weekly March 28, 2023, Issue 851
Arista: A Momentum In Time
As a standalone record company, Arista/Nashville’s run ended in 2000 when it was merged into the RCA Label Group. Six years later, the Sony-BMG merger folded the imprint into an even larger collection of labels, so last week’s dissolution (Breaking News) isn’t exactly the end of an era. Symbolically, however, not having Arista/Nashville listed on the single charts is a milestone. Whatever metrics might be used to assess record companies – Arista’s first label head Tim DuBois points to one below – they won’t likely encompass the extent to which Arista/Nashville was the embodiment of a new, Tim DuBois fresh and booming country music business. A total of 413 records were charted by Arista during its 34-year life span – 243 of which went top 10. Alan Jackson’s “Blue Blooded Woman” was the label’s first chart entry and peaked at No. 44 in Nov. 1989. In April 1990, Jackson’s follow up, “Here In The Real World,” became the first of the label’s 119 No. 1s. Jackson also had the label’s biggest record – 2003’s seven-week No. 1 duet with Jimmy Buffett, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” Arista releases held the top spot a total of three years and five months, with Nate Smith’s debut release “Whiskey On You,” becoming its final No. 1 just two months ago.
Arista No. 1s by Artist 1. Alan Jackson (31) 2t. Brooks & Dunn (22) 2t. Carrie Underwood (22) 4. Brad Paisley (21) 5. Diamond Rio (7)
“We opened our doors in ‘89 with [Arista founder] Clive Davis’ support,” DuBois recalls. “Three years later, we were the No. 2 airplay label – we never caught MCA, but we darn-sure tried. It was a great time because all of us were in new positions, which was a big part of the spirit. We tried a lot of things because we didn’t know they couldn’t be done.” Mike Dungan The people – including the roster – are what DuBois thinks about most. “Phran Galante started as the head of marketing, and (continued on page 10)
What He Didn‘t Chew: Big Machine‘s Carly Pearce partners with the Niagara ASPCA to celebrate No. 1 “What He Didn‘t Do“ in Buffalo. Pictured (l-r) are manager Narvel Blackstock, band members Nick Huddleston and Phil Noel, Pearce, band members Jon Aanestad and BC Taylor and the label‘s Erik Powell; (inset) Pearce with Fiona.
Tour Launch: Luke, New Levels
When Luke Combs took the stage at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX Saturday night (3/25) to kick off his World Tour 2023, there were as many people in the stadium (about 50,000) as there are in all of Watauga County, NC, where he first started playing music. And “world tour” is no exaggeration. By year’s end, he will have played in 14 countries. An early crowd was greeted with opening sets by Brent Cobb and Texas natives Flatland Cavalry, and the stadium was nearly full by the time Lainey Wilson took the stage. Wilson joked about her early days in Nashville writing with Combs in her camper. “He was eating my snacks and drinking my drinks, Luke Combs and now I’m on tour eating his snacks and drinking his drinks,” she said. Riley Green was next up on the stage, which featured an extension that forked into two arms in the pit area. The sun had set as Green wrapped up, and large video screens flanking the stage soon began to display a retrospective on Combs’ rise to stardom. Combs strolled out in trademark ballcap and black Columbia fishing
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