First 'Country Music Cruise' Announces Performers

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cruiseThe first Country Music Cruise will launch in early 2014 and sail through the Caribbean with Vince Gill, Kenny Rogers, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, Patty Loveless, Jo Dee Messina, Ronnie Milsap and Restless Heart. Television personality Lorraine Crook will host. The cruise will hold intimate concerts every day, exclusive events, activities, comedians, world class dining, deluxe accommodations and much more for seven luxurious days aboard Holland America’s MS Eurodam.
“This will be the Country Music party of a lifetime. Real stars, real music and real friends, both old and new” said Mike Jason, Sr. VP Retail, StarVista Entertainment/Time Life.
”We have produced over 35 full ship charter music cruises and ‘Country Music’ is a perfect genre for an exciting and overall cruise experience,” said Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of Entertainment Cruise Productions. The programming and entertainment opportunities for the Country Music Cruise are unparalleled. It will be so much fun.”
Cabins are available now at www.CountryMusicCruise.com or by calling (toll free) 1-855-332-6868. Early reservation Country Music Cruise fan rates start at $1,925 per person and include all meals, concerts, entertainment and on-board activities.

Underwood, Aerosmith Duet Released To Radio

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Carrie Underwood
Rock band Aerosmith released “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You,” a duet with Carrie Underwood, to radio stations on Jan. 21.
During a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler described the record, saying, “I sang it a little country & western…and all along we thought, should we get someone in…It was last-minute.  She [Carrie] was in town doing something. I called her up and she said, ‘I’m leaving tomorrow.’ And I said, ‘Can you come over tonight?’ I called Joe [Perry] up, and the rest is history. She just did it. It really does work.”
Underwood and Tyler first paired for a duet of Underwood’s “Undo It” and Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” at the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in 2011. They later teamed up for an episode of CMT Crossroads in early 2012.

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Carrie Underwood also released the video for her latest single, “Two Black Cadillacs.” The edgy, dark clip about two women who plot revenge against a cheating husband gets an eerie treatment at the end.

Youtube video

 

Artists Announced For Sixth Annual Jeffrey Steele and Friends

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Jeffrey Steele

Jeffrey Steele


Jeffrey Steele will welcome Billy Ray Cyrus, Gloriana, Colt Ford, Chris Janson, The Suggah Pies and LoCash Cowboys, along with additional unannounced artists, for the sixth annual Jeffrey Steele and Friends benefit concert. The event will raise funds for the Alex LeVasseur Memorial Fund for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
The event, held in memory of Steele’s late son Alex LeVasseur, will be held on Tuesday, March 12, at the Franklin Theatre (419 Main Street, Franklin, Tenn.) beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. A limited number of $1,000 VIP balcony seating packages are available, which include four seats and a VIP reception from 5:30-6:30 p.m., with wine and heavy hors d’oeuvres from Carrabba’s Italian Grill. General admission tickets are available for $75 and $100. The Franklin Threatre will have food and beverages on sale for attendees.
The event also features a live auction;  items include an Academy of Country Music ticket package, an autographed guitar from Kenny Chesney and additional items.
For tickets and information, visit www.cfmt.org/attend.
 
 
 

Miranda Lambert Teams with Pedigree Brand

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Miranda Lambert PedigreeRCA’s Miranda Lambert has partnered with Pedigree Brand® to launch a search for the next community that can benefit from The Pedigree Feeding Project, an initiative that launched in Nashville, Tenn. and in Chicago. The project provides animal shelters with dog food, 100 percent cost-free.
“I have worked hard to help homeless dogs and to raise money for the shelters that support them tirelessly,” says Lambert, who is the owner of six adopted dogs. “These shelters are seeing a big difference in their dogs’ well-being, helping them increase their chances of finding a home.”
Now they are looking for the next neighborhood that will benefit from the Pedigree Feeding Project. From now until the end of February, visit Facebook.com/Pedigree to nominate a community.

Watch Miranda’s video for The Pedigree Feeding Project below.

http://youtu.be/diae7iOIaiw
 
 

Romeo To Receive CRS President's Award

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bob

Bob Romeo

Academy of Country Music CEO Bob Romeo will be honored with the 2013 CRS President’s Award. The presentation will take place during the Country Radio Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. CT in the Nashville Convention Center Ballroom.

The President’s Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the marketing, production, growth and development of the Country Radio Seminar and the multiple services that Country Radio Broadcasters provides to the Country radio and music communities.

Romeo’s 30 year career began in talent buying and concert promotion. He owns and operates Romeo Entertainment Group, an award-winning full-service talent buying agency that has worked with many country music superstars including Kenny Chesney. His accolades include two ACM Awards for Talent Buyer/Promoter of the Year and the CMA Talent Buyer/SRO Award. He has served as CEO for the Academy of Country Music for nearly 10 years, where his television producing credits include the Academy of Country Music Awards, and numerous ACM television concert specials.

