FYI folks – Although CRS is a lot of fun and a musical talent showcase to the max, it’s also a time for both radio and labels to consider the important issues and opportunities facing the country music industry. These are explored during the keynote address, this year delivered by Clint Black, partner in newly formed independent label Equity Records, during ongoing daily seminars and round-tables, and included a particularly enlightening packed-house event called “Record Label Heads on the Hot Seat” featuring BMG’s Joe Galante, Universal’s Luke Lewis, and Sony Music’s John Grady. Radio conglomerate Westwood One’s Charlie Cook was the instigator, bringing up critical issues including illegal downloading of music (To Cook’s question, ‘Can you be successful suing your customer base?’ Galante responded “Well, yes. If they stop downloading our music for free”), reaching the market (“It’s more about habits than revenue at this point”) the always controversial issue of radio promotion dollars (“A #1 record isn’t as important to us as a gold record, or platinum record which means sales”), reversing the downward spiral of record sales (“The revenue lost last year from illegal downloading was 1.5 billion dollars”) and the nurturing of new artists.

On the subject of new artists, the Universal Music Group luncheon featured MCA’s sassy newcomer Julie Roberts (Break Down Here), who’s all the buzz about town not just for her talent, but because she was the assistant to label head Luke Lewis for several years, but never told him she was an aspiring artist, and a VERY pretty Australian singer-songwriter who’s played guitar for Patty Loveless for the past four years. Named Jedd Hughes, he’s a bluegrass influenced prodigy we predict we’ll be hearing much more about as time goes by. By the way, the crowd was thrilled when MCA label-mate Vince Gill paid a surprise visit to the stage, performing a song with both Julie and Jedd.

Lee Ann Womack, who we haven’t seen for awhile, reminded us how human even a polished performer can be when she managed to forget the words to her huge hit I Hope You Dance and then stopped the show. Chagrined, she said ruefully, “I’ve performed that song a thousand times!” Alas, during the next song, her upcoming single The Wrong Girl, another mishap; her microphone turned upside down. In an unusual scenario, she just continued singing, until someone finally ran out to turn it back over. Some days are just not your day!

Warner Bros. Nashville made news by getting busted – really! Just as Trick Pony began the fourth song of their late-night set, the Nashville police crashed the crowded 19th floor hotel suite party and then shut it down. And that, as they say, was that. Fortunately for Warner’s rising stars Big and Rich they were rocking out the crowd elsewhere.