Jeff Walker a Friend to Many and a Champion for All of Us Who Love and Work in Country Music and Radio, Jeff Walker Was Laid to Rest Friday (8/28)
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August 31, 2015, Issue 463 In Memoriam: Jeff Walker A friend to many and a champion for all of us who love and work in country music and radio, Jeff Walker was laid to rest Friday (8/28). Several who knew him well remember him here: Campbell Entertainment Group’s Craig Campbell: I was Jeff Walker’s first intern after he started AristoMedia, then Aristo Music Associates. He introduced me to every- one who walked through the door, dragged me to every meeting and invited me to every party. He taught me everything I know about publicity, running a business and balancing work and fam- ily. He took great delight in nurturing people and Gotta Hand It To Him: Circa 1986 watching them grow, are (l-r) Jeff Walker, AristoMedia’s whether they stayed with Boston Fan Crowder: Blue Chair/Columbia’s Kenny Darlene Williams, artist Rusty Buddy the company or moved Chesney (c) with WKLB/Boston’s Mike Brophey and Ginny and AristoMedia’s Laurie Larson and Rogers as he closes out The Big Revival Tour with back- Craig Campbell. on to other opportunities. I already miss him. to-back sold out shows at Gillette Stadium, bringing his Keith Urban: Jeff career attendance over 13 shows at the venue to roughly was one of the early believers in me. He was a great guy to have 750,000. Also pictured (inset) is co-headliner Jason on your side, and if he truly felt there was something there for oth- Aldean in a shirt provided by the station. ers to discover, he was a passionate and effective force in getting people to the gig. I know he wrangled plenty to mine when there Blount Force Drama were few to none! My heart and prayers go out to his family and Five years ago, Benton Blount’s radio tour ended abruptly as friends. I love you, Jeff! Golden Music closed its doors (BN 6/21/10). Now his future looks CRB’s Bill Mayne: Through the shock, numbness, sadness and brighter as he heads into tomorrow’s (9/1) semi-finals onNBC-TV ’s everything else we are all experiencing with this tragic loss, I have America’s Got Talent – potentially $1 million, a record deal and a Las realized an amazing truth: Jeff Walker has impacted more lives than Vegas residency kind of bright. Country Aircheck caught up with I could have ever imagined possible. The sheer magnitude of love him between rehearsals to talk about how he got from there to here. and caring I have witnessed is simply staggering. This has led me to Blount had been playing nationally, sometimes barely breaking focus on the incredible impact our always up-beat, positive, impish, even, when an opportunity to audition came to him through a humorous, energetic “spark plug” of a friend has had on a worldwide friend. Blount cleared several levels of online tryouts before being community of friends and colleagues. (continued on page 7) invited to join. “First was the video submission,” he says. “Then ©2015 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] August 31, 2015 Page 3 it was me on Skype playing for a panel of producers, and the third online audition was playing for more decision makers. Then PAGE THREE PIC they finally said, ‘We’d love for you to come to New Jersey and audition in front of a live audience and the judges.’” Three AGT appearances later, Blount says things have already changed for him. “People who already liked the music and what I do actually treat me a little differently now,” he says. “And people who’ve never heard of me before come up and say, ‘Aren’t you that guy from the television show?’ And that was even just after the audition.” Not surprisingly, Blount’s fan base has multiplied, and he’s seeing a lot of online support from friends he made in radio five years ago. “It’s just them saying, ‘I believe in what Benton’s doing and you should too, and at least check it out,’” he says. “Just knowing that they still believe is a pretty awesome thing.” Ultimately Blount wants the ability to support his wife and son doing what he loves, even without radio if he must. “I don’t want to just be the part time weekend musician who goes out never knowing if I’m actually going to bring money back home to my wife,” he says. “I want to establish myself and be successful enough that if she chooses not to work, she doesn’t have to. I just want to know 1,000 people will show up when I play, listen to my music and want me to record more.” Regardless