Having to cancel tours and stay home was a pain in the neck for most singers and bands. But in one way, the timing kinda worked out for the “King of Country” George Strait, who had a pain in the… knee! So George recently underwent successful knee replacement surgery. He told Billboard, “I had a knee replaced right before the quarantine. I had been planning that for a while. It went very well, but I had to rehab on my own due to the obvious conditions. I’m ready to go again now though. All good.”
You can find info about tickets to George’s scheduled Strait to Texas shows in Las Vegas, and Honky Tonk Time Machine, George’s 30th studio album at http://www.georgestrait.com/
Buddy Jewell has set June 26 as the release date of his most ambitious album to date, the 15-song Bluebonnet Highway on Diamond Dust Records. The collection spans Country, Americana and Bluegrass and includes several originals, re-records of Buddy’s hits and covers of some of his favorite and most influential songs.
“I had so much fun making this record,” said Jewell. “My producer Mitchell Brown and friend Ernie Evans approached me with the idea of doing this project and were very instrumental in helping me pick the songs. I owe most of this mess or success to those two guys!”
The new album pays homage to Buddy’s heroes and influences like Waylon Jennings, Ed Bruce, The Band, Tom T. Hall, Buck Owens and Billy Joe Shaver. Originals include the Jewell-written “Bluebonnet Highway” and the hilarious “Willie Gave Up Weed.” The first single from Bluebonnet Highway will be the heart-tugging “Teardrop in the Gulf of Mexico,” which Buddy wrote with Jerry Salley. The single is already #2 on the Airplay Direct Global Radio Indicator Chart. Find the music and more at http://buddyjewell.com/
The Judds will receive a star on the world’s most famous walkway, The Hollywood Walk of Fame. “Walking down Hollywood Boulevard, and seeing those stars under my feet, it just never occurred to me that our names would one day be on a Star with all of those famous people. It’s surreal to even imagine it now. I’m thrilled that we have been given such amazing recognition,” Naomi Judd shared. Five-time Grammy, nine-time CMA and seven-time ACM Award-winning iconic duo,
The Judds join Kelly Clarkson, Missy Elliott, Trisha Yearwood, Nick Cannon, Courteney Cox, Zac Efron and 28 other entertainers as part of the landmark’s newest class of 2021 inductees. Recipients have two years to schedule star ceremonies from the date of selection before they expire. More on The Judds at https://www.facebook.com/thejudds/
Willie Nelson is back with a ‘new’ release… of a 40-year-old song. “We Are The Cowboys”– the fourth single and latest video from Willie’s forthcoming studio album First Rose Of Spring — is now available online. The video for “We Are The Cowboys” was created and directed by Willie’s son Micah Nelson. The song, originally recorded by Billy Joe Shaver on I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal in 1981, was also recorded on Honky Tonk Heroes, by a collective of Shaver, Willie, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson in 1999.
First Rose Of Spring will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats as well as part of exclusive merch bundles on Willie’s web store on Friday, July 3. Visit http://willienelson.com/
Two big CMA events set for July. The CMA announced “a night of the hottest country music” to take place on July 1, when stars Jimmie Allen and Lindsay Ell host the first-ever CMA Summer Stay-Cay presented by Budweiser Nitro Gold. Fans can tune into CMA’s YouTube channel and Facebook page to catch more than 50 of their favorite Country acts coming together (while safely apart). The multi-hour live stream variety show kicks off at 6pm ET July 1, and the full line-up will be announced on the CMA Fest app and at https://cmasummerstaycay.com/
Then Luke Bryan hosts CMA Best of Fest, a three-hour retrospective airing Thursday, July 9 at 8/7c on ABC-TV, featuring more than 25 unforgettable performances having aired on television over the last 16 years of “CMA Fest,” plus a new performance with Bryan and special guest Darius Rucker. Artists appearing in the TV special include: Trace Adkins, Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, and more. Info at https://cmafest.com/
Last year, music icon Randy Travis released his memoir, Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith, and Braving the Storms of Life. Last month, the memoir took over the No. 1 spot on Book Authority’s 82 Best Country Music Books of All Time list. The memoir recounts his life including all the ups and downs. Travis has endured a lot over the course of his life. It details his early childhood memories, recovering from a life-changing stroke and painful divorce all the way to learning to enjoy the life he was given and the Grace of God. Forever and Ever, Amen can be purchased at various retailers at www.foreverandeveramenbook.com More about the book and Randy Travis at www.RandyTravis.com
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“I Know Country” Q&A from www.IKnowCountry.com
QUESTION: Who could “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” with a No. 1 hit on this date in 2007?
