Webster PR Staffs Up

Kirt Webster, Pres. of Webster & Associates Public Relations & Marketing, today announced the promotion of Jeremy Westby to VP/Operations, and the addition of Sr. Publicist Kay Waggoner and Executive Associate Billye Brown.

“Jeremy has spent the past 3½ years working in various capacities, within the firm, ranging from publicity to heading up the television department to traveling on tour with clients. He has learned all aspects of the company, shown company loyalty, and has earned the trust of the managers and clients we represent,” says Webster. “The promotion is well deserved!”

Kay Waggoner joins the firm as Sr. Publicist having spent the past seven years at Nashville publicity firm PLA Media. Her professional background also includes news producing and assignment editing at Music City’s WSMV-Channel 4 as well as NBC and CBS affiliate stations in Chattanooga.

Billye Brown joins the firm as Executive Associate to Kirt Webster having spent the past 17 years as Executive Assistant to the Corporate Affairs Department, which included Communications and Public Relations, at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.

Contact them at:
Westby can be reached at 615-777-6995 x228 or jeremy@websterpr.com
Waggoner can be reached at 615-777-6995 x221 or kay@websterpr.com
Billye can be reached at 615-777-6995 x230 or billye@websterpr.com

Details Emerging On Lambert’s Four The Record

Details about Miranda Lambert’s new album Four The Record, due out Nov. 1, are starting to emerge.

“I’m so ready for the fans to hear it,” says Lambert. “‘Baggage Claim’ is such a groovy song and I’m glad it’s the first single. But just like Revolution, not one song represents the whole album. There are ‘All Kinds Of Kinds’ of music on the record, and I’m so excited for it to get out there.”

Lambert wrote or co-wrote six of the album’s 14 tracks, including the current single “Baggage Claim,” which features Josh Kelley singing backup and Steve Winwood on B-3 organ. The song has become one of the fastest rising of Lambert’s career and is currently at No. 14 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart. Another highlight is a duet with husband Blake Shelton on “Better In The Long Run,” which was penned by Pistol Annies bandmate Ashley Monroe, Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and Gordie Sampson. Lambert’s friend Brandi Carlile wrote the song “Same Old You,” on which she also provided backing vocals.

“To me, part of having a long career is to keep reinventing yourself, keep reinventing your music, and make it fresh,” adds Lambert. “And it’s kind of crazy to think that I’m on my fourth record, and after what Revolution did for my career, I was nervous, but what am I gonna do? So I just started writing, started collecting songs, finding songs, and listening to artists, and I just found that I’m gonna just let the music lead it. I just think I followed my heart.”

A Limited Deluxe Edition of Four The Record will also be available on release day, and includes a bonus song as well as a DVD featuring Miranda sharing stories behind each song.

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Set First Australia Dates

McGraw and Hill appeared on the Australia edition of "Today" to make the exclusive announcement. Here they are laughing as McGraw points to his wife is the "biggest star" of the pair, and Hill says no she is the family cook. Click to watch.

By: Caitlin Rantala

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are going Down Under, touring Australia together for the first time. The 2012 tour includes seven concerts, which run through the entire month of March.

The couple is the latest in a slew of country artists mounting their first tours to Australia, including Alan Jackson and Lady Antebellum.

The Australia 2012 tour will be a six-date run with a two-night residency in Brisbane. Additionally, the pair will headline at CMC Rocks the Hunter. The first show launches at Perth’s Burswood Dome on March 14, 2012.

It’s been five years since McGraw and Hill hit the road together.

Presale tickets are available through Tim McGraw’s Official Fan Club, which can be joined at www.McGrawFan.com.

March 14, 2012: Burswood Dome in Perth, AU 

March, 16 2012: Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, AU
March 20, 2012: Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, AU
March 23 2012: Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, AU
March 24, 2012: Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, AU
March 27, 2012: Allphones Arena in Sydney, AU

InstiGator Adds Director of Promotion

Glenn Noblit

InstiGator Entertainment has tapped Glenn Noblit to serve as Director of Promotion for the new company. From his base in Longview, Texas, Noblit will report to Pres. Gator Michaels.

Noblit brings 12 years of radio promotion experience to his new post, including most recently working with Michaels at Davis Music Group where he was National Director of Radio Promotion and Marketing. Noblit has also served as Director of Southwest Regional Promotion at Warner Bros. Nashville, and National Director of Promotion at Lost Highway Records. His resume includes time as a promotion executive at Young-Olsen & Associates and AristoMedia’s Marco Promotion. He is a graduate of Belmont University’s music business program.

“Glenn is one of the best in the business,” said Michaels. “I have been fortunate to work with him for more than a decade and I’m proud to welcome him to the InstiGator team!”

