Followill To Speak at NBN/Digital Summit

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Caleb Followill

Next BIG Nashville (NBN) and Leadership Music Digital Summit (LMDS) open today (9/28) with a packed line-up of events, including a music festival and conference featuring a just-announced keynote from Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill. The Artist Keynote will take place on Thursday, September 30 at The Curb Event Center at Belmont University at 4:30 pm.

Also on September 30, the Summit will address the issue of Net Neutrality in a conversation entitled, “Pipes, Capitalism, and Creativity: Is Middle East Peace Easier?,” moderated by Mitch Bainwol, Chairman/CEO of the RIAA. In this exclusive face-off, key players from every conceivable side (ISP’s, Content Providers, Creatives, Public Interest Groups…) of the debate come together in what promises to be a lively and provocative exchange on the issue of a “free” internet vs. freedom through corporate control. The panel features Christian Castle, Managing Partner, Christian L. Castle, Attorneys; Jim DeLong, Visiting Fellow, DigitalSociety.org; Mike McKeehan, Verizon; Julie Samuels, Staff Attorney, Electronic Freedom Foundation; Derek Slater, Senior Policy Analyst, Google Inc.; and Alex Curtis, Public Knowledge.

The multi-genre music festival and digital conference runs through Oct. 2. Check musicrow.com for more coverage as the event unfolds. Full schedule here.

Chesney Scores 20th No. 1 On Release Day

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Chesney on Walmart Soundcheck.

Kenny Chesney is celebrating the 20th No. 1 single of his career today (9/28), just as his new album hits streets. “The Boys of Fall” currently sits atop the Mediabase and BDS charts, and has already peaked on MusicRow’s Country Breakout chart.

Though it’s been 14 years since Chesney achieved his first No. 1, the veteran star admits that the excitement of having a hit single never goes away. “I was on a photo shoot in Puerto Rico when I had my first No. 1 record with ‘When I Close My Eyes,’” he remembers. “When I heard today that ‘The Boys of Fall’ became my 20th No. 1, it made me very happy to know the feeling is the same.”

“The Boys of Fall” is the first single from his new album, Hemingway’s Whiskey, out today via BNA Records. He is promoting the release with numerous national television appearances, including CMT Invitation Only, Good Morning America (9/28), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (10/1), and The Ellen DeGeneres Show (10/4). He spent all day yesterday at ESPN’s studios talking about football, and his Boys of Fall single and documentary.

Chesney is also on the new edition of Walmart Soundcheck, taped July 22 at Nashville’s Blackbird Studios (see below).

Worley’s River Run; Atkins’ Single Sales

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Darryl Worley’s 9th Annual Tennessee River Run festival, held earlier this month, drew 10,000 attendees and raised $200,000 for his namesake foundation. The three-day event near Worley’s hometown of Savannah, Tennessee included a motorcyle poker run, golf tournament, songwriters round, fish fry and two star-studded concerts.

Since its inception, The Darryl Worley Foundation has distributed more than a million dollars to help those in need. The foundation is also funding the Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center in Savannah, scheduled to open later this year.

Next year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Tennessee River Run which will be held September 15 -17, 2011.

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Photo Credit: David Sorcher

Rodney Atkins’ current single “Farmer’s Daughter” has been moving about 20,000 downloads per week on iTunes and his new Cracker Barrel CD is a big seller at the country eateries.

The exclusive disc has four No. 1 hits, including “Farmer’s Daughter”, plus the unreleased “More Like Your Memory.” Also this week, he was announced as the honorary host of the 4th annual “Music City Songwriting Competition” by The Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB).

Atkins has tour dates scheduled for the next few weeks and will spend the fall in the studio working on his next release for Curb Records.

Photos: Loretta Lynn Celebrates 50-Year Career

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Loretta Lynn answers press questions during her 50th anniversary party. Photo: © Eric Adkins

Country music icon Loretta Lynn was showered with industry awards and heartfelt praise at a celebration marking her 50 years in country music on Friday (9/24) at her Hurricane Mills ranch outside Nashville.

The Academy of Country Music, Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. and BMI each made award presentations during the invitation-only event billed as “A Tribute to an American Icon.” Ronnie McDowell presented Lynn with a hand-painted portrait of the legendary performer, and noted Nashville composer Bill Walker gave Lynn an arrangement of “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” originally penned for the television special, “Loretta Lynn on Broadway.”

