Jim Ed Norman Named Chief Creative Advisor for Curb Records

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curb-logo Jim Ed Norman, former 22-year President of Warner Bros. Records Nashville, has accepted the position of Chief Creative Advisor for Curb Records. Bryan Stewart will continue to be Vice President of A&R and Kelly Lynn Janson will continue in her role as A&R Consultant.
While President of Warner Bros. Records Nashville, Norman launched artists including Blake Shelton, Faith Hill, Big & Rich, Dwight Yoakam, Randy Travis and more. During the same timeframe, Norman worked closely with Curb Records Chairman, Mike Curb in the joint ventured label, Curb/Warner. Norman will continue his association with the Curb Family Foundation and in his role as Sr. Fellow at the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy at Vanderbilt.
Stewart has been with Curb Records for 20 years and has overseen hits with the label including LeAnn Rimes’ “Can’t Fight The Moonlight,”  from the motion picture film, Coyote Ugly. Stewart is currently completing new albums from Rimes and Wynonna.  Stewart is responsible for also signing Kyle Jacobs, who along with Jon Stone has produced No. 1 records for Lee Brice, including his current number one single “I Drive Your Truck.”
Having worked with the label since 2004, Janson has a history of finding songs that have been recorded by the likes of Tim McGraw (“Better Than I Used To Be”), Rodney Atkins (“Cleaning This Gun” and “Farmer’s Daughter”), Clay Walker (“Fall”) and more.
Mike Curb said, “We are very excited about our A&R team and particularly the fact that all of us have worked together for so many years, and we’re proud of the tremendous roles that these individuals have played in our company’s success.”

BMI Stage To Be Featured During 2013 Hangout Music Festival

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BMI logoBMI will introduce the first-ever BMI stage during the 2013 Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala. The festival is slated for May 17-19 and the BMI stage will include three days of music from an eclectic lineup of emerging bands and songwriters. 

The musical lineup will include:
Friday, May 17
Colin Lake
Luella & the Sun
The Weeks
Anders Osborne
Saturday, May 18
Wild Cub
The Mowgli’s
The Kingston Springs
The Tontons
Sunday, May 19
The Wild Feathers
Chancellor Warhol
Space Capone
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
 
 

Artists Announced For 2013 Christmas 4 Kids Celebrity Golf Tournament

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christmas for kids golf tournament11The 2013 Christmas 4 Kids Celebrity Golf Tournament Presented By Prevost will be held Tuesday, April 23 at Pine Creek Golf Course (1835 Logue Road, Mt. Juliet, TN, 37122).
Hosted by duo The Roys, the event will include celebrities including Tracy Lawrence, David Ball, Bo Bice, Ty Brown, Del Gray (Little Texas), Fox17’s Kelly Sutton and Nick Paranjape, NASCAR driver TJ Bell, Lucas Hoge, Lisa Matassa, Mark Cooke, Eric Heatherly, Joanna Smith, Frankie Ballard and many others.
Registration will begin at 10 a.m., followed by lunch at 11 a.m. The event will feature a three-player scramble with a celebrity as the fourth player. The event includes lunch, dinner and drinks.
For more information, visit christmas4kids.org.

[Updated] Industry Signings (4-18-13)

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Pictured: (L-R) Keith Richards (Agent, Elite Talent Agency), Mark Claassen (President, Elite Talent Agency), Matthew Perryman Jones, and Lanny West (Manager)

Pictured: (L-R) Keith Richards (Agent, Elite Talent Agency), Mark Claassen (President, Elite Talent Agency), Matthew Perryman Jones, and Lanny West (Manager)


Matthew Perryman Jones has signed for booking representation with Elite Talent Agency.
“Matthew Perryman Jones is one of the most captivating artists out there right now,” says Keith Richards, Indie Agent at Elite Talent Agency. “It’s difficult not to be drawn to what he is doing. There is a story being tole with him and we are just excited to help get that story out to the masses.”
Lanny West, Matthew’s manager, explains, “It is all about team building and working with forward thinking partners. We were searching for an Agency Partner–not a Booking Agent. Elite Talent brings this very strong approach to tour strategy and partnership that we have been searching for.”

• • •

Pictured (L-R): Jacob Fain (Director of A&R, Sony/ATV), Troy Tomlinson (President/CEO, Sony/ATV Nashville),Chase Rice, Bruce Kalmick (Triple 8 Management)

Pictured (L-R): Jacob Fain (Director of A&R, Sony/ATV), Troy Tomlinson (President/CEO, Sony/ATV Nashville), Chase Rice, Bruce Kalmick (Triple 8 Management)

Sony/ATV Music Publishing  signed their newest artist, Chase Rice.

