BMI recognizes the songwriters, composers and music publishers of its million and multi-million performance status songs with “Million-Air” performance certificates. Over 3900 songs have been awarded Million-Air certificates, which range from one million performances to over 12 million performances. To be included in this exclusive roster, a song with an average length of three minutes must have been broadcast over one million times. This definition equals at least 50,000 broadcast hours, which equals more than 5.7 years of continuous airplay.

Shown are (l to r): BMI’s Linda Livingston, Lynne, BMI’s Phil Graham.

Some of BMI’s top Million-Air songwriters include Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector, Ben E. King, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Donald and Richard Addrisi, Calvin Lewis, Andrew J. Wright, Sting (PRS), Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, Steve Cropper, Otis Redding, Bill Dees, Roy Orbison and many more.

This year's selections include such renowned BMI songwriters and composers as Herbie Hancock (Head Hunters), Michael Jackson (Thriller), Roy Orbison ( “Oh Pretty Woman”), Kitty Wells (“ It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”) and Art Tatum (“Sweet Lorraine”). Almost 70% of the PRO-affiliated works on this year’s list are part of the BMI repertoire. View images and and listen to brief clips of these selections.

The National Recording Preservation Board, comprising experts from the music industry and preservation field, culled its list from nominations made by the public for recordings considered "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." Recordings must be 10 years old to be considered for preservation and final selections are made by the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington.

The National Recording Registry was created by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, legislation that promotes and supports audio preservation. The registry celebrates the richness and variety of the nation's audio legacy and underscores the responsibility to assure the long-term preservation of that legacy for future generations.

This year’s selections include (*indicates BMI entry):

1. The first Trans-Atlantic Broadcast, March14, 1925
2. “Allons a Lafayette,” Joseph Falcon*
3. “Casta Diva,” from Bellini’s Norma
4. “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again,” Thomas A. Dorsey*
5. “Sweet Lorraine,” Art Tatum*
6. Fibber McGee and Molly
7. Wings Over Jordan
8. Fiorello LaGuardia reading the comics
9. “Call it Stormy Monday but Tuesday is Just as Bad,” T-Bone Walker*
10. Harry S. Truman Speech at the 1948 Democratic Convention
11. The Jazz Scene, Various Artists*
12. “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” Kitty Wells*
13. My Fair Lady, Original Cast Recording
14. Navajo Shootingway Ceremony Field Recordings
15. ‘Freight Train’ and Other North Carolina Folk Songs, Elizabeth Cotton*
16. “Oh Pretty Woman,” Roy Orbison*
17. “Marine Band Concert Album to Help Benefit the National Cultural Center (1963)
18. “Tracks of My Tears,” Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
19. “You’ll Sing a Song and I’ll Sing a Song,” Ella Jenkins
20. “Music From the Morning of the World,” David Lewiston
21. “For the Roses,” Joni Mitchell
22. Head Hunters, Herbie Hancock*
23. Ronald Reagan Broadcasts
24. “The Sounds of the Earth,” Voyager Spacecraft
25. “Thriller,” Michael Jackson*

“DIFFERENT GROOVE” marks Hood’s first effort for Little Dog Records and his first full studio album. A true collaborative effort, the album was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer/guitarist Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam, Roy Orbison, k.d.lang, Sara Evans, Buck Owens, Michelle Shocked, The Meat Puppets). Since it’s release, “DIFFERENT GROOVE” has garnered tremendous reviews. Mario Tarradell of the “Dallas Morning News” wrote, “If you merged early Bob Dylan with dashes of the Band and Al Green, you'd get the flavor of Adam Hood's front porch meets juke joint music.” Ken Barnes of “USA Today” said that Adam was “One of the most interesting Americana/country acts I've heard in a while.” Mr. Barnes also included Adam in his year-end “Best Of” list.

Adam is red-hot these days. He scored a hit single on the Texas Music Chart with “22 Days Too Long” and the corresponding video continues to enjoy national airplay on GAC-TV. He was also featured at the prestigious Austin City Limits Festival and was seen as part of a retail campaign by hip Red Dirt Music-inspired clothing line Southern Thread. Additionally, Adam appeared in an episode of “We’re An American Band” on the Documentary Channel. Adam is continually in the Top 50 on the MySpace independent Acoustic, Country and Folk Charts, with nearly 1,000 plays each day on his MySpace page.

Prior to "Different Groove," Adam, an Alabama native hailing from the small town of Opelika, had already begun to draw critical attention and build a strong following by touring nearly 300 days a year. In 2001, Adam recorded a demo of his songs, which circulated among Auburn University students and quickly created a demand for a full length CD. He released a live album, “21 To Enter,” a few years later, which further solidified his reputation as a talented artist.

