Celebration of Life For Rick Blackburn To Be Held April 27

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Rick Blackburn 11-19-90. Photo: Alan Mayor

Rick Blackburn 11-19-90. Photo: Alan Mayor


A Celebration of Life will be held for music executive Rick Blackburn will be held April 27 in Blackburn’s hometown of Milford, Ohio.
Blackburn, who passed away Nov. 30, 2012, is survived by his wife Suzie. According to a release, it was Blackburn’s wish that friends and former classmates gather for a time of fun and fellowship. They have also extended an invitation to the event to Blackburn’s friends and colleagues in Nashville.
The Celebration of life will be held at 6 p.m. at the Victor Stier American Legion (450 Victor Stier Drive, Milford, Ohio). Dress will be casual. Refreshments will include a meal/hos d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Reservations are not required, but an RSVP would be appreciated.
To RSVP, e-mail Linda Powers or call 513-831-6556.
As the head of the Columbia and Epic imprints of CBS Records in 1980-87, Blackburn launched major hits for such stars as Ricky Skaggs, Rosanne Cash, Willie Nelson, Exile, Ricky Van Shelton, Merle Haggard, Chet Atkins, Vern Gosdin, Crystal Gayle, the Gatlins, Janie Fricke, Mickey Gilley, Moe Bandy, Joe Stampley, George Jones, Charly McClain, Lacy J. Dalton, Rodney Crowell and more.
While Blackburn was in charge of Atlantic Records in 1989-99, the label made radio stars of John Michael Montgomery, Neal McCoy, Confederate Railroad and Tracy Lawrence.
Richard Norman Blackburn was born Nov. 16, 1942 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Richard and Norma Horne Blackburn. He began his career promoting pop records in his hometown. He worked for Mercury Records in Chicago in 1965, then moved to CBS in New York in 1968.
Beginning in 1970, he helped run Ode Records with Lou Adler and Herb Alpert in Los Angeles. The company’s roster included Cheech & Chong, Carole King and Spirit. It also marketed the soundtrack to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
 

Lady Antebellum Sets Release Date For Fourth Studio Album

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lady antebellum golden1
Lady Antebellum will release its fourth Capitol Nashville studio album, Golden, on May 7.
“This album feels to me like one of those that from start to finish could be a good road-trip record and that’s what we wanted,” said Lady A’s Charles Kelley. “It’s one of the reasons why the term ‘golden’ was kind of cool. I think about road trips and driving down the road with those little streaks of sunshine popping through the trees, especially at sunset. ‘Golden’…it just gives you this warm, easy feeling.”
“Writing and recording this record really took us back to when we first met each other,” added Hillary Scott. “When I first met the boys, we spent a lot of time around the piano at the house they lived in at the time. We didn’t really know each other at all, but there was still some magic and then the harmonies – that’s how it all started – that blend of our voices and that blend of our songwriting craft. So, it’s exciting that even on our fourth record, we can still find that.”

 “The word ‘golden’ to me conjures up a lot of pictures,” continued Dave Haywood. “In the title track, it depicts driving down the road at sunset but, to me, it also depicts a special time in our career…a ‘golden,’ special time for us. We definitely want to value this time in our careers because it’s such a treasure that we can still sit in a room and write songs together. I personally feel so humbled to still be making records that people are excited to hear.”The album’s first single, “Downtown,” is already steadily climbing the charts.

Snapshots: Chris Young, Craig Campbell, Logan Mize

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Chris Young and his team celebrated his sold out headlining show at New York City’s Best Buy Theater on Friday night (Feb. 15).

chrisyoungNY

(L-R): WME’s Rob Beckham, AEG’s Mark Schulman, Chris Young, Shopkeeper Management’s Crystal Dishmon and AEG’s Casey McCabe

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Craig Campbell will appear on the GAC Daily Countdown today (Feb. 19) at noon and 6:00 p.m./ET. He joins host Suzanne Alexander for the fan-voted show which will feature his latest hit video “Outta My Head,” which has been in the top spot for multiple weeks.
Craig_Campbell_GAC_Daily_Countdown

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Big Yellow Dog Records artist Logan Mize makes his acting debut in tonight’s (Feb. 19) episode of Hart of Dixie at 8:00 p.m./ET on the CW Network. Mize and his band appear as themselves, performing “Good Life” and “High and Dry.” Mize continues to tour in support of his LP, Nobody In Nashville.

