BY CARL LAMARRE

Jay Z has bolstered his Roc Nation empire with a new start-up that helps other start-ups. According to a release on Monday (March 6), the hip-hop mogul announced the creation of Arrive, a platform that will focus on promising start-up companies.

“Arrive was created to leverage our experience and resources in building brands, developing consumer facing businesses, managing artists and representing athletes. We’ve opened that diversified, global range of expertise to a new vertical: entrepreneurs and their early stage businesses,” said Neil Sirni, Roc Nation’s head of new ventures.

Through a collaboration with Roc Nation, Primary Venture Partners and Glassbridge Asset Management, Arrive will aid existing portfolio companies through their developmental stages. While teaming up with Glassbridge, Arrive will also provide institutional and operational support.

Primary Venture Partners co-founder Ben Sun also expressed his excitement regarding the new partnership with Roc Nation. “What Roc Nation has built so far is a true testament to their vision,

capabilities and willingness to dig in and take their companies to the next level. We are thrilled to partner with the amazing team at Arrive and to leverage these unique resources to build the next generation of powerful brands.”

For Jay Z, hisffinity for start-up companies has been well-documented. According to Business Insider, his portfolio consists of luggage company Away, nail parlor company Julep, and the private-jet startup JetSmarter.

Ed Sheeran’s ‘Divide’ First-Week Forecast Grows Even LargerBY KEITH CAULFIELD

As earlier reported, Ed Sheeran’s new ÷ (Divide) album is heading for a smashing debut at No. 1 on

INSIDE Jay Z’s Roc Nation Announces Arrive, New Company to Invest in Start-Ups

Ed Sheeran on Course for U.K. Chart Double as ‘Divide’ Delivers Monster Early Sales

Paris Jackson Signs With WME

Multimillion-Dollar Private Collection of Pink Floyd’s Most Recognized Artwork Now on Sale

A$AP Rocky Reflects on Late Brother in Mercedes-Benz ‘Get a Job’ Spot

iPhone or Healthcare? GOP’s Jason Chaffetz Gets Raked After Suggesting People May Have to Choose (continued)

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[In Brief]the Billboard 200 chart — and the largest bow of 2017, according to industry prog-nosticators.

The title seems to be very likely heading for a bow of more than 400,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 9 — with a chance of hitting a whopping 450,000 units. Of that sum, perhaps 300,000 could be comprised of traditional album sales.

On March 3, the album’s release day, initial first-week forecasts for the set ranged from 300,000 to 425,000 units.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Sheeran’s first week performance, and ÷’s debut rank on the Billboard 200, are not scheduled to be announced until March 12, after Nielsen Music has completed the processing of its tracking data for the week ending March 9.

The last album to start with more than 400,000 units in a week was J. Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only, which launched at No. 1 on the chart dated Dec. 31, 2016, with 492,000 units earned, according to Nielsen Music. That album was also the last title to sell more than 300,000 copies in a week, as it debuted with 363,000 sold.

Ed Sheeran on Course for U.K. Chart Double as ‘Divide’ Delivers Monster Early SalesBY LARS BRANDLE

It’s not so much a case of whether Ed Sheeran’s Divide (Asylum) can take the U.K. chart crown. It will. The question is by how much and how close can it get to Adele’s record?

Just three days into the new chart cycle, Sheeran’s latest album is already a sales beast and it’s on track to post one of the best-ever opening weeks. According to the Official Charts Company, Sheeran’s third studio record has moved 432,000 copies and sits comfortably at No. 1 on the Chart Update. The most popular format for the LP by far is physical, at 63%, with digital accounting for 31% of all sales and streaming equivalent sales making up the remainder (just 6%).

Based on its early sales performance,

Divide is forecast to surpass 500,000 copies in its first week, making it the biggest opening frame for an album since Adele rewrote the record books in November 2015 with 25 (XL). Adele’s third album shifted 800,307 units in its first seven days, smashing the previous record of 696,000 created by Oasis’ Be Here Now (Creation) in 1997 (25 was unavailable on streaming services on its release).

Adele should win this particular battle, but Sheeran is certainly up for the challenge. “Adele is the one person who’s sold more records than me in the past ten years. She’s the only person I need to sell more records than. That’s a big f—-ing feat because her last album sold 20 million,” he recently told GQ. “But if I don’t set her as the benchmark then I’m selling myself short...I’m not in competition [creatively] because we all sit in our own lanes, but once the creative product is out there is a race to the finish line.”

