Close Up - Spring 2017 by CMA Country Music Association

SPRING 2017

LADY ANTEBELLUM PLOTS WORLD DOMINATION

TRACKING COUNTRY MUSIC’S GROWING

GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

CMT’S

‘NASHVILLE’

KEEPS IT COUNTRY

MEET THE

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2017

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CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL LAUNCHES NEW ARTISTS, NEW MUSIC

CMA TOURING AWARDS A STAR-STUDDED “FAMILY” AFFAIR

TOURING LEGEND “BAJA” FLETCHER RECAPS HIS LIFE ON THE ROAD

THREE “SOUTHERN STORYTELLERS” JOIN THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME

TRIPLE PLAY WINNERS INSPIRED BY SONGWRITING COMMUNITY

EVEN ABROAD, LADY ANTEBELLUM’S FANS MAKE THEM FEEL AT HOME

EMOTIONAL CMA SONGWRITERS SERIES SHOWS OFF COUNTRY’S FINEST IN LONDON

CMA INTERNATIONAL HONORS SPAN CONTINENTS

U.S. INDUSTRY EXECS SEE “A HELL OF AN OPPORTUNITY” FOR COUNTRY MUSIC OVERSEAS

MEET RISING U.K. COUNTRY STARS WARD THOMAS

FROM SWEDEN TO AUSTRALIA AND BEYOND, COUNTRY MUSIC IS A GROWING FORCE

CMT’S “NASHVILLE” HAS A GLOBAL REACH

A LOOK AT COUNTRY MUSIC AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD

Photo: John Russell / CMT

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

DEBUT ARTIST SPOTLIGHTS: JENNY GILL BRETT YOUNG

CMA PULSE

DAMON WHITESIDE NAMED CMA MARKETING CHIEF

ARTISTS PLAY LIVE@CMA

Cover photo: Eric Ray Davidson

Photo: John Russell / CMA

Photo: Mark Levine / CMT

Spring 2017

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Cover photo: Eric Ray Davidson

Photo: John Russell / CMT

FAN FAIR HISTORY

tickets for Fan Fair X are still available! Get yours at Ticketron.com today! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Miss the Ultimate Country Fan Experience! CMACLOSEUP.COM

CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL

HAS EMERGED AS THE PLACE TO LAUNCH NEW MUSIC AND ARTISTS

by GAYLE THOMPSON

CMA CLOSE UP

photo: Alan Poizner

ashville’s annual CMA Music Festival is known to be one of the most star-studded events of the year, with four days full of nonstop music, capped off by some of the biggest artists hitting the big stage at Nissan Stadium each night. But while the Festival, known as Fan Fair until 2004, is a great place to hear stars like Kelsea Ballerini, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, and Thomas Rhett, it’s also a place for the more than 88,000 daily fans from around the world to be introduced to new acts and new music, with labels and PR staffs pulling out all the stops to make sure both rising stars and established artists with brand-new music receive plenty of attention. Take, for example, Trisha Yearwood, who in 1992 gave fans the chance to sing “She’s in Love with the Boy,” her debut single (and first No.1 hit), at her booth in the Fan Fair exhibit hall. Or Garth Brooks, who in 1996 set a new record at Fan Fair for the longest autograph session, signing his name for more than 23 hours, without taking a break. In 2004, Gretchen Wilson, whose debut single, “Redneck Woman,” was in the middle of its five-week reign at the top of the charts (with the album Here for the Party spending the first half of the summer in the top spot as well), rode to new levels with her CMA Music Festival performance. The singer appeared to drive a four-wheeler from under the stadium out onto the stage, causing the crowd to go wild. In reality, producers taped footage of Wilson riding it earlier in the day, so what fans were watching on the screens wasn’t actually in real time, but it was enough to whip Wilson’s already excited fans into a frenzy, making hers one of the most buzzed-about performances of the entire event. Remember the “Duck Dynasty” Christmas album, Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas? That record, released in 2013,

was certified Platinum for sales in excess of one million units, undoubtedly in part because of the innovative way they got fans excited about the release. Universal Music Group Nashville announced Duck the Halls during CMA Fest, and had a giant snow globe for fans to go into and take pictures, while family patriarch Phil Robertson handed out snow cones — an even better idea, considering the sweltering Nashville heat. In 2013, Lady Antebellum were celebrating the recent release of their No. 1 album Golden, as well as their chart-topping single “Downtown,” when the band hosted “Lady A Day at FFX,” toasting the inaugural Fan Fair X experience, which allows attendees even more opportunities to get up close and personal with their favorite celebrities. The trio signed autographs, answered fan questions, and hosted a private meet-and-greet at the stadium the following day. The band even had an epic ping pong match inside FFX against fellow Fest performers Little Big Town in their custom @ClubLabellum booth. In 2014 Hunter Hayes, fresh off the release of his sophomore Storyline album, performed a top-secret show by unexpectedly setting up a stage and singing several songs in front of the

photo: CMA Archives

CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL

Y E A R WO O D , S E C O N D F R O M R I G H T, S I N G S A L O N G W I T H FA N S I N H E R 1 9 9 2 FA N FA I R B O OT H .

a surprise show at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop downtown, drawing such a crowd that the police had to intervene to keep the audience from getting any bigger. In addition, Worsham hosted one of the more unforgettable fan club parties, energizing his fans with free Krispy Kreme donuts, a Festival tradition for the Warner Music Nashville artist. And it was also in 2016 when Blake Shelton famously walked into popular honky-tonk the Stage on Broadway, to perform for eager — and surprised — fans for more than an hour. Newcomer Brooke Eden teased a big event on social media before announcing free food and a meet-and-greet at a local Nashville restaurant, all to promote her Welcome to the Weekend EP. Meanwhile, Lindsay Ell invited her fans to a meet-and-greet at an ice cream truck, keeping them cool for at least a few minutes of the scorching day.

photo: John Russell / CMA

L A DY A N T E B E L L U M ’ S DAV E H AY WO O D A N D C H A R L E S K E L L E Y G O H E A D - TO H E A D W I T H P H I L L I P S W E E T A N D J I M I W E S T B R O O K O F L I T T L E B I G TOW N O N “ L A DY A DAY AT F F X ” D U R I N G T H E 2 0 1 3 C M A M U S I C F E S T I VA L .

Last year, Eric Church hosted his own pop-up store for the second year in a row, selling his custom These Boots by Lucchese, along with furniture pieces from his Highway to Home furniture collection, various other gift items, and memorabilia to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his 2006 album Sinners Like Me. Also last year, Church joined Charlie Worsham and Brandy Clark in playing

photo: Alan Poizner

Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Also in 2014, Brantley Gilbert invited fans to see the 1936 Ford used in the video for his No. 1 single, “Bottoms Up.” That same year, Miranda Lambert, promoting her Platinum album, released the week of CMA Music Festival, brought her beloved Airstream trailer, dubbed Wanda the Wanderer, into Walk of Fame Park where Fest attendees could get makeovers, and launched a pop-up Pink Pistol store. In 2015, Carrie Underwood hosted her fan club party on the Opry Plaza, where she also performed, celebrating the 10th anniversary of her Grand Ole Opry debut, which occurred during CMA Music Festival. Luke Bryan introduced a new song, “Fast,” at his fan club party in 2015. Two years later, it is his most recent No. 1 hit.

CMA Music Festival is also a great way to get fans excited about a new album. Maren Morris released her freshman set Hero during CMA Music Festival last year — and later went on to be nominated for five CMA Awards, taking home the trophy for New Artist of the Year. With several highly anticipated new records being released before this year’s CMA Music Festival, including Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Volume 1 (May 5), Zac Brown Band’s Welcome Home (May 12), Rascal Flatts’ Back to Us (May 19), and Lady Antebellum’s Heart Break, out during the CMA Music Festival activities (June 9), there’s no doubt there will be plenty more memorable moments for artists and fans. So far this year, artists including Jason Aldean, Vince Gill, Scotty McCreery, Montgomery Gentry, and Chris Young have already confirmed fan club parties for the weekend of CMA Music Festival, with celebrations, concerts, and much more planned all over Music City. A limited number of tickets for the Nightly Concerts at Nissan Stadium are still available at CMAfest.com or through the CMA Box Office at 1-800-CMA-FEST. CMA Music Fest will be held in downtown Nashville from June 8 through 11. CMAfest.com

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CMA TOURING AWARDS

a Star-Studded ‘Family’ Affair by LORIE HOLLABAUGH

amily” was a word referenced often during the CMA Touring Awards ceremony in January, as winners repeatedly used it to describe both the stars they work with and their fellow road crewmembers. The love, camaraderie, and mutual support flowed abundantly throughout the evening in the room packed with artists, managers, promoters, publicists, and the behind-the-scenes talent it takes to put on massive tours for superstars such as Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban. “As an artist, we kind of get the TV time and the accolades … but I can say in this room that you guys step up onstage and you’re the first guys in and the last guys out,” said Ronnie Dunn, as he acknowledged the importance of a good road crew to every artist’s career. “You’re the ones who make the impression for us out there on the road.” FLETCHER (CENTER) ACCEPTS HIS LIFETIME Punctuated by hilarious BROOKS (R) AND DUNN (L). and on-point clips from movies such as “Jerry Maguire” and “This is Spinal Tap,” host Kristian Bush handed out the Awards to touring professionals in 15 categories at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works. As proof of just how key these individuals are to artists’ careers, and how beloved they are, several stars showed up in person to help recognize the Award winners from their respective teams. Dierks Bentley was on hand to help honor three members of his crew who received Awards, and shouts went up throughout the crowd as his team was recognized again and again for its

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excellence. “These guys represent all of us,” remarked Bentley. “These Awards are for the folks that make the wheels go ’round on the road … I’m just so proud of all of these guys. It’s a tough job, but it’s so much fun and it’s all worth it when you can share your success with great people.” In accepting his Award, Tour Manager of the Year winner Tom Addison thanked boss Bentley and a crew he referred to as “the best in the industry. I very strongly feel that this crew can do anything on the planet.” Chesney’s winning Production Manager Ed Wannebo’s unbridled enthusiasm for his job was obvious during his shouted acceptance speech, when he said, “It’s truly an honor to be recognized by your peers. I can tell you I love what I do and I love the people I get to do it with.” Surprise guests added a sizzle of excitement to the evening as Beach Boys Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, who were in town for a show, appeared onstage to award Opry Entertainment Group Senior Vice President of Programming and Artist Relations Sally Williams with the trophy for Venue of the Year A C H I E V E M E N T AWA R D F R O M for Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Throughout the presentations, special video congratulations appeared onscreen from Luke Bryan, Chesney, Church, Jessi Colter, Little Big Town, Darius Rucker, Cole Swindell, and others. The pinnacle of the evening was Brooks & Dunn’s presentation of the first-ever CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award to their longtime former Production Manager Randy “Baja” Fletcher. A beloved figure and mainstay in the industry, Fletcher has spent 50 years working behind the scenes for artists including Waylon Jennings, Randy Travis, photo: Donn Jones / CMA