Selected media and industry, as well as Lynn’s close friends and family, attended the packed ceremony. The evening’s activities included a catered reception, media Q&A session and the awards presentations, hosted by John Carter Cash. A performance by Lynn’s sister, Crystal Gayle, followed the event.

Pictured (l-r): ACM Pres./GAC executive Sarah Trahern, Loretta Lynn, ACM former Chairman John Grady, ACM current Chairman/CRB Execuive Director Bill Mayne. Photo: © Eric Adkins Photo.

BMI Director David Preston presented Lynn with an award commemorating her 50 years in the Country music industry. Photo: © Eric Adkins Photo.

John Carter Cash (l) looks on as Ronnie McDowell (c) presents Loretta Lynn with “Reflections of a Coal Miner’s Daughter,” his hand-painted portrait of her. Also pictured is Jim Sanders, owner of Loretta Lynn’s Kitchen restaurant. Photo: © Eric Adkins Photo.

Opry Returns To Opry House, Streaming Live Tonight

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The Grand Ole Opry will return to the the Grand Ole Opry House tonight (9/28) for the first time since the May floods, and fans will be able to watch a live stream of the historic show online. To see the action, go to opry.com, ustream.com/opry, GACTV.com, and participating artists’ websites beginning at 8 p.m. Central. The show will also air on GAC (Great American Country).

Dierks Bentley will be one of the artists Tweeting from tonight's Opry.

Among the stars scheduled to perform are Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels Band, Jimmy Dickens, Martina McBride, Del McCoury, Montgomery Gentry, Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, and Keith Urban.

Turner will appear on tonight’s NBC Nightly News to discuss the reopening of the Opry House, while Adkins will appear on CNN, NBC, and Headline News.

In advance of and during the show, fans can follow their favorite artists via “Home Tweet Home,” an all-day live Twitter feed from the Opry House. Paisley (@BradPaisley), and Bentley (@DierksBentley) will be among the artists adding their own tweets to official Opry tweets providing updates from the newly-renovated backstage area at the Opry House. Fans can follow the Opry on Twitter (@opry) and can include the hashtag #opry in their personal tweets to interact with the Opry and artists, plus be entered to win prizes during the show.

The Opry, presented by Humana, will celebrate its 85th Birthday throughout October, with shows featuring appearances by Adkins, Charlie Daniels Band, George Jones, The Judds, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Taylor Swift, and more.

Jamey Johnson Enlists Matthew McConaughey For Video

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Jamey Johnson and Matthew McConaughey on the set of Johnson's new video last week.

Jamey Johnson recruited actor pal Matthew McConaughey to direct and star in the video for his latest single “Playing The Part.” The shoot took place last week at the famed Los Angeles intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Ave. The song is the lead single from Johnson’s double album, The Guitar Song, which debuted at No. 1 last week on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

Johnson first met McConaughey backstage at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2009 in Las Vegas, right after winning the Song of the Year trophy for “In Color.” McConaughey told Johnson he had been listening to his album That Lonesome Song and even quoted lyrics from a few tracks. They became fast friends and Johnson performed at McConaughey’s 40th birthday celebration.

When discussions began about the music video for “Playing the Part,” Johnson called McConaughey to ask if he would make a cameo appearance. After several conversations, McConaughey decided he wanted to direct the music video since he had so many ideas for the concept.

McConaughey told today’s Los Angeles Times, “With a lot of artists, their art is one thing and they’re another but there is no separation between Jamey’s music and him. Jamey doesn’t perform, he’s just who he is. His music is about real life: hard, honest, and funny. His subjects are simple and universal but his point of view on them is where he’s a poet—like his first person point of view as the heartache in his song ‘Heartache.’ He sings about and paints pictures of places we’ve all been before but the way he sees them is his and his only.”

McConaughey, his girlfriend Camila Alves, and Johnson at the 2009 ACM Awards.

Charlie Daniels To Give IEBA Keynote

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Next month Charlie Daniels will deliver the closing keynote address at the International Entertainment Buyers Association conference, and will be honored at a separate event by the TJ Martell Foundation.

Daniels, a member of the inaugural class of the IEBA Hall of Fame, will speak on Tuesday, October 5 in the Hilton Nashville ballroom. Immediately following, Paradise Artists will close out the 40th annual conference with a party and showcase featuring Blue Oyster Cult, Foghat and The Runaways’ Cherie Currie. Registration and details at www.ieba.org.