Divide has already blown away the best one-week total by an album for 2016; David Bowie’s Blackstar (RCA/Sony) racked-up a year-best with 143,455 copies sold in a single week last January, the month the legendary British singer passed away.

Come Friday, Sheeran should convincingly dominate the U.K.’s two main charts. With “Shape of You” expected to hang onto the singles chart title for a ninth

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week, Sheeran should claim the chart double. “Shape of You” currently sits at No. 1 on the Singles Chart Update.

And as Divide smashes its way to the chart crown, all 16 tracks from it are on track to enter the Top 40 and the so-called “halo effect” from the set is playing out with a spike for his catalogue, as 2014’s Multiply (X) sits at No. 4 on the Chart Update and 2011’s Plus (+) is at No. 5.

Paris Jackson Signs With WMEBY REBECCA SUN

Paris Jackson has signed with WME in all areas, The Hollywood Reporter and Bill-board have exclusively learned.

The signing comes a week after the daughter of Michael Jackson joined the agency’s IMG Models. Last month she graced the covers of Rolling Stone and Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Book, and she will reveal her next major fashion cover on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on March 15.

Jackson will make her acting debut on this Wednesday’s episode of Fox’s Star, where she will cameo as a social media guru who intimidates the girl group into a revealing photo shoot. She appeared at the Grammy Awards last month, introducing a performance from The Weeknd and Daft Punk.

Jackson continues to be managed worldwide in all areas by Tom Hamilton and Arnold Stiefel of Stiefel Entertainment.

This story was originally published on The Hollywood Reporter.

Multimillion-Dollar Private Collection of Pink Floyd’s Most Recognized Artwork Now on SaleBY BRAUDIE BLAIS-BILLIE

Pink Floyd’s 11th studio album The Wall brought the sinister, surreal art of English artist Gerald Scarfe to an international level of fame. Now, for the first time, 11 original paintings created and hand-select-ed by Scarfe will go on sale as one of the most valuable collections of rock and roll artwork in music history.

The Wall topped the Billboard 200 albums chart for 15 weeks after its 1979 release. For the sale, Scarfe selected iconic promotional images used for the album including The Scream, Giant Judge and Hammers and The Teacher.

A major exhibition of the collection will be held in San Francisco this coming July. In London, the Victoria & Albert Museum will be displaying the first international Pink Floyd retrospective, The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains, which will include Scarfe’s Giant Judge and Hammers beginning May 13. For more on the collection, visit the San Francisco Art Exchange LLC.

A$AP Rocky Reflects on Late Brother in Mercedes-Benz ‘Get a Job’ SpotBY ADELLE PLATON

Before becoming a worldwide hip-hop sensation and fashion muse, rapper A$AP Rocky was a younger brother, growing up in Harlem, who experienced tragedy before finding his calling.

For Mercedes-Benz’s “Get a Job” spot, the rapper remembers his older brother, who was killed in a shooting at 20 years old, and his impact on his career path.

“I guess when you’re young, you can be anything you want to choose,” reflects Rocky in the promo for the CLA Coupe. “But as you get older, all those options start to narrow, and before you know it, every choice you make comes with a consequence. Whenever shit got rough, this beat was always there.”

He continued, “My brother moved on but the beat came back, pulsing through every vein in my body. My older brother Ricky was the one responsible for me growing up, and having a “real job.”

Watch the clip below.https: //youtu.be/jACeUBJIdZE

[In Brief]

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iPhone or Healthcare? GOP’s Jason Chaffetz Gets Raked After Suggesting People May Have to ChooseBY ASSOCIATED PRESS AND THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Rep. Jason Chaffetz says that the GOP’s long-awaited health care plan may lead people to put aside money for their health care instead of “getting that new iPhone.”

That’s the Utah Republican’s advice to consumers who are concerned about the changes to the health care system that may be on the way under the House GOP’s long-awaited health care plan.

The plan puts more emphasis on health savings accounts at the expense of former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which offers more generous subsidies of insurance premiums.

To make his point, on CNN’s New Day, Chaffetz advised consumers that instead of buying a new phone “maybe they should invest in their own health care.”

Chaffetz was rebuked on social media, with many Twitter users criticizing him for making it seem like the cost of health care and an iPhone were comparable.

