Julie Roberts And Lee Ann Womack Tape PBS Soundstage

The pair will in in the studio taping it tomorrow (6/1) in Chicago. The hour special will feature new material from both as well as some of their classic hits. The SOUNDSTAGES featuring Lee Ann and Julie is scheduled to air on PBS this summer. An exact airdate will be announced closer to air.

One Week To The CMA Music Fest

Get all the facts on it at the official CMA site.

"Good Morning America" Wants Your Morning Audience

Did you see the press release?

Good Morning America feature correspondent Mike Barz is scheduled to report live from Nashville's CMA Music Festival on June 8. He will be joined by Sara Evans, Billy Currington and Josh Turner on the outside patio at Rippy’s Smokin’ Bar & Grill on Broadway. Once again in 2006, CMA Music Festival will be filmed for a two-hour, ABC Network Television special that will air Monday July 24. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer and Gary Halvorson is the Director of the special that will be taped June 8-11 during the CMA Music Festival.

A&O Spring 2006 national research shows that 50% of country's 'at home' morning audience is now listening to morning television! Small wonder! They have the 'gets' that a country leader once had, better than most country morning shows are able to do.

Did you see WLTW, New York PD Jim Ryan's comments in Airplay Monitor this week?

"One of the things we really screwed up was not developing an emotional bond with our morning shows. So many of our listeners are waking up to (radio)..but then they go downstairs and use the television for background. That is a big issue for us."

Ryan posits "Katie Couric leaving the "Today" show is an opportunity for us."

What are you doing in the morning between 7 and 8 am to make the most of it? Your in car cume and at work listening for the rest of the day depends on it.

TK - Hangin' Out In Iraq Again

USO itineraries never disclose which day a performer will enter Iraq, and in Toby Keith’s case, on his current trip itinerary, Iraq was day 1, Saturday.

Toby and Scotty Emerick played for the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Forward Operating Base Warhorse.

Toby refers to these trips as “Labor of love.”

Our Friends At JRfm Figure: "If The Dixie Chicks Are Going To Be On TV..."

..Why shouldn't JRfm be as well?? (click to watch)

Congrats to some clever BUZZ marketers in Vancouver and thanks to Dan Motut in JRfm Production for having the smarts to post the moment on You Tube.

Paul Harvey's Replacement?

Tim Cuprisin: Fred Thompson made it to the Senate in one of his careers (politics), he's been president in another (acting), and now he's moving into yet another line of work. The 63-year-old former senator from Tennessee formally launches an ABC Radio gig today with a Memorial Day special. He's already been filling in on the legendary Paul Harvey's ABC show. First, let's get the Harvey question out of the way. At 87, Harvey doesn't show any sign of retirement. But he is 87. So could Thompson succeed him? "That's up to the powers that be. I think it could take various avenues in the future. That'll take care of itself."

How's that for an answer from a former politician? (click to hear a podcast of the entire interview) Reach Tim Cuprisin at (414) 224-2397.

How To Observe Memorial Day

The USMemorialDay web site shares some of observance guidelines "so more citizens will become familiar with the proper way to observe this holiday when we remember and honor our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice"

Memorial Day should be observed:

By visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
By visiting memorials.
By flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.
By flying the 'POW/MIA Flag' as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).
By participating in a "National Moment of Remembrance": at 3pm to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played. By renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.

Summer's Hot Ticket: Country Music

The biggest summertime concerts in the Northwest have always featured rock stars. But this year is all about country music. Fans are flocking to country's good-times, angst-free vibe: honky-tonk songs about fun, women, cars, family and the occasional heart-tugging yarn. State-of-the-art concert production has upped the appeal even more.

"Gone Country"/"Gone Crazy?"

Two recent trends, according to Sunday's media:

1. If pop star Michelle Branch and her pal Jessica Harp had their way, their new country album “Stand Still, Look Pretty” would have registered even higher on the twang scale.“We had people holding the reins back and saying maybe you should approach this very slowly and adjust as you go,” Branch said of the duo, called the Wreckers. “I think if Jessica and I totally had our way it would have been a bluegrass record.”The group, whose album comes out Tuesday, is among a spate of artists from outside Nashville who are going country and finding success.The Bon Jovi-Jennifer Nettles duet “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” hit No. 1 on the country singles chart and stayed there two weeks, while new albums by Van Morrison and Norah Jones’ outfit the Little Willies (named in homage to Willie Nelson) also are doing well (Nos. 24 and 27, respectively, on the country album chart).

2. It may be the little things that make satellite radio truly revolutionary, and, while the Dixie Chicks appearance on Howard Stern's Sirius radio show Thursday may not make headlines, it showed the power of the new medium. The hottest trio in country music said things on Stern you will hear nowhere else and gave insights into their lives and thoughts they just couldn't do anywhere else. They should put this half hour in the radio hall of fame, just to mark how big a step satellite made. It marks the first time people on radio could speak the way they do at home.

Thanks, AP, for #1. Hopefully it gets a lot more play than #2.

Stern's ability to get media ink with outlandish statements in spite of reaching 1/200th of the very tiny percentage of the radio audience which has satellite radio at the present always amazes me. It looks like the Chicks are giving the same media strategy a try. But, the problem is that one spin in an Atlanta, Dallas or Seattle on the smallest country station in town reaches more country listeners than Stern's satellite broadcasts (..thank goodness!).

Tim & Faith's Katrina Soul To Soul Benefit Sells Out In 30 Minutes

17,000 tickets went in less than half an hour, but, fans can still help .. and bid on the remaining few tickets.

Parents And Kid Factiods: U.S. Kids Spent $18 Billion Last Year, While Parents Spent $58 Billion Just to Feed Them

Families spend more than $115 billion on kids in key consumer areas, such as food, clothing, personal-care items, entertainment, and reading materials. Almost half of this total expenditure on kids is devoted to food purchases. By Packaged Facts estimates, annual expenditures by families on consumer goods for kids will reach approximately $143 billion by 2010.

Allowances add up: the report projects the kids market will experience substantial growth during the next four years, reaching $21.4 billion in disposable income by 2010.

Memorial Day: Remembering Casualties/Deaths By Name, State, City, Town

U.S. Deaths Confirmed By The DoD: 2460
Reported U.S. Deaths Pending DoD Confirmation: 2

The site also has military casualty data from Afganistan as well. Another one is called "Fallen Heroes Memorial."

