Friday 21 April 2017

Country Bites News snippets April 10, 2017 – April 16, 2017

SOURCES / LINKS shown

For the latest Billboard Country Charts Blog Post go HERE

UK & IRISH News

For a full listing of 2017 and beyond UK Tour dates PLEASE check out our Tour Dates Page

On the BBC Radio 2 Playlist for the week commencing Saturday 15th April 2017
Imelda May with “Should've Been You” was on the “B” Playlist:
Sheryl Crow with “Halfway There” was on the “B” Playlist:
Album of the Week:
Imelda May - Life. Love. Flesh. Blood. (Decca (UMO))

(12 April 2017) Decca/Universal Showcase: The Wandering Hearts at St Pancras Old Church
Following their recent signing to Decca Records/Universal, emerging folk-Americana band The Wandering Hearts are set to perform in a showcase concert, on Wednesday 26 April (8PM), featuring brand new songs from their upcoming debut album.
A fresh take on the Americana genre, The Wandering Hearts are described as: “reminiscent of the likes of Chris Stapleton and The Lumineers, with the edge of Fleetwood Mac. Their seamless vocal harmonies and pop sensibility adds a twist of ABBA, whilst keeping their British roots at the very heart of their music”. Find them on Facebook

(15 April 2017) The Rising announce sophomore album 'Moving On' in association with Pledge Music

(15 April 2017) First Names announced for SummerTyne Americana Festival 2017


(16 April 2017) British Country Music Association (BCMA) Awards and BCMA Best of British line-ups announced

UK CHART NEWS

Official UK Top 100 Singles Chart (Week Ending 20 April 2017)
14 April 2017 - 20 April 2017
After 13 straight weeks atop the singles chart, Ed Sheeran's Shape Of You is finally toppled. Falling to No.2 on sales of 59,657 copies, it is replaced by Sign Of The Times, the intense, brooding debut solo single by One Direction's Harry Styles.
Despite initial concerns from fans that it was difficult to find on Spotify, Sign Of The Times racked up combined sales of 62,900 copies, of which 23,472 - the sixth highest tally in the chart - came from streaming (As of April 19 29.4 Million Spotify Streams) and 39,428 were pure sales.
Although a more succinct 4m 7s edit has been serviced to radio, the only version of Sign Of The Times available to the public at this point is the full 5m 40s version. It is the longest song on the chart, and also the longest No.1 single for more than 15 years, with the only one of 476 prior No.1 hits in the 21st century to have a longer playing time being Eminem's 2000 chart-topper Stan (feat. Dido), which was 6m 44s.
Twenty-three-year-old Styles is the fourth member of One Direction to release material outside the group, leaving only new dad Liam Payne to venture out alone. Departed One Direction member Zayn Malik is the only other member of the band to have a solo No.1, topping the list in February 2016 with introductory single Pillowtalk, racking up first week sales of 112,497. He has since gone on to place 11 songs in the Top 200 and four in the Top 40, of which the latest, PartyNextDoor collaboration Still Got Time spent its first two weeks on the list at No.24 but ventures south for the first time this week, moving to No.29 (18,226 sales).

Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart (Week Ending 20 April 2017)
14 April 2017 - 20 April 2017

Ed Sheeran's ÷ album racked up its sixth straight week atop the list on sales of 83,655 copies (including 24,502 from streams + 59,153 in pure sales).
÷ sold more than three times as many copies as nearest challenger Rag'N'Bone Man's debut album Human, which is No.2 for the fifth time in a 10-week chart career, and Sheeran's runner-up for the fourth time on sales of 26,110 copies.
The Chainsmokers have racked up four Top 10 singles in the last nine months, and their introductory full-length album Memories... Do Not Open followed suit this week, with a debut at No.3 (18,314 sales).


The Shires with MY UNIVERSE fell 54-81 with estimated sales 1,000 in their 28th frame.
28 week total 116,000 | No.3 debut (14,913 sales).

