FBMM’s John McCarthy To Retire

After 41 years in business, CPA johnmccarthy05John McCarthy has announced plans to retire from Flood, Bumstead, McCready and McCarthy, Inc. (FBMM) effective December 31, 2009. He will continue to work as a CPA on a limited independent basis.

McCarthy has spent 41 years in the financial management business specializing in tax, audit and financial management for Touche Ross, Memphis; Herman Bensdorf & Co.; Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman and for the last 15 years with FBMM, which specializes in financial management for the entertainment and sports industries. Following his retirement, McCarthy can be reached at 615-557-7121 or McCarthyCPA@tds.net.

Photos: Currington On Parade; Stars Visit Children’s Hospital

Billy Currington performed his No. 1 hit "People Are Crazy" last Thursday for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Currington rode the Herald Square Express float from Central Park down to 34th Street where he performed in front of the NBC cameras. Photo Credit: Mercury Nashville

Billy Currington performed his No. 1 hit "People Are Crazy" for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. He rode the Herald Square Express float from Central Park to 34th Street where he performed in front of the NBC cameras.

O-Seven Artist Management along with their acts Bucky Covington, Sawyer Brown and Love And Theft all joined together to bring a little extra pre-holiday cheer to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital recently with a surprise guitar pull. From there the entire O-Seven crew all caravanned over to the Ronald McDonald House for a special birthday lunch for one of the young children currently undergoing treatment at Vanderbilt. Pictured at the Ronald McDonald House Front- Christopher, Hobie Hubbard (Sawyer Brown), Bucky Covington Back- Stephen Barker Liles (Love And Theft), Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown), Don Harris  (O-Seven Artist Management), Brian Bandas (Love And Theft) Photo Credit: Courtesy of O-Seven Artist Management; 11.23.09

O-Seven Artist Management along with their acts Bucky Covington, Sawyer Brown and Love And Theft shared some holiday cheer at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital with a surprise guitar pull. Next the crew visited the Ronald McDonald House for a birthday lunch for one of the children undergoing treatment at Vanderbilt. Pictured at the Ronald McDonald House Front- Christopher, Hobie Hubbard (Sawyer Brown), Bucky Covington. Back- Stephen Barker Liles (Love And Theft), Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown), Don Harris (O-Seven Artist Management), Brian Bandas (Love And Theft)

Tidbits: Valory Signing, Green Leaving ASCAP

valoryValory’s newest artists and CMT Can You Duet finalists JB Rocket recently spent time getting to know the Valory promotion staff. New music from the band, made up of Jonathan Cox and Brandon Green, is due next year. Pictured (l-r): Chris Loss, Brooke Yancey, Miranda Williams, Jon Loba, George Briner, JoJamie Hahr, JB Rocket’s Jonathan Cox and Brandon Green.

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Chad Green, Nashville Membership Representative for ASCAP, left the organization last week after an 11-year tenure. He will assume the role of Creative Director, Word Music Publishing on Monday, Dec. 7.

Songs Score Big With Soundtracks: “The Climb,” “Southern Voice”

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ASCAP recently hosted a #1 party for "The Climb." Pictured L-R: ASCAP's John Briggs, Lyric Street & Disney Music Publishing's Doug Howard, Jessi Alexander, Disney Music Publishing's Kos Weaver, Jon Mabe, Stage Three Music's Tim Hunze and Missy Roberts. Photo Credit: Kay Williams

Songwriters Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe had stellar success with their song “The Climb,” which spent an amazing 15 weeks at #1 on Billboard‘s AC Chart. As the lead single from Hannah Montana: The Movie, “The Climb” was also voted Best Song from a Movie at the 2009 MTV Music Awards. It was published by Disney Music Publishing, Hopeless Rose Music, Mabe It Big Music and Stage Three Music.

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Also celebrating a hit song in a movie are longtime charttopping tunesmiths Bob DiPiero and Tom Douglas, who co-wrote the new Tim McGraw single “Southern Voice.” The radio hit is featured in the new movie The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock and McGraw. The film raked in $34.5 million at the box office over its opening weekend to land at No. 2, just behind the wildly popular New Moon vampire flick.