Thanks to Rich Lauber and Skip Clark at WBBS, (B-104.7), Syracuse, who let A&O know about them.

ACM Star Quotes From Neil Haislop

ENTERTAINER AWARD RAISES THE BAR FOR CHESNEY
With his 2nd consecutive ACM award in his pocket Kenny says the award actually makes him more responsible to improve his act. “That’s the thing about this award,” he acknowledges, “It sets a standard; it makes you want to live up to the honor – to really keep setting the bar high… Our fans give so much when they come to the shows, you wanna give more than you get – though with our people, it’s almost hard to imagine. In a lot of ways, I think they’re the Entertainer of the Year as much or more than an artist is.”

KEITH URBAN HAS FIRST SINGLE COMING IN AUGUST FROM NEW ALBUM
Keith Urban says that he’s putting the finishing touches on his new album.“We’re in the studio now about half way through the new record which I hope will be out in the fall with a new single Augustish,” he projects. Keith didn’t discuss his engagement to Nicole Kidman directly, only to say that there’s no real pressure on them now that the engagement has been confirmed. “I don’t feel any of that really. I’ve always been a real private person so my life hasn’t realliy changed all that much. It seems the whirlwind is everywhere else but in my life. And I don’t read tabloids and I don’t read the papers and it doesn’t change my life in any way.”

FRUITS OF SUCCESS FOR JENNIFER NETTLES A NEW HOME
Jennifer Nettles has finally used some of her new-gained fortune as part of Sugarland to buy her first home. “I just bought a house, my first house ever. People think being in the record business is like being millionaires, but it takes a long time, so I just bought my first house and I’ll probably be there (soon) unpacking boxes.” Jennifer’s new home is located just North of Atlanta. ALSO, Jennifer says they’re busy recording a new album. “We’ve been working on it now for a number of months and I love what we’re doing, it is full it is rich and meaty and fun all at the same time so I can’t wait for people to hear it. They’re planning on the album to come out the last quarter of this year.”

SARA EVANS’ “COALMINE” TO BENEFIT COAL MINERS
Sara Evans says that she made sure miners, particularly the families of recent mine tragedies, were okay with the release of her song, “Coal Mine.” Plus she’s made sure her single aids mine disaster victims. “Some of the proceeds from record sales and some of the royalties from the songwriters are going to the relief fund for the families of the victims. ‘Coalmine was a song I recorded 2 years ago and always wanted it to be my first single after ‘Cheatin’ then the tragedies happened and it was I don’t know if we should release it or not. So, Brad (Paisley) did a show near West Virginia so we invited some of the families to come and have dinner with us and just get to know them. And, Brad asked them, “Sara has a song on her album called ‘Coal Mine,’ what would you all think if that were a single?’ And they all thought it was great, they thought it made coalminers seem tough and strong and hard-working and it’s just a sexy song abut how the woman is in love with him. So we performed the song that night and the crowd went crazy. So we figured if they approved then this thing is good.”

Reba McEntire will be Blair Garner's in-studio guest this Thursday night/Friday morning (5/26/06) in the 12:00am log hour.

Check in with Neil at his newly redesigned website.

Maybe We Should Start Doing Things At 4:40?

Randy Dotinga of San Diego area's North County Times is one of my favorite media columnists in the country. For example, his latest edition includes"Ask the Radio Columnist," in he answers questions that readers should have asked but didn't. (the questions are made up but the answers are factual):

Q: Why do radio stations love to do special things when it's 4:20 p.m.?

A: You mean like the quiz that KGB airs at 4:20 p.m. on weekdays, or the block of Bob Marley reggae music that 91X used to play at the same time?Dude, it's all about the ganja. The number "420" ---- pronounced "four-twenty" ---- has been associated with marijuana for decades. Why? Go online and you'll find theories galore.

According to urban-legend-debunking site snopes.com, "420" began its life in 1971 when students at San Rafael High School in the Bay Area would meet and begin lighting up at 4:20 p.m. each day.The number "420" has other meanings: April 20 (4/20) is Adolf Hitler's birthday and the day of the Columbine Massacre in 1999.

91X stopped its "Mandatory Marley" segments about a year ago, but plenty of other radio stations around the country continue the tradition of playing songs by the late singer every morning and afternoon at 4:20.

You know that I am a big fan of appointment listening, but this makes me think it's time to do stuff at 9, 11, 1 and 3 pm or something, anything but 4:20..

France, England And Scotland Are Hoping You'll Come Look For The Da Vinci Code

VisitBritain, VisitScotland and Maison de la France have joined forces to offer an epic five-day tour of The Da Vinci Code locations. Enter The Da Vinci Code Adventure and you and two friends could be jetting off to discover all the movie’s key attractions.

Seven international teams of three friends will be chosen to take part in The Da Vinci Code Adventure, competing in a mission to unlock the secrets behind the codes.

Pew: 8% Have Only A Cell Phone, Challenging Radio And All Other Phone-Based Research

A Pew Research Center study says that a growing number of Americans rely solely on a cell phone for their telephone service, and many more are considering giving up their landline phones. This trend presents a challenge to public opinion polling,

According to the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey, the percentage of households paying a cell phone bill but not a landline bill rose from 0.4% in 2000 to 7.8% in the first quarter of 2005. And, the National Health Interview Survey estimated that, in the second half of 2005, 7.8% of adults lived in households with only a cell phone. In the 2004 exit poll by the National Election Pool, 7.1% of voters said they relied solely on cell phones.

Recent research by the Pew Research Center, in conjunction with the Associated Press and AOL, was conducted to assess the challenge posed by cell phones to random digit dial surveys, which typically rely on a random sample of the population of landline subscribers. The study determined that the relatively small size of the cell-only group, along with the demographic weighting performed when it is combined with the landline sample, accounts for the minimal change in the overall findings.

Specifically, the study shows that including cell-only respondents with those interviewed from a standard landline sample, and weighting the resulting combined sample to the full U.S. public demographically, changes the overall results of the poll by no more than one percentage point on any of nine key political questions included in the study.

