CRS2019: Country Radio Seminar Report

CRS2019: Making Memories Of Us

Making Memories Of Us As Country Radio Seminar rounds the corner on its first half-century, its contributions to Country radio and country music are immeasurable. While impossible to quantify, its impact was, is and will be felt in countless ways large and small: Sessions that offered enlightenment.

Transcendent musical experiences. Connections that led to jobs and careers. Attendees are almost guaranteed they’ll be walking away with an enduring memory. Even artists.

Incoming CRB Exec. Dir. RJ Curtis shares one from the Columbia suite at the Opryland Hotel, circa 1990: “It was late,

or early, and everyone had been partying,” he says. “Music was playing loudly – Columbia artists only, of course. One of those

artists was [the late] Vern Gosdin, who had just walked into the suite. Somebody put on Gosdin’s ‘That Just About Does It, Don’t It,’ which was his most recent single at the time.

 “The entire room started singing along, especially during the chorus, in a loud and boisterous manner, but out of tribute and respect, not in a satirical way. The sing-a-long wasn’t limited to a verse and chorus; it lasted the entire song. Gosdin was embarrassed at first, but also visibly moved and practically had tears in his eyes. It was a terrific CRS moment, because it demonstrated the strong connection between artists and Country radio. Everyone in that room loved and admired Gosdin, and it was apparent he saw and felt that love firsthand. There are so many more examples of that kind of respect for music and artists at CRS, but I had a front row seat for that one and have never forgotten it.” - Country Aircheck Daily Buzz February 13, 2019, Issue 1 - Magazine View

Aldean, Ballerini Top Musicrow Awards (By Preshias Harris For Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show) The MusicRow CountryBreakout Awards were once again the unofficial kickoff to the Country Radio Seminar (CRS).  Air personalities, program directors, radio execs, recording artists and record label folks gathered at the Listening Room in Nashville, Wednesday, February 12 for the 17th annual MusicRow CountryBreakout Award show…..Read More

2019 CRS/Country Aircheck Awards Winners here

Music Row: Bobby Karl Works The Room: 17th Annual MusicRow Meet & Greet And CountryBreakout Awards

CRS 50 PRINT SPECIAL read online or download as a PDF

OPENING CEREMONIES

COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR (CRS) 2019 kicked off Wednesday (Feb 13) with its opening ceremonies. A welcome was given by outgoing CRB Exec. Dir. BILL MAYNE, who addressed his retirement and formally introduced his successor, RJ Curtis. Stoney Creek Records' Jimmie Allen performed the national anthem while the U.S. MARINE CORP Color Guard presented the flag. Immediately following, U.S. ARMY FIELD BAND, SIX STRING SOLDIERS, performed a song in tribute to their loved ones.

WARNER BROS./WAR's Dan + Shay then joined Curtis onstage to unveil the full slate of Country Radio Hall Of Fame Class Of 2019 inductees and the three CRS RUSTY WALKER SCHOLARSHIP recipients -- Megan Benoit (CKRY/CALGERY, ALBERTA, CANADA); Shannon Lewis (KATP/AMARILLO, TX); and KRISTIN MONICA (WFYR/Peoria, IL) -- were recognized. Representatives from University Of North Alabama and University Of Tennessee Martin were also on hand to accept scholarship checks for $25,000 each. 

Additionally, the TOM RIVERS Humanitarian Award was presented to iHEARTMEDIA WDXB/BIRMINGHAM's, AL's "DOLLAR" BILL LAWSON. LAWSON quoted historical figure Winston Churchill while accepting the award by saying, "Work is what you get, life is what you give." 

Lawson encouraged all attendees to pick one thing each day to help and encourage others, reminding the crowd that "one little thing can make a world of difference to someone else."

Bombs Away At New Lunch

Warner Music Nashville Chairman/CEO John Esposito welcomed CRS 2019 attendees to the inaugural Warner Music Nashville Luncheon Wednesday (Feb 13) with another first-ever event – zero f-bombs dropped during his speech. Instead, Esposito praised CRB Exec. Dir. Bill Mayne’s efforts in putting together the 50th anniversary of CRS and noted that, if gauging by the packed house, this would be the first of many Warner-sponsored CRS lunches. WMN SVP/ Radio & Streaming Promotion Kristen Williams then took the stage as emcee.

