Sweet Home, Alabama
-Business Tennessee
-March 10, 2008
While economic expansion is great, and needed, the Tennessee business community should never lose sight of what stellar assets it already has in its possession, and protect them with all its might. The absurd push by lawmakers in the state of Georgia to relocate Tennessee's border in order to access its water—a key variable in deciding where development will and will not go in the South over the next few decades—is a recent reminder of that truth. And while Tennessee lawmakers rightfully chuckle at the Georgia legislature's attempt to seize control of a key Volunteer State business asset, the attempt is perhaps reason enough to question just how big a threat another state can be when it comes to luring away a key component of another state's business identity.

Does Branson, Mo., ring a bell?

On March 1, the Houston County, Alabama County Commission unanimously approved plans for a country music resort called "Country Crossing," near Dothan, Ala. Billed as a Branson-like national destination, the potential $300 million complex (part of which is to be called "Little Nashville") would include numerous performance venues, hotels (including "Nashville Grand"), restaurants, a possible theme park, and a midway and RV park. The same designers behind such tourism stalwarts as Epcot, Disneyland and Universal Studios are developing the master plan. An unofficial economic impact study published recently by the Dothan Eagle found the project could directly create over 1,800 jobs in year one, with 1,100 more created indirectly. First year revenue was estimated at $136 million, with an annual payroll of $74 million. Tenth year projections expect the resort to reach total revenue of over $870 million with nearly 5,000 jobs created.

BusinessTN first pointed to this potential development last summer when the Alabama state House of Representatives passed a bill on behalf of proposed investors by creating an enterprise zone in a slightly different location. The bill's originator, Rep. Terry Spicer, was quoted in the Tuscaloosa News at that time as saying, "This is going to be a little Nashville right here in [Alabama]."

Ronny Gilley and his company, Ronnie Gilley Properties LLC, lead the private development. Gilley says more than 20 country music artists are closing in on signed agreements to locate themed venues at Country Crossing where he says they will perform routinely.

"There will be George Jones' Possum Holler dinner theater—a high-end dinner theater with seating capacity of 700 or 800. Tracy Lawrence's Barbecue and Opry House. John Anderson's Seminole Wind Grill. The [Darryl] Worley Bird Café, which will be a major military tribute as well. Those are just a few that we have all but completed deals with. There will be a minimum of 20 themed venues that will have the likeness of a multi-platinum selling country music artist," Gilley says. "Branson has 57,000 dinner theater seats. We won't have quite so many, but we will have eateries with entertainment venues inside that will have the same effect. We'll also have a state-of-the-art amphitheater—a musical fairgrounds that will host four music festivals a year there. We'll have different genres of music at the music festivals, but for the most part, it will be a country music themed resort destination point."

Branson, one of Tennessee's biggest misses as regards economic development historically, attracted 7.8 million people in 2006 and generated $1.8 billion in revenues. Though a mini-Branson by comparison, Country Crossing appears to be a project with significant economic potential. Did Gilley, an Alabama native, ever consider a Tennessee location for Country Crossing?

"We never had any discussions with any one in Tennessee with regards to such, no," Gilley responds.

Gilley, who recently signed an artist deal with Nashville-based Bandit Records himself, is a frequent collaborator on real estate developments throughout the South with various country artists. The most visible partner on Country Crossroads is George Jones, a longtime spokesperson for Gilley Properties. Gilley, meanwhile, has done various other projects with country music stars through the years, including with Alan Jackson (La Borgata, a residential development in Panama City Beach Florida), Tracy Lawrence (in whose most recent video Gilley appears), and Kix Brooks, with whom Gilley partnered on a residential home development called Brookwood in Enterprise, Ala.

It was Brooks who created a national stir recently about the in-state sustainability of another stellar Tennesee business asset, the annual CMA Music Festival in Nashville. A member of the Country Music Association, Brooks told an audience at Lipscomb University that for the city of Nashville to grow its annual downtown event it ought to begin to pay artists to perform, lest artists begin choosing not to participate and the event become lackluster in nature. Overnight, media outlets in places including Dallas, Texas, and elsewhere across America began opining that perhaps their municipality had the financial will to woo the festival to its shores. (It would be easy to brush aside such out-of-state commentary as mere conjecture were it not for the fact that just a few years ago rumors surfaced that the CMA Awards show—for four decades a Nashville mainstay—could be leaving for Atlanta or a larger media market. Then, as now, fears were assuaged with calming comments from local decision-makers. A few short years later, the show traveled to New York City for the first time.)

