Issue 608 the Voice: a Cautionary Tale Voice Therapy and Vocal Rest Are Sometimes Necessary for Singers
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July 2, 2018, Issue 608 The Voice: A Cautionary Tale Voice therapy and vocal rest are sometimes necessary for singers. Country artists including Keith Urban, Lauren Alaina and Patty Loveless have even required surgery to correct polyps or repair burst blood vessels. But what about deejays? For radio professionals whose livelihood is centered on speaking, losing the voice is a nightmare scenario. WSM-FM/Nashville evening personality Darlas Rai lived that nightmare earlier this year. Happily healed and back on the air, Country Aircheck spoke with her and Speech-Language Pathologist Melissa Kirby about proper voice care. Rai first encountered problems after suffer- ing a viral infection eight years ago. After that, she developed what she calls “reverse” laryn- gitis. “When I woke up, I couldn’t talk,” she says. “The more I talked the better my voice Darlas Rai got. By the time I went on the air at night, I had a voice. But I woke up every morning without one.” A doctor visit revealed no polyps, but Rai Salt Life: RCA’s Old Dominion at the Salt Lake City stop of still struggled. “I just chalked it up to getting the 2018 Trip Around The Sun Tour. Pictured (front, l-r) are older and talking for a living,” she says. “But the label’s Larry Santiago, KSOP’s Jim Mickelson and KUBL’s my voice just kept getting lower and lower.” Matt Ramone; (back, l-r) KEGA’s Jon Watkins, OD’s Trevor Rosen, Matthew Ramsey and Brad Tursi, KUBL’s Travis Moon, DJ Unplugged: Super Bowl Sunday OD’s Geoff Sprung and Whit Sellers and KSOP’s Deb Turpin. followed by Country Radio Seminar this year was a one-two punch. “How do you not talk Melissa Kirby at a radio convention?” she says. “You’re in Brew Country & The Legends loud environments. You’re in a bar, and then Add Alpha’s WCEN “The Moose”/Sag- you’re at a show, and you’re running all over town. Meanwhile, inaw, MI to the list of items that go good you’re on the air every night, with all your peers and your former with beer. Country radio and suds (as well as bosses in town. And you want to be on the air. But by Wednesday, added revenue opportunities) may seem like it was over. And my voice just never came back, even after a week. a natural pairing, but it’s taken some time to I sounded like Marge Simpson.” bring the idea for “The Moose New Country Rai saw an ENT, who found a polyp and recommended imme- Ale” to a head. diate surgery. “I called my PD Charlie Cook right then and there,” “The morning guy is a beer connoisseur she says, “and I burst into tears, because I’d been holding it in. and we’ve had this idea for eight or nine Charlie said, ‘I’ve known several people who’ve gone through years,” says PD Joby Phillips. “I always loved Joby Phillips (continued on page 6) it because without a budget for TV or bill- ©2018 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] July 2, 2018 Page 4 boards, seeing the logo on a bunch of cans seemed like it would MY TUNES: MUSIC THAT SHAPED MY LIFE be great branding.” Phillips and company floated the concept again several Reviver/1608’s Shane Owens discusses months ago. “We have a new GM who was all for it, and three his most influential music: months later we had beer,” Phillips says. The station worked with 1. Keith Whitley: I grew up idolizing him. Mountain Town Brewing Company in Mt. Pleasant, MI to create He really turned me on to traditional country the ale, which is distributed locally by Fabiano Brothers. music. “The brewery has one called Gamblers Golden Ale that’s one 2. Randy Travis: When I met Randy, he of their best sellers and the recipe is similar,” Phillips says. “I’m told wanted to be involved in my career. To get it tastes really good. My wife loves beer and says it tastes a bit like to spend time with him, to get to know him Bud Light with an extra flavor profile. I’m more of a vodka guy.” Personal tastes and brand names aside, however, as the Shane Owens – he was such a big influence. 3. My Family: I grew up singing in church. station discovered when it came time to choose the name. Phillips My grandmother loved gospel music and played the piano. 4. Garth Brooks: I saw him for the first time in 1990. He played the Peanut Festival in Dothan, AL. He had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. 