On Oct. 27 in New York, Daniels will receive the Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award from the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research. The charity’s 35th Annual Awards Gala will also salute Nashvillian Dr. Harold L. Moses, Director Emeritus of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center; Kenny Loggins; and brothers Monte and Avery Lipman, of Universal Republic Records.

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame To Salute Frances Preston

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Influential and beloved music executive Frances Preston will be presented with the Mentor Award during the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony on October 17.

“Frances is the consummate mentor,” said Roger Murrah, Chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation. “She has mentored an industry of dreamers and professionals. The award could not be going to a more deserving person.”

Preston influenced and nurtured the careers of thousands of songwriters, performers and publishers in all genres of music during her five-decade career at BMI, which began with opening the organization’s Nashville office in 1958. Her numerous awards and accolades include induction to the Country Music and Gospel Music Halls of Fame, CMA’s Irving Waugh Award of Excellence, a National Trustees Award from the Recording Academy, Person of the Year at MIDEM, and the President’s Award from the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).

Recognized around the world as a vigilant defender of the rights of music creators, she is also known for her philanthropic activities including work with the T. J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research, and the namesake Frances Williams Preston Research Laboratories at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony is one of the music community’s favorite annual events. The evening features tributes and performances of the inductees’ songs by special guest artists. NSAI will presents its awards for the year’s Best Song, Songwriter and Songwriter/Artist, as well as the Top 10 “Songs I Wish I Had Written,” as determined by professional songwriters.

The 40th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony is presented by AT&T, and will take place at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. Tickets for the event are $200 each. A limited number of seats are available to the public this year and may be purchased by contacting event director Mark Ford at 615 256 3354 or hoftix@nashvillesongwriters.com.

Black River Purchases Sound Stage

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Black River Entertainment has purchased Music City’s legendary Sound Stage studios, home to recordings by artists as varied as George Strait, Alan Jackson, Michael McDonald and Sheryl Crow.

Black River president Jimmy Nichols says he could not pass up purchasing the studio which is located next to his label on Music Circle. He has often used Sound Stage as a studio musician and producer.

“We are committed to honoring the tradition of this great music town,” explains Nichols. “We have operated Ronnie Millsap’s old studio for years in our existing building. We have no desire to come in here and serve as competition for any of our studio friends. We see the acquisition of Sound Stage as an added tool not only for our record label and publishing company but also for the Nashville music community at large.”

Gordon Kerr (no relation to Ron Kerr the former owner of Sound Stage) serves as the COO for Black River Entertainment. He looks forward to bringing the studio back to its days of glory. “We recognize that the changing climate of the audio industry has resulted in the studio losing some of its former luster,” he said. “We intend to make a capital investment in this property and restore it to the top-notch studio we know it can be.”

Sound Stage is home to three major studios on the first floor: Front Stage, the original studio in the complex, features a George Auspurger designed control room that is equipped with an 80-input Solid State Logic 9000J console as well as an extensive outboard collection.

Back Stage has a private entrance, a 64 input Solid State Logic 9000J console, extensive outboard equipment, a ProTools HD, 7.4 digital audio workstation, and a kitchen and lounge.

The Drive Thru is a popular digital editing suite that houses a 48-fader Pro Control and Pro Tools HD 7.4 for instant recall capability.

For more information about Sound Stage Studios and its new owner Black River Entertainment contact Nicole Cochran at Nic Of Time Communications 615-293-0260, and nicole@nicoftimepr.com.

Swift Tunes Rollout Over Multiple Channels

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Starting Oct. 4, fans can hear one new track per week from Taylor Swift’s upcoming Speak Now release. The star’s label home Big Machine has partnered with iTunes, Comcast, XfinityTV.com and E! News Daily to debut songs for the three weeks leading up to the album’s Oct. 25 street date.

On Mondays starting Oct. 4, the songs will be available in advance as an exclusive 30-second preview, along with a brief interview with Taylor on Comcast On Demand, online at XfinityTv.com, and on E! News Daily. On the following Tuesdays, starting Oct. 5, the tracks will be up for purchase on iTunes. Here’s the schedule: October  4 & 5 “Speak Now;” October  11 & 12 “Back To December;” October 18 & 19 “Mean.”

The complete track listing for Speak Now is as follows:
1. Mine
2. Sparks Fly
3. Back to December
4. Speak Now
5. Dear John
6. Mean
7. The Story of Us
8. Never Grow Up
9. Enchanted
10. Better Than Revenge
11. Innocent
12. Haunted
13. Last Kiss
14. Long Live