Enter Gilley, again. In addition to the new Country Crossings development, Gilley is also the man behind "BamaJam," a new music and arts festival scheduled to take place in Enterprise this June 5-7, interestingly, the very same dates as the CMA Music Festival. Scheduled performers include Alabama's Randy Owen, Hank Williams Jr., Lynard Skynard, ZZ Top, Ricky Skaggs, Miranda Lambert, Trace Adkins, Little Big Town, Tracy Lawrence, Jason Michael Montgomery and Eric Church, the majority of whom are top country artists. So is Gilley paying the artists to perform at his event?

"We are, indeed," he says.

And what was Gilley's opinion of the recent remarks made by his friend and business partner Kix Brooks regarding artist pay for festival appearances?

"Bringing entertainment into southeastern Alabama is a vehicle to deliver expanded trade and commerce throughout the communities here," he explains. "And it is certainly the artists who are bringing the people in here, not me. All the surrounding businesses, including me, will profit from those visits from people all across the Southeast United States. So in my opinion, the artist should be rewarded for that. It creates a lot of commerce for the community."

Was Gilley's choice of dates made intentionally to compete with the CMA Festival?

"Here's the reality," he says. "In that time of the year, no matter what weekend we picked we were going to be in direct competition with another major country music event. We finally said, 'Hey let's look at what will make our project successful.' We've not received any backlash from Nashville and certainly hope that we don't. But our commitments are steadfast right now."

And generally speaking, what is his view of Alabama and other states eyeing a greater piece of the country music pie?

"As far as the state of Alabama is concerned, it is very, very aggressive in economic development and growth right now," Gilley says. "There is a massive market before us—the baby boomer generation retiring—and the cold hard facts are that 40% of that population over the next 10 years is expected to leave the state they are now living in and move to a state in the southeastern United States. So somewhere in the proximity of 20 to 30 million Americans are getting ready to embark at this region of the country, and the most recognized genre of music for that massive given market is country music. We've tried to align ourselves with the country music industry in order to expose our projects and our communities and our state to the rest of the country. So far, we've been successful."

It bears mention that Gilley and the state of Alabama are not alone in wanting to make inroads on Nashville's country music industry. Last summer, the Oklahoma legislature signed off on a study, sponsored by Rep. Randy McDaniel, a first vice president at Wachovia Securities, to determine what incentives Nashville and other cities offer to attract artists and what the home state of country stars such as Reba McIntire, Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood could do to be more competitive in attracting country music-related activity and investment. Translation? While economic expansion is great, and needed, the Tennessee business community should never lose sight of what stellar assets it already has in its possession, and protect them with all its might.
Offical Link: Here

BamaJam announced on CMT News
-CMT News
-Febuary 6th, 2008
Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top will headline the first annual BamaJam Music and Arts Festival scheduled for June 5-7 in Enterprise, Ala. A total of 30 acts from country, classic rock, alternative music and bluegrass will perform at the 450-acre festival site. The event kicks off June 5 with Randy Owen, Little Big Town and Darryl Worley. ZZ Top appears June 6, and Williams, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Miranda Lambert are among those performing on the main stage on June 7. Others announced to appear during the three-day festival include the Del McCoury Band, Ralph Stanley, Dan Tyminski and Nanci Griffith.
Offical Link: Here

"Well, Bam(a)! Jam Planned"
-Country Hound News
-Febuary 6th, 2008
"Where America Finds Its Voice" is Alabama's state motto, and coming soon to the state will be a very loud mix of voices indeed.

Enterprise, Alabama hosts the first annual BamaJam Music & Arts Festival on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 5 – 7, 2008. Termed an "all-encompassing community and creative arts experience," the event presents 30 award winning acts from country, classic rock, alternative and bluegrass sprawling across 450 acres.