Chaffetz tried to walk back his comments on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom “What we’re trying to say — and maybe I didn’t say it as smoothly as I possibly could — but people need to make a conscious choice and I believe in self-reliance,” said Chaffetz. “And they’re going to have to make those decisions.”

Here’s a look at some of the reaction on Twitter:

Publishing Briefs: CD Baby Hits a New Milestone; Update in Turtles’ SiriusXM CaseBY ED CHRISTMAN

— SESAC have signed a deal to represent R.E.M. and its entire catalog, including songs like “It’s The End of the World As We Know It” and “Losing My Religion,” for performing rights representation in the U.S. In addition, the R.E.M. band members have also signed individually with SESAC.

“We are proud to represent the songs of a band that, without question, changed rock music forever,” SESAC Holdings’ chairman/CEO John Josephson said in a statement.

— Big Deal Music has signed on to serve as North American sub-publisher for Mushroom Music Publishing, whose roster includes, the Temper Trap, Birds of Tokyo, Vance Joy and the Rubens.

In turn, Mushroom Music Publishing has been representing Big Deal in Australia since the founding of the latter firm five years ago.

“There has always been good business involved with a strong friendship and mutual respect between all of us,” Mushroom Music Publishing M.D. Ian James said in a statement. “When our sub-publishing rights became available in North America, Michael [Gudinski, MMP founder] and I thought this was the right place for our writers.”

Big Deal founder Kenny McPherson initially worked with Mushroom dating back to his days as president of Chrysalis Music Publishing.

— CD Baby says it publishing administration service now represents 100,000 songwriters, with a catalog of over 625,000 songs. The company says it is on the verge of expanding to accepting songwriters from CD Baby artists in most

European countries as well as Brazil, Israel, Mexico and Singapore, and will collect performance royalties via its relationship with performing rights organizations in those countries as well as the U.S.

Last year, CD Baby Publishing collected about $1 million for its songwriters, with big growth projected for the current year.

“The rapid growth of CD Baby’s Publishing service is a testament to the huge swath of music creators that lack publishing deals, which results in their valuable royalties going uncollected,” CD Baby vp of music publishing and rights management Jon Behr said in a statement. “Our goal is to make sure all of the money generated from a song makes it to the songwriters.”

CD Baby Publishing Administration uses technology and services from Downtown Publishing-owned Songtrust. Other services CD Baby offers songwriters and music users include its Sync Library, with 2 million pre-cleared songs.

— Music Reports Inc continues to expand beyond its music publishing roots. It has signed on to serve as the administrator in the going-forward portion of the Turtles’ settlement with Sirius XM Radio, which covers 10 years of licensing for the pre-1972 master recordings of any member of the class action suit that opts in to receive payment.

That settlement ensured that members of the class action suit would receive a $25 million payout for past performances and included an agreement to a 10-year licensing deal that initially was valued at as much as $59 million — based on the class members’ pro-rata share of 5.5 percent of Sirius annual revenue — in exchange for allowing Sirius to play the pre-1972 recordings. However, the payments going forward are dependent on whether the Turtles prevail in all three lawsuits in California, Florida and New York — and the Turtles just lost the latter, which reduces the payout to 3.5 percent of revenue.

Meanwhile, the Garden City Group handles administration of the initial Sirius payout of at least $25 million.

[In Brief]

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Cher Asks Judge to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Album Cover TypefaceBY ERIQ GARDNER

Typefaces are not subject to copyright, Cher’s lawyers told a New York federal judge on Monday.

The singer along with Warner Bros. Records, Ganesh Productions, Smog Design Inc., and Ryan Corey are facing a lawsuit from Moshik Nadav, a graphic designer who claims having his Paris Logo typography copied for Cher’s 2013 album, “Closer to the Truth,” which has sold about 585,000 copies since its release.

Nadav’s complaint states that he is a leading figure in the world of typography and that his Paris Logo features “artistic elements such as swashes having various thicknesses, end drops and unique lettering that provide... an aesthetic look and feel that Nadav’s clients, graphic designers and the public at large associate with Nadav and his business, Moshik Nadav Typography LLC.”

In a motion to dismiss, attorney Leonard Venger and others on Cher’s team point to the section of copyright code spelling out which material can’t be copyrighted. Along with short phrases, typeface and variations on lettering and coloring can’t be protected.