F “

CMA TOURING AWARDS

photo: Donn Jones / CMA

B E N T L E Y ( C E N T E R ) A N D E V E N T H O S T B U S H ( FA R L E F T ) C O N G R AT U L AT E B E N T L E Y ’ S W I N N I N G C R E W M E M B E R S A D D I S O N , H O C H H A LT E R , A N D R E A D E .

photo: Donn Jones / CMA

and ZZ Top. He currently keeps the wheels rolling on Urban’s highly successful tours. A flurry of videos played before Fletcher’s acceptance, including well wishes from Urban, Dusty Hill of ZZ Top, former Major League Baseball All-Star Rick Sutcliffe, and Miami Marlins Manager Don Mattingly, which thrilled lifelong baseball fan Fletcher. Longtime compadres Dunn and Kix Brooks reminisced about their years working with him. “There’s not a bigger heart, a better guy, a more talented individual in our business than 2 0 1 7 C M A TO U R I N G AWA R D S R E C I P I E N T S . BA C K ( L - R ) : S A R A H T R A H E R N , C M A C H I E F E X E C U T I V E O F F I C E R ; C H E E K ; H O C H H A LT E R ; A D D I S O N ; W I L L I A M S ; R E A D E ; M O O R E ; A N D O ’ C O N N E L L . F R O N T ( L - R ) : B U S H , C M A our friend, Randy ‘Baja’ Fletcher,” TO U R I N G AWA R D S H O S T; L I S A A N N D U P O N T A N D S A L LY W I L L I A M S , RY M A N A U D I TO R I U M ; F L E T C H E R ; said Brooks, as Fletcher was M C FA R L A N D ; K R I S O ’ C O N N O R , D E G A C AT E R I N G ; WA N N E B O ; A N D C O O P E R . welcomed to the stage with a standing ovation. “I want to thank God for this lovely life, this journey I’ve had, 50 years in the Here are the winners, determined by music industry,” said Fletcher. “It’s unbelievable to have 50 years and six acts CMA member votes: … I don’t even know how this happens, and I’m still dumbfounded that it’s me BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR standing here. Jamie Cheek – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & “I feel like if you have these five things in life you have all you possibly need: McCarthy, Inc. your faith, your family, your friends, your memories, and humor,” he continued. COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR Josh Easter (Kenny Chesney) “If you’ve got those, you’ve got it all in the palm of your hand, and I hope every FRONT OF HOUSE ENGINEER OF THE YEAR one of you do.” Billy Moore (Eric Church) LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR Chris Reade (Dierks Bentley) MANAGER OF THE YEAR Kerri Edwards, KP Entertainment TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR Tom Addison (Dierks Bentley) MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Phil Wilkey (Keith Urban) PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR Ed Wannebo (Kenny Chesney) PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR Ebie McFarland, Essential Broadcast Media TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR Jay Williams, WME TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR Brian O’Connell, Live Nation TOUR CATERER OF THE YEAR Dega Catering TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR Dan Hochhalter, fiddle player (Dierks Bentley) VENUE OF THE YEAR Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn. TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR Jay Cooper (Kenny Chesney)

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photo: Donn Jones / CMA

CMA TOURING AWARDS

Touring Legend

‘BAJA’ FLETCHER May Have Seen It All, BUT HE’S STILL LEARNING SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY

hen Randy Fletcher looks back on the winding career path that has taken him from Virginia Beach, Va., to major concert stages in countless locales across the globe, he shakes his head and smiles with disbelief. A journey that started with carrying equipment for a couple of bands in the 1960s and early ’70s developed over the years into an unparalleled career that has lasted five decades. Fletcher was recently honored for his life’s work with the very first CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. But the front of the stage isn’t where Fletcher is most comfortable; behind the scenes is where he shines. “Baja,” as he is affectionately known, has worked for some of the industry’s top stars, including Brooks & Dunn, Waylon Jennings, Randy Travis, ZZ Top, and now Keith Urban, and has experienced amazing adventures along the way. During his 10 years with Jennings, Fletcher quickly learned how to tackle every kind of situation. “Waylon was my boss, my brother, and my best friend. It was 10 of the greatest years of the ups and downs in this business you could ever imagine,” he recalled. “I [credit] him for the life I have now.” One of Fletcher’s favorite road memories with Jennings involves a gig in Colorado for a real estate development company at a yetto-be-developed site. The show was to be an early performance, but the bus broke down on the way, so Fletcher sent a runner to get the band and bring them to the site. “I sent the van down there to go pick ’em up and, after a while, I sent another van to go check and find out what happened to that van,” he recalled. “Well, he’s on the bus playing [dice game] Farkle, and the runners were scared to interrupt him.” With the sun close to setting, the show already delayed, and no lighting at the performance site, Fletcher not only had to convince Jennings to get in the van, but also had to arrange for cars to park on a hill and shine their lights onto the stage in order to pull off the gig. Improvising was a way of life back then. “When I first started out

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there wasn’t a rule book — we made it up as we went along,” Fletcher said. “Before cellphones, I remember riding into town and looking on telephone pole posters to see where we were playing. We would go to the local fire station and ask directions to the venue.” Though technology makes his job much easier these days, it still doesn’t replace one thing to which he attributes much of his job success: face-to-face communication. “I’ve got a lot of old school in me,” he admitted. “I like to sit down and have a conversation. I’m a very simple man. My vocabulary might not be huge, but my heart and my passion is.” Nonetheless, Fletcher enjoys keeping up with changes in the business. “I hope I can learn something new every day,” he said. “In business or in life, I’m open.” Fletcher worked with Travis during his heyday, and as a Vietnam vet was particularly touched by Travis’ many USO tours and devotion to playing for the troops. “I got to go places that I would never have dreamed this little hillbilly beach boy would end up,” recalled Fletcher. Memorable shows included one on a base in Alaska just 200 miles from the North Pole, several in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and one on the Red Sea in Egypt. “I wish everybody in the music business would have the opportunity to do one USO show. There’s nothing more gratifying.” Following his stint with Travis, Fletcher signed on with then-new duo Brooks & Dunn, who immediately realized how talented he was at juggling the circus of road life. Fletcher handled just about everything the duo threw at him during those years, including a surprise rooftop concert in New York on top of the Madison Square Garden marquee, where a scissor lift had to carry everything up, including the artists. These days Fletcher makes the gears turn for Urban’s tours, and his attitude toward the business is pretty much the same as it’s been since day one. “I just count my blessings and say, ‘Why me,’” he admitted. “This life I’ve lived, I wish everybody could’ve been there with me when it happened. It was the coolest.”

photo: Courtesy of Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

by LORIE HOLLABAUGH

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME PRESERVING HISTORY HAS BEEN THE by KEITH RYAN CARTWRIGHT

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM’S

MISSION FOR 50 YEARS

photo: Courtesy of Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

hat began as an idea said CMA has been “minding the to create a temporary health of the genre and growing exhibit promoting the genre and producing a Country Music at the handful of great TV shows a year.” 1964 World’s Fair in New York As for the Museum, where Young City has since become the crown has worked for the past 41 years, jewel of a growing downtown beginning first as a teenage ticketNashville skyline. The Country taker, he said, “We’re aggressively Music Hall of Fame and Museum and actively collecting and is now among the 10 most visited documenting in order to preserve history museums in the United the great history.” States and, according to Director Young said it’s incumbent upon Y O U N G R E T U R N S TO H I S R O OT S , TA K I N G T I C K E T S AT T H E C O U N T RY and CEO Kyle Young, operates accredited museums like the M U S I C H A L L O F FA M E A N D M U S E U M D U R I N G I T S 5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A RY C E L E B R AT I O N I N A P R I L . with a staff of 355 people and Country Music Hall of Fame to generates annual gross revenues that are approaching $50 million. be focused on educational programming. One of the Museum’s “It’s been quite a journey,” he said. more successful programs is Words & Music. That program reaches On April 1, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum 10,000 students a year, and more than 125,000 total since Young celebrated its 50th anniversary with an entire day of activities launched the flagship program —which ultimately pairs children and guest speakers. Events, concerts, and exhibits marking the who have written songs with songwriters — in 1979. There again, momentous occasion are scheduled throughout 2017. CMA helped make Words & Music a reality with a $1 million gift to Young referred to Bill Denny and the late Frances Preston as the Museum’s endowment, and continues to support the program “true visionaries” who — together with the rest of the original CMA though the CMA Foundation’s music education grants. Board of Directors — made a “pretty farsighted decision” to pass “CMA is absolutely instrumental in helping us keep and grow on the World’s Fair in favor of raising the money needed to build what is one of our flagship educational programs,” Young said. “Last something permanent in Nashville. year about 150,000 students of all ages participated in educational “CMA gave birth to this Museum, and then ultimately paved the programs in this Museum or out at schools or, in some cases, in way for this Museum to focus on … creating this great archive that other cities.” we have,” Young said. On a recent weekday, buses from five Metro Nashville schools Denny, who was President of the CMA Board in 1966, chuckled brought hundreds of local students to the Museum. While the Taylor when reminded of their first national broadcast radiothon, which Swift Educational Center was wildly popular with students, they raised $6,000 for the Museum. It pales in comparison to a recent were equally interested — and, in some cases, just as excited — to campaign that raised $87.5 million, anchored by a $10 million see exhibits featuring Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and Brad Paisley. donation from CMA. Denny noted the creation of the Country “The goal is to keep those memories alive,” said Denny, who Music Foundation as a turning point in the Hall’s history because observed that the Hall and CMA’s combined efforts have made it allowed people not associated with Country Music to give taxthe likes of Minnie Pearl a household name, and Roy Acuff the deductible donations. foundation of an entire industry. “Good songs never die,” he The Foundation also led to two distinct roles for the Hall of Fame added. “The songs of Hank Williams and people like that are worth and Museum and CMA. keeping the memory alive for.” Denny described CMA as a promoter of the industry, while Young CountryMusicHallofFame.org

