Country Bites News snippets September 10, 2018 – September 16, 2018

Country News - 19 Sept 2018 with Shannon McCombs

On the BBC Radio 2 Playlist for the week commencing Saturday 15 September 2018

A Playlist:

Kylie Minogue – A Lifetime To Repair

Carrie Underwood - Love Wins added to the “A” Playlist

UK CHART NEWS

Official UK Top 100 Singles Chart (Week Ending 20 September 2018)

14 September 2018 - 20 September 2018

Calvin Harris & Sam Smith’s Promises lengthened its lead at the top of the singles chart, where its second week of supremacy see its consumption rise 1.85% to a best yet 62,958 units, including 47,251 from sales-equivalent streams (15,707 pure sales).

Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart (Week Ending 20 September 2018)

14 September 2018 - 20 September 2018

Hip-hop heavyweight Eminem’s Kamikaze attack on the chart was a success following the surprise release storming to the top of the album charts, while spinning off three Top 10 singles for the 45-year-old.

The album dropped suddenly Friday (August 31). Eminem’s 10th solo studio effort, it racked up first week sales of 55,115 copies (including 30,041 from sales-equivalent downloads + 25,074 pure sales) to become his 10th No.1 album.

nly the fourth act to have four No.1 albums in the 2010s – the others are X Factor graduates Olly Murs and One Direction and X Factor judge Robbie Williams – Eminem retained pole position with Kamikaze, which suffers a comparatively small second week consumption decline of 35.12% to 35,761 units (including 18,094 from sales-equivalent streams), buoyed by its release on CD, which accounted for 11,254 sales.

Kylie Minogue with GOLDEN reentered the chart at No.62 (1,400 estimated units) in her 17th chart frame following her TV performance at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park.

In her second week Clare Bowen with her eponymous first album fell off the top 100 after a No.65 debut the previous week (1,359 sales)

Official UK Country Album Top 20 (Week Ending 20 September 2018)

14 September 2018 - 20 September 2018

Clare Bowen with CLARE BOWEN held at #1 (2 weeks; #1 peak)

The Shires with ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE held at #2 (21 weeks; #1 peak)

Catherine McGrath with TALK OF THIS TOWN rose 4-3 (7 weeks; #1 peak)

Kacey Musgraves with GOLDEN HOUR fell 3-4 (24 weeks; #1 peak)

Wandering Hearts with WILD SILENCE rose 8-5 (31 weeks; #1 peak)

Steve 'N' Seagulls with GRAINSVILLE climbed 11-6 (2 weeks; #6 peak)

Brothers Osborne with PORT SAINT JOE held at #7 (21 weeks; #2 peak)

Chris Stapleton with FROM A ROOM - VOL 2 rose 13-8 (41 weeks; #1 peak)

Luke Combs with THIS ONE'S FOR YOU TOO rose 12-9 (15 weeks; #5 peak)

Chris Stapleton with FROM A ROOM - VOL 1 fell held at #10 (71 weeks; #1 peak)

Outside the Top 10

John Prine with THE TREE OF FORGIVENESS fell 5-6 (22 weeks; #2 peak)

Gretchen Peters with Dancing With The Beast fell 9-12 (17 weeks; #2 peak)

Devil Makes Three with CHAINS ARE BROKEN fell 5-15 (3 weeks; #5 peak)

Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40 (Week Ending 20 September 2018)

14 September 2018 - 20 September 2018

1 1 Runaway Passenger

2 3 From The Fires Greta Van Fleet [Tagged Rock]

3 30 Earthly Days William Prince

4 NEW Young Sick Camellia St Paul & The Broken Bones

5 4 Ruins First Aid Kit [Tagged Alternative]

6 6 Isacc Gracie Isaac Gracie [Tagged Alternative]

7 7 Be More Kind Frank Turner [Tagged Alternative]

8 10 Nation Of Two Vance Joy [Tagged Alternative]

9 5 High Water I Magpie Salute [Tagged Rock]

