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Home , Bruce Bouton, Eddie Bayers, How Do I Live

ARTISTS & MUSIC Warren To Do First Solo Concert BY CHET FLIPPO "Barbara Mandrell cut one of my which hit No. l on the Hot 100 Singles NASHVILLE -"I'm terrified," says songs years ago," she says, "but it was chart in a version by Aerosmith. extraordinaire Diane kind of hit or miss until recently. I Obviously, Warren songs and coun- Warren of her forthcoming solo con- couldn't get arrested in Nashville." try music are becoming a good com- cert debut in Nashville. "I've never Then country success descended bination. been on a stage by on her rapidly, with not one but two But Warren says she never has an myself in my life." versions of her song "How Do I Live" artist or a genre in mind when writ- Warren, whose re- recorded by and ing. "I don't label songs," she says. cent songwriting ven- LeAnn Rimes. "To me, a great song is a great song. tures into the country "Everybody knows the story of is about great songs. music community have what happened there," Warren says I'm really lucky that people can hear Trisha Feted. MCA Nashville held a lakeside party for Trisha Yearwood to cele- been hugely success- of the song that appeared in the movie past labels, can hear that they're brate her 1998 successes. In addition to gold and platinum plaques, Tennessee ful -and influential- "" and became -via Rimes' great songs. And then put their own first lady Martha Sundquist gave Yearwood a certificate from Gov. Don Sundquist WARREN will perform her first version -the longest -running single spin on them. I think this Mark Ches- naming her an official Tennessee ambassador, and touring partner solo concert Dec. 1 at in history on the Billboard Hot 100 nutt version of 'I Don't Want To Miss presented her with a new Chevrolet truck. Shown, from left, are Brooks, MCA the Bluebird Cafe here. Singles chart. It also won a country A Thing' is great. Aerosmith's version Nashville president Tony Brown, MCA Nashville chairman Bruce Hinton, Year- "An Evening With " vocal Grammy for Yearwood. "Fortu- was fabulous, and now Mark Ches- wood, and Country Music Assn. executive director Ed Benson. will present the songwriter in the nately," she says, "in the end it worked (Continued on page 32) intimate (110 seats) confines of the out well for everybody concerned, and Bluebird, famed home to . I have to confess that I was one of the The show, organized by MCA ones who did really well by it. It was a Nashville president Tony Brown, will hit all over the world." Set benefit Park Center's Safe Havens, Warren's country contributions TNN Debuts label With Christmas which serves homeless men and came quickly. Her song "What If," as women with mental illness. recorded by Reba McEntire in 1997, Of Jr. In preparing for the show, Warren became a major charity event bene- From ; New Box Hank confesses to an acute case of stage fiting the Salvation Army. The Faith fright. "It'll be all songwriters in the Hill /Tim McGraw duet of Warren's ANOTHER ? Sort of, as Glen such as the Awards in Los house, I know," she says. "But it's a "Just To Hear You Say That You Love Campbell teams with TNN for its first CD release Angeles, the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Finals, and cool thing. The Bluebird is such a Me" went to No. 3 on the Hot Country (BillboardBulletin, Nov. 13). the National Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas. landmark, and I've never even been Singles & Tracks chart in 1998. Her The CD-release idea sprang from a The show also takes on a new day-to -day producer. there ... I've done a couple of those song "To Get Me To You," as record- TNN Christmas special, Campbell tells Tisi Aylward, who replaces Rac Clark, has worked things with songwriters onstage. But ed by Lila McCann, is on the double - Nashville Scene. "It was just a natural at Fox, Buena Vista, and "Live With Regis And Kathie I've never performed by myself." platinum- selling "Hope Floats" thing to do," he says. Campbell says his Lee." Clark becomes senior VP of programming for Until her recent spate of big coun- soundtrack. has just TV special, "A Glen Campbell Christ- the dick clark productions' Nashville office. try hits, Warren came intermittently released a country single of Warren's mas," airs on the network Dec. 2 to Nashville, to visit friends here. song "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing," (repeating Dec. 8 and 16), with special PEOPLE: Keith Stegall will produce ' CAMPBELL guests the Kinleys and Collin Raye. debut Asylum Records album. Recording begins in "Then, TNN asked me about doing January for a planned May release. a CD based on the show, and I said, `You ain't kiddin'!' " Hank Williams Jr. has a career -retrospective CD Farm's North Hollow The CD, with the package coming from Vermont same name as the show, . "The will be produced by Bocephus Box: The Records Cultivates Honky-Tonk Barry Beckett. It will Hank Williams Collec- contain 11 traditional Nashville