Big Machine Music Expands Songwriting Roster

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Aaron Scherz

Songwriter/producer Aaron Scherz has signed an exclusive songwriting agreement with Big Machine Music. Scherz was formerly a writer with Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar and Martha Earls’ publishing company Effusion Entertainment.

Scherz penned the title cut, “The Rock,” on Tracy Lawrence’s 2009 album and has composed national advertising jingles for both Dodge and Coca-Cola. Most recently he experienced cuts by newcomers Greg Bates, Joanna Smith, Matt Kennon and Dakota Bradley. Scherz’s music will also have placement in the upcoming drama Nashville.

“Aaron is one of the most gifted, young, songwriter/producers on Music Row,” said Molinar. “We hope to utilize all of his talents, especially when it comes to identifying and developing new songwriter/artists.”

The independent publishing company is home to writers Justin Moore, Raul Malo, Dustin Lynch, Greg Bates and Sunny Sweeney.

Stagecoach 2013 Lineup Revealed

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Stagecoach 2013 is scheduled for the weekend of April 26-28 at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The performance lineup announced for the outdoor country music festival includes Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band, Hank Williams Jr., Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Thompson Square, Dwight Yoakam, Lonestar, Phil Vassar, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many more.

Stagecoach is also introducing its new Stagecoach RV Resort to provide a more comfortable camping experience for guests. Buyers are guaranteed the opportunity to purchase RV spots in the future, plus “in & out” privileges, and a secure area next to the venue entrance. Space is limited, so interested parties must submit applications prior to Monday, Oct. 15 at Noon CT.

Tickets for Stagecoach 2013 go on sale Saturday, October 20 at Noon CT. Check here for more info.

R.O.P.E. Awards Thursday Night

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T.G. Sheppard and Kelly Lang

The R.O.P.E. (Reunion Of Professional Entertainers) Awards will be presented Thurs., Oct. 11. It is the 25th Anniversary of the banquet and ceremony.

T.G. Sheppard and Kelly Lang will perform at the event at the Nashville Palace on McGavock Pike. Keith Bilbrey from Larry’s Country Dinner will host.

The 6 PM meet and greet will lead into dinner at 7 PM, followed by the awards presentation at 8 PM and the show at 9 PM.

Tickets are $50 each or $1000 for a sponsor table. For more information, contact R.O.P.E. at 615-860-9257

 

CMA and IEBA Partner For Live Music Awards

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The CMA is partnering with IEBA for its annual awards dinner and SRO (Standing Room Only) Awards tonight (10/9), hosted by Kix Brooks. This is the first year for CMA to present the SRO Awards since last taking place in 1997.

CMA CEO Steve Moore spoke exclusively with MusicRow about the event. Moore has previously received three SRO honors himself, including as Promoter of the Year for his work as the first Executive Director of the Starwood Amphitheater and as SVP of AEG Live.

He says, “On a personal level, the event got me exposed to the CMA. It was meaningful to receive that recognition among my peers, friends and colleagues for work behind the scenes. So, it seemed fitting to bring it back to honor some of the unsung heroes who keep the live events moving. It isn’t that big of a secret that the live touring industry is a strong and vital component of our industry. This year we partnered with another non-profit industry professional organization, IEBA, which I think will work out very nicely.”

For the collaborative evening, IEBA will honor Hall of Fame inductees Charley Pride, Ray Pilszak and Joe LaGuardia (posthumously), with appearances by David Cassidy, Peter Noone, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, Ronnie Dunn, Neal McCoy and surprise guests. Set to perform are Melinda Doolittle and Belmont University School of Music students Reid Johnson, Charles Rogers and Rayvon Owen, under the direction of Henry W. Smiley. MC Hammer will host.

Click here to view a list of SRO nominees.

Tickets for the event are sold out.

