Americana Showcase Submissions; Last Day For WMBA

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americana logoShowcase submissions for the 11th annual Americana Music Festival are open and will be accepted through Monday, April 19, 2010. Materials can be submitted online via Sonicbids or directly to the Americana office via mail, click here for details. All applicants will be notified by Friday, July 9, 2010 as to whether or not they’ve been selected for this year’s event. Registration to attend the Americana Festival, running Wednesday, Sept. 8 through Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel, is also open. The Super Early Bird Rate expires January 31, offering AMA members a $200 rate, and nonmembers a $300 rate.

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wmbaToday (1/19) is the last day to submit an application to join the Women’s Music Business Association (WMBA). Women who are working in the music business, and are interested in joining WMBA or learning more about the organization can visit www.wmbanashville.org or contact Membership Chair, Kasey Cleckler at [email protected].
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Hall, Varble, and Corbin Chosen For WCRS Live Showcase

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crslogoThe popular WCRS Live! acoustic songwriter series, sponsored by BMI and Country Aircheck, has been scheduled for Thursday, February 25, 4:10-5:30 pm at the Nashville Convention Center. Performers include legendary artist/songwriter Tom T. Hall (“Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine”), songwriter Wynn Varble (“Waitin’ On A Woman”) and Mercury artist Easton Corbin (“A Little More Country Than That”).

“Every part of BMI’s Country repertoire will be expertly represented by the storyteller, Tom T. Hall; NSAI Songwriter of the Year, Wynn Varble; and new, red hot Mercury Nashville artist, Easton Corbin,” says BMI’s Jody Williams. “Tom T.’s songs are part of BMI’s cornerstone. Wynn is experiencing the hottest years of his career, and the future belongs to Easton Corbin. This is going to be a magical event.”

Previously announced for CRS 2010 was the ASCAP-sponsored “Storytellers With Darius Rucker,” which is set for Wednesday, February 24 at 4 – 5:20 pm and replaces the annual KCRS Live! Showcase. Joining the Capitol artist for an acoustic songwriting round will be frequent Rucker collaborators and co-writers Frank Rogers, Chris DuBois, Ashley Gorley and Rivers Rutherford. CRS 2010 takes place February 24-26 at the NCC.

Colgate Country Showdown Winner Announced

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2009 Colgate Country Showdown National Final Winner, Karla Davis, stands alongside LeAnn Rimes as she receives her check for $100,000.

2009 Colgate Country Showdown National Final Winner, Karla Davis, stands alongside LeAnn Rimes as she receives her check for $100,000.

Karla Davis, representing radio station WRHI Rock Hill in South Carolina, was named “Best New Act in Country Music” at the 28th Annual Colgate Country Showdown on January 14. Davis won the Grand Prize check of $100,000. The North Carolina native recently moved to Nashville and is sponsored by Takamine Guitars.

LeAnn Rimes hosted and performed at the televised event, which will be nationally syndicated to air in spring 2010. The national finalists performed in front of a panel of industry executives; Jim Catino (Sony Music), Rod Essig (CAA), Fletcher Foster, Fred Foster (Atlantic Records), Cris Lacy (Warner Music Nashville), and Brian Mansfield (Nashville correspondant for USA Today).

Rimes and the finalists, which included Kendall Phillips, Casey Lee Smith, Terry Lee Spencer, and Whisky Row, paid tribute to former contestant and country music legend, Garth Brooks. Many of today’s top country artists have competed in past competitions including; Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Billy Ray Cyrus, Sara Evans, Brad Paisley, and Miranda Lambert.

Signings: Max Barnes; Lorrie Morgan; 615 Music

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Pictured: Ray Stevens, Max T. Barnes, Perry Howard (BMI), Sabrina Shelfer (Creative Director, Ray Stevens Music). Photo: Ben Surratt

Pictured: Ray Stevens, Max T. Barnes, Perry Howard (BMI), Sabrina Shelfer (Creative Director, Ray Stevens Music). Photo: Ben Surratt

Max T. Barnes has signed a publishing deal with Ray Stevens Music. The chart topping songwriter has an impressive list of hits, including six No. 1 singles, nine Top 10’s and a Song of the Year Nomination for the career launching hit “Love Me” by Colin Raye. Barnes recently penned the current Ray Stevens single, “We the People,” which has received over 2 million YouTube views in just 30 days. Throughout his career, Barnes has written over 30 charting singles recorded by artists such as Randy Travis, John Anderson, Vern Gosdin, Diamond Rio, Montgomery Gentry, Jo Dee Messina, Billy Dean and George Jones, among others.

