It's Déjá Vu All Over Again

Yogi ... Yogi ... a little bit of all our youth died with baseball great Yogi Berra this week. With this week's new releases, it is like déjà vu! A surprise new George Strait project and the Country-yet-very-contemporary evergreen Don Henley and his work of love, Cass County.

Hard to have a better week than Strait/Henley at the Wal-Mart. Interesting since that's the only place you would be able to pick up both CDs. Announcing a new album four days before release, having it only available to Apple and Wal-Mart shows we are in a new world order in the music business.

The U.S. Congress sent some folks to town this week for a Music Row listening adventure. Not to hear the latest hit, but the latest complaints about streaming revenue. The streaming is growing and growing and the songwriters are getting ripped off in a big way! "All About That Bass" Nashville writer producer Kevin Kadish testified he was paid $5,679 for streaming revenue of his song that had 178 million streams! It is an amazing situation where the technology has totally outrun the copyright system.

It also remains amazing that the songwriters on the road are approaching their extinction so passively. At least some folks are doing more than just stewing.

Blake Shelton returned to Music City for an extended public visit this week ... He is been here in the last five years, but not like he was this week. Radio station visits, The Opry, fundraisers, a free street concert for 10,000 and a private party celebrating his 20 #1 songs.

The divorce subject did come up on the radio but in a very limited manner. Blake doesn't need more publicity and his people are very targeted these days with him. Post-Miranda, I hope we get the old Blake back at some point. Told him once to be the new Jerry Reed in the movies. I still think he can with the right script! The Voice can't seem to go without him...

Carrie Underwood has big tour plans in 2016 that include Europe. She already has a nice presence. Glasgow, London and Dublin will be the lucky cities. FL/GA Line get the pre-race concert at the Dayton 500. That's always a big deal.

The new George Strait single ... "Cold Beer Conversation" magically appeared this week as did George with the Vegas announcement. It is a solid song. Glad to see the King going back to work ... a little big anyway.

I hope radio got excited and played the song right away ... most did. How can you call yourself a Country station and not put on a new George Strait song? You act excited and generate some buzz. Did you hear the new George Strait song? Guarantee more buzz than the latest Bro-anything song. Both can co-exist on the air. They do in the iTunes folder along with The Eagles and The Temptations. People have diverse interests and tastes. How did it get to this teenage Country phase?

I think that ship is beginning to turn around. Not because of corporate radio, but every other alternative. The CMA nominations are some kind of sign. The rise of Americana music is another. Country is a very big ship in the biggest sense.

Taylor Swift is in town ... two shows ... The biggest pop star in the world. Remains an amazing journey that is still ascending. A true worldwide phenom. We knew her when!