“Gator’s vision, expertise and leadership are unmatched in this ever-changing industry,” added Noblit. “I plan on bringing an immense amount of passion, energy and commitment to our clients and country radio friends, teaming with them for much success. I’m fired up and ready to get started.”

Noblit can be reached at (903) 663-2799 and glenn@musicinstigator.com.

Don Williams To Receive ASCAP Golden Note Award

Don Williams

ASCAP will honor country music star Don Williams with the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award during its 49th Annual Country Music Awards, taking place on Sun., Nov. 6, 2011 at Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland. The invitation-only event will also honor the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP’s most performed country songs from April 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011, and present awards for Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter/Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Publisher of the Year.

ASCAP’s Golden Note Award is bestowed upon songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones.  Past recipients include Garth Brooks, Lindsey Buckingham, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Alan Jackson, Quincy Jones, Reba McEntire, JD Souther, Stevie Wonder, André Previn and Tom Petty.

Commenting on the award to Williams, ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams said, “Don is one of country music’s most successful performers of the past four decades. His knack for finding songs that speak directly to people’s hearts has earned him millions of fans worldwide. He is a true international country music star, and we are very proud to honor him with ASCAP’s Golden Note Award in recognition of his extraordinary career.”

Texas-born recording artist and songwriter Don Williams has enjoyed 45 Top Ten hits and 17 No. 1 singles. Williams’ career stared as a member of the mid-1960’s folk-pop trio, the Pozo-Seco Singers. His self-penned hits include “The Shelter of Your Eyes,” “Lay Down Beside Me,” “Love Me Over Again,” and his collaboration with Wayland Holyfield, “Till the Rivers All Run Dry.” Williams is closely associated with songwriters Bob McDill (“Amanda,” “It Must Be Love”), Holyfield (“You’re My Best Friend,” “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend”) and Danny Flowers (“Tulsa Time”), recording hit versions of their songs. Despite a well-known aversion to the spotlight, Williams has risen to international fame. His enduring place in music was recognized in 2010 with his election to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

BMG To Acquire Bug Music

BMG Rights Management has entered into an agreement to acquire Bug Music.

Last week, reports pegged the sale to be valued at about $300 million. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close by October.

Bug’s Nashville office is headed by VP John Allen, and Roger Murrah exited his post as Sr. VP earlier this summer.

Darrell Franklin serves as Executive VP of BMG Chrysalis’s Nashville operations.

BMG has been gobbling up other publishers in recent years, including Cherry Lane, Crosstown, S1 Songs, Stage Three, and EverGreen Copyrights, as well as a merger with Chrysalis Music.

Bug Music is a leading independent music publisher. Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Bug Music currently owns and/or manages copyrights, including evergreen classics and contemporary hits such as “Fever,” “What a Wonderful World,” “I Walk the Line,” “Summer in the City,” “The Real Slim Shady,” “Who Are You?,” “Under the Boardwalk,” and “The Passenger.”

Bug Music’s clients include the estates of musical legends Johnny Cash, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Woody Guthrie, Del Shannon and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as contemporary icons such as Iggy Pop, Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams, Wilco and The National. Bug Music also supports songwriters and artists through its Arthouse Entertainment joint venture with Kara DioGuardi, 2007 BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year and former American Idol judge.

“With the acquisition of Bug Music and its vast collection of evergreen and contemporary compositions, BMG further establishes itself as a leading music rights management company,” said Hartwig Masuch, CEO of BMG Rights Management. “We look forward to working with Bug Music’s exceptional roster of artists and songwriters.”

George Jones To Celebrate 80th Birthday At The Opry

By Caitlin Rantala

George Jones celebrates his 80th birthday Monday, Sept. 12, and The Grand Ole Opry will host a special celebration for him during the Tuesday night Opry Sept. 13.

Artists set to perform include Alan Jackson, Montgomery Gentry, Joe Diffie, Pam Tillis, Oak Ridge Boys, Jamey Johnson, Blackberry Smoke and Eric Lee Beddingfield. Tickets to the event can be purchased at www.opry.com.

Radio listeners can also win tickets to Jones’ Grand Ole Opry birthday celebration by tuning into Nashville’s 650 AM WSM on Sept. 12. The broadcast can be heard worldwide from www.wsmonline.com and will feature a Jones classic every hour from midnight to 7 p.m.

Along with the concert, The Opry invites fans to submit their recipes for the Opry’s Birthday Bash Dessert Contest through the Opry’s Facebook page. The three recipes with the most votes will be prepared by a professional chef and judged by Jones on Sept. 13. The winner will receive a grand prize trip to the Opry’s Birthday Bash in October. The new Opry Backstage Grill may also choose to feature the dessert on their menu.

