Weston Burt

Ramblin’ Music, home to Ramblin’ Records and Young Guns Publishing, has opened in Nashville. Atlanta-based founders Gene and Donna Brooks, have tapped producer and songwriter Cliff Downs as President of the company. Singer/songwriter Weston Burt has been signed as the label’s flagship artist.

Ramblin’ Music has also enlisted Teddi Bonadies’ Teebo Consulting for radio promotion and marketing.

Downs is producing Burt’s debut single and album, due in early 2012. The Ft. Payne, Alabama native formed a band at Auburn University and sold 5,000-plus copies of his debut EP while playing upwards of 100 shows each year. He has opened for Justin Moore, Corey Smith, and David Nail. Upon graduating from Auburn in August of this year, Burt moved to Nashville and has been opening for Bucky Covington, Lonestar and performing solo dates.

Downs has written and produced songs for artists such as Wynonna Judd, B.J. Thomas, Paul Rodgers of Bad Company, Glenn Campbell, Michael McDonald, Olivia Newton-John, David Pack of Ambrosia, and jazz great Richard Elliot.

The company is located in Nashville at 1105 16th Ave S, Suite A. E-mail [email protected].

Music City Walk of Fame, presented by founding sponsor Gibson Guitar, will induct superstar artists Kix Brooks and Alan Jackson, clothing designer Manuel, Gospel singer and national television host Dr. Bobby Jones, Queen of Gospel Music Dottie Rambo, guitar innovator Les Paul and late newsman Dan Miller. The induction of this class will bring the total number of stars along the Walk of Fame to 58.

The honorees will be recognized with the unveiling of commemorative sidewalk markers on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 12:00 p.m. in Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville. Sponsored by GAC, the ceremony is free and open to the public.

The program’s newest partner, Durango, sponsors two stars annually and has added a charitable component to the program. Many of the past inductees have autographed and decorated a pair of Durango boots, which will be auctioned online during December at visitmusiccity.com. All proceeds will benefit the Music City Inc. Foundation to sustain and grow the Walk of Fame event.

Nominations were open to the public and were accepted in the categories of Artist, Musician, Songwriter, and Producer/Music Industry Executive. Application forms were reviewed by the Music City Walk of Fame anonymous selection committee.

The recently announced 2012 People’s Choice Award nominees include numerous country stars. Here’s a quick look:

Favorite Country Artist of the Year: The Band Perry, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Taylor Swift and Zac Brown Band

In the all-genre categories, Shelton, Urban and Chesney are up for Favorite Male Artist of the Year, while Lambert and Swift are among those nominated for Favorite Female Artist.

Favorite Album of the Year nominees include Eric Church’s Chief, Lady A’s Own The Night and Shelton’s Red River Blue.

Additionally, Urban, Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland and Swift received nods for Favorite Headline Tour of the Year.

For the full list of the 2012 People’s Choice Award nominees please click here.

Country singer-songwriter Billy Barton has died at age 81.

Barton is best known for “A Dear John Letter.” As recorded by Ferlin Husky and Jean Shepard, the song was a huge No. 1 hit in 1953. It launched both artists’ hit-making careers. The songwriter also wrote its follow-up, 1953’s “Forgive Me John.” In 1954, Billy Barton wrote the Jim Reeves and Ginny Wright duet “I Love You.” It rose to No. 3 on the national country hit parade. Webb Pierce scored a top-10 hit with the songwriter’s “You’ll Come Back” in 1958.

Bobby Bare and Skeeter Davis successfully revived “A Dear John Letter” in 1965. Barton’s songs were also recorded by Red Sovine, Pat Boone, Loretta Lynn, Ernest Tubb, Rose Maddox and others. During his lifetime, he registered more than 200 songs with BMI.

Billy Barton was also a performer and a recording artist. He was on The Louisiana Hayride and was Johnny Horton’s duet partner on Abbott Records in the 1950s. He also recorded for King, Gulf Reef, Sims, Fire, Vidor and other small labels. Several of his singles are considered collectible by rockabilly fans. He was sometimes billed on disc as “Hillbilly” Barton or “Billy Boy” Barton.

His real name was John Grimes. He died on October 8 at his home in Nashville. He is survived by three daughters, a son and six grandchildren and has been interred at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville.