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN?"

DuBOIS That's a perfect example of a song that is time-sensitive. It has so many cultural references that relate to that one event. The price of gas is another example. I actually heard a couple of songs about gas prices being through the roof last summer. Six months later, they are as low as they've been in five years.

BUT CERTAIN SONGS BREAK THAT RULE .

BURR I wrote a song a long time ago that Conway [Twitty] cut, called "That's My Job," about my dad passing away. I wrote it for myself and I never thought it would get recorded. But I sent it in and it got cut, and the next thing I know, I'm sitting here listening to it, thinking, "Why do people want to hear this? It's so depressing." But every Father's Day it gets played.

DuBOIS A singer has to have an incredible personal experience with that topic or a close relationship to that song. Or else he has to cast himself as a character. That is something that doesn't happen as much as it used to, where singers are playing roles in songs. It feels like if you write a song that has kids in it and they [the artists] don't have kids, then they don't want to record it.

BURR Yeah, how crazy is that? I never understood that. You're pretending. You're taking on a role. But if people don't drink, now they don't want to sing a drinking song. Johnny Cash didn't really kill a man in Reno, you know?

GASTON The greatest singers in recent history are those who could take on those roles and fans knew it. They knew Garth [Brooks] wasn't a wife-beater and Reba [McEntire] wasn't a prostitute. People understood it and they were entertained by it.

CAN A SONG THAT DEALS REALISTICALLY WITH SERIOUS ISSUES TURN LISTENERS OFF?

DuBOIS It can. There are songs that get released that don't get as high on the charts as they could because they don't research well and the public just doesn't respond to them. Sometimes the subject matter in the song is just too depressing and nobody wants to hear it more than once.

BURR Some people want to be taken out of their current circumstances when they listen to music. So when times are bad like they are now, people want to hear songs and stories that take them out of that. Maybe that's why songs about their current circumstances might be the last thing they want to hear.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Each of the hard-rocking harmonizers in Love and Theft has a unique background: In Palm Harbor, Fla., Stephen Barker Liles grew up on contemporary Christian music, Johnny Cash, Elvis and basketball, while Brian Bandas mixed his b-ball with influences that ranged from jazz to Tim McGraw to the Goo Goo Dolls in Austin, Texas, and Eric Gunderson drew inspiration from his grandfather's bluegrass banjo gigs around Charlotte, N.C. All went to college and then changed course when they felt the call to pursue their musical ambitions. They met in Nashville, where it became apparent almost at once that they belonged together onstage and in the studio.

For six months they rehearsed, rotated lead vocals, polished their assertive but nuanced vocal blend and wrote songs. Signed to Carolwood Records, they teamed with producers Jeff Coplan and Robert Ellis Orrall on their debut album World Wide Open. The album offers 11 tracks written or co-written by the band, with "Runaway" tagged as the first single. Written by Liles with Rob Blackledge and Canaan Smith, it opens with an urgent, low-key beat and a lyric that captures someone at that moment of breaking from a dead-end job into a life where the only certainty is adventure. As their voices soar on the chorus, climbing higher one at a time, it's easy to sense what drew these guys to Music City. Their harmonies earned them a berth on Taylor Swift's tour and drive them now as they begin the ride of their lives.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Love & Theft Q&A

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND

BANDAS: "Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles, by Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey."

GUNDERSON: "50 Philosophy Ideas You Really Need to Know, by Ben Dupré."

LILES: "La Biblia and Twilight."

CD IN YOUR STEREO

GUNDERSON: "Only by the Night, by Kings of Leon."

LILES: "Raising Sand, by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant."

DREAM DUET PARTNER

BANDAS: "Elvis."

GUNDERSON: "Elvis."

LILES: "Elvis."

FAVORITE FOOD WHILE ON THE ROAD

GUNDERSON: "Good fresh sushi."

LILES: "I love buffalo chicken anything and everything."

GREATEST CHALLENGE

GUNDERSON: "Dealing with type 1 diabetes. I have it very tightly controlled, but it is very challenging to maintain consistently good blood sugar on the road because every day is different."

LUCKY CHARM

LILES: "I do and His name is Jesus."

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION YOU PREFER

GUNDERSON: "Motorcycle."

MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE YOU'D RELIVE IF YOU COULD

GUNDERSON: "The first time I ever walked on stage in an arena.  It was absolutely incredible - 7,000 screaming people will get you going."

LILES: "I would love to relive the moment when the Tampa bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl."

PET PEEVE

LILES: "Missing the previews at a movie theatre."

PROFESSION IF YOU WEREN'T AN ARTIST

LILES: "An actor / college basketball coach / football coach / photographer."

SONG YOU'D LOVE TO COVER

BANDAS: "'In a Little While' by U2."

LILES: "'Stubborn' by Lee Ann Womack."

SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER

BANDAS: "Believe it or not, if I'm singing in the shower, it's almost always not a real song. Many a song I've written has begun in the shower, and that's a true story. I guess I'm relaxed and I just start thinking, musically and lyrically. That kind of stuff is always going through my mind."

LILES: "Anything and everything from 'What's Love Got To Do With It' to 'Lyin' Eyes' and 'Boys in the Hood.'"

SONG YOU WISH YOU WROTE

BANDAS: "Although there are a lot of songs that fit the criteria, one song I wish that I had written is 'Always on Your Side' by Sheryl Crow. She and Sting ended up doing it as a duet and I LOVE that song. It hits me pretty hard, and I like that. I really FEEL that song. Particularly the line 'This isn't how it's really meant to be.' Love it."

LILES: "'Black Tears' by Canaan Smith and Tyler Hubbard."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY

LILES: "People are People."

WHAT WE'D NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU

LILES: "If I eat food without a drink, I get the hiccups instantly."
 
WHEN THEY LOOK BACK IN YOUR LIFE IN 50 YEARS WHAT YOU HOPE PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU

GUNDERSON: "I hope people say that Eric Gunderson lived life to the fullest. Eric touched the lives of every person he ever came in contact with and, the music he made will touch lives for years to come."

WORD OR PHRASE YOU SAY OVER AND OVER

BANDAS: "I always say, 'Does that make sense?' For instance, I recently got a new snowboard and I was very excited about it, and that was how I showed my roommate.  I held it up to show him and said, 'Um, does that make sense to you?'"

LILES: "Dude. I call everyone dude."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

What does it take for a musician to earn the respect of their peers? One would think the key lies in what you play. But, truth be told, plenty of players can nail a lick like sharpshooters pinging skeets from the sky.

Sometimes it's more what you don't play that counts. And in the case of guitarist extraordinaire Mac McAnally, winner of Musician of the Year at the 2008 CMA Awards, that may have made all the difference.

Make no mistake: McAnally can pick with the best in the business. He's recorded 11 studio albums, including his upcoming debut on Show Dog Nashville, written multiple No. 1 hits including the recent duet with Kenny Chesney "Down the Road," produced albums for Jimmy Buffett, Little Feat, Sawyer Brown and Ricky Skaggs among others and is an expressive singer too, on backup or lead. His forte, though, isn't flash but rather the more elusive task of coming up with a part that fits the song. That means a lot on gigs he plays as a member of Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, on his own shows and on sessions he's done for George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, Roy Orbison, Linda Ronstadt, Hank Williams Jr. . and even "The Simpsons."

This ability stems from the fact that McAnally brings more than chops to the table. As his longtime friend and frequent producer Tony Brown pointed out, "Mac is probably the only musician now who plays sessions, plays full-time in a band, is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and has been named CMA Musician of the Year."

Add one more credential: McAnally's agreeable, self-deferential personality. "He's successful almost in spite of himself," Brown added, laughing. "It's fun to watch him deal with all this stuff and be embarrassed about winning awards."

"Well, I don't really look at music as competitive," McAnally explained. "I've always rooted for my friends at the CMA Awards. And because I do quite a few things, I've never really thought of myself as being at the highest level of any of them. [Dobro master and former CMA Musician of the Year] Jerry Douglas, for instance, could be half as good as he is and still be the best in the world at his instrument. So when people started talking about me being nominated, I thought they were joking."

Even as a child back in Belmont, Miss., McAnally was drawn to music as a complete experience, not just as a matter of writing or playing but as an integral part of life. Too poor to purchase a television set, his family entertained themselves by inviting neighbors to come by and make music together, as often as three nights each week. Gathered on the front porch, playing everything from mandolins to saxophones, they touched something in the young McAnally's mind as well as his heart as he absorbed what he heard into his own growth as a musician.

"Some of them weren't great musicians, but they made a joyful noise, as the Good Book says," he remembered. "There were always lots of people singing. The standard three [vocal] parts were always going, and I was always trying to hear an extra note - one thing more than what was going on in the room. We also had an old Wollensak turntable, where you had to put 30 cents in change on top of the needle to make it play. I would listen to the left side [of the stereo], and then I'd listen to the right side and try to hear how things were put together. I always wanted to understand how music worked."

Though he took some piano lessons, McAnally responded more enthusiastically to guitar. He learned the basics of finger-picking in the Chet Atkins style from a local teacher, Mickey Campbell. ("I got an e-mail from him after the CMA Awards," McAnally noted with a smile, "saying how proud he was that I was his prize student.") By age 13 he was playing gigs, at churches in Mississippi and honky tonks across Tennessee. Two years later, he was recording in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

"I played my first Union session there, for Hank Jr.," he recalled, chuckling. "I had to drive to Birmingham and join the Musicians' Union at 10 o'clock and then get back to Muscle Shoals at noon for the session. But the Union rep in Birmingham made me watch the whole 45-minute film about being a fraternal brother, so I was like, 'I'm going to be late for the first session in my life!' I didn't realize that at Muscle Shoals 'noon' really meant '4 o'clock.' It turns out I was the first one there - even though I was two hours late!"

Working with members of the classic Muscle Shoals rhythm section, McAnally specialized as an acoustic player, adding texture and sweetening to the unit's funky, raw sound. This knack for finding a place in the heart of the tune had a lot to do with his parallel gift for writing songs.

"In the very beginning, I wanted to put my mark on anything I played on - some kind of hot lick or a little curl that was different from what somebody else would have done," he said. "But pretty soon into it, I kind of quit playing guitar and started playing the song. Whether it's a cardboard box for percussion or whatever I'm playing, I'm reinforcing some positive aspect of the song. I don't know how that translates to the listener, but I know that I sleep really good at night when that's my pursuit."

By the late 1970s McAnally's reputation had spread to Nashville, which became his home base. "It took me a while to get into that 'three songs a session' schedule," he admitted. "At Muscle Shoals, we used to cut a song over two days. I hesitate to say that one way is better than the other, but I think it comes down to the difference between creation and re-creation. The nature of the music business today is that somebody has to have made a demo that sounds exactly like a record for you to even be in the studio, so you are in effect creating what so many people have already approved. There are wonderful aspects to both approaches, so I try to carry the best of both around with me."

McAnally's gift for finding the right part has served him well in Music City, where enhancing the song has always been top priority. And when presented with a song that speaks powerfully on its own, that can mean paring your contribution to the barest essence. Perhaps the best example of this can be heard on Keith Whitley's "Don't Close Your Eyes," recorded in 1988 at Nashville's Sound Emporium Recording Studios, on which McAnally's accompaniment enhances the tune just as a frame may bring out the best in a painted masterpiece.

"It was inspiring," he recalled. "It was a very simple song, but they liked how I was framing Keith's voice, so when it came to the first turnaround, Garth [Fundis, producer] said, 'Mac, you just take that.' And all I did was play the melody. That was the right thing to do, because the melody was gorgeous. It just stood up by itself."

"Mac was the consummate musician," said Fundis, looking back on that date. "I've been producing for more than 30 years now, and while I really depend on my instincts, I also depend on managing the instincts of the people I invite into the session. Mac was just the right guy for that. Jack Clement and Allen Reynolds taught me a long time ago that less is sometimes more, and Mac instinctively goes to that place."

"I didn't realize that Mac had played on some of those Keith Whitley records, but it makes total sense that he did," Brown concurred. "That's why I brought him in on the last two George Strait records that we did in Key West, where we won Album of the Year at the CMAs [for It Just Comes Natural in 2007 and Troubadour in 2008]. Part of the refreshing sound was from Mac being on those tracks. He can do just about anything you want done. To me, it shows that people were really paying attention when they marked the ballot for Mac as Musician of the Year. I am so glad he won; it's so well deserved."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Matt Stillwell has figured it out. On his debut album, Shine, produced by Mickey Jack Cones and released by Still7 Records, he walks that line where the gritty and commercial sides of life intersect. These 10 tunes, half of them co-written by Stillwell, are suited equally for radio listening and dance-club partying. And this Sylva, N.C., native sings each one with a voice that sounds both young and experienced.

With his father in construction and his mother teaching school, Stillwell knew from the start that hard work was step one toward chasing your dreams. Although he loved Country Music, he began focusing his energy on sports as a high school senior. Baseball was his passion at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C., where he played on the Southern Conference-winning team. After graduation, Stillwell revisited his musical dreams, enrolled in the music business program at Belmont University and left after a semester to start playing solo acoustic gigs back home in Sylva, in Knoxville, Tenn., and eventually throughout the Southeast.