10 11 A Deeper Understanding War On Drugs

Outside The Top 10

11 8 God's Favourite Customer Father John Misty [Tagged Alternative]

12 9 Adios Glen Campbell [Tagged Country]

14 2 Weed Garden Iron & Wine

COUNTRY ALBUM & SINGLES RELEASES

(12 Sept 2018) Ritchie Remo - Shine Up My Boots (Single) IRE

Time: 2:59 UK iTunes

(14 Sept 2018) Carrie Underwood – Cry Pretty (Capitol Nashville)

13 Tracks/Time: 50:26 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

Debut #1 UK Country iTunes Album Chart (#4 UK iTunes all-genres) | Sat Sept 15: #1 (#8 UK iTunes all-genres) | Debut #1 US Country iTunes Album Chart (#1 US iTunes all-genres) |

In addition to co-writing the lead-off single single with Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose (aka The Love Junkies), Carrie is co-producing her album with fellow writer/producer David Garcia.Underwood says, “At this point in my career, I feel stronger and more creative than ever. I think you can hear that in this new album. It’s emotional, it’s soulful, it’s real, and we also have some fun on there too. I hope everyone loves it as much as I have loved making it.”

(14 Sept 2018) Willie Nelson – My Way (Legacy Recordings)
11 Tracks/Time: 35:21 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

Debut #3 UK Country iTunes Album Chart (#67 UK iTunes all-genres) | Sat Sept 15: #6 (#237 UK iTunes all-genres) | Debut #2 US Country iTunes Album Chart (#11 US iTunes all-genres)

Willie Nelson pays tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, with a new album of standards and classics made famous by Sinatra, My Way.

The project is Nelson’s second new studio album this year, following the release of his critically-acclaimed Last Man Standing in April.

The collection features Nelson swinging his way through some of the most beloved classics in the Great American Songbook backed by lush string and horn arrangements and was produced by Buddy Cannon and Matt Rollings. Among the gems are Nelson’s take on “Fly Me To The Moon,” “It Was A Very Good Year,” “Young At Heart,” and a duet with Norah Jones on “What Is This Thing Called Love.”

Debut #5 US Country iTunes Album Chart (#30 US iTunes all-genres)

The first new material in over a decade, embarking on a new chapter in the group’s 48 year history with a fresh group of musicians and nimble musical palette. The 11-track collection of both new and familiar country, jazz, jump blues, rockabilly, Western Swing and folk, offers a blend of originals, vibrant covers, superior musicianship, and a guest vocal appearance by Seth and Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers.

Comprised of founder/leader Ray Benson (lead guitar and vocals), Katie Shore (fiddle and vocals), Eddie Rivers (steel and sax), David Sanger (drums), Dennis Ludiker (fiddle, mandolin, vocals), Josh Hoag (bass), Connor Forsyth (piano and vocals), and Jay Reynolds (sax and clarinet), Asleep at the Wheel’s performance agility takes centerstage on the record.

For the first time since the 80’s, Benson co-wrote with a member of the Wheel for the record. “Call It A Day Tonight” is co-penned with fiddler and recent band addition, Katie Shore. The Ft. Worth, Texas, native follows in the long tradition of strong and talented women who have been an integral part of the band’s identity for decades. From founding vocalist Chris O’Connell to Mary Ann Price, Rosie Flores, Cindy Cashdollar, Elizabeth McQueen and Emily Gimble, female vocalists and musicians have shaped the band’s legacy.