First to the stage was Morgan Evans, who utilized his loop pedal in a performance of “Day Drunk” that intermixed a medley of Wiz Khalifa’s “Young, Wild & Free” and Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It.”

Next was Cole Swindell, who thanked Country radio for the early support that has led him to a string of No. 1 hits; he performed his current single, “Love You Too Late.”

Devin Dawson sang his single, which is also the title track of his album, “Dark Horse,” after sharing with attendees the personal and autobiographical nature of the song.

Also sharing new music was Chris Janson, who played kick drum, acoustic guitar and harmonica all at the same time during “Good Vibes.” A string of standing-ovation-earning performances followed from Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde and Dan + Shay, who sang their singles, “On My Way to You,” “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” and “All to Myself,” respectively. Johnson made note of his decade on the road performing for raucous crowds before asking attendees, “Can someone please make some noise?” McBryde also got big reactions leading with a joke about her height. “People tell me, ‘I thought you’d be taller!’

I thought I would, too; this is where it stopped.” She then told the emotional back-story of the title track of her album.

Dan + Shay’s Dan Smyers praised the relationship between Country radio and the artists before making light of a viral moment resulting from the duo’s Grammys performance. “Shay [Mooney] just finished holding that note from Sunday ... and he also zipped his fly.”

Townsquare SVP/Programming and CRB Board Pres. 

Blake Shelton

Kurt Johnson announced WMN’s Blake Shelton as the CRS 2019 Artist Humanitarian Award recipient. Last year’s honoree, Capitol’s Dierks Bentley passed the torch.

A congratulations video from Today’s Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford was played, after which Shelton exclaimed, “Is that all of them? Shit, I thought I had more celebrity friends than that!” Shelton also made mention of his appreciation

for the recognition, stating he felt every country artist is a great humanitarian. “The cool thing about country artists is that I feel like we all step up any time we can,” said Shelton. He then wrapped the inaugural luncheon by performing two audience requests, “Austin” and “Ol’ Red.”

The Heat Of The Moment

Amazon Music hosted its second annual Amazon Music Presents: Country Heat at CRS (Feb 13) with performances from King Calaway, Tenille Townes, Hardy, Adam Hambrick and Zac Brown Band. Each of the first four acts have been named Amazon Ones To Watch for 2019 and performed a four-song set, including their debut radio singles. Between each performance, Amazon aired clips from their “First & Last” interview series, which includes stories and anecdotes from Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Dustin Lynch, Jordan Davis, Lady Antebellum and many others. Headliner ZBB closed the night with a set that included hits”Homegrown” and “Colder Weather” as well as new music from their forthcoming studio album.

February 14, 2019, Issue 2 – Read online

CRS In Action: Garth Brooks And Amazon’s Steve Boom Keynote

February 14, 2019

After giving an intimate performance exclusively for Country Radio Seminar (CRS) attendees on Wednesday, February 13th, Garth Brooks made a return visit to the seminar today (2/14) for a Q&A he shared with AMAZON MUSIC VP Steve Boom, with whom he has a business relationship. The session, moderated by Billboard’s Melinda Newman, focused, in part, on AMAZON’s virtual assistant products, ALEXA and ECHO, and how they can and are being used to benefit radio. Because of ALEXA, BOOM said, “Radio is back in the home where it ought to be.”

CRS2019-Amazon Music Presents-
The Heat Of The Moment-Tenille Townes

Brooks indicated that he’d like to see AMAZON find a way to monetize radio for the important role it plays in music discovery. He said, “86% of discovery is radio, but radio doesn’t get any of those retail dollars” when consumers buy what they hear. While Boom was surprised by Brooks’ idea, which they had never previously discussed, he said it could be possible with the right software, or a SHAZAM-like feature on the ALEXA platform.