“Chase is a double threat as both a songwriter and an artist,” said Jacob Fain, Director of A&R for Sony/ATV.  “It’s always a privilege when you get to work with someone who is accomplished in both regards and we couldn’t be more excited about it.”

 “It’s a huge step for me to sign with such a great publisher. Following the footsteps of Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney just gives me more motivation to make sure I’m up there with those names soon, and Sony/ATV is the place to do it,” said Rice.

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brett kissel11Major Bob Music has signed singer-songwriter Brett Kissel. Kissel will join a roster that includes writers The Band Perry, Garth Brooks, Karyn Rochelle, JP Williams, Shane Stevens and others.
 
 

Deep South Entertainment Launches Tennessee East Artist Management

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Jason Michael Carroll

Jason Michael Carroll

North Carolina-based entertainment company Deep South Entertainment has opened Tennessee East Artist Management and has signed country singer Jason Michael Carroll.

Tennessee East is jointly owned by Dave Rose, president of Deep South Entertainment, and Kevin Frazier, owner of City Limits Saloon in Raleigh, N.C. and Wilmington, N.C. Frazier possesses more than 15 years experience and will serve as president to lead the management group’s operations.
“I’m honored to be working alongside two people who I have respected in this business for many years: Jason Michael Carroll as one of the greatest singer-songwriters to come out of North Carolina, and Dave Rose who has managed some of the most respected artists in the business,” says Frazier.
Tennessee East is preparing for Carroll’s first radio single release since 2011, “Close Enough,” to impact radio this spring. Carroll hits the road this summer with more than 75 tour dates on the books for 2013. Plans to releases a live DVD later this year are also in the works.

Gospel Great George Beverly Shea Passes

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George Beverly Shea111

George Beverly Shea


Gospel Music Hall of Fame member George Beverly Shea has died at the age of 104.
Known as “America’s beloved gospel singer” and/or “the first international singing star of the gospel world,” Shea passed away on Tuesday, April 16, in Asheville, N.C. For decades, he was the vocalist of the Billy Graham Crusades. This made him arguably the most widely heard gospel performer of all time. It is estimated that Shea has sung in front of more than 200 million people. He is notable for popularizing the standard “How Great Thou Art.” In addition, he co-wrote the gospel classics “I’d Rather Have Jesus” and “The Wonder of It All.”
A bass-baritone with chesty resonance and impeccable diction, Shea recorded more than 70 albums during his career. His 1966 LP Southland Favorites, recorded with the Anita Kerr Singers in Nashville, won a Grammy Award. In 2011, Shea was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy.
Born Feb. 1, 1909 as the son of a Methodist minister, Shea was a native of Ontario, Canada. As a young man, he worked for Mutual Life Insurance in New York City. His singing career began with radio stints in Manhattan and Philadelphia. In 1939, he became a staff announcer and singer in Chicago on WMBI, a station owned by the Moody Bible Institute.
He met Billy Graham there in 1943. Graham recruited Shea to perform on his radio show, “Songs in the Night” (1944-52). Shea was also the host of the ABC network religious show “Club Time” (1944-52). Later, he and Graham starred on the long-running weekly broadcasts “Hour of Decision” (1950-present).
He was featured at the first Billy Graham Crusade, staged in Charlotte, N.C. in 1947. In fact, Shea was initially billed above Graham, since he was the better-known of the two at the time. He also began his recording career in 1947.
George Beverly Shea was the author of several books, including Then Sings My Soul (1968), Songs That Lift the Heart (1972) and his 2004 memoir How Sweet the Sound. He is also the subject of the 2009 authorized biography George Beverly Shea: Tell Me the Story.
He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1978.
Shea is survived by wife Karlene, plus children Ronald and Elaine and several other descendents.
 

Big Machine Music and Dr. Luke's Prescription Songs Partner

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Pictured (L-R): Prescription Song's Beka Tischker, Dr. Luke, Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta & Big Machine Music's Mike Molinar

Pictured (L-R): Prescription Song’s Beka Tischker, Dr. Luke, Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta & Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar. Photos courtesy of Big Machine Label Group/Erik Philbrook


