NashvilleHype!

Before the show starts tonight I wanted to write a little bit of my thoughts on Ashlee Hewitt from last weeks show.

As you know, Ashlee ended up being in the ‘bottom 2′ - meaning it was between her getting voted off, or another group.  As it turned out of course, Ashlee stayed on the show.  But I’ve thought about her attitude while being in the bottom 2 - and she showed tremendous poise and self-control. 

Not once can I remember from last weeks show did a cut over to Ashlee show her looking nervous, or like, “oh no! they didn’t pick me to sing!”.  She was solid the whole night - never once showing disappointment or sadness about being the bottom 2.  In fact, she showed what it means to be a star - take the good with the bad.

I think about Ashlee a lot because I know this business, just about as well as anyone in the business - and it’s a tough business.  Sometimes, I’m thrilled for her - because she is so talented, and so deserving.  Sometimes, I’m sad for her, because not all of this business is recording and performing - doing the things you love.

A lot of this business is people talking badly about you.  It’s about the photo’s that intrude on your privacy.  It’s about what you wore, and how you look, and what you said, and how you act and all the other little petty things that don’t make a hill of beans.

I’m just really thankful that no matter what, Ashlee knows who she is as a person - and though sometimes when people say negative things it can sting, it isn’t going to change who she is.  She’s going to be fine.

And that goes for the industry as well.  Should there come a day when Ashlee is voted off, I’m not worried about her in the least.  She’s going to be just fine - and will probably be one of the first to sign a record deal. 

That’s not to say I don’t think she’s going to go all the way - I believe she’s going to win this thing out-right.  But even if she doesn’t - she’s the real winner - because she’s going to be fine.  And a huge star.

Now on to the show…

I’m kindof curious if tonight is the night that ‘they’ (the producers) show clips that make Ashlee look bad?  Maybe.  When you’re talking reality TV, and especially the kind of ‘reality’ that NBC has cooked up here, what they choose to air makes a huge difference in the way you’re perceived.  So far the coverage of Ashlee has been pretty positive - which is a great thing.  But again, this is ‘reality’… in the real reality, an artist has at least some control over what others see and how they see it — with a show like this, you don’t know what the world will see until you see it along with the world.  I’m hoping that the ‘powers that be’ continue to show favorable coverage for Ashlee.

It’s still my firm belief that Warner Bros, John Rich, and most everyone else involved would much, MUCH rather see Ashlee as the winner (becuase she is really the only true star on the show) because they know - it will be much harder to break all the other artist.

I’ve not seen or read what the actual ‘recording contract’ says, but I would bet it depends on who the winner is.  If it’s someone the label doens’t feel like they can have a long and sustainable career with, it’ll probably be a one-off single just to fufill the obligation.  If it’s Ashlee, it’s probably going to be a full-tilt contract with a full album, radio support, video support, tour support, etc.  In other words, the works.  They just can’t do that with any other artist left on the show - it wouldn’t be ‘good business’ - and there’s always Nashville Star 7 - only a year away. 

I doubt very seriously it’ll be back on NBC - they seemed to have ruined it this year (not that I would know, I’ve never watched the show in prior years).  And that is too bad for Ashlee, because even though 5 million more people know her now (they should’ve all been reading NashvilleHype!), this years show is considered a complete failure to nearly everyone on the outside.

That has nothing to do with Ashlee, or her talent, it’s only unfortunate because it makes it seem she comes from a ‘bad crop’ of artist - and she’s going to have to work 10 times harder to make a real dent.  This show should’ve made it be an easy breeze into the top.  But that’s the business.  It’s a hard business.  But if anyone knows about working hard, it’s Ashlee.  Like I said, she’s going to be fine.

The shows about to start.

UPDATE!!!

Ashlee Goes First AGAIN!!

Dang.  She is SO good.  I mean, really.

And here’s Jewel… she’s a fan.  Of course.  But then, she’s gotta make it about herself.

Jeffrey liked her, of course.

John loves her… of course!

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UPDATE!!

They let the artist just speak for themselves.  Ashlee told WHY she chose “Cowboy Take Me Away” and the whole segment was about HER - not John Rich, not Jewel, not anyone else… just Ashlee - the ARTIST. 

About Time!

OH JOHN JUST SAID WHAT WE ALLLLL THOUGHT!!!  NBC CHOSE THE ARTIST!!  They were smart with a FEW artist… thank God for Ashlee (and I can agree with Gabe, though not for Nashville) … but man were they way off on a lot of those artist.

John just ABSOLVED himself and all the judges of responsibility on the talent chosen…

Which it’s been CLEAR - there’s only a COUPLE of real artist… and they’ve already sang tonight.  The rest were ‘casted’.  Gee.  Way to blow it NBC - and the ratings.

