Wrensong/Reynsong Racking Up The Hits

Wrensong/Reynsong Music Publishing has announced the promotion of Christina Mitchell to songplugger. Mitchell previously handled administration for the company. She is responsible for securing the Jason Aldean cut, “The Truth.” The company has also brought Heather Edwards back into the fold as Office Manager.

In other news, Wrensong’s Ashley Monroe recently landed her first No. 1 single (“The Truth”). Monroe also wrote two songs (“Heart Like Mine” and “Me & Your Cigarettes”) with Miranda Lambert for her current album, Revolution.

Songwriter Jon Randall produced Dierks Bentley’s new album, Up On The Ridge, which includes four of his co-writes. Randall has also been busy writing with Brad Paisley (“No”) and Gary Allan (“No Regrets”).  In addition, Wrensong’s John Wiggins has Blake Shelton’s next single, “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking.” Wiggins has also been writing with the new duo, Like Strangers.

Michael Chugg Receives CMA Int’l Award

(l-r) Jeff Walker, CMA Board Member and President of AristoMedia/Marco Promotions; Steve Moore, CMA Board Chairman; Michael Chugg, Jo Walker-Meador International Award Winner; and Rob Potts, CMA Board Member and CEO of Rob Potts Entertainment Edge

During a press conference at 2010 CMA Music Festival last Thursday (6/10), Australian concert promoter Michael Chugg of Chugg Entertainment was given the Jo Walker-Meador International Award. The Award was presented by CMA Board Chairman Steve Moore, with CMA Board members Jeff Walker, President of AristoMedia/Marco Promotions, and Rob Potts, CEO of Rob Potts Entertainment Edge, in attendance.

“To receive such a wonderful award from CMA during their Festival week in Nashville was a great honor, and will take pride of place in my office in Sydney,” said Chugg. “To be able to play a part in spreading music to the world is very special, and I thank the Board of the CMA on behalf of all the Australian Country Music fans.”

The Jo Walker-Meador International Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual or company in advocating and supporting Country Music’s marketing development in territories outside the United States. 
 
Chugg is one of the most experienced and respected concert promoters in Australia, with a career spanning more than 45 years. He received the CMA International Talent Buyer/Promoter of the Year Award in 2006, has won every major music and entertainment award possible in Australia, and currently serves on the CMA Australian Advisory Group. Chugg has been involved with establishing Australia as a strong live touring market for international artists, and has promoted or co-promoted tours with Brooks & Dunn, Dixie Chicks, Willie Nelson, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban, among others. Chugg Entertainment will co-promote a Tim McGraw tour with Entertainment Edge later this year.

Cumulus Presents “Healthy Living Expo”

On Saturday, June 26, Cumulus Nashville, a five-station radio conglomerate which includes SuperTalk 99.7, 92Q, 95.5 The Wolf, 97.1 RQQ and i106, will hold the Healthy Living Expo at CoolSprings Galleria from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Unlike many health fairs, the Healthy Living Expo is designed to be interactive. Attendees will have access to free samples, blood-pressure checks, an activity area for the kids, Q&A seminars, dance demonstrations and more. The event is being promoted on all five Cumulus radio stations to reach across demographic and lifestyles lines covering Country, Classic Rock, Contemporary Hits, Adult Urban and News/Talk listeners.

“Health care need not be boring,” says Bill Hutcherson, Event Director.  “There are always new cutting-edge technologies to explore, great new nutritional foods, and fantastic and fun ways to get in shape beyond the traditional routine of working out at the gym. We want to give people the chance to explore new opportunities and engage in a healthy lifestyle that works for them.”