Country Music Hall of Famer and Alabama native Randy Owen opens the show Thursday night, along with Little Big Town and Darryl Worley. Friday brings ZZ Top to the main stage, and Saturday sees Miranda Lambert, plus a Rowdy Frynds Tour stop - featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Jr.

"This will be my first time performing in Enterprise,” says Randy. “I am really excited and honored to be kicking off BamaJam and I hope this festival will bring a lot of positive feelings and energy to a community that has been through so much."

Throughout the weekend, BamaJammers can enjoy performances from a number of Bluegrass and Alternative acts including 12-time Grammy winner, Ricky Skaggs, Bluegrass great, Del McCoury, the legendary Ralph Stanley and the singing voice of George Clooney/”O Brother Where Art Thou,” Dan Tyminski. Nanci Griffith, the Grammy award winning international “Voice” of Americana and Folk, will be a very special highlight of the event--appearing on the Americana Stage Friday evening. More acts and special surprises are being added daily.

Certainly, the event sounds to be a certifiable campground of music stars. Attendees are welcome to bring RV's and/or sleep under the night sky. The BamaJam Music & Arts Festival offers a variety of on-site activities in addition to the musical festivities, but above all, the sounds of music will surround Bama Village (an all-inclusive outdoor community plaza), with performances on three separate BamaJam stages. (No word yet on whether or not the hills will be alive).

For fans who may be searching for country music beyond CMA Music Festival (which itself gets underway June 5 - 8), BamaJam and its players make a worthwhile choice. Plus, a portion of the proceeds benefit The Harlon Gilley Small Man Foundation, Inc. and The Jimmy Bowden Foundation, Inc., public benefit corporations created by Ronnie Gilley to help improve the lives of those in the Coffee County community and surrounding area. Tickets to BamaJam can be purchased online at www.bamajammusicfestival.com or by calling BamaJam headquarters at (877) 4BAMAJAM.
Offical Link: Here

"Hank Jr., Randy Owen, Del McCoury, Miranda Lambert top new Alabama fest"
-Country Time Standards News
-Febuary 5th, 2008
Hank Williams Jr., Miranda Lambert, Alabama lead singer Randy Owen and Del McCoury are among the key acts playing the first BamaJam Music & Arts Festival slated for early June in Alabama.

The fest will be in Enterprise, Ala. June 5-7 presenting 30 acts playing country, bluegrass, classic rock and alternative music.

"Establishing an entertainment mecca such as BamaJam for our entire community and friends from neighboring states to enjoy has been a life long dream," said Ronnie Gilley, owner of Ronnie Gilley Properties and Ronnie Gilley Entertainment, which is spearheading the event. "BamaJam is a music and arts festival created to celebrate the human spirit and the spirit of music."

Country Music Hall of Famer and Alabama native son, Randy Owen, will open BamaJam on June 5 with Little Big Town and Darryl Worley also playing.

"This will be my first time performing in Enterprise," said Owen, lead singer of Alabama. "I am really excited and honored to be kicking off BamaJam, and I hope this festival will bring a lot of positive feelings and energy to a community that has been through so much."

ZZ Top plays June 6. Hank Williams Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd headline the next night. Lambert also will play on the main stage at the Saturday show.

Throughout the weekend, BamaJammers can hear performances from a number of bluegrass and alternative acts including 12-time Grammy winner, Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley and the singing voice of George Clooney/"O Brother Where Art Thou," Dan Tyminski. Nanci Griffith will appear on the Americana Stage Friday evening.

More acts will be added.

BamaJam is a Ronnie Gilley Entertainment Production with some of the proceeds going to charity to benefit the local area. "It's a known fact that music brings people together," Gilley adds. "Now, more than ever, is the time for all of us to come together, share in the spirit of the music and what the word 'community' really means and in turn give back to our friends and our neighbors who are less fortunate. These two organizations have been established to do just that, to 'give' back to our community - the place we call home."

Tickets to BamaJam can be purchased online at www.bamajammusicfestival.com or by calling BamaJam headquarters at (877) 4BAMAJAM.
Offical Link: Here