This, in spite of the fact that a new study of the issue finds that cell-only Americans, an estimated 7%-9% of the general public, are significantly different in many ways from those reachable on a landline. They are younger, less affluent, less likely to be married or to own their home, and more liberal on many political questions.
According to data collected by the National Center for Heath Statistics, 53% of Americans use both a landline and a cell phone; 37% have only a landline; and 8% rely only on a cell phone.

Like the cell-only population, Americans who rely solely on a landline are distinctive demographically. Fully 41% are ages 65 and older, compared with 16% of the general public. The landline-only group includes a greater proportion of whites than the general public (82% vs. 73%).
Among dual phone users, there are clear differences between those reached on a cell phone and those contacted on a landline. People who were interviewed on a cell phone are somewhat younger (24% under age 30 vs. 15% among those reached on a landline), more likely to be Hispanic (9% vs. 5%), and slightly more likely to have a child under 18 in the household (43% vs. 35%).

And much more here.

Bridge Ratings Study: 2/3's of HD Early Adopters "Satisfied"

During the month of April and May 2006, Bridge Ratings spoke to 500 HD radio consumers ages 18 and over to determine an initial understanding of their use and satisfaction of this new technology. Consumers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston and Dallas-Ft. Worth were included in this study.

All of the markets included in this new study offer multiple HD versions of the AM or FM analog programming available in the market. In these markets at the time of this study, there were only a handful of HD2 or side-channel stations:

Los Angeles - 9
San Francisco - 12
Seattle - 9
Boston - 6
Dallas - 9

100% of the consumers in the study have been using their HD receiver(s) for six months or less.

Bridge Ratings Dave Van Dyke, President, projects slow but steady digital radio use over the next few years, and few consumers are listening at this time. However, early adopters are buying them and enjoying HD programming in many major markets today.

Have You Entered The 2006 CMA Broadcast Awards Yet?

The process is all online now. Begin by creating a 'new entry' account. You can't win if you don't enter!

Garvey Schubert Barer's Indecency Quiz

What's your Indecency IQ?
Test your knowledge about how the FCC interprets and enforces its indecency policy by answering "True" or "False" to the questions in John Crigler's interactive Indecency Quiz. Twenty-five correct answers qualifies you as a Doctor of Indecency. Get 22 right and earn a Masters degree. Of course, for every wrong answer you could be fined up to $32,500. Get more than three wrong, and you risk possible revocation of your license.

Click to view John Crigler's interactive Indecency Quiz
[this is a large file so please be patient while downloading or you may want to right click your mouse and 'save as' and then open it with PowerPoint or PowerPoint Viewer]

And, being attorneys of course, GSB has a disclaimer too: "The material presented in the Indecency Quiz is intended solely for informational purposes and is of a general nature that cannot be regarded as legal advice. Please consult a communications attorney if you have specific questions."

Rest In Peace, Billy Walker

Just as plans were being made to celebrate his 46th year on the Grand Ole Opry, comes the news today "Country Artist and Wife Die in Car Accident."

One thing is for sure: NO ONE can fill this particular "Charlie's Shoes."

Here is the LA Times obit.

KFRG - live from Las Vegas

.. and wearing a cast! (talk about intrepid and dedicated..)

What's Country Music? Bon Jovi? Van Zant? Cowboy Troy? Clint Black?

The list of nominees for tomorrow's ACM Awards got the Orange County Register's Tom Roland to thinking about that, so he made some phone calls to find out. Quotes from his insightful report:

"What is country music?" Jennifer Nettles asks rhetorically. "You have bluegrass influence, you have Southern rock influence, you have gospel influence, you have pop - all of these things, and especially being a Southerner and a girl, all of those elements are part of that culture in the Southeast."

"Not to be cliché," ACM President Bob Romeo says, trying to sort out his own definition of country, "it's sort of American music. I'm convinced if Bon Jovi was a newly discovered act, I think he'd be in that same category as Rascal Flatts."

"There's nothin' really uncountry about (the Bon Jovi/Nettles duet) in today's genre," Clint Black observes. Today's country executives "grew up listening to rock 'n' roll - hip, cool people, and they want a little more hipness and coolness in country," Black theorizes. That "may be a problem for me, because my latest single is about as country as you can get, and I'm kind of optimistically pessimistic. When you've got Bon Jovi havin' a No. 1 (country hit), you know, I might be too country, and I never thought I'd be sayin' that."

"Maybe that's why country music is just thriving," observes Karen Fairchild of the ACM-nominated Little Big Town. "Because of that sense of storytelling and the honest lyric delivery and the harmonies. There's great harmony bands in country music and you aren't getting that like you used to in the pop side with Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles."

Are You Talking About The Da Vinci Code Today?

A content tip: There's no mystery to it, The Da Vinci Code is a hit.

Despite overwhelmingly negative reviews, the film adaptation of the Dan Brown best seller took in a whopping $77 million this weekend, according to studio estimates from box-office trackers Nielsen EDI. The opening exceeded analysts' expectations by $10 million and proved what many executives at Sony Pictures said privately before the movie's debut: that the movie, like the book, was critic-proof. -- USA TODAY's Scott Bowles

Can The Dixie Chicks Really Sell Ten Million Copies? IMHO: Not THIS Way

Today's New York Times reviews the new LP and talked to the Chicks about their aspirations for it:

On previous albums the Dixie Chicks wrote the more lighthearted songs and got serious material from other songwriters. This time, Ms. Maines said, "We knew we had things to write about." (They) brought in co-writers including Gary Louris, from the Jayhawks, and Dan Wilson, from Semisonic. "They took the fear out of us," said Ms. Maines. "You know, 'You need to say that because that's the truth and that's the way you feel.' "

(The Incident) keeps peeking through the pretty arrangements. The countryish mandolin and pedal steel guitar of "Everybody Knows" carry the confession: "All the things I can't erase from my life/Everybody knows." An affectionate ballad, "Easy Silence," praises a companion who provides a refuge when "Anger plays on every station/Answers only make more questions." In the fiddle-topped waltz "Bitter End," one verse mocks fair-weather supporters: "As long as I'm the shiniest star,/Oh there you are."

The album's finale, a gospel-soul anthem called "I Hope," insists, "I don't wanna hear nothin' else/About killin' and that it's God's will."