As he did during a prior CRS keynote, Brooks had encouraging words for broadcasters, saying, “Terrestrial radio is an 800 lb. gorilla. It ain’t going nowhere. What you have that nobody else has is discovery … Any time you can say ‘ALEXA, next’ [and skip songs] that’s not discovery.” Boom added that among the new features his team is working on at AMAZON are ways to make music discovery a part of the experience. Another innovation in the works is making the way users give ALEXA commands closer to how they would speak naturally.

Brooks urged radio broadcasters not to spend their time fearing threats from new technology, but rather, using that time to make themselves “identifiable.” He later said, “This isn’t an either/or thing. Streaming is becoming a family to terrestrial radio, and terrestrial radio is family to streaming.”

Boom made one revelation when he was asked about the fact that AMAZON has always kept its consumption data proprietary. Said the executive, “In terms of how music is being consumed, we know we need to offer that info [to the industry] and we will."

CRS In Action: Edison Research Presents 'Understanding Parents, Teens, and Country Music'

February 14, 2019

"What will CRS 100 look like, and how will we get there?" asked EDISON RESEARCH's LARRY ROSIN to the attendees of the "Understanding Parents, Teens, and Country Music" research presentation Thursday afternoon (Feb 14).

This question was the driving force behind EDISON's brand-new research study, commissioned by COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR (CRS) for its 50th anniversary. The research looks at both the present and the future of Country music and radio.

Edison Research VP Megan Lazovick and Dir./Research Laura Ivey took to the podium at NASHVILLE's OMNI HOTEL to present the findings on this comprehensive study, based upon both a national survey of parents and teens, and also video ethnography of how these two very important groups interact. The following are some of the highlights of the research:

1. Nearly half of teenagers say that music is a "bonding activity" with their parents.

2. Sixty percent of teens who listen to Country music say their parents have gotten them to listen to it more.

3. According to EDISON's industry-leading "Share Of Ear" study, AM/FM radio remains the top platform for teens, with 63% of 13-19-year-olds listening to radio every day.

4. A large portion of radio's target listeners have at least one teen in their household.

ROSIN wrapped up the presentation with simple suggestions for bettering teens' relationships with Country music and radio. Outreach, parent-teen experiences, positioning, and service are what he suggests radio stations focus on to bridge the gap as we prepare for the future of Country and, of course, CRS 100.

CRS In Action: Hootie & The Blowfish Make Surprise Appearance

A surprise performance from Hootie & The Blowfish was a highlight of UMG NASHVILLE's 10th annual “TEAM UMG AT THE RYMAN” luncheon and performance, held Thursday (Feb 14) at NASHVILLE'S famed Ryman Auditorium.  

The lineup also showcased Little Big Town, Jon Pardi, Dierks Bentley, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Brandon Lay, Adam Hambrick, Travis Denning, Jordan Davis, Caylee Hammack, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, and Vince Gill.

UMG NASHVILLE EVP/Promotion Royce Risser returned as the emcee and provided entertaining artist introductions.

Darius has the family back together. @HootieTweets Hootie & The Blowfish are a country band. @theryman #CRS2019 pic.twitter.com/9bkltt6By2

— Bob W Media (@BobWalkerMedia) 14 February 2019

In addition to the newly-signed UMG NASHVILLE band Hootie & The Blowfish, artists receiving stating ovations from the industry crowd included Church and Gill. Before launching into two of the band's hit songs, Hootie & The Blowfish’s Darius Rucker joked onstage, “Vince comes out here and makes ya’ll cry, and we have to come out and sing pop songs.”

Darius Rucker Reunites With Hootie And The Blowfish During Surprise CRS Appearance - Keith Urban Forgets Words To New Song (Report & Photos by Preshias Harris For Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show)

CRS In Action: Beer-Thirty Takes On The Kacey Musgraves Question

COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR’S daytime agenda on Thursday, February 14th ended with an informal “town hall” session — dubbed “BEER-THIRTY” — to discuss the hottest topics of the day. The moderator, iHEARTMEDIA Country WDXB/Birmingham PD Tom Hanrahan, began the open-floor conversation by posing a question to the programmers in the audience: “How can I get more female representation or more [women] artists played on my radio station?” in cases where a programmer has autonomy. Various radio programmers around the room replied that the quality of the song was their priority over the artist’s gender.