His talent blossomed quickly, as documented on Shine. The title song, a paean to moonshine and Mason jars (written by Stillwell and Lynn Hutton and released as the first single) captures the festive side of his music, with its foot-stomp beat, percolating banjo, sing-along hook and the crowd that comes in cheering on the last chorus. But when he makes the listener feel the anguish implicit in the title of "Damn This Rain" and closes with "Oh My Sweet Carolina," a touching tribute to his home state, it becomes clear that Stillwell covers all the bases and scores.

IN HIS OWN WORDS Q&A

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN A BIOPIC ABOUT YOUR LIFE
"Scott Caan, 'Tweeter' from "Varsity Blues."

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
"Angels & Demons, by Dan Brown."

CD ON YOUR STERO
"Eric Church's CD."

DREAM DUET PARTNER
"Mindy Smith."

FAVORITE FOOD WHILE ON THE ROAD
"Eggs and bacon."

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
"My Tahoe."

GREATEST PERFORMANCE TO DATE - AND WHY
"November 22 at O'Malleys in my hometown Sylva, N.C.  The crowd was so ready for me and ready to have fun.  There was a ton of positive energy the whole night.  Great feeling"

GREATEST SHORT- AND LONG-TERM CHALLENGES
"Short term: getting my first single "Shine" up the charts, keeping it there and staying healthy on the road. Long term: keeping my sanity and my relationships with family friends."

INFLUENCES
"Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Ronnie Bowman and Ben Harper."

PET PEEVE
"Stupidity."

SECRET WE'D NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU
"I like to do hot yoga when I'm not on the road.

SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER
"'Amazing Grace.'"

SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN
"'Happy Birthday'! OK, seriously 'Oh My Sweet Carolina' by Ryan Adams.

SONG YOU'D LOVE TO COVER
"'With or Without You' by U2."

TITLE OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY
"Blessed."

WHAT YOU'D BE IF YOU WEREN'T A MUSICAL ARTIST
"Baseball player."

WHEN THEY LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE IN 50 YEARS, WHAT YOU HOPE PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU
"He worked hard, played hard and was a great friend, brother and son."

WHERE WAS YOUR FIRST GIG AND HOW DID IT GO
"Kingston Alley in Knoxville. It went OK but everybody kept requesting songs I didn't know so I'd say, 'I'll learn it for next week,' which I did and that's how I built up my song list"

WORD OR PHRASE YOU SAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN
"'Rock on' and 'no worries.'"

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

"The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" will air Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8-11 PM/EST) on the ABC Television Network live from the Sommet Center in Downtown Nashville, Tenn.

"The CMA Awards is 'Country Music's Biggest Night' and is one of the most highly anticipated events for our industry each year," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "It's a night to applaud our best and brightest performers, songwriters, record producers and music video directors. And we are ready to make this the most outstanding Awards broadcast to date."

The 2008 CMA Awards, held in Nashville during November Sweeps (Nov. 12), ranked behind only the Academy Awards and Grammy Awards during the 2008-2009 season for awards shows among total viewers. With "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," ABC won Wednesday night in both total viewers (15.9 million) and adults 18-49 (5.0/13). Nearly 35 million viewers watched all or part of the ceremony.  The 2008 CMA Awards came in No. 7 for the week in the 18-49 demo and No. 9 for the week in total viewers, according to Nielsen.

CMA Awards nominees and winners are determined by the 6,000 industry professional members of CMA, which was the first trade organization formed to promote an individual genre of music in 1958.

Winners of "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting members of the Association. CMA Awards balloting is officiated by the international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

"The CMA Awards recognizes the best of our format. Our artists and music resonate with people from all walks of life and that's what makes this 'Country Music's Biggest Night,'" Genovese said.

The eligibility period for the 2009 CMA Awards is July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. All voting for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" will be conducted online. The first ballot and instructions will be e-mailed June 30 to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the first ballot closes at 5 PM/CT July 16.

The second ballot will be e-mailed to CMA members Aug. 11. Voting for the second ballot closes at 5 PM/CT Aug. 24. The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced in early September.

The third/final ballot will be e-mailed to CMA members Oct. 16. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends at 5 PM/CT Nov. 3. 
 
"The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer. Paul Miller is the Director. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

The first "CMA Awards Banquet and Show" was held in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast on NBC for the first time - making it the longest running, annual music awards program on network television. The show aired on NBC through 1971, and on CBS from 1972 through 2005.

It's been a colorful journey. Fiery redhead Wynonna is the first to admit there've been a few bumps along the way, but her inimitable voice and willpower have allowed her to survive and thrive. She's learned a lot along the way, and smart newcomers will heed her advice.

"The hardest thing in this business is to really, really stay true to yourself," she advised, speaking to students at Nashville's Belmont University, on the occasion of a release party and concert for her latest album, Sing Chapter 1, organized by the school's Record Company Operations class.

"You are so caught between so many people's opinions and objectives for your career and your life. Never let them tell you who you are, ever. I speak from my spirit really deeply because that's been my greatest challenge these last 25 years."

Wynonna has certainly come a long way from being the fresh-faced teen who rocketed to fame with her mother Naomi in the '80s as The Judds. She still remembers accepting the CMA Horizon Award and confessing innocently to the audience that she didn't expect to win - she only wanted to wear "a pretty dress" to the event.

This was only the first of many accolades earned by the mother/ daughter team, who reigned as one of Country Music's top acts until illness forced Naomi into retiring from the duo and prompted Wynonna to embark on a solo career.

It was a pivotal - and scary - moment. "One of the things I remember the most was standing in a store, talking to a guy who loved Judd music," she said. "He actually said to me, 'Gosh, do you think you can make it without your mom?' I'm looking at him and thinking, 'OK, I'm not going to cry.' I just wanted to get out of there. I remember leaving the store, getting into my car and just weeping because I thought, 'What am I going to do?'"

One of the most intimidating episodes of her life followed shortly after that in Midland, Texas, when she gave her first solo concert. As she looked to her mother for help, she received some odd advice.

"I remember walking to the stage," Wynonna said. "Literally, my mother is on my right side, and the look on my mother's face is something I'm sure that as I pass from this Earth, I will remember. She turned to me and said, 'Spread your wings and fly,' and then in the very next breath she said, 'My advice to you .' And I think there's some great profound wisdom coming, and she says, 'Honey, never watch sausage being made.' I'm like, 'You've got to be kidding me! I'm about to embrace the universe and that's the best you've got?'

"I went out there," she concluded. "And I never moved from the three-foot radius of my microphone the entire show."

Though she might have felt shaky at first, Wynonna emerged quickly as a solo artist, with her self-titled debut album, eventually certified quintuple-Platinum, and four No. 1 singles, including "I Saw the Light" and "No One Else on Earth," on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. With her soulful voice and gift for connecting with audiences, she remains one of Country Music's most recognizable artists and an ambassador for the format through appearances on countless magazine covers and TV shows that range from "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to "Good Morning America."

Corporate America, recognizing this potential for reaching out to consumers, has often tapped Wynonna as a spokesperson, most recently by the weight-loss product alli, whose sweepstakes through May 15 will pick 50 grand prize winners for transportation, accommodations and a private Wynonna concert at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum July 11.

Above all else, though, Wynonna remains a vital and sometimes risk-taking artist, as documented on Sing Chapter 1. On this ambitious seventh studio album, available on Curb Records, she performs one new tune - the title track, penned by Rodney Crowell - and 11 standards whose only common denominator is that each is a fixture in the American repertoire and together they represent a vast variety, from Country classics by Merle Haggard ("Are the Good Times Really Over?"), Hank Williams ("I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry") and Tammy Wynette ("Till I Get It Right") through R&B ("I Hear You Knocking"), lush ballads ("When I Fall in Love" and "Anyone Who Had a Heart") and flat-out, roadhouse rock ("The House Is Rockin'").

"Being musically ADD, I'm just going to wake up and go for what I really feel that particular season," she said, explaining her decision to cover these disparate songs. "My records are like children: You just never know until they come out of the womb what their spiritual makeup is."

Wynonna did switch gears somewhat while recording these tracks. "When I started out with this record, I wanted to rock," she confessed. "It was going to be like the movie 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back;' I was going to get my groove back. I was going to get out there and be really loud and proud. [But] the more we listened and the more we studied different genres and styles, I was really drawn to the torch ballads more so than I was to being really loud."

To help achieve her goals for this album, she recruited two co-producers, Brent Maher and guitar virtuoso Don Potter, both of whom helped shape The Judds' sound and have worked with Wynonna during much of her career.

"As I get older and wiser about my journey and what has worked and what hasn't worked, I know one thing for sure: At some point in your life, it is time to return," she said. "And Brent and Don I not only trust with all that I am musically, but personally as well."

Wynonna has known them both since she was 16. "Brent and Don really trudge with me," she said. "They aren't in front of me or behind me, telling me what to do. They are walking this journey with me. There are a few people in this lifetime who will walk with you on your path the way that Brent and Don have with me. They've known me my whole musical career. I trust them and that's everything to me. So much of this business is life taking; they are life givers. They say, 'Just do your thing and be who you are because your best is good enough.' Who doesn't want to hear that?"

Potter, for one, knew early on that Wynonna was destined for stardom. "The first time I looked across the kitchen table while we were playing and the girls were singing, I looked at Wynonna and thought, 'This girl is already famous. It's just a matter of letting the rest of the world know that,'" he said. "I thought, 'Wait until the world hears her. This poor girl's life is going to go to pieces!' The talent was always present; then you have to ask, 'Are they strong enough to survive what their talent will drag them into?'"

Wynonna has proven that she is strong, having overcome personal and professional obstacles long enough to celebrate her 25th year in the music business this year.

"As an artist, Wy is still growing," said Maher. "She has the God-given gift of being a phenomenal singer. Not only does she have that phenomenal voice, she has equally a fabulous gift for communication. It's not just a beautiful voice that throws a lyric at you; she sinks it in your heart."

For this survivor, the little moments along the way, as well as the accolades and successes, are what stay with her. "I have so many memories," she said with a sigh. "I remember leaving the hotel and getting into a cab to go sing at the Super Bowl, and I had tennis shoes on - and the Fed Ex truck pulled up behind the cab with my dress shoes. I have so many memories of, 'Just how in the world did I pull it off?' It was by the grace of God that I got there. That's the story of my career."

Wynonna will perform at this year's CMA Music Festival, which takes place June 11-14 in Nashville. She will be joined onstage by her mother Naomi Judd for a special performance on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field on Saturday night, June 13.

Artists currently scheduled to appear at LP Field include (in alphabetical order):
Thursday, June 11 - Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Julianne Hough, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker.

Friday, June 12 - Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Jake Owen and the Zac Brown Band.

Saturday, June 13 - Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack and Wynonna (with a special appearance by The Judds).

Sunday, June 14 - Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, John Rich and Taylor Swift.

Additional artists will be announced soon. Surprise guests have also become a hallmark of the Festival, enriching an already star-packed lineup.

Single tickets to the individual Nightly Concerts are $40 for reserved seats on the lower and club levels, and $30 for general admission in the upper deck of LP Field (plus applicable handling fees).

CMA Music Festival Four-Day Ticket Package Prices are: Gold Circle (SOLD OUT); Floor Level (adults $175: ages 12 and younger $123); Lower Level (adults $155: ages 12 and younger $109); Club Level (adults $145: ages 12 and younger $102); Upper Level reserved (adults $120; ages 12 and younger $84); Upper Level general admission (adults $110; ages 12 and younger $78).

Four day and single night concert tickets for CMA Music Festival are available at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378), www.CMAfest.com, www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster outlets. Prices do not include applicable handling fees. Artists appearing, schedules and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable.

For up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel information, schedules, artist and celebrity appearances and more, visit www.CMAfest.com and sign up for CMA Exclusive e-news.

CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music Association. CMA Board member Tony Conway is the Executive Producer of CMA Music Festival. Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio broadcaster. Partners include: Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music; CMT; Dr Pepper; Durango; Greased Lighting; Great American Country (GAC); McDonald's; VAULT Citrus Soda; and Wrangler: The Exclusive Jean of the CMA Music Festival. 

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Fans of the Eagles, and especially those who gravitate toward Don Henley, will find plenty to like in the phrasing, songwriting and overall sound of Eric Durrance. This is evident from the first moments of "Someone I Can't Live Without," the opening cut on Angels Fly Away, one of Durrance's three co-writes among the 10 covers and one solo-written track on his debut album for Wind-up Records Nashville.

But then, the more you listen, the more a unique talent asserts itself. He sings mostly in a mid-to-upper baritone range, yet when the melody climbs into a power chorus, he rides with it, his tone straying dusky and rich even as it nails each note with emotion and conviction. This technique asserts itself clearly on Durrance's first single, the title track, written by Dallas Davidson and Craig Wiseman, but the artistry behind it is most apparent in how gracefully he bridges those choruses to the intimate and even conversational quality he brings to the verses.

Raised by a musical family in Tallahassee, Fla., Durrance inherited his feel for Country Music from his grandparents and his finesse at harmony from both parents. The rest he learned through doing the music he loves - and that love, documented by producers Mark Bright and Teddy Gentry, lifts Angels Fly Away toward impressive heights of achievement.

IN HIS OWN WORDS Q&A

DREAM DUET PARTNER
"I have three: George Jones, Don Henley and Carrie Underwood."

