Yesterday, you read an op-ed piece from Neal Portnow who claimed artists are no longer thanking radio for playing their music, now that there are so many other outlets that help make them stars and sell albums. Well, BMI recording artist and songwriter Jack Ingram performed at the Thursday morning Advertising Breakfast at the Radio Show and you can add him to the long list of performers we’ve heard from over the years that understand the power of radio.
Between entertaining the audience with his music, Ingram told a few stories about his early life trying to make it in the music business. His first statement was a whopper. “I get to make decisions in my life now based on the fact that I’ve had hits on the radio.” That’s always a crowd pleaser. But it gets better.
As a young artist, Ingram was a big fan of Bob Kingsley and would listen to his countdown every weekend, for 15 years straight, from number 40 to number one, never hearing one of his songs. Then, he said, a bunch of radio stations took a chance on a guy banging on their door. The song Ingram recorded and was hoping would catch on was “Wherever You Are.” And it sure did catch on, according to Ingram. “Driving in Birmingham, hearing your name on the radio from the guy you were listening to since you were 10 years old is bad ass.” By the way, that song went to number one.
Ingram then went on to talk about the stations that take the risk of playing new music. “I want you to know young talent in this business need you to take risks. I know you take a lot of S*&T for it and it’s difficult for you, but we need you to take chances. It will pay off.”
