Lady Antebellum notches biggest week of sales ever
Lady Antebellum won single of the year for “I Run to You” and vocal group of year at last week’s CMA Awards. (Associated Press photos)
Country Music Association Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum are enjoying their biggest sales week ever – even after an astounding 83 weeks on the Billboard country albums chart.
The group sold 45,228 albums this week (a 130 percent increase from last week) beating their self-titled platinum-selling debut album street week number of 43,384 albums sold.
After the group’s passionate CMA Awards performance of “Need You Now,” their current smash and title track of their forthcoming album, the single shot straight to the top of the all-genre digital charts at iTunes and Amazon Mp3 and is Verizon’s No. 1-selling country ringback and ringtone (No. 3 ringtone and No. 2 ringback overall).
The good news kept rolling in for the country music trio when the RIAA certified their debut single “Love Don’t Live Here” and their current smash “Need You Now” gold this week. In addition, “Need You Now” is sitting at the top of both the Billboard and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts and is spending its sixth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Canada chart.
Lady Antebellum is gearing up for the release of their sophomore album “Need You Now” on Jan. 26. They will finish up a few remaining tour dates through the end of the year and then join megastar Tim McGraw on his “Southern Voice” tour at the beginning of next year.
For more information, go to www.ladyantebellum.com.
-BAM
Photo gallery: 2009 CMA Awards red carpet
Carrie Underwood smiles on the CMA Awards red carpet. (Associated Press photos)
Several of country music’s biggest stars donned their sparkling best to walk the carpet at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn. Check out these Associated Press photos of some of the music luminaries.
Carrie Underwood wore sparkling silver for the first of her many gowns for the evening.
Duet partners Chris Daughtry and Oklahoma native Vince Gill walked the red carpet together.
Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert went with a long black gown for the red carpet and a short white dress for her performance.
Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles picked a black red carpet gown, too.
Oklahoma native Reba McEntire also went with basic black.
Keith Urban and his movie-star wife Nicole Kidman get affectionate on the red carpet.
See more photos after the break.
Photo gallery: More from the 2009 CMA Awards
Teen star Taylor Swift took home four awards, including entertainer of the year, at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards. (Associated Press photos)
The Country Music Association’s 43rd Annual CMA Awards took place Wednesday night at Nashville’s Sommet Center. It was a huge night for 19-year-old starlet Taylor Swift, who won four trophies, including entertainer of the year, to the outrage of many country purists and the delight of her legions of fans.
Here are some of the memorable moments from the awards show. All photos are from the Associated Press.
Martina McBride and George Strait sing “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” as a tribute to recently inducted Country Music Hall of Famer Barbara Mandrell.
Barbara Mandrell makes a speech at the awards show.
Darius Rucker accepts the best new artist award.
Sugarland performs the ballad “Keep You.”
Tim McGraw’s performance was his first at the CMA Awards in four years.
See more photos after the break.
Photo gallery: Carrie Underwood performs “Cowboy Casanova” at the 2009 CMA Awards
Carrie Underwood and a bevy of beautiful backup dancers perform “Cowboy Casanova” at the Country Music Association’s 43rd Annual CMA Awards Wednesday night in Nashville. (Associated Press photos)
Along with co-hosting Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, Checotah native Carrie Underwood put in one of the showstopping performances of the night with her sexy rendition of her new No. 1 hit “Cowboy Casanova.” Check out these sexy Associated Press photos of Underwood singing and strutting her stuff in an outrageous outfit.
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Photo gallery: Oklahomans at the 2009 CMA Awards
For the second year, Brad Paisley and Checotah native Carrie Underwood co-hosted the CMA Awards at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn. (Associated Press photos)
The Country Music Association’s 43rd Annual CMA Awards took place Wednesday night at Nashville’s Sommet Center. It was a huge night for 19-year-old starlet Taylor Swift, who won four trophies, including entertainer of the year, to the outrage of many country purists and the delights of her legions of fans.