Healthy Living Expo participants will include a wide-array of health, nutrition and fitness professionals including Milestone Staffing, Daymar Institute Massage Clinic, Don Ho Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, Amerigroup Community Cares, Podiatrists of Middle Tennessee, HCA Healthcare, New Image Dentistry National College of Business, Rolling Hills Dentistry, Vein Pavilion (The Vein Guys), American Cancer Society, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Center for Anti-Aging Medicine, Meharry Medical Women’s Research Center, Dr. Rishi Saxena (Cardiologist), Park Place Retirement Community, Hermitage Hall, Pure Romance, Debbie’s School of Dance, Powers Modeling, Music City Wellness, the American Red Cross, Dohnal Chiropractic, MARC (Medically Assisted Recovery Centers), 1-800 Fix-My-Teeth, Brentwood Chiropractic and Pain Management, Adventureworks.com, Allergy and Asthma Center of Middle Tennessee, Gordon Law Group, Laser Liposuction Clinic, Dr. Gil Chiropractic, New York Life, Bellevue Medi-Spa, Williamson Wellness Solutions, Marable Personal Healthcare, Elder Care Essentials, Max GLC, Dr. Dwayne Allison and Franklin Allergic Care, and more. For more information, call (615) 321-1067.

Chesney and Steve Miller Rock “Crossroads”

Eight-time country music Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney returns to CMT Crossroads to share the stage with one of his musical influences, rock icon Steve Miller, in the latest episode of the hit CMT series.  CMT Crossroads: The Steve Miller Band and Kenny Chesney premieres Friday, July 9 at 8:00 p.m. CT on CMT.

Longtime friends, Miller and Chesney have shared the stage at San Francisco stadiums during Chesney’s summer tours, performing classic Miller hits. Now, the two join forces to perform each other’s songs and swap stories for what promises to be another landmark episode of CMT Crossroads. 

Featured in the hour-long episode are Chesney’s hits “Living In Fast Forward” and “I Go Back,” along with the Steve Miller Band classics “The Joker” and “Abracadabra.” Chesney is making his second appearance on the series; his first was October 2003’s pairing with heartland rocker John Mellencamp.

With songs such as “Rockin’ Me,” “Jet Airliner,” “The Joker,” “Fly Like An Eagle,” “Livin’ in the USA,” “Take the Money and Run” and “Abracadabra,” Miller is one of the cornerstones of classic rock. Born in Milwaukee, he grew up in a home frequented by musicians like Charles Mingus, Les Paul and T-Bone Walker and formed his first band at age 12 with friend Boz Scaggs. After stints in Madison, Wis. and Chicago, Ill. blues bands, he moved to San Francisco and The Steve Miller Band (known initially as the Steve Miller Blues Band) emerged from San Francisco’s summer of love with a sound that was distinctively different from its peers. Over 40 years later, the band has sold over 25 million records and is still a mainstay of the summer concert season. Miller’s new album, Bingo!, was released earlier this week to rave reviews.

Chesney has notched 19 No. 1s, including “Young,” “Summertime,” “Out Last Night,” “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven,” “Beer in Mexico,” “Anything But Mine” and “Who You’d Be Today,” and has sold an excess of 35 million records. He is the only artist to sell more than a million tickets each of the past eight summers, and he has come to define summer for those coming of age across the country. Beyond his four consecutive ACM and four CMA Entertainer of the Year Awards, Chesney has also won the CMA’s prestigious Album of the Year for “When the Sun Goes Down”, the ACM’s Top Male Vocalist and Top New Male Vocalist awards, the American Music Awards’ all-genre Fan Favorite Award and multiple ASCAP awards for his songwriting.

CMT Previews “Big New Music”

CMT will unveil a lineup of new music videos when CMT Big New Music Weekend returns in an exclusive, world premiere event Friday, June 18 through Sunday, June 20. Nine music videos will debut on CMT, CMT.com and CMT Pure from Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Reba, Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson, LeAnn Rimes, Gary Allan, Danny Gokey and James Otto. 

The nine featured videos will include introductions by the artists themselves, and be the only videos aired throughout the weekend on CMT beginning at 5:00 AM/CT on June 18 during CMT Music Hours. All of the world premiere videos will be available for streaming on-demand at CMT.com, and will be the only highlighted videos on the site homepage for the weekend.

The weekend of new music is part of the network’s CMT Summer of Music, including this weekend’s premieres of The Singing Bee and CMT Crossroads: John Mayer and Keith Urban on Friday, June 18 at 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM/CT,  respectively.