PET PEEVE
"People who have no respect for other people's property."

FAVORITE FOOD ON THE ROAD
"Sushi."

FIRST GIG
"A pub in Tallahassee back in 1996. I made $100 and split it with the band at $25 each."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
"Where the River Meets the Sea."

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN A BIOPIC ABOUT YOUR LIFE
"Joaquin Phoenix."

WHEN THEY LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE IN 50 YEARS, WHAT YOU HOPE PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU
"There's a guy who never gave up on his dream, who was able to change with the times, but remained true to himself in the process."

WHAT YOU WOULD PUT IN YOUR PERSONAL TIME CAPSULE, FOR FUTURE ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES
"I would put a message saying, 'follow your heart and nothing else because that's where all great things come from.'"

YOUR GREATEST SHORT- AND LONG-TERM CHALLENGES AND ASPIRATIONS
"Short term plan:  To get out on the road and tour as much as I can.   As a new artist, I feel time on the road is so important for 'growth.' Long term goal:  Eventually, I'd like to produce other artists.  Some people have gotten record deals by recording my songs - and I did the demo production. I'd really like to take producing to a higher, serious level someday."

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WE'D NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU
"I guess that I'm a little old-fashioned when it comes to life and living my life. I love children. I love being near my family and friends. Most people say I have an old soul but for those who don't know me well, the perception might be that I live like I'm a rock star.  I'm as down-home as it gets."

As Guitar Hero and Rock Band build their epic momentum as video games, their customer base is expanding beyond wannabe musicians of all ages into a whole new marketplace for lovers of Country Music. With the introduction in December of a "five-pack" that allows downloads of Country tracks into the Rock Band playlist, gamers can now jam out to some of their favorite Country tunes along with songs by rock acts.

In January, Guitar Hero World Tour debuted Country Rock Track Pack featuring Brooks & Dunn's "Hillbilly Deluxe," Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again," Brad Paisley's "Ticks" and Rascal Flatts' "Me and My Gang." An alt-Country release followed in February, available for purchase and download from the Rock Band Music Store catalog.

In April, Toby Keith made his Rock Band debut with the "Toby Keith 6-Pack," featuring "Should've Been A Cowboy," "How Do You Like Me Now,"  "Beer For My Horses," "Who's Your Daddy," "I Love This Bar" and "She's a Hottie." 
 
While it might appear that Country is a little late at joining the party, it has actually been targeted from the earliest days of product development, according to Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing for Electronic Arts, the company that distributes Rock Band.

"Country has always been part of the marketing vision of EA, even more so since I began aggressively featuring Country acts in franchise titles like NASCAR and The Sims," said Schnur. "We also knew that Rock Band was going to be unlike any other gaming phenomenon. Two summers ago, six months before the game came out, I arranged a presentation for my colleagues on the CMA Board. Clarence Spalding [President, Spalding Entertainment] was one of the very first people to respond enthusiastically, and I arranged a meeting between him, myself and Paul DeGooyer [Senior VP, Electronic Games & Music, MTV] to discuss marketing Rock Band on tours. CMT, as well as other artists and managers, quickly got involved. I'm happy and proud to say that Country Music understood this game's potential immediately."

MTV Games and Harmonix, the companies that developed, programmed and now manufacture the games, chose the five songs that appear on the Going Country collection: Dierks Bentley's "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)," Brooks & Dunn's "Hillbilly Deluxe," Dixie Chicks' "Sin Wagon," Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead" and Brad Paisley's "Mud on the Tires."

Their subsequent "Alt Country 01" five-pack includes Neko Case's "People Got a Lotta Nerve," Drive By Truckers' "Three Dimes Down," Steve Earle's "Satellite Radio," a live recording by the Old 97s of "Timebomb" and Lucinda Williams' "Can't Let Go."

"As a longtime A&R guy and fan of both rock and Country, I think they couldn't have picked better tracks," said Schnur, who served as Sr. VP, A&R at Capitol Records prior to joining EA. "A great riff is a great riff no matter where it comes from, and we all know that some of the badass musicians on the planet are playing in Country bands. Anyone who thinks these Country songs won't be as challenging or fun to play as the game's rock tracks is in for a huge surprise."

Country artists have been fans of interactive music games long before their tracks were made available to Rock Band. Dierks Bentley expressed his enthusiasm for the game in a CMT interview, and Brooks & Dunn manager Spalding introduced Rock Band to Ronnie Dunn.

"Steve knows that I love the game," said Spalding. "My son, daughter and I play it all the time. We downloaded the Country package that included 'Hillbilly Deluxe.' I had Ronnie and Reba [McEntire] over to the house before Christmas and we all played. They were more interested in playing drums than singing - go figure! Ronnie went out the next day and bought one for a Christmas gift. It's very infectious - that's why I took the one I had at the office home. I couldn't get any work done for playing 'All Right Now.'"

Even more noteworthy than the popularity of these games is the potential for encouraging purchase of music recordings. Microsoft reports that players of Guitar Hero and Rock Band purchase an average 3.8 million songs a month and have bought more than 45 million tracks for both games to date.

According to data compiled by The NPD Group and Nielsen SoundScan, Guitar Hero and Rock Band brought in $935 million in 2007, well above the $835 million earned through digital music downloads. An NPD report noted that in the third quarter of 2008, 22 percent of those who purchased music in any format and 35 percent of all consumers under age 35 played "a music-based video game, such as Rock Band or Guitar Hero" and that "many of these music gamers reported that the gaming experience had a positive outcome, such as creating music discovery or triggering a digital music or CD purchase."

"The majority of artist income comes now from licensing, publishing, sponsorship and performance," said Schnur. "Today, all artists want to be a part of new opportunities that allow them to be heard by the largest possible audience. And being associated with a phenomenal game makes an artist's image - as well as their records, concert tickets, merchandise and publishing - an even bigger part of their fans' lives.

"Certainly the success of Rock Band and Guitar Hero has enabled some unprecedented deals," he continued. "Just look at AC/DC, Aerosmith and Metallica. Record companies and retailers have seen sales of songs by scores of bands increase 200 to 300 percent after their inclusion in both these games. In fact, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, which has grossed more than $50 million since its release last June, has resulted in more revenue for the band than any individual album they've released in their 38-year career. The record business may be ailing, but the music business, led by games like Rock Band, is now entering the most profitable and creative epoch of our time. And I love the fact that Country will now literally and figuratively help change the game forever."

Country artists should definitely benefit from the cross exposure they could receive by being part of this story. "It no longer matters what kind of music you pledge allegiance to," said Schnur. "Everyone loves playing Skynyrd and Creedence songs on Rock Band. I like to think that there are Brooks & Dunn fans out there who have discovered The Killers through playing the game. And I'm really looking forward to Megadeth fans discovering Miranda Lambert. Best of all, this is just the beginning. Gamers have always craved a music-themed experience because music has always been an integral part of games. But what's amazing about Rock Band is that it has single-handedly created a whole new medium of interactive music discovery. Have you ever played Rock Band with a 12-year-old? It's jaw-dropping to see them rock out to Molly Hatchet, get excited about Dixie Chicks and want to download more songs by Brad Paisley. It's an extraordinary new connection that reactivates the power and promise of music like never before. Rock Band has, and will continue to, change the way we experience music forever."

Anyone looking for evidence of how much the games have already influenced pop culture needs to look no further than Brad Paisley's video with Keith Urban for "Start a Band." In the clip, two young boys duke it out on their axes in a fictitious Guitar Showdown video game. These images mirror Schnur's conviction that younger generations may discover their music more from video screens than from radios or computers.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Colt Ford has written with Country hit maker Jamey Johnson, Jeremy Popoff from alt-rockers Lit and Southern rap-master Attitude. He has worked with Montgomery Gentry, No Doubt's Adrian Young and hip-hoppers Bonecrusher and Sunny Ledfurd. That may sound like this Georgia native and onetime PGA golfer is picking through wildly different types of music in hopes of finding his own direction. Nothing could be further from the truth.

On his debut album, Ride Through the Country, produced by Shannon "Fat Shan" Houchins and released on Average Joe's Records, Ford blends disparate styles into one sound that is part urban, part Southern, all Country and totally his own.

These 14 songs, half of them co-writes from Ford and the rest crafted solely, conjure vivid images over deep-fried, swaggering grooves. On his first single, "No Trash in My Trailer," which he penned with Mike Dekle and Byron Hill, you can smell the butterbeans cooking and feel the growling breath of Ford's dog, Sic 'Em Sam.

And on "Ride Through the Country," his drawling evocations of swimming holes, dirt roads, barbecue and a bottle or two on Friday night intersperse with choruses sung by John Michael Montgomery in a voice that seems worn by the trials as well as the pleasures of backwoods life.

"Most Country folks sing but I couldn't so I'm rappin,'" Ford intones on that track. But as far as telling a story through song, whether speaking or singing, he more than holds his own.

MUSICAL HERO
"Anyone who does real music. I think the fans know when something is real or fake."

SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN
"That's easy: 'In Color,' by Jamey Johnson."

LUCKY CHARM
"I have God and Faith. I don't need anything more than that."

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN A BIOPIC
"Brad Pitt. It would be hard to find someone as good lookin' as me to play the role . Did I say that out loud?"

CD IN YOUR STEREO
"Montgomery Gentry's Back When I Knew It All."

DREAM DUET PARTNER
"I already worked with one of them, John Michael Montgomery, on 'Ride Through the Country.' I would love to do something with George Straight, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts.  I think I could do something cool with them."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Anticipation is building for CMA Music Festival as Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, and Wynonna (with a special appearance by The Judds) are added to the performance lineup for the Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field. The four-day Festival takes place Thursday through Sunday, June 11-14, in Downtown Nashville.

"Rascal Flatts remains one of today's great musical entertainers and we are thrilled to have them at CMA Music Festival," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "We're also excited to welcome Darius Rucker to our event for the first time, and to welcome back Wynonna and Naomi. We know our attendees are going to have a fantastic time."
 
After winning CMA Horizon Award in 2002, Rascal Flatts has gone on to win CMA Vocal Group of the Year Award for six consecutive years (2003-2008). The talented trio of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney has sold nearly 20 million albums, scored 10 No.1 singles and 18 Top 10 hits since launching their career in 2000. Their newest album Unstoppable debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. 

Country Music fans welcomed Rucker with open arms during the past year. He released his debut solo album Learn to Live, which spawned two No. 1 singles (so far): "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" and "It Won't Be Like This for Long." After touring earlier this year with Brad Paisley, Rucker will soon hit the road with Rascal Flatts. Rucker first came to prominence as the lead vocalist and songwriter for the pop group Hootie & The Blowfish, whose 1994 debut, Cracked Rear View, sold more than 16 million copies to become one of the best-selling albums in history. Rucker has found a new home in the Country format and intends to continue recording and releasing records to Country radio.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of a superstar performer with a name and a voice that is instantly recognizable around the world, Wynonna. She has sold more than 10 million albums since launching her solo career in 1992. Prior to that as a member of The Judds with her mother Naomi Judd, she sold more than 20 million albums and received nine CMA Awards. Wynonna recently released her seventh solo studio album, Sing: Chapter 1, an eclectic assortment of standards paying homage to all the different genres and songs that have formed the soundtrack to her life.

Artists currently scheduled to appear at LP Field include (in alphabetical order):

Thursday, June 11 - Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Julianne Hough, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker.

Friday, June 12 - Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Jake Owen and Zac Brown Band.

Saturday, June 13 - Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack and Wynonna (with a special appearance by The Judds).

Sunday, June 14 - Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, John Rich and Taylor Swift.

Additional artists will be announced soon. Surprise guests have also become a hallmark of the Festival, enriching an already star-packed lineup. Artists and schedules are subject to change. Visit www.CMAfest.com for updated performance schedules.  

CMA Music Festival benefits music education in Music City.  CMA, in a partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education, has donated $2,245,421 to further music education programs for the more than 75,000 children in Metro Nashville Public Schools. The philanthropic program, aptly titled "Keep the Music Playing," was founded in 2005 as a way for the CMA Music Festival and its participating artists to give back to the community.

Single tickets to the individual Nightly Concerts are on sale for $40 for reserved seats on the lower and club levels, and $30 for general admission in the upper deck of LP Field (plus applicable handling fees).

Four-day ticket packages for CMA Music Festival are also available. The four-day ticket package includes the Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field, exclusive access to the Greased Lightning Fan Fair Hall in the Nashville Convention Center, early admittance to Riverfront Park for the Daytime Stage concerts, exclusive access to the Photo Lines at LP Field and Riverfront Park, exclusive access to shuttles between event sites, admission to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts (June 8-15), and a registration bag with collectible pin, souvenir program book and more.

This is all in addition to the free areas, which include: the Daytime Stage at Riverfront Park, Dr Pepper-McDonald's Family Zone in Hilton Park, Chevy Music Stage at the Sommet Center Plaza, Chevy Sports Zone, Fun Zone, Music City Zone in the Public Square, the Fifth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade and the Fourth Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party.