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photo: John Russell / CMA

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME

Alan Jackson Jerry Reed Don Schlitz Inductee profiles written by Chris Talbott

he ranks of the Country Music Hall of Fame will swell by three distinguished names this fall when Alan Jackson, Jerry Reed, and Don Schlitz become its newest members. The class of 2017 was announced at an April 5 press conference by fellow Hall of Fame member Vince Gill, who referred to the latest honorees as “Southern storytellers” who “changed music for the better.” Reed will be inducted in the “Veterans Era Artist” category, while Jackson will be inducted in the “Modern Era Artist” category. Schlitz will take his place in the “Songwriter” category, which is awarded every third year in rotation with the “Recording and/ or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980” and “Non-Performer” categories. Jackson, Reed, and Schlitz will increase membership in the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame from 130 to 133 members. “Each of this year’s inductees is a well-versed performer and songwriter and has helped define Country Music and popular culture,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. Introducing Jackson at the press conference, Gill said, “Nobody stuck up for Country Music more than this gentleman, ever.” Said Jackson, “For me to say I’m honored sounds like the standard old response, but for a man who loves Country Music there is no higher honor. This is the mountaintop.” “Thank you, CMA and Country Music Hall of Fame, for recognizing all the years of love, dedication, and hard work that

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Daddy put into his craft,” said Reed’s daughters, Seidina Hubbard and Lottie Zavala. “He loved Country Music and would be so deeply humbled and appreciative if he was here.” Reed passed away in 2008 after influencing a generation of performers, including Gill, who called him “an inspiring man.” Thanking all the artists who have recorded his songs, Schlitz said, “They did all the hard work so I could stay home and stay in the parentheses,” a humorous reference to the way songwriters are typically credited. “I’m just a small part of a wonderful process of making music. This is overwhelming and humbling.” Describing the job of a songwriter, Schlitz said it was about “turning the spark of a song into something people thought always existed.” Formal induction ceremonies for Jackson, Reed, and Schlitz will take place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the CMA Theater. CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 to recognize noteworthy individuals for their outstanding contributions to the format with Country Music’s highest honor. “These three storytellers have added much to our lives, and to the story of Country Music,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. “They stand as models of undeniable eloquence and empathy. Over many decades, they have brought laughter, joy, and tears to millions. The Hall of Fame Rotunda will be grander for the presence of Alan Jackson, Jerry Reed, and Don Schlitz.”

photo: Kristy Belcher

MODERN ERA ARTIST

Alan JACKSON

y deeply tipping his hat to the honky-tonk legends of his youth and unflinchingly remaining true to himself for more than 25 years, Alan Jackson earned an unparalleled reputation as a singer and songwriter. He blended the old and new in a musical style that is urban and rural, rugged and raw, and appeals to the large sector of the Country Music audience that looks to the past for its musical influences. Born Alan Eugene Jackson on Oct. 17, 1958, in Newnan, Ga., the 58-year-old singer-songwriter came to personify the neotraditional movement that emerged in opposition to the “Urban Cowboy” trend of the 1980s. Jackson took the sounds of Country Music in his youth and blended them with modern production and band structures in a way that made him an immediate star, one who straddled the divide between pop sensibilities and hard-line affection for classic Country. Jackson began his career as the lead singer of local Newnan band Dixie Steel, holding down numerous odd jobs while touring and writing songs. His wife, Denise, a flight attendant at the time, had a chance meeting with Glen Campbell, who suggested Alan get in touch with his music publishing company. Within two weeks of the meeting, the Jacksons packed up and moved to Nashville to follow his dreams and Alan eventually signed with the worldwide star’s publishing company. He honed his craft and was eventually signed by executive Tim DuBois as the flagship artist at Arista Nashville in 1989. Jackson saw almost immediate success with his first album, Here in the Real World. It yielded his first Billboard No. 1 single, “I’d Love You All Over Again,” and made Jackson an instant — and instantly recognizable — star. He was nominated for four Awards at the 1990 CMA Awards and, over the course of his career, would become the second most-nominated artist in CMA Awards history with 81 nominations, following only close friend and Hall of Fame member George Strait. He still owns the record for most nominations in a single year with 10, set in 2002, the year he

swept Song and Single of the Year with his poignant 9/11 tribute “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” The track also was nominated for all-genre Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards and won the Best Country Song Award, his first golden gramophone. Jackson released four studio albums in the first five years of his recording career. Here in the Real World, Don’t Rock the Jukebox, his best-selling A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ‘Bout Love), and Who I Am sold more than 20 million albums during that period and included some of his most memorable and important tracks, including “Midnight in Montgomery” and “Chattahoochee,” a winner of CMA Single and Song of the Year in 1993-94, respectively. Jackson has released more than 20 albums and collections — including forays into gospel and bluegrass — nine of which went multiplatinum with 2 million or more in sales. Those albums have led to one of Country Music’s most decorated careers with three CMA Entertainer of the Year Awards (1995, 2002, 2003); two Grammy Awards; and membership in the Grand Ole Opry, the esteemed Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He was given the first ASCAP Heritage Award (2014) by the performance rights organization, recognizing him as the most performed Country Music songwriter-artist of the last 100 years. Jackson has charted more than 30 No. 1 hits, sold nearly 60 million albums, and is among the genre’s most decorated and respected figures, with more than 150 awards.

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Jerry Reed

photo: Courtesy of Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

VETERANS ERA ARTIST

here was a time when Jerry Reed was the fast-picking, wisecracking face of Country Music for most Americans. Though Reed found himself participating in some key music history moments as a session player and scored his share of chart hits as a performer, it was his good-natured wit and ability to transform into an outsized personality as an actor without losing his authenticity that made him one of the genre’s most well-known ambassadors of the 1970s and ’80s. It’s that ability as an all-around entertainer that brings Reed to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Reed’s active career stretched from the 1950s into the 1990s, though he still toured and made public appearances well into the 2000s. His career was so long, he received CMA Awards nominations over the course of four decades — from 1969 to 1999. He was a two-time nominee for CMA Entertainer of the Year and a three-time Grammy winner. Born Jerry Reed Hubbard on March 20, 1937, in Atlanta, the singer-guitarist had already scored a few minor hits and spent years in the recording studio and onstage by the time he made it to Nashville in 1962 to get into session work after a two-year stint in the U.S. Army. He’d drawn the attention of the industry when two of his songs covered by popular artists became hits: Gene Vincent released his version of “Crazy Legs” in 1958 and Brenda Lee recorded “That’s All You Got to Do” in 1960. It was Reed’s fiery guitar playing that really turned the heads of some of Nashville’s most important figures as he made the rounds in the early 1960s. A fingerstyle picker with few rivals, Reed was dubbed a “Certified Guitar Player” by fellow Hall of Fame member Chet Atkins, perhaps the most prestigious honorary title given to guitarists in Country Music. Atkins bestowed the award just four times personally. Earning the CGP status meant Country Music’s acknowledged best guitarist thought you were great in every way. Nashville felt much the same, naming Reed CMA’s Instrumentalist of the Year twice (1970 and ’71), and giving him a straightforward nickname: “The Guitar Man.” Atkins and Reed were nominated together for CMA Instrumental Group of the Year in the following

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two years (1972 and ’73). Reed’s best-known hits included “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” which won a Grammy Award (Reed would win two more for instrumental recordings “Me & Jerry” and “Sneakin’ Around,” both made with Atkins), “Guitar Man,” “Amos Moses,” “Alabama Wild Man,”“U.S. Male,”“A Thing Called Love,” and “She Got the Gold Mine (I Got the Shaft).” He got a career boost from Elvis Presley, who not only recorded a few of Reed’s songs, including “Guitar Man,” but also hired him to be his guitar man in the studio as well. He became a regular presence on “The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour” variety show in 1970. His affable onscreen presence was attractive to Hollywood. He made the first of several appearances with friend Burt Reynolds in a string of movies that started with 1975’s “W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings” and included the three wildly popular “Smokey and the Bandit” films, which launched in 1977 and featured Reed as Reynolds’ straight man. Reed scored a hit with the film’s theme song, “East Bound and Down.” Reed made an unforgettable return to film in 1998 when he played angry Coach Red Beaulieu in Adam Sandler’s “The Waterboy.” The following year he received his final CMA Award nomination, for Vocal Event of the Year for his “Old Dogs” supergroup collaboration with Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, and Bobby Bare. Reed passed away from complications related to emphysema in 2008 at the age of 71.

photo: Courtesy of Don Schlitz

SONGWRITER

Don Schlitz

on Schlitz is among the most influential and beloved songwriters in the history of Country Music. His charttopping songs — among them “The Gambler,” “On the Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” “The Greatest,” and “When You Say Nothing At All” — are touchstones and inspirations that continue to influence songwriters and singers decades after they were written. His 50 Top 10 singles, performed by iconic acts Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alison Krauss, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kenny Rogers, the Judds, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker, Keith Whitley, and many others, include 24 No. 1 Country hits. He has won three CMA Song of the Year Awards, two Grammy Awards, and four consecutive ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year trophies (1988-91). Schlitz was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Association Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012. Born Donald Alan Schlitz Jr. on Aug. 29, 1952, and raised in Durham, North Carolina, Schlitz briefly attended Duke University before coming to Nashville at age 20. His talent was recognized and fostered early on by greats, including Bob McDill and Bobby Bare, and he emerged as an empathetic and intelligent chronicler of the human spirit. When Rogers recorded “The Gambler” — the songwriter’s first recorded song — Schlitz’s ascent was assured, and the

success of that enduring story-song allowed him the freedom to spend a lifetime writing words and music that articulated the extraordinary emotions inherent in common experience. Having written hits across five decades, he will join an exclusive circle in the Country Music Hall of Fame that includes Bobby Braddock, Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard, Cindy Walker, and Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, all inducted primarily as songwriters. Schlitz and his cowriters penned “Rockin’ With the Rhythm of the Rain,” “Forty Hour Week (for a Livin’),” “Houston Solution,” “Deeper Than the Holler,” “One Promise Too Late,” “I Feel Lucky,” “Old School,” “Give Me Wings,” “Strong Enough to Bend,” and dozens of others that underscore the depth and breadth of modern-era Country Music. One of the first performers at Amy Kurland’s iconic songwriter club the Bluebird Café, Schlitz and friends Thom Schuyler, J. Fred Knobloch, and Paul Overstreet originated the Café’s songwriterin-the-round format in 1985. He continues to regularly perform his hits and new material at the Bluebird, interspersed with his wry wit and unique comic timing. The Don Schlitz songbook even includes the 2001 Broadway musical “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” Kenny Rogers encapsulated the sentiments of many when he inducted Schlitz into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with this statement: “Don doesn’t just write songs, he writes careers.”