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The Bobby Roberts Company, Inc. has signed Lorrie Morgan for exclusive Booking Representation. Morgan’s hitmaking career has resulted in 14 top ten hits, seven gold or platinum albums and four Female Vocalist of the Year awards. Her string of hits include “Five Minutes,” “Something in Red,” “Watch Me” and “What Part of No.” The Bobby Roberts Company can be reached at 615-859-8899.

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615 Music, under the direction of Pres. and CEO Randy Wachtler, has signed the U.K.-based “In-spired” production music catalog and will be representing it exclusively in the US and Canada. The “In-spired” catalog is comprised of 16 virtual CDs, with new music being released quarterly. The catalog is available online, and via hard drive. 615 will be pitching the catalog for use in feature films and trailers, and television programs and promos.

Photos From Country Cares for St. Jude Kids

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Group shot from Country Cares

Jewel plays with a patient.

The 21st annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® seminar was held over the weekend (1/15-16) in Memphis. Artists and radio representatives from around the country gathered to continue building on the successful radio fundraising program that has made more than $365 million to support St. Jude’s mission of finding cures and saving lives.

There were sessions on planning successful radiothons, tours of the hospital, meet and greets with patients and their families, and opportunities to learn more about treatment at St. Jude.

Attendees included Country Cares founder Randy Owen, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Joe Nichols, Little Big Town, Darryl Worley, Blaine Larsen, Steve Azar, Danny Gokey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steel Magnolia, and many others. The 2010 Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® seminar concluded Saturday evening with the always popular Songwriters’ Dinner with performances by Owen, Lee Miller, Wayne Carson, Brice Long, Jim Weatherly and Wynn Varble.

Carrie Underwood visits a patient.

“You realize how hard St Jude’s works to put the power to get well in their hands,” Larsen marvels. “They try really hard to let them go home, whether it’s to apartments near the hospital or back to where they actually come from… which they do by working aggressively on a treatment protocol that the family can take back to their doctors… since children do better when they’re in a more natural environment. You see these kids, the families… and they’re fighting for their lives. That’s something to be scared about… only there’s so much joy, so much faith.”

Country Cares founder Randy Owen

Country Cares founder Randy Owen visits a patient's bedside.

Little Big Town

Little Big Town with a patient.

Community: Haiti Benefit, Trey Bruce, Dan Harr, Josh Ragsdale

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Pam Tillis

The Nashville Area Red Cross and the Music City Community Chorus are presenting a benefit concert tomorrow night, Tuesday, Jan. 19 at Limelight. Pam Tillis, Buddy Jewell, John Cowan, Troy Johnson and others will perform Handel’s Messiah along with a chorus and an orchestra made up of members of the Nashville Symphony. The Nashville Area Red Cross’s portion of the proceeds will go to disaster relief efforts in Haiti. The show also benefits the Music City Community Chorus, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, directed by vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams.
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A benefit for Dan Harr, owner of web site Music News Nashville, has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tues., Feb. 2, at Limelight in Nashville. Harr was diagnosed with cancer in May 2009 and has been undergoing treatment. Artist headliners and auction items are needed. If you have items you can donate, please mail them to: Susan Greene,  256 Seaboard Lane, #G-103, Franklin, TN 37067. Or call her to arrange pick-up at 615-210-5306. A headliner artist and songwriter/artists are needed for the evening. Please contact Harr at 770-316-2922 or 615-948-7425 if you have a performer who can participate.

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Sara Qualls, mother of Chrysalis Music VP A&R Nashville Trey Bruce, passed away Sun., Jan. 17. Visitation will be 5-7 PM, Jan. 19 at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Memphis. Funeral services will be held Wed., Jan. 20 at 10 AM.

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A bone marrow donor has been found for musician Josh Ragsdale. Read more at his brother’s blog.

Country Music Hall of Fame’s Carl Smith Dies

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carlCountry Music Hall of Fame inductee Carl Smith died Saturday, Jan. 16 at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. He was 82 and was known as one of the most successful country singers of the 1950s.

Growing up in the East Tennessee town of Maynardville, Smith learned to play guitar and eventually joined the military. He came to Nashville in 1950 and was soon given a regular spot on WSM and appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.