2009 CMA Music Festival Four Day Ticket prices are:  Gold Circle (SOLD OUT);  Floor Level (adults $175: ages 12 and younger 123);  Lower Level (adults $155:  ages 12 and youger $109);  Club Level (adults $145:  ages 12 and younger $102);  Upper Level reserved (adults $120:  ages 12 and younger $84);  Upper Level general admission (adults $110:  ages 12 and younger $78).
 

* NOTE: Please call 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378) for information on ADA seating, which may be available in Sold Out sections.

Order single tickets to the individual Nightly Concerts or four-day ticket packages at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378), www.CMAfest.com, www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster outlets. Prices do not include applicable handling fees. Ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable.

 A limited number of four-day parking passes for LP Field are available to order at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378) and prices include: $31 for cars; $63 for vans/shuttles; and $123 for RVs/motor coaches. Prices do not include handling fee. Spaces are limited, and no overnight parking is allowed. All persons planning to park at LP Field must pre-purchase the parking pass. Free shuttles (for four-day registrants) will run daily between major Festival event locations.

The first round of performers to be announced for the Daytime Stage at Riverfront Park are listed below in alphabetical order:
 
Thursday, June 11
The Bellamy Brothers, Diamond Rio, Neal McCoy, Heidi Newfield, James Otto, Randy Rogers Band, Ashton Shepherd, Phil Vassar and Chuck Wicks 

Friday, June 12
John Anderson, Eric Church, Bucky Covington, "The Honky Tonk Tailgate Party" (featuring Trent Willmon, Jeff Bates, Mark Wills), Randy Houser, The Oak Ridge Boys, Jamie O'Neal, Aaron Tippin and Clay Walker   

Saturday, June 13
Bill Anderson, Keith Anderson, Tracy Byrd, Jason Michael Carroll, Emerson Drive, The Lost Trailers, Jo Dee Messina, Lorrie Morgan and Chris Young

Sunday, June 14
Eli Young Band, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Gloriana, Josh Gracin, Jessica Harp, Joey + Rory, Joe Nichols, Collin Raye, Restless Heart and Darryl Worley

More artists will be announced soon. Artists and schedules are subject to change. Visit www.CMAfest.com for updated schedules.  
 
CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music Association. CMA Board member Tony Conway is the Executive Producer of CMA Music Festival. Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio broadcaster. Partners include: Chevy: The Official Ride of Country Music; CMT; Dr Pepper; Durango; Greased Lighting; Great American Country (GAC); McDonald's; VAULT Citrus Soda; and Wrangler: The Exclusive Jean of the CMA Music Festival. CMA Music Festival® and Fan Fair® are registered trademarks of CMA.

© CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

To get a perspective of Billy Bob Thornton as an artist, begin with his band, The Boxmasters, and then go further back through the deep ties he has nurtured throughout his life with Country Music.

"Country Music today gives me a lot of feelings - dismay, sadness, anger," the Arkansas native explained by phone from The Cave, the recording studio in the basement of his home in Los Angeles. "I grew up listening to rock 'n' roll and Country when Country was Ray Price, Jim Reeves, Del Reeves, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and it was amazing. Today, Country seems to be '80s pop ballads with steel guitars and music videos with a bunch of hot people in hot tubs. People loved Hank Williams because he was one of them and he sang about their problems."

Thornton is on a mission to bring the sounds and hard-livin' stories of '50s and '60s Country Music to a new generation through the music of The Boxmasters. Formed in 2007 with guitarist/engineers J. D. Andrew and Mike Butler and Thornton handling vocals and laying down the beat on drums, the trio has outlined its agenda on two double-disc sets - The Boxmasters from 2008 and Modbilly, scheduled to release April 21, the day of their appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" - along with last year's holiday CD Christmas Cheer.

These well-crafted, raw-edged albums on Vanguard/Sawmill Records reveal another cornerstone in their foundation through echoes of '60s rock. It's this distinctive fusion of genres that gives the trio's latest album its name.

Like The Boxmasters, Modbilly, produced by Andrew and Thornton, offers one CD of originals and another that revisits hits and obscurities from the back pages of Country and rock. These selections include Hank Thompson's barroom classic "Lord Knows I'm Drinking," John Hartford's "Gentle On My Mind," recorded by Glen Campbell, Roger Miller's "Half a Mind," recorded by Ernest Tubb, the Rolling Stones' "As Tears Go By" and the touching Tin Pan Alley ode to actor "Errol Flynn," all altered by The Boxmasters' distinctive mix of twang and thump.

The songs written and arranged by Andrew, Butler, Thornton and Thornton's frequent co-writer Brad Davis, who plays mandolin and guitar with the group's expanded seven-piece live concert lineup, overflow with humor, sadness and romance, all of it conveyed by Thornton's dusty voice over crying, tremolo-soaked guitars. Some, like "You Crossed the Line" and "That's Why Tammy Has My Car," possess the rollicking tone of old-school drinkin'-and-stinkin' numbers, while others such as "New Mexico" and "Goin' Home" bear the dark spiritual portent of first-generation outlaw Country.

Those originals also trace The Boxmasters' full-throttle, album-to-album growth. "Any night that Billy's not on a movie set, we're in the studio, writing and recording songs," said Andrew. "We've almost got another double-CD recorded."

While Thornton describes The Boxmasters as a "hillbilly" album, Modbilly is more rough-and-tumble, with a rhythmic thrust and edgy guitar attack akin to the sound perfected by Buck Owens and His Buckaroos in the roadhouses of Bakersfield. Those elements of the band grew over the course of several tours last year, including a string of dates opening for Country Music Hall of Fame member Willie Nelson. The next album, Thornton reports, will expand the band's stride further toward their British Invasion influences.

Like his friends and occasional collaborators Kris Kristofferson and Dwight Yoakam, Thornton has achieved distinction as an actor, but his passion for music is fully equal to his acting, directory and screenwriting efforts.

"If you know Billy, you know his passion for music is at least on par with his passion for film," said Stephen Brower, Director of Marketing and A&R Development, Vanguard Records. "When they meet Billy and hear The Boxmasters' own songs and the great numbers they revive like 'Lord Knows I'm Drinking,' they see his honesty and understand that he's an experienced musician and really has an evangelical mission to get the word out about these great old songs and the virtues of traditional Country Music."

"When I first moved to Los Angeles in the '80s," Thornton pointed out, "it was with the idea of finding a band. When I started to get a toe-hold with acting, I figured I should go with what was paying the bills."

Several years before cutting his first solo album, Private Radio, produced by Marty Stuart and released in 2001, Thornton was busy writing and stockpiling songs and recording demos with friends in Nashville. He cut three more albums on his own before forming The Boxmasters, and yet, in his words, he still "takes plenty of crap about my music for being an actor."

"Most people get beyond that when they see the band play live," said Butler. "They see how much Billy puts into the show and they understand it's not just a novelty thing."

The band brings that same work ethic into the studio, according to Andrew. "Lyrics come really naturally to Billy," he said. "When he writes a new tune, he's got the melody taking shape in his head. Often as soon as he's finished a set of lyrics, we'll do a guitar and vocal rough, and then he'll play drums and we'll start flushing out the song from there."

"We like to layer the guitars and bass," Butler added, "and then go back and record a final vocal with harmonies - and Billy sings a lot of the harmonies himself - as soon as possible to capture that same energy and excitement we have live."

The band, which has a popular podcast series on iTunes, has made significant inroads toward the Country Music mainstream. They were featured in an hour-long, sit-down interview with host Bill Cody on GAC's "Master Series," which aired multiple times. They also hosted GAC's "Edge of Country" for four consecutive weeks - an unprecedented run for that show. The trio performed with music legend and fellow Vanguard artist Levon Helm twice at Helm's intimate "Midnight Ramble" series in Woodstock, N.Y., and again on his "Ramble at the Ryman" in Nashville. They hosted and performed at the second annual "All for the Hall" fundraiser for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in New York and appeared on television shows that include "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," "Live with Regis and Kelly" and VH1's "Rock Honors" salute to The Who.

Thornton, who in 2007 had a one-night stint playing drums in Porter Wagoner's band The Wagonmasters, approaches each appearance as a standard bearer for what he views as the classic brand of Country.

"There are some big-name artists who are still carrying the torch, like Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam and Brooks & Dunn - I believe every moment of what they do," he affirmed. "I'm just trying to write from the heart and be natural at it. As long as I can do that and enjoy the creative energy of being part of a band, which is really important to me, I'll be happy making music."

Q&A with The Boxmasters
(answered collectively by the band unless noted otherwise)

CD IN YOUR STEREO
"Del Reeves Greatest Hits. Del is a big inspiration and you have to love songs that all start doodle-oo-do-do."

SONG YOU WISH YOU HAD WRITTEN
"'Sunday Morning Coming Down' by Kris Kristofferson. It takes you right there. You smell the fried chicken and feel like you're walking down that sidewalk and wearing that dirty shirt."

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
"If we could ride the tour bus everywhere, we'd be perfectly happy."

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
"Damn, That Was Weird."

FIRST GIG
"It was for the PTA meeting. We played all instrumentals because we didn't have a microphone. We even did an instrumental version of 'The Ballad of the Green Beret.' Can you imagine that?" (Thornton)

© CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

From its acoustic textures to the deep emotion of its solo and harmonized vocals, The Life of a Song, recorded by the husband and wife team of Rory Feek and Joey Martin, produced by Carl Jackson and released on Vanguard/Sugar Hill Records, is rooted in the music of an earlier Country artistry.

This is evident in the seven songs that they wrote together for The Life of a Song. Even when flaunting a feistier side on the first single, "Cheater Cheater," which they penned with Kristy Osmunson and Wynn Varble, the fire of Martin's singing rises as much from indignation over a violation of virtues such as faithfulness and trust as from her character's betrayal.

That's not to say that Joey + Rory don't speak to contemporary listeners. In fact, they leapt into the limelight as contestants on CMT's "Can You Duet" series and then signed on as spokespersons for the online discount retail site Overstock.com.

Still, their story, like their sound, reflects a fidelity to traditional values. They still live in an 1870s farmhouse outside of Nashville, where Joey and her sister-in-law run their restaurant, Marcy Jo's Mealhouse. No matter where their careers take them, odds are they'll keep the oven warm and the porch light lit back home.

Q&A with Joey + Rory
(answers provided collectively by Joey + Rory)

SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN
"'The Life of a Song,' written by Jason Matthews and Rebecca Lynn Howard."

CD IN YOUR STEREO
"Bradley Walker's Highway of Dreams."

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
"Starting Your Marriage Right, by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. We've been married six years and have read it a few times. We think we're still on our honeymoon."

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
"Trucks and Prevost buses - we don't have one yet, but we're hoping."

MUSICAL HEROES
"John and June Carter Cash. We want to live, dream and love like they did, right up to the end."

© CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The excitement is building for CMA Music Festival, Thursday through Sunday, June 11-14 in Downtown Nashville, as the first artists performing on the free Daytime Stage at Riverfront Park are announced.

"The Daytime Stage at Riverfront Park is one of our most popular events at CMA Music Festival," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "We have an outstanding lineup of performers, ranging from current radio favorites to beloved, legendary artists. It is a great place for families and individuals alike to come and hear great music."

To make it easier on families trying to stay afloat during the current economic climate, this year CMA is offering all four days of the Daytime Stage performances for free to the public.

Fans can enjoy great musical performances while relaxing on the sloping bank of the Cumberland River. The concerts are fun in the sun within easy walking distance to all the Festival event sites, with food vendors, activities and more. Four-day CMA Music Festival ticket holders will enjoy early access and exclusive use of the popular Photo Line at Riverfront.

The first performers to be announced for the Daytime Stage at Riverfront Park are listed below in alphabetical order:
 
Thursday, June 11
The Bellamy Brothers, Diamond Rio, Neal McCoy, Heidi Newfield, James Otto, Randy Rogers Band, Ashton Shepherd, Phil Vassar and Chuck Wicks 

Friday, June 12
John Anderson, Eric Church, Bucky Covington, "The Honky Tonk Tailgate Party" (featuring Trent Willmon, Jeff Bates, Mark Wills), Randy Houser, The Oak Ridge Boys, Jamie O'Neal, Aaron Tippin and Clay Walker   

Saturday, June 13
Bill Anderson, Keith Anderson, Tracy Byrd, Jason Michael Carroll, Emerson Drive, The Lost Trailers, Jo Dee Messina, Lorrie Morgan and Chris Young

Sunday, June 14
Eli Young Band, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Gloriana, Josh Gracin, Jessica Harp, Joey + Rory, Joe Nichols, Collin Raye, Restless Heart and Darryl Worley

More artists will be announced soon. Artists and schedules are subject to change. Visit www.CMAfest.com for updated performance schedules.  
 
The Daytime Stage at Riverfront Park is just one of several free areas at CMA Music Festival, which include the Dr Pepper-McDonald's Family Zone in Hilton Park; Chevy Music Stage at the Sommet Center Plaza; Chevy Sports Zone; Fun Zone; the new Music City Zone in the Public Square; the Fifth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade; and more.

For those fans wanting the complete CMA Music Festival experience, four-day tickets are still available. In addition to the free areas listed above, the four-day ticket package includes the Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field; exclusive access to the Greased Lightning Fan Fair Hall, featuring Durango Acoustic Corner (located in the Nashville Convention Center); exclusive access to the Photo Lines at LP Field and Riverfront Park; exclusive access to the shuttles between event sites; admission to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts (June 8 through June 15); and a registration bag with collectible pin and souvenir program book and more.

