July 12, 2021, Issue 764 Combs, Capitol, “Better” Lead 2021 Capitol, Luke Combs and his song “Better Together” are the Plot Twix: Country leaders as we enter the final third of the 2021 chart-share year. Curb’s Dylan Capitol has been Country’s Label of the Scott (l) with Year for the last 12 years and appears to be WGTY/York, well on its way to making it a baker’s dozen PA’s Scott considering the 11.3 to 7.8 chart share lead Donato at it currently enjoys over second place BMLGR. Hersheypark Big Loud, RCA and MCA round out the top Stadium. 5, according to chart data compiled by our friends and partners at Mediabase 24/7 for Luke Combs the chart year 11/8/20-11/6/21. Combs continues his airplay domination and appears poised to repeat as our 2021 Top Performer on the strength of two songs – “Better Together” and Forever After All” – that have each spent three weeks at No. 1 this year. Following Combs in the top 5 artists of the year thus far Bring On Tomorrow are Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Luke The audience’s excitement to be at a live show was eclipsed Bryan and Russell Dickerson. The year’s top only by the joy emanating from the performers Thursday (7/8) on woman is Gabby Barrett, who ranks eighth opening night of Brad Paisley’s 2021 tour in Jacksonville. WQIK Blake Shelton overall. Dan + Shay are the top duo at No. 7; morning host John Scott reports Paisley and openers Jimmie Parmalee ranks as the top group at No. 6. Allen and Kameron Marlowe expressed their happiness to be Combs’ “Better Together” is the most-heard back onstage — and more importantly, in song at this point in the chart year, leading front of an audience — throughout the night. Rhett’s “What’s Your Country Song” by a mere “You’re just as beautiful as I remember you,” 3,500 points. Parmalee with Blanco Brown Paisley laughed. “You gained 15 pounds, but are third with “Just the Way,” Luke Bryan is you’re beautiful!” fourth with “Down To One,” and Gabby Barrett “That boy’s gonna be a star,” Paisley later completes the top five with “The Good Ones.” said of Marlowe, whose opening set included Gabby Barrett Check out the Top 10 labels, Top 15 Artist what Scott labels as a “cool, slow-burn and Top 30 songs on page 9. version of ‘Folsom Prison Blues.’” “Jimmie –Lon Helton commanded our attention the moment he John Scott (continued on page 9) ©2021 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] July 12, 2021 Page 4 Still a Guy.” Paisley also ordered beer from Target. Big Head Brad, which starred in his “Celebrity” music video, was back with updated 2020 bits. “As with most Brad shows, it’s a rollercoaster of emotions, matching the hilarity with sentiment,” details Scott. Tributes included Eddie Van Halen (“Hot For Teacher”) and an in memoriam set to “When I Get Where I’m Goin’” with photos of Kobe Bryant and Charlie Daniels, among others. His love song to his favorite art form, “This Is Country Music,” featured Paisley gifting a boy in the pit an autographed guitar. And, just like with “Then,” the closer “Today” took on a deeper meaning with lyrics, “Right now the whole world feels right / And the memory of a day like today / Can get you through the rest of your life / Bring on tomorrow.” “What a classic way to sum up the collective thoughts of those at Daily’s Place,” ends Scott. “The incredible ride that is a Brad Paisley concert came to an end … but what a beginning.” Reach Scott here. –Caitlin DeForest Jimmie Allen and Brad Paisley Huntin’, Fishin’, Lovin’ Every Show Capitol’s Luke Bryan kicked off his Proud To Be Right Here took the stage, and he didn’t let up,” says Scott, noting Allen Tour over the weekend with Friday’s (7/9) stop at Hersheypark mixed it up with new songs and covers like a ‘90s mashup of Stadium in Hershey, PA. WIOV/Lancaster, PA PD/morning Alabama, John Michael Montgomery and Kriss Kross. host Rich Creeger and WGTY/York, PA PD/morning host While Paisley’s shows have always been a multi-media Scott Donato were both in attendance. affair, Thursday’s show incorporated both old music videos and “The buzz for the past few weeks spilled over into unbridled new graphics for each song. The added weight of the past year enthusiasm,” says Creeger. “Caylee wasn’t lost on the headliner, whose opening backdrop showed Hammack took