Whitey Shafer, Jerrod Niemann, Dallas Davidson to Headline CRS 2011’s WCRS Live!

Nov 30, 2010 Whitey Shafer, Jerrod Niemann, Dallas Davidson to Headline CRS 2011’s WCRS Live!

Whitey Shafer, Jerrod Niemann, Dallas Davidson to Headline CRS 2011’s WCRS Live!

CRS songwriter showcase sponsored by BMI and Country Aircheck

(Nashville, TN – Nov. 8, 2010) – Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.® has announced Jerrod Niemann, Dallas Davidson and the legendary Whitey Shafer as the lineup for CRS 2011’s WCRS Live! songwriter showcase, sponsored by BMI and Country Aircheck.

“Once again, we’ve put together a perfect picture of the BMI family of Country hit makers – red-hot, rising star Jerrod Niemann, mega-hit songwriter Dallas Davidson and the legendary Whitey Shafer,” says Jody Williams, BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations Nashville.  “This will be a show that has it all from three of the finest songwriters Nashville has ever seen.  BMI could not be more proud of all these guys.  This is gonna be cool!”

Adds Country Aircheck’s Lon Helton, “Year after year BMI presents a top notch WCRS Live! with great songwriters and artists.  We're proud to co-sponsor this 'must-hear' event with them.”

The WCRS Live! showcase is one of the performance highlights each year at Country Radio Seminar, held March 2-4, 2011, in downtown Nashville.  WCRS Live! takes place Thursday, March 3, at 4:25 – 5:40 p.m. in the Nashville Convention Center.

For more information on CRS 2011, visit www.CRB.org.

About Whitey Shafer:
With a career spanning more than four decades, Whitey Shafer is one of Nashville’s most accomplished songwriters.  Born and raised in Whitney, Texas, Shafer moved to Nashville in 1967, where he began a career that includes such hits as “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor” (Johnny Russell), “Tell Me Lying Eyes Are Wrong” (George Jones) and “I Wonder Do You Think of Me” (Keith Whitley).  Along with Lefty Frizzell, the two legends collaborated together on songs like “That’s The Way Love Goes,” “I Never Go Around Mirrors,” “Bandy The Rodeo Clown,” “Lucky Arms,” “I Can’t Get Over You To Save My Life” and others.  With help from a couple of his ex-wives, Shafer also wrote several hits for George Strait, including “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” and “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”  John Michael Montgomery, Lee Ann Womack and Kenny Chesney are just a few of the contemporary artists that have recorded Shafer’s compositions.  Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989, Shafer lives near Nashville with his wife Tracy.  Visit www.myspace.com/whiteyshafer for more information.

About Jerrod Niemann:
Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury, Jerrod Niemann’s chart-topping debut album for Sea Gayle/Arista Nashville, is a far cry from a typical Country album.  From the opening song, “They Should Have Named You Cocaine,” to his first No. 1 single, “Lover, Lover,” to his current single, “What Do You Want,” listeners find themselves in for an extraordinary ride.  Niemann wrote or co-wrote most of the album’s songs with his friends, including Jamey Johnson and Dallas Davidson.   Although Niemann had already experienced triumphs as a songwriter – having songs recorded by Garth Brooks, Jamey Johnson, Julie Roberts and Blake Shelton – he recorded Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury out of a yearning to be a performer himself.  He scored his first No. 1 hit with the song, “Lover, Lover” in 2010.  A CMA New Artist of the Year nominee and three-time ACA nominee, Niemann will perform with Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker on the H20 Frozen Over Tour in January and February 2011.  Visit www.jerrodniemannofficial.com for more information.

About Dallas Davidson:
Dallas Davidson arrived in Nashville in January 2004. His first cut was a song called “Kiss My Country Ass,” recorded by Rhett Akins and Hank Williams, Jr.  However, it was an unconventional club-thumper that ignited Davidson’s career.  Along with friends Jamey Johnson and Randy Houser, the trio wrote Trace Adkins’ mega-hit, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” which topped charts and playlists in both dancehalls and dance clubs.  His first trip to the top of the charts proved to be a harbinger of chart-climbing success.  Since then, Davidson’s work has been recorded by Tim McGraw, Jamey Johnson, Jack Ingram, Josh Turner, Rodney Atkins, Blake Shelton and more.  He has scored seven additional No. 1s, including Brad Paisley and Keith Urban’s “Start a Band,” Brooks & Dunn’s “Put a Girl in It,” Billy Currington’s “That’s How Country Boys Roll,” Joe Nichols’ “Gimmie That Girl,” Luke Bryan’s “Rain is a Good Thing,” Blake Shelton’s “All About Tonight” and his latest, Josh Turner’s “All Over Me.”  Visit www.dallasdavidson.com for more information.

About CRB:
The Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. ® is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization founded in 1969 to bring radio broadcasters from around the world together with the Country Music Industry to ensure vitality and promote growth in the Country Radio format.  More information may be obtained at: www.CRB.org or at the CRB office at (615) 327-4487.

About CRS:
The Country Radio Seminar is an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas in the Country music industry.  Country Radio Seminar is a registered trademark of Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.  CRS 2011 will be held March 2-4, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn.  Limited time, $399 registration is currently available online at www.CRB.org or by contacting the Country Radio Broadcasters at (615) 327-4487.