Four day and single night concert tickets for CMA Music Festival are available at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378), www.CMAfest.com, www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster outlets. Prices do not include applicable handling fees. Ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable.

For up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel information, schedules, artist appearances and more, visit www.CMAfest.com and sign up for CMA Exclusive e-news.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

On March 4, at the annual CMA Artist Relations Luncheon during Country Radio Seminar (CRS), CMA CEO Tammy Genovese unveiled a check for $1,011,294, representing the organization's latest donation to Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) for music education. This donation continues the practice of giving half of the net profits from each CMA Music Festival to support music education for the area's 75,000 public school students under the auspices of CMA's "Keep the Music Playing" (KTMP) program, in partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education (NAPE).

It raises the total amount presented through KTMP to $2,245,421 since the campaign launched. This money has been used to build music labs and purchase instruments and supplies. It also includes an endowment gift for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Words & Music program, which assists language arts and music teachers with classroom instruction in the basics of songwriting.

"As an artist, it is gratifying to know that we can come together with our fans and raise more than $1 million to benefit music education in Nashville," said Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn and Co-Chairman of the CMA Artist Relations Committee. "As a CMA Board member, I am proud of how our industry can come together with the City of Nashville and produce such a monumental event that draws visitors from around the world while supporting a great cause. It's all for the kids!"

"Kix is right," agreed Genovese. "CMA Music Festival is all for the kids. Every artist started with a dream to perform, usually from a young age. Many students have dreams to perform as well. With encouragement and instruments, those dreams could take them to the biggest concert halls in the land or keep them interested and involved in school while they discover their true passion in life. On behalf of our artists and industry, and through our partnership with NAPE and MNPS, we believe in fulfilling those dreams by funding the best music education possible for the students in Music City USA."

In remarks delivered on his behalf by Brooks, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean stated, "I am so thankful for the continued support that CMA has given to Nashville schools. Nashville is Music City, and to live up to our name, we should have among the best music education programs in the country. The program provides our schools with instruments and resources they otherwise wouldn't have. It's been shown that students who participate in the arts do better in school and are more likely to graduate, and the success of our students is greatly tied to the overall success of our city."

"The KTMP program is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when there is a strong partnership between the community and our schools," said Dr. Jesse Register, MNPS Director. "The members of CMA recognized a need and responded with overwhelming generosity. Their commitment to music education in our schools has opened doors for many students who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to participate in a music program. We appreciate CMA, the fans who attend the Festival and NAPE for the substantial donation announced today and their unwavering commitment to music education in Nashville."

"Every penny donated by the Festival impacts Metro public school students, whether through the instruments provided or the enhancement of music education programs offered," noted Sr. VP/Media & Entertainment, Gaylord Entertainment Steve Buchanan, CMA Board President-Elect and CMA's representative on NAPE's Board of Directors.

"This is the largest gift from CMA to KTMP," added Pam Garrett, NAPE Executive Director. "I kept counting and recounting! This year's gift doubles what has been possible thus far, bringing our totals to 2,124 instruments in 62 schools. This is an incredible effort and has made a huge dent in the need for instruments and students' opportunity to play, perform and reap the benefit of the arts as a proven strategy for academic excellence. We are fortunate that MNPS can support this initiative by providing music teachers in every school K-12."

"Every student should have the opportunity to receive music education," said Genovese. "CMA continues to work toward that goal with the help of Mayor Dean, Dr. Register, the staff at MNPS and Pam Garrett and NAPE, as well as all the artists who perform and all the fans that purchase tickets for the Festival."

Memorable moments were provided by students themselves, through essays of appreciation written and read by Isaiah T. Creswell Middle Arts Magnet School students Autumn Buchanan and Jazz Fields - "the coolest names I've ever heard," marveled Brooks in his introduction - and performances of Phillip Ronald Cowherd's "Rondo" by the John Overton High School French Horn Quintet and of two pieces, a Gigue by Johann Caspar Fischer and a traditional reel titled "Drowsy Maggie," presented by 10 recorder players from Mt. View Elementary School in period costume and even a bit of choreography.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Leaders of CMA, the Metro Government of Nashville and the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau (NCVB) assembled at the historic Metro Courthouse in March to unveil exciting new plans for CMA Music Festival. Among the most important changes revealed at the press conference were the addition of a new stage on the Public Square in front of the Courthouse and free public access for the first time to the concerts at Riverfront Park.

"We have always enjoyed a great relationship with the City, but this takes our partnership to a whole new level," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "We are now able to offer the residents of Nashville and the surrounding communities even more opportunities to access free music, family-friendly activities and more. CMA Music Festival is the best entertainment experience of its kind and now it can be enjoyed by more people than ever before."

"Nashville is Music City and the CMA Music Festival, which draws tens of thousands of music fans from across the world, is an important part of that identity," said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. "With the additions to the Festival this year, this world-class event will be more accessible than ever to our local residents. I look forward to looking out the window at the Courthouse and seeing music fans from Nashville and abroad enjoying two of our city's greatest amenities - the Public Square and Riverfront Park."

"CMA is definitely on the right track and their timing couldn't be better," said Butch Spyridon, NCVB President. "While they are already successful, they are looking for ways to broaden the event, extend the stay of our visitors and reach out to include the local community. More music and more value will do all of those things. Great 'free' music and more money for our schools."

This area at the Public Square, known as the Music City Zone and programmed by the NCVB, will provide residents and visitors an opportunity to enjoy the breadth and diversity of musical styles found in Music City, free of charge.

"Adding the Music City Zone gives us a chance to showcase even more local stars and gives us an opportunity to broaden the styles of music that are readily available any day in this city," said Spyridon.

CMA has also waived admission charges for the daily concerts at Riverfront Park, which feature many of today's most popular performers on stage with longer sets.

"We feel like this is an undeniable value for everyone who loves great music," said Steve Moore, CMA Board President and Chairman of the CMA Music Festival Steering Committee. "With the state of the economy, families are belt-tightening and going without. We don't want them to go without great, free family entertainment this summer. And this is it."

The Festival is not only fun for the entire family but beneficial to the City of Nashville - in 2008, the NCVB estimated that the event generated $22 million in direct visitor spending.

This year's Festival will also allow residents of Middle Tennessee and visitors to support music education beyond the cost of their Festival ticket purchase. CMA donates half the net proceeds of the Festival to Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) through its Keep the Music Playing (KTMP) program. The Nashville Alliance for Public Education (NAPE) will be collecting new and "gently used" band instruments to be provided to students in need. The instruments can be dropped off during the Festival in the Dr Pepper-McDonald's Family Zone.

"If you have a clarinet in the closet or a trumpet in a trunk, dust it off and bring it to us so we can 'Keep the Music Playing' in Nashville public schools," said Pam Garrett, NAPE Executive Director. "One instrument can have a huge impact on the life and future of a child and your donation of a gently used band instrument can make a difference."

As an incentive, McDonald's is offering a free Extra Value Meal to the first 500 Festival attendees who donate a musical instrument. "We're glad to be able to help CMA with this program," said Ted Bertuca Jr., a local McDonald's owner. "Music is an important part of our public education and we applaud those who donate used instruments for these students."

Lending their talents to the cause is an exceptional lineup of artists, including Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Julianne Hough, Jamey Johnson, Lady Antebellum, Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Montgomery Gentry, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, John Rich, Taylor Swift, Lee Ann Womack, Zac Brown Band and more to be announced.

Surprise performances and guest appearances are a hallmark of the Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field. The excitement will be filmed for a network television special on ABC - which, in another first, will expand from two hours to three to include even more high-wattage performances. The special, which airs later this summer, is a primetime postcard inviting the nation to experience the music and hospitality Nashville is known for.

As the footprint of the Festival grows, so does CMA's relationships within the business community. The Festival represents the values that attract business to Middle Tennessee, whether entertaining clients or providing tickets as incentives for employees. For example, since 2004, HCA has purchased nearly 5,500 four-day Festival tickets, and nearly 8,000 single-night tickets as staff giveaways.

"CMA Music Festival has given HCA the opportunity to support the arts and education while giving our employees the opportunity to participate in one of Nashville's most loved yearly events," said Jana Davis, VP, HCA Corporate Communications and Marketing.

"This is only the beginning of what can be accomplished when the talents of the music community combine with the limitless enthusiasm and creativity of Nashville's business and arts community," said Moore. "We invite the businesses and organizations interested in partnering with us to grow this event to get involved."

And because the Festival supports music education in MNPS, business leaders appreciate that half the net proceeds go directly to the students who need it most.

"We all know the importance of music and art programs in keeping kids in school and improving graduation rates," said Bert Mathews, President, The Mathews Company and Vice Chairman, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. "This benefits the entire community for years to come."

Groups and organizations are stepping up. For example, the new Music City Drum and Bugle Corps, the flagship unit of the non-profit organization Music City Youth in the Arts, has selected the Fifth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade to launch their program, which provides exceptional learning and performing opportunities for local students.

"It will be an honor for the corps to be part of the Parade, especially since the Festival does so much to support music education," said Keith Hall, Executive Director, Music City Drum and Bugle Corps.

The winner of the Music City Corporate Band Challenge, presented by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, will be one of the acts booked to perform in the Music City Zone.

"What makes Nashville a truly creative community is the amazing scope and depth of artistic talent in all genres and at all levels - from visual arts to performing arts and from non-profit to commercial," said Connie Valentine, President/CEO, Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville. "The Arts & Business Council is excited to be part of a pioneer collaboration with CMA and NCVB to expand Nashville's signature Festival, by embracing Music City's broad creative community that reaches far beyond the Country Music scene."

Since it was established in 1971, Hard Rock International has been committed to a wide variety of philanthropic causes and activities around the world. Hard Rock Cafe Nashville has participated in numerous charity events with key partners, most notably for the past four years with the Festival. This year, it puts the power of its retail muscle behind a co-branded pin that will be available during the event to stress the importance of music education in public schools.

"Hard Rock is elated to be partnering with CMA and Keep the Music Playing for its latest charitable co-branded pin," said Vilma Salinas, Sales and Marketing Manager, Hard Rock Cafe Nashville. "In alignment with Hard Rock's motto 'Love All, Serve All,' both philanthropic organizations work tirelessly to preserve Nashville's beloved Music City moniker and ensure that its future continues to thrive for many years to come."

Tickets for CMA Music Festival are available at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378), www.CMAfest.com, www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster outlets.

For up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel information, schedules, artist appearances and more, visit www.CMAfest.com and sign up for CMA Exclusive e-news.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field during CMA Music Festival feature many of Country Music's biggest stars and are a fun and economical way for fans to enjoy great performances during Nashville's signature event. This year's CMA Music Festival takes place Thursday through Saturday, June 11-14, in Downtown Nashville.

Beginning Saturday, April 18, at 10 AM/ET, tickets to the individual Nightly Concerts will go on sale for $40 for reserved seats on the lower and club levels, and $30 for general admission in the upper deck levels of LP Field (plus applicable handling fees).

To order tickets, call 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378); www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available Ticketmaster outlets.

"In these tough economic times, the single night ticket prices are really a bargain for music fans," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "The caliber of artists performing is unparalleled, and the price is unbeatable. It is a great evening of family entertainment."

Artists currently scheduled to appear at LP Field include (in alphabetical order):

Thursday, June 11 - Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Julianne Hough, Reba McEntire  and Brad Paisley

Friday, June 12 - Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Jake Owen  and Zac Brown Band
 
Saturday, June 13 - Trace Adkins, Jack Ingram, Jamey Johnson, Martina McBride  and Lee Ann Womack

Sunday, June 14 - Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, John Rich and Taylor Swift

Artists and schedules are subject to change. Additional artists will be announced soon.  Special guests have also become a tradition for the Festival, adding to the already star-packed lineup.

For the music fan looking for a distinctive experience, several "Buy It Now" VIP packages will be available through www.Ticketmaster.com. Ranging in price from $2,500 to $6,000, these packages include four-day passes to CMA Music Festival with seats for the Nightly Concerts on the VAULT Concert Stage at LP Field in the highly coveted Gold Circle and Floor Level sections, which were sold-out last summer. Also included in the packages are hotel accommodations, meal vouchers, tickets to local attractions, gift certificates for Durango boots and a spa day at Natural Oasis Day Spa & Salon. These "Buy It Now" VIP packages will also be available for purchase April 18.

A limited amount of on-site, pay parking ($10 per vehicle) will be available nightly at LP Field in Lots E and F, just across the Woodland Street Bridge. This parking lot is not available for pre-purchase. It is available for purchase on-site on a first-come, first-serve basis after 5 PM on Thursday and Friday, June 11-12, and all day Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14. Ample paid surface lots and parking garages are also available in Downtown Nashville, conveniently accessible to LP Field via the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge.

Attendees can feel good about having a great time. CMA Music Festival is a charitable event benefitting music education in Metro Nashville Public Schools through a partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education. To date, CMA has donated more than $2 million to purchase instruments and fund music programs for Nashville's 75,000 school students.  The philanthropic program, titled "Keep the Music Playing," was founded as a way for the CMA Music Festival and its participating artists to give back to the community.

