McGraw Gives Exclusive Interview About Homefront Program

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Tim McGraw recently gave an exclusive interview to the Academy of Country Music about HomeFront, his partnership with Chase, ACM Lifting Lives and the non-profit Operation Homefront, which gives mortgage-free homes to deserving military families.

The short interview was filmed at McGraw’s July 14 tour stop in Anaheim, CA where he presented the keys of a new Canoga Park, CA home to U.S. Marine Sgt. Anthony Hodge and his wife Laura. Hodge retired from the U.S. Marine Corps due to injuries sustained while deployed after ten years of service in Kuwait and Iraq.

To date, 18 homes have been awarded. Additionally, ACM Lifting Lives has donated $125,000 to the initiative for families to purchase necessities for the new homes.

“Our military families answer a call to action every day, and Operation Homefront gives civilians an opportunity to give back to them,” said McGraw. “Anyone can make a donation to support this effort, and we also hope to spread the word to military families that they are invited to apply for help, if they need it.”

To view the full ACM interview, click here.

Industry Ink (8/02/12)

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Through the help of Stars For Stripes and the Minot Exchange, RCA Nashville’s Chris Young recently had the opportunity to reunite with Wounded Warrior Scott Lilley and spend some time with military personnel at Minot Air Force Base before his show at North Dakota State Fair. Lilley was wounded in Iraq in 2007 and accompanied Young on a tour in 2009 to entertain troops for GAC’s special “Stars For Stripes: Wounded Warriors Return.”

Scott Lilley and his family reunite with Chris Young. Photo: U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Kristoffer

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HarperCollins Publishers has appointed Mark Schoenwald as President and CEO of its new Christian division, which is comprised of Zondervan and the newly-acquired Thomas Nelson. Zondervan president Scott Macdonald will leave his position and serve in an advisory role. Both companies will continue publishing their respective brands. Schoenwald joined Thomas Nelson in 2004 and was named CEO in 2011, and previously served as president of several home decor, garden and gift companies. He will continue to be based in Nashville, and will spent part of his time in Grand Rapids, MI, where Zondervan is based.

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Nashville country duo Blackjack Billy has signed with The Bobby Roberts Company for exclusive booking representation.

(L-R) Standing: BRC Agent Matt Rizor, BRC SR VP Brian Jones, Ontourage Management Brandon Mauldin, Ontourage Management Tony Conway. Seated: Blackjack Billy’s Rob Blackledge, BRC CEO Bobby Roberts, Blackjack Billy’s Noll Billings

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Artist services firm Clover Marketing & Management has moved its offices to 2 Music Circle S., Ste. 202 Nashville, TN 37203. The phone number remains 615-364-1382. Laura McKinley’s email is [email protected].

Songwriter Bob McDill to be Honored at ASCAP Awards

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Bob McDill

ASCAP has announced it will honor Country music songwriter Bob McDill with the prestigious Golden Note Award at its 50th Annual Country Music Awards, to be held Oct. 29 at Opryland Hotel.

“Bob McDill is one of Country music’s most eloquent and literary songwriters,” said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams. “His dedication to the art and craft of writing honest songs that come straight from the soul has touched the hearts of millions around the world.”

The Texas-born songwriter has written 31 No. 1 songs throughout his three decade career. He has garnered four Grammy nominations, ASCAP Songwriter of the Year (1994), NSAI Songwriter of the Year three times and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985.

After Perry Como recorded his song, “Happy Man” in the ’60s, McDill moved to Nashville. He went on to score hits and cuts by Johnny Russell (“Catfish John”), Don Williams (“It Must Be Love” and “Good Ole Boys Like Me”), Waylon Jennings (“Amanda”), Alabama (“Song of the South”), Mel McDaniel (“Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On” and “Louisiana Saturday Night”), and Keith Whitley (“Don’t Close Your Eyes”).

McDill’s success continued into the ’90s with titles including “Gone Country,” “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Why Didn’t I Think of That,” and “All The Good Ones Are Gone.”