Artist Snapshots (10/9/12)

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Jerrod Niemann just released his sophomore album Free The Music on Oct. 2 and on release day he was in New York to visit and make a donation to the children of PS22 Chorus. The talented fifth graders, who have been featured on Oprah, NBC Nightly News and more, surprised Niemann by accompanying him on the choruses of his current single “Shinin’ On Me.” See the visit here.

Jerrod Niemann poses with some of the talented fifth graders of the PS22 Chorus. Credit: PS22 Chorus

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(L-R): Guitarist Cade Doyle and Maggie Rose at Heinz Field.

Maggie Rose performed the national anthem this past Sunday, October 7 before the Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Philadelphia Eagles at Heinz Field. “I was a little nervous to sing the anthem, but those Steeler fans made me feel right at home,” says Maggie. The rpme artist was recently named CMT’s Listen Up artist for the month October, and her single “I Ain’t Your Mama” is making its way up the charts. Click here to listen to the performance from this weekend.

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Claudia Lee as Magnolia. Photo: Greg Gayne/The CW; 2012 The CW Network.

Singer/actress Claudia Lee has released her new single to radio called “Take My Hand.” Lee, who currently stars as Magnolia on the CW Network’s Hart of Dixie, will perform the song in the second episode of the show’s second season, which airs tonight at 8 pm/ET. It will be the first time her character has performed on the show. Previous singles include “Hollywood Sunset,” “3 Leaf Clover,” and “It Gets Better.” Lee has also been cast in the upcoming film Kick-Ass 2 for Universal Pictures.

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Photo: Talladega Superspeedway

Republic Nashville’s new artist RaeLynn sang the national anthem at the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on October 7th. The performance was aired nationally on ESPN before the race.

Preview Aldean’s “Night Train” on iTunes

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Jason Aldean fans can listen to his fifth studio album Night Train in its entirety now through its Oct. 16 release with an exclusive iTunes pre-stream at www.iTunes.com/JasonAldean.

Lead single “Take A Little Ride” is in its third consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Songs chart. It was the biggest digital debut ever by a male country artist and rose to the top of the country charts faster than any other song this year. This marks Aldean’s sixth consecutive No. 1 and tenth of his career.

Aldean recently earned three Country Music Association Awards nominations for the Nov. 1 show, in the categories of Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Single of the Year for “Dirt Road Anthem.”

Additionally, the BBR artist has sold out every show on his My Kinda Party Tour presented by State Farm®, selling 1.9 million tickets and breaking over 40 venue attendance records. The tour wraps Oct. 27 in Dallas.

Industry Ink (10/9/12)

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Ronnie Dunn, Big Al Anderson, and The Grascals have joined the musical lineup for the 9th Annual Leadership Music Dale Franklin Awards, which will be held Wednesday, Oct. 17 at War Memorial Auditorium. The event, which includes previously announced artists Rodney Crowell, Little Big Town, David Nail and the Time Jumpers, will pay tribute to Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, and Randy Owen. Tables are sold out, but a few seats remain available here.

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David Levin

BMI has announced the appointment of David Levin as Vice President, New Media. The New York-based Levin will be responsible for the growth of digital revenues, addressing digital market needs, and managing day-to-day operations for BMI’s New Media licensing business. Previously, Levin spent 12 years at Sony Music Entertainment where he was most recently SVP, Digital Sales. He will report to Richard Conlon, SVP of Corporate Strategy, Communications, and New Media.

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Live music powerhouses Tour Supply, Inc. and JH Audio have announced a strategic partnership to serve their mutual customers with top quality gear. Sales reps from JH Audio will be based out of Tour Supply’s New York and Nashville locations, to provide a one-stop hub for sales of JH Audio’s popular in-ear monitor systems and Tour Supply’s pro audio goods.

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RCA Nashville’s Jake Owen has signed with Jensen Arrowsmith’s media relations firm Sweet Talk Publicity for independent PR representation. Owen played sold out stadiums this summer on the Brothers of the Sun Tour, and his current single is “The One That Got Away.” He joins SweetTalk clients Florida Georgia Line and Billy Ray Cyrus.