Big Machine Label Group (BMLG) President/CEO Scott Borchetta and Prescription Songs Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald have created a music publishing joint venture between Nashville-based Big Machine Music and Los Angeles-based Prescription Songs. The partnership will allow the companies to co-publish songwriters and artists whose talents translate across genres. The announcement was made at the eighth annual ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO in Hollywood, Calif.
The first writer signed to the publishing joint venture is 18-year-old artist RaeLynn, who was a contestant on Season 2 of NBC’s The Voice. The Baytown, Texas, native is currently writing music for her forthcoming debut Country album.
Big Machine Music (BMM) has signed talented songwriters such as Country hitmakers Justin Moore, Dustin Lynch, Greg Bates and Raul Malo of The Mavericks. BMM’s hit songs include “Til My Last Day” & “Backwoods” (Justin Moore), “Cowboys and Angels” (Lynch) and “Did It For The Girl” (Bates).
Pictured (L-R): Beka Tischker, Dr. Luke, RaeLynn, Scott Borchetta & Mike MolinarPhotos courtesy of Big Machine Label Group/Erik Philbrook

Pictured (L-R): Beka Tischker, Dr. Luke, RaeLynn, Scott Borchetta & Mike Molinar
Photos courtesy of Big Machine Label Group/Erik Philbrook


Founded by Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, Prescription Songs’ roster of creative talent includes Katy Perry,Ke$ha, Bonnie McKee, Ammo, Benny Blanco, Cirkut, Becky G and Koool Kojak, among others. The publishing company’s catalogue includes hit songs such as “Teenage Dream,” “E.T.,” “Wide Awake” (Katy Perry) and “Tik Tok,” “Blow,” “We R Who We R” (Ke$ha),”Good Feeling” (Flo Rida), and “Dynamite” (Taio Cruz).
“Dr. Luke is one of the most talented writer/producer/publisher forces in the world,” said Borchetta. “When he rang me up with the idea to join together and create a direct and collaborative publishing company I think I said ‘yes’ before he could finish the sentence. By joining together, our collective opportunities will provide an incredible pathway for our writers to have access to the biggest and best in Pop and Country.”
“Big Machine is one of the most innovative and forward-thinking independent companies in music today,” said Gottwald. “This collaboration between Big Machine Music and Prescription Songs, will be a wonderful new home for incredible music.”
BMM Vice President, Mike Molinar and Prescription’s Beka Tischker will oversee day-to-day management of the ventured songwriters and artists.

Sony Music Nashville Adds Marketing Director

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sarah westbrookSarah Westbrook has joined Sony Music Nashville as Director, Marketing, reporting to Sr. VP, Marketing, Paul Barnabee. In her new role, Westbrook will be responsible for the strategy, development and execution of targeted marketing campaigns for her assigned artists, which includes the Arista Nashville roster.
“Sarah is a unique talent in the music marketing landscape and we were thrilled to find her. We at Sony Music Nashville are incredibly excited about her addition and all that she brings to the table, from her experience managing consumer product marketing campaigns to her diversified background in digital, advertising and PR,” said Barnabee.
Most recently, Westbrook was VP of Marketing for SOUL by Ludacris, where she oversaw marketing communications programs —from digital advertising and PR, to social media and artist endorsements–for the company’s popular brand of consumer audio products.  Prior to that, she acted as a public relations consultant and Senior Global Corporate Communications Manager for the music instrument manufacturer Behringer/ Music Group Services USA.  A marketing veteran specialized in managing artist endorsements and relationships, Westbrook has also served as key member of The Stanton DJ, KRK Systems, Cerwin-Vega and Jensen brand marketing teams. She graduated with a  B.A. in Psychology and Marketing from University of Central Florida.
Westbrook has relocated from Austin, Texas, to Nashville, Tenn. and is currently in her position.
 

Gary Allan Concert Plays Like An Autobiography

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gary allanOnstage Gary Allan pulls off the remarkable feat of opening up emotionally without shedding his tough-guy armor. Last night (April 17) at the Ryman Auditorium, he was like a veteran soldier singing an autobiography of hurt, loss and heartache. The first of a two-night stand at the venue featured opener Kristen Kelly.
Allan’s recognizable vocals automatically make every song his own, and he displayed an even more potent authenticity on the tracks from his new album, Set You Free. Most artists don’t release a career-making album with almost two decades of steady success behind them, but Allan’s not a typical artist.
Clad in all black, the tattooed tunesmith offered a set that reminded fans of his track record of hits while showcasing his new material with exceptional believability. Lighting and video elements enhanced the experience and would translate well to a bigger venue.
Alongside Allan’s usual themes of pain and regret, the album offers signs of redemption. With Hillary Lindsey and Matt Warren, Allan composed the project’s biggest hit so far “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain),” a song about moving forward with the lyric “set you free.” Lindsey, who also appears in the music video and on the recording, came onstage to offer harmony vocals.
The mood was equally powerful on “It Ain’t The Whiskey,” with images of a church and cross on the video screen. His tendency for booze-fueled self-medication continued with the excellent but bitter lost-love song “Sand In My Soul,” a gem by the Warren Brothers and Blair Daly about wasting away at the beach.
Songwriter Rachel Proctor joined Allan for “You Without Me,” which they wrote with her husband John Lancaster, who is also Allan’s piano player.
Allan’s knack for picking songs with superb lyrics is undeniable. He acknowledged others who contributed to the album watching in the audience, including longtime producer Mark Wright, and songwriters Odie Blackmon and Sarah Buxton, co-writers with Allan on his exceptional current single “Pieces.”
The star didn’t neglect his past hits, going all the way back to his first single “Her Man,” a 1995 preview of his penchant for songs about regret, and his first No. 1 “Man To Man.” He covered a lot of territory, thrilling fans with favorites “Smoke Rings In The Dark,” “Nothing On But The Radio,” “Watching Airplanes,” “A Feelin’ Like That,” and “Best I Ever Had,” complete with a crowd sing-along.