@CMACLOSEUP

TRIPLE T PLAY AWARDS

by VERNELL HACKETT wenty songwriters were honored in February at CMA’s Eighth Annual Triple Play Awards. Each of the writers penned three songs that

hit No. 1 in a 12-month period and one, Ross Copperman, was doubly honored for writing six songs that reached the top of the charts. “You all are the lifeblood of this industry,”

Troy Tomlinson, CMA Board member and President and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Nashville, told the songwriters in the room

M O O N E Y A C C E P T S H I S T R O P H Y F R O M TO M L I N S O N .

as the luncheon ceremony got underway. CMA CEO Sarah Trahern noted, “It takes a group of people working together to take a song to No. 1.” As the songwriters went forward to receive their Awards, those attending the event at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works were reminded of the tremendous amount of talent in the room. Niko Moon, who penned the hits “Homegrown,” “Loving You Easy,” and “Beautiful Drug,” noted in his acceptance speech, “I am completely blown away being in the company of so many great songwriters. I have so much respect for each of you, and I thank other songwriters for keeping me inspired the way you do.” Dual winner Copperman said, “I am not alone here. I am so thankful to write with all these great songwriters that I get to write with.” With the two trophies he picked up at the February event, Copperman now has a career total of four Triple Play Awards. Craig Wiseman, who wrote “Anything Goes,”“Gonna,” and “Came Here to Forget,” told the audience, “I never stand on one of these stages alone. I am a co-writer.” He added, “I love this town.” Brett Eldredge, a CMA Board member and writer of his own hits “Mean to Me,” “Lose My Mind,” and “Drunk On Your Love,” talked about the fellowship of writers in Nashville, saying, “May this town never lose its community. There is such a vibe here.” Eldredge was a first-time Triple Play recipient this year, along with Jesse Frasure, Matt Jenkins, Moon, and Dan +

SONGWRITERS INSPIRED BY NASHVILLE MUSIC COMMUNITY’S FELLOWSHIP

Shay’s Shay Mooney. Many of the songwriters expressed their appreciation to other professionals for taking them in and teaching them what it means to be a part of the industry. Cole Swindell, who wrote and recorded “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey,” “Let Me See Ya Girl,” and “You Should Be Here,” said, “I moved to town to write songs. I wanted to be one of the folks who made people feel like I did when I heard a song. We wouldn’t be anything without the songs.” Many of the writers spoke of being

C O P P E R M A N ( A B OV E ) W I T H H I S T WO T R I P L E P L AY AWA R D S T R O P H I E S .

CMA CLOSE UP

humbled

receiving

the

Award.

Songwriter, producer, and CMA Board

E L D R E D G E A D D R E S S E S T H E C R OW D .

CMA TRIPLE PLAY AWARDS photos: Donn Jones / CMA

member Shane McAnally remembered seeing his first Triple Play Award on the wall in the office of fellow songwriter and Board member Bob DiPiero. “I can’t believe that I have one of them now too,” he told the crowd while accepting his fifth Triple Play trophy. “I am so grateful that this is what God lets me do.” Luke Bryan, who penned his hits “Strip It Down,” “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” and “Move,” talked about seeing people react to the songs at his concerts. “We are out on the road and we see how songs make people happy and change their lives for a little while each night when we play.” In addition to the Triple Play Awards, CMA presented the Irving Waugh Award of Excellence posthumously to Donna Hilley, the longtime Sony/ATV Music Publishing CEO (see photo on page 28). Trahern said the pioneering executive “had a deep admiration for songwriters and artists. She played an instrumental role in so many iconic and legendary careers. Her tenacity, grace, and commitment to this industry won’t be forgotten.”

S W I N D E L L A N D B RYA N ( C E N T E R ) A R E J O I N E D B Y T H E I R M A N A G E R , C M A B OA R D M E M B E R K E R R I E DWA R D S ( L ) , A N D TO M L I N S O N F O L L OW I N G T H E C E R E M O N Y.

The Irving Waugh Award honors an individual whose ideas and actions broadened and improved Country Music’s influence and had a proven historical impact on the genre. One of Hilley’s daughters, Debbie Tenpenny, accepted the Award. Tenpenny is Sony/ATV’s Senior Director of Creative Services Administration.

The CMA Triple Play Award winners are:

Brett Eldredge: “Mean to Me,” “Lose My Mind,” “Drunk On Your Love” Jesse Frasure: “Crash and Burn,” “I Like the Sound of That,” “Fix” Ashley Gorley: “Heartbeat,” “You Should Be Here,” “T-Shirt” Matt Jenkins: “Confession,” “Setting the World On Fire,” “Song for Another Time” Luke Laird: “Gonna,” “T-Shirt,” “Head Over Boots” Hillary Lindsey: “Smoke Break,” “Church Bells,” “Blue Ain’t Your Color” Shane McAnally: “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” “Stay a Little Longer,” “T-Shirt”

( F R O N T, L - R ) A K I N S , L I N D S E Y, M O O N E Y, F R A S U R E , S W I N D E L L , C O P P E R M A N , A N D W I S E M A N . ( BA C K L - R ) E L D R E D G E , B RYA N , M O O N , C L AW S O N , DAV I D S O N , L A I R D , G O R L E Y, A N D J E N K I N S .

Rhett Akins: “Mind Reader,” “Huntin’, Fishin’ Ross Copperman: “Break On Me,” “Drunk and Lovin’ Every Day,” “I Know Somebody” On Your Love,” “Confession,” “American Country Love Song,” “Setting the World On Zac Brown: “Homegrown,” “Loving You Fire,” “I Know Somebody” Easy,” “Beautiful Drug” Zach Crowell: “Heartbeat,” “Church Bells,” Luke Bryan: “Strip It Down,” “Huntin’, Fishin’ “Middle of a Memory” and Lovin’ Every Day,” “Move” Dallas Davidson: “Tonight Looks Good On Rodney Clawson: “Confession,” “You Look You,” “Kick the Dust Up,” “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Like I Need a Drink,” “May We All” Lovin’ Every Day”

Niko Moon: “Homegrown,” “Loving You Easy,” “Beautiful Drug” Shay Mooney: “Nothin’ Like You,” “I Like the Sound of That,” “From the Ground Up” Jon Nite: “Smoke,” “Strip It Down,” “Break On Me” Cole Swindell: “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey,” “Let Me See Ya Girl,” “You Should Be Here” Carrie Underwood: “Little Toy Guns,” “Smoke Break,” “Heartbeat” Craig Wiseman: “Anything Goes,” “Gonna,” “Came Here to Forget” @CMACLOSEUP

LadyAntebellum:

NEXT UP FOR

WORLD DOMINATION

by ANNIE REUTER

ady Antebellum have spent the better part of the past decade on the road touring in support of their music. So when 2016 came around, the trio decided they needed a break creatively. While the seven-time CMA Award-winning band still played more than 30 festival dates throughout the year, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, and Hillary Scott took some time apart to focus on their separate passions. Scott stuck close to home to record Love Remains, the debut Christian album for Hillary Scott & the Scott Family, which garnered two Grammy

Awards in February. Kelley released his solo project, The Driver, which also received a Grammy nod for the title track last year. Haywood, meanwhile, found himself producing several artists, including the buzzy new female trio Post Monroe. Kelley said his solo venture made him appreciate where Lady Antebellum is as a band and realize how difficult it is to break as an artist, since radio did not embrace his solo material with the same enthusiasm it shows for the band’s music. Scott notes that the brief hiatus made the band stronger than ever and even more passionate to continue their legacy. “To have that break to be able to really reflect and survey the whole ride up to that point, we came [back] so excited, so proud, and so humbled and appreciative of what we have and what we’ve all built together,” she said. But the break is over. Lady A released the energetic, horn-fused new single “You Look Good” in January and also revealed their forthcoming “You Look Good World Tour,” which kicks off May 26. The tour will take them to six different countries on three continents, playing more than 65 shows with openers

photo: Eric Ray Davidson Photography

Kelsea Ballerini and Brett Young. New album

CMA CLOSE UP

COVER STORY photo: Mario Villeda / CMA

Heart Break is due out June 9, the day before they hit the stage at CMA Music Festival. The band’s new music took shape during writers’ retreats in Florida and Los Angeles last fall. The three members rented homes in each city and spent time reconnecting while setting aside several days exclusively to write. They invited some songwriters to join them, and their seventh studio album slowly began to take shape. Lady Antebellum wrote all but two songs on Heart Break. As Kelley explained, it was important to get back to their roots and focus more on songwriting like they had on earlier releases. He also credits producer busbee for bringing a fresh sound to the project. “It feels familiar but current,” Kelley said. “Some of our most successful songs have been songs we have written like ‘Need You Now,’ and ‘I Run to You,’ and we felt like, ‘OK, let’s get into the heart of who we are.’ We

L A DY A N T E B E L L U M P E R F O R M AT C M A S O N G W R I T E R S S E R I E S D U R I N G S X S W AT T H E M O O DY T H E AT E R I N A U S T I N .

consider ourselves songwriters first.” One of the early songs written was the title track. In it, a woman reflects on the past and decides she needs to give her heart a break instead

singing their songs back to them, they feel at home.

of jumping back into another relationship. Lady Antebellum wrote the

“It’s the most welcoming, warm, incredible feeling to see the magic

track with Jesse Frasure and Nicolle Galyon and Scott says “Heart Break”

of how music can travel as far as you can imagine,” Scott marveled. “In

was a song that their families and friends instantly gravitated toward,

Europe, for instance, a lot of times they truly live with an entire album.

and that Lady A soon built their album around.

Our set list might go a little bit deeper into album cuts because they

“I think giving your heart a break to figure out who you are on your

have lived with the whole thing. It’s not so single-, what’s-on-the-radio-

own is a really important step in growing as a person,” Scott explained.

driven. They really look at the body of work as a whole, which always

“It also played off of us taking a break as a band and chasing our own

makes for an interesting and deep connection.”

individual passions, and then reconvening together. Even though

It’s been more than two years since Lady Antebellum have toured

we were together doing shows, we missed each other in the creative

Europe, and Kelley and Scott say they are looking forward to being able

process. It was a really sweet reunion.”

to reconnect with fans abroad. Both artists say fans in foreign markets

Other highlights from the album for Kelley include “Hurt,” a song he

tend to go much deeper in wanting to learn the meaning behind their

said features Scott’s best vocals to date, and channels the power she

music. Questions from fans often center around the stories behind their

showcased on her Grammy Award-winning song “Thy Will” from her

songs and what they were feeling when they wrote them.

family project. On “Army,” Kelley and Haywood give a nod to their wives with the lyric, “If I’m a soldier then she’s an army.”

