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Country Singer/Songwriters Are Hot Investments
- When someone starts talking about IPOs and investing my eyes gloss over, but if you have some money to blow, I mean invest, then country music is apparently a hot commodity. And by “some money,” I mean a minimum of $500,000.
Country singer/songwriters are the single hottest investment property you can find in 2008. A new artist that writes their own original material will literally make an investor three to four times their investment with original copyrights now paying over a million dollars for one hit record (ASCAP,BMI or SESAC) that stays in the charts an average of 21-23 weeks.
- Gretchen Wilson’s latest single, “You Don’t Have To Go Home,” released way back in September, is showing some surprising legs at radio. In the past seven days the song has jumped 53 spots on the MediaBase country chart, up to #54 from #107. The song’s spins have increased to 83 in the same period–up from 55. WBCT-Grand Rapids, and WIVK-Knoxville, are leading the charge, accounting for more than half of the song’s total audience. No word yet on why the renewed interest in an otherwise dead track.
- Michael McFadden, artistic producer of “Ring of Fire–The Music of Johnny Cash,” says that the show tries to present the full measure of Johnny Cash.
“The show is a celebration of Johnny Cash but no one can truly play Johnny Cash,” he said. “The singers theatricalize the numbers with their own styles.”
McFadden continued, “But people come to hear those great songs and the treat will be the audience will hear great artists perform the songs. Doing it this way gives us the freedom of having different voices, lots of harmonies, different arrangements that we can mix to make it very visual and exciting.
The 9513’s very own Matt C caught the show and wrote a review yesterday.
- Country Universe published the last two installments of “The Fifty Best Debut Singles of All-Time” and it features artists like Dolly Parton, Lefty Frizzell, Dwight Yoakum, and Deana Carter. You don’t want to miss the top spot, so check ‘em out: part four and five.
- After high school Adam Hood gave up playing music for a while to focus on raising his daughter, but he couldn’t stay gone. He played nearly 300 shows across the country last year. Read his Q&A with 210SA and then go check out some of his music on MySpace.
- Country Mike discovered a YouTube video of Alan Jackson and Lee Ann Womack covering the famous George Jones-Tammy Wynette duet “Golden Ring”. Funny thing is, Jackson calls her “Lou Ann” at the beginning of the video.
- The author of latherblather posted five videos from his fourth straight year at the Dale Watson Christmas show at the Continental Club in Austin, and he shares the following interaction between Watson and a random lady who wanted to sing:
Dale: What key do you want
Random Woman: I don’t know I am just going to sing
Dale: Ok start singing
Random Woman sings off mic
Dale plays a few notes on his guitar
Dale to band: B-flat guys
Song gets playedThat should give you a bit of an idea how good these musicians are.
- If you weren’t able to attend MusicFest–the Mecca of Red Dirt music–in Steamboat, Colorado this year you can still catch some live performances on XM channel 12. Check out LoneStarMusic for the schedule.
- Toby Keith still remembers in detail the first time he heard himself on country radio, it’s a moment he shared with Shania Twain on a bus for their first tour.
- American Idol season 6 finalist Phil Stacey released his debut single to country radio today. “If You Didn’t Love Me” was co-written by Wendell Mobley, Jason Sellers and Rascal Flatts’s Gary LeVox.
- The Lost Highway lists the fifteen best country albums of 2007.
- Matraca Berg had her first hit at 18 with “Faking Love”, a co-write with Bobby Braddock that went No. 1 for T.G. Sheppard and Karen Brooks. Read her Q&A with Peter Cooper.
Does the best stuff get through?
No. I think there are unbelievable songs out there that will never see the light of day. There’s always a great one that slips through and has mass appeal, but it’s harder these days because of the corporate mentality of music right now. Every now and then a “Whiskey Lullaby” slips through, or a “Bless the Broken Road.”
- As the decade mark passes by Tom Roland remembers the grand duel that ensued between LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood over the song “How Do I Live”. It was the first time in history that two singers squared off in the same category with the same song at the Grammy Awards.