Three years after "the Incident" the Dixie Chicks insist that it liberated them. "When, no matter what you do, everybody's going to punch holes in it, then you just go and you do what you want," Ms. Maguire said. "And that's the most freeing place to be. It will mean a lot to me if people buy the album just sort of out of protest. The naysayers and the people who were so organized to take us down did a really good job. And they succeeded. So it feels good to let the music win out in the end and say, 'Even your hatred can't stop what people want to listen to.' A smiling Ms. Maguire had the last word. "See you at the diamond record party," she said.

And, I guess they plan to achieve that by testing their fans' loyalty, offending as many country radio listeners as possible. For example, their press interviews/reports just today...

* Fox News: Dixie Chicks' Maines Says US President Owed 'No Respect'
* CNN: Dixie Chicks in the line of fire
* KUSA-TV, Denver: Dixie Chicks' singer now says..

...which seems like a rather bizarre marketing plan to me, but then I guess I'm in business not politics. I had been hoping their new music would be about popularity not polarity. Hopefully, they are sanguine with whatever occurs, because I fear they've been getting some questionable advice if the goal really is to sell 10 million units of this project. I think it's going to have a hard time finding a home on any radio format with the kind of reach they would need to go gold or platinum, more realistically-attainable goals.

If they manage to sell even HALF that many without country radio's wind at their backs, it would be a most impressive accomplishment. Non-traditional, personalized music marketing is the future, but my guess in the spring of 2006: myspace (yes, I do have them on my page and consider myself a friend of the Dixie Chicks, which is why it pains me to say these things), aol, itunes, msn, goggle, yahoo, nabster and all of them combined aren't yet at the tipping point to sell 10 million.

If I'm wrong, I am going to learn something.

Here's hoping Natalie, Martie and Emily feel that way too.

It's Official: Urban And Kidman Are Engaged

Urban's spokesman confirms "happy news:" Nicole Kidman And Keith Urban are officially engaged. After months of speculation, sources and denials, the country music singer’s publicist Paul Freundlich announced on Friday the pair are planning to wed. He tells Jam Showbiz, “They are very happily engaged.”

The announcement comes after Kidman was quoted earlier in the week telling People magazine that Urban was her fiancé. The stars, both 38, are rumoured to be planning a summer wedding in the actress' native Sydney, Australia.

Meanwhile, of course, the related gossip continues. According to a story in The National Enquirer, an insider says that the upcoming duel of the celebrity weddings of Cruise/Holmes and Kidman/Urban have taken things over the edge. Says the friend, "Tension has been building up for a long time. And now with both of their respective summer weddings inching closer, it's ready to boil over."

As Clear Channel Attacks, WYCD Parties In Detoit

It's the 21st annual Hoedown. Ironically, it started as a WWWW promotion back then, and now it sounds like W-4 is coming back. That, and overcast skies with blustery winds did nothing to chill the souls of the hard-core country fans, according to the Detroit Free Press. Josh Gracin, Clay Walker and Sammy Kershaw lead the 2006 lineup. WYCD's web site has all the info. Meanwhile, you can also check out CC's 106.7 FM: New Detroit Country Station 106.7 LIVE.

Consultant Jokes .. And Then Some Serious Tips From Another Seattleite

No, I have not heard them all. And, if you're worried that you haven't either: Jokes, Consulting joke, Funny Business Consultant Jokes and Management Jokes, Consultant Jokes.

More seriously, the book Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge (Chapter 10 "Consulting to your Internal Customers") notes, "When you are consulting with others, get in, help and get out."

Their "Ten Step Consulting Process"
1. Entry. The process starts by someone asking for your help. The client or customer could be an internal customer or someone who reports to you who needs your help. In the entry step, communication skills are key. You must listen to the person describe their problem, what they think may be wrong and their ideas for how to resolve it.
2. Contract. This step involves defining what you will do. You must be clear about your role in the process of finding a solution, what steps are involved, determining how much time it will take and how much it will cost (if appropriate). The skills needed here are creativity (creating a plan), flexibility (being adaptable to your client's needs), partnership (working with your client to define the scope of the problem-solving "project") and vision (seeing beyond your first impressions).
3. Data Collection. The next step is gathering all the facts needed, contacting people who may provide more information and organizing that information. The key skills needed in this step are respect (for the people you contact for more information), partnership (working with the various people involved) and communication (listening to them, understanding what they are saying and transforming that understanding into something tangible). In many situations, you must use appropriate respect when you obtain confidential information that needs to be protected or limited to those who need to know.
4. Analysis. This step involved transforming data into information and searching for key items that provide clues to a solution to the original problem identified by the client. This step involves creativity (seeing the patterns in the data), flexibility (trying different approaches) and leadership (organizing information into a coherent fashion).
5. Feedback. This step gives an update to your client on what you have found so far. At this point, you do not yet have a solution to the problem but your client needs to know your data collection method and the results of that process. For example, suppose you are investigating a complaint about someone and the request came from your boss. You might need to develop a list of questions to be asked of those who know about the situation. In the feedback step, you would present your list of questions to your boss with a summary of the relevant points that everyone agrees on and the differences in their knowledge of the situation. Obviously, communication plays a huge part in this step as does flexibility if your client wants to change the process or does not agree with your interpretation of the data you gathered.
6. Alternatives. This is where your vision, leadership and creativity are most used. You use vision to see beyond the information you have collected and use your creativity to develop new possibilities. As the "consultant" in this process, your leadership skills help you develop a list of alternative actions that would solve the original problem presented to you. You might also ask others to add alternatives and spend some time discussion the outcome of each alternative, which uses your partnership skills.
7. Decision. This step often involves several people, so again communication is important. Use your communication skills to present the alternatives. Your partnership and leadership skills are important in working with all the people involved in coming to a decision about what should be done.
8. Action. This where the results of all the other steps are executed. Communication is important in letting people know the decision and what is expected of them. Partnership and leadership skills are important in guiding people to accept the decision and the actions they must perform. You may need to use flexibility and creativity if some people resist the decision or the action required.
9. Evaluation. This step looks back at the entire process and reviews what happened, what lessons were learned and what might be done differently in future situations. Evaluation will also occur along the way as checkpoints in a large project. This step requires leadership skills in setting an example. If a problem is large enough to take time and energy to solve, isn't it important enough to be learned from? The evaluation step provides time to organize, file or dispose of whatever files were created. It also provides an opportunity to use whatever was learned in a positive way for the future.
10. Exit. This step is the official end to a project. In large projects, this might be the delivery of a final report to the client, requiring communication skills. In other situations, the final step is the acknowledgement that it is done and people can move onto something else, requiring leadership skills.