Doesn’t matter.  Cream rises to the top - and I know for a FACT that Ashlee was a very hot topic here in Nashville long before Nashville Star - cause I did my BEST to let everyone know.  And there’s a reason she’s on the show - she’s a real, hard working, talent!

100+ shows a year, for 6 years vs. two young girls cast by NBC that just started singing in March???  yeah.  That’s ‘reality’.   

As you know I just returned from a short vacation in Florida where I got to see my two friends Rachel Farley and Aaron Tippin in concert.

First of all, if you’ve not gone to your local Cracker Barrel and picked up Aaron’s new cd “He Believed” you definately should.

Second, if you’ve not ever had a chance to see Aaron in concert, or it’s been a while, you should definately make plans when he comes to a city near you. 

Rachel had come to Nashville because she had a writing appointment with Rissi Palmer and was set to also meet her producer Keith Thomas.  It was a monday, which was a perfect night to go see our friend Ashlee Hewitt perform on Nashville Star - so we met at Opry Mills.  While getting caught up on all the goings on, Rachel happened to mention she was going to be in Florida at the same time I was - opening for Aaron.

Aaron puts on a great show - it’s a high energy show that touches on every emotion, and has a few surprises in store as well.

You know I’ve been friends with Aaron for 15 years or more and one of the reasons we get along so well is because he has the biggest heart - he constantly is giving to others - not only his time, but also gifts.  One of the surprises during the show (and I’m not going to give it away here, you’ll have to go see for yourself) is one of the gifts he gives away at each show — over 600 times he’s given a gift to this organization and that alone is worth the price of admission.

But then you add in the fact you know almost EVERY song he sings (Aaron has had SO many hits) and you have yourself a great show and a good time.

I had called Aaron to tell him to take good care of Rachel who was opening his show, but I failed to mention that I was actually coming down to see the show myself (my ‘vacation’ was actually to go see my sister and family, it just happened to turn out that this concert was happening) — so after the fireworks I thought I’d go over and talk with Aaron for a little bit.

Aaron had a line longer than the stage itself!  It wrapped around and zigged and zagged.  He met with EVERYONE of his fans that wanted to meet.  He took pictures, signed autographs, and as time allowed, had conversations.  Seems like his ‘meet and greet’ line took longer than his actual show.  THAT should tell you something about what kind of person he is - and has always been.

As my neices and I waited around back we watched as the line finally dwindled down - and as Aaron was set to leave, we watched him sign another dozen or so autographs (and take as many pictures) - on the way back to the bus!

Aaron Tippin is a star - as a person.  I’m thrilled that his new album is doing so well.  You can’t go wrong with Aaron Tippin.  Seriously.  Buy his music, go to his shows - you’ll have the time of your life.

Pictures below:

Rachel Farley on Stage

Rachel Farley again

The Hardest Working Man in Music - Aaron Tippin

Aaron Tippin

And last, my beautiful neices Loren and Melissa (Loren is going to be a SuperStar! - not in country music, in acting, singing, dancing - Disney style!)

Looks like Ashlee Hewitt is headed for the ‘bottom 2′ — the dreaded bottom 2… highly unlikely that she would be the one with the fewest votes… this could be interesting, but also completely for show - cause ya know, Ashlee has been the leader of the show since the beginning and she’s no underdog now… we’ll see…

UPDATE:

Yep, she’s in the bottom 2… how funny.  I suppose she’ll have to close the show - since she opened it last week and, of course, I made mention of it.  I can’t imagine she didn’t get enough votes to stay — this is pure drama.  Makes for good TV, and let’s face it, motivates…

John picked her song tonight btw, “Take The Money And Run” — which, if she is booted off, would be a fitting tribute — cause that’s exactly what she’s gonna do!

UPDATE:

YEAH!!!  THAT ROCKED!!

1-866-978-2701

UPDATE:

John Rich: “Ashlee, you’re going to be in the final 2″ — um, John?  DUH!

UPDATE:

Here’s my rundown from a week ago - this was a comment in response to someone else:

Melissa - two words — Trisha Yearwood. Notes, phrasing, looks - take a good listen, she’s copying. Not a bad copy of someone who’s already been around years - but unlikely to win - with the exception that america votes. would you walk her into a label? Age, weight, 5 kids, uses trisha’s vocal licks, keys, arrangements?

Gabe, pretty good, but the 20 year olds running the show here already have a traditional artist - his name is George Strait - and that’s the only traditional they know and like. John rich is on a huge hispanic country kick as a market - and he’s right, there is a large market untapped. Wouldn’t take him to a NASHVILLE country label. Texas - yeah.

Coffee, had he been actual country would’ve been good - another underserved country market. wouldn’t take him to a COUNTRY label.

cupcake girls - ugh. Take them to Disney.