The defendants also say, “Perhaps based on the inability to rely on their typefaces as the basis for their claim, Plaintiffs also allege that the Cher Logos are substantially similar to the Paris Logo and the Paris Pro Logos, for which Plaintiffs own copyright registrations. That claim fails as a matter of law due to the profound differences between Plaintiffs’ Logos and allegedly infringing works.”

Here’s a look:“The Paris and Paris Pro Logos share

just one letter with the Cher Logos – an ‘r,’” states the motion to dismiss. “In addition,

Plaintiffs’ attempts to rely on other letters included within the Paris typeface (but not in the Paris or Paris Pro Logos) to support their infringement claim is improper and unavailing.”

Cher isn’t the first to be hauled into court over typeface. NBCUniversal, for instance, has faced many claims over the years including on Harry Potter merchandise. In those cases, the plaintiffs attempted to get around the issue of non-protection for typeface by alleging a breach of copyrighted font software.

Here, Nadav’s complaint stated, “Upon information and belief, Defendants Smog and Corey copied from the software on Nadav’s website or a third party website and used such copied software to copy original elements in the Paris Logos,” adding that a copyright application on the software has been filed.

In a footnote in the motion to dismiss (read here), Cher’s attorneys address this.

“The Copyright Act prohibits maintenance of a copyright infringement action without an issued copyright registration, or the rejection of a copyright application by the US Copyright Office,” they write. “Therefore, should this court grant Cher Defendants’ motion to dismiss, Plaintiffs cannot maintain this action based on their pending software copyright applications.”

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

Future, The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and More Acts That Replaced Themselves at No. 1 on the Billboard 200BY KEITH CAULFIELD

Future made chart history on the Billboard 200 this week, as his new HNDRXX album debuted at No. 1 on the list dated March 18, replacing his own self-titled set, which had opened atop the list one week earlier.

With the arrival of HNDRXX, Future became the first act in the nearly 61-year history of the chart to score back-to-back No. 1 debuts in successive weeks. Further, the hip-hop artist also became just the sixth act to replace itself at No. 1 — and the first soloist to achieve the feat — since 1963, when Billboard combined the Billboard 200 from previously separate mono and stereo albums charts into one overall listing. (The other five acts did so without debuting atop the list; rather, they moved up the chart.)

Future is the first act since way back in 1968 to replace himself at No. 1; not since Simon & Garfunkel on June 29 of that year has an act bumped itself from the top slot.

Here’s a look at the six acts that have replaced themselves at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart:

Future — HNDRXX and Future (March 18, 2017)

Simon & Garfunkel — Bookends and The Graduate (Soundtrack) (May 25, June 15 and 29, 1968; the act replaced itself three times with the same pair of albums)

The Monkees — More of the Monkees and The Monkees (Feb. 11, 1967)

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass — Going Places and Whipped Cream & Other Delights (March 5, 1966)

[In Brief]

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The Beatles — The Beatles’ Second Album and Meet the Beatles! (May 2, 1964)

Peter, Paul & Mary — In the Wind and Peter, Paul & Mary (Nov. 2, 1963)

In addition, when Future stepped in at No. 1 with HNDRXX, his self-titled set only fell to No. 2 — giving Future both the Nos. 1 and 2 albums at the same time. He is just the 10th act to rule the top two (again, since 1963).

Here are the 10 acts that have simultaneously held the Nos. 1 & 2 albums on the Billboard 200 chart:

Future — HNDRXX and Future (March 18, 2017)

Prince — The Very Best of Prince and Purple Rain (Soundtrack) (May 7, 2016)

Nelly — Suit and Sweat (Oct. 2, 2004)Guns N’ Roses — Use Your Illusion II and

Use Your Illusion I (Oct 5-12, 1991)Jim Croce — You Don’t Mess Around

With Jim and I Got a Name (Jan. 26-Feb. 2, 1974)

The Beatles — The Beatles (White Album) and Yellow Submarine (Soundtrack) (March 1, 1969)

Simon & Garfunkel — The Graduate and Bookends (the titles took turns at No. 1 multiple times; May 11-July 6, 1968)

The Monkees — More of the Monkees and The Monkees (Feb. 11-March 4, 1967)

Herb Alpert — Going Places and Whipped Cream & Other Delights (March 5, 1966; April 30-May 14, 1966)

The Beatles — A Hard Day’s Night (Soundtrack) and Something New (Aug. 22-Oct. 17, 1964)

The Beatles — Meet the Beatles! and Introducing… The Beatles (Feb. 29-May 9, 1964)

Peter, Paul & Mary — In the Wind and Peter, Paul & Mary (Nov. 2, 1963)

Ric Marlow, ‘A Taste of Honey’ Songwriter, Dies at 91BY MIKE BARNES

Ric Marlow, who co-wrote the 1960s pop song “A Taste of Honey” that earned him a Grammy Award and became a huge instru-mental hit for Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, has died. He was 91.