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Buddy Lee Attractions has announced the signing of singer/songwriter Crystal Hoyt to its roster for booking representation. Hoyt was formerly a member of the popular trio Trailer Choir. “I took about four or five months off and did nothing but write,” she says. “I’ve been in the process of redeveloping myself as an artist and a writer.”

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The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) recently named Lisa Harless, Sr. VP of Regions Bank’s Sports and Entertainment Division, the 2012 recipient of its Stephen Foster Award. The honor was presented at NSAI’s “World’s Largest No. 1 Party” on Sept. 17 in recognition of Harless’ outstanding support to songwriters, the music industry, and NSAI.

(L-R): Lee Thomas Miller, President of NSAI; Lisa Harless, Regions Bank Sports and Entertainment Division; Maria Pallante, United States Registrar of Copyrights; Susan Stewart, South Regional Director of The Recording Academy; Robert Frost of Frost Specialty; Susan Myers, Director of Sponsorships, NSAI.

CMA Broadcast Award Winners

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Jason Aldean congratulates "CMT's Country Countdown USA" host Lon Helton.

Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley surprised radio professionals this week with news of their CMA Broadcast Award wins. Paisley called all Station and Broadcast Personality of the Year winners in the Small, Medium, Large, and Major Market categories.

Aldean notifed National Broadcast Personality of the Year winner Lon Helton during a visit to a taping of Helton’s popular “CMT’s Country Countdown USA.”

The CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year and CMA Radio Station of the Year recipients will be recognized during The 46th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Paisley and Carrie Underwood Thurs., Nov. 1 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, airing live on ABC.

The announcement of the CMA Broadcast Award winners is the pinnacle of what CMA has deemed the Year of Country Radio. As a cornerstone of the campaign, CMA granted complimentary membership to every Country radio station in the U.S. as well as complimentary individual memberships to the general manager and program director at each station.

2012 CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year Winners
National – Lon Helton, “CMT’s Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton” (Dial Global)
Major Market – Donna Valentine and Mike Mussman, “K102 Wakeup Crew” KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
Large Market – Randy Carroll and Jamie Martin,“KJ and Friends” KAJA, San Antonio, Texas
Medium Market – Tom O’Brien, Roger Todd, and Melissa Moran, “The 97 Country Breakfast Club” WPCV, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
Small Market – Bill Poindexter and Melissa Turner, “Dex and Mo Show” WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.

2012 CMA Radio Station of the Year Winners
Major Market – WKLB, Boston, Mass.
Large Market – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Medium Market – WIVK, Knoxville, Tenn.
Small Market – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.

CMT Artists of the Year to Air in December

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CMT will air its third annual CMT Artists of the Year special on Saturday, December 8 at 11 pm/ET. This time around, there’s a slight twist: fans won’t know who the honorees are until the show airs.

The 90-minute special will celebrate 2012’s biggest and brightest country artists with one-of-a-kind performances and tributes. Previous honorees include Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Zac Brown Band.

CMT Artists of the Year is executive produced by R.A. Clark, John Hamlin, and Margaret Comeaux.

Oak Ridge Boys Celebrate 40th Anniversary

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Oak Ridge Boys. Photo: Mike Payne

The Oak Ridge Boys will mark four decades of music with the a commemorative CD and The Oak Ridge Boys 40th Anniversary Tour.

January 19-20 will mark the beginning of the tour at the Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston, TX.

Whistle stops will continue for the group’s ongoing partnership with America by Rail, which invites audiences traveling by rail to visit the Oak Ridge Boys Theatre in Branson.

The quartet will also set sail to Cozumel for The Oak Ridge Boys Rally at Sea, February 28-March 4, including two shows and a meet & greet.

The band released the new CD Christmas Time’s A-Coming on September 25. An exclusive version of the album, featuring two bonus tracks, is available at Cracker Barrel. The album marks the group’s sixth holiday CD, which will be supported by the group’s annual Christmas tour of 20 years, preceding the 40th Anniversary Tour.

More information can be found here.