Chart Run: 3-7-14-27-36-45-43-45-43-48-59-52-54-30-26-25-20-24-26-17-29-33-53-62-26-51-54-81





Official UK Country Album Top 20 (Week Ending 20 April 2017)
14 April 2017 - 20 April 2017

Alison Krauss with WINDY CITY held at #1 (6 weeks; #1 peak)
Rodney Crowell with CLOSE TIES rose 3-2 (2 weeks; #2 peak)
Chris Stapleton with TRAVELLER climbed 4-3 (48 weeks; #1 peak)
The Mavericks with BRAND NEW DAY fell 2-4 (3 weeks; #2 peak)
Lady Antebellum with NEED YOU NOW held at #5 (193 weeks; #1 peak)
Little Big Town with THE BREAKER held at #6 (7 weeks; #1 peak)
Andrew Combs with CANYONS OF MY MIND made a debut at #7
Dierks Bentley with BLACK fell 7-8 (21 weeks; #1 peak)
Miranda Lambert with THE WEIGHT OF THESE WINGS climbed 11-9 (21 weeks; #3 peak)
Lady Antebellum with 747 held at #10 (106 weeks; #1 peak)
Outside the top 10
Colvin & Earle with COLVIN & EARLE moved 17-11 (13 weeks; #1 peak)
Brothers Osborne with PAWN SHOP rose 14-12 (5 weeks; #5 peak)
Holly Macve with GOLDEN EAGLE retreated 9-14 (6 weeks; #3 peak)
Phil Odegrs with ROLL TO THE LEFT made a debut at #18 (Tagged Indie Rock, Alt, Pop)

Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40 (Week Ending 20 April 2017)
14 April 2017 - 20 April 2017

This Week/ Last Week/ Title/ Artist
1 NEW Pure Comedy Father John Misty [Tagged Alt]
2 4 Windy City Alison Krauss [Tagged Country]
3 2 Semper Femina Laura Marling [Tagged Singer/Songwriter]
4 3 Prisoner Ryan Adams [Tagged Rock]
5 9 Cleopatra Lumineers [Tagged Alt]
6 NEW Hopeless Romantic Michelle Branch
7 1 Mental Illness Aimee Mann [Tagged Alternative]
8 NEW Double Roses Karen Elson
9 8 A/B Kaleo [Tagged Alt]
10 7 Red Earth & Pouring Rain Bear's Den [Tagged Alternative]
Outside The Top 10
11 NEW Canyons Of My Mind Andrew Combs
12 35 Honest Life Courtney Marie Andrews
15 10 Freedom Highway Rhiannon Giddens [Tagged Singer/Songwriter]
16 5 Close Ties Rodney Crowell [Tagged Country]
18 11 Lighthouse David Crosby [Tagged Rock]
20 NEW Lore Sean Rowe
21 13 Brand New Day The Mavericks [Tagged Country]
23 6 Almost Home Keston Cobblers Club [Tagged Alternative Folk]

UK Country iTunes Chart Sat April 15 21:00
Songs
1. Johnny Cash - Hurt (#229 overall UK Singles chart)
2. Lady Antebellum - Need You Now (#346 overall UK Singles chart)
3. Chris Stapleton - Tennessee Whiskey (#351 overall UK Singles chart)
4. Chris Stapleton - Broken Halos (#403 overall UK Singles chart)
5. Maren Morris - My Church (#409 overall UK Singles chart) | Last Week #1 (#109 overall UK Singles chart)
6. John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Roads (#420 overall UK Singles chart)
7. Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers - Islands in the Stream (#577 overall UK Singles chart)
8. Dolly Parton - Jolene (#715 overall UK Singles chart)
9. Sam Hunt - Body Like A Back Road (#796 overall UK Singles chart)
10. Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around (#847 overall UK Singles chart)
Of Note:
18. Lady Antebellum - You Look Good | Last week #5 (#690 overall UK Singles chart)
25.Thomas Rhett - Craving You (feat. Maren Morris) | Last week (#1110 overall UK Singles chart)

