ANNOUNCING FLYING C RECORDS
Announcing country music’s brightest brand-new business venture: Flying C Records!
Nashville, TN – NEWS: Announcing country music’s brightest brand-new business venture: Flying C Records! The Music City startup promises success one carefully curated artist at a time. “I would really like Flying C Records to be a boutique label,” says longtime music industry veteran Jimmy Collins, who co-owns the business with his wife Heather. “I literally want to break one artist at a time. Right now, it’s all about Brooke Graham. Our label only has a few people at the helm so we can focus completely on each individual artist and grow together. We’re starting with Brooke.”
The label’s exciting debut release undoubtedly will accomplish that goal. Graham has crafted personal narratives with equal measures soul (“Me and Ol’ Willie”) and swagger (“Fredericksburg Saturday Night”). Evidence: Pedigree. The singular songwriter’s seamless debut collection deftly offered sharp songwriting backed by pulsating rhythm section throughout (“Fruit Stand”). Now, the sixth generation Texan proves she’s an equally adept interpreter with Flying C’s brand-new single “Merryachi Christmas,” produced by songwriter David Norris and Collins. The buoyant holiday song due out October 21 celebrates seasonal heart and hope.
“I’ve always been a fan of Cuban rhythms,” Collins says. “I think there’s a big place in trop rock for even better music. “I just fell in love with Brooke when I first met her. Heather and I had been looking for someone to develop in the vein of a female Jimmy Buffet – and here she shows up courtesy of Tex Whitson, who used to work with Merle Haggard. Tex brought Brooke to me personally. I was so excited. Brooke isn’t like anyone I’ve ever heard and is not afraid of anything. Brooke already has four number one records on the niche beach charts. She’s a winner.”
Ditto Flying C Records. Veteran music man Collins has been a highly sought after mind and go-to guy within the country industry for more than thirty years with experience in promotion, distribution, publishing, songwriting and entertaining. He has worked with dozens and dozens of notable performers in various capacities, but one bold-face name particularly stands out. “Loretta Lynn was so generous to me when I was just a teenager,” Collins says. “She essentially was a personal and professional coach and counselor while providing insight into the music industry – out of the kindness of her heart – that few ever get to experience.” Now Collins has the chance to employ that knowledge with his own imprint.
Brief background: Collins started out at the Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. Notable artists who got their starts in the studio include legendary rockers Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, the Fireballs and Waylon Jennings. Collins landed his own first major record label recording contract with BMG Entertainment shortly after, which resulted in the smash dance hit “Rodeo Rock.” He then moved on to Platinum Edge Records and released the Billboard Top 40 hit “Cowboy Rap” and its popular CMT video. Collins went on to co-write Billy Ray Cyrus’ comeback hit “Three Little Words” with Wayne Perkins. The song won CMT’s Video of the Year award.
Additionally, Collins’ work as an independent radio promoter with legendary Elroy Kahanek Promotions resulted in several top charting records including Ronnie Milsap’s “Any Day Now,” Steve Wariner’s “Kansas City Nights,” Jerry Reed’s “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft),” and Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias’ blockbuster “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.” Meanwhile, Collins worked as general manager for Coal Miner’s Daughter Music Group and helped run Loretta Lynn’s music publishing interests as well as outside hits like Reba McEntire’s “Can’t Even Get the Blues,” Alan Jackson’s “When We Were Down to Nothing” and Holly Dunn’s “Until You.”
Now, Collins sets his sites on success with Flying C Records and their flagship artist. “Brooke already has her own music festival in Port Aransas, Texas,” he says proudly. “She’s had it for five years and every year it gets bigger. She had over seven hundred people just show up at the last one from all over the United States. I really think we have a big star on our hands.” Others wholeheartedly agree. “I can see why her song ‘Me Time’ took Brooke to Florida,” iconic songwriter Rodney Crowell says. “Well done, Brooke. Keep writing.” “I have known Brooke for a while,” echoes singer-songwriter Houston Marchman. “Brooke always has something special to say as a songwriter and continually writes from her experience.”
