The board of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame has decided to reschedule the 2020 Gala to 2021. They had high hopes for another stellar event to celebrate our 50th Anniversary this fall, but the current health climate prevented this from happening. , However, they WILL elect a Class of 2020. And will announce a new group of future inductees in the next few weeks. They will then honor the Class of 2020 alongside the Class of 2021 in a special double-sized event next fall as we celebrate ‘Nashville Songwriting’s Most Legendary Night.’” There will be more information in the weeks to come. See also http://www.nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/
The star studded fourth annual Dottie West Birthday Bash hosted by Grand Ole Opry Member Jeannie Seely and slated for October 14th at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville has been rescheduled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic to October 13, 2021. The event, which has supported the Nashville Musicians Association with 100% of all money going to the Musician’s Emergency Relief Fund asks supporters to make donations to the Musician’s Emergency Relief Fund to support the music community during this time. Donations can be made at https://www.nashvillemusicians.org/.
“It is especially regrettable that we have to postpone this event because, of all times, this year the need is even more urgent. With the shutdown of our entire music industry due to Covid, musicians are really struggling as well as all the other jobs associated with live entertainment,” explained Jeannie Seely. “This year’s show honoring Charlie McCoy was promising to be one of our best. No one personifies ‘musician’ more than Charlie and he is so supportive of this cause. We would appreciate any donation you might offer anyway. WE WILL BE BACK!” More about Jeannie Seely at http://www.jeannieseely.com/
[Dottie West died September 4, 1991. See ‘This Week In Country Music’ below.]
Artists and fans share videos at Music.com. Check out a cool online destination focused on artist-forward, first-person storytelling, called Music.com. At the site, artist share personal thoughts and ideas about their music in a deeply personal way. Now Luke Bryan is doing just that, sharing personal details about each track on his new album, Born Here Live Here Die Here. The post includes videos for two tracks, “Build Me A Daddy” and “Down to One,” which feature Luke talking about the stories behind the two songs. Here’s a link to Luke’s feature at the site: https://music.com/story/search?q=bornhereliveherediehere
One of the coolest features of Music.com is that fans are asked to share their own video reactions to the songs. Music.com launched in May with a “500 Artists Wanted” initiative, paying indie artists impacted by Covid-19 the cost of an average gig, when they posted the story behind one of their songs on the platform. Warning: Music.com is addictive! You’ll find yourself going from one story to the next, maybe about songs or artists that are new to you.
•••
“I Know Country” Q&A from www.IKnowCountry.com
QUESTION: Can you name the Country duo who played their ‘final’ concert on September 2nd, 2010 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville?
•••
Lukas Nelson wants to make a ‘Desert Island’ record. In an interview with the Tennessean, Lukas – son of Willie Nelson – says he has spent much of the self-quarantining time going through his collection of 200+ unpublished songs he has written over the past ten years. The objective: find the songs that are the best of the batch and good enough to go on an album you’d want to take with you on a desert island. He and his team reduced the hundreds down to 25 and finally 15 – “the cream of the crop,” he says – as he prepares to go into a studio to record the project.
Lukas told The Tennessean’s Matthew Leimkueler: “It’s still humbling knowing there are many things I’m terrible at. There are a couple things I’m pretty damn good at. And one of ’em (is) songwriting.”
Find the full interview at https://www.tennessean.com/ under the ‘Music’ sub-head.
This week In Country Music
August 30, 1949 Hank Williams recorded “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”. It was released as the B-side to the (now largely forgotten) “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It.”
September 2, 1982 Willie Nelson’s Always on My Mind was No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album charts. (the title track was originally recorded by Brenda Lee in 1972.)
September 3, 1986 Randy Travis’ first album, Storms of Life, was Np. 1 on the Billboard Country Album charts and included the singles “On the Other Hand”, “Diggin’ Up Bones”, “1982” and “No Place Like Home”.
September 4, 1954 George Jones married wife No. 2, Shirley Ann Corley, aged 18. They divorced in 1968.
September 4, 1991 Dottie West died during surgery following a car wreck, a few days earlier, on her way to appear at the Grand Ole Opry. (Dottie’s car, a gift from Kenny Rogers after her own car was repossessed, had stalled out and Dottie’s 81-year-old neighbor was driving her to the Opry and allegedly took a corner too fast at Dottie’s urging.)
This Week’s Country Music Birthdays
September 1 Conway Twitty, 1933 (died: June 5, 1993)
Steve Goetzman (Exile), 1950
Charlie Robinson, 1964 (retired from singing in 2018 following cancer surgery)
Angaleena Presley (Pistol Annies), 1976
Charlie Worsham (formerly Old Crow Medicine Show) 1985
September 2 Paul Deakin (The Mavericks), 1959
September 3 Tompall Glaser (‘outlaw’ country artist) 1933 (died August 13, 2013)
•••
“I Know Country” Q&A ANSWER: Brooks & Dunn. Their final song: “Brand New Man” (which was their first hit single).
- They reunited for a series of concerts in Las Vegas from December 2014 through mid-2015, and appeared occasionally in Vegas thereafter.
- They also released an album, titled Reboot, in 2019, and also appeared as ‘battle advisors’ that same year on The Voice. So not really a retirement…
•••
Billboard Country Airplay Chart Top 5 (for September 5)
- (3) “Lovin’ On You” Luke Combs
- (5) “I Love My Country” FGL
- (6) “Cool Again” Kane Brown
- (7) “Be a Light” Thomas Rhett*
- (2) “Die From a Broken Heart” Maddie & Tae
* “Be a Light” features Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin & Keith Urban
“Lovin’ On You” is Luke Combs 9th consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. Combs co-wrote the song with Thomas Archer, Ray Fulcher and James McNair
On The Album Charts
Tim McGraw’s Here on Earth debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart – the 16th time one of his albums has debuted atop the album charts. He has now achieved No. 1 albums in four consecutive decades. The album includes McGraw’s rising single, “I Called Mama.”
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.