UK Country iTunes Chart Sat April 15, 2017 21:00
Albums
1. The Shires - My Universe (#108 overall UK Albums chart)
2. Sam Outlaw - Tenderheart (#127 overall UK Albums chart) | Debut #1 (#68 overall UK Albums chart) | Sat April 15: #1 (#110 overall)
3. Ward Thomas - Cartwheels (#163 overall UK Album chart)
4. Ward Thomas - A Shorter Story (#167 overall UK Album chart) | Last week #14 #586 overall UK Albums chart)
5. Chris Stapleton - Traveller (#243 overall UK Album chart)
6. Various Artists - The Country Album (# 259 overall UK Albums chart)
7. Various Artists - Country 101 All Time Greats (#260 overall UK Albums chart)
8. Lady Antebellum - Need You Now (#275 overall UK Albums chart)
9. Kenny Rogers - Daytime Friends The Very Best Of (#334 overall UK Albums chart)
10. Dolly Parton - The Very Best Of (#282 overall UK Albums chart)
Of Note:
11. Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt - The Complete Trio (#426 overall UK Albums chart)
12. Hayseed Dixie - Free Your Mind… And Your Grass Will Follow (#431 overall UK Albums chart) | Debut #2; then #9 (#277 overall)
13. Chris Shiflett - West Coast Town (#437 overall UK Albums chart) | Debut #7 (#186 overall UK Albums chart) | Sat April 15: #12 (#321 overall)
23. Kellimarie - Under the Same Stars (#835 overall UK Albums chart) | Debut #8 (#187 overall UK Albums chart) | Sat April 15 #18 (#549 overall)
24. Andrew Combs - Canyons of My Mind (844 overall UK Albums chart) | Last week #9
25. Bailey Bryan - So Far (#848 overall UK Albums chart) | Debut #37 (#708 overall UK Albums chart) | Sat April 15 #19 (#556 overall)
29. Caroline Dare - Me (#1049 overall UK Albums chart) | Debut #12 (#344 overall UK Albums chart)  | Sat April 15 #25 (#928 overall UK Albums chart)
38. Dylan Schneider - Spotlight's on You (#1412 overall UK Albums chart) | Debut #37 (#945 overall UK Albums chart)

UK COUNTRY ALBUM RELEASES

(14 April 2017) Sam Outlaw - Tenderheart (Six Shooter Records)
13 Tracks/ Time: 42:47 (CMP April 2017; 3.1/2 STARS)

(14 April 2017) Carter Sampson - Queen of Oklahoma and Other Songs (Continental Record Services)
14 Tracks/ Time: 1:00:14 (CMP April 2017; 4 STARS) Amazon UK - Amazon.com 

(14 April 2017) Chris Shiflett - West Coast Town (SideOneDummy Records)
10 Tracks/ Time: 31:48 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

(14 April 2017) Kellimarie - Under the Same Stars (EP) (Big Help Music) UK
4 Tracks/ Time: 14:57 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
She’s a singer/songwriter from Coventry, the youngest of 5 children WEBSITEFACEBOOK   



(14 April 2017) Caroline Dare - Me (EP) (300 Entertainment)
6 Tracks/ Time: 21:13 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com  
Caroline Dare is a 16-year old NC/Nashville

(14 April 2017) Bailey Bryan - So Far (EP)
5 Tracks/ Time: 17:56 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

(14 April 2017) Hayseed Dixie - Free Your Mind… And Your Grass Will Follow (Hayseed Dixie Records)
13 Tracks/ Time: 45:58 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

(14 April 2017) Meghan Woods - Twenty Seventeen (Self Released)
9 Tracks/ Time: 31:26 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Debut UK Country iTunes #54 ** That's a Hallelujah

(14 April 2017) Dylan Schneider - Spotlight's on You (EP)  
5 Tracks/ Time: 14:59 Country/ Pop Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

(14 April 2017) McKenna Faith - Poison (Single; Treble Entertainment, LLC.)
Time: 2:58 Country/ Pop Amazon UK - UK iTunes

CANADIAN NEWS
(12 April 2017) NEW MUSIC Meghan Patrick Be Country With Me
Check out the latest release from Meghan Patrick's debut album Grace & Grit "Be Country With Me"