(L-R): Derek Wyatt , Tyler Chiarelli, Logan Mize, Josh Gleave

(L-R): Derek Wyatt , Tyler Chiarelli, Logan Mize, Josh Gleave

Scotty McCreery Hosts CMA's "Keep The Music Playing" Nashville Concert

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scotty-sliderScotty McCreery will host CMA’s fourth annual “Keep The Music Playing” All-Stars concert tonight (Feb. 19) at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The free concert begins at 6 p.m. No tickets are necessary and seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The fourth annual “Keep The Music Playing” event is presented by the Metro Nashville Public Schools and the CMA, and honors the best elementary, middle and high school music programs in Metro Nashville public schools.
To date the CMA has been able to donate over $6 million to purchase instruments for students in the Middle Tennessee area. Kix Brooks, Laura Bell Bundy, Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts, Sara Evans, Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry and Kellie Pickler are a few of the artists who have been involved in the program.
 

Brad Paisley Puts California Home On The Market

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Brad & Kimberly Paisley

Brad & Kimberly Paisley


Brad Paisley and wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley (of ABC’s Nashville) have put their Pacific Palisades, Calif. home on the market for just under $3 million.
brad paisley home1The couple purchased the home in 2004 for $1.644 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. The home was built in 1925 and features stained glass windows, beamed ceilings and a fireplace in the master bedroom.
Paisley and wife Kimberly also own a farm just outside of Nashville.

Sheryl Crow, Ricky Young Plan Nashville Shows

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Sheryl CrowTickets for Sheryl Crow‘s upcoming New Hope Academy benefit concert at the Franklin Theatre will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Tuesday (Feb. 26) at the theater box office, online at www.franklintheatre.com/tickets/music or by calling 615-538-2076.
The shows will be held April 19-21 at 8 p.m.
Tickets for Crow’s two 2011 shows sold out in six minutes — so quickly that a third concert was added to the 300-seat downtown theater.
Tickets are $125 for classic seating, $150 for balcony and lounge and $1,500 for VIP cabaret tables of four seats.
“New Hope Academy has impressed my family with their dedication to three commitments: the promise of an excellent, classical education; their mission to the underprivileged; and the belief in connected, purposeful community,” said Crow in a release from the Franklin Theatre. “These shows are one way I can contribute to that mission and, combined with the generosity of patrons we look forward to seeing at the shows, help foster their success.”

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ricky young1

Ricky Young


Ricky Young will visit Nashville’s The Listening Room Cafe at its new downtown location on 217 2nd Ave. South. on Tuesday (Feb. 19).
Young’s current single, “Could You Love Me Again,” was written by Lee Brice, Jon Stone and Tyler Farr and was recently made available on Play MPE. Jerry Duncan Promotions will promote the song through Applause Records.
“When I was looking for songs for the album, it was the first song that immediately hit me. Lee [Brice] sent me probably 80 songs and said, ‘cut what you want.’ I listened to every song at least five times, and when I first heard ‘Could You Love Me Again,’ I just thought, ‘that’s a winner.’ It’s one of the tracks that best represents me as an artist,” says Young of the song.
For more information, visit listeningroomcafe.com.

The Civil Wars Team With T Bone Burnett

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table
The Civil Wars teamed with T Bone Burnett to work on the soundtrack for new documentary, A Place at the Table. Featuring 14 original tracks, the album is set for release Feb. 26 through Sensibility Music.
Burnett and The Civil Wars perform on the album, which includes the new single “Long Time Gone” (listen below).
From the producers of Food, Inc., A Place at the Table explores American food and hunger issues. The film will be released March 1.
The band and Burnett are offering 100 percent of the label’s net profits and producer/artist royalties to the Participant Foundation, an organization that “exists to support programs that support a sustainable and peaceful world.”
In November, The Civil Wars cancelled tour dates, citing “internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition.”
The Nashville Scene reports the soundtrack was recorded in 2011.