“DIFFERENT GROOVE” marks a major leap forward for Adam and his music and has firmly established him as a gifted singer/songwriter to watch in the future.

CultureCatch.com features vidcast and podcast touching on provocative, insightful, entertaining reviews and discussions about 21st century smart culture.

To listen to the podcast, visit: http://www.culturecatch.com/podcast/del_bryant

But devoted followers of the artist called “The Killer” know the score: As a singer, he is so adept and commanding that he gets to the emotional heart of any song he sings, no matter the genre, and carves his personal stamp on any number he performs. As a pianist, he rolls out everything from irresistibly driving boogie-woogie to almost classicist melodic balladry and tosses off stunningly imaginative glissandos with seemingly casual brilliance. And he wrote such iconic No. 1 hits as “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” His mastery on stage prompted Roy Orbison to rightly describe Lewis as “the best raw performer in rock & roll.” Hence, few, if any, musical talents are as deserving of the career revival that has been sparked by Last Man Standing (which will be followed by more albums and a television special).

Raised in Ferriday, La., where he learned to play alongside his piano-pounding cousins Mickey Gilley and the Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, Lewis released his first record — a rollicking version of the Ray Price hit “Crazy Arms” — in 1957. He was soon topping the charts and causing a sensation with his onstage antics of kicking back his piano stool, sliding his leg down the piano keys and, on occasion, setting his piano on fire to end his show with a flourish.

His run at the top was derailed in 1958 when it was revealed that he was married to his 13-year-old cousin Myra Gale. But Lewis kept on performing and recording, returning to the charts in the 1960s and ’70s as a country artist. He continued to create an unparalleled body of work and, on his best nights, perform shows that were both thrilling and moving. In 1989, Dennis Quaid portrayed Lewis in the biopic Great Balls of Fire, for which Lewis performed his music.

At the 2005 Grammy Awards, Lewis was given a Lifetime Achievement award. Now, Last Man Standing continues those achievements, bringing Lewis back into the upper reaches of the charts, including a two-week run atop Billboard’s Indie chart.

And as his talent gets the recognition he has long deserved, Lewis has set aside his rowdy ways. “Age has tamed me,” he says.

Del (left) & Dane Bryant smile over their parents' plaque

Boudleaux and Felice's body of work reflects a quintessential partnership, and includes songs for the Everly Brothers like "Bye Bye Love" and "Wake Up, Little Susie," along with hits for country music legends Little Jimmy Dickens, Eddy Arnold and Jim Reeves. The list of icons who have recorded the Bryants' material reads like a who's who of the very canon of American music, from Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly to Dean Martin.

Hank Williams, Jr. says a few words about legend Roy Orbison

Felice Bryant was also inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in October.

Other Walk of Fame inductees included country singer Reba McEntire, affectionately dubbed the "first lady of country music"; effervescent vocalist Ronnie Milsap, who performed a vital role in introducing country music to mainstream audiences; a capella student ensemble the Fisk Jubilee Singers, which first formed in 1871 and went on to educate and entertain American presidents and European royalty with their passionate performances of traditional African-American music; American legend Roy Orbison, regarded as one of the founding fathers of rock and roll; and Maestro Kenneth D. Schermerhorn, the beloved Nashville Symphony music director whose achievements included the first East Coast tour for the Nashville Symphony and several Grammy-nominated albums.

Del (left) & Dane Bryant accept the honor on behalf of their parents

Created earlier this year, the Music City Walk of Fame on Nashville's Music Mile will be a landmark tribute to those from all genres of music who have made significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and have contributed to the world through song or other industry collaboration. Permanent sidewalk medallions made of stainless steel and terrazzo, with each honoree's name displayed in a star-and-guitar design, will be installed in the sidewalk along the Music Mile, the roughly one-mile stretch of Demonbreun Street from 4th Avenue South to the Music Row Roundabout at 16th Avenue South. The first plaques will be inlaid in Hall of Fame Park on Demonbreun, between 4th and 5th Avenues South.

The Orbison family celebrates Roy's induction with friend Hank Williams, Jr. Pictured are (l to r): son Roy Orbison Jr., wife Barbara Orbison and Hank Williams, Jr.

The Music City Walk of Fame is an official project of Music City, Inc, the charitable foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (NCVB), and is produced with the support of presenting sponsor Gibson Guitar, sponsor GAC, the City of Nashville and Metro Parks.

The Bryants' plaque will sit in Hall of Fame Park on Demonbreun Avenue

A large crowd gathered downtown to mark the occasion

Former BMI President & CEO Frances Preston (left) looks on as Del and Dane Bryant (at podium) accept their mother's induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame

Other BMI songwriters inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame this year include Gregg Allman, Dallas Austin and members of R.E.M.