Release Date: 29 April 2016
Meghan Patrick - Grace & Grit (Iron Songbird Enterprises/ Warner Music Canada)
13 Tracks/ Time 36:55
Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

In addition to her new single, Meghan Patrick has also been nominated for an astounding 7 Country Music Association of Ontario awards, leading the pack in nominations for the year.  The nominations include nods for Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Music Video of the Year, as well as nominations in both the Rising Star Award and Fan's Choice categories.  These mark the first time Meghan has been nominated for CMAO awards.
Coming off her first top ten hit at radio "Still Loving You (feat. Joe Nichols)" Meghan is here strong with her latest release "Be Country With Me". With background vocals and guitar from Vince Gill, who also produced the track with Justin Niebank (Blake Shelton, Keith Urban), it is sure to be a great summer hit!
Of the single, Meghan says "When I wrote this song with Bruce Wallace and Lila McCann, I was talking about what my idea of romance was in my hometown out in the country.  They laughed and said "well that sounds awesome, I think just about any guy would want to come 'be country' with you.  One of the best parts of this song's story though, is the fact that I had the opportunity to record it at Vince Gill's home studio and have him sing and play on it.  That was a real milestone for me and an incredible experience. Justin Niebank and Vince's vision for the production was the last piece of the puzzle to make this song what it is today: my favourite cut on the album."

Meghan Patrick's debut single, >> "Bow Chicka Wow Wow", set a record for most first week adds for a debut single by a female Canadian at Country Radio, and reached the Top 20. The accompanying video also peaked inside the Top 20 as a Heavy rotation mainstay on CMT. "Bow Chicka Wow Wow" garnered Meghan's first CCMA nomination in the "Songwriter of the Year" category.
The album's second single and title track "Grace & Grit," has the distinction of being the third highest charting single by a female Canadian Country artist this year, reaching #12.  "Bow Chicka Wow Wow" and "Grace & Grit" combined have surpassed 20,000 spins on Canadian radio.




















Meghan's debut album, Grace & Grit, debuted at #2 on the SoundScan Top Country Albums Chart and Top 15 on both the Top Albums and Digital albums charts.
To make this album, Meghan travelled to a number of studios in Canada and America, including the capital city of country music, Nashville. To go with her great work with Vince Gill and Justin Niebank, she has also worked with producers like fellow Canadians Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, Chris Baseford (Nickelback, Avril Lavigne) and Carly McKillip (One More Girl). To add even more star power to her debut Meghan brought in a few more big names, including multiple CCMA award winners Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Gord Bamford and Patricia Conroy. Additionally, Niebank, who is one of Nashville's most sought-after Producer/Engineer/Mixers mixed the entire album.

NEWS

(10 April 2017) Jana Kramer has become a spokesperson against domestic violence, and as a result she was recently honored by Safe Horizon, an organization that helps survivors of abuse recover.
On April 5, Kramer was spotlighted at Safe Horizon’s 2017 Champion Awards ceremony, where she received their Voice of Empowerment Award in recognition of speaking out against domestic violence…Read More

(11 April 2017) Jeff Cook, a longtime member of Alabama, has Parkinson’s disease, he shared with fans on Tuesday. The fiddle player and vocalist learned of the diagnosis four years ago, but just shared with fans on Tuesday (April 11).. Read More

(11 April 2017) Jessie James Decker’s Georgia Mansion Is For Sale for $1.45 Million [Photo Gallery]
Jessie James Decker and husband Eric Decker have put their 10,000-square-foot Georgia mansion on the market for a cool $1.45 million. The 8-bedroom, 7-bath home features a wine cellar, 4-car garage, beamed ceilings and a chef’s main kitchen. The house was built in 2006 and sits on .75 acres in the Governor’s Towne Club in Acworth, Ga. (approximately 35 miles northwest of Atlanta).

