August 23, 2021, Issue 770 Remembering Hall & Everly Country Music Hall of Famers Tom T. Hall and Don Everly of The Everly Brothers passed over the weekend (read full Chronicle stories here and here, respectively). Below are remembrances from a few of their industry peers. • Publisher Tom Collins: Out of the deal I made to acquire his catalog, I not only received some great copyrights, but I also got two of my best friends in life: Tom and Miss Dixie, his wife. They were a special couple, and Tom was a true friend. Whatever he said, that’s the way it was. He was a genius in writing through simplicity and heart. Who else could come up with a line like “I flew over our house last night”? He told my daughter Courtney one time, “You’ll really Face The Fax: Stoney Creek’s Frank Ray visits the Beasley like your dog once it has you trained.” And corporate office. Pictured (l-r) are the company’sMarie when Bob Dylan was [disparaging] his song “I Tedesco and Caroline Beasley, Ray and the company’s Love,” Tom said, “I don’t understand why this Don Everly Justin Chase and Heidi Raphael. guy’s putting me down for ‘little baby ducks.’ I wrote the song in 10 minutes. And, hell, I’ve never met the guy!” He had a great sense of humor and is in every hall of fame there is. He Friends And Heroes Kicks Off was a great man and a great friend. It was 524 days between the March 12, 2020 date when • Country Music Hall of Fame’s Peter Warner/WMN’s Blake Shelton canceled his Friends And Heroes Cooper: When I was four years old, Tom T. Tour while sitting on his bus in Omaha and the official relaunch came out with an album of songs he subtitled of the tour Aug. 18 in the same city. iHeartMedia KXKT/Omaha “for children of all ages.” At the time, he PD/midday personality Hoss Michaels and Alpha KZKX/ Lincoln, NE PD/afternoon host Rob Kelley were on hand for the Tom T. Hall was one of the most successful singers and personalities in country music, but he made opening night and tell Country Aircheck about the tour. an album to which four-year-olds could relate. He made it with Following a 30-minute opening some of the top session musicians in Nashville and at a level of set from Stoney Creek’s Lindsay sonic quality equal to anything else coming out at the time. He Ell “showing off her guitar skills didn’t talk down to children; there was no funny voice or sound and totally slaying it,” according to effects. But he sang about things a four-year-old, a 44-year-old Michaels, Shelton’s band kicked off at and an 84-year-old mind could understand and appreciate. He approximately 8:15pm, and Shelton sang with empathy. walked out on a ramp to begin the show An artist at the top of their career doing an album ostensibly for with “Neon Light.” Staging included an extended runway onto the floor bringing children just wouldn’t happen today. They wouldn’t be advised to Lindsay Ell and do it, nor should they be. Shelton and his “friends and heroes” Hoss Michaels (continued on page 7) close to the crowd. Large screens were ©2021 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] August 23, 2021 Page 3 setup behind the stage for video displays. While Omaha is currently completely open with full-capacity The night was “an entertaining, non-stop, four-hour joyride,” shows, masks were still recommended but not required, says Kelley, who adds, “it was jokes and non-stop Blake-isms all Michaels notes. “There was also no official meet-and-greet or night long.” Shelton played 10 of VIP experience, but Blake and his team set up a radio room so his hits before introducing his first we could chat for a few minutes before he went on stage,” says friend and hero, Tracy Byrd, who Michaels. “I’m always grateful for those moments and appreciate performed three songs. Shelton then that Blake still takes time to talk with radio; he is one of a kind. If performed again before bringing out this tour is coming to your town – and the pandemic doesn’t stop Martina McBride for a three-song it – buckle up, because it’s going to be a night you won’t forget.” set. The routine repeated with Shelton See the remaining tour dates here; reach Michaels here and picking up a guitar and joking he had Kelley here. –Monta Vaden learned to playing during quarantine. “Blake launched into the opening lick of ‘Don’t Speak,’ and out popped Blake Shelton and Chart Chat [wife] Gwen Stefani,” shares Kelley. Rob Kelley Congratulations to Justin