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College of Songology Minute – Part 2 Copyright
When you come to Nashville with a dream of a life in music, there is SO much you need to learn to keep you on track – and safe! Last week we talked about songwriting. This week, we’ll look at Copyright ad why it matters to you.
The person who owns the copyright has certain ‘exclusive rights’ to the created work and how it can be used by others.
- A copyright protects you from having your creative work stolen (or infringed’ in legal terms), or used by others without your permission.
- A copyright legally allows you to earn money when the song is performed or recorded.
As the holder of the copyright, you have the right to license the copyrighted material to other artists or bands wishing to record them. That’s how you make money from the songs you write and we’ll talk about Licensing next time.
Technically, your song is copyrighted as soon as it is ‘fixed’ in some form, such as a typed sheet of lyrics with you name, the © copyright symbol and the date. But registering your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office at the Library of Congress provides you with legal proof that you are the owner of the ‘work.’
If you had a baby, you would register the birth by acquiring a Birth Certificate so there’s no dispute that this is your baby. Think of registering your song’s copyright as a ‘birth certificate’ for your ‘baby’ … the song you created!
You don’t need to register every song with the U.S. Copyright Office as soon as it is written. And you can register up to 10 unpublished songs at the same time.
It can be complicated – and it’s important to get it right. There is a lot of helpful information and tutorials at http://copyright.gov If you have a question about copyright, you can contact me at [email protected]
Billboard Country Airplay Top 5 for June 27
- (8) “In Between” Scotty McCreery
- (4) “Here and Now” Kenny Chesney
- (3) “Chasin’ You” Morgan Wallen
- (7) “One Margarita” Luke Bryan
- (9) “Hard to Forget” Sam Hunt
- Jumping from 8 to 1, Scotty McCreery’s “In Between” is the second-greatest ‘rise to the summit’ in the chart’s 30-year history… second only to a another ‘between’ song: Ricky Van Shelton’s “Keep it Between the Lines” in October 1991, according to Billboard.
- “In Between” – written by Scotty along with Jason Alexander, Frank Rogers and Jonathan Singleton – is Scotty’s third consecutive Bo. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay charts.
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“I Know Country” Q&A ANSWER: That’s my friend Tracy Lawrence. It was his first No. 1 in eleven years.
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Number One Country Songs this week over the years
June 23, 1961 “Hello Walls” – Faron Young
June 23, 1971 “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” – Jerry Reed
June 23, 1981 “But You Know I Love You” – Dolly Parton
June 23, 1991 “The Thunder Rolls” – Garth Brooks
June 23, 2001 “I’m Already There” – Lonestar
This week’s Country Music Birthdays
June 21 Kathy Mattea, 1959
Porter Howell (Little Texas), 1964
June 22 Kris Kristofferson, 1936
June 23 June Carter Cash, 1929 (died May 15, 2003)
Alison Krauss, 1971
June 26 Gretchen Wilson, 1973
June 27 Lorrie Morgan, 1959
Preshias Harris is a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Visit www.collegeofsongology.com for more details. Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com
Harris is also the author of “I Know Country” with 366 daily country music questions and answers. You can buy and instantly download your e-book copy at www.IKnowCountry.com