Alyson, glad she’s gone - sweetheart, but um… yeah, those eyes and the beauty queen approach wasn’t working… great for a cruise ship — wouldn’t take her to a label.

Tommy - wouldn’t THINK of taking him to a label.

The 3 girls - wouldn’t take them to a label. In a few years would take the tall one to a label without her aweful sisters - pretty good voice hidden in there.

Who does that’ leave that fits with what has proven to be a success for the Nashville labels time and again, who has a unique voice with a unique styling - that you could hear on the radio and in an instant know who it was - love or hate but still know who was singing?

yeah, I’m biased… but right.

And as we saw tonight… Ashlee Hewitt is STILL the only one I’d even think of walking into a label like Warner Brothers — much less let John Rich produce.  Let’s face it, Melissa is doing well with her sound-a-like of Trisha Yearwood, but I’d bet a dollar that the label heads are begging the stars she doesn’t win.  What in the WORLD would they do with her??  Does the name Angela Hacker mean anything to you?  I asked a friend that and he didn’t even know who she was!  Seriously. 

There are “stars”, like those that are sometimes voted through by the public on a TV show — and then there are STARS, who have the voice, the talent, the ability, the freedom, the writing chops, the brains, the look and the X factor — Ashlee Hewitt is THAT kind of star.

You read it on NashvilleHype! first.

What a night!  Together with Rachel Farley and her mom Larissa, I went to see the actual Nashville Star show.   Rachel is in town to write with our friend Rissi Palmer, and Friday she’ll be traveling to Florida to open for our other friend Aaron Tippin.  In an ironic twist, I’ll be visiting my sister in Florida for the 4th and so, I’ll get to see them share the same stage once again (both Rachel and Aaron performed at our Supercell Benefit along with Ashlee).

This was a great week for Ashlee Hewitt.  Her whole family came in for a visit.  From her dad Jim, who was allowed to come home from Iraq where he’s serving this country in a fight against terrorism, to her mom Kelli who’s been holding down the fort in Minnesota, to her sister from California, and all the other brothers and sisters (Ashlee has 12).  It was great seeing them all together and meeting many of them for the first time.

The bad news is, we missed seeing Ashlee perform!  Yep.  We weren’t let in on time, and Ashlee was the first performer of the night.  We heard Ashlee and watched her on TV monitors, and as usual, she was awesome. She has such a unique voice that when we first entered the building I said, “we’re missing her!” — and we were. I knew whose voice it was without even seeing her. Something I preach on site all the time - you’ve got to have a unique voice — which Ashlee definately has (and Rachel, and Jaida, and Kelsey, and CloudChase, and, and, and). That’s the reason the artist on NashvilleHype! are having so much success — that and their work eithic can’t be beat. The judges seemed to be liking Ashlee as usual - and giving a lot of praise to her - but we couldn’t hear what was being said by them - we could only judge by the audience clapping at something they said. 

I’m going to have to go to the YouTube to see the performance, once someone posts it - and watch it, this time without the distraction of “go here, stand there” the producers tell you. Then I’ll be able to tell more.

From what I did see and hear, Ashlee is going to be so tough to beat this season - seriously, it’s going to come down to her and Gabe — which one will actually win depends on the rest of America, but we definately are hoping it’s Ashlee.  She completely rocks! Even if we are completely biased.

There’s no other act on the show we would take to a label at the moment.

VOTE FOR ASHLEE!!! 1-866-978-2706

P.S. It makes sense to me to have Ashlee go first - I mean, what a better first impression to a show? Beautiful and talented Ashlee Hewitt the first artist you see and hear when you turn on… are you going to change channels? Or see who might be coming up next? Yeah, Ashlee rocks - and she’s the real star of the show.

This is a video of Rachel Farley doing Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder and Lead”.  This video was shot during CMA Week at the Cadillac Ranch in downtown Nashville.  The night before, at midnight, she had went down to play with this band. She’d never played with them before (or a true band from what I know), but she was invited, so she went - played a few songs and learned a little of what it means to improvise on stage - even if you aren’t sure what’s going on or what to do next.  The band invited her back, so the next day, she went again.  The place was packed out, and this was Rachel’s first song with the band. Seriously, her FIRST song.

I say this reluctantly but I want to make a point - Rachel is 13.  Admit it, Rachel Farley is AWESOME! Can you even imagine when she starts recording with Keith Thomas??  Forget about it - she’s taking over the world.