tion 1979 -1992" adds a BY JIM BESSMAN movement in Boston in the late '70s, Christmas songs per- fourth CD to its 1992 NEW YORK -There are country with local bands with huge followings, formed by Campbell and version. The set will music record labels -and then there's like John Lincoln Wright & the Sour will initially be sold only Seem feature previously North Hollow Records. Mash Boys and the Estes Boys. on TNN (from an 800 unreleased material and is set for a Jan. 19, The start -up company, whose first "The big labels passed them over number) and on TNN's TM release is New York -based Elena because they had a renegade style World Wide Web site, 1999, release date. Skye & the Demolition Band's "One that didn't quite fit a mold," Carlson county.com, beginning by Chet Flippo A number of country Dog Town," operates out of North continues. "They weren't from Monday (23). artists have recorded Hollow Farm in the Vermont town of Nashville and they weren't Boston "It's a great way to 30- second PSAs for Rochester. As its brochure notes, the rock'n'roll bands but somewhere in bypass record labels, radio, and retail," Campbell American Red Cross efforts to aid hurricane victims farm, with some 450 head of cattle between, with a style of music that notes. in Honduras and Nicaragua. Copies of the spots-by roaming freely, specializes in "natur- has character and is a large step away TNN VP of programming Brian Hughes says the Wynonna, Trisha Yearwood, Brooks & Dunn, al beef from healthy animals raised from today's homogenized country." network has been considering issuing CDs and decid- , and -are available from in Vermont on lush pastures, grown Always entrepreneurial, Carlson ed the Campbell special would be a logical place to the Red Cross at 202 -639 -3025. without the use of hormonal has been a silversmith, a used -car start. He says it will be a long -term project, with even- Sony/ATV Tree Publishing president /CEO Donna implants, digestive stimulants, or saleswoman-she owned a dealership tual stocking at retail and a home video of the project. Hilley and publisher David Briggs will be inducted antibiotics and finished on pesticide - in Santa Fe, N.M. -and a graphic The CD itself will be on the TNN Classic Sessions into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame on Jan. 29, 1999, free corn." designer for an alternative publisher label. in Huntsville, Ala. In other words, it's the real stuff- in Vermont. Three years ago, she "You have artists who don't have labels," Hughes much like the music its companion hooked up with Myron Bowen, her says, "who are still fantastic performers. Glen is still ON THE ROW: Virgin Records Nashville officially record label also intends to produce. partner in North Hollow Farm. an amazing talent, and he's one who is known every- names Susan Levy VP of artist development and Lori "The new buzzword for this music At the time, Carlson was producing where. He still has a great following. We thought a Lytle VP of publicity (BillboardBulletin, Nov. 17). is `alternative country,'" notes Leslie mainly bluegrass music for Record Christmas record would be a perfect experiment." Both held the same positions at Capitol Nashville Carlson, partner in the label with her Company of Vermont, a traditional This particular CD, he notes, is a venture with three under president Scott Hendricks and now rejoin Hen- brother, real estate developer Bryan country music label. While producing partners: TNN, Campbell, and Nashville drummer dricks at Virgin. The label also names Regina Anthony. "But in my mind, it's the an album for the Estes Boys, she met Eddie Bayers. Stephens as manager of publicity and artist develop- real thing." Skye, who's also a freelance journal- Campbell says the project is a natural for veteran ment. As exemplified by Skye's album, ist and was writing about the Estes artists like himself who are no longer on country radio Signings: Vern Gosdin, David Ball, Dale Watson, North Hollow Records' interest is in group. Impressed by Skye's demo or major Nashville labels. "The good Lord's taking and Springer to Buddy Lee Attractions for exclusive the honky -tonk side of alt.country. "I tapes, Carlson was going to produce a good care of me," he says. worldwide representation ... Ron Wallace to the Clif grew up near Boston on honky -tonk session with her for Record Compa- Meanwhile, TNN's "Prime Time Country" is cut- Doyle Agency ... Bruce Bouton, Mary Danna, and music, listening to Waylon and Willie ny of Vermont, but that label hit hard ting back its schedule from almost 200 original shows Scott Miller to Famous Music. and and wearing a times, and she launched North Hol- a year to about 110. Plans are for the show to travel Dan F. Ekback is promoted to VP of operations for cowboy hat, vest, and boots," says low Records last February. more around the country and piggyback on events Bluewater Music Corp. Carlson. "There was a big honky -tonk (Continued on page 32)

, n BILLBOARD NOVEMBER 28, 1998 www.americanradiohistory.com