Industry Ink Friday (9/9/11)

• MusicRow sends get-well wishes to CMA Sr. VP Bobette Dudley, who has been in a local hospital for three weeks. She has undergone two surgeries and experienced numerous complications, but is now heading in the right direction and is being released today. She can be reached at bdudley@cmaworld.com, at home 385-0040, or on her cell 714-1299.

Glen Campbell’s The Goodbye Tour will stop at the Ryman Auditorium on Nov. 30 at the 650AM WSM Listener Appreciation concert. Tickets go on sale today (9/9). He is suffering from Alzheimers and recently released a new album, Ghost On The Canvas.

Minnie Murphy

Minnie Murphy has signed a deal with 99 Matrix Records, a newly-formed independent label and will release a three-song pop/jazz compilation late summer which will be distributed by Renfield Digital a division of Stadium Entertainment Holdings, Inc. The first single from the set, “The Forbidden Hope Diamond,” is available on digital retail sites. Murphy is also slated to appear in the new film Redemption Road, slated for theaters this month.

• Music industry businesswomen Preshias Harris, Suzzane Skinner and Kat Atwood are working together under the name HSA and have been tapped by educational toy and game manufacturer McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds to produce and promote a new line of board games, card games and electronic games geared specifically toward country music enthusiasts.

• Janet Bozeman’s Bozeman Media has updated contact info. Reach her at 3122 Winberry Dr., Franklin, TN 37064 and office (615) 472-8417 or cell (615) 429-0227.

Lee Richey

Lee Richey has exited his PD/MD/Afternoon shift position with WCJW-AM/Warsaw, NY after 10 years. Reach him at 585-519-7970 or leejr@rochester.rr.com. The station has not announced plans for hiring a replacement.

The Opry Goes Pink With Martina McBride

By Caitlin Rantala

On Oct. 22, during the Third Annual Opry Goes Pink show, Opry member Martina McBride will flip the switch on The Grand Ole Opry’s barn backdrop, turning it pink for the night and joining Women Rock For The Cure in the fight against breast cancer. McBride’s current single “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” offers a message of hope to those affected by cancer, and is currently climbing MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart at No. 24. Her upcoming album, Eleven, is slated for release Oct. 11.

Opry Goes Pink will also feature performances by Lauren Alania, Edens Edge, Kellie Pickler and Ronnie Milsap.

Tickets to the event can be purchased through www.opry.com or by calling (615) 871-OPRY. Five dollars from each ticket will be donated to Women Rock For The Cure. Beginning Oct. 18, The Opry will also host an online pink auction, including autographed items by participating artists in the Opry Goes Pink. All auction proceeds benefit Women Rock For The Cure.

CCMA Adds Awards Presenters, Honors Johnny Reid

The Canadian Country Music Association’s Country Music Week begins today (Sept. 9) in Hamilton, Ontario, and culminates with the Sept. 12 broadcast of the Canadian Country Music Awards.

The organization just announced the addition of Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough; Toronto Blue Jays JP Arencibia and Brett Lawrie; and Canadian singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. Additionally, the presenter lineup now includes Canadian country stars Victoria Banks, Hey Romeo, Jason McCoy, Jimmy Rankin and High Valley. They join previously announced presenters Kortney and Dave Wilson, Beverly Mahood, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Charlie Major, Michelle Wright and Nicole Appleton.

Performers on the show include Canadian artists Gord Bamford, Paul Brandt, Dean Brody, George Canyon, Terri Clark, Doc Walker,Emerson Drive, Johnny Reid and Deric Ruttan. Also taking the stage for a one-of-a-kind performance will be 2009 Rising Star winner Tara Oram and 2010 Rising Star winner One More Girl, as well as The Jim Cuddy Band with special guests The Heartbroken, who will share the stage with Luke Bryan and Ronnie Dunn. The red carpet for the event, which takes place at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, begins at 5:15. The Awards will be broadcast live on CBC Television at 8 pm.

CCMA has also chosen to honor multiple award nominee Johnny Reid with a $5000 donation to the McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton. The donation is part of an annual program where the CCMA acknowledges the humanitarian contributions of a Canadian country artist, and among Reid’s charitable causes are the World Vision Foundation, Children’s Aid Foundation and the Make A Wish Foundation. “I hope this small gesture to the McMaster Children’s Hospital will go a long way in helping the little ones who need it the most,” said Johnny Reid, 2011 Slaight Music Humanitarian Award recipient.

Additionally, Gord Bamford started off the weekend by donating $10,000 from his Gord Bamford Charitable Foundation to McMaster. “I regularly visit children’s hospitals, and I love giving back to those who need it most,” said Bamford after performing for the children. “I enjoy connecting with those kids who are so positive, even when faced with such adversity. I am just a guy with a guitar. But I have seen first-hand, the power of music when it comes to healing. I can only hope my donation will make a difference to those children currently at the McMaster Children’s Hospital.”