“There’s so much depth to their questions. They feel the music with their whole person, and that’s such an incredible compliment as an

“It’s a song about how strong our wives are: Dave’s and [mine] and

artist, and as a songwriter as well,” Scott said. “So many of these songs

busbee’s,” Kelley explained. “They’re superheroes. They keep life on track

are our life and our experiences. In a way, it’s almost like this kinship that

for us while we’re out here chasing our dream. My wife is juggling our

is deeper because they’re not afraid to go there.”

one-year-old alone with a career with her website, Womanista. She’s a

During the tour, Lady Antebellum will be returning once again to

strong woman. I think anybody who’s married is going to appreciate it.”

play The O2 Arena in London — this time as headliner. Kelley recalls a

As part of their world tour, Lady Antebellum will perform in South Africa

photo: Eric Ray Davidson Photography

miles away from home this year, they say any time the fans abroad are

previous visit there as being “one of the coolest experiences.”

for the first time, something they are excited about experiencing. While

“It’s always so surprising to see how loyal the fans are,” he said. “It’s

Scott isn’t quite sure what to expect from performing in a new country,

fun to feel like we do have a good following around the world, and

she said one thing she’s learned over the years is to be fully present

that Country Music has gone that far. We feel it’s important for us to

onstage and to feed off the audience’s energy, regardless of the location.

represent our genre.”

“We’re only as good as the crowd is that night. We have a huge opportunity and responsibility to bring that energy and to hopefully help the crowd, pull them in, and elevate the whole experience for all of us,” she explained. While Haywood, Kelley, and Scott will find themselves thousands of

As Lady Antebellum prepare for a year of bringing their new music to the masses throughout the world, Kelley reflected on their legacy. “Hopefully we’ll be around a long time and known as a band that delivers solid songs. Whether you’re young or old, we have a little something for everybody.”

LadyAntebellum.com

@CMACLOSEUP

CMA SONGWRITERS SERIES

Emotional CMA Songwriters Series

photo: Amy Westney / CMA

CMA Songwriters Series tends to be a love fest among the writers, artists, and musicians sharing the stage — and rightfully so. The intimate, acoustic setup brings the spirit of a writing session to the masses, led by some of Country Music’s greatest talents. During the recent season debut at C2C Festival in London, there was no shortage of praise among the performers, whether it was for each other, the capital city, or the fans filling the sold-out room. CMA Award winner Kristian Bush hosted the evening, which also featured eight-time CMA Musician of the Year Mac McAnally, reigning New Artist of the Year Maren Morris, Song of the Year winner Liz Rose, and undeniable talent Drake White hitting the stage at indigo at The O2 and kicking off a weekend full of Country Music celebration with more than 60,000 enthusiastic fans. “The coolest thing about this night is that you get to hear some songs that you know, and maybe some songs that you don’t know, and … you get stories that make songs make sense,” Bush told the crowd at the top of the show, kicking things off with Sugarland’s hit “Stuck Like Glue.” For White, the show marked not only his CMA Songwriters Series debut, but also his first time in Europe. He told the crowd, “I’ve always been a nomadic spirit and always loved traveling, so to be over here in what feels like the forefront of Country Music coming into Europe and coming into your great country, I just really WHITE feel humbled by it.” He was a hit with the audience, charming them with performances of “Heartbeat,” “I Need Real,” and more tunes from his debut album, Spark. “Damn” was Morris’ stunned response to the latter song, and she told White, “It’s so cool to hear your song on the radio. It’s amazing to see your friends start to come up.” Morris was also making her Series debut although she is a C2C veteran, having performed on a satellite stage during last year’s O2 Arena shows — a defining moment early in her career. “My record hadn’t even come out yet at that point last year, but it was so amazing to come over here and have you guys already know lyrics and words,” she told the audience before

CMA CLOSE UP

treating them to renditions of her Grammy-winning single “My Church” and “Bummin’ Cigarettes” from the deluxe edition of her CMA Award-nominated album, Hero. Rose had some of the most emotional moments of the round, beginning with “Grocery Money” off her unreleased solo album. “They don’t teach that in songwriting class,” McAnally quipped of the moving song, a story about a little photo: Amy Westney / CMA

by COURTNEY BEEBE

Shows Off Country’s Finest in London

( L - R ) B U S H , W H I T E , M O R R I S A N D A C C O M PA N Y I N G G U I TA R I S T B E N N E T L E W I S , R O S E , A N D M C A N A L LY D U R I N G T H E L O N D O N C M A S O N G W R I T E R S S E R I E S AT I N D I G O AT T H E O 2 .

girl watching her mother in the checkout line and hoping they have enough cash to cover the bill. But it was Rose who was moved to tears by the audience’s enthusiasm as she sang “Girl Crush,” her 2015 CMA Song of the Year recorded by Little Big Town. After turning the mic on the audience for a singalong of the final chorus, she sniffled in thanks, “Y’all are fabulous.” Throughout the night, McAnally earned the most accolades from his fellow performers. Bush asked in awe, “What’s it like to be you?” after the skilled musician performed “All These Years” (a Top 5 hit for Sawyer Brown), and Rose joked, “We’re all following you,” as he wrapped the evening with a cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Little Martha.” In a surprise moment, U.K.-based Country duo The Shires were presented with the Jeff Walker Global Artist Award. (See more from the presentation on page 19.) “We genuinely had no idea this was going to happen and it feels like fate because [Bush’s] ‘Love or Money’ is my favorite song,” said the duo’s Ben Earle. “If you ever wondered whether it matters that you’re a Country fan,” Bush then told the audience, “it does.” CMAsongwritersseries.com

CMA INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

CMA INTERNATIONAL HONORS SPAN CONTINENTS CHRIS YOUNG ERFORMS The Country Music community spent much of March crisscrossing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The month was packed withPfestivals R A more SOLDand Country Music celebrations in several different countries — first with the C2C Festival in London, Dublin, and Glasgow;F Oand O U T C R OW D recently with the CMC Music Awards and sold-out CMC Rocks QLD Festival in Australia. In the midst of it all, CMA honored excellence AT T H E by O2 presenting the 2017 CMA International Awards in London, Queensland, and at home in Nashville. SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE “These Awards recognize our genre’s best ambassadors to fans globally, and the recipients are the ones on the front lines, continuously IN LONDON. driving CMA’s mission to advance Country Music around the world,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. The 2017 CMA International Award recipients are:

International Country Broadcaster Award – Bob Harris A three-time CMA International Award recipient, Harris is one of the most visible proponents for Country Music abroad. As host of BBC Radio 2’s “Bob Harris Country,” the 40-year industry veteran brings CMA Awards coverage to the U.K. on the region’s most popular radio station. The International Country Broadcaster Award recognizes outstanding achievement by radio broadcasters outside the U.S. who have made important contributions to the development of Country Music in their country.

THE SHIRES ACCEPT T H E J E F F WA L K E R G L O BA L A RT I S T AWA R D DURING CMA SONGWRITERS SERIES IN LONDON.

Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award – The Shires Comprised of Brits Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes, The Shires are among the U.K.’s most successful homegrown Country acts. Their latest album, My Universe, is the fastest-selling U.K. Country album in history, and their Gold-certified debut, Brave, was the first British Country album to hit the Top 10 on the U.K. all-genre albums chart. The Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award recognizes outstanding achievements by a Country Music artist originally signed outside of the United States.

International Artist Achievement Award – Carrie Underwood In 2016 Underwood became the first artist ever to headline C2C Festival twice, performing in London, Glasgow, and Dublin, as well as dates in Sweden and Norway. Underwood made three additional trips to the U.K. in support of her Storyteller album for the Apple Music Festival and TV performances, including “X Factor” and “The Jonathan Ross Show.” In December, she reteamed with former tour mate Keith Urban for shows in Australia and New Zealand, bringing her to nearly 25 international markets over the course of the year. The CMA International Artist Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a U.S.-based artist who contributes to the awareness and development of Country Music outside the United States.

photo: Chris Hollo

photo: Amy Westney / CMA

Jo Walker-Meador International Award – Rob Potts Potts, one of Australia’s leading promoters, heads Rob Potts Entertainment Edge, where he has been at the forefront of Country Music’s surge Down Under. He is one of the founders of the CMC Rocks festival franchise, including CMC Rocks QLD, Australia’s first sold-out Country Music festival. Potts also serves as Chairman of the CMA Australian Advisory Group. Named for the Country Music Hall of Fame member and longtime Executive Director of CMA, the Jo Walker-Meador International Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual or company in advocating and supporting Country Music’s development outside the U.S.

C M A B OA R D C H A I R M A N S A L LY W I L L I A M S , U N D E R WO O D , C M A S E N I O R D I R E C TO R O F AWA R D S A N D I N D U S T RY R E L AT I O N S B R A N D I S I M M S , A N D C M A B OA R D M E M B E R A N D U N D E R WO O D ’ S MANAGER ANN EDELBLUTE.

Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award – Richard Wootton As the head of Richard Wootton Publicity, Wootton is at the forefront of the Country Music industry in the U.K. He has represented countless Country artists who have embarked on European careers, and worked with record labels and C2C. He previously won this Award in 1991. The Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievements in the media that contribute to the development of Country Music outside the United States. CMA International Awards are voted on by CMA’s international membership as well as by a panel of U.S.-based industry personnel.

@CMACLOSEUP

U.S. INDUSTRY EXECS SEE

‘A HELL OF AN OPPORTUNITY’

by CHUCK TAYLOR

FOR COUNTRY MUSIC OVERSEAS

CMA CLOSE UP

photos: Luke Dyson

all it continental Country. The force field of America’s most popular musical genre continues to work its way across the globe — from South Africa to Germany, from Norway to Gibraltar. This ever-increasing popularity across all borders has its roots amid three rock solid game changers, according to industry experts. First up are the entrenched and wildly popular name-brand festivals — Europe’s C2C: Country to Country and Australia’s CMC Rocks — which envelop fans within the excitement of a live arena, while enticing new followers to join the party from neighboring regions. Equally important is the broadcast of CMA’s three annual television shows in nations that are gaining an appetite for the genre’s name brand acts. And third, on the technology side, music streaming has been an unqualified motivator, opening all borders to help Country Music become ubiquitous the world over. “There is no doubt that Country Music’s development in markets outside the U.S. started with the CMC Festival more than a decade ago and C2C over the past several years,” said John Marks, Global Programming Head for Country Music at Spotify. “They planted the seeds for the growth of U.S. Country starting with those markets, and spreading beyond.” Added CMA Chief Marketing Officer Damon Whiteside, “The great thing C2C has done in Europe is show audiences that Country Music isn’t necessarily what they imagined. Over these five years we’ve seen the fan base evolve, especially their perception of Country, and it’s still a very young event. C2C has really been a catalyst to show the European audience that Country is an exciting and contemporary format.” In fact, Whiteside added, then-developing U.S. artists like Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, Charlie Worsham, and Chris Young performed at C2C and garnered such enthusiasm overseas that they have been able to successfully embark on full-fledged European tours. New artist Drake White reportedly left this year’s C2C as the marquee act of the event. “It’s amazing to see how the fans really embrace one particular artist they weren’t familiar with before who just leaves the weekend a new

FA N S F I L L T H E O 2 A R E N A I N L O N D O N F O R C 2 C F E S T I VA L .

superstar,” Whiteside said. “C2C has proven to be a way to test those waters and get in front of international fans. Then there are artists who are native to these countries that are also finding great success. With international expansion being a tentpole initiative for CMA, C2C has truly helped solidify that fan base and lay the groundwork for the next step.” Marks, a CMA Board member, has been gratified to see just how passionate festival audiences are about Country Music. “In my travels over the past couple years, I’ve seen these fans seek out the music, learn about the artists, and come to these festivals prepared,” he said. “It’s really uplifting, as someone who has spent their life in the business, to watch these fans and consumers sing along to every word to every song. These festivals absolutely drive that interest.” Add to those far-reaching festivals the impact of the CMA’s TV properties. “These overseas markets get a huge boost from the presence of the CMA Awards show and Christmas specials,” Marks added. “There is no doubt that they have helped put eyes on United States artists and our Country Music.” With its three shows, which also include the summer “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” special, CMA is reaching the U.K., Norway, South Africa, Australia, Latin America, Canada, Gibraltar, and Germany.

INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION Then there’s music streaming, which has reinvented the way consumers access and share music, and develop their tastes for particular artists and genres. Warner Music Nashville Chairman/CEO and CMA Board member John Esposito said, “There has always been a modicum of appeal for Country Music outside of America with the appeal of artists like Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson, and Shania Twain.” But now any and all acts are accessible to anyone, anywhere: “Digital downloads and streaming have democratized music. The restrictions of the narrow pipeline that used to limit distribution have largely been lifted.” Spotify’s Marks agrees. “There certainly is a fascination with American Country Music in the U.K., Australia, and now other sections of the world,” he said. “The festivals have created interest, but a lot if it has to do with artists’ exposure through streaming services that reach a global audience.” Alongside festivals, CMA TV exposure, and global music streaming, there is another — perhaps unexpected — phenomenon that appears to be a magnet for Country fans beyond America’s borders. In a word: “Nashville,” the Lionsgate television show that launched in 2012 and currently airs on CMT. Agreed, according to female duo Ward Thomas — fronted by Catherine Ward Thomas and Lizzie Ward Thomas — who are among the leaders in the U.K.’s homegrown Country Music movement. Said Catherine, “Five years ago ‘Country’ was a bit of a dirty word in the U.K. [But] since shows like ‘Nashville’ and artists like Kacey Musgraves have come in, the genre has become a little cooler. People are starting to come out of the woodwork and say they like it now.” “I am seriously amazed at how much love there is for ‘Nashville’ overseas,” Esposito said. “When I am in London, it’s as if there isn’t a person I bump into that doesn’t talk about the show. I was in Germany and people also kept asking me about the show. That branding is part of the whole phenomenon going on around the world.” (Read more about “Nashville” on page 24.) Esposito offers an anecdote that sums up Country’s exponential international growth. “I’ve attended the last three years of C2C, and while I’m amused by the cowboy hats and Daisy Dukes [shorts worn by some fans] — I feel like I’m at Fan Fair 20 years ago — I am also amazed to see the audience singing every word,” he says. “This includes artists like Bailey Bryan who haven’t even charted in the U.S. I think we have a hell of an opportunity.” A FA N P H OTO B O OT H I S A C 2 C H I T.

MEET RISING U.K. COUNTRY STARS

WARD THOMAS

WA R D T H O M A S P E R F O R M AT C 2 C .

Young duo Ward Thomas has emerged as one of the leaders of the U.K.’s burgeoning Country Music scene. Their second album, 2016’s Cartwheels, reached No. 1 on both the U.K. albums and U.K. Country charts. The group’s 23-year-old twin sisters, Catherine Ward Thomas and Lizzie Ward Thomas, explain their appeal. What drew you to Country Music? Our grandma loved to sing old Country like Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, so we grew up around that kind of music. We have also always loved Johnny Cash. But the music that made us get into a career was really people like the Dixie Chicks, Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss, and Taylor Swift. We loved the style of music so much that we wanted to start writing our own. In what ways does the British perspective on Country Music differ from the American one? We write our songs from what we know and what we have related to throughout our experiences of growing up and what surrounds us. That means our music naturally has more of a British perspective. A lot of American Country Music talks about cowboys, trucks, and American states. We don’t have any of that, so we talk about what we know. In what ways do you think things like C2C Festival and the efforts of CMA in the U.K. have helped grow the popularity of Country Music there? Those two organizations have been a huge help to the growth of Country. It’s built a great community of people who all enjoy the same music, and this has helped it grow step by step. This is happening more and more everywhere, but [in] some countries a little slower than others. It is happening a huge amount in Australia, where we’ve just been and seen it with our own eyes. WardThomasMusic.com

@CMACLOSEUP

FROM SWEDEN TO AUSTRALIA AND BEYOND,

COUNTRY MUSIC IS A GROWING FORCE

Profiles compiled by CHRIS TALBOTT

CANADA

SWEDEN

Ted Ellis

Maria Molin Ljunggren

CMA Board member since 2014 Chairman, CCMA President, Harbour Media Partners Canada has been a healthy and thriving market for Country Music, and has seen significant growth in recent years.

CMA Board member since 2016 Entrepreneur / Managing Director, Capitol Music Group Here in Sweden we see more and more space for Country Music. From sold-out venues to an increasing presence on the radio charts,

As a format, Country in Canada benefits from having its own

the genre’s superstars, legends, and independent spirits all appeal to

version of CMA in the Canadian Country Music Association. Founded

a certain segment of the Swedish population, which consumes 85

in 1976, the CCMA progressively heralds the spirit, community, and

percent of its music through digital sources.

creativity that Country Music fosters through year-round initiatives,

This allows for much easier access to Country Music, which helps

culminating every September in Country Music Week and the CCMA

foster an understanding of the genre for those who are interested

Awards Show, broadcast nationally on CBC.

in the great melodies, amazing

As chairman of the CCMA, my main goals have been to assist in

storytelling,

creating a star system in Canada and helping to build an industry

voices

with the strength to launch global stars. I continue that work in

attracted me.

my professional career, acting as a funding and strategy partner to artists and creators. Canada has a well-distributed cable channel in CMT Canada, which broadcasts music videos,

72% tune into Country radio stations weekly

that

and have

beautiful always

I have traveled to Nashville for the music, songwriters, and producers for almost 20

40% of Country Music listeners stream Country Music weekly or* more often

years and my artist, Jill Johnson, and I wanted to somehow present the genre to a larger audience at home. We came up with the idea

concerts, and celebrity programming 24 hours a day. More than 100

for a TV show, “Jill’s Veranda — Nashville,” which airs on Swedish

radio stations across the country are dedicated exclusively to the

television.

format, and more than a dozen major Country Music festivals take

In the series, Jill guides viewers around the Country Music genre

place coast to coast, supported by a thriving touring environment

with guests, live performances, and visits to special places in

that features the biggest Canadian, U.S., and global acts.

Nashville. This has not only broadened the Swedes’ view of Country

CMA maintains a Canadian Advisory Group with a goal to further the

Music, but has also increased interest in Nashville and Tennessee

mandate of its international strategic objectives. The group consists

in general. The series has received the most prestigious television

of an influential panel of executives who explore opportunities to

awards and the third season is being filmed this spring. When the

grow Country Music and the CMA brand. The group consists of an

homeless Nashville singer Doug Seegers got exposure through the

influential panel of executives who explore opportunities to grow

show, the Swedes took him straight to their hearts. Today, Doug is

Country Music and the CMA brand, and meets four times a year.

one of Sweden’s most loved artists.

While many American stars of the format achieve success in

This kind of value exchange is something I’m very passionate

Canada on par with their success in the U.S., Canada also has a

about, and partnering with CMA allows us to reach new goals in

robust and talented artist community of its own. The future of the

Sweden. We’re working toward a Scandinavian Advisory Board to lift

Country format in Canada is brighter than it has ever been, with this

the genre on the charts via exciting partnerships and collaborations.

homegrown talent really maturing into a stable and sustainable part

Our efforts in conjunction with “The 50th Annual CMA Awards”

of the national star system. Revenues for these artists are becoming

celebration led to increased interest from influencers and media,

significant, and all of the major labels now have direct-signed artists

including a rise in the number of media outlets reviewing Country

in their domestic rosters.

albums. *Represents Scandinavian listeners

CMA CLOSE UP

INTERNATIONAL TERRITORIES

One key indicator of Country Music’s growing international reach is the five CMA Board members who represent the genre in countries outside the United States. CMA Close Up asked each of them to provide a first-person account of the burgeoning Country Music scene in the territory they represent.

AUSTRALIA

UNITED KINGDOM

Rob Potts

Milly Olykan

CMA Board member since 2002 CEO, Rob Potts Entertainment Edge

CMA Board member since 2014 Director of Festivals and Events, The O2

CMA’s work here has helped make Australia one of the few mature

Bob Shennan

Country Music markets in the world outside of the U.S. and Canada.

CMA Board member since 2012 Director, BBC Radio and Music

The market has its own Platinum- and Gold-selling artists, legends, dedicated awards shows, festivals, 24/7 national Country Music

There are two signs that Country Music is in a healthy place in the United Kingdom. The first:

television network CMC, and a limited radio format. Major U.S. Country artists ignored Australia for decades since North

Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Maren Morris,

American revenues far outstripped what could be made overseas.

and the cast of the TV show “Nashville” will be touring nationally later

But as the market has grown we’ve finally seen a breakthrough over

this year – unthinkable even two years ago. And though the U.K. has

the last decade, working together to grow interest quickly. Brooks &

no dedicated Country radio, our efforts to expand the boundaries of

Dunn visited in 2008 and were the first breakthrough tour, delivering

the genre have been successful with the arrival of two homegrown

sold-out arenas in three major metropolitan markets.

acts placing albums in the Top 10 of the U.K. charts: Ward Thomas and

Sensing the potential, my company, in conjunction with Chugg Entertainment, formed a touring partnership specifically aimed at bringing this type of artist to the Australian market, where we perceived a strong, pentup and unfulfilled demand. Over the previous five years, we had worked together to slowly develop the now U.S.-based

42% of Country Music Fans spend on live concerts three or more times per year

Keith Urban into an arena-level act in Australia.