“Bob Romeo truly represents the spirit of the President’s Award,” said CRS President Mike Culotta. “As well as having a great deal of passion for the music, he has proven himself to be a great friend to Country radio in general and the Country Radio Seminar in particular. It’s an honor to announce him as our 2013 President’s Award recipient.”

As previously announced, the 2013 Country Radio Hall of Fame inductees are Gaylon Christie in the Radio category, and Dr. Don Carpenter, Crook & Chase, Eddie Edwards and Bill “Dex” Poindexter in the On-Air category.

The Country Radio Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony unofficially kicks off Country Radio Seminar each year. CRS 2013 will be held Feb. 27-March 1, 2013. For information about Hall of Fame Tickets, contact the CRS offices at 615-327-4487.

Chesney To Release First Single From Next Album

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flagKenny Chesney will release “Pirate Flag,” the first single from his upcoming album, to radio on Jan. 31. The song was written by David Lee Murphy and Ross Copperman. Chesney’s as-yet-untitled album will be released April 30.
His No Shoes Nation tour kicks off March 16 in Tampa, Fla. with tourmates Eric Church, Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves, as well as Zac Brown Band on select dates.
Of “Pirate Flag,” Chesney explains: “No matter where you are, no matter how you live, there is that part of you that yearns to be free, to say, ‘What the hell…’ and just do what you want to do! That’s the beauty of this song: You can fly your pirate flag in your head, tack it up behind your computer at work, tattoo it under your skin – and no one has to know. Except you and your friends, the people who really matter!”

Tim McGraw to Tape ACM TV Special

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Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw


The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions have announced the taping of an all-star concert special, ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night, on April 8 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, where the ACM Awards will air the day prior (April 7).
The two-hour special, to be broadcast at a later date on CBS, will feature handpicked artists and friends of the fifteen time ACM Award winner across country, pop, and rock genres in addition to a few surprise special guests from the worlds of film and television.
“I hope I can help turn the fans on to some of the best live music that will be on the road this summer and really put a spotlight on the ones I know they won’t want to miss,” said McGraw. “I also feel a responsibility to help raise some money and awareness for ACM Lifting Lives. They supported me last summer with our HomeFront program and helped me give away a house to a Veteran in need in every market we played in, so I’m excited to get some of my friends together and repay the favor.”
Designed to kick off the 2013 touring season, all proceeds of the show will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy.
Tickets will be available to ACM Professional members and A-List Members first, on Wednesday, Jan. 23. General public tickets will be available Friday, Jan. 25 at the ACM’s official website.

Performers Announced for Taste of Country Music Festival

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tocTownsquare Media Group and Chet-5 Festivals are pleased to announce the inaugural Taste of Country Music Festival featuring Lady Antebellum, Willie Nelson & Family, Trace Adkins, Billy Currington, Hunter Hayes, Montgomery Gentry, Joe Nichols, Gloriana, Justin Moore, Dustin Lynch, Blackberry Smoke and more. The event will take place June 13-15 at Hunter Mountain Resort in the scenic Catskills Mountains.
Ticket packages begin at just $120 and afford fans three days of live music in a picturesque locale less than two hours from New York City. Early bird discounted tickets will be available for purchase beginning Friday, Feb. 1 at 10 AM/ET. VIP ticket options, mountainside camping, resort accommodations and more are available online.
“TasteofCountry.com and our partners at Chet-5 Festivals are delighted to bring the Northeast’s first large-scale multi-day country music festival to Hunter Mountain,” shared Dhruv Prasad, Executive VP, Live Events of Townsquare Media Group. “We are focused on the audience experience – delivering our folks the artists and music they love in a beautiful setting that delivers world-class resort and camping accommodations, outdoor recreation and top-notch food and beverage service.”
“We are very excited about our new partnership with the Townsquare Media Group,” said Gary Chetkof, founder of the Mountain Jam Music Festival. “Combining our experience producing the Mountain Jam Music Festival along with Townsquare Media Group’s assets makes for a powerful partnership that will produce a world-class country music event for many years to come.”
More information can be found online by visiting www.tasteofcountryfestival.com.