(14 Sept 2018) David Nail & The Well Ravens – Only This And Nothing More

7 Tracks/Time: 26:04 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

Debut #3 US Country iTunes Album Chart (#12 US iTunes all-genres)

(14 Sept 2018) Holloway Road – Broke (EP; Spinnup) UK

6 Tracks/Time: 20:06 Amazon UK - UK iTunes

Debut #5 UK Country iTunes Album Chart (#159 UK iTunes all-genres), then #4 (#160 all-genres) | Sat Sept 15: #13 (#328 UK iTunes all-genres) | Sun Sept 16: #34 (below Top 1500 all-genres), then #50 | Mon Sept 17: #64

(14 Sept 2018) Terri Clark - Raising the Bar (Baretrack Records) CAN

13 Tracks/Time: 45:30 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

Debut #9 UK Country iTunes Album Chart (#228 UK iTunes all-genres) | Sat Sept 15: #21 (#714 UK iTunes all-genres) | Debut #6 US Country iTunes Album Chart (#36 US iTunes all-genres)

(14 Sept 2018) Alejandro Escovido – The Crossing (Yep Roc Records)

14 Tracks/Time: 59:32 Alt-Country & Americana Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

Debut #36 UK Country iTunes Album Chart

(14 Sept 2018) Loudon Wainwright III – Years In The Making 2-CD (StorySound Records)

42 Tracks/Time: 2:01:53 Folk Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com -

Debut #19 UK Country iTunes Album Chart (#729 UK iTunes all-genres)

(14 Sept 2018) Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real – Forget About Georgia (EP; Fantasy Records)

5 Tracks/Time: 23:49 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com -

Debut #90 US Country iTunes Album Chart (#680 US iTunes all-genres)

(14 Sept 2018) Bill Anderson – Anderson (TWI Records, Inc).

11 Tracks/Time: 40:33 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com -

Debut #91 US Country iTunes Album Chart (#684 US iTunes all-genres)

Country Music Hall of Famer Whisperin’ Bill Anderson is readying the release of his 72nd album, Anderson, available on Sept. 14. The 11-song project was produced by Anderson, Thomm Jutz and Peter Cooper, recorded and mixed by Jutz at TJ Tunes with assistant engineer Andy Kern and mastered by Alex Mccullough at True East Mastering. The Grand Ole Opry veteran co-wrote each of the additional tracks with venerable songwriters including John Paul White, Buddy Cannon, Paul Overstreet, Erin Enderlin and more.

“You might think after my having released 71 albums during my career that I’d be tempted to yawn my way through the release of album No. 72,” expressed Anderson. “Well, that’s not the case at all. I’m looking forward to this one as much as any record I’ve ever put out. I know I’ve never enjoyed the recording process more than working here with Thomm Jutz and Peter Cooper. They had the vision…I just tried to follow their lead and bring their ideas to life. I only hope that as folks listen, they’ll feel we succeeded.”

(14 Sept 2018) Malcolm Holcombe – Come Hell Or High Water (feat. Iris Dement) (Gypsy Eyes Music)

13 Tracks/Time: 48:59 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

Debut #131 US Country iTunes Album Chart (#1054 US iTunes all-genres)

(14 Sept 2018) Jonboy Storey - Mr. Heartbreaker (Jonboy Storey)

6 Tracks/Time: 20:23 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com -

Debut #57 US Country iTunes Album Chart

(14 Sept 2018) Chris Turner – American Made (EP; )

6 Tracks/Time: Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com

Debut #62 US Country iTunes Album Chart

(16 Sept 2018) Tempting Fate - Skinny​-​Dip Creek (Single) UK

Bandcamp

A fun, mid-tempo country pop song, hopefully our first of many

TEMPTING FATE is country rock pop country Lisa Monroe, Craig Chapman & Pete Townsend Burton On Trent the UK. Long time country music fans, "Skinny-Dip Creek" is our first recording, with plenty more original songs to come. We're recruiting a band and will be looking to play UK country festivals, hopefully meeting up with some of the bands who have inspired us.

NEWS

(13 Sept 2018) In The Pink: Capitol's Carrie Underwood has teamed with the Grand Ole Opry in the fight against breast cancer. On Oct. 26 Underwood will flip the switch on the Opry's signature barn backdrop, turning it pink for the night at the 10th Annual Opry Goes Pink.