The Shires. Our efforts to broaden the popularity and understanding of Country Music are well underway. The annual C2C: Country to Country music festival reaches more than 60,000 fans in one three-day weekend in London, Dublin, and Glasgow, where we move into a bigger venue next year. We also are launching Country Music Week to help emerging Country acts

61% of new Country Music listeners are Millennials

reach a larger audience. We plan a week of shows in clubs that

Tours followed with artists such as Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia

hold from 150 to 2,000 fans this autumn. And we hope to take CMA

Line, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Tim

Songwriter Series on the road soon. The London version has proven a

McGraw, Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift, among many others.

great way to educate fans on what makes Country Music so different,

At the same time, we launched a new music festival concept called CMC Rocks. The strategy behind this event was to fill a gap in the

and it’s been a great vehicle to launch the live careers of artists such as Striking Matches, Drake White, and Charlie Worsham.

market by providing major U.S. Country headliners and brand new

A huge benefit to an artist performing at C2C is our partnership

hit-makers — along with the top Australia and New Zealand artists

with BBC Radio 2, which records the show and broadcasts highlights

— a chance to reach a wider audience of fans. Now in its 10th year,

to its audience of around 15 million. This is perfect for fans

the festival was the first Country event of its kind to sell out and has

discovering they like contemporary Country Music. BBC Radio 2 also

become the biggest in this market, providing a huge platform for

set up a digital radio station at C2C and created a dedicated four-day

developing international artists.

program of interviews, history, and stories that also included the live

At the time of this writing, CMA had a delegation visiting Australia after a visit to the U.K. for the C2C Festival. International Country is in great shape.

broadcast of C2C. With great support from some of the labels here, we’ve been able to develop a Country scene that is moving into the mainstream. Statistics: 2016 Consumer Online Study conducted by NEPA, Ltd for CMA

@CMACLOSEUP

T H E “ N A S H V I L L E ” C A S T I N A S C E N E F R O M T H E S H OW.

by PHYLLIS STARK

MT President Brian Philips remembers the precise

including the United Kingdom. Its stars will embark on their second

moment when he fully grasped the reach and influence

international tour in June, with shows scheduled in England,

of the Lionsgate television drama “Nashville.” He was

Scotland, and Ireland. Opry Entertainment Group President

standing in line at the Country Music Hall of Fame and

and CMA Board member Steve Buchanan, who also serves as an

Museum behind a tour group that included families from

executive producer on “Nashville,” said this year the tour venues

Germany. Curious about what had brought them to Music City,

have been bumped up to larger theaters and arenas.

Philips, who also serves on the CMA Board of Directors, struck up a

“I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that we sold out two

conversation and learned that “they came to Nashville to see what

shows at the Royal Albert Hall [in London] and added a third

they had seen on TV,” he said with a laugh. This was two years ago,

show,” said actor Charles Esten, who stars in “Nashville” as Deacon

well before the show moved from ABC Television Network to its

Claybourne. He added, “That just speaks to the level of passion for

current home on Philips’ CMT. Perhaps those German tourists were

the show, but also for Country Music in general.”

indirectly responsible for the show landing on its new network.

Big Machine Label Group (BMLG), which partnered with the music-

After four years on ABC, the show’s fifth season debuted on

intensive show early on to release its soundtracks, has also reaped

CMT in January and quickly became the network’s most-watched

rewards. Since the show’s 2012 debut, Big Machine has compiled

original series ever. “It’s broken every record on the channel in

nine “Nashville” soundtracks, most recently The Music of Nashville,

every demo, and has delivered a new and more diverse audience

Season 5, Volume 1. That music has collectively sold more than one

to CMT,” Philips said. In April the network renewed the show for a

million albums and five million single-track downloads, with over

16-episode sixth season, set to premiere early next year.

200 million streams to date. That success includes international

But its reach extends well beyond the United States. All told,

sales. “We didn’t see it coming that we would sell some 700,000

the show airs on six continents and in more than 100 territories,

soundtracks in just the U.K.,” said BMLG President/CEO and CMA

CMA CLOSE UP

photo: Mark Levine / CMT

CMT’S ‘NASHVILLE’ SPREADS COUNTRY MUSIC TO THE WORLD

Board member Scott Borchetta. “The reach is incredible … We’ve

Facebook posts from

been proud to carry the flag from day one.”

people all over. And

Buchanan said that internationally, the show “has redefined

they don’t just say how

Country Music, because a lot of people had a rather dated

much they love the

impression or opinion about what Country was. Major stars from

show. Many of them

the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s dominated people’s perspective, so it’s

say they did not start

really opened up their eyes to a more current and contemporary

out as Country Music

sense of the music made in Nashville.”

fans, and that this was

Borchetta called the show “a weekly postcard” for its namesake city and “a great export. …The fact that the show is shot here and uses our iconic landmarks, like the Bluebird Café and lower Broadway, [has had] a huge impact with tourism on a really grand scale.” Philips said the show is “an unrivaled Country Music global

photo: Anthony D’Angio / CMA

NASHVILLE

their entree into that world. “I want to be careful when I talk about this because,

obviously,

ESTEN PERFORMS DURING CMA SONGWRITERS SERIES IN LONDON, 2016.

phenomenon” that has served as “a brand new vehicle for

Country Music is way

explaining the mystique of Nashville to the world.”

bigger than our show,” Esten continued. “Our show is just a lens

One of the things that makes the show special, according to

on a good portion of it, and through that lens some people are

Buchanan, is “how we use music to tell stories.” And he thinks

seeing it for the first time. But Country Music made ‘Nashville’

producing it locally gives the show added “sincerity. … Shooting

more than ‘Nashville’ has made Country Music.”

it in Nashville helps us keep it real … so that you have an honest

Still, Esten said of the show, “If we are some small part of the

portrayal, an honest sense of this community, both the city itself

spread of Country Music internationally, honestly, I can’t think of

as well as the music community.”

many more things that would make me more proud.”

After the show’s cancellation by ABC last year, Philips and his team

Esten will be joined by co-stars Clare Bowen, Chris Carmack,

swooped into action, working overtime with Lionsgate to get a deal

Jonathan Jackson and, on some dates, Sam Palladio in the U.K. and

done in time to announce the show’s move to CMT during CMA

Ireland this summer on their Opry Entertainment-produced tour.

Music Festival in June. “We fought like crazy to be able to announce

The cast previously staged a sold-out run in the same territories

it on the [Festival’s] Riverfront Stage,” he said. “We thought that was

in 2016, and has also done several domestic tours. Esten also

just perfect symmetry.” Esten and several of the show’s other stars

performed this year at the CMC Rocks Festival in Australia.

got to break the news, along with Nashville Mayor Megan Barry.

The star called the cast’s 2016 tour “just so gratifying and so

Philips recalled, “There was much celebrating as we sort of surprised

memorable” and said the speed at which their international

the town. There was overwhelming social response to the news that

shows sold out “blew our minds.” Fans in the U.K. and Ireland knew

the show had been saved, and that came from all over the world.”

not only their TV characters, but all of their songs as well. Esten

Esten said feedback the cast gets on social media confirms

said he and his cast mates were “kind of blown away by not just

its widespread reach. “We get tweets and Instagram posts and

the enthusiasm, but the level of knowledge of those fans, even

photo: Kayla Schoen / CMA

for deeper cuts and lyrics. To be onstage in Glasgow and Dublin and all those cities in England and have them singing back at the top of their lungs ‘A Life That’s Good,’ one of our key songs, caught us off guard. People have been singing that back to us for a while, but not from so far away and not with such heart and gusto. When the Irish sang it back in Dublin, it wasn’t just that sweet, beautiful whisper that we frequently get out there in the crowd, it was like 8,000 tenors singing it C M T ’ S C O DY A L A N A N D “ N A S H V I L L E ” C A S T M E M B E R S C L A R E B OW E N A N D C H R I S C A R M A C K C R A S H E S T E N ’ S 2 0 1 6 C M A M U S I C F E S T I VA L P E R F O R M A N C E TO A N N O U N C E T H E N E T WO R K P I C K E D U P T H E P O P U L A R S H OW.

out. … As a performer, that makes it fantastic.” CMT.com

@CMACLOSEUP

CMA INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

Adults listening to Country Music monthly or more

CANADA

51%

39%

are Country Music Listeners

Country 34% are Music Listeners

SCANDINAVIA

Country 43% are Music Listeners

11%

12%

16%

14% 22% 21%

14% 16%

Country Music Explodes Among Millennials Millennials have a significant and growing impact on Country Music audiences worldwide.

Share of Millennials By Group

% who began listening to Country Music within past 5 years or less

Source: February 2016 Consumer Online Study conducted by NEPA, Ltd for CMA.

CMA CLOSE UP

Reproduction, redistribution or additional publication use of this data is prohibited without prior CMA consent.

photo: Chapman Baehler

DEBUT ARTIST SPOTLIGHTS

JENNY GILL

ust two hit singles into his professional recording career, Brett Young is already a highly sought-after touring support act. He hit the road last fall with Brad Paisley, spent winter and spring this year opening for Luke Bryan as well as the Justin Moore/Lee Brice double bill, and will join Lady Antebellum on tour beginning in May. But there’s one date in particular that he’s really looking forward to: June 2 at the Hollywood Bowl. As a native of Orange County, about an hour south of Hollywood, it’s practically a hometown gig for the proud Californian. “It is such a huge bucket list thing and I’m probably going to be the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life,” said the artist who coined the term “Caliville” to categorize what has been described as his “West Coast-meets-Southern sound.” After signing with BMLG Records, Young roared out of the gate with a pair of love songs. “Sleep Without You” went to No. 1, and the hooky, romantic follow-up, “In Case You Didn’t Know,” seems likely to do the same. Both appear on his Dann Huff-produced, self-titled debut. Including both singles, Young co-wrote 11 of the dozen tracks on the album, which debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart in February. While Young’s success appears to have happened quickly, he’s actually been working on a music career for 14 years. He scoffs at the term “overnight success,” but said, “I’m just happy and grateful at how fast it started happening once the label got involved.” He’s retained the fans that used to turn out to see him at bars and restaurants in Southern California, but his mission now is to spread “Caliville” to the rest of the country with the help of his live performances. “The bigger the venue the more people you get to share your music with, so I feel really lucky that we were given the opportunity to go on all these great tours.” He also wants his music to serve as a calling card. “I was able to pick songs for the album that I love and are very personal to me,” Young said. He hopes that will make new fans “feel like they’re getting to know me. There’s no cooler way to do that than through songs.” —Phyllis Stark BrettYoungMusic.com