Tickets for CMA Music Festival are available at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378), www.CMAfest.com, www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster outlets.

For up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel information, schedules, artist appearances and more, visit www.CMAfest.com and sign up for CMA Exclusive e-news.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

When it comes to educational priorities in Music City, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has it right: reading, writing, 'rithmetic . and song structure.

For 30 years, the organization has enhanced the curriculums of language arts and music teachers in Middle Tennessee area schools through its Words & Music program. Under its auspices, teachers use a lesson plan developed by Museum staff to guide their students through the process of writing song lyrics.

Museum staff give the completed lyrics to one of more than 60 professional songwriters who volunteer for the program. Writers choose several examples to polish and set to music. Children then visit the Museum to hear feedback from writers and to enjoy some of their own songs being performed. This experience provides kids with a unique avenue of expression, encourages them to continue writing on their own and exposes them to many types of music.

CMA, recognizing the value of fostering education as well as an appreciation of the creative process through music, presented a $1 million endowment to the program during a celebration of CMA's 50th anniversary in September 2008 at the Museum. This donation will be made in annual $200,000 increments over a five-year period, from 2008 through 2012.

"CMA has been a longtime supporter of the important work of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum," said Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, past CMA Board President and Chairman and current chair of CMA's Artist Relations Committee. "But what appealed to our Board about this donation was the idea that the funds would be focused on an initiative that is important to our artists and is the foundation of our industry - the art of songwriting."

"Funding this important program is a natural extension of our support of music education in public schools through our 'Keep the Music Playing' campaign," said CMA CEO Tammy Genovese. "We are committed to music education and supporting quality programs that meet our goals of engaging students, their families and teachers."

"We provide a teacher's guide that helps educators teach their students the important components of a song and how to write one themselves," explained Justine Gregory, Director of Education/Public Programming, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "And we include a CD with songs by Hall of Fame members who are in our exhibition, so that when the students come here they'll recognize the artists and songwriters and have a deeper experience.

"The lesson plans take about a month to complete," Gregory added. "Students generate different ideas for writing a song, and then they turn that story into a song. We have about 60 writers who volunteer their time to add melodies to a selection of songs written by the class. The songwriter later presents those songs to the students and answers questions about what it's like to be a songwriter. We love to be able to provide the means for students to interact with songwriters, and we're lucky in Nashville to have such a wealth of talented songwriters."

On one particular day in December 2008, songwriter Richard Trest faced a room filled with budding 12-year-old writers, each one eager to hear how he translated their lyrics into song. Faces beamed as he called each child's name and gently critiqued his or her work, being careful to point out the positives in each song while sharing insight into the intricacies of composition. The students clapped along and sang as he performed their tunes. Enhanced self-esteem was an obvious byproduct of this process, as one young boy, who had been sitting by himself, visibly perked up when Trest complimented his work.

"One thing you learn, working with these kids, is that they reflect their environment," said Trest, who has volunteered in Words & Music for about five years. "They use this to some extent to voice what's inside of them that they're thinking about and try to get in touch with something sometimes. I've seen situations where it's been, 'Boy, I need to call that kid's parent or teacher and find out what this song is about, because it's pretty deep. They may have been hurt or lost someone.' It can be therapeutic for them a lot of times.

"And I learn a lot about myself as a writer by going through the lyric sheets these kids write," he continued. "There was one line in a song today that I just loved: 'What can I do for you? I can love you.' It was a really simple line, and as a writer it kind of opens me up to that raw sense of emotion or feeling that a 12-year-old can express in the simplest terms. Sometimes there's a lot of beauty in that. This program is great support for these kids, to give them positive feedback."

Parents find the program helpful as well. "A number of times teachers have said that a quiet student in their class really excelled at songwriting," said Gregory. "Their songs end up being selected, and it's a great opportunity for them to shine. Students write about all sorts of topics, from pop culture or their favorite hobbies to divorce in their family or the death of a pet or family member. It's a great way for them to express themselves. To see these words put to music is another magical part of this. The kids really come alive and get very excited about it."

Stephen Henry, a teacher at Isaiah T. Creswell Middle Arts Magnet School, has been enthusiastic about Words & Music for years. "This program really gives my students the opportunity to put their words down on paper," he said. "It exposes them to the art of songwriting and how powerful words can be and how everyone has a story to tell. It just allows that opportunity, that blank canvas, to do that. Most of the students have never thought about sitting down and writing a song, so you sort of force them into that and then they are able to see what they can do. It's very interesting to see the reactions of the students; it's like, 'Wow, that's my work!'"

CMA's backing for Words & Music makes it likelier that this program may expand not only to other cities in Tennessee but possibly to other areas of the United States as well. Already, since 2004, 1,000 kids in Pensacola, Fla., have had opportunity to work on their songwriting skills through the program in conjunction with the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival in their hometown. Words & Music has reached across age as well as geographic boundaries, by launching a variation of the program in 2004 that targets senior citizens.

"Words & Music is obviously an important part of our educational organization's mission," said Kyle Young, Director, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "The program helps teachers meet curriculum goals, fosters community spirit, provides educational resources that are unique to Music City and serves as a great investment in families. Since its inception, we've seen it expand in terms of the number of participants. Last year, more than 4,700 students, kindergarten through 12th grade, from 51 Tennessee and Florida schools took part.

"Our teaching materials have evolved beyond a printed lesson kit to include a CD," Young noted. "And while most schools currently visit the Museum to participate, future plans include making the program available via video conferencing and on our Web site. And of course, CMA's generous gift provides the financial stability that will ensure the continuation of our Words & Music program in perpetuity, so we're very grateful."

Every aspect of the art form is explored, and the business side of songwriting isn't overlooked. Part of the new curriculum deals with "songlifting" and the impact that illegally downloading, burning and sharing songs off the Internet has on the songwriting community.

"It will be very impactful for the students to hear their teachers compare songlifting to shoplifting, to learn about royalties and the way songwriters make money to take care of their families," Genovese said. "This program has the ability to put a real face on the issue and to communicate in a meaningful way the results of those actions."

Each spring, the Museum presents Words & Music Night, during which a cross-section of students who participated in the program perform their compositions with their volunteer songwriters before an audience of family and friends. The recital, which is usually hosted by a noted Country Music songwriter or artist, illustrates the breadth, depth and quality of the students' compositions. In short, Words & Music not only strengthens the ties between Music Row and the rest of the Middle Tennessee community, but also provides a bridge for future hitmakers to cross as they pursue their destinies.

On the Web: www.countrymusichalloffame.com/site/experience-museum-programs-wordsandmusic.aspx.

Tomorrow's Words

Thanks to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Words & Music program, students from Nashville area schools are discovering the pleasures of self-expression through writing lyrics. Here are just a few from among many examples of their emerging creativity.

"Boot to the Saddle"
sixth-grader, Christ the King School
Now we're ready to go, she bows and whines a lot
I hear the gate open and the roar of the crowd
She picked up a gallop with some rein I allowed
Then she galloped so fast and she made me proud
Put my boot to the saddle, faster we go
The sweet rhythm of the hooves and I happily flow
Slide back on my leg as we excel with speed
She gallops on as we take the lead

"Kids Don't Lie"
fourth-grader, Tulip Grove Elementary
I crept down the hall and found mom asleep
She said to try counting some sheep
I turned around and went back to my room
It was time that I faced my impending doom
I picked up my flashlight and found the batteries dead
Maybe if I jump on top of the bunk bed
By that time I saw the morning light
No sleep at all and I look a fright
Kids don't lie about scary things
The sounds that they hear and the dreadful night dreams
Kids don't lie when they turn on the lights
Kids don't lie about monsters at night

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Katie Armiger "Kaptures" the Spotlight on GAC

It's every artist's dream to be heard and seen on national television. But this dream is elusive, particularly for those who don't benefit from major record label support. That challenge spun Pete O'Heeron's creative wheels last summer.

As President of Cold River Records, he is committed to advancing the fortunes of his label's flagship artist, Katie Armiger. Part of his strategy involved targeting gactv.com, not through making cold pitches to the Web channel but through offering them a completed, ready-to-run Webisode series.

He began in 2008 by recruiting Tom Forrest, President/Partner/Executive Producer, Taillight TV, to document the young artist's life, from her 17th birthday party in Houston to her CMA Music Festival debut on the Riverfront Daytime Stage, interspersed with interviews. Director Stephen Shepherd provided an often quirky look at Armiger. Then, with Believe poised to drop in July 2008, O'Heeron came to www.gactv.com (Great American Country) with a proposition.

"Everyone thought it would look like it had been shot by a couple of teenagers and posted on YouTube," O'Heeron said. "But Craig Bann [Sr. VP, Marketing/Promotion, AristoMedia] and I presented them with a really well-done series that was beyond anyone's expectations. We had seven three-minute Webisodes - and it wasn't enough! They wanted more Katie!"

They did shoot a few more installments for the series they called "Kapturing Katie," but the ripples went beyond the Internet and back to the network as Jason Mease, VP and Site Director, gactv.com, set up a meeting between O'Heeron and John Alexander, Director, Music Marketing, GAC and Scripps Networks. Based on the impact Armiger had already made online, they agreed to name her the network's Artist of the Month for February 2009.

It didn't stop there. Sweepstakes are often a part of the picture in publicizing GAC's Artist of the Month, but O'Heeron wanted to stretch that idea a bit. He began by focusing on her contributions to Believe as co-writer on 10 of its tracks. "Because Katie is a great songwriter, we decided to come up with a way of giving her fans an opportunity to look at that process," said Alexander. "Then we took it further: Why don't we have the winner participate in the actual songwriting process with Katie?"

This led to "Kapturing a Love Song with Katie Armiger." Fans were invited to register for a drawing throughout the month of February. More than 50,000 fans flocked to the Web site to enter to win a chance to write a love song with Armiger. At the end of her reign as Artist of the Month, the Riteway independent fulfillment house chose the winner, Stephen Schumacher of Charleston, W. Va., who received an excited phone call from Armiger congratulating him and was flown in March with a guest to Nashville for three days and two nights. During that time, he would write with Armiger and Carolwood Records group Love and Theft and then they would produce her recording of the tune at Sound Kitchen Studios with Schumacher observing. Once completed, the song will be released exclusively to iTunes.

"I have always wanted the opportunity to be a part of writing a song, so this is truly a dream come true for me," said Schumacher. "I sincerely want to thank Katie and GAC for this once in a lifetime opportunity. As both a singer and songwriter, Katie has a combination that makes her a truly gifted talent whose music belies her age. I still can't believe that I won and get to write with her!"

For the last seven years Schumacher has been performing with a local cover band as an escape from his day job as a CFO for a local government agency. With music as a big part of his life, Shumacher jumped at the chance to enter the contest. The proud father of four could not pass up a chance to write with one of Country Music's rising stars, who he became a fan of about a year ago.

"I am so excited to write and record with Steve," said Armiger. "After speaking with him I know this is going to be a really great experience and am thrilled he won. And getting to work with Love and Theft, they are so talented. I cannot wait to see what we all come up with."

Ten first-prize winners will each receive an autographed copy of Believe, an autographed poster of Armiger and a $50 gift certificate courtesy of f.y.e. stores.

"There has been more publicity for this particular sweeps than any we've done in a long while in regard to an Artist of the Month, from Country Weekly to Seventeen and Web sites that cater to a young female audience," said Alexander. "I've already gotten calls from managers asking, 'How come our artist isn't doing something like this?' Well, Pete is an out-of-the-box thinker, and this is what happens when you apply that to a great up-and-coming artist with a lot of momentum."

On the Web: www.katiearmiger.com

Dierks Bentley Sweetens the Promo Pot with Cracker Jack

For record labels seeking to promote their artists, it often pays to think out of the box. But for Dierks Bentley and the team at Capitol Records Nashville, thinking inside the box has its rewards too.
 
The box, in this case, is that familiar cardboard container whose festive colors and image of a smiling boy in a sailor suit identify its ingredients as Cracker Jack. This mélange of popcorn, peanuts and molasses has been a national phenomenon for more than a century - so long, in fact, that it was celebrated in the third line of the lyric to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" ("Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack"), written by Jack Norworth in 1908 during an otherwise routine subway ride.

A century later, Bentley drew from the same well when he joined Brett Beavers, Brad Warren and Brett Warren to co-write the No. 1 song "Feel That Fire," whose second line reads: "She wants the toy in the Cracker Jacks." By the time he dropped by his label to play it for members of the staff, he believed enough in the song to suggest they release it as the first single from his upcoming album. (They agreed and decided to make it the album's title cut as well.)

Like candy on a hungry kid's fingers, the tune stuck in the mind of Cindy Mabe, VP Marketing, Capitol, after she left that meeting. "The Cracker Jack line is the one that hit me the most," she remembered. "The more we talked about it, the more we thought it would be cool to see if Cracker Jack would be interested in partnering with us."

A bit of research led to Mark Vitek, who was at the time Brand Manager for Cracker Jack at Frito-Lay, Inc. Fortunately, Vitek was also a Bentley fan, so the pieces were poised to fall into place. The only question was: What picture would the pieces form?