“Last year’s inaugural Big New Music Weekend blew away ratings and sales expectations,” said Jay Frank, Senior Vice President of Music Strategy, CMT.  “Very quickly, this program has become a highly requested destination from artists, managers and labels to launch new videos across the biggest country audiences on all platforms.”
Video premieres included in CMT Big New Weekend include:

·        Lady Antebellum – “Stars Tonight”
·        Tim McGraw – “Still”
·        Reba – “If I Were a Boy”
·        Trace Adkins – “This Ain’t No Love Song”
·        Alan Jackson – “Hard Hat and a Hammer”
·        LeAnn Rimes – “Swingin’”
·        Gary Allan – “Get Off On the Pain”
·        Danny Gokey – “I Will Not Say Goodbye”
·        James Otto – “Groovy Little Summer Song”

Randy Owen Treated For Prostate Cancer

Randy Owen, lead singer and principal songwriter for the Country Music Hall of Fame members Alabama, told attendees at his annual fan club party in Ft. Payne, Alabama last week that earlier this year he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

During a recent checkup, Dr. Woody Fritz in Birmingham, Alabama, noticed an elevated level of a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) in a routine blood test. He referred Owen to Dr. Ronald Wheeler, M.D., a world expert in High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) and medical director of the Diagnostic Center for Disease in Sarasota, Florida. Owen chose the HIFU procedure as his form of cancer treatment which was performed by Dr. Wheeler the beginning of May and has been deemed a complete success.

“After my routine six-month physical, I was referred by Dr. Fritz to Dr. Wheeler, and I feel very good and positive about my future,” said Owen.  I look forward to seeing the fans and doing what I do.”

“Randy did everything right by having his PSA checked regularly, avoiding random biopsy, and educating himself about his treatment options,” said Dr. Wheeler. “He has set an example all men should follow to beat prostate cancer and live an excellent quality of life.”

Dr. Fritz went on to say, “we are happy with the successful outcome of the treatment. Randy is doing great and is just about fully recovered.”

As the front man for Alabama, Owen racked up sales of over 73 million albums, which includes 21 gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications, 42 number one singles and a mantle loaded with over 150 industry awards. Owen released his debut solo album, One On One, and his memoir, Born Country, in November, 2008. He will be tending to his cattle business in Ft. Payne, Alabama through the summer and is planning on resuming touring in mid-September.

“Smoky Mountain Rain” Tennessee’s New State Song

The competition to become Tennessee’s new state song has been won by “Smoky Mountain Rain,” made famous by country star Ronnie Milsap. The song, written by Nashville songwriters Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan, is one of Milsap’s 40 No. 1 hits.

Tennessee’s House Budget Subcommittee unanimously approved the resolution designating the tune an official state song last week at its final meeting. The “Smoky Mountain Rain” resolution has already been approved by the Senate.

The resolution was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, while Rep. Joe McCord, R-Maryville, handled it in the House.

Tennessee already has seven official state songs, more than any other state, “Tennessee Waltz” and “Rocky Top” being the most famous. The lyrics to all seven – plus the “official Tennessee Bicentennial Rap Song” – are available here.

Shelton Fans Rally For a Good Cause 


(l-r) Nan Kelley, GAC host; Melissa Hudson-Gant, LLS campaign director; Kaye Skonieczny, LLS national director of partnership development; Carol Large, Blake Shelton fan club president; and Blake Shelton present a check for $30,609 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Warner Bros. Records artist Blake Shelton partnered with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to hold a CMA Music Fest fan party at the Wildhorse Saloon on Friday, June 10. Shelton and his fans raised $30,609 to be used for patient aid and research for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through participation in Light The Night Walk’s Country Faces Cancer.

Country Faces Cancer (CFC) is an industry-wide effort led by Great American Country’s Nan Kelley, a lymphoma survivor, to help raise awareness and support for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) through its Light The Night Walk.