JennyGillMusic.com

BRETT YOUNG

@CMACLOSEUP

photo: LoveIsABigDeal.com

enny Gill was literally born into Country Music. The daughter of Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill and Sweethearts of the Rodeo’s Janis Oliver, it was only a matter of time until she released music of her own. For six years Gill has toured as a backup singer for her stepmother, Amy Grant, and has sung background vocals in the studio for both Grant and Vince Gill. And while she enjoyed playing and performing, she wasn’t initially confident that she could do it on her own. “I play the comparison game a lot to my parents, to my peers in the business, and never felt like I was good enough,” Gill confessed. She credits her two-and-a-half-year-old son Wyatt for the decision to finally release her debut six-song EP, The House Sessions, in February. Her father produced the project, which features guest appearances by Sheryl Crow and Jon Randall, among other musicians. As Gill explained, giving birth to her son shifted her way of thinking and she soon realized she was capable of anything. “There’s this pride I have for my parents because of all [their] accomplishments,” she said. “I want [my son] to look up to me with the same kind of pride. I want him to know he can do whatever he wants if he just tries hard.” Gill wrote or cowrote five of the six songs on her autobiographical EP, but the most personal is “Your Shadow,” which addresses the frequently asked question: What’s it like being Vince Gill’s daughter? The bluesy and vulnerable ballad has the young Gill singing of finding “a dream that’ll shine on its own in the light of your shadow.” It’s a universal message that fans instantly latched onto. “[I] try to be honest, and that’s what connects everybody,” she said of her writing. “I always have looked up to songwriters. For the longest time, I was just a singer trying to find other people’s songs. This was my first attempt at writing my own song.” —Annie Reuter

CMA HONORS

Little Big Town present CMA Board member Rob Potts (center) with the Jo Walker-Meador International Award backstage at CMC Rocks QLD Festival in Australia.

Debbie Tenpenny (r) accepts the Irving Waugh Award of Excellence on behalf of her late mother, industry leader Donna Hilley, from CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern and President and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing Troy Tomlinson during the CMA Songwriters Luncheon.

CMA CLOSE UP

photos: CMA HONORS – (top to bottom) Amy Westney / CMA, Tricia Yourkevich, Lachlan Douglas, Donn Jones / CMA

BBC Radio 2 personality Bob Harris accepts the CMA International Country Broadcaster Award from Kristian Bush and U.K. broadcaster Baylen Leonard during C2C Festival in London.

photos: HAPPY PEOPLE – Greg Newton; CENTER STAGE – Jim Belmont; HONOR THY INDUCTEES – John Russell / CMA; ALL IN THE FAMILY – John Russell / CMA; STELLAR STORYTELLERS – Hunter Berry / CMA

Richard Wootton receives the Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award during the CMA U.K. Advisory Group meeting in London. (L-R) Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer; Wootton; Milly Olykan, CMA Board member and Director of Festivals and Events, The O2; and Bob Shennan, CMA Board member and BBC Director of Radio and Music.

ON THEPULSE MOVE

HAPPY PEOPLE Little Big Town, appearing on behalf of the CMA Foundation, surprise the Wadsworth High School Choir from Wadsworth, Ohio, during a Disney Performing Arts Workshop at Walt Disney World to kick off the Music in Our Schools Tour presented by Give a Note Foundation and Radio Disney.

CENTER STAGE

photos: HAPPY PEOPLE – Greg Newton; CENTER STAGE – Jim Belmont; HONOR THY INDUCTEES – John Russell / CMA; ALL IN THE FAMILY – John Russell / CMA; STELLAR STORYTELLERS – Hunter Berry / CMA

photos: CMA HONORS – (top to bottom) Amy Westney / CMA, Tricia Yourkevich, Lachlan Douglas, Donn Jones / CMA

Jennifer Nettles performs during a CMA Songwriters Series episode of “Front and Center,” now airing on public television (check local listings).

HONOR THY INDUCTEES CMA artist members join the latest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Alan Jackson and Don Schlitz (center), during the 14th Annual CMA Artist Luncheon.

ALL IN THE FAMILY Lottie Zavala and Seidina Hubbard honor their late father, Jerry Reed, as he is announced as the 2017 Country Music Hall of Fame Veterans Era Artist inductee.

STELLAR STORYTELLERS (L-R) Richie McDonald, Jim Beavers, Lee Thomas Miller, and Bob DiPiero backstage at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley following a special CMA Songwriters Series at Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival.

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STAFF LISTINGS

DAMON WHITESIDE NAMED MARKETING CHIEF

CMA CLOSE UP MANAGING EDITOR COURTNEY BEEBE CONTRIBUTING EDITOR PHYLLIS STARK DESIGN BOB BROOKS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS KEITH RYAN CARTWRIGHT, VERNELL

CMA CONGRATULATES THE FOLLOWING STAFF MEMBERS ON THEIR NEW POSITIONS:

Blackwell, Kerns, Whiteside – Donn Jones / CMA; Filogamo – Joseph Llanes / CMA

HACKETT, CMA congratulates Damon Whiteside LORIE HOLLABAUGH, ANNIE REUTER, on his new position as Chief Marketing CHRIS TALBOTT, CHUCK TAYLOR, GAYLE THOMPSON PROOFREADER BLISS BOWEN Officer. Whiteside will continue to oversee CMA Marketing, which CMA STAFF includes the Creative Services, Digital, EXECUTIVE Research, and Strategic Partnerships departments. As CMO, his new SARAH TRAHERN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER MECHALLE MYERS EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO CEO responsibilities will include oversight of the CMA Communications DAMON WHITESIDE CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER department, which will become more integrated with the overall AWARDS AND INDUSTRY RELATIONS strategic marketing teams. Reporting to Whiteside will be two newly BRANDI SIMMS SENIOR DIRECTOR OF AWARDS AND INDUSTRY RELATIONS created positions: Vice President of Communications and Talent BRENDEN OLIVER MANAGER OF AWARDS AND INDUSTRY RELATIONS ANGELA ROLAND AWARDS AND INDUSTRY RELATIONS ASSISTANT Relations and Vice President of Marketing Strategy. BUSINESS AFFAIRS In his first three years at CMA, Whiteside has been responsible KEVIN WILSON SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS for overseeing the development of multimillion-dollar marketing AARON HARTLEY DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS MEREDITH GOUCHER BUSINESS AFFAIRS COORDINATOR and media campaigns for CMA’s annual television properties and COMMUNICATIONS strengthening the partnership with CMA’s exclusive broadcast AMBER WILLIAMS VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND TALENT RELATIONS partner, ABC Television Network and The Walt Disney Company. JAY JONES DIRECTOR OF MEDIA RELATIONS COURTNEY BEEBE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Additionally, Whiteside dedicated efforts to identify and build KRISTA DIAL MANAGER OF MEDIA RELATIONS strategic partnerships with multiplatform media partners, digital COMMUNITY OUTREACH companies, and Fortune 500 brands. TIFFANY KERNS DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH LINDSEY JONES COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR Notable accomplishments include his role in the yearlong campaign for “The 50th Annual CMA Awards” and the FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION AMY SMARTT SENIOR VP OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION groundbreaking “Forever Country” single and music video; the KEN SANDERSON DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY launch of CMA Brand Marketing Summits in New York and London; JENNIFER CROWDER SENIOR MANAGER OF ACCOUNTING SERVICES MELISSA MAYNARD SENIOR MANAGER OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES growth across CMA digital platforms; the relaunch of CMA’s YouTube BEN BALCH MANAGER OF ACCOUNTING SERVICES JUSTIN RANDALL NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR channel and content creation efforts; integrated media partnerships TAYLOR TAPP SYSTEMS AND APPLICATION MANAGER with top digital, radio, and cable television partners; rebranding of ANGELA BROWN FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR MARYANN DICKS FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION SPECIALIST CMA Music Festival and Fan Fair X; supporting the CMA Board of KATHY GILLIHAN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/RECEPTIONIST Directors’ expansion of international efforts; and overall retooling of LIVE EVENTS CMA Marketing, Research, and Strategic Partnerships teams to better CHRIS CRAWFORD SENIOR DIRECTOR OF LIVE EVENTS serve the needs of the Country Music industry. DIANE BEARDEN-ENRIGHT SENIOR MANAGER OF MEETINGS AND LOGISTICS KRIS KENNEDY VILMA SALINAS CHRIS HARRINGTON GREG PITMAN MANDI NAYLOR

SENIOR MANAGER OF EVENTS SENIOR MANAGER OF EVENT LOGISTICS MANAGER OF EVENT TICKETING PRODUCTION MANAGER LIVE EVENTS COORDINATOR

MARKET RESEARCH

KAREN STUMP

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKET RESEARCH

COURTNEY LEDFORD SENIOR MANAGER OF MARKET RESEARCH Tiffany Kerns NATALIE WILSON SENIOR COORDINATOR OF MARKET RESEARCH DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNITY CATHERINE BLACKWELL SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING OUTREACH AMANDA ECKARD DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES MERYL JOHNSON DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY CMA Close Up® welcomes your letters and feedback. Phone: 615.244.2840. CHRISTIAN BOTTORFF MANAGER OF CREATIVE SERVICES Fax: 615.242.4783. Email: CloseUp@CMAworld.com AMANDA HAEFFNER MARKETING MANAGER ADDRESS CHANGE? Email Membership@CMAworld.com to correct your MARY OVEREND DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER address information so you don’t miss any issues of CMA Close Up. ALINA THOMPSON MARKETING COORDINATOR Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the contributors alone and TAYLOR VIEGUT DIGITAL COORDINATOR do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers, directors, members or staff of CMA. MARTY FILOGAMO BRAND AND DESIGN SPECIALIST Catherine Blackwell SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Marty Filogamo BRAND AND DESIGN SPECIALIST

©2017 Country Music Association®, Inc. Materials may not be reproduced without STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS written permission. CMA Close Up is a registered trademark owned by CMA. EMILY EVANS DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS All logos and photos used by permission. KEVIN COFFEY SENIOR MANAGER OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS CMA Close Up (ISSN 0896-372X), Volume 51, Issue 2, is published quarterly by LARA HENLEY SENIOR MANAGER OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Country Music Association, 35 Music Square East, Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37203. HAILEY STEINBUCHEL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS COORDINATOR Annual subscription price of $25 is included in membership dues. Periodicals Postage Paid at Nashville, TN. POSTMASTER: Send address PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE changes to CMA Close Up, 35 Music Square East, Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37203.

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CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL MEMBER KICK OFF PARTY Friday, June 2 CMA headquarters Don’t miss it! YOUTUBE LOGO SPECS

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