Vitek had the answer: a sweepstakes to promote the single by shipping 2,000 boxes of Cracker Jack to Country radio stations. Fifty-one of those boxes would include scratch-off prizes - 10 autographed guitars, merchandise, personal phone calls, personal station liners posted to the Web sites of winning stations and other items. One would come with a grand prize in the form of a free backyard concert by Bentley. Each station offered its prize to listeners through contests or drawings, after which it was determined that the grand prize had gone to WTQR/Greensboro, N.C., and from there to one of its lucky listeners.

The payoff was immediate. "It got Cracker Jack into Billboard, R&R and places they wouldn't ordinarily have been mentioned," Mabe said. "To be associated with music and cool, hip magazines isn't an everyday thing for them. And it was good for us too. The campaign was originally supposed to happen just after the single had gone to radio as a tease of more to come. Instead, because the single was racing up the chart so fast, we ended up moving the campaign closer to the album launch than planned and that helped spread the word that much faster too."

Somewhere, Norworth is smiling appreciatively.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

The doors to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville opened promptly at 9 AM Feb. 4. Visitors filed into the building, eager to take in the exhibits on display. Aside from the cold wind that whistled outside, this day was no different than most during these opening moments at the Museum - or so it seemed until greeters and guides began letting members of the crowd in on a secret.

"You folks are really lucky to be here today," one of them told the new arrivals. "In just half an hour, CMA will be announcing who will be inducted this year into the Country Music Hall of Fame."

As word spread through the lobby, three longtime friends stood together in the Hall of Fame Rotunda on the second floor, wrapping up their first photo session as designated members of the hallowed Hall.

"This is cool," said multi-instrumental virtuoso Charlie McCoy, who enters the Hall in the category of "Recording and/or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980," which rotates every third year along with the "Career Achieved National Prominence Prior to World War II" and "Non-Performer."

He nudged playfully toward Barbara Mandrell, who joins the Hall under "Career Achieved National Prominence Between 1975 and the Present." Her smile widened as McCoy joked, "And her husband is right there!"

"Hey, do you want me to leave?" asked Ken Dudney, grinning from outside of camera range. Mandrell, beaming back at her partner of nearly 42 years, then looked to McCoy and, to her left, Roy Clark, voted into the Hall in the "Career Achieved National Prominence Between World War II and 1975" category, and said, "I like being between two men."

"A rose between the thorns," McCoy added, prompting all three to laugh.

These giants of Country Music have shared more than that through the years - "I don't think I've ever had a record that didn't have Charlie McCoy," Mandrell would marvel a short while later, during the press conference downstairs in the Ford Theater. And from this point, they will also be remembered as the Class of 2009, this year's honorees of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The media briefing began at 10 AM, with welcoming remarks from CMA CEO Tammy Genovese, who then introduced Liz Thiels, Senior VP of Public Relations, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Appearing on behalf of the Museum's Executive Director Kyle Young, who was out of town on business, Thiels said of the new members, "While their individual careers are unique, each one has nodded to tradition to create music that's very relevant to the first generation of the Space Age. Their music will be relevant for ages to come. All three have helped to extend the footprint of Country Music and American culture around the world."

Thiels described the event at which they would soon be officially inducted. "In a few weeks, the current members of the Hall of Fame will gather in this room for a Medallion Ceremony, underwritten by CMA and produced by this Museum. After some wonderful fellowship, storytelling and great music, a Hall of Fame member will conduct the official and formal life induction of each new member. Representing all of the membership, the presenting member will welcome each inductee as a peer Country Music master craftsman."

CMA Board Chairman Randy Goodman, President, Lyric Street and Carolwood Records, described CMA's ongoing support for the Museum, which CMA most recently honored with a $1 million endowment, to be paid over five years, to the organization's Words & Music educational program.

"The CMA Board recognizes the value of honoring this legacy while at the same time enhancing Country Music for the future," he observed.
Next, the identities of the three new members were revealed in sequence, beginning with McCoy.

Mel Tillis, who was inducted into the Hall in 2007, had been chosen by McCoy to provide his introduction.

"My name is Mel Tillis . I'm Pam's daddy," he began, and then he moved quickly to announcing McCoy's name and sharing stories of how they met more than 50 years ago, when Tillis heard the young musician performing at a club in Florida.

"He did the guitar playing to 'Detroit City,'" Tillis said, and then he replicated the famous lick that opened Bobby Bare's cover of that celebrated Tillis composition. "I didn't know that. I just found that out."

An ovation greeted McCoy as he walked onto the stage. He devoted his time to acknowledging a long list of people and, right at the top, one organization: "I'd like to thank CMA and the Hall of Fame for including musicians."

Apologizing for those names he might omit, McCoy paid homage to God, his family and to the Nashville stalwarts he had known: Chet Atkins, Harold and Owen Bradley, Jim Denny, Fred Foster, Neal Matthews of The Jordanaires, Harold "Pig" Robbins ("the greatest session player I've ever known"), former CMA Executive Director Jo Walker-Meador and many others, including "the 302 musicians, background singers and engineers who have contributed to my first 35 albums."

The next presenter, Hall of Fame member Carl Smith, towered over the podium as he introduced Clark. "We've had some times together - several times and many times," he mused. But he declined to elaborate, suggesting that if he were to speak too candidly, "they'd still put us in some damn big jail."

The laughter turned to an ovation as Clark came forward. He told a hilarious story of a show they'd played together at Buck Lake Ranch in Indiana, where Smith, impatient to leave with Clark for the airport, attempted to cut his act short first by firing off a cap gun on the stage. When that didn't work, he sneaked behind Clark and, one by one, cut each string of his guitar with a wire cutter until the final low E string snapped.

"And," Clark concluded, with perfect timing, "my show was complete."

"It makes you proud to be considered in this league," said Clark. "I never thought about being in the Hall of Fame before because you're busy working in your career. Then when you are selected it makes you stop and think. I'm now in a pretty exclusive club that includes Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Roy Acuff and Little Jimmy Dickens, among many others. The proudest part of my induction is that I'm now associated with all of my friends and heroes."

As for Mandrell, the secret was out the moment her sister Louise walked into the spotlight. Her voice catching with emotion, she shared stories of Barbara's precocious musicianship, dating back to when she used a drinking glass instead of the missing steel bar to play a show on steel guitar at age 11.
And she drew smiles when, recalling their network TV show "Barbara Mandrell and The Mandrell Sisters," she declared, "I can't believe Barbara made me audition!"

When her older sister emerged to a sustained and emotional welcome, the mood of affection expanded into a series of reflections on friends, family, associates and even her experience on the CMA Board. "Believe me," she insisted, "I know how hard they work to promote and perpetuate the growth of Country Music."

Mandrell ended with a special appreciation for her parents, who were in attendance. "When I came to Nashville, the only reason I could afford to have beautiful clothes is that my mother made them," she said, directing her gaze to Mary Mandrell. Turning to her father Irby, she continued, "This guy is my partner. Dad started teaching me steel guitar, and he would play rhythm guitar for me so I could practice. And when he told me to sing, Daddy would say, 'Don't just sing here in the living room. Sing to them across the street.'" Sadly, Irby Green would pass away just one month later, with his family at his bedside.

"Barbara, Charlie and Roy are truly deserving of Country Music's biggest honor and the opportunity to join the legendary artists and musicians who are the Country Music Hall of Fame," Genovese said. "Barbara and Roy are among our format's greatest ambassadors due to their numerous hit singles, national TV series, versatile musicianship, live concert appearances, acting opportunities and mainstream recognition. And Charlie's musical talents have enriched every recording on which he has performed, making him an irreplaceable part of America's music."

Genovese then brought the press conference to its end by inviting photographers to take photos of the honorees and media crews to follow with questions on the same stage where, in May, their entry into the Hall would be sealed by their Medallion Ceremony.

Career Achieved National Prominence between  World War II and 1975

"So many dear friends are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. It makes me so proud that somehow, in some way, you have found it fit for me to become part of this fraternity." - Roy Clark
(excerpt from remarks at Feb. 4 press conference)

Roy Linwood Clark was born in April 15, 1933 in Meherrin, Va.

As a teenager, he grew up in southeast Washington, D.C., where his father worked at the Washington Navy Yard. The son of two amateur musicians, Clark learned to play banjo, guitar and mandolin at an early age and often performed with his father as a teenager. At the same time, he pursued an athletic career, briefly with baseball and later with boxing.

By age 17, he had won 15 consecutive boxing matches as well as two national banjo championships, which earned him his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Soon after, Clark gave up boxing and focused on a music career.

After working at several local clubs and radio stations, Clark became a regular on Jimmy Dean's Washington, D.C.,-based television show, "Town and Country Time." After Dean left for New York, Clark took over the show and his reputation as a great musician and performer grew.

Moving to Las Vegas in 1960, he performed with Western Swing bandleader and comedian Hank Penny at the Golden Nugget. Later, he became the leader of Wanda Jackson's band and played on several of her recordings including her single, "Let's Have a Party." After Jackson dismantled her band, Clark performed regularly at the Frontier Hotel in Vegas.

Clark signed with Capitol Records in 1963, achieving a Top 10 Country hit with his first single, "Tips of My Fingers." After several minor hits, he moved to Dot Records in 1968, reaching the Top 10 again one year later with "Yesterday When I Was Young."

National television became a key component of Clark's career. Dean was a guest-host of "The Tonight Show" several times during the 1960s, and he brought Clark onto the show, introducing the young performer to a large audience. Clark's musical talent and comedic personality struck a chord with viewers, and more TV appearances followed including, "The Jackie Gleason Show," "Fanfare" and "The Joey Bishop Show." He also played two recurring characters, Cousin Roy Halsey and his mother Myrtle Halsey ("Big Mama") in several episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies."

In the late '60s, CBS developed a Country version of the comedy series "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" and picked Clark and Buck Owens to serve as co-hosts. "Hee Haw" debuted in 1969 and became one of the most popular shows on TV, while also giving Country Music a new large weekly national viewership. Still, after two seasons CBS canceled the show along with a number of other rural-leaning programming in order to "urbanize" the network's image. The producers of "Hee Haw" sensed the strong public demand for the show and immediately put it into first-run syndication. "Hee Haw" remained in production until 1992, with Clark never missing an episode. During the run of the show, Clark was a member of the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet (along with Grandpa Jones, Owens and Kenny Price) and the Million Dollar Band (along with guitarist Chet Atkins, mandolinist Jethro Burns, pianist Floyd Cramer, trumpeter Danny Davis, fiddler Johnny Gimble, harmonica player Charlie McCoy and saxophonist Boots Randolph).

During the early '70s, Clark cut a string of Top 10 Country singles, including "I Never Picked Cotton" (1970), "Thank God and Greyhound" (1970), "The Lawrence Welk Hee Haw Counter Revolution Polka" (1972), "Come Live With Me" (1973), "Somewhere Between Love and Tomorrow" (1973), "Honeymoon Feelin'" (1974) and "If I Had It to Do All Over Again" (1976).

In between his "Hee Haw" duties, he acted on "Love, American Style" and "The Odd Couple" and appeared as himself on TV shows and specials such as "The Captain & Tennille Variety Show," "The Hollywood Squares," "The Johnny Cash Christmas Special" and "The Muppet Show" as well as guest-hosted "The Tonight Show" several times.

The busy Clark also toured constantly, in the United States and abroad. In 1976, he became one of the first American recording artists to perform in the Soviet Union, where he sold out 18 shows.

As the '80s began, Clark started exploring different avenues. He was the first Country Music artist to open a theater in Branson, Mo., when he launched the Roy Clark Celebrity Theater in 1983. Other artists followed his lead, and Branson developed into a tourist destination for live music fans.

Diversifying his interests, he invested in minor-league baseball, cattle, publishing and other businesses. He starred in the 1986 movie "Uphill All the Way" with Mel Tillis, and made appearances in the movies "Country Comes Home" (1982), "Freeway" (1988) and "Gordy" (1995). Clark fulfilled a lifelong dream by joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1987, while continuing to sell out concerts across the globe.

Clark was recognized by his peers with seven CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 1973. He also won Comedian of the Year Award in 1970, Instrumental Group of the Year Awards (for his work with Buck Trent) in 1975 and 1976 and Instrumentalist of the Year Award in 1977, 1978 and 1980. He received a Grammy Award in 1982 for Best Country Instrumental Performance for "Alabama Jubilee." Clark has also been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Career Achieved National Prominence between 1975 and the Present

"I am eternally grateful to be joining those honored in the Hall of Fame who I admire and hold in the highest esteem. I thank God for my blessings every day because I realize how very fortunate I am to have such loving family, friends and fans who took my career to places that I could never have even imagined. Since age 11, I've been privileged to have lived my life as a Country Music entertainer." - Barbara Mandrell
(excerpt from remarks at Feb. 4 press conference)

Barbara Ann Mandrell was born on Dec. 25, 1948 in Houston, Texas, the eldest child of Irby and Mary Mandrell.

Mary taught her how to play the accordion and read music. When Mandrell was almost 7, her parents moved the family to California. By 10, she was studying steel guitar with Norman Hamlet and learning alto saxophone in the school band. Six months later, her father took her to Chicago for a music trade convention where her steel guitar talents caught the attention of Joe Maphis, who added her to his Las Vegas show that opened a few days later. At 11, Mandrell started her professional music career.

