Big Country Notes for Feb 28

TOBY KEITH HONORED WITH AWARD FROM BMI FOR 50 MILLION AIRPLAYS

Between the Ford trucks and the fried bologna sandwiches, there was no mistaking it was Toby Keith’s hour to shine in Nashville yesterday. Toby was honored by the performance rights organization Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) for having his music reach the 50 millionth performance airplay milestone. He joins a very elite group of songwriters, among them John Lennon, Elton John, Barry Gibb and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who have also achieved the same number of performances for their songs. Keith says, quote, “I had no idea what it meant to have airplay of 50 million spins.” When asked who among the other writers who had achieved the same honor before him he would like to write with, Keith replies, quote, “It would have to be John Lennon. He would be the most intriguing. I mean he’s a Beatle.” He adds, quote, “That’s a nice group to be associated with.”
· How long does it take to play 50 million spins? Since 1993, Toby's songs have been heard on the airwaves for approximately two-million-500-thousand hours.

TIM McGRAW AND FAITH HILL HEADLINE BENEFIT FOR SHARE THE BEAT

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are sharing the beat on March 10th in Nebraska. Tim and Faith will headline the University of Nebraska Medical Center's "Share the Beat" benefit to raise awareness about organ donation. They will join host James Denton of ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” Phil Vassar, Riviers Rutherford and Alana Grace. The James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness is a sponsor, and James Redford and his father, actor Robert Redford, will also be there.

RASCAL FLATTS HAVE TWO SONGS SURPASS ONE MILLION DIGITAL DOWNLOADS

Rascal Flatts is big in technology, and according to Nielsen SoundScan the group has had two digital tracks pass the one-million-paid-download mark in the last two weeks. “What Hurts The Most” and “Life Is A Highway” have both sold more than one million digital downloads each, making Rascal Flatts the first country artist in the history of SoundScan to have two songs reach this level. The band continues their busy schedule. They are out on the 2007 “Me and My Gang” tour and are working on their new album. Additionally the trio has been in the Los Angeles area shooting the video for their latest single, “Stand.”

TOBY KEITH SAYS HE’S ASKED KRIS KRISTOFFERSON TO BE IN HIS NEXT MOVIE

Toby Keith is still working on the script for his next movie, “Beer For My Horses.” The movie is based on his hit single and the video he did with Willie Nelson. The singer says he has not finished the script because he has been involved in so many other projects, including his tour and running his Show Dog Nashville record label. Keith says, quote, “I just need to get to work and get it finished.” Toby revealed that he has talked to singer/songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson about taking a part in the movie. The singer says, quote, “There is a part in there that I kinda had him in mind for.” He declined to say whether Kristofferson had accepted and said he had not asked anyone else to take a part in the production. Keith says he hopes to do a movie every other year and plans to start on “Beer for my Horses” the last quarter of 2007.

EMERSON DRIVE’S NEW SONG ALREADY A FAN FAVORITE

Fans were familiar with Emerson Drive’s new single “Moments” before it was every released to radio. The group’s Brad Mates says, quote, “We are able to take these songs that are on the album out and play them for the crowds and get reactions from the people before we ever record them.” Mates adds, quote, “I’ve found it’s very important to do that. You learn a lot from your fans, especially those who have been with you from the start.” Emerson Drive’s fans will be thrilled to learn that the group has been nominated for a Juno for Country Recording of the Year for their album “Countrified.” The Juno awards are Canada’s equivalent to the GRAMMY awards in the states. The winners will be announced April 1st.

WILLIE NELSON RELEASES SINGLE AS DOWNLOAD

Willie Nelson’s single "Whatever Happened To Peace On Earth?" is now available as an online download. The song features Nelson’s friends including Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons of The Doobie Brothers, plus Willie's sons Lukas and Micah. Nelson wrote the tune on current politics and world affairs on Christmas Day 2003. He says, quote, "I have a son who was born on Christmas. But the dual celebration that day was shadowed by the war in Iraq as well as other military and political conflicts around the globe.” Nelson adds, quote, "I was watching TV and the war was going on and the bombs were going off. I said to my wife, 'There's babies dying and mothers crying.' She said, 'Write that down.'" Nelson wrote that down plus lines like “How much oil is one life worth?” and “Is this what God wants us to do?” Nelson considers the song an extension of his ongoing personal commitment to causes that make the world a better place – among them his Farm Aid shows and the promotion of bio-diesel fuel. Proceeds from the sale of the single benefit the National Veterans Foundation. To download it go to http://main.losthighwayrecords.com/ and click Willie’s name under artists, then look for the downloadable song.

SONGWRITERS PERFORM SERIES OF SHOWS IN NEW YORK CITY

Keith Anderson, Bob DiPiero, Tony Mullins, Jeffery Steele and Craig Wiseman are among the songwriters who will perform for “CMA Songwriter Series Salutes the Men of Country Music” on March 29th at Joe’s Pub in New York City. These writers have written hits for Garth Brooks, George Jones, George Strait, Rascal Flatts, Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw and Montgomery Gentry. Anderson says, quote, "I love performing live with my full band, but none of that would be possible without the songs. This setting gives us the chance to tell the stories behind the songs that people have heard, and it helps the songs take on a whole new meaning for the listeners."
This concert kicks off a series of four singer/songwriter concerts in New York sponsored by the Country Music Association (CMA). The second concert, on May 31st, will be themed "CMA Songwriters Series Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Bluebird Café;" October 4th’s concert will be "CMA Songwriters Series Salutes The Women of Country Music." The final show on November 29th will be titled "CMA Songwriters Series Salutes the Groups/Duos of Country Music." Songwriters for additional shows will be announced in the coming months.

CHARGES AGAINST HANK WILLIAMS JR. DROPPED

Misdemeanor assault charge against Hank Williams Jr. have been dropped by the district attorney's office in Memphis, TN. The charges stemmed from an incident that happened in 2006 when Hank’s daughters were in a Memphis hospital recovering from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Holly Hornbeak, a 19-year-old waitress, alleged that Williams yelled obscenities and choked her while she was working in the bar of the Peabody Hotel. District Attorney General Bill Gibbons has declined to specify whether an out-of-court settlement was reached between Williams and Hornbeak.

QUICK BITES

Brad Paisley and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, have named their first child William Huckleberry Paisley, according to the singer's publicist. Mom and Dad Paisley will call their son Will. He was born Thursday at a Nashville hospital.

Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, LeAnn Rimes and Gretchen Wilson have been added to the list of performers for the 2007 CMA Music Festival June 7th-10th.

Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, The Wreckers and Dierks Bentley have designed birdhouses to help the W.O. Smith Music School in Nashville. The public will bid on the birdhouses March 8th at the annual Birdhouse Event at the Mall at Green Hills.

The March 12th issue of “Country Weekly” reports that Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw renewed their wedding vows during a cruise in January. The couple first said their vows in 2001.

Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler perform the final show for this season’s Soundstage on March 1st. Other performers for the season included Lee Ann Womack and Jewel.

Bomshel and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute have teamed up to auction off a Wicked Women of Tequila Rose chopper over CMTAuctions.com. The motorcycle will go on the auction block in early March. The winning bid will be announced at the duo’s concert in Grand Rapids, MI on March 24th. In addition to Bomshel, the Wicked Women Of Tequila Rose motorcycle has been signed by a host of country artists including Rodney Atkins, Steve Holy, and Jo Dee Messina.