Country On Oprah’s Christmas Show Today

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Tim McGraw on Oprah. Photo: Oprah.com

Sugarland and Tim McGraw are among the superstars set for Oprah’s Holiday Music Extravaganza, airing today Monday, November 30. The episode focuses on duets, pairing Sugarland with Oscar winning actress, Jennifer Hudson for a Christmas standard. Sugarland is promoting their new holiday album Gold And Green. McGraw will sing the John Lennon classic “Happy Christmas” alongside R&B star Alicia Keys. Also performing are Andrea Bocelli, Mary J. Blige and David Foster.

Susan Boyle Sales Boiling

BoyleThanksgiving record sales are primed to set some records this year. British Idol sensation Susan Boyle, based upon early results for the week is expected to sell from 625-675k units for the week ended 11/29 according to Hits Daily Double advance estimates. This would place I Dreamed A Dream as the largest first week debut of the year, besting Eminem’s Relapse which scanned 608k in its first week earlier this year.

American Idol runner up, Adam Lambert’s CD also debuted this past week and is set to move between 210-230k units to take the No. 2 spot overall. Other expectations include Carrie Underwood moving 100-120k units (a nice jump from last week’s 86k), Taylor Swift, Fearless at 85-100k and Swift’s Holiday Collection moving 75-90k (strong move from last week’s 45k units). Casting Crowns hit the chart last week (11/22) with over 167k units and is expected to scan 75-90k this week.

As usual, the Nielsen SoundScan results will be released Wed. 12/2, and we can then view exact numbers and rank the accuracy of the HDD crystal ball.

Urban Down Under: Awards Show, Tour

Keith Urban at the Aria Awards

Keith Urban at the Aria Awards

Keith Urban opened Australia’s Aria Awards over the weekend with a performance of his hit “Kiss A Girl.” Next up he launches his “Escape Together World Tour” in Melbourne, Australia on Dec. 11. The entire production set-up used on the U.S. leg of the tour—two stages, lighting, video screens, etc.—will make its way across the Pacific Ocean to Australia in time to be assembled for the tour’s debut.

Immediately following his appearance on The American Music Awards, and his win there for Best Male Country Artist, Urban flew to Sydney, Australia for the Aria Awards, which are the Australian equivalent to the Grammys.

Leadership Music Celebrates 20th Anniversary

e1256839786Leadership Music will host a 20th Anniversary celebration open exclusively to Leadership Music alumni. The event is set for Tues., Dec. 1, at the Hutton Hotel in downtown Nashville (1808 West End Avenue) and begins at 5 p.m. in the Vista Ballroom.

According to Jim Ed Norman, Nashville executive and a founding member of the organization, “One of the primary functions of the Leadership Music program is to foster greater understanding of our industry and our community. Leadership Music harnesses the great energies and ideas that come from the alumni and ensures that they are used to maximum effect in our industry and on behalf of the community at large. We want to be a magnet to creative people everywhere and draw them to Nashville.”

One highlight of the event will be the presentation of the Brian Williams Ambassador Award to honor those who build bridges between Music Row and the greater Nashville community.

Alumni should RSVP for the 20th anniversary celebration at 615.770.7090 or lm@leadershipmusic.org.

Leadership Music is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization established in 1989 to nurture a knowledgeable, issue-oriented community of music industry professionals.  Visit www.LeadershipMusic.org for more information.

Nashville Acts Join For Benefit Concert

image003-1On Wednesday, December 2 at 7:30 PM, many of Nashville’s country and pop artists will perform at the Mercy Lounge to raise funds and awareness for the Global Food Crisis Fund. Scheduled to appear include Leigh Nash, Carter’s Chord, Julie Roberts, Bryan White, Blaine Larsen, Rob Blackledge, Mica Roberts, Trailer Choir, Natalie Hemby, and more. Radio veterans Tony Randall and Kris Rochester from the new nationally syndicated morning show Tony and Kris in the Morning will host the event. The Global Food Crisis Fund is an initiative of Christian child advocacy ministry Compassion International.

Tickets are $10 and available only for the 18-and-over group. Tickets are available online here. For details about Compassion International, visit www.compassion.com.

BMI Promotes Jessica Frost

Jessica Frost

Jessica Frost

BMI has promoted Jessica Frost to Director, Business Development/Licensing. Based in the organization’s Nashville office, Frost began working for BMI in 1999 as a Customer Relations Executive. She was promoted to Account Representative in 2000, and then was named Account Executive in 2001. She became Assistant Manager, Industry Development in 2003, and was promoted again in 2007 to Associate Director, Business Development, a position she held until her current promotion. Frost reports directly to Michele Reynolds, Assistant Vice President, Business & Industry Development, General Licensing.