Brittany Schaffer, SPOTIFY’s head of artist and label services for NASHVILLE, then brought up the hot topic of Kacey Musgraves’ recent GRAMMY win for “Space Cowboy” as Best Country Song, even though the song got limited airplay on Country radio. “Is it possible that the judgment on what’s a good song is being influenced by the petty male presence that we have,” she asked.

NEUHOFF COMMUNICATIONS Country WDZQ (95Q)/DECATUR, IL air personality Toby Tucker responded by stating that he needed musical balance, and cited his favorite female Country songs he was excited to play. But he ended by commenting, “We just need to be aware of it,” in response to Schaffer. The unfiltered, raw conversation continued among the small group gathered, which included some attendees who were still in college.

Dolphins Make Me Cry, Too

CRS In Action: 10th Annual Team UMG at the Ryman

With light streaming in through the Ryman Auditorium’s iconic stained glass windows, UMG/Nashville EVP/Promotion and emcee Royce Risser welcomed most of the attendees to the 10th annual Team UMG at the Ryman (Thurs Feb 14). “We’re glad you’re all here, with the exception of Grover [Collins], Drew Bland and Johnny Chiang. If you’re not going to play our records, then get out!” The first performances came from Little Big Town and the “Scott Hamilton of country music,” Jon Pardi, who debuted a female empowerment ballad “God For The Daughters” and the punny “Tequila Little Time,” respectively.

Pardi’s Burning Man Tour mate Dierks Bentley played new single “Living” with help from the men he said inspired the song, guitar player Ben Helson and fiddle player Dan Hochhalter, simply by leaving the bus and going to Walgreens while he watched VH1 Classic all day. Keeping with the trend of debuting new material, Kassi Ashton sang “Pretty Shiny Things,” and Keith Urban performed “We Were,” a track so new that he briefly “forgot the damn words.”

Next up, Brandon Lay thanked Country radio for their support and reminded the audience he’s “Still Rock ‘N’ Roll.” Before bringing out Maddie & Tae to perform “Die From a Broken Heart,” Risser listed some things “Friends Don’t ... let friends do,” including “use the same hair dresser as Jamie Patrick,” “ask Jimmy Rector to check their memos for grammatical errors” and “hold their breath while waiting for Rod Phillips to return a phone call.” Adam Hambrick then took the Team UMG stage for the first time with “Rockin’ All Night Long.” 

The day took a somber turn with a eulogy for David Ashley Parker, who was described by Risser as a “scrappy and determined fellow who fought his way into the top 35 of the charts ... and stayed there.” 

Unfortunately, after “suffering from recurring bouts of bullet, he was quietly moved to recurrent in his Powder Springs home at the age of 38 ... weeks.” His memory lives on with the Mercury promotion staff and Travis Denning, who performed his second single, “After A Few.” The biggest shock of the night was Jordan Davis’ cover being blown as a side-by-side of him and Big Foot were projected onto the screen before his performance of “Slow Dance In a Parking Lot.”

Next was Caylee Hammack’s “Family Tree,” complete with a band and back-up singers, which later made Chris Stapleton wonder out loud “when the rules of what and who you could perform with had changed” before rolling out “Millionaire.” In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Eric Church brought out Joanna Cotten for “Heart Like A Wheel,” and Vince Gill gave all the feels with an emotional performance of new song “Letter to My Mama.” - Caitlin DeForest

Walker Way Joe

Monument Records and the Country Music Hall of Fame host a 90s Country event

Monument/Arista’s Walker Hayes brought a taste of his Dream On It Tour to CRS 2019 Thursday evening with his “90s Country Night” event.

