Industry Ink (1/21/13)

Billy Ray Cyrus and Don Williams have both returned to the talent agency they first called home, APA. “We are thrilled to have Billy Ray Cyrus and Don Williams back into the APA family of artists and very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead,” says Sr. VP Steve Lassiter. “It’s an honor to be representing them again and it’s always a pleasure when former clients come home.”

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SESAC has signed singer-songwriter Boscoe France. The Madisonville, Ky. native is the 2012 winner of Guitar Center’s Battle of the Blues competition, where he beat out over 4,000 guitarists for the honor.
France stopped by SESAC’s Nashville headquarters for a visit.

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Jewel visited Nashville recently to appear at the Texaco Country Showdown at the Ryman Auditorium. While in town, she also stopped by the ASCAP offices for an interview with Clear Channel’s Artist Integration Program, which will promote the release of Jewel’s upcoming Greatest Hits collection.
The album, which is slated to release Feb. 5, will feature duets with Kelly Clarkson (“Foolish Games”) and the Pistol Annies (“You Were Meant For Me”).
 

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SOLID donated over $3,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital from funds raised at its annual Turkey Bowl.

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Several of Nashville’s top musicians, including guitarist Tom Bukovac, drummer Chad Cromwell, bassist Michael Rhodes, pianist Mike Rojas, accordionist Kieran Kiely and steel guitarist Dan Dugmore, visited a secret location in the South Pacific to record the follow-up album to Dave Stewart‘s The Ringmaster General. The project is scheduled to release in 2013.