Here’s what I wrote about it June 10th, 2008:

Walk around Nashville a little while, look around, and make our way over to the Cadillac Ranch to see Rachel Farley perform

and she COMPLETELY took everyone in the audience by surprize -

cause people, just listen to me please! - Rachel is a STAR!  She absolutely ROCKS!  You wonder why she wins so many awards?  Why she’s working with Grammy winning mega-producers?  Why major record label Presidents show up to a Benefit Concert?  It’s not cause it’s a good cause!  Wonder why I had her on NashvilleHype! before anyone knew a Rachel Farley existed?  Because she KILLS from the stage!  Especially with a band.  I’ve not seen her perform with a band before and oh my… just unbelievable.  She has really grown in stage presence since I first saw her perform.  And her future is only going to get brighter.

After Rachel performed, I got a chance to dispel some good old fashion wisdom in her direction

and she’s a sponge.  Look at those eyes.  I wish every artists would listen to me as intently as Rachel does - things might be better for them.  ahh, cest la vie.

Here’s a bonus video, just to show you what kind of songs she’s writing RIGHT NOW — this is an Original song written solely by Rachel - “Empty Bottle and an Empty Heart”

I went down to John Rich’s “Get Rich” competition tonight in downtown Nashville to see my awesome friend Jaida Dreyer perform:

Jaida just signed a publishing deal with mega-producer/publisher Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, everyone else) - which is awesome.  Despite being relatively unknown thoughout the country, it seems her talent has helped her become well known here in Nashville - and the hits I receive of people visiting from a Google search on her is really impressive.  She is SO close to being a household name, and though I couldn’t stay tonight to watch her perform, in the coming days I’m going to have some live photos from tonights performance.

So I had just walked in, said hello to a half dozen people and took a picture or two with Jaida when I decide to go into the main room.  I look upstairs and see Ashlee Hewitt!!  I ask the lady at the ‘rope’ if I can go say hi, but also inform her I don’t want to hurt Ashlee or the integrity of the show - and so, I can’t.  Bummer.

But soon after, Ashlee and the rest of the girl cast of Nashville Star come walking down.  The rope lady tells me ”she’s in ‘public’ now, you can go talk to her” - and so, I go over, kneel down beside Ashlee and say “hello ladies!”.

Let me first say how great all the girls look.  They are all as beautiful and sweet in person as they come across on TV.

After hugs and hello’s and OMgoodnesses, I asked Ashlee how she was doing (really good!), if since she’s been ‘locked away’ she was able to talk to anyone like friends and family (she said she wasn’t), and if things were going well for her (they are).  I DON’T talk about the show, or the songs, or the voters, or anything else - in fact, we never said one word about the show.  Believe me, there’s a lot I wanted to tell her - but as always in life, there’s a time and a place.  I told her that I talk to her mom as much as I can and everyone else as well and we are all SO proud of her.  I told the other girls that they are all doing great and say goodbye…

But then I think, “wonder if a picture would be ok” … so, I went back over and asked Ashlee, “can we all take a picture together or is that against some rules” … here’s the answer:

Bottom line, Ashlee is doing great! - still the same sweetheart she’s always been.

As I walked away the second time, I told all the girls goodluck and wished them all the best.  Alyson, Shawn, and Melissa are all real sweethearts as well - it was my pleasure to meet them all and seriously, I wish them all the best - long and successful careers.

As for Ashlee, I just want the world for her.

About the only way Ashlee Hewitt is going to leave Nashville Star and NOT be the winner, is if America, the voters, decide they would rather see a male winner - because the girls just don’t hold a candle to her “IT” power - and that of her spot on performances. 

That’s not to say that the other girls don’t sing well, there are a couple that sing very well - but I believe most of America would agree - if it were simply a competition between the rest of the girls and Ashlee, Ashlee would win hands down.  And I know for a fact she would if she were actually sitting in the labels A&R office.  Because in Nashville, as I’ve said many times, Ashlee is the complete, total package.  I even said so in the NashvilleHype! newsletter - using her and her sister as examples of what it takes to make it in Nashville.

Tonight, Ashlee performed a Britney Spears song, of all things - another bold choice given all the controversy surrounding Britney’s life.  “(You Drive Me) Crazy” was the song - country was the style.  And Ashlee pulled it off.

The judges love her.  You can see them in the background talking and smiling and being completely animated when she’s on stage — as opposed to just sitting there bored to death that they have to listen to someone else.  It’s almost as if they can’t wait for her to get on stage and have her actually put on a show rather than just another boring rendition of a song no one really wants to hear.

And, I’m pretty sure America is waiting for Ashlee to perform too.  If the ratings are in a slide, the only thing that’s really keeping them afloat is Ashlee - and America waiting for her to sing.

To beat a dead horse for the third week in a row - Ashlee is a Star.  A complete star in everyway.

And to beat another dead horse, she’s a real sweetheart - and when YOU all get to know her, and I know you’re going to get a chance, you’re going to love who she is too.

After the show call 1-866-978-2704 !!! TO VOTE FOR ASHLEE!!!