Special Edition Swift CD Set For Oct. Release

/by

ATaylor_Swift_Fearless_Plati new Platinum Edition of Taylor Swift’s Fearless album is headed for stores in time for the holiday sales rush. Big Machine Records will release the CD/DVD set on Oct. 27, containing new music and video extras such as her video collaboration with T-Pain on “Thug Story,” and exclusive new behind-the-scenes photos shot by Taylor’s brother, Austin K. Swift.

“Taylor’s fans have an incredible appetite for her new music and her ongoing life experiences,” says Scott Borchetta, President/CEO of the Big Machine Label Group. “There are six new songs, over fifty new photographs from the Fearless Tour 2009, a beautiful new collector cover, all of the videos from all of the hit singles and tons of new Taylor video footage.”

Fearless, named 2009’s Album of the Year by the Academy of Country Music, was originally released by Big Machine in November of 2008. Now quadruple-platinum, Fearless has spent more weeks in the No. 1 position atop Billboard’s Top 200 all-genre CD sales chart than any other album this decade. Yesterday, Fearless was nominated for Album of the Year by the Country Music Association. Swift also received CMA nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and Music Video of the Year.

Adkins, Songwriters, And More Local Benefits

/by

traceadkinsTrace Adkins will headline the Southern Shindig concert on Fri., Sept. 25 at the Loveless Barn. This event is part of the annual Soldier Ride, which honors wounded soldiers. Tickets include dinner, beer, wine and the concert, and are on sale now at www.southernshindig.org or by calling 904-405-1156. All proceeds go to programs that support America’s wounded soldiers.

The bike ride, Soldier Ride Nashville, will take place the next day (9/26). For details or to register, go to www.soldierridenashville.org.

————————

Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant in Historic Downtown Franklin is sponsoring a benefit concert for the American Cancer Society tonight (9/10) featuring singer-songwriters Leslie Satcher, Allen Shamblin, Big Al Anderson, and James Slater. Show begins at 7:00 p.m. Reservations are $40 and includes dinner and the concert. Call 615-794-5527. $25 of each reservation will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

————————

The Sound Kitchen Studios will host the We Are Building Lives concert on Oct. 8 featuring Lane Brody, Saving Abel, Mark Slaughter, Keni Thomas, Eric Lee Beddingfield, and more. There will be a meet and greet with the artists as well as a cocktail reception. Proceeds will go to We Are Building Lives’ efforts to support Nashville’s homeless veterans. Details and tickets at www.wearebuildinglives.org.

————————

Friends of Warner Parks will hold a Full Moon Pickin’ Party tomorrow night (9/11). Musicians and music fans alike are invited to the Steeplechase Barn at the Equestrian Center in Percy Warner Park from 7:00 –11:00 pm. This fundraiser features bluegrass music under the light of a full moon. And all the proceeds from the laid-back affair will go directly back to Warner Parks to ensure preservation, protection, funding educational programs and special projects including camp-outs and hayrides for inner city kids.

Admission is $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Children 6 and under free, $10 for 7-15 year olds. Pickers with a BLUEGRASS instrument are $5. Details and tickets may be purchased online at www.Nowplayingnashville.com.

Tidbits: Digital Summit, SOLID, Symphony and More

/by

logoThe Leadership Music Digital Summit will be held March 22 and 23, 2010. More information to follow.

———————————-

The Music Row Turkey Bowl, hosted by SOLID, is set for Sat., Nov. 21 at Ted Rhodes Park (2400 Metro Center Blvd.) in Nashville, beginning at 8:00 a.m. The 24th annual co-ed flag football tournament has become a favorite event for many on Music Row. It is a significant annual fundraiser for SOLID, Second Harvest Food Bank and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. If your music industry company would like to put together a team—or for more details— click here.

———————————

To mark Giancarlo Guerrero’s official debut as Music Director, and to kick off the 2009/10 season, the Nashville Symphony will show the entire opening night concert on a huge video screen on the plaza of Schermerhorn Symphony Center, live and free of charge. The First Tennessee All-Beethoven Opening Night with piano sensation Lang Lang will be held Friday, September 11. Beginning at 7 p.m., one hour before the concert, the Symphony is also offering a live, pre-concert streaming video webcast, which will be available on the Symphony website at NashvilleSymphony.org.