Marlow died Feb. 28 in Palm Springs, his stepson, Dalton Teczon, announced.

Marlow also worked as an actor, appearing on such shows as Bonanza, Death Valley Days, Sea Hunt, Hawaii 5-0 and Magnum, P.I.

Marlow and Bobby Scott co-wrote “A Taste of Honey” as the title song for a 1960 Broadway adaptation of Shelagh Delaney’s British play that also was made into a 1961 film directed by Tony Richardson.

Their song won the 1962 Grammy for best instrumental theme. Three years later, Alpert’s version collected four Grammys, including song of the year, and went as high as No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“A Taste of Honey” with Marlow’s lyrics also was recorded by The Beatles, Lenny Welch, Barbra Streisand, Billy Dee Williams, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett and scores of others.

A native of New York, Marlow was married in the 1950s to actress Leslie Parrish (L’il Abner, The Manchurian Candidate).

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

‘La La Land’ Live Concert Tour to Kick Off at Hollywood BowlBY ASSOCIATED PRESS

Live from Los Angeles, it’s La La Land live!Lionsgate announced Monday (March 6)

that La La Land In Concert: A Live-to-Film Celebration will come to the Hollywood Bowl on May 26-27. The live shows will be conducted by composer Justin Hurwitz, who won two Academy Awards last month for his work on the movie’s music.

The show will include a 100-piece symphony orchestra, choir and jazz ensemble, along with the film’s original vocal recordings from Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and John Legend. The movie will play along while the musicians perform.

Hurwitz said in an interview with The Associated Press that before working on La La Land with director and writer Damien Chazelle, he told his longtime friend that the film would be perfect for the live stage.

“The process is just beginning,” Hurwitz said of prepping for the live dates. “We’re figuring out how to handle visually and musically the various music elements in the movie, and it’s a lot of fun brainstorming ideas and solutions. What is exciting is ... to be able to really feature the musicians and show exactly what they’re doing.”

Tickets go on sale Friday. For the live shows, Hurwitz said they are using the same orchestra contractor from the movie.

Following the Memorial Day dates in Los Angeles, the live production will visit Atlanta; San Diego; San Antonio; Nashville, Tennessee; Washington, D.C.; and other U.S. cities. It will also travel internationally to the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Turkey, Switzerland and Canada. Those dates, along with more cities, will be announced later.

La La Land won six Academy Awards,

[In Brief]

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including best director for Chazelle and best actress for Stone. Hurwitz won best original score as well as best original song for “City of Stars,” shared with songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

“There have been a couple times where I was in my apartment and I saw two Oscars sitting there (and) it almost took me a second to register what they were. The thought of those gorgeous, iconic statuettes sitting right there in my apartment is a bit surreal,” he said.

He also said it has been dreamlike to hear “people singing my songs back at me” because of the film’s success.

When asked if he could see La La Land on the Broadway stage, Hurwitz said: “Those conversations haven’t even started to be honest. ... I think those conversations will happen inevitably, but I don’t know if an actual adaptation will happen. It’ll just be something we talk about and try to figure out, ‘should it be done, can it be done?’”

Of the best picture flub during the Academy Awards — where La La Land was announced the winner before the Oscar was handed to the Moonlight creators — Hurwitz said: “I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it much. But Moonlight is an extraordinary movie and I am very happy for them.”

Power Players Panelist Juan Diego Medina on Managing Nicky Jam: ‘It Changed My Life’ BY GRISELDA FLORES

With only a few artists signed under La Industria Inc., including Latin superstar Nicky Jam and rising Colombian group ChocQuibTown, founder Juan Diego

Medina is a strong believer of quality over quantity.

“The facade of our team doesn’t matter; what matters is that we have strong, solid bases. I look at life as a game or a business deal, and I always try to make the best investments possible,” the 29-year-old Medellín native tells Billboard.

Medina, who was included in Billboard’s 2016 40 under 40 list and will be part of the “Power Players Panel” at the 2017 Billboard Latin Music Conference, placed all his bets on Nicky Jam when he began his management career in the music industry. After joining forces, the “El perdón” singer/songwriter made one of the most noteworthy comebacks in Latin music after battling drug addiction.