(11 April 2017) NASH Icon artist Reba McEntire will be joined by Jason Isbell, John Prine, and others to celebrate "The Thistle Farms 20th Anniversary Fundraiser: Love Letters" on Wednesday, May 3rd at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The event will celebrate the organization's accomplishments over the past two decades with Thistle Farms founder Becca Stevens and the women of Thistle Farms leading the evening with stories of hope and inspiration.
Thistle Farms is dedicated to healing, empowering, and employing women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction by providing safe and supportive housing, the opportunity for economic independence, and a strong community of advocates and partners. Thistle Farms currently employs 50 local survivors and supports over 1,500 women through global partners and a national network of sister organizations. Tickets $40 HERE

(12 April 2017) The singer/songwriter/TV personality/entrepreneur Jessie James Decker has been named the brand ambassador for South Beach Diet, a division of Nutrisystem (Photos).

(14 April 2017) Singer-guitarist Glen Campbell is saying farewell with a final studio album, the appropriately titled Adiós (Cover Art). In advance of the album, out June 9th, Campbell has shared the track list to Adiós, which includes a cover of the 1969 Harry Nilsson song "Everybody's Talkin'."....Campbell will celebrate his 81st birthday on April 22nd.

(15 April 2017) Sam Hunt Marries Hannah Lee Fowler
Sam Hunt has married the girl who inspired so many of his songs. The country star tied the knot with Hannah Lee Fowler in a hometown ceremony on Saturday (April 15).
TMZ has photos of the couple outside of their wedding venue in Georgia, showing Fowler in a flowing white gown, her hair in a gentle side braid, and Hunt in what appears to be a tuxedo, carrying the train of her dress. On Friday, the gossip site first reported that Nashville designer Olia Zavozina would be handling the outfits for the entire wedding party, and that the often secretive couple will not sell pictures of the nuptials to any magazines....Read More

TV
(10 April 2017) 'Nashville' Renewed for a Sixth Season:
CMT has revealed that the hit country music drama Nashville will return for a sixth season.
One of the highest-rated and most-watched CMT series in history, Nashville will boast another full season, airing 16 new episodes that will premiere in early 2018. Charles Esten, who plays Deacon, had the honor of sharing the good news via a Facebook Live video on Monday (April 10). 

Esten’s fellow cast and crew members found out at the same time as fans, and their excitement was shared in the clip.
“We’re so grateful to everybody who made this happen,” a smiling Esten says, thanking fans of the show, as well as the network who saved the series. “We’re very grateful to keep making these shows for you.”
In addition, CMT announced a midseason premiere date of Thursday, June 1 at 9PM ET. The network will reveal its complete 2017-2018 programming slate in the coming weeks. In dramatic fashion, Nashville was axed by its original network, ABC, after Season 4, but due to popular demand, the show was quickly picked up and moved to CMT for Season 5 and now, Season 6.

BABY NEWS
(10 April 2017) High Valley's Curtis Rempel Welcomes Baby Girl
Congratulations to Curtis Rempel, of Warner Bros./WEA duo High Valley, who welcomed daughter Millie June on Friday, April 7th. It is the second child for Rempel and wife, Myranda. Baby Millie joins 3-year brother, Ben.















MUSIC NEWS
(13 April 2017) 5 Reasons Why Your Radio Station Needs A Mobile App, Not Just A Mobile Website
April 4, 2017
Every radio station needs a mobile-responsive website -- that is, a website that is easy for people to use on smartphones. The last thing you want is for listeners to have to pinch and zoom on their screen when trying to read your radio station's online content.
But having a mobile-friendly website isn't enough. Your radio station also needs a mobile app.
According to eMarketer, people spend 86% of their smartphone time using mobile apps, and only 14% of their time on a mobile web browser. So if your radio station doesn't have a mobile app, it is missing out on an opportunity to engage with listeners.
This year, US adults will spend 1 hour and 54 minutes a day using apps on their smartphones, 7 minutes more than last year. In contrast, they’ll only surf the mobile web on their phones for 19 minutes a day, a decline of 2 minutes from last year. In other words, apps will account for 86% of adults’ nonvoice smartphone time this year, with the mobile web accounting for just 14%....Read More eMarketer.com

(16 April 2017) Americana artist Elle King has reportedly "skipped out on her wedding" to her fiance Andrew 'Fergie' Ferguson.
The Ex's and Oh's star became engaged to Andrew 'Fergie' Ferguson in February, 2016. In May (16), the 27-year-old revealed she had set a wedding date, but it is now unclear if the nuptials are going ahead.
"Skipped out on my wedding," she wrote on Instagram alongside a video of her on stage with Eagles of Death Metal at the Paramount Theatre on Saturday (15 April17) in Seattle, Washington. "I married Rock&Roll instead so I hopped on tour with EAGLES OF F**KING DEATH METAL." According to E! News, King was set to wed Ferguson in New York on Saturday (15 Apr 2017). Ferguson has yet to comment on the breakup rumours, but King has been hinting at a split on social media recently.