If I forget about #10 when working with your station, please feel free to remind me. THAT is the hard one.

Mr. Chesney Goes To Washington

President George W. Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush and their invited guests listen to country singer Kenny Chesney perform in the East Room of the White House Tuesday evening, May 16, 2006, at the official dinner for Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Mrs. Janette Howard. (White House photo by Paul Morse)

"Reba" Is NOT Cancelled

Daily Variety’s report yesterday that Reba McEntire’s sitcom, “Reba,” was canceled, turns out to be only partially true, since word came today that “Reba” would be back next year for at least 13 more episodes on the CW. The thing that is different is that the show will be a mid-season replacement and will be brought back at a different time than it’s normal Friday night slot.

Reba McEntire, is nonetheless thrilled, and said, “We are excited to be back to tell more great stories from the Hart family. We all appreciate the support of the fans who didn’t want to see this show go away.”

Airdates of the new Reba episodes will be announced at a later date. Meanwhile, Reba hosts the ACM Awards Tuesday, May 23 on CBS, and continues her exclusive concert engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton throughout the summer months. Show dates are June 7-11, June 14-1, July 19-23, July 26-30, and August 24-26.

Van Zant Cancels ACM Appearance

Lynyrd Skynyrd's Van Zant has surgery

Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Johnny Van Zant had his appendix removed in emergency surgery Thursday night, the band's manager said. Van Zant, 46, came out of surgery at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif., around 10 p.m., said manager Ross Schilling. His condition was not immediately available. "He had been feeling bad the past couple of days," Schilling told The Associated Press. "He had performances Tuesday and Wednesday and sucked it up last night as far as performing with some pain."

The following Lynyrd Skynyrd performances have been canceled: May 19; Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA, May 20; Miltary Show in 29 Palms, CA, May 21; Sunset Station Casino in Henderson, NV

The band's website made the announcement about the ACM appearance: "It is with great disappointment that country duo Van Zant, comprised of brothers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant, will not be attending the 41st annual Academy of Country Music awards. Van Zant is nominated for ‘Duo of the Year,’ at this years show. "

For more information: Webster & Associates Public Relations Kirt Webster / Ebie McFarland (615-777-6995) or Vector Management's Emily Deaderick at 615.269.6600

WMIL Top Off or Top Down?

The promo:

"Which would you choose? Top Off is $25,000 cash to keep your gas tank full for a while. Top Down is a brand new 2006 Mustang convertible! The choice can be yours, each weekday. Just listen to FM 106.1 for the cue to call, be the correct caller to 1-866-525-WINS and then you decide whether it's Top Off or Top Down for you! Since you're an ETeam Rewards member, here's the inside scoop on when to listen for the cue to call: Monday 3-4pm, Tuesday 2-3pm, Wednesday 4-5pm, Thursday 10-11am, 1-2pm, 4-5pm, and Friday 1-2pm."

Also at WMIL: "Phil Vassar's going to sing at someone's wedding - it could be yours! You'll also get a fashion package from David's Bridal and After Hours Formalwear, and $5,000 towards your wedding expenses."

Toby Keith's 3rd Annual Golf Classic

The Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic is set for May 21 and 22 in the entertainer's native Oklahoma, benefiting Ally's House, an organization which helps the families of Oklahoma pediatric cancer patients.

Kidd: Can You Stay Idle For Idol?

Actually, Kraddock's stunt is called "Idling for Idol." i.e... Would you sit in your car and idle for more than 48 hours listening to William Hung to win a trip to the American Idol Finals?

Click here to meet his 8 willing contestants.

ACM: All-Star Tribute to Buck Owens

World-famous artists from all walks of popular music will join together to salute the late Buck Owens in a special performance, it was announced today by the Academy of Country Music.

Dwight Yoakam, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Brad Paisley, Buddy Alan, Tom Brumley, Chris Hillman (The Byrds) and blink-182/+44 Drummer Travis Barker to Perform; Vince Vaughn Will Introduce Tribute

The tribute will air as part of the 41st ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS LIVE from MGM GRAND in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 23rd, 2006 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on CBS.

Your Name In Childrens' Songs

They aren't exactly morning show jingles or anything, but as I listened, I kept thinking that they might be fun grist for morning show production elements (and maybe even a potential guest as well)...

"My wife, Candace, has her own company, Name Your Tune (www.nyt.ca). Name Your Tune is an exciting new children's music compilation that is made-to-order and personalized for each child. Children will hear their name more than 40 times throughout 10 much-loved songs. A great way to enjoy music, have fun, and learn together! Songs like Old MacDonald had a Farm turns into Little Eric Had a Farm and so forth – it’s excellent and I’m not just saying that cos I’m the shipping and receiving department at home. If you have kids under 5 years old, I’d love to extend an offer from Candace and I – go to the website and order up your free personalized CD - put ‘media’ in the voucher section, and don’t worry about the final total, she’ll take care of it there and we’ll send it to you right away! Let Candace know directly if you have any questions – Candace@nyt.ca"

-- Eric Alper, Director of Media Relations and Label Acquisitions for KOCH Entertainment in Toronto (416-292-8111 ext 240)

First, Miranda Lambert's A STAR, Then She's A Store

The newest store in Lindale, Texas, showcases her, according to Tyler-Longview KLTV reporter Molly Reuter.

"It's been like a whirlwind for us the past two years," says the 22-year old Miranda's mother Bev Lambert. "We never even dreamed of having this much success this quickly. When she went gold at Christmas, when her album went gold you could have knocked us over with a feather. It was the best Christmas present ever."

Does Your Station Have A My Space Page?

..Like KUPL, Portland, does? It's where I found out that KUPL is single, a 20 year old male, for example. Check out the personality pages and the listener adds for some other smiles and yucks.

Take Your Listeners Backstage Before The ACM Awards

Put banners on your station website and provide access to the Pre-ACM blog, from Las Vegas.

The site will be updated multiple times a day and best yet, your listeners will stay right at your site, helping to drive your website impressions. Most of all, it is great way to give your listeners a look into the making of the 41st Academy of Country Music Awards.