 Walker Hayes

From the sixth floor of the Country Music Hall of Fame, with the backdrop of Nashville’s skyline and a fading sunset, Hayes took to the stage to perform tracks from his album, boom; along with a cover of Alan Jackson’s iconic hit, “Chattahoochee;” and the night’s namesake, “90s Country.” Monument/ Columbia’s Brandon Ratcliff performed before Hayes, and in the spirit of the 90s – and Valentine’s Day – after singing his own song “Rules Of Breaking Up,” Ratcliff played an acoustic version of Shania Twain’s “You’re Still The One. - Daily Buzz February 15, 2019 - Issue 3

CRS In Action: BMLG Luncheon 

Life Is A Buffet: Big Machine Label Group Pres./CEO Scott Borchetta welcomed CRS 2019 to the BMLG Luncheon (Fri 15), thanking radio for their partnerships and congratulating the newly announced Country Radio Hall of Fame inductees. BMLGR s Riley Green kicked off the performances with a four-song set that included his current single, “There Was This Girl.”

Borchetta then introduced Lauren Jenkins, who recently released a short film highlighting the story arc of her music before she played two live. 

Brantley Gilbert performed a selection of his hits before being joined by Lindsay Ell for his current single, “What Happens In A Small Town.” Borchetta welcomed another new artist, Noah Schnacky, who gave an acoustic performance of two of his songs.

The luncheon closed with Rascal Flatts, who rolled out their hits, “Yours If You Want It,” “I Like The Sound Of That,” “What Hurts The Most” and “Life Is A Highway,” as well as their current single, “Back To Life.”

CRS In Action: Nielsen Offers Continuous Measurement Update

“We spend a whole lot of time consuming media every single day. It is about half of our waking hours,” said NIELSEN VP/Audience Insights JOHN MILLER, opening the panel “Continuous Measurement In Diary Markets—-Programming In An Always-On World” on Friday, February 15^th. Although there are numerous media choices, he said, radio reaches more Americans and is the original social media. Since everyone is constantly using devices and technology these days, everything has to be “on,” he noted. Audio is always on, too (e.g. podcasting, videos, etc). But how does audio look universally? Radio is still #1 compared to streaming audio on a smartphone or satellite radio, he said…..Read More

CRS: Art Of Storytelling Recap

Songwriter Lori McKenna spoke about the additive nature of songwriting in a response to co-panelist Rob Simbeck about her song "Humble And Kind." "People will apply themselves to a song and make it so much greater than it is," she said. "Tim McGraw made that song greater than it is." Moderator Tom Baldrica engaged both writers in a lively conversation during "The Art Of Storytelling," offering tips and stories that tied together their experiences to the challenges on-air talent face daily.

"The best writing comes from ruthlessness," said Simbeck. "Sweat the details. Sweat the edits." Added McKenna, "Check every line and make sure it is necessary for the story. Follow the feeling. If you don't know why the line is right, but it makes you feel something, keep it." Being prepared, concise and memorable are key. McKenna added, "I want people to remember the feeling, not the song."

CRS In Action: Social Media Boot Camp

STONEY CREEK RECORDS artist Lindsay Ell doesn’t consider herself a social media expert, but she still spends about six hours a day on social media platforms replying to fans. So she had plenty of useful advice during the “Digital And Social Media Boot Camp” panel on Friday, February 15th during Country Radio Seminar in NASHVILLE. The best thing for fans and listeners is to show your personality, she suggested, because your audience will want to follow you on all your social media platforms if they feel more connected. She also recommended “quality over quantity.”

ELL broke down her top social media platforms starting with TWITTER, explaining this not a platform to over-post, unlike other social outlets. 

She suggested that content be spread out throughout the day. Targeting influencers and like-minded pages allows you to start a dialogue by retweeting or helping others’ tweets going viral, which then leads to momentum, she said. There’s also a right and wrong way to use hashtags, and ELL admitted to having used them incorrectly on other platforms. “There is no perfect way to do it,” she said. Using hashtags during topical events (e.g. GRAMMYs, Super Bowl, etc.) or creating your own hashtag (e.g. a tour hashtag) makes it easily searchable for the audience, helping them engage with your posts. But using too many hashtags clutters your post and can be annoying to read.

“FACEBOOK is a little less immediate,” said ELL. But she is a big fan of FACEBOOK LIVE because it’s a great way to engage with the audience through the comments, and the video stays on your page forever and will continue to gain views.

