September 5, 2017, Issue 566 Spring Blooms For Country Spring Diary results blossomed with dozens of Country stations at the top of their markets. We asked several of these ratings win- ners what ingredients went into their secret sauce for spring. WXBQ/Johnson City, TN: PD Bill Hagy begins, “I had to look it up. It is 92 books in-a-row at No. 1 – a point of pride [over] a lot of years and attention to details.” Hagy notes every daypart and demo stays stable year-in and year-out except for the 18-34 cell he describes as “more of a yoyo.” He adds, “That demo came back very strong this Spring, more than a 10-point jump to 32 shares.” The annual spring NASCAR race landed at the beginning of the book and “generates a lot of enthusiasm” in the market. Numbers have remained strong in mornings for host Steve Stroud since Mark Andrews Dragon Around: MCA’s Sam Hunt and friends at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Pictured (l-r) are Country Aircheck’s Bill Hagy left in October. “We’ve talked to a number Paul Williams, Hunt, ESPN’s Marty Smith and Red Light’s of applicants but haven’t found the right Chuck Swaney. partner,” says Hagy, who spends one day a week at the station – usually a 10- to 12-hour marathon – since his “retirement” after 50 years at the helm (CAT 3/4/15). Sam Hunt Goes Long KCLR/Columbia, MO: A heritage airstaff MCA’s Sam Hunt returned to the University of Alabama that has “made an emotional connection with Birmingham, where he played quarterback, to celebrate the re- the audience” is one of the keys for Zimmer’s launch of the school’s football program after a two-year hiatus. ratings champ, according to PD Jamie Mac. Last Friday (9/1), he took the time to tour the new $20 million Their local cash contest started with asking training facility, address the team, hold a press conference and listeners to answer Family Feud style questions throw a touchdown pass to ESPN’s Marty Smith. Oh, then he online. “Then, when we did the contest on the played a “house party” on campus for more than 25,000 scream- air, the answers were based on local results from ing fans. Jamie Mac the 1,500 loyal listeners that responded to the Hunt ran the Blazers survey,” Mac explains. Here are a few: offense in 2006 and 2007 Q: Reason A Baby Might Be Cranky and, while there, picked up A: He or she is acting like their dad the guitar for the first time. When asked about his favorite Q: One Thing A Guy Does To Make A Woman Mad country artist he says, “Steve A: Talks Earle inspired my passion for songwriting.” Later he adds, “I Sam Hunt (l) with ESPN’s never thought about playing Marty Smith music in front of big crowds – I (continued on page 1) ©2017 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] September 5, 2017 Page 3 Starters: Lined up for Beasley corporate meetings are (l-r) BMI’s Jessica Frost, Sony’s Lauren Thomas, Columbia’s Shane Allen, Beasley’s Buzz Knight and Caroline Beasley, Columbia’s Tyler Farr, George Beasley, Curb’s Lee Brice, Beasley’s Justin Chase and DJ Stout and Curb’s Mike Rogers. would have been happy to just write songs.” His experience in During the tour, Hunt tells UAB Dir./Athletics Mark In- college helped shape his writing, too. “The diversity of my social gram how impressed he is. “It’s great to see the school did experiences here and connecting with people from different this right,” he says, noting the barber’s chair in the locker room backgrounds [contributed],” he says. One of his chart-toppers where players can get free haircuts. Ingram presented Hunt as a writer, “Cop Car,” is based on an actual experience. “That with a new UnderArmour jersey (the school switched from Nike happened right here,” he says, grinning. in a $1 million-plus deal this year), with his former No. 3 and Since his run with the team, UAB shuttered its football pro- “Hunt” on the back. gram for financial reasons, reviving it this season after a $44 The visit ended on the team’s new practice field. Head Coach million fundraising campaign by local businesses. “I’m here to Bill Clark introduced Hunt to the team and expressed how his get folks excited about the return of UAB Football, not for me or dedication to a career in music blossomed while he was at UAB. my music,” Hunt says, adding he’s hoping to be back for a few Hunt addressed the players briefly before they broke for the last games. “I’m so proud to see the rally from the students and the practice before their game Saturday vs. Alabama A&M. The Blaz- support of the city.” ers won 38-7. ©2017 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] September 5, 2017 Page 5 MY TUNES: MUSIC THAT SHAPED MY LIFE The day was captured by ESPN cameras and will be featured Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach and tonight (9/5) on Marty Smith’s America on ESPN2. Smith told Jess Carson of Big Machine's Midland Country Aircheck he “stumbled on video of Hunt slinging the discuss their most influential music: ball against Florida State” while doing research for the story. (See 1. History of Eagles Tour: I saw them the footage here.) A country fan who lives near Charlotte, Smith open the Forum a few years before Glenn was determined to include Hunt in his story. “I saw he was repre- Frey passed away. That week Jess sent me sented by Red Light and I called my pal Chuck Swaney to hook and Mark a work tape of "14 Gears" (a it up.” Swaney and Smith met when the former worked with North song we would later record that started us Carolinian Eric Church at EMI. See Smith’s feature on UAB’s Midland on our path as a band). It was serendipity return to football here. – seeing the Eagles in their element, singing perfect harmonies, The visit to the new facility ended with Hunt and Smith throw- playing hit after hit. It brought everything into focus. (CD) ing the football on the practice field, then the reporter running 2. Bruce Springsteen's Darkness On The Edge of Town: routes while the singer was slinging more passes. And the capper, Watch the documentary on The Boss making this album. It's a Smith catching the ball and taking it all the way to the end zone, meditation on hard work and overcoming the debilitating fear of punctuating the play by slamming the ball into the goal post pad. expectation. (CD) Hunt’s performance that night included him telling stories 3. Merle Haggard: Perhaps the most authentic American singer/ about his time in Birmingham including “the incident” at the songwriter in all of music. He had one of the most unique and airport where “Cop Car” was inspired. He and then-girlfriend perfectly controlled pleading voices. He was country, soul, blues and Hannah Lee Fowler (now wife) had parked too close the runway rock wrapped up into one perfectly fallible and lovable persona. I when the authorities came knocking on the window. personally worship the ground he walked on. (MW) 4. John Conlee's "Rose Colored Glasses": Saturday nights at The cool evening and enthusiastic fans made for a truly my family's country honky tonk, my mother would request it and the special pep rally for the school. After the concert, Hunt was off to Gary Skinner Trio would do a spot-on rendition that would bring the Atlanta where he was the guest picker on the 2017 debut of ESPN entire bar onto the dance floor, everyone singing drunkenly along. Gameday Saturday morning (9/2). He picked UCLA, Iowa, South John Conlee's recording captures a spirit that elevates your soul Carolina, LSU, Michigan, Tennessee and Alabama, who all won. straight into the heavens. (MW) His only loss was West Virginia to Virginia Tech.. And, yes, he wore 5. Bruce Springsteen: Seeing Bruce live made me reconsider his UAB hat. –Paul Williams what it means to be a great performer. The three of us saw him together in Dallas. It was like, "Class is in session." (JC) • Highly regarded music you've actually never heard: Ed Chart Chat Sheeran. I know he is one of the biggest artists in the world, but I Congrats to Old Dominion, couldn't recite two seconds of any of his records. (MW) Steve Hodges, Dennis Reese Old Dominion • "Important" music you just don't get: I'm a music nerd and and the RCA promotion team on enjoy everything, but DeadMau5 synth-pop sounds like robots trying scoring this week’s No. 1 with to kill each other. (MW) “No Such Thing As A Broken • An album you listened to incessantly: Bob Dylan's Desire. Heart.” The song is the first single Bob collaborated with Jacques Levy on songs so dense with narrative, from the band’s album Happy each one was a short story. Emmylou Harris sings on most of the Endings. Writers are Matthew songs. "Hurricane" is on that album. Some credit it for getting Rubin Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Carter released from prison. How many people can say that about a Tursi and Jesse Frasure.