PRESS RELEASES
BLOG POSTS:

(14 April 2017) Teen Social media sensation Caroline Dare releases debut EP

(15 April 2017) Sam Outlaw drops new LP Tenderheart + announces new UK dates


(17 April 2017) NRA & Davidson's Gallery Of Guns Presents Hank Williams Jr., Lee Brice & Gretchen Wilson during Annual meeting at Georgia World Congress Center which will take place April 27-30 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA

(18 April 2017) Ernest Tubb Record Shop Celebrates The 70th Anniversary Of The Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree
 Music City will spotlight yet another musical milestone in the coming weeks; the Ernest Tubb Records Shop will celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree.
A special celebration and musical event paying tribute to Ernest Tubb and his Midnight Jamboree, and his contribution to the heritage and livelihood of country music, will be held Saturday evening, May 6, 2017 at the Texas Troubadour Theatre (2416 Music Valley Drive, Nashville, TN). The Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree 70th Anniversary Celebration will be held in the same original format as the very first show.  Host Glenn Douglas Tubb will kick-off the festivities, a Jimmie Rodgers’ track (Ernest Tubb’s idol) will be highlighted followed by live performances from legendary recording artists including Melanie Walker and Robin Right, with a special guest appearance by Dottie Swan Tubb. In keeping with the show’s tradition, and Ernest Tubb’s passion to support new talent, attendees will also enjoy a memorable, first-time, performance by country music’s hottest, new sister duo Presley & Taylor.  The May 6 date marks the exact date that Ernest Tubb opened the doors to the Midnite Jamboree in 1947.

ARTICLES
(12 April 2017) Who’s New: Bailey Bryan: Bailey Bryan was destined to be a songwriter. Growing up in the rural town of Sequim, Wash., and undergoing life-changing back surgery gave the 19-year-old (going on 35) the tools to tell her story through song. Her debut single, “Own It,” is an autobiographical tune about taking the good with the bad and accepting who you are. Featured on her upcoming EP—...So Far, due to drop Friday, April 14—the song places Bailey at the top of the list of country’s most promising tunesmiths.....Read More Nash Country Daily

MAGAZINES
(14 April 2017) CMA Country Music Association: Close Up - Spring 2017:  CMA International Honours (Bob Harris, The Shires), Global Audiences, meet UK Country rising stars Ward Thomas




















WATCH
(17 April 2017) Drake White Calls on His Wife for in Sexy ‘Makin’ Me Look Good Again’ Video Taste Of Country

(17 April 2017) Haley Georgia – “Never Mine Nevermind” (Official Vevo Video) Directed By: Jeff Venable
Composers: Haley Georgia, Jordan Reynolds, David Hall Hodges; Producers: Jordan Reynolds, April Dace; (C) 2017 EMI Records Nashville.



COUNTRY FASHION

52nd Academy of Country Music Awards Fashion

Who wore it best? Who Was Your Best Dressed At The 2017 ACM Awards? Vote Now
























BIRTHDAYS
April 9: Hal Ketchum (1953) 
April 10: Maren Larae Morris (1990)
April 11: Jim Lauderdale (1957), Steve Azar (1964), Chalee Tennison (1969) 
April 12: Deryl Dodd (1964), Vince Gill (1957), Easton Corbin (1982)
April 14: Loretta Lynn (1935), Stuart Duncan (Nashville Bluegrass Band) (1964) 
April 15: Sam Bush (New Grass Revival) (1952), Chris Stapleton (1978), Margo Price (1983)

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