to the stage to an already an empty arena with the date 7/8/2020 only to segue to the almost-full house and rocked a 25-minute date of this show filtered with graphics of that evening’s crowd set.” For middle act Dylan Scott, Donato as he tore into new song “City Of Music.” adds, “It was great to see [him] on such a “River Bank” was the perfect offering for the outdoor large stage. His energy was off the charts.” venue located near the St. Johns River, as was Paisley and “Just a few minutes after 9pm, the sun Allen’s “Freedom Was A Highway.” “Welcome to the summer had gone down, and the stage lit up with of 2021, and not a moment too soon,” Paisley interjected a giant disco ball that bathed the crowd before launching into “Water” and “Then,” making the track with red and purple lasers reflecting off it,” Rich Creeger “more than just about his wife,” comments Scott. “It was describes Creeger. “Luke hit the stage with about his fans.” ‘That’s My Kind Of Night’ then ran through Video guests were constant, interspersing Andy Griffith’s his enormous catalog of hits for almost two role in “Waiting On A Woman;” Teddy Gentry, Randy Owen hours. I don’t think anyone sat down the and Jeff Cook for “Old Alabama;” and a virtual Carrie entire time.” Underwood for “Remind Me.” Also a constant was Paisley’s “Luke later invited Dylan and Caylee out sense of humor. He ran around giving high-fives only to have to sing ‘All My Friends Say’ with him,” notes a roadie deliver hand sanitizer and took a woman’s phone, Donato. “They all chugged beer and lived it going through her pictures with Marlowe, who joined for “I’m up as they stood on a cooler.” Scott Donato ©2021 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] July 12, 2021 Page 6 “The only time OFF THE RECORD Covid specifically came up was right An Off The Record Conversation with before ‘Huntin’, Hubbard WIL/St. Louis MD/afternoon Fishin’ And Lovin’ personality Marty Brooks: Everyday,’” says Growing up in Chicago, I listened Creeger. “He told to legendary air talent like Johnny B, everybody this Mancow, Dick Biondi and John Records was how he spent Landecker, just to name a few. I was also his time during into music from the ‘60s and ‘70s, so I quarantine and was listening to Classic Hits WLS-FM. Then assumed that’s came Top 40 WKSC, and it hooked me in MARTY BROOKS how we did, too, the morning with DreX and Mel T. I was because, ‘nobody never on time to school, because I would sit in the car glued to can socially distance the radio to see what happened next! like country folks.’” I interned for The Jerry Springer Show in high school “Luke never and college but came to realize my true passion was radio. TV is seems to work with great, but our medium is so powerful. I went to Columbia College a script,” adds Luke Bryan Chicago and intern coordinator Tom Joyce set me up with an Donato. “Some of internship with Ty Bentli. Thank God he did, because Bentli was his best moments the perfect fit for me and truly helped me learn the craft. He are connecting with the crowd between songs. He chatted about recommended me for the promotions team, and I worked my way how it always seems to rain when he comes to Hershey (as it did up from there. My goal was to keep my key card! just before the show) and how he realized how lucky he is to do Each stop I have made in my career was because what he does. I’ve seen Luke dozens of times, and he’s always someone saw something and took a shot: Brad Austin, [WLFP/ a true entertainer, but you could tell he was extra pumped to be Memphis PD] Chris Michaels, [WPAW/Greensboro PD] Clay on a stage performing again. It truly was a great night.” Walker and [WRVR/Memphis] morning host Ron Olson. Reach Creeger here and Donato here. See the complete list of Garth Brooks’ Ropin’ The Wind introduced me to Bryan’s upcoming tour dates here. –Chris Huff country music, and I played the hell out of that album. One of my all-time favorite shows and artists is Phil Collins’ First Farewell Tour. I can still feel the bass note Chart Chat Leland Sklar hit on “In The Air Tonight.” Congratulations to Chris If I could be in any band, it would be in the Eagles. The Young, Kane Brown, Steve lyrics of their songs are just unreal. And I love Bob Seger’s music Hodges, Dennis Reese, and lyrics.