As we head toward next month’s Country Radio Seminar, where every record promotion exec in town will be working like mad to get radio’s attention focused on their artists and singles, it seems like an appropriate time for some inspiration to those in the trenches.

To that end, I reached out to a group of country promotion VPs and asked them to share their best stories about eventual hit records that were hard fought all the way up the charts. Nearly everyone, it seems, has a stable full of such tales. They shared stories of slow starters, stories about records they “lost” multiple times on the chart, ones that had some key radio holdouts who needed extra convincing, and stories about records that were white knucklers right up to the end.

They shared so many stories, in fact, that we’ll make this a two parter, with another batch of these tales of victory in next week’s column.

“It’s funny, as I think back to all the tough records I’ve worked in my career, none of them seem as hard as the current records I’m working right now,” says Lyric Street VP of promotion Kevin Herring. “I guess it’s human nature to block the pain.”

Still, he says, “there is nothing more gratifying as a promotion person than when you really hook one.”

“If I had to pick a song that was extra special, it was ‘Where’ve You Been’ by Kathy Mattea,” Herring continues. “Nobody thought we would get that record and [thought] we were nuts for releasing it. Taking that record to the [top 10] and watching it win song of the year at the CMAs was a great moment.”

MCA Nashville VP of promotion Bruce Shindler has a very current story about Gary Allan’s “Watching Airplanes,” which, he says, was “no easy effort for us to get to No. 1, but was extremely satisfying since it had been four years since his last No. 1.

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ABC Radio Networks has promoted Brian Switzer to VP, Affiliate Relations - Music. Switzer joined ABC Radio Networks in 2005 as Executive Dir. of Affiliate Relations. He is responsible for managing affiliations of all music programming for the Network and also leads contract negotiations for broadcast partners. He also leads development of the Network’s Nashville arm with products such as American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks and GAC Nights. Switzer joined ABC in 2005 after a 20-year career in the record industry including Nashville-based positions at Atlantic and Universal South. ABC Radio Networks also promoted Ed Pearson to VP, Afiiliate Relations – Urban and Elisa Torres to VP, Hispanic Programming and Operations.

Stray Dog Films has added Chris Mosera to its roster of directors. Mosera was previously a Creative Director with JWT Advertising.

Well known Canadian artist Adam Gregory has signed a management agreement with Lawrence Mathis of Mathis entertainment to expand his recording career into the U.S. market. Gregory signed his first contract with Sony Music Canada at the age of 13, has released three albums and toured with artists such as LeAnn Rimes and Keith Urban.

The Music City Community Chorus (MC3) will hold auditions for its Spring Season. MC3 is a non-profit, volunteer performing chorus in Nashville under the direction of Renee Grant-Williams. Applicants must by 18 years of age or older. To arrange an audition call 615-244-3280 or visit www.musiccitycommunitychorus.org.

Creative Artists Agency has signed artist Matisyahu to its roster for representation in all areas. Known for his blend of reggae, hip hop and Orthodox Judaism, Matisyahu’s third album Youth (JDub/Or Music/Epic, 2006) garned a Grammy nomination and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 list. His fourth album is slated for release in 2008.

Agency for the Performing Arts has signed Salvador, Christian Latin jam-band, to an exclusive booking representation agreement. The band will be touring the U.S. with Jaci Velasquez beginning in March.

Members of The Lost Trailers are out visiting radio with their energetic new single, “Holler Back.” Stokes Nielson, Rider Lee and several of the BNA gang recently spent sometime in Minneapolis with KEEY.

Trace Adkins, Tracy Lawrence, Jason Michael Carroll, Eric Church, Cherryholmes and others have been added to the BamaJam Music & Artist Festival roster for June 5-7 in Enterprise Alabama. Other performers include Hank Williams, Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ-Top, Randy Owen, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Darryl Worley and more. www.bamajammusicfestival.com

Trent Willmon's new album, Broken In, will be released on Compadre Records Feb. 26. The twelve track album featured Willmon acting as co-producer for the first time working with Rodney Clawson and Dan Frizsell. Co-writers on the album include Rodney Clawson, Bobby Pinson, Brett James, Chris DuBois, Brandon Kinney, Jeremy Spillman and others.

An upcoming episode of Invitation Only will premiere Sat., March 1 at 8 p.m. CT on CMT. The show will feature an Alan Jackson performance and interview from the audience.

Clips from the 22nd Annual Colgate Country Showdown National Final, featuring Miley Cyrus (at 11 yrs-old) and father Billy Ray Cyrus, will air during ABC's Oscar edition of The Barbara Walters Special on Sun., Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. CT.