———————————

The Bluebird Cafe is proud to present the photographs of New Orleans-based fine art music photographer Erika Goldring. Her character-driven portfolio features photos of numerous musical acts in genres ranging from jazz to bluegrass. The Goldring exhibit will run from September 17, 2009 – January 23, 2010. The opening reception is in conjunction with The Americana Music Festival on September 19, from 3-5 PM.

Mandrell Enters Steel Guitar Hall of Fame

/by
Barbara Mandrell with Steel Guitar Hall of Fame founder DeWitt Scott ("Scotty") accepting her Hall of Fame honor on Saturday, September 5, 2009. Photo by: Donna Stroup

Barbara Mandrell with Steel Guitar Hall of Fame founder DeWitt Scott ("Scotty") accepting her Hall of Fame honor. Photo: Donna Stroup

Barbara Mandrell became the first woman to be inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame at the International Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis, MO on Saturday, September 5.

Known as the “Sweetheart of the Steel,” Mandrell was a multi-instrumentalist by the time she was 10. She was on tour with The Johnny Cash Show by age 13 and had her first Billboard chart record at age 21. Her NBC variety show, Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters drew nearly 40 million viewers weekly and introduced a nation to country music. Earlier this year, Mandrell was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and now accepts the honor of joining the ranks of elite masters of the steel guitar.

Driskill Returns to ASCAP as VP/GM, Nashville

/by

Nashville, marcTN, Sept. 9, 2009: Connie Bradley, Senior Vice President of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) today announced that Marc Driskill has joined ASCAP as Vice President & General Manager, Nashville. In this newly established position reporting to Bradley, Driskill will direct the goals and objectives of the Nashville Membership staff as well as focus on ASCAP’s general membership efforts.

Bradley commented, “We are delighted to have Marc rejoin us at ASCAP. His business skill and acumen have been well regarded in Nashville both during his previous tenure at ASCAP and in the intervening years at Big Loud Shirt. He will bring a focus and energy to our operations here that will be crucial to our continued success.”

Driskill rejoins ASCAP from Big Loud Shirt and Big Loud Bucks Administration, music publishing and copyright administration companies respectively, where he served for more than three years as Chief Operating Officer for both entities. Prior to his experience at these companies, Driskill was Assistant Vice President, Nashville with ASCAP for nearly eight years.

“I am grateful to be rejoining Connie Bradley and the ASCAP team in Nashville. Connie has been an incredible mentor to me and I look forward to working with her in this new capacity to help ASCAP achieve its ultimate success,” stated Driskill about the appointment.

Photos From CMA’s Big Announcement

/by
Nominations for the CMA Awards were revealed today, live on Good Morning America and CMT Insider. Check out photos of the big announcement.
CMA hosts a breakfast at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City to view the CMA Awards nominations announcements live on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Sept. 9. (l-r) Dan Bowen, CMA VP of Marketing and Communications; RCA Nashville recording artist Chuck Wicks; CMA CEO Tammy Genovese; MCA Nashvhille recording artist Lee Ann Womack; CMA Board President Steve Moore, Senior VP, AEG Live!; Julie Talbott, Executive VP of Affiliate Marketing, Premiere Radio Networks and incoming CMA Board President Steve Buchanan, Sr. VP, Gaylord Entertainment. photo: Stuart Ramson

CMA hosts a breakfast at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City to view the CMA Awards nominations announcements live on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Sept. 9. (l-r) Dan Bowen, CMA VP of Marketing and Communications; RCA Nashville recording artist Chuck Wicks; CMA CEO Tammy Genovese; MCA Nashvhille recording artist Lee Ann Womack; CMA Board President Steve Moore, Senior VP, AEG Live!; Julie Talbott, Executive VP of Affiliate Marketing, Premiere Radio Networks and incoming CMA Board President Steve Buchanan, Sr. VP, Gaylord Entertainment. photo: Stuart Ramson

CMT hosts Cody Alan and Alecia Davis and Universal Records South artist Randy Houser announce some of the final nominees for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" on CMT’s “CMT Insider” broadcast live from their studio in Nashville on Sept. 9. (l-r) Hank Adam Locklin, CMA Senior Manager of Membership and Industry Relations;  John Hamlin, SVP Production and Development, CMT; Alan; Davis; Houser; Laurissa Ryan, Senior Director Talent Relations, CMT; and Jay Frank, SVP Music Strategy, CMT. photo: John Russell