His first hit came in 1951 with “Let’s Live A Little,” followed by “Mr. Moon,” “If Teardrops Were Pennies” and many more over the next few years, resulting in a string of Top Twenty singles. “Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way,” was his biggest-selling single.

In 1957 Smith married Goldie Hill, a rising country singer who gave up her career following their wedding. In the 1970‘s Smith followed suit, and retired to a horse farm in Franklin. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003.

Smith was married to June Carter from about 1952–1956, and they had daughter Carlene Carter.

He was preceded in death by wife Goldie Hill. He is survived by sons, Carl M. (Pam) Smith, Jr. and Dean (Tammy) Smith; daughters, Lori Lynn Smith and Carlene Carter (Joe) Breen; twelve grandchildren; and twelve great grandchildren.

Visitation will be tonight (1/18) from 5-8 p.m. at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home. The funeral will be tomorrow (1/19) at 11 a.m., with visitation preceding from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m., also at Williamson Memorial with Eddie Stubbs and Friends officiating. Interment at Williamson Memorial Gardens. Honorary Pallbearers will be Little Jimmy Dickens, Bobby Bare, Keith Bilbrey and Charlie Dick.

Lost Highway Loses Two

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Jim Flammia

Jim Flammia

MusicRow has learned that Lost Highway’s VP Artist/Media Relations, Jim Flammia; and VP Adult Alternative Promotion, Ray Di Pietro have exited their Nashville-based positions.

Di Pietro is said to be forming an artist services promotion/marketing type company to be named, Bitter Little Dutchboy. Di Pietro can be reached at [email protected]. Flammia can be reached at [email protected]

Ray Di Pietro

Ray Di Pietro

Reports surfaced yesterday (1/14) that Universal Music Group had trimmed its national staff by as many as 50 positions spread across many of the company’s labels and its distribution divisions.

UMG typically does not respond to questions about changes but did release this official statement, “Universal Music Group is continuing to transform our organization to better serve our artists and business partners. Given the current economic climate, we have to be as agile and efficient as possible. Unfortunately, these ongoing efforts have resulted in some redundancy. However, UMG will now be even better positioned to compete in the growing global, digital marketplace.”

SESAC To Offer Watermarked Files

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sesac_logo_animatedNashville-based SESAC has joined with Activated Content Corporation (ACC) and Digsound to create a web-based delivery system for watermarked audio files named Ruby DS. The advanced audio-recognition technology is designed to improve the performing rights organization’s ability to track performances for music licensing and royalty distribution. Ruby DS securely delivers audio files via email with metadata that identifies the sender and the downloader creating a unique watermark in the process. The watermark becomes available to anyone with a web browser.

Hunter Williams, Senior VP of Strategic Development at SESAC, said, “Technology is changing the way music is consumed at the B2B level. Creators need tools to authenticate and protect their intellectual property (IP) as it travels through the digital domain. Copyright owners expect greater accuracy and transparency in accounting from their business representatives. Similarly, music consumers are looking for better efficiency in licensing content that they wish to exploit. The Ruby DS system responds to these needs in a very direct way.”

SESAC, ACC, and DigSound are inviting parties to join the Beta Launch of Ruby DS. It is not necessary to be a SESAC affiliate in order to participate. Those interested should visit SESAC.com for more information. Ruby DS is another step in SESAC’s ongoing mission to embrace the latest technologies for the benefit of its member writers and publishers plus streamline the copyright usage process for its clients.

Sprint Sound & Speed Highlights

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Gretchen Wilson at Sound and Speed

The fifth annual Sprint Sound & Speed Presented By SunTrust was held in Nashville Jan. 8-9. Since its inception, the event has raised over $800,000 for Victory Junction and The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Vince Gill, Hank Williams Jr,. Chris Young, Danny Gokey, Holly Williams, Jason Michael Carroll, Kyle Petty and his band and many more kicked off the two-day event with performances at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday, Jan. 8. There were also appearances by NASCAR standouts Michael Waltrip, Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle during the Friday night event. On Saturday, Jan. 9 the event continued at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, where fans of racing and country music had the opportunity to get up-close and personal with drivers and top-name artists for autographs, story-telling, and question-and-answer sessions.

Pictured: Jason Michael Carroll with GAC’s Susanne Alexander

Jason Michael Carroll with GAC’s Suzanne Alexander

Josh Turner (L) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking questions from the crowd

Josh Turner (L) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking questions from the crowd

Kyle Petty making his Opry Debut

Kyle Petty making his Opry Debut