Born in Milwaukee, Felice Bryant lived for many years in Moutrie, Ga., the hometown of husband and writing partner Boudleaux Bryant. The potent combination of Felice and Boudleaux resulted in one of the most enduring songwriting teams in popular music history. The couple penned standards like "Bye Bye Love" and "Wake Up, Little Susie" for the Everly Brothers, catapulting the rock and roll duo to stardom. Buddy Holly's rendition of the Bryants' "Raining in My Heart" was captured during his final recording session in 1958. Prior to their pivotal foray into the burgeoning world of rock and roll, the Bryants wrote hits for a number of country music's legendary figures, including Little Jimmy Dickens, Eddy Arnold and Jim Reeves. A virtual who's who of 20th century music giants recorded songs by the Bryants-names like Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and Dean Martin color the iconic list.

Though Felice rarely worked without her husband, her solo composition and one-time birthday gift to Boudleaux, "We Could," was recorded by Jim Reeves, Little Jimmy Dickens, George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Kitty Wells, George Morgan, the Louvin Brothers, Charley Pride, Al Martino and John Prine-a resounding affirmation of her gift.

Tennessee adopted the Bryants' tune, "Rocky Top," as its state song in 1982; the Georgia Music Hall of Fame inducted Boudleaux that same year, and he lived until 1987. Felice passed away in 1997 at her home in Gatlinburg, Tenn.]]> 2006-10-10T05:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334751 Artists, Orbison, Roy, Pitney, Gene, Musical Styles, Pop BMI songwriter Gene Pitney, who shot to fame in the 1960s with the hits "Town Without Pity" and "Only Love Can Break a Heart," died April 5 in Cardiff, Wales. The 65-year-old was in the Welsh capitol in the middle of a 23-date tour of Great Britain when he was found dead in his hotel room, which police have confirmed was from natural causes.

As a singer and performer, Pitney had a string of Top 10 hits that also included "24 Hours from Tulsa," "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance," both written by legendary songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and his first successful song, "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away." "Only Love Can Break a Heart" was his biggest U.S. hit, peaking at No. 2 in 1962.

A prolific songwriter and a multi-talented musician who also played guitar, drums and piano, Pitney wrote such memorable songs as "Rubber Ball," a Top 10 single for Bobby Vee in 1961, and the BMI Award winners "Hello Mary Lou, Goodbye Heart" by Ricky Nelson and "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals. Roy Orbison recorded the Pitney-penned tune "Today's Teardrops" as the B-side to his million-selling single, "Blue Angel."

His 40-year career also included some success as a country singer, pairing with George Jones to record "I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night" and "Louisiana Man." He scored his first British No. 1 in 1990 with the Marc Almond duet, "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart," and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Lynne, and three sons.]]> 2006-04-05T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/234501 Artists, Fuel, Keen, Robert Earl, Orbison, Roy, Williams, Hank, Musical Styles, Country, Singer-Songwriter, Musicworld, Feature Ask those who know legendary Texas troubadour Robert Earl Keen, and they’ll tell you he doesn’t mince words in real life. So it’s just a creative device when he explains himself in the title track of his newest Koch Records release, What I Really Mean .  It’s a postcard travelogue turned love song: “What I really mean,” he sings, “is I wish you were here.”

Robert Earl Keen is definitely present these days — as an artist, writer, and painter of southern aural landscapes — and he’s better than ever. That signature wry, lyrical elegance is in full evidence, as is his notable appreciation for the underbelly of society. On this, his twelfth album, he gives us what is possibly his finest collection of Southern Lit songs. And that’s saying something with critical successes such as 1989’s West Textures, which yielded a first career song, “The Road Goes On Forever,” to 1993’s career-clinching A Bigger Piece of Sky (chock-full of astonishing songs), to 1994’s Gringo Honeymoon, which was essentially rocket Fuel for the fledgling alt-country movement. 

And while his last outing, Farm Fresh Onions, won great acclaim for eclectically showcasing some of his more raucous material, What I Really Mean is a welcome return to the acoustic country side of this revered singer/songwriter. 

With it, he reminds us of his purist path — the clarity of telling tales in song that both evoke emotion and entertain, usually all at once.  Case in point is “The Great Hank,” a dream-story about Hank Williams in drag. It’s not at all disrespectful, but instead showcases Keen’s deft ability to make us chuckle contemplatively. 

This English major is indeed a masterful writer, and has a grand flair at juxtaposing lyric with melody as in “The Wild Ones,” where the lyric exudes a bold, youthful life, while the arrangement is wistful.  Conversely, in “Broken End of Love,” the lyric is sad and prickly while the melody portends hope. And of course, he planned it that way. “That was my intent, to just let it all out, do the primal scream thing, almost. To say it without being nasty.”