Is Cancon A Quota To Meet? Or, An Incentive To Develop New Artists And Music?

Looks like we are about to find out:

Commercial radio now faces a "crisis of relevance" among younger demographics. There are really two futures for traditional radio: Those over 35 today will continue to use traditional radio. . . . The other future is one of declining relevance among those under 35." -- Kaan Yigit, Solutions Research Group Inc., in this morning's Globe and Mail

The Dixie Chicks Hate Hate, So Does Bill O'Reilly

The Chicks, who built their act in Dallas, say they won't change their music, despite the controversy: Dixie Chicks Talk About Death Threats.

O'Reilley critcizes the country stations that won't play Chicks music--especially their new single "Not Ready To Make Nice," but not all Red Staters are with him: Not Ready to Make Nice With Dixie Chicks Either

In the 60 Minutes segment, the band refuses to apologize to country music fans who were angered by Maines' remarks or to "make nice" to the radio stations that refused to play their music. When asked by Kroft why the band just doesn't try to make country music fans happy, Maines tells him that's not the way the Dixie Chicks work. "We don't make decisions based on that. We don't go, 'OK, our fans are in the red states, so I'm going play a red, white and blue guitar and put on my I Love Bush T-shirt,'" she says. "We’re not like that because we’re not politicians. We’re musicians," Maines tells Kroft.

The album, including the new single, comes out May 23. It straddles country and rock genres. "Since country music's turned into this redneck theme, it's become kind of a negative thing in my mind, where I didn't think it was negative before," says fiddle player Martie Maguire. "I think for a while, a lot of artists were doing a lot of great things … that were broadening the audience so that country was cool. So it makes me sad that it's kind of reverted back to a place that I'm not that proud of — and this is coming from a true country fan. I can't listen to the radio right now," Maguire tells Kroft.

The Dixie Chicks said they didn’t take it so personally that some programmers cannot play their music. “I think you explain it that when you are in the corporate world for your livelihood and when a hundred people e-mail you that they will never listen to your station again, you get scared of losing your job, and why did they need to stand up for us? They’re not our friends, they’re not our family and they caved.”

Neil Haislop was taking notes as the Chicks said the death threat they received from somebody Dallas was so specific, down to “the time, place and weapon, that the Texas Rangers and the FBI were called in to protect them in Dallas and the show in San Antonio. “We flew in on a jet, we went straight from the police cars to the stage. And, after the show, straight from the stage to the police cars and back to the plane. It was surreal and at that stage everything was surreal, thank goodness nothing happened,” said Emily.

The were astonished that the danger at the time even effected a radio station. “We had a guy at a radio station tell us they had our picture on their van and they were just driving down the highway and a car pulled with a shotgun and pointed at them out the window just because our picture was on their van. It’s very real (the threat) and it only takes one cuckoo person.”

Verbal shots at 'country music' or 'radio,' which is, of course, not one entitity but actually 44+ million folks of all ages, regions and political slants plus a couple thousand radio stations working hard every day to reflect the core values and build a community hurt too.

Unifying value #1 is passion for country music. What's the point of saying negative things about "our" favorite kind of music? That's no way to rebuild a relationship.

Healing starts with someone saying "I'm sorry." The Dixie Chicks still don't seem to get that, in spite of many, many opportunities to do so. As a result, I've come to feel sorry.

For them.

What's BIG? What's Not?

(click on the chart to enlarge it)
Twelve times a year, the internet research firm releases its 'executive briefing,' with an overview of what folks are talking and thinking about:

The combination of waning support for Bush, gas price woes, and continuing conflict in the Middle East translates in May to a dip in consumer confidence….this month, those very confident/confident in chances for a strong economy falls to 38.6% from 44.5% last month and 42.5% last year, and a new low for 2006.

It doesn’t look like possible nuclear weapon development in Iran has increased consumers’ concerns over political and national security issues in May…18.6% continue to worry, a 2 point decline from April (20.5%).

Declining confidence generally leads to increased practicality, but in May, slightly fewer consumers - perhaps over the initial gas price “shock” – contend they’ve become more practical in the last six months…40.9% now indicate so, about a point decline from last month (42.3%), however still a 3 point increase from 2005 (38.0%).

Home Improvement is what’s hot this month! 66.2% indicate so, followed by Capri pants and white clothing. Puzzle game Sudoku proves popular among those 18-34, as do tunic tops with those 35+. In addition, two in five women give the Crocs garden clogs their approval.

What’s Not? Although popular with women over 55, about 75% of consumers won’t be meeting up with Barry Manilow at the Copacabana.

Tim & Faith Donate New Orleans Show's Proceeds For Katrina Relief

From NEIL HAISLOP’SNASHVILLE IQ: When the Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Soul2Soul II tour rolls into New Orleans on July 5th, fans that paid to see the show will be glad to know that they’ve actually contributed their entertainment budget to their friends and neighbors still suffering from the effects of hurricane Katrina. That’s because Tim and Faith are donating 100% of net proceeds to Katrina Relief efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi Katrina Relief efforts. The net proceeds from the concert will be donated by Tim and Faith’s newly established Neighbors Keeper Foundation, to organizations, which will be determined at a later date, which are in need of goods, services and finances to assist individuals still suffering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Fan club and Club SuperSoul members can find out more about presale ticket availability and auctions next week at www.faithhill.com or www.timmcgraw.com. Tickets will also be available via AOL Tickets at www.aol.com/tickets.

The goal for the concert, which will take place on July 5th at 7:30 PM at the New Orleans Arena, to bring together New Orleans residents, as well as all those from the surrounding areas, in the spirit of renewal. As part of that effort, organizers have lowered the usual “Soul2Soul II” Tour ticket prices to between $20 and $85 and Tim and Faith have insisted on distributing half the floor seats to volunteers in the area who have worked tirelessly over the past nine months since Katrina first hit the region on August 29th, 2005.

The floor seats are being donated by longtime McGraw sponsor Bud Light, which according to Tim Schoen, Vice President, Sports and Entertainment Marketing for Anheuser-Busch, is proud to join Tim and Faith and the Neighbors Keeper Foundation in the event, and to provide this unique thank you to the many volunteers in the area. “We will not stop, we will not forget, we will not quit, until we see our friends, our families and our neighbors returned to the lives that they once knew,” said Tim and Faith in a joint statement. “We hope to give everyone who comes out a few hours to just enjoy.”