of what happens tomorrow, AGT is a career milestone. “I’ve gotten affirmation that I’m doing the right Oh Say Can You See: Arista’s Lee Roy Parnell with thing,” he says. “When the record label closed right when I felt the uber-patriotic staff of KRMD/Shreveport, LA like something good was about to happen, it left me with these ahead of the station’s 101 Days Of Summer Free questions – would I have been successful? Would I still be playing? Concert in the late ‘90s. Pictured (back, l-r) are Would people have liked it? The show has answered those KRMD’s Shawn McCalister, Jackie Day Whaley, questions. I can live the rest of my life knowing I’m doing what Parnell, Alice Canham, Rick Stephenson; (front, I should be doing.” Watch his quarter-final performance here. l-r) are John Swan, Gary McCoy, Julie Ryan Follow Blount and #TeamBenton here. –Jess Wright and James Anthony. Send your vintage pics to [email protected]. Let Me Be Blount: Benton Blount isn’t sure where to look to acknowledge Chart Chat his cheering fans before Congrats to Sam Hunt, Royce Risser, Katie Dean and he’s named a finalist, and the whole MCA promotion team on landing his inner focus was on his this week’s No. 1 with “House Party.” The reaction. “My raw emotion is like my personality,” he song is Hunt’s third chart-topper in three says. “I’m super excited tries and reaches the pinnacle 62 weeks after about it, but sometimes “Leave The Night On” debuted at No. 36 – my face doesn’t show it. So remarkably fast for a new artist. I was thinking, ‘If they say And kudos to George Briner and my name, don’t just stand the Valory crew for notching 35 adds on there and do nothing.’” Brantley Gilbert’s “Stone Cold Sober,” Watch at 16:58 here. topping this week’s board. Sam Hunt ©2015 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] August 31, 2015 Page 5 News & Notes MY TUNES: MUSIC THAT SHAPED MY LIFE Premiere’s Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase will interview Steven Tyler during the “Music And Mimosas” event Streamsound’s Austin Webb discusses at the NAB/RAB’s 2015 Radio Show in Atlanta. The Oct. 2 his most influential music: discussion will focus on Tyler’s career journey, the importance of 1. Kris Kristofferson: He will always developing as an artist and staying relevant through changes in be my biggest influence as a songwriter. media and music consumption. More here. His delivery was honest. He was the real Forever Media will purchase four Dix deal. He was also a renaissance man, Communications/Cumberland, MD stations, including which I aspire to be. Country WFRB. The deal will bring Forever’s Country station 2. Bob Dylan’s Blonde On Blonde: count to seven, including WFGE/State College, PA; simulcast It’s one of the best records ever made. WGYY & WGYI/Meadville, PA; WFGI/Johnstown, PA; WWGY/ 3. Tom Douglas: In May 2010 I Newcastle, PA; and WFGY/Altoona, PA. The sale is pending Austin Webb was smoking a cigarette on a tractor FCC approval. in my overalls in my dad’s barn. I Envision has launched The Stories That Made The Music heard Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” [written with creator Nick Michaels as host. The one-minute vignettes by Douglas and Allen Shamblin] on WSSL/Greenville, SC. I’d focus on artists including Lady Antebellum, Garth Brooks, spent the last seven years on the road, touring the Americana George Strait, Reba, Blake Shelton and Shania Twain. circuit. When I heard that song, something hit me and I knew I More here. wanted to be on Country radio. About a year later I moved to Nashville and I got to write with Tom. Artist News 4. Guy Clark: “Texas 1947” is one of the best songs ever Valory’s Justin Moore was honored Aug. 23 with the written. “The Randall Knife” is incredible. Arkansas Traveler Award, presented by Governor Asa 5. Joe Cocker: His voice and the way he held himself onstage Hutchinson during a hometown celebration in Poyen, AR. – he was the coolest guy ever. Big Machine’s Tim McGraw will headline the 2016 Carolina • Highly regarded music you’ve actually never heard: I Country Music Fest in Myrtle Beach June 10-12. More here. don’t know anything about Skrillex but I hear people talking Ralph Stanley has signed with New Frontier Touring for about him. booking representation. • An “important” piece or style of music you just don’t Sixteen-year-old singer/songwriter Jackson Nance has get: Electronic Dance Music. I haven’t even heard it outside of signed with Warner/Chappell for publishing and with BMI for Vegas.