Although Oklahoma’s stars went home winless, they represented our state quite well, with several of them performing and Checotah native Carrie Underwood c0-hosting the show. Check out these Associated Press photos of Okies in action at the CMAs; I’ll put pictures of Underwood’s sexy performance of her new hit “Cowboy Casanova” in the next blog post.
Soon-to-split duo Brooks & Dunn (which features former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn, center) asked ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons, right, to join them for their final CMA Awards performance.
Oklahoma native Vince Gill performs “Tennessee Line” with rock band Daughtry.
Reba McEntire performs her latest hit, “Consider Me Gone.”
Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert rocks the show with “White Liar.”
Carrie Underwood does her co-hosting duties.
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Darius Rucker follows CMA Awards win with parent-teacher conference, tonight’s Tulsa show
Darius Rucker accepts the best new artist of the year award at the 43rd Annual Country Music Awards Wednesday night in Nashville, Tenn. He will perform tonight at Tulsa’s Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino. (Associated Press photo)
Darius Rucker became the first black singer to win new artist of the year at Wednesday’s CMA Awards, joining Charley Pride as the only African-Americans to win major individual awards from the Country Music Association.
When I spoke with Rucker in a recent phone interview, he said his plans for after the CMA Awards would remain virtually the same regardless of whether he won or lost. He went into the show with two nominations; the male vocalist of the year trophy went to Brad Paisley.
“If I win, I’m gonna go out that night with my wife and some of our friends and go to a couple of parties and then I’m gonna get up and be on the 6 o’clock flight to go to my 14-year-old daughter’s school teacher’s conference she’s got. If I lose, I’m gonna go out with my wife and some friends and I’m gonna get up at 6 o’clock and go to my daughter’s teacher’s conference. Either way, I’ll be at that teacher’s conference,” he said.
The former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman told me he wasn’t sure until the nominations were announced that he could even compete in the best new artist category after his previous band’s 1990s success. And he didn’t think he would win anyway, saying he thought hot country act the Zac Brown Band had the new artist title all wrapped up.
Rucker, whose first country album, last year’s “Learn to Live,” has sold more than 1 million copies, took the CMA Awards stage Wednesday night to hearty cheers from the crowd and shouted, “What a year!”
“First of all, to the fans, thank y’all for accepting me,” he said. “And I think most importantly, to country radio, you took a chance on a pop singer from Charleston, S.C. Thank you so much for that!”
Rucker told me he is hard at work on his second country album, which he plans to release next year. He was hoping to start recording later this month or in December. When we spoke, he said he had just written a song a few days earlier with Paisley.
“We wrote a song that we’re going to do as a duet on my record that’s hilarious. That guy — hilarious. Too funny, really too funny. I mean, love hanging out with him,” Rucker said.
Rucker will perform at 7 tonight Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino in Tulsa. For more information, call (918) 699-7667 or go to www.milliondollarelm.com/event-center.
-BAM
Darius Rucker performing tonight in Tulsa, fresh off CMA Awards win
Country singer Darius Rucker poses for pictures in the press room after winning the best new award at Wednesdayt night’s 43rd Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn. Rucker will perform in concert tonight at Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino in Tulsa. (Associated Press photo)
A version of this story appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Country give warm welcome to musician at CMA Awards
Darius Rucker to perform tonight in Tulsa
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Darius Rucker still may be best known as the front man of 1990s pop sensations Hootie & the Blowfish.
But as one of his new hits goes, “It Won’t Be Like This for Long,” if his country career keeps booming.
After all, Rucker’s first country record, 2008’s “Learn to Live,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and has already sold more than 1 million copies. And the album’s first three singles — the passionate ode to lost love “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” the slice-of-life ballad “It Won’t Be Like This for Long” and the breezy toe-tapper “Alright” — topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs list.
“I’ve talked about this record for years, probably since ‘86,” Rucker said in a phone interview from Tacoma, Wash. “There were just certain things I wanted to do, certain records I wanted to make. I was making my rock ‘n’ roll records, I wanted to make an R&B record, and I wanted to make country records. I wanted to be Radney Foster, Al Green and Michael Stipe.”
