Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS OCTOBER 21, 2019 | PAGE 1 OF 24 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE [email protected] Chris Janson’s Brooks & Dunn, Stevens, Bradley Personal Best >page 4 Join The Country Music Hall Of Fame Bob Kingsley Remembered It was a night of tears, God and nudity. including Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, Bill >page 11 The annual medallion ceremony that officially inducts the Anderson, Charley Pride and The Oak Ridge Boys. Dunn, who newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame is inevi- had vowed he would stay dry-eyed throughout the event, had tably a solemn, emotional occasion, one that Hall of Fame salt water coating his pupils right away as the significance of and Museum CEO Kyle Young says is “as close as we get to a being enshrined alongside them sank in even further. Maren Morris religious service” in the genre. “Have you ever been invited to a really cool party that Debuts New Song Appropriately, the ad- you just can’t believe you’re >page 14 ditions of Brooks & Dunn, there?” Dunn’s musical part- Ray Stevens and producer- ner, Kix Brooks, said rhetori- executive Jerry Bradley on cally during their acceptance Oct. 20 brought some great speech. “You walk in, and Garth Special performances, many of there’s some really cool peo- On The Move which underscored human- ple in there and maybe even >page 14 ity’s connection to some some people there [who] re- higher power. At least one of ally are your heroes and that those — Trisha Yearwood’s kind of thing. And it’s like, Makin’ Tracks: rip-your-guts-out interpre- you’re not one of your heroes, Schnacky’s tation of the Ronnie Dunn- but they’re there and you Smiling Debut Craig Wiseman composition were invited, and so you be- >page 19 “Believe” — yielded real-life long here and they make you sobs and complicated tears feel real welcome. It’s just re- throughout the audience. ally cool to be in the room.” And while no one took off For the hundreds who Country Coda: their clothing during the experienced it with him, Heartland’s proceedings, a weird rendi- From left: Hall of Fame inductees Bradley, Stevens, it was cool, too, as the in- Heartfelt “First” tion of “The Streak” and sto- Dunn and Brooks. ductees’ impact on country >page 24 ries about Hank Williams’ was summarized, in prose widow yielded naked laughter over people in the buff. and in the hand-picked tribute performances. The tears began intermittently as the evening began with Bradley’s key projects and signings — such as Dolly Parton, the entrance of at least 15 previous Hall of Fame inductees, Ronnie Milsap, Alabama and the album Wanted: The Outlaws #1 ON THE HIGHWAY BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE OCTOBER 21, 2019 | PAGE 2 OF 24 — were recognized in Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart’s roughneck take on “Good Hearted Woman,” Americana artist Yola’s primal “Jolene” and Old Crow Medicine Show’s energetic new-grass version of “Dixieland Delight,” run through a mountain-music filter with guest guitarist Molly Tuttle. Brooks & Dunn’s salute featured three songs with varying degrees of spiritual heft: Brothers Osborne’s faithful incarnation of the bap- tismal-themed “Brand New Man,” Luke Bryan’s biting and boisterous take on the blue-collar epiphany “Red Dirt Road” and Yearwood’s rivet- ing “Believe.” Stevens was celebrated with his own churchy classic, “Everything Is Beau- tiful,” delivered by The McCrary Sisters, who sang in the gospel children’s choir on the original 1970 recording. Skaggs re-created Stevens’ joyful re- Georgians collided when Grand Ole Opry member Bill Anderson boot of “Misty” with the aid of guest banjo player Justin Moses, and Grand welcomed former President Jimmy Carter during a broadcast of Ole Opry announcer Keith Bilbrey teamed with comedian James Gregory the WSM-AM Nashville show. From left: Opry announcer Eddie for the novelty “The Streak,” a goofy moment that Young called “the most Stubbs, Anderson, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, Carter and unusual performance in the history of our medallion ceremony.” Emmylou Harris. Young managed to connect “The Streak” to the nude Musica statue in Nashville’s Music Row roundabout, adjacent to a park named for Brad- ley’s Hall of Fame father, Owen Bradley. And that led Jerry Bradley to share a story in his acceptance speech about a meeting in Shreveport, La., with Hank Williams’ widow, Billie Jean Horton, who proposed that they consummate a deal during his tenure with Acuff/Rose by getting naked in her pool. “I quickly said, ‘No, but I will send Troy,’ ” he quipped, referring to Troy Tomlinson, now Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville chairman/CEO. Oddly enough, that in turn led Kix Brooks to note that his first live perfor- mance, as a school kid in Shreveport, came in Horton’s carport with a band he formed with classmates. “She wore these great leopard-skin tight pants,” recalled Brooks. “We’re Riley Green performed current single “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” like 12, and we’re going, ‘Hello, Mrs. Horton.’ Thanks for reminding me during a promotional visit to the Academy of Country Music in Los of her.” Angeles. From left: Fusion Music/Red Light manager Daniel Miller, The ceremony, held at the Hall of Fame and Museum’s CMA Theater, Green, interim ACM executive director RAC Clark and Red Light included the unveiling of bronze plaques that will represent the 2019 class Management artist manager Zach Sutton. in the building’s Rotunda, putting them in the company of 136 previously inducted innovators, including Merle Haggard, George Jones, Jimmie Rod- gers, Patsy Cline and Bill Monroe. Much attention is given by some of country’s most ardent observers to figures who are absent from the institution’s rolls, including Keith Whitley, Dwight Yoakam, The Judds, Ray Charles and Hank Williams Jr. While inducting Stevens, 2007 inductee Ralph Emery confessed he had lobbied prospective voters (the panel, which numbers at least 350 people, is kept a secret) on Stevens’ behalf for four years. The wait was apparently worth it. “Nobody chooses to be up here,” said Stevens during his acceptance speech. “We can dream about it, and we can plan. We can’t choose. We Maddie & Tae guested Oct. 14 on NBC’s daytime talk platform The Kelly have to be chosen. And let me say how sweet it is to be chosen.” Clarkson Show. From left: Maddie Marlow, Clarkson and Tae Dye. BOURQUARD MICHEL GREEN: KUPISH. DERREK ANDERSON: Saving SFX? Bankrupt dance promoter targets Randy Phillips as CEO Song of the Summer? Not So Fast... 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The set, which debuted at No. 1 in June 2017, leads “Good Vibes” (Warner Music Nashville/WAR) rises 2-1 in its 34th week on the for a 49th frame and is now just one week from potentially tying for the lon- tally (dated Oct. 26). The song reigns with a 10% gain to 40.1 million audience gest rule in the chart’s history. Shania Twain’s Come On Over dominated for impressions in the week ending Oct. 20, according to Nielsen Music. 50 weeks beginning in November 1997. On Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, which blends airplay, streaming and sales data, “Good” ascends 8-6. ‘LIGHTNING’ STRIKES Also on Top Country Albums, Blanco Brown’s first LP, “I’m humbled to have a No. 1 hit,” Janson tells Billboard. “I’m even more hum- Honeysuckle & Lightning Bugs (Trailer Trap Music/BMG/Broken Bow Music bled to be able to do this for a living. I feel really blessed, Group), arrives at No. 16 with 7,000 units (1,000 in and that’s exactly what ‘Good Vibes’ expresses in song.” album sales). Lead single “The Git Up” commanded “Good,” which Janson wrote with Ashley Gorley and Hot Country Songs for 12 weeks beginning in July.