Kobalt Debuts Label Services Division

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‪kobaltPublishing giant Kobalt has officially launched a label services division. One of the first noteworthy releases will be Push the Sky Away, the fifteenth studio album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Releases from the company’s Nashville office could follow.
Kobalt Label Services (KLS) is designed to be a full-service solution for releasing and marketing records while letting artists maintain ownership of the masters. The division is providing a full spectrum of services including global distribution via digital retail, D2C, physical retail and subscription services, as well as marketing and promotion, advanced data analytics and royalty tracking, and synch licensing.
KLS worked closely with Cave and his management on all aspects of the release, which will be available Feb. 18 via KLS and Cave’s Bad Seed Ltd. Push the Sky Away will be released on CD, Limited CD-DVD, vinyl and digital formats.
“We look forward to unveiling a wide range of promotional activity in support of the release this year,” said Paul Hitchman, MD of Kobalt Label Services.
Two tracks from the album, “We No Who U R” and “Jubilee Street,” are available via all digital retailers, and album pre-orders are being accepted at nickcave.com.
As previously reported, BMG Rights Management is among the other major publishing companies offering label services.

Industry Pics (1/23/13)

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Chris Janson visited the CMA offices on Jan. 22 to visit with staff and perform his new single, “Better I Don’t.”

Pictured (L-R): CMA Senior Coordinator of Member Relations & Services, Betsy Walker; Bigger Picture Group Executive Vice President and General Manager, Bob Cahill; Bigger Picture Group President, Michael Powers; Janson's wife, Kelly Lynn; Janson; CMA Senior Manager of Membership & Balloting, Brandi Simms; CMA Chief Executive Officer, Steve Moore; and CMA Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Sheri Warnke.

Pictured (L-R): CMA Senior Coordinator of Member Relations & Services, Betsy Walker; Bigger Picture Group Executive Vice President and General Manager, Bob Cahill; Bigger Picture Group President, Michael Powers; Janson’s wife, Kelly Lynn; Janson; CMA Senior Manager of Membership & Balloting, Brandi Simms; CMA Chief Executive Officer, Steve Moore; and CMA Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Sheri Warnke.

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Hunter Hayes celebrated the double-platinum success of his single, “Wanted,” after a performance onstage at Ryman at the Opry.

Pictured (L-R): Dan Huff-Producer, John Esposito-President & CEO WMN, Betsy McHugh-Martingale Ent, Ansel Adams-Martingale Ent, Hunter Hayes, Scott Hendricks-Sr. VP A&R WMN, Peter Strickland-Sr. VP Sales & Marketing WMN, Justin Luffman-VP Brand Management, Chris Stacey-Sr. VP Promotion WMN

Pictured (L-R): Dan Huff-Producer, John Esposito-President & CEO WMN, Betsy McHugh-Martingale Ent, Ansel Davis-Martingale Ent, Hunter Hayes, Scott Hendricks-Sr. VP A&R WMN, Peter Strickland-Sr. VP Sales & Marketing WMN, Justin Luffman-VP Brand Management, Chris Stacey-Sr. VP Promotion WMN

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The ASCAP We Create Music Series kicked off 2013 with a showcase on Jan. 16 featuring songwriter-artists John Martin, Jonathan Capeci and Joey Beretta (of Dinner and a Suit), Lisa Carver, Austin Jenckes, Matthew Perryman Jones and Jeffrey James, who performed to an industry-filled crowd at The Basement in Nashville. ASCAP’s popular monthly showcase series was designed to highlight ASCAP’s “Best of the Best” within the Nashville songwriting community.
Pictured (L-R): ASCAP's Robert Filhart, Lisa Carver, John Martin, Jeffrey James, Evyn Mustoe, Matthew Perryman Jones, Austin Jenckes (front), and Dinner and a Suit's Jonathan Capeci, Joey Beretta and Anthony Genca

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Robert Filhart, Lisa Carver, John Martin, Jeffrey James, Evyn Mustoe, Matthew Perryman Jones, Austin Jenckes (front), and Dinner and a Suit’s Jonathan Capeci, Joey Beretta and Anthony Genca

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Leadership Music alumni teamed with Hands on Nashville (and some help from friends in SOLID) for their MLK Day of Service on Monday, January 21st. Working in two teams, alums painted Nashville firehouses #13 and #23.

Pictured with Mayor Karl Dean (center), Leadership Music Class of 2010, are (L-R): Tinti Moffat (kneeling), Denise Stiff Sheehan, Leadership Music Executive Director Debbie Linn, Dean, Heather McBee, Cameo Carlson, Justin Levenson, Fire station #23 Captain Caruthers, Tamara Johnson-George and Nashville Assistant Fire Chief Steve Holt. Photo Credit: Andrea Hallgren

Pictured with Mayor Karl Dean (center), Leadership Music Class of 2010, are (L-R): Tinti Moffat (kneeling), Denise Stiff Sheehan, Leadership Music Executive Director Debbie Linn, Dean, Heather McBee, Cameo Carlson, Justin Levenson, Fire station #23 Captain Caruthers, Tamara Johnson-George and Nashville Assistant Fire Chief Steve Holt. Back Row (L-R): Darin Lashinsky, Brian Jones, Erika Wollam-Nichols and Jamie Cheek. Photo Credit: Andrea Hallgren