The McGraw-Hill camps offer up some eye-opening statistics that turn their marriage into a musical family dynasty thanks to more than a collective 60 million albums sold, six Grammy Awards, 17 American Music Awards, 22 Country Music Association Awards and 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, 11 #1 albums and more than 35 #1 singles, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are not just country music’s reigning first couple, they are each, in their own right, one of their generation’s most successful performers.

The KSON $5 Concert Series

I love the line: "we’ve asked three of our favorite artists to join us in East County for another show the whole family can afford.. ", which captures in a nutshell everything San Diego's #1 country station is all about.

Sunday Is Anne Jarvis' Holiday

MOTHER'S DAY IS SUNDAY MAY 14, 2006: JARVIS was the driving force behind MOTHER's Day. On May 10, 1908 when she organized observances in Grafton WV and Philadelphia PA.

This caused an annual celebration of Motherhood to spread all over America. JARVIS lobbied politicos to set aside a day to honor MOTHERS.

In 1914, ANNE succeeded when Congress designated the 2nd Sunday in May as MOTHER's DAY.

(Thanks to Jim Rose from Texas for the history lesson)

John Michael Montgomery In Court Today

The Country music star is scheduled for a court appearance this morning. He was arrested back in February and charged with DUI, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of a controlled substance.

Talk about weirdness: Montgomery's court appearance was supposed to happen in April. His attorney asked for a delay, after voicing concerns about comments posted on the arresting officer's MySpace.com page. Officer Joshua Cromer also has an altered photo of himself on the site, showing him standing next to Montgomery. ("look, maw, I arrested a star")

WQYK's Annual Redneck Games (Again)

Talk about press coverage (click): The Redneck Open, Video Story

Harold Winsett, "Redneck" golfer: “This is where we carry our clubs right here. Or is that a gun booth? That's what it says, but today we're carrying our clubs in there.”

Mitch Cochran, "Redneck" golfer: “We've got dual gator heads. The little guy and then we've got the pappy up here .. and of course just for effect you've got to have a siren. So, that's our golf cart!”

More than $100,000 has been raised by the Redneck Opens. And as they head off to the links, these rednecks for the day know they're rolling for a good cause. And that's why this game, y'all, is a hole in one.

WKLH = The DaVincie Code...(as in Vince Lombardi)

Here's the promo, which wins my take a topical event and localize it to create big BUZZ award of the day:

"You've read the book. You've seen the movie trailers. That's NOT what we're talking about. It's The DaVincie Code...as in Vince Lombardi. Decipher the code to win tickets to see the Green & Gold at Lambeau from Ticket King , and other cool Green Bay gear."

Click here to crack the WKLH code

Star Claims Urban Must Choose: Country OR Kidman

Nicole Kidman wants her man to make a bigger splash – as a pop star, reports Star Magazine

She, they claim, has already made over her fiancée Keith Uraban’s personal life, and now wants him to dump country music.

Nicole reportedly doesn’t understand country music and doesn’t like her man’s tour heavy schedule. Keith is now torn between Nic and his country fans. Just last month, Nicole's ex-husband, Tom Cruise convinced Kidman to drop her boyfriend of several months, at least for the time being.

Who KNOWS if it's true or not.. but, it sure is some nice, juicy gossip.

Phone Topic: Should You Make Your Own Gas For 65 Cents A Gallon?

Henry Ford’s vision was for everyone to be able to grow their own fuel. That's why his Model “A” was designed to run on either alcohol or gasoline... because Gasoline wasn't readily available.

This photo, taken in April 1933, shows a Lincoln Nebraska gas station of the Earl Coryell Co. selling "Corn Alcohol Gasoline." The test marketing of ethanol blends was common in the Midwest at this time, but it did not succeed due to the market dominance of the major oil companies.

Read more with a click.

PRESS inquiries: Shelley McClanahan 423-802-5470

Delta Airlines Alienates Another Frequent Flier: Lee Ann Womack

She tells the story on her website:

Did you guys know that Delta airlines won’t allow guitars to be carried on to their planes when you’re flying out of Tampa, Fl? Well, neither did I. I’ve flown in and out of this city many times, each time carrying my guitar as my carry on. Not today. They said it would have to go underneath. Which would be fine if I had known that before I brought only my soft case. So the only thing to do is buy the guitar a seat. Which I did. He’s flying under the name Guitar Womack and he’ll be strapped into the seat next to me. I wonder if he’ll get peanuts. P.S. I think I’ll upgrade him to first class. He’s been a good boy.

ACM Invades Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas

BIG & RICH AND MONTGOMERY GENTRY TAKE OVER THE FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE ON SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2006 DURING THE WEEK "VEGAS GOES COUNTRY™"

ARTISTS PARTICIPATING IN THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY® MUSIC AWARDS
AND 3rd ANNUAL MOTORCYCLE RIDE BENEFITING THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® CHARITABLE FOUNDATION WILL END THE DAY WITH A FREE-TO-THE-PUBLIC ALL STAR JAM.

WHAT: The Academy of Country Music and the Fremont Street Experience’s free open-to-the-public, all-day boot-stompin’ party featuring performances by BIG & RICH, MONTGOMERY GENTRY, and more special guests following the Academy of Country Music 3rd Annual Motorcycle Ride!

WHEN: Sunday, May 21, 2006
2:30pm – MONTGOMERY GENTRY
9:00pm – BIG & RICH starring COWBOY TROY and MUZIKMAFIA

WHERE: 3rd Street Stage
Fremont Street Experience between the Four Queens and Fitzgeralds Casinos
Las Vegas, NV

Anyone interested in signing up for the Ride may contact Brandi Brammer at (818) 842-8400.

**Press parking and other information provided upon confirmation of credentials**

Media Contact: Academy of Country Music
Brooke Primero, 310-854-4800
bprimero@bncpr.com

Fremont Street Experience
Lisa Robinson, 702-678-5723
lrobinson@vegasexperience.com

After 2,120 Concerts, RVS Ends Live Touring

Along with George Strait and Randy Travis, Ricky Van Shelton became a leader of the revival of straight-ahead country, known as new traditional. Now, after 20 years of touring, Ricky has made the decision to call an end to touring and performing. With 16 albums, 12 #1 singles, duets with Dolly Parton, George Jones, Beach Boys and The Winons, three movie sound track songs, his own two television specials, and three children’s books he has written, he feels the time has come to go back to Virginia.