And then there’s that ability of his to write cinematically, as in “A Border Tragedy,” a funny, back-alley film clip that ends with Ray Price singing “Streets of Laredo.” This one will become a classic. 

Besides Keen’s delicious writing, part of the joy of this record is the incredible talent he’s drawn to the project, including Danny Barnes, whose blithe banjo rolls melodically throughout, guitarist/producer Rich Brotherton, and mixing engineer Ed Cherney, who made a name with Bob Dylan, the B-52s and Roy Orbison, among others

So what Robert Earl Keen means now, this album might say, is to cement his status for all time as a songwriter and artist of impeccable quality and creativity.

Siddhartha (founder, lead singer/songwriter of Goldspot) is quick to pay tribute to his early influences: “I grew up listening to whatever my parents had in their cassette decks - Mohd. Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh - these were great Indian playback singers from the 1940’s and 50’s. The melodies were brilliant. And then one day when I was 14, I figured out that if you flipped the switch on the stereo from ‘tape’ to ‘radio’ you could hear music with English words. That’s when I heard R.E.M.’s “Green,” and it was my first introduction to Western music.”

Goldspot thrives on Siddhartha’s creative chemistry with drummer and co-writer Ramy Antoun. “Sid would come to me with demos of the songs that he had recorded in his apartment, and we would finish them together.”

“We both have similar backgrounds,” notes Siddhartha, referring to his Indian upbringing and Ramy’s formative years in Egypt. “There’s a lot of connection on that level,” confirms Ramy.

Hence Goldspot’s relentless yet delicate melodic prowess, and what they term their “Bollywood” undertones within Western guitar-pop templates. “Indian music from the early 20th Century is very much a part of who I am and a very big part of how I write,” Siddhartha expands. “That music’s based completely in melody – you can barely hear the music, all you hear is the vocal melodies, which are so strong that you remember them. Our influences extend from Mohd. Rafi, to Roy Orbison, to the Smiths.”

Goldspot came to the attention of Russ Rieger, a long time friend of Ramy’s. As a former top executive at Maverick REeords and London Records, Rieger worked with a vast array of artists including Prodigy, Deftones, DJ Shadow, Meatpuppets and Portishead.  As a manager, Rieger worked with the Replacements, the Del Fuegos, Cyndi Lauper and Prong. When he started his own label, Union Records, Goldspot was an obvious choice for his roster.

Tally Of The Yes Men (a title inspired by Siddhartha’s time in a cubicle-confined office job) didn’t come easily, but for the best of reasons, says Siddhartha, who spent endless hours co-producing the disc with Ramy and veteran Beach Boys/Brian Setzer engineer Jeff Peters, “we took our time, because we wanted everything we put into the music to have a purpose.”

The results are worth the wait, as Tally Of The Yes Men is one of those rare records that’s has both instant appeal and listening longevity, accessible hooks and authentic artistry, all revolving around Siddhartha’s remarkable ear for melody and Ramy’s driving pulse. “Bollywood” flavors permeate the record: the xylophone post-chorus interludes of “Rewind”; the strings in the bridge of “The Guard”; and the subtlety and phrasing of Siddhartha’s vocals.

Opening track “Rewind” proved pivotal to the album’s timbre. “That song was a defining moment for the record,” Ramy explains, and it was “Rewind” that caught the ear of L.A.’s taste-shaping KCRW DJ Nic Harcourt, who put the track in regular rotation. Other stations soon followed suit and Goldspot’s live crowds swelled.

Seth McLain, who’d been second engineer on the album, joined the live line-up, as did Siddhartha’s friend Derek Horst, and Sergio Andrade, a friend of Ramy’s. On stage Goldspot breathe energy, warmth and connection into their tunes, while remaining remarkably faithful to Tally Of The Yes Men’s involved intricacies and signature nuances.

“Our goal is to play everywhere,” enthuses Siddhartha.  “When you spend a year and a half in the studio trying to create something, then you’re up on stage actually performing it, you can’t think of anything except how much you love the music ... I think the most natural form of how any of us exist is in the performance setting.”

A triumphant residency at Hollywood’s Hotel Cafe confirmed that Goldspot’s quality is prevailing. Yet Siddhartha’s un-fazed by the sudden sense of expectation:  “I don’t have any fears for the future, because this is the first time that I feel completely at ease and completely comforted by the fact that this is the most honest representation of who we are and our artistry.”

Simple as that.

Goldspot are featured in BMI’s Podcast #3.  See it hear first.