Industry Pics: Carrie Underwood, Sarah Darling, WMBA
CAA Signs Sarah Darling
Black River Entertainment’s Sarah Darling recently signed with Creative Artists Agency. Her single “Home To Me” is in rotation on SiriusXM’s The Highway, and has sold over 23,500 downloads, prior to impacting terrestrial radio today (10/22). It is the lead single from her upcoming album with producer Dann Huff.
(L-R): CAA's Brad Bissell, Black River Management’s John Alexander, Sarah Darling, CAA's Rod Essig
“Blown Away” Platinum
Carrie Underwood brought her Blown Away Tour to Los Angeles on Oct. 16, where she was presented with a plaque commemorating the RIAA Platinum certification of the digital single “Blown Away.” It is her eleventh Platinum or Multi-Platinum digital single. The album of the same name made history this spring by debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart, making Underwood only the second country artist in the 47-year chart history to have their first four albums debut at No. 1.
(L-R): Sony Music Nashville Sr. VP Marketing Paul Barnabee and Chairman & CEO Gary Overton; Underwood; and Arista Nashville VP Promotion Lesly Tyson. Photo: Matt Sperling
WMBA Hosts Management and Touring Panel
The Women’s Music Business Association (WMBA) hosted its annual prospective member reception at the Country Music Association on Oct. 16. The panel was moderated by WMBA President Kama Upton and featured panelists TKO Artist Management’s TK Kimbrell, Paradigm’s Curt Motley, Live Nation’s Brian O’Connell, and Varnell Enterprises’ Ben Farrell. The panelists discussed aspects of touring and artist management and took questions from the audience. The event also marked the opening of WMBA’s membership application period, which closes Dec. 1. Membership application details at wmbanashville.org.
Back Row (L-R): TK Kimbrell, Ben Farrell, WMBA's Kama Upton and Josee Deschenes, Curt Motley, Brian O'Connell. Front Row: WMBA's Leona Edwards, Becky Lynn Street, Trina Llyod-Weidner, Becky McIntosh, and Brandi Simms. Photo: Amanda Fletcher