(14 Sept 2018) Garth Brooks at Notre Dame

PEARL RECORDS' Garth Brooks sold just shy of 85,000 tickets in under three hours for his one-night-only show at NOTRE DAME's college football stadium in South Bend, IN. The show is slated for Saturday, October 20th at 7p (ET); BROOKS will be the first artist -- of any genre -- to play the stadium at NOTRE DAME

(15 Sept 2018) Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles has been announced as one of the cast members of an upcoming feature film about the life of iconic abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

Nettles will appear in Harriet, an upcoming film from Focus Features. Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo will portray Tubman in the film, and in addition to Nettles, the cast will include Tony and Grammy Award winner Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn and Clarke Peters. Their specific roles have not yet been revealed.

According to a statement announcing the project, Harriet "follows Tubman on her escape from slavery and subsequent missions to free dozens of slaves through the Underground Railroad in the face of growing pre-Civil War adversity."

AWARDS

(12 Sept 2018) Nominees were announced for the "2018 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS (AMAs)." Across the Country categories, RCA NASHVILLE's Kane Brown, who helped announce nominees live on YOUTUBE Tuesday morning (Sept 11), leads the way with three nominations in the Favorite Male Artist, Country; Favorite Album, Country; and Favorite Song, Country categories. BMLG RECORDS' Florida Georgia Line got a nod in the all-genre Collaboration Of The Year category with their hit, "Meant To Be," with BEBE REXHA; COLUMBIA NASHVILLE's Maren Morris is also nominated in that category for her collaboration with ZEDD on "The Middle."

The 2018 AMAs will air live on ABC-TV from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 9th at 8p (ET). The complete list of nominees in the Country AMAs categories is as follows:

Favorite Male Artist, Country: Kane Brown; Luke Bryan; Thomas Rhett

Favorite Female Artist, Country: Kelsea Ballerini; Maren Morris; Carrie Underwood

Favorite Duo Or Group, Country: DAN + SHAY; FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE; LANCO

Favorite Album, Country: Kane Brown - KANE BROWN; Luke Combs - THIS ONE'S FOR YOU; Thomas Rhett - LIFE CHANGES

Favorite Song, Country: Kane Brown - "Heaven"; Dan + Shay - "Tequila"; Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line - "Meant To Be"

(13 Sept 2018) 2018 Josie Music Awards

The Josie Music Awards was held on Sat September 8 in the Celebrity Theatre at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN.

Dani-Elle Kleha:Fans Choice

Entertainer of the Year (Female Artist Modern Country): Cherish Lee

Entertainer of the Year (Male Artist of the Year Modern Country): Donnie Lee Strickland

Entertainer of the Year (Male Traditional/Classic Country): Bobby Flores

Entertainer of the Year (Duo): Terra

Winners List

Bella Aspiring performer and recording artist, Dani-elle Kleha, a Pennsylvania native, walked away with the coveted 2018 Josie Music Awards "2018 Fans Choice Award," the only award determined by her peers and submitted for

The awards show is centered around recognizing the talent of independent artists.

he Josie Music Awards is a brand of The Josie Network, LLC owned by the highly-respected partnership team of Josie Passantino and Tina Passantino. 

This team set out and successfully created an award show where winners are selected on their talent, skill, material, professionalism, and more and not by button pressing voting. Nominee suggestions go through a lengthy review process by a team of industry leaders and the official nomination list is created from their final decisions. Winners are also selected by this industry leader team with no connection to independent artists. The Josie Music Awards is an all genre music award show ceremony which includes a lavish red carpet and many performances. 

TV

(14 Sept 2018) Caitlyn Smith Performs On 'Late Night With Seth Meyers'

Monument Records' Caitlyn Smith performed her song, "Before You Called Me Baby," on Thursday night's (Sept 13) episode of NBC-TV's "Late Night With SETH MYERS."   Enjoy the performance here.

MUSIC NEWS

(14 Sept 2018) Paid Music Streaming Subscribers Surpass 50 Million in US, But There's a Twist: Exclusive

An estimated 51 million people in the U.S. are now paying monthly subscriptions for music streaming services -- nearly double the number of subscribers at the end of 2016, according to research by MusicWatch that was provided exclusively to Billboard.

The new milestone underscores the sustained popularity of Spotify, Apple Music and other paid streaming services -- which collectively generated 65 percent of recorded-music revenue in the U.S. in 2017, according to the RIAA, and is currently fueling the domestic music industry’s fourth consecutive year of growth after nearly 20 years of decline. MusicWatch last reported 26 million subscribers to on-demand streaming services in 2016, which was already a 150 percent increase from the year prior.

But there’s a twist: an estimated 20 million separate users in the U.S. are currently sharing one of these paid accounts without shelling out money themselves, says MusicWatch. In addition, at least 29 million users are either on free trials of streaming services without having yet converted to paid tiers, or are automatically subscribed to bundled music services without necessarily being active users (e.g. Amazon Prime Music). In total, 157 million people in the country still stream music for free without trials, on platforms like YouTube or Spotify's free tier

(14 Sept 2018) She Believed She Could So She Did: Country Content "She-EO" Christa Williams has launched the all-female streaming channel She. "She plays Country's greatest hits, the current stars and album cuts, plus independent and unsigned singer/songwriters," says Williams. "After our soft launch, we'll add She-Jays, artist interviews, album specials and invite guest hosts to sit in." The channel will air a Carrie Underwood Cry Pretty album special today (9/14) at 6pm ET. Former Rubber City/Akron VP/Operations and WQMX PD Sue Wilson is the imaging voice. Listen via the TuneIn app or here.

WATCH

(12 Sept 2018) Carrie Underwood - Love Wins (Official Music Video)

COUNTRY FASHION

(12 Sept 2018) These Boots Were Made For Hawking: Miranda Lambert's partnership with Boot Barn, Idyllwind Fueled by Miranda Lambert (CAT 11/14), is now available nationwide. The collection includes apparel, accessories and cowboy boots. More here.

COUNTRY GOSSIP

(14 Sept 2018) Carrie Underwood Revealed Recent Hospitalization

Carrie Underwood had to scrap a couple of scheduled shows in the U.K. earlier this month for an undefined illness that was serious enough to put her in a hospital.

Talking to Jimmy Fallon during her Tonight Show visit on Thursday (Sept. 13 >> YouTube), Underwood revealed she woke up with vertigo and needed to be admitted. "They were so sweet and so nice," she says of her caretakers.

No, she didn't come away from the experience fluent in German. Underwood learned the phrase for "no meat, please," to let people know she was vegetarian. As a result of the illness, the 35-year-old pregnant country singer had to cancel appearances at the Long Road Festival and Radio 2 in London's Hyde Park.

(15 Sept 2018) Carrie Underwood Suffered Multiple Miscarriages in Journey to Become Pregnant

Carrie Underwood is currently pregnant and riding high on both a personal and professional level, but in an interview with CBS This Morning on Sunday (Sept. 16) she revealed she suffered multiple miscarriages in her journey to get pregnant. The 35-year-old singer told host Tracy Smith that she'd suffered three miscarriages in two years. "I’d kind of planned that 2017 was, you know, going to be the year that I work on new music, and I have a baby,” Underwood related. “We got pregnant early 2017 and didn’t work out.”

PHOTO

(17 Sept 2018) Bill.i.am: Singer/songwriter Erin Enderlin with WSM-AM/Nashville's Bill Cody.

BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays in the week ahead

17 the late Hank Williams (Sept 16, 1923; died Jan 1, 1953 (aged 29))

18 Carl Jackson (1953), Tae Dye (Maddie & Tae) (1995)

19 Trisha Yearwood (1964), Charlene Burch (Burch Sisters) (1962), Jeff Bates (1963), Chase Rice (1986)

20 the late Stu Stevens (Sept 20, 1937; died Sept 25th 2016 (aged 79), Garth Fundis (1949)

21 Faith Hill (1967), Ronna Reeves (1966), Dickey Lee (1941), Don Felder (Eagles) (1947)

22 June Forester (Forester Sisters) (1956), Debby Boone (1956) 

23 Rodney Clawson (1965)