5. George Jones: He had one of those rare voices that comes along once in a lifetime. He cut some of the best country music songs. Everybody knew who George Jones was, even if they weren’t country music fans. He was the troubadour of country music. • Highly regarded music you’ve actually never heard: A lot of the guys in my band love blues music. I’ve never gotten around to listening to a lot of it. • An album you listened to incessantly: Keith Whitley’s Don’t Close Your Eyes. • An obscure or non-country song everyone should listen to right now: “Lean On Me” by Bill Withers. We’re living in a world now where things are getting crazy. We’ve got so many gun issues, so much killing going on. So much hate. There needs to be more love in the world, and more respect. WCEN’s Jim Biggins and Jodi K ©2018 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] July 2, 2018 Page 6 explains, “Our original idea was ‘Moose Brew,’ but that is copy- News & Notes righted somewhere out west.” Bobby Bones’ Fail Until You Don’t: Fight. Grind. Repeat. Ideally, the partnership connects on multiple levels. “For me, debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list in the it’s about marketing,” Phillips says. “For sales, it’s about making Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous category. List here. money although we don’t get any portion of the proceeds from JAM has acquired WCMS/Hatteras, NC from Max Media beer purchases.” as part of a four-station deal worth $1.85 million. JAM has also The station is selling packages to venues carrying the beer, purchased Classic Country KWPC-AM/Muscatine, IA from which at this point is only available in kegs. Going forward, the Prairie Radio in a two-station deal worth $965,000. plan is to begin canning the beer in the fall for sale through Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Margo Price, convenience stores. In the meantime, promotion is in full swing. Gene Watson, The Head and The Heart and The Wild “[Local bars/tap rooms] can buy a package that offers a month’s Feathers are among the performers at this year’s Willie Nelson’s worth of mentions on the station and the morning show will come 4th of July Picnic at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Tick- out and help with a launch party,” Phillips says. “Most of these cli- ets and more info here. ents aren’t on air with us so if they see a result from this promotion Reviver/1608’s Josh Gracin will perform four private shows the hope is they’ll buy commercial packages.” July 2-5 at the Ali Al Salem Air Force Base in Kuwait as part of the While bottom line impact will take some time to assess, Phil- base’s July 4th celebration. lips sees immediate benefits. “WKCQ is the heritage station and LeAnn Rimes will perform and SiriusXM’s Storme Warren we compete by doing a lot of lifestyle things they don’t – camp- will emcee the Pedigree Foundation Pawty: BBQ, Boots, & Bling ing, hunting, that kind of stuff,” he says. “The morning show’s Oct. 11 at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works. More here. Jodi K. lives the lifestyle and she’s being nagged to death about when it’s coming to new places. One tap room ran out last weekend, but the brewery tells us they’ll have 150 kegs ready to The Week’s Top Stories go this week.” And with a big holiday on Wednesday, that’s not Full coverage at countryaircheck.com. a moment too soo. • The 2018-19 CRB Board of Directors were announced. –Chuck Aly (7/2) • Country Radio Seminar hired Jean Williams and promoted Brooke Sanders and Darcie Van Etten. (CAT 6/29) Chart Chat • Gary Sommer joined Entercom/Portland as GSM. (CAT Congrats to Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Kristen Wil- 6/28) liams, Tom Martens and the WAR promotion team on landing • Chuck Poet was named Cumulus/Erie, PA VP/MM. (CAT this week’s No. 1 with Dan + 6/27) Shay’s “Tequila.” The song is the • ACM upped Tommy Moore and hired Mary Pambukyan. first single from their self titled (CAT 6/26) album, which debuted atop the country albums chart this week. Songwriters are Nicolle Galyon, The Voice: A Cautionary Tale Jordan Reynolds and Smyers. (continued from page 1) And kudos to Bobby Young this. You’re gonna be okay.’ Charlie really put my mind at ease. and the Capitol reps on landing I pulled myself together and thought, ‘My husband’s with me, my 30 adds for Dierks Bentley’s Dan + Shay job is okay, and now I can move forward.’” “Burning Man,” which features Two weeks after her March 23 procedure, Rai started talking Brothers Osborne and tops this week’s board.