“Bob McDill wrote [“Gone Country”] and he is one of my favorite writers of all time,” said Alan Jackson in the liner notes of his Greatest Hits Collection. “When I first heard it, I fell in love with it. I wish that I’d written it cause it says a lot of things that I’d like to say.”

ASCAP’s invitation-only gala will also award Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter/Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Publisher of the Year, and feature live performances of the top five most performed songs of 2011.

Previous recipients who have earned the Golden Note award for extraordinary career milestones include Don Williams, Garth Brooks, Lindsey Buckingham, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire and J.D. Souther.

Arista Nashville Names New Regional Promo Rep

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Halie Hampton has been named to the post of Manager, Regional Promotion for Arista Nashville, it was announced by Arista Nashville VP National Promotion Lesly Tyson. Hampton is already in her new role and is based in Nashville.

“Halie has such incredible drive and passion and is a true natural at record promotion,” says Tyson. “Over the past few months she has done a fantastic job helping Arista in a handful of markets. We are thrilled to officially add her to our team!”

A Nashville native, Hampton most recently served as Promotion Representative for Sony Music Nashville after interning in the company’s promotion department. She also spent time as a Regional Promotion Rep for Cold River Records after graduating from Middle Tennessee State University in 2011.

Congratulate her here.

Chris Austin Songwriting Contest Accepting Online Entries

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2011 CASC finalist with judges, Wyatt Durrett, Corb Lund, and Molly Nagel and volunteer chairperson Jim Lauderdale

The Chris Austin Songwriting Contest began accepting online entries yesterday (8/1) for an early entry discount price of $25 per song.

Now in its 21st year, the contest offers aspiring writers exposure to a judging panel of Nashville music industry professionals including this year’s volunteer contest chairperson Jim Lauderdale. Twelve finalists representing four categories, bluegrass, country, general and gospel/inspirational, will be narrowed with the finalists competing at MerleFest on April 25-28, 2013.

Pete Fisher and Kari Estrin created the songwriting contest to honor Chris Austin, a member of Reba McEntire’s band, recording artist and songwriter himself, who passed in the private plane crash carrying him and six other members as well as her tour manager.

Net proceeds from the contest support the Wilkes Community College Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship. Since its inception the scholarship has awarded over $36,000 to 75 students.

Mail-in entries will be accepted Nov. 1 through Feb. 19, 2013. To learn more details about the contest, click here.

ZBB’s Southern Ground Music & Food Festival Reveals Line Up

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Zac Brown Band’s Southern Ground Music & Food Festival will descend on Nashville’s Lawn at Riverfront Park for the first time Sept. 21-22. Zac Brown Band & Friends will offer nightly super sets with special guests including Gregg Allman. Also set to perform are Amos Lee, David Gray, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Jerry Douglas, The Lumineers, Los Lonely Boys, John Driskell Hopkins & Brighter Shade, The James Arthur Band, Coy Bowles & The Fellowship, and Southern Ground Artists including Sonia Leigh, Nic Cowan, Blackberry Smoke, Dugas, Levi Lowrey, and The Wheeler Boys.

The line up was revealed this morning (8/2) by Mayor Karl Dean, President of Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau Butch Spyridon, and Outback Concerts’ Kate Dore and Andrew Farwell at a press conference at the event site.

The festival, which debuted last year in Charleston, is curated by the band and focuses on offering fine food helmed by Southern Ground Executive Chef Rusty Hamlin.

Charleston’s Blackbaud Stadium will again host the event Oct. 20-21, where ZBB will lead the bill with nightly performances. Also on the schedule are The Avett Brothers, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, and many of the artists who will play in Nashville.

VIP offerings include Front Porch Stage Boxes with a four-course gourmet meal and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. For more information visit www.southerngroundfestival.com.

Snapshots (8/2/12)

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SESAC-affiliated songwriter Brian White took to the streets recently to announce his new publishing agreement with SB21 Music. White, who has penned several No. 1 hits in both the Country and Christian Music genres, and executives from SESAC and SB21 Music stopped traffic on the busy streets of Music Row to celebrate the new partnership.