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In Memory of Don Helms (1927 - 2008) Helms dated back to a time when an excellent four or five piece band and a good singer were all that were needed to make great country music. No drums, no light shows, no production tricks in the recording studio–just good music.
Don’t look now, but Darius Rucker, lead singer of 90s rock group Hootie & The Blowfish, has a country hit on his hands. What you probably haven’t heard is that Rucker is the first black artist to chart a single in the country top 20 since Charley Pride last did it in 1988.
News that former Sugarland member and co-founder Kristen Hall is suing her ex-mates, to the tune of $1.5 million, goes a long way towards providing a bit of context regarding the Atlanta singer/songwriter’s sudden departure from the group.
Josh Gracin - “Unbelievable (Ann Marie)” Despite initial marketing that touted the album as deep and personal, “Unbelievable (Ann Marie)” is anything but deep or personal.
Josh Turner - "Everything Is Fine" Turner is the rare example of an artist who records material that’s both quality and trademark.
Darryl Worley - "Tequila On Ice" A groovy mid-tempo that sways, a refreshing reprieve from the exhausting pace of a format that clamors for loud music and swelling choruses.
Blake Shelton - "She Wouldn't Be Gone" It’s all about nailing the melody rather than providing a legitimate interpretation that accentuates the lyrical content, although Shelton does do a pretty good job of injecting what limited emotion he can.
Forgotten Artist: David Rogers David Rogers (1936-1993) is proof of the adage that it’s great to be on a major label, but only if the label is truly behind you.
Forgotten Artist: Charley Pride For the ’70s, Billboard has Charley listed as its third ranking singles artist behind only Conway Twitty and Merle Haggard. 
In this exclusive interview with The 9513, the Show Dog Records trio talks about growing up around Waylon and Jessi Colter, and about how those experiences have helped shaped their music as they set off on their own country music journey.
One of an emerging wave of artists empowered by decreasing production costs and a rapidly changing distribution landscape, Kelleigh Bannen has taken a do-it-yourself approach to her debut album, Radio Skies.Tagged In This Article
Adam Hood // Alan Jackson // American Idol // Dale Watson // Deana Carter // Dolly Parton // George Jones // Gretchen Wilson // Johnny Cash // LeAnn Rimes // Lee Ann Womack // Lefty Frizzell // Lonestar // Matraca Berg // Rascal Flatts // Red Dirt // Shania Twain // Toby Keith // Trisha Yearwood
Current Discussion
- leeann: I *did* mention the Lauderdale song in my review. I really liked it. He sounds...
- Thomas: "whereas rap was the word of truth, today country is where you go for honesty".....
- Razor X: The Jim Lauderdale track is excellent. Another one that I liked better than I t...
- Dylan Gramm: Why does that statement make Keith a racist?...
- f_t_e: Namely this: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/30/toby-keith-obama-white/ "...
- f_t_e: Yeah, because if there's anyone who would have supported John McCain, it's the m...
- Josh: Rascal's "I'm Moving On" was good.. that's all I got....
- Mirandas2cool: Kenny really has made some bad choices lately. I really like I go back and his o...
- Dylan Gramm: What's the Jim Lauderdale track like?...
- leeann: I didn't mention it in my review, but I didn't like the Skaggs duet either. It ...
3 Comments
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January 15, 2008 at 7:26 pm Permalink
Taylor Swift is the best song writter
January 27, 2008 at 11:36 am Permalink
Howdy, I found this article and web-site while I was surfing the web and I just wanted to introduce myself to you! My name is Brady Redding
and I am a Texas country music singer/songwriter with 2 cd’s to my credit! One that was produced in Texas and one that was produced at the best and with the best in Nashville!! You can find my music at http://www.soundclick.com/bradyredding!
Please visit my web-site and I sincerely hope you enjoy my music and help me spread the word about myself!
From A Texas Singer/Songwriter
Lost In The Shuffle
May 26, 2008 at 8:19 am Permalink
i have a song called 4 inchces of print.It’s about death and what it means to the living.I need
someone who’s estabilished to look and see if they want it. i’ve got hundreds more
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