“Working with Nicky Jam changed my life,” Medina says. “The biggest challenge was reintroducing him in the United States and telling the press, ‘This is the new Nicky Jam!’ It wasn’t easy to get people to respect us, actually, no one respected us back then.”

Medina will be joining other top Latin music execs at the panel, including Jorge Juárez, founder of Westwood Entertainment LLC; Walter Kolm, president/CEO of W.K. Entertainment and manager of superstars like Maluma and Carlos Vives; and Henry Cárdenas, founder and CEO of Cárdenas Marketing Network.

“To be part of that group of people I admire is truly a blessing,” Medina says. “Since I started working in this field, I’ve learned to really pay attention and learn as much as possible from others. I like to think of myself as an observer in the bleachers admiring what others are doing. I’ve been able to remain with my feet on the ground because I stay away from egos and stay close to my friends who are always willing to help others.”

Medina’s La Industria just signed ChocQuibTown in February, assuring Billboard he has big plans for them in 2017, which includes more exposure in the U.S., since they’re already a household name in their native Colombia.

“I may not have many artists signed, but the ones that I do, I’ll make them count. I

like to take on projects where 30 percent of the people believe in them and 70 percent don’t. That way, I have more time to create and build this artist, and the day they have reinvented themselves, we’ll prove the non-believers wrong.”

What’s next on Medina’s bucket list? “One of my biggest accomplishments with Nicky Jam was getting him on the screen in xXx: Return of Xander Cage. It was huge. And actually, aside from wanting to manage up-and-coming athletes, I want to get into the film industry. That’s next on my list. I want to become a producer. Stay tuned for great things to come.”

During the “Power Players Panel,” Latin music’s top movers and shakers will powwow in a rapid-fire question session.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards are the culmination of the Billboard Latin Music Conference, taking place April 24-27 at the Ritz Carlton Miami Beach. To register, visit www.billboardlatinconference.com.

Grand Ole Opry Realigns, Names New Head of ProgrammingBY TOM ROLAND

Opry Entertainment Group appointed a new Grand Ole Opry GM from within the company’s ranks and used the moment to restructure, creating a programming and artist relations division.

Sally Williams becomes Opry GM/senior vp of the new division, promoted from vp concerts and entertainment as well as Ryman Auditorium GM. Williams will oversee booking, programming and artist relations for the company’s multiple properties, including the Opry, the Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry House, plus the company’s forthcoming initiatives: the Opry City Stage, set to debut in New York this summer; Ole Red Tishomingo,

[In Brief]

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planned for this fall in Oklahoma; and Ole Red Nashville, expected in 2018.

Ryman Hospitality chairman/CEO Colin Reed said in a press release that Williams is “uniquely qualified to lead this new division.”

Williams has served as Ryman GM since 2008 and is currently chairman of the Country Music Association. The realignment comes following the January resignation of Opry vp/GM Pete Fisher, who moved to Los Angeles to become the Academy of Country Music’s CEO. Fisher had spent more than 17 years in his Opry role, the longest tenure of any GM in the WSM-AM Nashville show’s 91-year history.

Three additional employees are involved thus far in the realignment. Dan Rogers is promoted to director of marketing, communication and artist initiatives from Opry senior marketing manager. Gina Keltner ascends to senior talent manager for the division after serving 17 years in that role for the Opry. Dolly Chandler was hired as Opry Entertainment Group talent buyer from City Winery, where she was artistic director. Additional staff is expected.

Chris Young Brings Vince Gill Back to No. 1 At Country Radio; LBT Scores No. 3BY JIM ASKER

In its 39th week on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated March 18), Chris Young’s “Sober Saturday Night,” featuring Vince Gill, ascends 2-1. The song increased 5 percent to 41.4 million audience impres-sions in the tracking week ending March 5, according to Nielsen Music.

“Sober,” which Young penned with brothers Brad and Brett Warren, is Young’s eighth Country Airplay leader and the third

straight from his fifth studio album, I’m Comin’ Over, following “Think of You,” with Cassadee Pope (May 14, 2016), and the title track (three weeks, beginning Nov. 26, 2015).