After becoming a regular on the weekly Los Angeles TV show "Town Hall Party," Mandrell made her national TV debut in 1961 on ABC with Red Foley's "Five Star Jubilee." That led to her first concert tour as part of "The Johnny Cash Show," which featured Johnny Cash, June Carter, Patsy Cline and George Jones.

The Mandrell Family Band, formed when Mandrell was in eighth grade, entertained exclusively for the military throughout her high school years. In 1963, at 15, Mandrell recorded her first single, "Queen for a Day." She also fell in love with the band's first drummer, Ken Dudney, whom she married on May 28, 1967. At 18, Mandrell retired from music to become a Navy wife in Whidbey Island, Wash. However, before their first wedding anniversary, Dudney received orders to ship out, so he sent his wife to stay with her family, who had moved to Tennessee.

In the summer of 1968, during a visit with her father to the Grand Ole Opry, Mandrell was inspired to resume performing and asked her father to manage her again. Signing with Billy Sherrill and Columbia Records in 1969, she charted with a remake of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long." A year later, she reached No. 13 with "Playin' Around With Love." Success continued with "After Closing Time" (a 1970 duet with David Houston), "Tonight My Baby's Coming Home" (1971) and "Show Me" (1972). That same year, at 23, Mandrell joined the Grand Ole Opry and in 1973 had her first No. 1 single with "The Midnight Oil."

In 1975, Mandrell moved to ABC/Dot Records (later MCA Records). She and producer Tom Collins achieved success with "Standing Room Only," "Married But Not to Each Other," "That's What Friends Are For" and "Woman to Woman." Mandrell hit No. 1 for two weeks in 1978 with "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed" and repeated in 1979 with "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" and "Years." Her hit singles in the '80s included "Crackers," "Best of Strangers" and "In Times Like These," among others. Mandrell reached No. 1 three more times with "Till You're Gone," "One of a Kind Pair of Fools" and "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool," her signature song.

Mandrell guested in 1978 on the Lucille Ball TV special "Lucy Comes to Nashville." One year later, she appeared on the TV series "Rockford Files" and "Concrete Cowboys" as well as in the TV movies "Murder in Music City" and "Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol."

In 1980, she joined with sisters Louise and Irlene to host "Barbara Mandrell and The Mandrell Sisters" on NBC. The one-hour variety series reached 40 million viewers on a weekly basis and earned a combined 11 Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Mandrell also appeared on TV specials that included "Bob Hope's All-Star Birthday Party," "John Schneider: Back Home" and "Lawrence Welk" (all in 1980) and "Battle of the Network Stars," "Bob Hope Funny Valentine Special" and the TV movie "Country Gold" (all in 1981).

After being diagnosed with vocal strain, Mandrell ended her TV series in 1982 and subsequently recorded an inspirational album, He Set My Life to Music. The title cut earned Mandrell a Grammy Award in 1982 for Best Inspirational Performance. She won a second Grammy in 1983 for Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group for her duet with Bobby Jones, "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today."

Mandrell received CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Awards in 1979 and 1981. In 1980, she became the third female artist to be named CMA Entertainer of the Year. One year later, she became the first artist to win the CMA Entertainer of the Year Award two years in a row.

Throughout the '80s, Mandrell received six American Music Awards: one for Favorite Country Single ("Sleeping Single in a Double Bed") in 1980 and five for Favorite Female Country Artist in 1981, 1983-1985 and 1987. In addition, she received nine People's Choice Awards, including Favorite Female Musical Performer (1982, 1985), Favorite Female Personality (1982) and Favorite All-Around Female Performer (1982-1987). In 1981, People named her on its "25 Most Intriguing List."

She returned to TV in 1983 with her concert special, "Barbara Mandrell: The Lady is a Champ" on HBO. A year later she released Meant for Each Other, a duet album with Lee Greenwood, which yielded the No. 1, "To Me." Mandrell co-starred with Tom Wopat in the TV movie "Burning Rage" and was tapped to host two "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus" TV specials for CBS.

On Sept. 11, 1984, a head-on car crash outside Nashville left Mandrell with multiple fractures in her right leg, lacerations, abrasions and a severe concussion. After a year and a half of rehabilitation and therapy, she was back in action, and in her new role as an advocate for wearing seatbelts she was influential in getting the Tennessee seatbelt law passed.

Mandrell charted several Top 10 hits in the '80s, including "There's No Love in Tennessee," "Angel in Your Arms" and "Fast Lanes and Country Roads." Her duet with The Oak Ridge Boys, "When You Get to the Heart," reached the Top 20. With Capitol Records in 1987, she released "I Wish That I Could Fall in Love Today" (No.5) and "My Train of Thought (Keeps Runnin')" (No. 19). She also starred in two CBS TV specials: "Barbara Mandrell: Something Special" (1985) and the Emmy-winning "Barbara Mandrell's Christmas: A Family Reunion" (1986).

In 1990, Mandrell issued a best-selling autobiography, Get to the Heart: My Story. This memoir was made into a highly-rated TV movie starring Maureen McCormick that aired on CBS in 1997. Mandrell's acting credits extended with guest roles on several TV series, including "Empty Nest" (1993), "The Commish," (1994), "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" (1996), "Touched by an Angel" (1996, 1998), "Diagnosis Murder" (1997), "Love Boat: The Next Wave" (1998) and "Walker, Texas Ranger" (2000). She played a recurring character on the daytime drama "Sunset Beach" (1997-1998) and acted in two additional TV movies "The Wrong Girl" (1999) and "Stolen from the Heart" (2000). In 1995, she also starred in her own TV special, "Steppin' Out."

In 1997, after releasing her last studio album, Mandrell announced that she was ending her Country Music career. Her final concert was filmed at the Grand Ole Opry House in October for a highly-rated TNN concert special, "Barbara Mandrell and the Do-Rites: The Last Dance."

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Recording and/or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980

"All I ever wanted to do was play with the great people in this Hall. And now, to be joined with them, this is an honor way beyond my wildest dreams." -Charlie McCoy
(excerpt from remarks at Feb. 4 press conference)

Charles Ray McCoy was born March 28, 1941, in Oak Hill, W. Va., and raised in Miami, Fla.

He began learning his signature instrument, the harmonica, at age 8; later he would also master guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and a variety of wind and brass instruments. Starting out in local rock bands during his mid-teens, he later traveled across Florida, performing alongside both Country and rock musicians. At one such gig in 1959, Mel Tillis convinced McCoy to travel to Nashville. Not finding many opportunities as a session musician at that time, McCoy moved back to Florida to study music theory, take vocal lessons and work as an arranger and conductor.

In 1960, McCoy worked briefly as drummer for pop singer Johnny Ferguson before returning to Nashville. Tillis later introduced McCoy to music executive Jim Denny, who helped him find work in Music City. Soon after his first session, Roy Orbison's "Candy Man" in 1961 (the gig paid $49), he became one of Nashville's most sought-after musicians. He also toured with Stonewall Jackson as his drummer in the early 1960s and released several solo singles.

McCoy played regularly on Elvis Presley's Nashville and Los Angeles sessions in the mid '60s, while also working with Bob Dylan on such landmark albums as Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 Revisited, John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline. At his peak, he appeared on more than 400 sessions a year.

McCoy was the first musician to use the "Nashville Number System" in the recording studio. This notational shorthand was developed by Neal Matthews Jr. in the late '50s for The Jordanaires to use when writing vocal parts. In the early '60s, McCoy adapted it for musicians. The process quickly became the new standard for music notation in Nashville.

McCoy released his first solo album The World of Charlie McCoy in 1968, followed by The Real McCoy in 1969, both on Monument Records. Around the same time, he was part of the group Area Code 615, which featured many of Nashville's top session stars. They released two albums: Area Code 615 in 1969, and A Trip in the Country in 1970, both on Polydor Records. After playing their only live show in 1970 at the Fillmore West, Area Code 615 broke up and the musicians went their separate ways.

In 1971, a Florida DJ played "I Started Loving Her Again" from The Real McCoy and received a huge response from his listeners. Released nationally, the single reached the Top 20 in 1972. McCoy issued 11 more solo albums between 1972 and 1979 on Monument and played on two albums by Barefoot Jerry, founded by former Area Code 615 colleague Wayne Moss, including 1976's Barefootin'. His accomplishments earned him CMA Instrumentalist of the Year Awards in 1972 and 1973 and a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 1972.

McCoy was Musical Director for several television series and specials during the '70s and '80s. His best known work in this capacity included 18 years on "Hee Haw," 20 years with what is currently known as "The Colgate Country Showdown" and five years with "The Arthritis Telethon." McCoy also served as Musical Director on "The Charlie Daniels Christmas Special," "Happy New Year from Opryland," "Hee Haw Honeys," "Nashville Palace" and more.

Between 1986 and 1998, he released four Country albums (including three on Step One Records), one Gospel album on Simitar Records and nine albums available exclusively in Europe. He received a R.O.P.E. (Reunion of Professional Entertainers) Musician Award in 1994 and joined the house band on TNN's "Music City Tonight" nightly TV series in 1995. He was inducted in 2007 into the Musicians Hall of Fame and, one year later, the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. McCoy has just recorded his 35th album, for release on Green Hill Records. His most recent albums are A Celtic Bridge: From Nashville to Dublin and Charlie's Christmas Angels, available at charliemccoy.com.

Throughout his career, McCoy played harmonica on a multitude of recordings. Among his best-known sessions are "It Won't Be the Same This Year" with Vince Gill, "Delta Dawn" and "What's Your Mama's Name" with Tanya Tucker, "He Stopped Loving Her Today" with George Jones, "I Love" and "Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine" with Tom T. Hall, "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool" with Barbara Mandrell, "I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World" with Ronnie Milsap, "My Tennessee Mountain Home" with Dolly Parton, "Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line" with Waylon Jennings, "Paper Roses" with Marie Osmond, "Take This Job and Shove It" with Johnny Paycheck, "Tar Top" with Alabama, "The Boxer" with Simon and Garfunkel, "The Streak" with Ray Stevens and "When The Tingle Becomes a Chill" with Loretta Lynn.

McCoy's harmonica skills also enhanced recordings by Bill Anderson, Ann-Margret, Eddy Arnold, Chet Atkins, Joan Baez, Bobby Bare, Jim Ed Brown, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Patsy Cline, Perry Como, Floyd Cramer, Rodney Crowell, Flatt & Scruggs, Merle Haggard, Wanda Jackson, Sonny James, Sammy Kershaw, Al Kooper, Kris Kristofferson, Brenda Lee, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gordon Lightfoot, The Manhattan Transfer, Anne Murray, Willie Nelson, The Oak Ridge Boys, Roy Orbison, The Osborne Brothers, Patti Page, Carl Perkins, Peter Paul & Mary, Charley Pride, Cliff Richard, Johnny Rodriguez, Leon Russell, Paul Simon, Nancy Sinatra, Connie Smith, Ringo Starr, Statler Brothers, Steve Miller Band, John Stewart, Pam Tillis, Conway Twitty, Steve Wariner, Doc Watson, Kitty Wells, Tammy Wynette and many others.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Beginning with the 2010 ballots, new categories and procedures will be in effect for election to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Approved by the CMA Board during its February meetings in Orlando, Fla., these changes begin with new names and criteria for the three categories through which new members are nominated and elected.

Modern Era Artists become eligible for induction in this category 20 years after they first achieve national prominence. They will remain eligible for this category for the next 25 years. This replaces the former "Career Achieved National Prominence Between 1975 and the Present" category.

Veterans Era Artists become eligible for induction in this category 45 years after they first achieve national prominence. This combines the former categories "Career Achieved National Prominence Between World War II and 1975" (which was voted on annually) and "Career Achieved National Prominence Prior to World War II" (which was voted on every third year in rotation) into one.

Rotating Categories The third slot will continue to be a rotating category, with each group in the spotlight every third year. The Recording and/or Touring Musician and Non Performer slots will remain, joined by a new Songwriter category.

"Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the highest honor anyone can receive in the Country Music industry," said Tammy Genovese, CMA CEO. "In the past, songwriters and industry executives shared the same category that rotated every three years. With these new changes, the songwriters and non-performers now have their own rotating categories. This allows these talented and influential men and women a more frequent opportunity to join this intimate fraternity."

For the first time, voting in the Veterans Era and Modern Era categories will be conducted by separate Nominating Committees, each composed of 12 industry leaders who serve three-year terms. The Modern Era Nominating Committee will also oversee nominations for the Rotating Categories. Each committee will meet twice per year, first to present and discuss candidates for nomination to the Hall of Fame and then again to finalize their list of nominees, which will contain no less than 10 and no more than 20 names.
 
Members will be chosen from these lists by two separate Panels of Electors, each made up of historians and industry professionals who have a historical perspective on Country Music. One Panel will vote in both the Modern Era and Rotating Categories, with the second assigned to the Veterans Era list. Appointed annually by CMA's Awards and Recognition Committee, Panel members will serve anonymously. And there is no restriction against any one individual servicing simultaneously on both Panels.

Final voting for Hall of Fame nominees will take place in two rounds. The first ballot will contain the 10 to 20 candidates chosen by the Nominating Committees, with Panel members required to vote for five of them. The second ballot will contain the five nominees who garnered the greatest number of votes from the first ballot, with each Panel member limited to one vote.