Weekly Register: Country Sales Move Into The Wheelhouse

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bradBefore we peer at the past week’s sales, please note that consumers change formats slowly. Buyers are finally moving from physical CD sales to digital downloads, but the lethargic process has taken 10 years and is still unfinished. And did you know that iTunes will celebrate its 10th Anniversary on April 28, 2013?
Many industry observers believe that access or subscription music is the next big thing, streamed to user’s across multiple hardware channels. Yes, streaming dominance appears inevitable as bandwidth becomes ubiquitous throughout our lives. But don’t expect to see it gain critical mass overnight. As a recent NPD Group study of digital behavior shows, the transition will likely take years.

According to NPD’s “Annual Music Study 2012,” 44 million Americans bought at least one song track or album download last year. That number has remained relatively stable over the past three years, despite the rapid growth of Pandora and other music-streaming options. “There’s a belief that consumers don’t need to buy music because of streaming options,” says NPD Group’s Russ Crupnick. “When in fact streamers are much more likely than the average consumer to buy music downloads.” In addition NPD estimates that, thanks mostly to purchases by teens, average per-buyer spending on music downloads increased 6% Y/Y, and the number of consumers purchasing both single tracks and full albums increased.

weeklygrid4-14-13Grid And Bear It-Albums
Country album sales and the Top current country album chart received an upward lift into positive territory this week with the release of album debuts from Brad Paisley (No. 1; 100k; 40% digital) and Eric Church’s live set Caught In The Act (No. 3; 61k; 43% digital). Paisley’s last album This Is Country Music debuted the week ending 5-29-11 also at No. 1, but with sales of 153k units.
For comparisons, here is a list of other 2013 country album debuts that arrived in the 100k+ units range:
1/27/13; Gary Allan; 106k
2/10/13; Tim McGraw; 107k
3/10/13; Luke Bryan; 150k
3/31/13; Blake Shelton; 199K
4/7/13; The Band Perry; 129k
Also impacting sales was the ACM Awards which gave renewed energy to albums from artists like Miranda Lambert (No. 15; 12k; up 61%), Eric Church (No. 7; 19k; up 28%), Little Big Town (No. 9; 16k; up 32%), plus others such as Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. ACM performer gains were also evident in the tracks department.
weeklygrid4-7-13Grid And Bear It—Tracks
Florida Georgia Line or FGL continues to rule the country tracks list as “Cruise” added 179k more downloads for an impressive RTD total of over 2.7 million. YTD Country track sales are ahead ahead of the same period last year by 6.4% while all genre tracks sales lag last year, -2%. Downloads for Hunter Hayes’ new single “I Want Crazy” leapt up 495% to almost 110k units for the week. Luke Bryan’s single, “Crash My Party” logged 164k downloads an increase of 526% for the week. Also benefiting from the TV spotlight was Tim McGraw’s stunning duet with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban on guitar, “Highway Don’t Care” which increased W/W by 40% with sales of over 115k units.
The Spring rush is on with upcoming new albums from Kenny Chesney and LeAnn Rimes the week of April 30; then Lady Antebellum and Pistol Annies the week of May 7. Find a complete list upcoming albums here.
Stay tuned to the Weekly Register which is starting to ring loud.
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I’d also like to take a moment to grieve and show solidarity with the people in Boston who have suffered a great loss this week at the city’s famed Marathon. Let’s pray for the speedy recovery of those injured and for the hearts of their loved ones who are also going through a terrible ordeal. Their bravery in the face of evil is an inspiration to us all.