Katie Armiger was scheduled to make her television debut and perform her single "Make Me Believe" this morning (2/22) on CBS station KHOU's morning show Great Day Houston. A live stream of the show will be available for two weeks following the performance (www.greatdayhouston.com). Armiger is also set to perform at the 76th Houston Livestock and Rodeo on March 4 at 10:15 p.m. after playing at the 6th annual Music Row CountryBreakout™ Meet & Greet during CRS-39 earlier that day.

Correction: The new GAC series Introducing... will debut on Feb. 24 featuring Luke Bryan. The second episode of the show will feature Lady Antebellum on March 20.

Country music star Dierks Bentley performed for the annual Scripps Networks sales meeting this month in Nashville.

Jeff Bates might be signed to a smaller label, but that doesn’t mean he can’t duke it out for Disc of the Day with a big guy like Brad Paisley. In the end, Brad scores bonus points for being just about the only country act out there with the moxie to be different with humorous tunes. So he wins.

But there’s an upset in the DisCovery Award contest, with dinky-label starlet DeAnne Moore beating national TV star and major-label comer Julianne Hough.

Also scoring points on indie labels this week are The Pear Ratz, Bulls Gap and Willie Stradlin. Lend them your ears.

CLEAR BLUE 22/Wild In The West
Writer: Gilles Godard/Paul Reyes/Mark Trail/Jasmine West; Producer: Ted Hewitt; Publisher: Curb/Escalante/Trail Maker/Solo Flight, BMI/ASCAP; Back to One (615-251-0905)
—The group’s name is the code for perfect flying weather. But this generic country rocker never really takes off.

BULLS GAP/Country Kind Of Cowboy
Writer: Scott Arnold; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Hoot’rville, BMI; Hoot (www.bullsgapmusic.com)
—This is an East Tennessee duo consisting of Scott Arnold and Jerry Vincent. The vocals have an authentic Southern twang, the production is straightforward and the tune is catchy and bright. Promising.

JULIANNE HOUGH/That Song In My Head
Writer: Jim Collins/Wendell Mobley/Tony Martin; Producer: David Malloy; Publisher: Hope-N-Cal/Sexy Tractor/Cal IV/Warner-Tamerlane/Boatwright Baby/Sony ATV/Goldwatch, BMI; Mercury
—The Dancing With the Stars champ doesn’t burn down any barns as a singer. But her debut single is light, sunny, upbeat and likable enough.

WILLIE STRADLIN/Ain’t That Right
Writer: Heath Molton; Producer: Mike McClure; Publisher: none listed; Willie Stradlin (track)
—To start with, this is a band not a person. The Oklahoma production is a little murky, but the song is solidly written, the singing has verve and the instrumental work is tight and confident. Judging by the CD’s photos, folks really kick up their heels at Willie Stradlin shows.

JUDY WRIGHT/You Are My Sunshine
Writer: Jimmie H. Davis/Charles Mitchell; Producer: none listed; Publisher: Alfred, BMI; Baby Star
—It’s a simple, guitar-vocal treatment of a country standard. Fortunately for us all, that vocal simmers with soul. No matter how many times you’ve heard this familiar tune, she’ll have you hanging on every line.

BRAD PAISLEY/I’m Still A Guy
Writer: Kelley Lovelace/Brad Paisley/Lee Thomas Miller; Producer: Frank Rogers; Publisher: EMI April/Didn’t Have to Be/New Sea Gayle/EMI Blackwood/New Songs of Sea Gayle/Noah’s Little Boat, ASCAP/BMI; Arista
—Delightful. Not since the heyday of Roger Miller have we had a country artist who has scored so consistently with humorous, witty material. Stay tuned for the music box tinkling along with tuba notes in the bridge. Nobody, but nobody is better at this kind of thing than the West Virginia Wonder.

DeANNE MOORE/Cowboy Talkin’
Writer: Bart Butler/Buckner Moore/Leonard Ahlstrom; Producer: Gary Leach; Publisher: Bill Butler/Point to Point, BMI; American Muse (615-251-0905)
—Well written, produced with imagination and sung with fire. This rhythm-soaked number could become a big dance-floor favorite.

BRITTANY CLARKE/If That Chair Could Talk
Writer: Mark Benton Narmore/Elisabeth Wagner Rose; Producer: Gene Higgins; Publisher: Cake Taker/March Family/Sony ATV Tree, BMI/SESAC; HMG (www.HMGNashville.com)
—Previously recorded by Rachel Proctor, this excellent song deserves another shot. Eighteen-year-old Clarke’s delivery of it is first rate, but the generic, routine production does her no favors.