Will Hoge Visits The Academy of Country Music

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will hoge acm1

Pictured (L-R): Jordan Powell, Relationship Music; Tiffany Moon, ACM EVP/Managing Director; Will Hoge; Bob Romeo, ACM CEO. Photo: Michel Bourquard.

The Academy of Country Music recently welcomed singer-songwriter and first-time ACM nominee Will Hoge to its Los Angeles office. Hoge performed “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” which earned Hoge his first ACM nomination as a writer in the Song of the Year category.

The song, a hit for Eli Young Band, will compete in both the Song of the Year and Single of the Year categories at the 48th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7.
Watch Hoge’s performance during his ACM visit below.
http://youtu.be/IquVs_L86es

Beats Music Service To Debut This Summer

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LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 10: (L-R) Ian Rogers, CEO of Daisy LLC, Dr. Dre, Founder of Beats Electronics, Jimmy Iovine, Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman and Beats Electronics CEO & Co-Founder, and Luke Wood, President & COO of Beats Electronics, arrive at the Beats by Dr. Dre CES after-party at Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on January 10, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Beats by Dre)

(L-R): Ian Rogers, Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine and Luke Wood at the Beats by Dr. Dre CES after-party at Marquee Nightclub in Las Vegas on Jan. 10. Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Beats by Dre


Beats Electronics, the audio brand best known for high-end headphones, will launch a music service this summer. Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman Jimmy Iovine, who co-founded Beats with legendary artist and producer Dr. Dre, shared details of the Beats music service last week at the AllThingsD Dive Into Media conference.
Iovine told attendees that the service will focus on playlists curated by music/creative experts for every possible occasion. According to reports, Iovine also said his service would offer a marketing advantage to artists, who could learn about the fans who listen to their music.
Ian Rogers, most recently the CEO of Topspin and formerly the GM of Yahoo! Music, is on board as CEO of Beats and is also leading MOG, the streaming music service Beats acquired in 2012. Trent Reznor is the Chief Creative Officer of Beats, which is based in Santa Monica.
Rogers reports directly to Iovine and President and COO Luke Wood.
“What’s missing from the digital music landscape is a cultural context,” said Iovine in prepared statement. “We need to bring an emotional connection back to the act of music discovery. With Trent and now Ian we have the right team in place to do it.”
Rogers stated, “After years of fighting and uncertainty, it’s now undeniable all the world’s music will be available on every device by just clicking play. However, the current streaming experiences aren’t good enough. They aren’t good enough for fans, who need it to be easier to find music they love. And they aren’t good enough for artists, who want to grow their audiences and make money. This is the opportunity I’ve been working toward my entire career.”

Aldean, Bentley, Bryan to Headline Faster Horses Festival

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faster horses festival1Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan will headline the previously announced Faster Horses Festival, slated for July 19-21 in Brooklyn, Mich.
The inaugural event will include additional artists Kix Brooks, Chris Young, Colt Ford, Thompson Square, Jerrod Niemann and more.

The Faster Horses Festival will feature two stages, nine campgrounds, late night jam sessions, food trucks, bonfires and more to highlight the unique summer lifestyle experience in the area.

“Anyone who has ever been to this part of Michigan gets how special this place is,” said LIve Nation promoter Brian O’Connell. “There is so much activity happening in the summer around those parts that it only made sense to drop a huge country music festival right in the middle of it.  We are definitely continuing the theme of Watershed with the caliber of talent and laid back country vibe, but the locations of these two events make each one unique and different. We have a lot of work to do before July to transform the now empty field into a huge country event, but it’s gonna be killer.”
Three-day festival passes start at $170 and go on sale Monday (Feb. 25) at www.fasterhorsesfestival.com.