The Charleston, S.C., native will play a solo show at 7 tonight at Tulsa’s Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino. The concert comes just two days after he won new artist of the year at the 43rd Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn., where he also was nominated for male vocalist of the year.
“I didn’t know I could be nominated for new artist so I was really surprised,” said Rucker, who won a 1996 Grammy for best new artist as part of Hootie & the Blowfish.
Even before he won the award, Rucker was grateful at the warm welcome he has received from the country community. During the show, he thanked country fans and radio stations who “took a chance on a pop singer from Charleston, S.C. God bless y’all for that.”
And he won’t soon forget the shock when Lee Ann Womack listed him along with Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban as a male vocalist nominee.
“I’m standing up there and she says my name and the ‘Sesame Street’ song — ‘One of these things is not like the other’ — that comes into my head,” he said with a laugh.
“And the African-American thing had nothing to do with it. It was these are four superstars in country music. Superstars. … There’s no one in music bigger than George Strait. No one. And there’s nobody selling out more places than Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley. And they’re gonna throw me in there.”
While Rucker is experiencing more country music success than any other black singer since Charley Pride, it isn’t the first time he has changed the face of a genre. And the honey-voiced baritone has sold out his share of arenas.
He and three friends — all white — started Hootie & the Blowfish in 1986 at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. The band’s 1994 major-label debut “Cracked Rear View” spun off three smash hits in “Hold My Hand,” “Only Wanna Be With You” and “Let Her Cry” and sold more than 16 million copies. The pop-rock quartet released four more albums, though none were able to tap the white-hot success of their debut. When the band decided a few years ago to take a break, Rucker set out to make his long-awaited country album.
“Country music and bluegrass was such a huge part of us as a band, from New Grass Revival and Lyle Lovett and Radney and Nanci Griffith. You know, these were people that we listened to every day. I mean, when we sat down to play, we played bluegrass or country,” he said.
“The last two or three Hootie records, in the meetings to start the records, I’d say, ‘Hey, let’s do the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band thing and just do country records.’ And you know, they didn’t want to do it, and I was cool with that. But they knew as soon as the first chance I got, I was gonna do it.”
When Capitol Nashville offered him a record deal, he made “Learn to Live” on a modest budget and drove to radio stations around the nation to promote it. He knew his Hootie history might prove a liability with pop artists such as Jessica Simpson, Jewel and Bon Jovi also crossing over to the country side.
“I think it was a benefit because it got me into a lot of program directors’ offices that might’ve not seen me otherwise. I mean, it was a detriment from the fact that just the whole pop invasion was going on at that time. I had to come out with something that was really gonna hit, or I was gonna be thrown by the wayside,” he said.
He already is working the follow-up to “Learn to Live” and plans to make country music for the foreseeable future. But fans can expect to hear him play not just his new hits but also a few songs from his Hootie days tonight.
“I want people leaving our show going, ‘Man, I want to see that again,’” he said.
In concert
Darius Rucker
When: 7 tonight.
Where: Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino’s Osage Event Center, 951 W 36 St. N, Tulsa.
Information: (918) 699-7667 or www.milliondollarelm.com/event-center.
-BAM
Taylor Swift receives CMA International Artist Achievement Award
Taylor Swift (Associated Press photo)
Country music star Taylor Swift was surprised backstage during the dress rehearsals for the 43rd Annual CMA Awards when Kix Brooks and former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn presented her with the 2009 CMA International Artist Achievement Award.
Brooks & Dunn, along with Dierks Bentley, were last year’s recipients of the award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by a U.S.-based artist who contributes to the awareness and development of country music outside the United States.
“This is beautiful!” said Swift, according to a news release. ”Thank you so much! This is an awesome way to start the day!”
“What Taylor has done for country music inside the United States is amazing in itself, but what she has done for the format internationally is outstanding,” said Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Executive Officer, in the release. “She recognizes the importance of taking her music around the globe, and in doing so, has become a phenomenal ambassador for country music. She is very deserving of this award.”
