Willie Nillie Photos

Kick-Off Party for Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour
BMI hosted the kick-off party for the second annual Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour at its Nashville offices on Monday (5/23). Featuring a blazing performance by Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, the party was a rollicking start to the tour, which runs from May 27 to July 4, with a June 3 stop in Nashville at The Woods at Fontanel. BMI will also proudly sponsor the tour’s Bluebird Café Stage, which will host in-the-round acoustic sets from singer/songwriters including Adam Hood, Caitlyn Smith, Austin Lucas, Brent Cobb, Dani Flowers and Erin Enderlin.

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Jody Williams, Brent Cobb, Lukas Nelson, Dani Flowers, Erin Enderlin, Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour’s Sarah Baer, Craig Campbell, Drake White, and BMI’s Beth Laird. Photo: Eric England

Hollywood/Nashville Mingle At Anastasia Brown’s Reception
Anastasia Brown and Format Entertainment hosted a reception at Ms. Brown’s home prior to the Nashville Screenwriters Conference. Format recently expanded its Nashville music supervision division and established a Format Music Publishing office, headed by Brown. Among those in attendance at the event were music execs and artists including Rod Essig, Trey Turner, JoDee Messina, Randy Scuggs, Chuck Prophet, Jonathan Cain, Damien Horne, producer Angelo Petragila, music supervisor Julia Michels, and screenwriters John Lee Hancock, Les Bohem, Derek Hass and Michael Brandt.

(L-R): Jeff Xander, Anastasia Brown, Angelo Petragila, Chuck Prophet and Renee White. Photo: Team Strategies

Miss Willie Brown Visits CMA
A&M/Octone Records Miss Willie Brown visited the CMA offices recently. The duo will perform on The Lay’s Stage at Bridgestone Arena Plaza on Friday, June 10 during the 2011 CMA Music Festival, which runs Thursday through Sunday, June 9-12, in downtown Nashville.

(L-R): CMA Senior Manager of Membership & Balloting Brandi Simms, Miss Willie Brown's Kasey Buckley and Amanda Watkins, and CMA Senior Coordinator of Member & Industry Relations Betsy Walker. Photo: Amanda Eckard / CMA