How Do You List ARTISTS In Your Songbooks?

[RIKKI TIKKI]

I have been asked several times by my singers; "Why do you list ARTISTS by Last Name-First Name ( Strait, George ) instead of First Name-Last Name ( George Strait ) order?"

I tell them that is how I started, and have not wanted to change my books to First Name-Last Name... they say "OH", and walk away satisfied, thinking it is hard to make that change... or that I'm too lazy! ( which is probably more correct! lol )

So I will poll my peers, and ask; "How Do You List ARTISTS In YOUR Songbooks"?

Last Name-First Name or First Name-Last Name ???

[Roy Dennis]

Hosters songbook does not actually alphabetize by first name, if you select first name in the setup it prints it as first name last name but still alphabetizes on the last name , which to my mind is stupid.

So if you followed the recommended name importing convention you would have a lot of work making it print in first name order.

It's like a phone directory, the trouble is sometimes your not sure if a name is the bands name in which case it would be listed as first name.

[KenKelley]

I use 2 different books for my singers one "By Artist" and one "By Song" and let them choose which to use.

For the "By Artist" book I list the artist name Last Name First. (That is how music is alphebetized in any store I go into looking for CDs)

For the "By Song" book I list with "A" or "The" last and have the artist Last Name First.

I occasionally folks ask me why or the say they can't find the artist when they have seen it before (I've never changed how I list ). Doesn't happen very often. I handle it like you do and they just say "Oh" and walk away not having any more problems.

[Lonman]

I used to list my books First Name - Last Name just like Hoster currently does, alphabetizing by last name - this is how DK & Pioneer originally listed their books & what I originally modeled my books by in 94. This was never really an issue until maybe 10 years ago when computer databases really became the norm. Then everyone would print Last Name - First Name. When they'd get to my show they would always look confused saying my book is totally out of order telling me George Strait is listed under S. Um, yeah! I know!!!! Just like you'd look up a last name in a library or a record store. You don't go to Tower Records and lookng for George Strait in the G's, you look in the S's.
Well after a year of morons repeatidly telling me my books were out of order, I succumbed & now list them last name, first name.

[bryant]

However, there are exceptions to the last name. First name rule; Zac Brown Band is under Z. But, David Cox and the Hosters would be under C. For example, Cox, David & the Hosters. And duets such as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Pardon is listed like; Rogers, Kenny & Dolly Pardon. The "&" sign is only used in artists, with the word " And " used always in titles. Also, my mp3 songs are all written out as Alan Jackson - Chatahoochie in my mp3 databases.

[RIKKI TIKKI]

Originally Posted by bryant

However, there are exceptions to the last name. First name rule; Zac Brown Band is under Z. But, David Cox and the Hosters would be under C. For example, Cox, David & the Hosters. And duets such as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Pardon is listed like; Rogers, Kenny & Dolly Pardon. The "&" sign is only used in artists, with the word " And " used always in titles. Also, my mp3 songs are all written out as Alan Jackson - Chatahoochie in my mp3 databases.

Exceptions noted! I do the same for those ocurrances, but mainly the poll is for the option that you selected to use for the 97% of your regular artist section of your songbook, and not necessarily the duets section/selections, or the bands that have the leaders name used as the bands name ( ie. Zac Brown, as an example Zac Brown Band ).

[karaokebud]

I use last name first unless its a group like Rolling Stones or Perry band. I never use "A" or "the" just my thing I guess. People will get confused anyways most of the time they are jacked up on drinks . And they always think you should have every song even if it's not in karaoke