JEFF BATES/Don’t Hate Me For Loving You
Writer: none listed; Producer: Jimmy Nichols/Kenny Beard/Mickey Cones; Publisher: none listed; Black River (track) (615-320-1009)
—Jeff’s comeback CD will appear in April. Its single tingles with energy and burns with a fiery tempo. It goes without saying that his superb, neo-Conway vocal smolders with passion. Sounds like a smash to me.

THE PEAR RATZ/Senses
Writer: Jarrod Birmingham; Producer: Bill Green; Publisher: Bill Green, BMI; Electric Cactus (888-455-5504)
—I dig this. It has a Waylon backbeat, a swirling melody and a killer lyric about a man trapped in his addictions. Dramatic and dark and enthralling.

Panel Update: Reporter KOYN (Paris, TX) has exited the panel. New reporter KXOX (Sweetwater, TX) with PD Richard Ferguson joined us for a first report this week.
• • •
Alan Jackson’s “Small Town Southern Man” is our new No. 1 on the CountryBreakout™ chart after a rapid 13 week rise to the top. Arista can claim the No. 2 spot as well, as Carrie Underwood’s “All American Girl” makes a big move upward. The rest of the top 10 shows significant movement— artists Chesney, Covington, Otto, Adkins, Wicks and Vassar all inch higher with big spin gains. And George Strait’s high debuting “I Saw God Today” is, for a second week, our Greatest Spin Gain at No. 20. Read onward to see our panelists weigh in on what’s hot.

“Start with equal measures of James Otto’s ‘Just Got Started Lovin’ You’ and Katie Armiger’s ‘Make Me Believe,’” says Jim Kay of KVVP, “blend in a little Jason Matthews’ ‘That’s What Mamas Do’ and Rissi Palmer’s ‘Hold On To Me,’ add a little Kim McAbee’s ‘It Ain’t Workin’ On Me’ and ice it with The Roys’ ‘Grandpa’s Barn’ and that's the cake baking at KVVP Big Dog Country 105.”

“The new single from Joe Nichols just took off—listeners are loving ‘It Ain’t No Crime,’” says Susie Martin of WATZ, “as well as continued requests for Trisha Yearwood’s ‘This Is Me You're Talking To.’ We have a huge Bellamy Brothers fan base and the Dove Nomination news really increased the requests for ‘Drug Problem!’”

“‘Just Got Started Lovin’ You’ by James Otto and ‘She Likes It In The Morning’ from Clay Walker are the top two most requested songs for the week,” says Cole Younger of WBYZ. “‘Cleaning This Gun’ from Rodney Atkins is next, followed by Blake Shelton’s ‘Home.’”

“The phones continue ringing for Alan Jackson’s ‘Small Town Southern Man,’ making it our longest-running most requested song, six weeks strong!” says Scott Soderberg of KAUS. “Joe Nichols’ ‘It Ain’t No Crime’ is getting solid hits as the second most requested song. Zane Lewis’ ‘Come With Me’ and Cowboy Crush’s ‘Miss Difficult’ are also getting huge early response.”

“‘What Kinda Gone’ from Chris Cagle continues to enjoy a lot of success here," says Chuck Dauphin of WDKN. “Josh Turner has been one of our core acts here as of late, and ‘Another Try’ is definitely increasing his foothold— Trisha Yearwood’s harmony is magical. Doug Stone follows up ‘Nice Problem’ with another stellar single, ‘She Always Gets What She Wants.’ ‘‘73’ from Jennifer Hanson was an instant add for us. It's one of the most different singles I have heard in some time."
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Music Row’s Meet & Greet: The 6th annual Music Row CountryBreakout™ Meet & Greet during CRS-39 will be held 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4 at Second Fiddle (420 Broadway). Katie Armiger and The Roys will be providing the musical entertainment and we will also present our annual radio/airplay awards.

On Deck—Week 8
# Spins — Artist/Song/Label
362—Riverbilly/Just The Way We Do It/
360—Clint Black/Long Cool Woman/Equity
337—Sammy Sadler/Trying To Get The Girl/S Records
325—Sarah Johns/He Hates Me/BNA
323—Rick Huckaby/I Got You Covered/Head Coach Music

Frozen playlists: KKAJ, KMKS, KSOK, KTJJ, KXKU, WAAC, WDXX, WTCM