Moore, “After Gwen finished, she stayed to Chris Palmer, Ashley Sidoti and sing their two radio hit duets together.” Following another round the Valory promotion team on landing this of Shelton hits, Trace Adkins came to the stage for three songs week’s No. 1 song, “We Didn’t Have Much.” followed by his two duets with Shelton. This is Moore’s 10th No. 1. Songwriters “At the end of the show, Blake brought Tracy, Martina and Trace are Randy Montana, Paul DiGiovanni back out to center stage to do a one-round guitar-pull type setup,” and Jeremy Stover. explains Michaels. Shelton bookended the round with “Who Are Kudos to Dennis Reese and You When I’m Not Looking” and “Austin,” and after the round, the the RCA team for notching 107 adds for Justin Moore night ended with an encore – “God Gave Me You.” Kelley says “One Mississippi” by Kane Brown. This is the entire production is “Vegas-residency level good,” and to plan Brown’s fifth title to lead the add board and breaks his previous on staying for the full show. “People will get their money’s worth, add week record of 97 when “Cool Again” was Most Added last and as an industry person, you’ll be riveted,” he states. Michaels April (CAW 4/27/20). agrees, adding, “Blake is a superstar on so many levels, yet he remains just a guy from Oklahoma. It’s a solid night of music from beginning to end, and everyone around me loved how he News & Notes was weaving the other artists into the show. Most people stood the Broken Bow’s Jason Aldean will guest host Mt. Wilson entire time, singing hit after hit.” KKGO/Los Angeles middays Aug. 30-Sept. 24. He will be joined by Big Loud’s Hardy and Broken Bow’s Lainey Wilson ©2021 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] August 23, 2021 Page 5 OFF THE RECORD – Aldean’s openers for the Back In The Saddle Tour – for the shift. Listen here. An Off The Record conversation with The Country Music Association (CMA) has opened a pre- Records’ George Birge: sale on four-day passes for CMA Fest 2022 exclusively for CMA Since the pandemic started, I’ve members. Next year’s event dates are June 9-12. gotten to play more golf than I have in The Independent Broadcasters Association (IBA) will host years and broke in a new smoker in the a members-only webinar, “Five Tactics To Grow Revenue In A Post- backyard. Now I’m hooked, so I’m going Pandemic World,” Aug. 26 at 4pm ET. Register here. to have to get creative on how to keep it up TuneIn SVP/People Operations Deanna Grams has been on the road. upped to Chief People Officer. Social media has been an Legend/Sheridan, WY – including Country KLGT & awesome way to pull back the curtain Classic Country KBBS-AM – has added outsourced local news between me and the fans. It’s off-the-cuff, reports from Virtual News Center with Lisa Rodman and informal and real, and that makes the GEORGE BIRGE Jim Taylor anchoring. connection so much more valuable. It’s also iHeartMedia is selling its Portsmouth, NH broadcast been an amazing way to try out new songs, get feedback on direction facility, which currently houses the five-station cluster that includes and even introduce folks to sides of me they might not see on stage. Country WTBU. Upon completion of the sale, the Portsmouth I grew up listening to KASE/Austin. It’ll always be total stations and associated personnel will relocate 50 miles west to the nostalgia for me — the soundtrack to my childhood. Manchester, NH facility. I was in an Uber on the way to the airport after playing a SuiteRadio’s syndicated Bud And Broadway Show is helping show in Norfolk. We had just opened for Hunter Hayes to an amazing collect supplies for teachers using the hashtag #clearthelist. crowd and were telling the driver about plans to move to Nashville Details here. when my song came on the radio. It’s funny how much that moment Digital music delivery platform AvenueAR launched, focusing impacts you. It was something I dreamed about my whole life, and on connecting independent artists and writers with industry hearing it on the radio for the first time felt like validation for all the executives. More info here. years of grinding. I can remember it like it was yesterday. “Beer Beer, Truck Truck” is my first single as a solo artist. It was inspired by Erynn Chambers, who was light-heartedly poking fun The Week’s Top Stories at country music saying it was nothing but “Beer Beer, Truck Truck, Girls Full coverage at countryaircheck.com.