Swift’s second album, “Fearless,” has made a huge international impact, achieving gold and platinum certifications in 14 countries that span five continents. In addition to her native United States, those countries include Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, The Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
“Fearless” has also reached the Top 10 on album charts in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, The Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and more.
Her hit song “Love Story” raced up airplay charts around the globe, reaching No. 1 in Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom; top five in the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Norway; top 10 in Denmark and Finland; and top 20 in Greece, Holland, Hungary, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, and on the European Chart.
Airplay resulted in strong sales, causing “Love Story” to rise on many international single sales charts including No. 1 in Australia; No. 2 in the United Kingdom; No. 3 in Ireland and New Zealand; the top 10 in Norway, Sweden, and on the European Chart; and top 20 in Denmark, Finland, and Holland.
Swift performed promotional and concert tours in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United Kingdom in both 2008 and 2009. Among her sold-out shows and appearances was the high profile V Festival series in the United Kingdom.
Past winners of the CMA International Artist Achievement Award:
(originally known as the CMA International Touring Artist Award)
1996 BR5 49
1997 The Mavericks
1998 Owasso resident Trisha Yearwood
1999 Shania Twain
2000 Oklahoma native Reba McEntire
2001 Lonestar
2002 Bellamy Brothers
2003 Dixie Chicks
2004 Dolly Parton
2005 Keith Urban
2006 Dixie Chicks
2007 Dwight Yoakam
2008 Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn
2009 Taylor Swift
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Taylor Swift dominates CMA Awards, Oklahoma stars winless
Taylor Swift
Teen sensation Taylor Swift dominated Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, even as Oklahoma’s usually bright contingent of stars went home winless.
“I’ll never forget this moment because in this moment, everything I ever wanted has just happened to me,” a tearful Swift said as she accepted the top prize, entertainer of the year.
The country-pop singer-songwriter performed the show’s opening number, and she spent much of the night onstage, as the Country Music Association presented her with four trophies, for entertainer, female vocalist, album for “Fearless” and music video for “Love Story.” At 19, she is the youngest person ever to win the entertainer title and the first solo woman since Shania Twain in 1999 to take home the award.
Swift’s fellow country stars showed their support of the starlet by taking several good-natured jabs at rapper Kanye West, who now-infamously interrupted her acceptance speech at September’s MTV Video Music Awards.
Checotah native Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley co-hosted the CMA Awards for the second straight year. Paisley earned the male vocalist award and musical event of the year for “Start a Band,” his duet with Keith Urban. But Underwood experienced a rare shutout, with Swift stopping her streak of female vocalist wins at three and Paisley taking the musical event title.
Oklahomans Miranda Lambert and Reba McEntire also were nominated for female vocalist, while McEntire and Brooks & Dunn competed unsuccessfully for musical event.
Brooks & Dunn, which includes former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn, made their last CMA Awards appearance as a duo; the pair announced earlier this year their intention to split after their 2010 tour. Dunn and Kix Brooks were nominated for vocal duo, a category they have won a record 14 times, but lost to the reigning titleholder, Sugarland.
We don’t usually expect this, but we especially didn’t this year,” Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles said, offering Brooks & Dunn a chance to speak, which they refused. “Thank you for what you’ve done for us and thank you for what you’ve done for country music.”
Rascal Flatts, which includes Joe Don Rooney of Picher, failed to claim the vocal group of the year award after winning it the previous six years. Contemporary country trio Lady Antebellum scored the group award along with single of the year for “I Run to You.”
Former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker, who will play Friday at Tulsa’s Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino, was named the top new artist, while venerable songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Mac McAnally won musician of the year. Song of the year honors went to Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto for “In Color.”
2009 CMA Awards winners
Single (to artist and producer): “I Run To You,” Lady Antebellum, produced by Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley
Song (to songwriters): “In Color,” Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller and James Otto.
Vocal group: Lady Antebellum.
New artist: Darius Rucker.
