VOL. 36 | NO. 5 | Friday, February 03, 2012
Veteran country artists have a tip for today’s stars: Get on a plane!
George Hamilton IV doesn’t take credit for it, but he is a country music business pioneer.
Duane Eddy looks over the reviews of his new album and laughs.
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Gail Davies hit her commercial peak in America with the hit-filled 1979 album The Game and 1980’s I’ll Be There.
British native Trisha Walker-Cunningham has for almost three decades been harvesting the Nashville talent pool and booking them for performances in England and on the continent.
Lambchop, an eclectic Nashville-based group with its roots in what now would be called Americana, has found continued success for more than 20 years in Europe, according to front man/band mainstay Kurt Wagner.
TERRY McCORMICK
The topic of athletes, and especially NFL players, was back in the news last week with the GQ story that future Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens is broke, despite earning in the neighborhood of $80 million throughout a 15-year career.
REALTY CHECK
Traditionally, Nashville’s residential real estate market experiences two distinct selling seasons – spring and fall. It is during these times that prices and transactions have increased, and in most years the data points to significant growth during these periods.
REAL ESTATE
A look at Davidson County’s top lenders – based on total revenue – for commercial and residential loans, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
NEWSMAKERS
DCI Donor Services, Inc. (DCIDS) recently named Scott Cantlon as its chief administrative officer.
GUERILLA MARKETING
When you’re spending $3.5 million on a 30-second TV spot, maximizing buzz is the name of the game. That’s why one of the overarching themes with this year’s bevy of Super Bowl ads is pre-game promotion as well as the introduction of more social media integrated campaigns. Savvy marketers are taking a more holistic approach.
SMART STUFF 4 WORK
There is a place of business I enjoy visiting on my trips to another city. The business is always well-stocked with interesting items, the employees are knowledgeable and friendly and the prices are reasonable. All in all, it looks as if they have come up with a pretty good formula for business success.
I SWEAR
In the last two weeks’ columns, I’ve let it be known that I am reading the novels of David Rosenfelt in order. I’ve provided teaser-type blurbs for the first five: Open and Shut, First Degree, Bury the Lead, Sudden Death, and Dead Center. Since last week’s column, I’ve read no. 6, Play Dead (2007), and started New Tricks (2009).
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
We say goodbye this week to the first month in 2012. I don’t think it is just me, but it seems like time is running past. I imagine 2012 is going to go by quicker than 2011.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Even Grammy voters don't know what to do with The Civil Wars.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Sen. Joe Haynes announced Friday that he will not seek re-election in 2012, saying a newly redrawn district by Republicans wasn't necessarily a factor in his decision.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Republican lawmakers are building support for a plan to wait until the end of the year to take action on state requirements set by President Barack Obama's federal health care law.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Affiliates of Planned Parenthood are suing the state Health Department to have their funding restored.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Home decor retailer Kirkland's said Thursday a key revenue figure edged up during the key holiday quarter and the company raised its earnings guidance on the results.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - New safety rules will not be approved any time soon even though they could prevent accidents like the ones last year at a Tennessee metal powders plant, where fireballs fueled by iron dust contributed to five deaths.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the most impressive surge for the job market since early last year, the United States added 243,000 jobs in January, far more than economists expected. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years.
NEW YORK (AP) — A drop in the unemployment rate to its lowest level in three years propelled stocks higher Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 130 points, drawing the average to its highest mark since before the financial crisis hit in 2008.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders to U.S. factories rose in December, supported by a rebound in business investment in capital goods such as heavy machinery.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. service companies grew at the fastest pace in 11 months in January as companies started hiring to keep up with rising demand.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York's attorney general on Friday accused some of the nation's largest banks of deceit and fraud in using an electronic mortgage registry that he said puts homeowners at a disadvantage in foreclosures.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell this week to a record low, the ninth time that has happened in the last year. Even with the cheapest rates in history, the housing market remains depressed.
NEW YORK (AP) — Americans were shopping in January, but not every store was feeling the love.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to a level that signaled a steadily improving job market. The figures came one day before the government is expected to report that January marked another solid month for hiring.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation that would ban insider trading by lawmakers and thousands of executive branch officials headed for what could be a more contentious debate in the House after sailing through the Senate on a 96-3 vote.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ben Bernanke defended the Federal Reserve's decision to hold interest rates at record-low levels for the next three years, during a contentious hearing before federal lawmakers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Blending politics and religion, President Barack Obama said his Christian faith is a driving force behind his economic policies, from Wall Street reform to his calls for the wealthy to pay higher taxes.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate negotiators made halting progress Thursday on legislation to extend a two percentage point cut in payroll taxes, but big roadblocks remained.