Light The Night is the nation’s night to pay tribute and bring hope to people battling cancer. Walks take place in communities throughout the United States and Canada, typically in the fall. Thousands of participants carry illuminated balloons and raise funds for vital, lifesaving research and patient services.

Nashville’s 11th annual Light The Night Walk will take place Thursday, October 7, at 7:30 PM at LP Field. The walk is 1.75 miles, and features live music, food and activities for children. The walk is open to the public, and teams and individuals can register online at www.lightthenight.org.

NMPA Sues Limewire

Eight members of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) today (6/16) filed a lawsuit against LimeWire for copyright infringement of their musical works on a massive scale. NMPA President and CEO David Israelite announced the action today at the NMPA’s Annual Meeting in New York City.

The plaintiffs – EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Bug Music, MPL Music Publishing, Peermusic, and The Richmond Organization – filed the action against LimeWire LLC, Lime Group LLC, LimeWire CEO Mark Gorton, former COO and CTO Greg Bildson, and M.J.G. LimeWire Family Limited Partnership in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The publishers seek both equitable relief and damages for LimeWire’s knowing facilitation of copyright infringement through its web application.

Similar action by the Recording Industry Association of America against LimeWire and its executives has resulted in a recent court decision holding the company liable for, among other things, inducing copyright infringement. The publishers’ suit is filed as a related case.

“The pervasive online infringement facilitated by LimeWire and others like them has consequences for everyone in the music chain,” Israelite said. 
 
“Operations like LimeWire must understand the songs that make their illegal venture lucrative don’t appear out of thin air. Behind every song is a vast network of people – a songwriter, a publisher, a performer, a record label. They have robbed every individual in that chain by selling their site as an access point for music and then refusing to properly license the music. It is a scheme the U.S. Supreme Court spoke on five years ago in its landmark Grokster decision, and a scheme that the U.S. District Court ruled was a violation of copyright law in the record labels’ hard-fought case.”

Jackson Video Celebrates American Workforce

“God bless the working man,” sings Alan Jackson in “Hard Hat and a Hammer,” the latest hit single from his acclaimed Freight Train album.  Award-winning director Theresa Wingert (Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift) traveled all across the Southeast to film real working men and women on construction sites and in mines, at fire stations and in restaurants, to star with Jackson in the new video for “Hard Hat and a Hammer,” which makes its world premier this Friday, June 18, on CMT’s Big New Music Weekend.

Wingert captured imagery of Americans “getting the job done” as a celebration of the great workforce that is “the glue that keeps the world together.” Featured are miners from Stilhouse mining in Benham, KY, workers from the Bayou La Batre, AL shipyard, railroad workers from TRR Railroad in Mobile and more. She filmed at paper mills, foundries, taxi stands, Nashville’s Fire Station No. 16 and Bar-B-Cutie and more than a dozen other locations.

“Hard Hat and a Hammer” is the latest of Jackson’s songs to honor his working class roots and family upbringing. Last month he honored the fallen miners and rescue workers from April’s Upper Big Branch mining disaster with a benefit concert performance at the Charleston, WV Civic Center. The 31 families affected and 230 rescue workers who were on site at the mining disaster were offered free tickets to the show. Jackson met with the families who lost loved ones and raised over $150,000 for the Montcoal Mining Disaster Fund.

Just last week, Billboard Magazine announced that Jackson was voted in the top 5 of the top 25 country artists of the last 25 years.

VIDEO LOCATIONS:
Rock Slide, TN
Stilhouse Mining, Benham, KY
Yeehaw Industries (printing press), Knoxville, TN
Domtar Paper Mill, Kingsport, TN
Golden’s On The Square, Newnan, GA
Royale Cafe, Columbus, GA
Golden Foundry, Columbus, GA
All State Port Authority, Mobile, AL
Shipyard in Bayou La Batre, AL
TRR Railroad, Mobile, AL
Farmers Market, Nashville
Nashville Fire Station No. 16
Johnson’s Hardware, Nashville, TN
Nashville Yellow Cab
Nashville Intercity Ministry
Bar-B-Cutie, Nashville