Album: “Fearless,” Taylor Swift, produced by Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift.
Musician: Mac McAnally, guitar.
Vocal duo: Sugarland.
Music video: “Love Story,” Taylor Swift, directed by Trey Fanjoy
Musical event: “Start a Band,” Brad Paisley duet with Keith Urban.
Male vocalist: Brad Paisley.
Female vocalist: Taylor Swift.
Entertainer: Taylor Swift.
-BAM
2009 CMA Awards winners list
Taylor Swift (Associated Press photo)
Here is the list of winners of tonight’s 43rd Annual CMA Awards. And if you’re not a Taylor Swift fan, you’re not going to like it, since the 19-year-old contemporary country star won four trophies, including female vocalist and entertainer of the year.
It was a rough night for Oklahoma stars: Even though Carrie Underwood co-hosted the show and several put on stellar performances, the Okies went home winless.
(Nominees with Oklahoma ties are marked with an asterisk)
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Keith Urban
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
*Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
*Reba McEntire
WINNER: Taylor Swift
*Carrie Underwood
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Kenny Chesney
WINNER: Brad Paisley
Darius Rucker
George Strait
Keith Urban
Darius Rucker
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Randy Houser
Jamey Johnson
Jake Owen
WINNER: Darius Rucker
Zac Brown Band
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Eagles
WINNER: Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
*Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band
VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Big & Rich
*Brooks & Dunn
Joey + Rory
Montgomery Gentry
WINNER: Sugarland
Lady Antebellum (AP photo)
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to artist and producer)
“Chicken Fried”
Zac Brown Band
Produced by Keith Stegall
Atlantic Records
WINNER: “I Run To You”
Lady Antebellum
Produced by Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley
Capitol Records Nashville
“In Color”
Jamey Johnson
Produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys
Mercury Nashville
“People Are Crazy”
Billy Currington
Produced by Carson Chamberlain and Billy Currington
Mercury Nashville
“Then”
Brad Paisley
Produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois
Arista Nashville
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to artist and producer)
“American Saturday Night”
Brad Paisley
Produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois
Arista Nashville
“Defying Gravity”
Keith Urban
Produced by Dann Huff and Keith Urban
Capitol Records Nashville
WINNER: “Fearless”
Taylor Swift
Produced by Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift
Big Machine Records
“Love on the Inside”
Sugarland
Produced by Byron Gallimore, Kristian Bush, and Jennifer Nettles
Mercury Nashville
“That Lonesome Song”
Jamey Johnson
Produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys
Mercury Records
SONG OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to the songwriters)
“Chicken Fried”
Zac Brown/Wyatt Durrette
“I Told You So”
Randy Travis
WINNER: “In Color”
Jamey Johnson/Lee Thomas Miller/James Otto
“People Are Crazy”
Bobby Braddock/Troy Jones
“Then”
Brad Paisley/Chris DuBois/Ashley Gorley
Brad Paisley and Keith Urban (AP photo)
MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to each artist)
*“Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire
Arista Nashville
“Down The Road”
Kenny Chesney (with Mac McAnally)
Blue Chair Records, LLC & BNA Records
“Everything But Quits”
Lee Ann Womack (duet with George Strait)
MCA Nashville
*“I Told You So”
Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis
19 Recordings/Arista Nashville
“Old Enough”
The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe
Third Man Records/Warner Bros. Records
WINNER: “Start a Band”
Brad Paisley duet with Keith Urban
Taylor Swift (AP photo)
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
(Award goes to Artist and Director)
“Boots On”
Randy Houser
Directed by Eric Welch
WINNER: “Love Story”
Taylor Swift
Directed by Trey Fanjoy
“People Are Crazy”
Billy Currington
Directed by The Brads
“Start a Band”
Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban)
Directed by Jim Shea
“Troubadour”
George Strait
Directed by Trey Fanjoy
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Eddie Bayers- Drums
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
Dann Huff – Guitar
Brent Mason – Guitar
WINNER: Mac McAnally – Guitar
-BAM