CMT hosts Cody Alan and Alecia Davis and Universal Records South artist Randy Houser announce some of the final nominees for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" on CMT’s “CMT Insider” broadcast live from their studio in Nashville on Sept. 9. (l-r) Hank Adam Locklin, CMA Senior Manager of Membership and Industry Relations; John Hamlin, SVP Production and Development, CMT; Alan; Davis; Houser; Laurissa Ryan, Senior Director Talent Relations, CMT; and Jay Frank, SVP Music Strategy, CMT. photo: John Russell

Save The Date: Grammy Noms To Be Announced

/by

grammy-logoNominations for the Grammy Awards will be announced Wed., Dec. 2, live on CBS. The GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night® will be a one-hour special broadcast live from Club NOKIA in Los Angeles at 7 PM/CT.

Nominations in several categories will be revealed and there will be performances by past GRAMMY winners and/or nominees. Presenters, performers and additional information will be announced shortly.

The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010, airing live at 7 PM/CT on CBS.

Twestival Hits Nashville

/by

twest_Twestival Nashville—a volunteer-run, charity fundraising event for people who know each other through the micro-blogging service Twitter—will take place tomorrow (9/10) at the Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar. Hosted by local Web site Nashvillest.com, the event will raise money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee and its Great Nashville Duck Race.

The first global Twestival was held Feb. 12, 2009, and 202 cities participated. The 24-hour “‘tweet-up’ with a social conscience” inspired thousands and raised $250,000 for charity, with Twestival Nashville raising more than $2,200.

Twestival Local gives every city in the world the chance to hold their own Twestival benefiting a local charity of their choice. More info at www.twestivalnashville.com. @twestivalnash

Apple Updates iPod Lineup

/by

nanoApple revealed some updates to its lineup of iPod devices at a press event today (9/9) in San Francisco, most notably a built-in video camera for the Nano. The Nano makeover will also include the addition of a built-in FM tuner as well as a larger screen and will be priced at $149 (8GB) and $179 (16GB).

The popular iPod Touch will now be offered in a beefy new 64GB model, priced at $399. The existing 32GB and 8GB models will now be offered at $299 and $199, respectively. And though the iPod Classic is the last of Apple’s iPod devices to use a hard drive instead of flash memory, a new 160GB version will be introduced at the current price of $249. Also announced was Version 9 of iTunes, available for download now.

The event also marked the return of Apple CEO Steve Jobs to the spotlight, since announcing his medical leave from the company in January. Jobs returned to work in June following a successful liver transplant in spring. At the conference Jobs thanked his donor, a young adult who died in a car accident, and urged the audience to become organ donors.

Georgia Boys Give Back: Luke Bryan, Zac Brown Band

/by

Capitol Recluke-bords Nashville artist Luke Bryan is planning a Farm Tour to benefit charities in local farming communities. With the inaugural show set for Oct. 5 in Statesboro, Georgia, these special one-off shows will continue throughout Bryan’s career with additional dates already planned for 2010.

GAC’s Top 20 Countdown will film their show on site at the Oct. 5 event at Hurricane Plantation outside Statesboro. Money raised that night will go to a scholarship fund for students at Georgia Southern University, Bryan’s alma mater. Tickets are available tomorrow (9/10) at lukebryan.com.

The first-ever Farm Tour show is also the kick-off for Bryan’s Doin’ My Thing album launch where he plans to head to multiple cities in a two week timeframe to meet his fans and play new music. Doin’ My Thing is due in stores Oct. 6.

———————————————

CMA New Artist of the Year nominee Zac Brown Band will take their Breaking Southern Ground tour to Atlanta’s Fox Theatre on Oct. 30 to headline a benefit to rebuild the Athens, GA landmark the Georgia Theatre. Prior to a devastating fire earlier this year, the movie-palace-turned-music-club hosted performances by ZBB and local legends including R.E.M., B-52s, Drive-By Truckers and Widespread Panic.

Zac Brown Band are hosting the show and are the first confirmed performers, but they hope to add other successful acts who came up through the beloved venue. Tickets will cost $100 and are available via Ticketmaster. Presented by Outback Concerts.