Below is his letter to fans and friends:

Dear Friends:

I need to share with you a very difficult decision that I have reached this week. I have asked to be released from the performance obligations that have been made for the rest of this year.

I understand and appreciate the deep devotion that many of you have shown to me during the past 19 years of my musical career. I have not made this decision lightly, and I deeply regret any inconvenience that this may cause to those of you who have already made plans to attend some of these performances.

There are several reasons for this decision, some of them very personal. But I want to assure each of you that Bettye and I are in good health and still love music and everything it stands for. Music will always be a part of my life.But we have decided that at this time, we need to be close to our families. As many of you know, most of our family is in Virginia. We’ve been away from what we have always called home for the past 20 years.

During that time, we have lost my father and Bettye’s mother. We weren’t there for them, and we have always regretted not spending more time with them. We believe that we need to be in Virginia at this time. We want to be more involved with our immediate families and be available to them and their needs. I trust that most of you will understand.We will continue to utilize our web site (www.rickyvanshelton.com) to keep you updated on ongoing projects. Maybe now I can finish that CD of original songs that you have been so patient about.

And perhaps, there will be other musical projects that I can pursue without being away from home for long periods of time. My options are open and I will keep you informed thru the web site.We have made a lot of dear friends over the past years. We will always be grateful for the support, encouragement and prayers that you have shared with us.

I hope that we can also count on your good wishes for us as we begin this new phase of our life.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

-- Ricky Van Shelton

For further information contact Tony Conway at 615.244.4336.

Your New Competition: Don't Forget To Include Video Games

According to a new AP-AOL Games poll, 40 percent of American adults play games on a computer or a console. Men, younger adults and minorities were most likely to play those games.
Among those who describe themselves as gamers, 45 percent play over the Internet. And more than a third of online gamers spent more than $200 last year on gaming, compared with nearly a quarter of those who don't play games online.

Online gamers also spent more time playing those games. Forty-two percent of online gamers said they spent at least four hours playing games during an average week, compared with 26 percent of those who don't play online. About one in six online gamers play more than 10 hours a week.

The AP-AOL Games poll of 3,024 U.S. adults, including 1,046 gamers, was conducted by Ipsos, an international polling firm, on April 18-20 and 24-27. For the gamers, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The survey results come as Sony Corp., Nintendo Co. and Microsoft Corp. prepare to push their new consoles this week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. All three are hoping to make broad online features such as multiplayer games, video conferencing and downloadable content a core element of the video game experience.

Casual games like board or card games were the most popular, followed by strategy games, action sports, adventure, first-person shooters and simulations, the poll found. Casual, strategy and role-playing games were most popular among online gamers. And that game playing can be expensive.

PPM Appears To Even Help Sports AM Stations In Houston Test

In the battle of south Texas sports-talkers, KILT continues to dominate in the traditional diaries used by Arbitron, but Ken Charles, regional vice president for KBME and Clear Channel's Houston stations, said the race gets tighter when examining data from Arbitron's new people meters.

According to the electronic meters, Charles said, the cumulative number of listeners in morning drive during March totaled 60,000 for KILT and 31,000 for KBME. February numbers were 56,000 for KILT and 38,000 for KBME.

In afternoon drive, KILT's cume lead, according to the people meters, was 84,000 to 50,000 for KILT. In February, KILT led 80,000 to 67,000.

Something to watch: is CBS Radio placing its stopsets better for impact on diaries? Is the Clear Channel "Less Is More" clock going to work better with metered-listening? If so, it's another sign that once meters come to radio measurement, everything changes!

KSON Gives Free Gas And Lines 'Em Up

The promo and the reason for it ("Lundberg Survey says the highest average price in the nation for regular unleaded was found in San Diego at $3.41 cents a gallon.."):

There's nothin' like a Road Trip! But at KSON, we do things a little differently. Our Kenny Chesney Road Trips include airfare, hotel accommodations and tickets to Chesney's "The Road and the Radio Tour" in some of Kenny's favorite party towns!Here's how it works! We'll start with plenty of FREE GAS to get you to the airport and back! Listen at the top of EVERY HOUR, EVERY DAY, MON-SUN from 7AM to 7PM. Hear the cue, be caller 10 and WIN!Every FREE GAS CARD winner is entered into the Grand Prize drawing for the current Kenny Chesney Fly-Away for TWO! Every two weeks, we'll draw the Grand Prize winner - then,
start qualifying all over again for the NEXT trip!

Your New Defensive Front .. News/talk From An FM?

It's nice to see Jeff Smulyan and Rick Cummings going private with Emmis. Very savy. Hopefully, others will follow suit so radio can start doing the long term investment in future growth that our digital imperatives demand right now.

One sidebar to that story, as Bonneville buys Emmis' CHR/Rhythmic KKFR (Power 92.3)/Phoenix and decides to drop the station's format in favor of News/Talk, initially simulcasting KTAR-AM.

Washington, now Phoenix. You're going to see a lot more talk programming on FM in 2006, I'd wager.

Meanwhile, R&R reports that Bonneville President/CEO Bruce Reese said the company hopes to move Power 92.3's format to another frequency and operator, thus preserving the longtime Rhythmic station in the marketplace.

Toby Keith to Perform for Troops

He will soon depart on his fourth USO tour to perform for troops in Germany and the Persian Gulf region. The tour is co-sponsored by U.S. Army Europe and will be hosted by IMA-Europe Morale, Welfare and Recreation for the tour's show in Schweinfurt, Germany.

White, Krauss and Davies Open Door For Women Country Music Producers

Alison Krauss is a Nashville rarity: A woman who produces her own albums with band Union Station (from left, Jerry Douglas, Dan Tyminski, Barry Bales and Ron Block) and also produces music for other artists.

Lari White just produced a Toby Keith album called White Trash With Money. It has sold more than 400,000 copies in less than a month and is expected to spawn several country radio hits.

And, today's Tennessean calls Gail Davies, "Nashville's Jackie Robinson of female producers."