Gill’s return to No. 1 makes for a historic achievement on Country Airplay, which launched Jan. 20, 1990. “Sober” marks his first No. 1 in 23 years and one week, since “Tryin’ to Get Over You” topped the March 12, 1994-dated list. (“Sober” is his sixth total leader on the list.) His gap between No. 1s is the lengthiest in the chart’s archives, besting Alabama’s 17-year, six-month and one-week break between “Reckless” (Nov. 27, 1993) and the band’s featured turn on Brad Paisley’s “Old Alabama” (June 4, 2011; notably, that song interpolates a piece of Alabama’s classic “Mountain Music”).

“It was an honor for Vince to agree to be part of this song,” Young tells Billboard. “His harmonies and guitar solo escalate everything. It’s one of my favorites on the I’m Comin’ Over record.”

TOWN & COUNTRY: Little Big Town’s eighth studio album, The Breaker, marks the group’s third No. 1 on Top Country Albums and the third to arrive atop the survey, as it starts with 51,000 equivalent album units — 44,000 from pure sales — in the week ending March 2. On the all-genre Billboard 200, The Breaker opens at No. 4, the act’s fourth top 10.

The new set, produced by Jay Joyce, follows 2016’s pop release Wanderlust, the quartet’s collaboration with star pop/R&B writer-producer Pharrell Williams. Before The Breaker, LBT last charted on Top Country Albums with Pain Killer, which debuted and peaked at No. 3 on Nov. 8, 2014, with 42,000 sold.

Two Top Country Albums No. 1s for the group preceded The Breaker: Tornado debuted atop the Sept. 29, 2012, chart, spending five weeks at No. 1, and marks the quartet’s strongest opening sales week to date: 113,000. Little Big Town’s first No. 1 on the tally, The Reason Why, started at the summit on Sept. 11, 2010 (42,000 sold).

LBT first hit Top Country Albums with its debut self-titled set (No. 40, 2002), followed by The Road to Here (No. 12,

2006) and A Place to Land (No. 10, 2007), the first of the band’s five Top Country Albums top 10s.

The first single from The Breaker, the Taylor Swift-penned “Better Man,” topped Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay for two weeks each.

AARON ARRIVES: Beginning at No. 2 on Top Country Albums is Vaquero from Texas country artist Aaron Watson. His seventh charted title (and third top 10) enters at No. 2 with 39,000 equivalent album units (37,000 in pure sales), his biggest sales week to date.

Watson’s most recent release, The Underdog, debuted atop the chart dated March 7, 2015 (26,000 sold). His first top 10, Real Good Time, debuted and peaked at No. 9 on the Oct. 27, 2012-dated list (6,000).

COOL HAND LUKES: Hot Country Songs welcomes two new entries to the top 10. Luke Bryan’s “Fast” jumps 11-6, becoming his 23rd top 10. The track hikes by 41 percent to 11,000 downloads sold and vaults 24-14 on Country Digital Song Sales; the song’s official video debuted March 2, the last day of the chart’s tracking week. “Fast” also ascends 7-6 on Country Airplay (31.1 million in audience, up 9 percent).

Concurrently, Luke Combs’ debut hit, “Hurricane,” charges 13-9 on Hot Country Songs. It bumps 6-5 on Country Streaming Songs, up 12 percent to 5.3 million U.S. streams. On Country Airplay, it bullets at its No. 19 high (14.7 million, up 10 percent).

[In Brief]

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Solange, Rae Sremmurd & Migos to Headline YouTube SXSW ShowcasesBY DA’SHAN SMITH

YouTube is heading to this year’s South by Southwest with a larger presence than ever before.

The video streaming platform will host a star-studded lineup of the industry’s biggest hitmakers and innovators at Coppertank. Expected to close March 15’s performances is Solange and some featured acts from her label, Saint Heron. March 16 will be headlined by Rae Sremmurd and guests, while the final date, March 17, will be capped off by Migos, Lil Yachty and Kodie Shane. Aminé, Jidenna and Chloe x Halle are some other big names joining the impressive roster.

The “YouTube @ Coppertank” showcase will serve as the hosting venue for Sirius XM’s Sway in the Morning on March 16-17. YouTube will also host a virtual-reality demo to showcase VR music videos available on the platform.

Lyor Cohen — YouTube’s global head of music and Billboard’s cover star for the March 11 issue — promises, “We’re going to have the loudest mics, best lights, best drinks and the best fans in all of Austin, which means we’re going to give artists the best time they’ll have all week.”

[In Brief]

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