(L-R) (standing): SESAC’s John Mullins & Tim Fink and SB21’s Shane Barrett & Steve Pasch (seated): White. Photo: Peyton Hoge

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ASCAP’s Mike Sistad caught up with Gloriana at the Pepsi Billboard Summer Beats Concert Series in Nashville on the night before the release of the group’s new record, A Thousand Miles Left Behind.

(L-R): Emblem Music Group's Dean Serletic, ASCAP's Mike Sistad, Gloriana's Tom Gossin and Mike Gossin, Emblem Music Group's Matt Serletic

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum recently (7/28) honored Kye Fleming in its quarterly series Poets and Prophets: Legendary Country Songwriters. Fleming’s songwriting career includes Michael Johnson’s “Give Me Wings;” Barbara Mandrell’s  “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed” and “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool;” Ronnie Milsap’s “Smoky Mountain Rain” and “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World;” and Sylvia’s “Nobody.”

(L-R): Museum Editor Michael Gray, Kye Fleming, Sylvia Hutton, Allen Reynolds. Photo: Donn Jones

Nashville Songwriter Lands “Today Show” Performance

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Nashville songwriter Paul Sikes recently got the opportunity of a lifetime after doing what writers typically do: play a round at the Bluebird.

The Nashville native gained national renown after NBC’s Today Show co-host Hoda Kotb discovered him at the Bluebird and invited him to play on the show. Following his July 13 appearance and performance, the song he performed, “My Epitaph,” was the No. 2 downloaded song on iTunes’ singer/songwriter chart. See the performance here.

Sikes chalks it up to being in the right place at the right time. He played the round at the Bluebird back in May and noticed Kotb among the audience members. Days later word spread that she had raved about him on the show and even played a video clip of his performance. NBC producers contacted him via Twitter to extend the performance invitation.

Sikes still considers himself a producer and songwriter first. He says he has “never really chased the road of being an artist, but has enjoyed playing songs at smaller venues around town.” His independent album Craft was released to iTunes July 9.

Arby’s Sweepstakes Features Trace Adkins

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Trace Adkins is one of three artists participating in Arby’s Snap and Rock Sweepstakes for fans to enter for a chance to win an Ultimate VIP Concert through Sept. 15.

Three lucky winners will receive a grand prize VIP concert experience with Taio Cruz, The All-American Rejects or Adkins.

The sweepstakes offers additional prizes including free food, Pepsi gear and music downloads for ordering a Pepsi beverage and snapping a picture of the cup, sending it via email or text to [email protected].

For details, visit www.PlayArbysSnapAndRock.com.

Adkins is currently on his Songs & Stories Tour promoting his latest single, “Them Lips (On Mine).”

 

Musicians Corner Returns For Fall Season in September

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Musicians Corner will kick off the first of nine fall music events on Sat., September 1 in Nashville’s Centennial Park. Performing the kick off event are The Blind Boys of Alabama, a Nashville Symphony quartet, Karen Elson and Jeremy Lister.

The fall season will take place Saturday afternoons from 3-6 pm through October 27 with artists including Sam Bush, Karen Elson, Regi Wooten & Friends, Ashley Cleveland, Matthew Perryman Jones, Phil Keaggy, The Farewell Drifters, Shannon Whitworth, Yarn, The Steel Drivers, Shannon Sanders, and The Vespers.

The free weekly event includes over 60 free multi-genre musical performances, the Lightning 100 Acoustic Stage, Beer & Wine Garden, Mobile Food Court, Mix 92.9 Kidsville activities, Dog Of The Day, local vendors, and giveaways.

“Musicians Corner is one of the best gathering places for the Nashville community and our visitors to spend an afternoon enjoying free music in a beautiful metro park setting,” said Mayor Karl Dean. “Musicians Corner events continue to serve as a fine showcase for why we are Music City.”

The Blind Boys of Alabama will also take part in a symposium titled “The Influence of Music on The Civil Rights Movement” prior to the Musicians Corner event on (9/1) in partnership with Fisk University.

Acoustic Stage performers were selected through an open submission process in partnership with AmericanSongspace.com. A complete fall season schedule is available here.