Finally, ELL said, INSTAGRAM is about consistency, so she posts there a minimum of once a day. Less than that, she said, and you aren’t committing to growing your page….Read More

CRS In Action: New Faces Show Brings Surprises

While the annual “New Faces of Country Music” show at Country Radio Seminar (CRS) typically focuses on up-and-coming artists, this year’s event also brought two superstars to the stage — Tim McGraw and Keith Urban. During the show, held FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH at NASHVILLE’S OMNI HOTEL, McGraw made a surprise appearance in recognition of the 50th anniversary of CRS, and sang his first #1 hit, 1994’s “Don’t Take The Girl.” He concluded the performance by telling radio attendees, “Ya’ll have changed my life. Thank you.”

URBAN’s appearance was also a surprise as he turned up to honor retiring COUNTRY RADIO BROADCASTERS Executive Director Bill Mayne. After watching a video tribute that showed photos of a young, long-haired, and mustachioed Mayne, URBAN quipped, “I had no idea he was the lead singer of MIDLAND.” In honoring MAYNE, URBAN recalled a poster he saw at his daughters’ school that read: “Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?” The poster made him think of MAYNE’s positive spirit, which Urban said “is so worth catching.”

First performer Russell Dickerson eschewed the typical video introduction, instead offering a simple message noting that he would be making a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in honor of those who helped get his career off the ground. He then offered a high-energy set that included hits “Yours,” and “Blue Tacoma,” as well as snippets of pop hits “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” plus a selection of dance moves that included what is likely the first instance of “flossing” on the “New Faces” stage.

The unlikely pop song snippets continued into Lindsay Ell’s set when she sang a bit of U2’s “Where The Streets Have No Name.” ELL also had with is likely a “New Faces” first when she enlisted a megaphone to briefly amplify some of the lyrics in her song, “Criminal.” And she debuted a new song she said even her label hadn’t heard yet.

Check out @MorningHangover on #instagram for our #CRS2019 #NewFacesOfCountryMusic #slideshow feat performance 📷 from #CRS50 #NewFaces dinner starring @jimmieallen @lindsayell @DylanScottCntry @russelled @LancoMusic pic.twitter.com/EbvFah5nsh

— Morning Hangover (@MorningHangover) 19 February 2019

Jimmie Allen was adorably introduced in a video package by his young son and, during his set left the stage and ran through the length of the ballroom, even jumping on a chair at one point while he sang. For his closing number, “All Tractors Ain’t Green,” he was joined onstage by a group of six backing vocalists.

Lanco offered up a mix of familiar and new music in their set, including hits “Born To Love You” and “Greatest Love Story,” and showed off the performance chops they’ve honed over the last several years on the road.

Dylan Scott closed the show with a performance that included his hits ”Hooked” and “My Girl,” current single “Nothing To Do Town,” plus a cover of Keith Whitley’s “Don’t Close Your Eyes” that left the country traditionalists in the room smiling.

During the show, Warner Music Nashville Chairman/CEO John Esposito was named “Supreme and Exalted Leader Of CRS 2019” after beating out Cox Media Group Dir./Operations Johnny Chiang in a voting campaign

CRS In Action: PHOTOS

CRS 2019 (Country Radio Seminar) 224 Facebook Photo Gallery

Several pictures of artists from CRS2019! Including Midland, Morgan Evans, Blake Shelton, Adam Hambrick, Cole Swindell, Hardy, Adam Hambrick, King Calaway, Rascal Flatts & Tim McGraw! (Lots More To Come!) Photo credit: Randy Alomar

Slideshows at Instagram/morninghangover/

Attendance spiked by 10% over the previous year at the 50th COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR (CRS), held in NASHVILLE on Wednesday, February 13-15.

In addition to reporting the attendance jump, the seminar’s PR firm has announced the dates of next year’s CRS:

#CRS2020 Country Radio Seminar 2020 will take place on FEBRUARY 19-21, 2020, also in NASHVILLE.

CONNECT with Country Radio Seminar: