Del Bryant To Retire From BMI, Relocate To Nashville

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del bryantDel Bryant will retire in June 2014 and will relocate from New York to Nashville. He worked at BMI for 42 years and will continue as a consultant for the company.
“I’ve been privileged to lead this company I love, one of the world’s greatest music companies,” Bryant said via a statement. “I began my career with BMI in 1972 and after four decades with the company and 10 years as CEO, I’m excited to be moving back to my hometown of Nashville where my family and I will build a farm on beautiful land purchased by my folks with money earned from their BMI catalog. I look forward to working with the board during the transition period, and to supporting the company as a consultant after retiring as CEO.”
Bryant is the son of the late Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, Nashville songwriters who wrote “Bye Bye Love,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” “Rocky Top,” the state song of Tennessee and other hits.
The board of directors has formed a committee to choose Bryant’s successor.
Bryant’s letter to BMI staff is included below:
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My Dear Colleagues,
Milestones and dreams have formed a decision that I want to share with you. Earlier this year I requested the board renew my contract only through June of 2014, when I will step down as President and CEO. June 2014 will mark 42 years of service to BMI with 10 years as President and CEO. In 2014 I will be 65 and my son Tad will be 10.
In the last couple of years, Carolyn and I have realized that Tad is much more of a country kid than city kid. We have created something that we call the “farm dream” which means a house with a lot of land for animals and gardens. In order to make this dream a reality we will be moving to my hometown, Nashville, in the summer of 2014. We will be building a farm on beautiful property purchased by my folks with money earned from their BMI catalog. It is a tract upon which my father always hoped to build and live. The idea of going home, melding my dad’s dream with ours, being with other branches of my family and dear friends, playing with Tad, having great school options, tinkering with projects, and relaxing is very exciting.
In a little over a year I’ll focus on how blessed I feel to have forged such a rewarding career helping songwriters and publishers. I will highlight the incredible accomplishments of this team. We’ll reminisce about time together. Again, that’s over a year away. In the meantime, I have a lot to do and I remain intensely committed to the work at hand at the company I love.
The board’s esteem for my career contributions is evident in their excitement for me and support. I stand ready to lend my insight and history as they embark on the same process as when I succeeded Frances Preston. I’m certain that the board’s wisdom and experience will result in a leadership team that will be great for the company, the communities we serve, and the industry. I will work tirelessly to help prepare my successor and will, along with the board, keep you abreast of the search and transition. I will also remain engaged as a consultant. Thereafter, as I’ve always been, an ambassador for BMI.
Thank you in advance for your well wishes and for keeping your priorities right where they are and where they need to be: on business as usual and hard work.
Del

Industry Ink (5-1-13)

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Libby Esposito, mother of John Esposito, President & CEO of Warner Music Nashville, passed away on Wednesday, May 1, at the age of 93. MusicRow offers its condolences to John Esposito and his family.

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Jeff Allen

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Jeff Allen has signed with Sony/ATV Music Publishing and will participate in its ongoing “Nashville Guitars and Bars” artist development initiative.

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Reunion Records announces the signing of California-based worship leader, songwriter and blogger Tim Timmons. His debut album titled Cast My Cares releases June 4.
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Erika Cole

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Singer/songwriter Erika Cole has signed a management deal with Capri Nashville, the company founded by entertainment attorney Christian Barker. Cole is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music.

ASCAP Celebrates Amy Grant's 'How Mercy Looks From Here'

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Pictured (L to R): Vince Gill, Jeremy Bose, Ben Glover, Amy Grant, Luke Laird, Molly Reed, Marshall Altman, Eric Paslay and Keb Mo (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Amy Grant)

Pictured (L to R): Vince Gill, Jeremy Bose, Ben Glover, Amy Grant, Luke Laird, Molly Reed, Marshall Altman, Eric Paslay and Keb Mo (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Amy Grant).


Yesterday (April 30), ASCAP and Capitol Christian Music Group celebrated the upcoming May 14 release of Amy Grant‘s first album in 10 years, How Mercy Looks From Here. Many of the songs on the project are harvested from a challenging decade for the singer. In late April 2011, Grant’s mother, Gloria Dean Napier Grant, died at age 80. Grant has spent much time caring for her father, Dr. Burton Grant, who has suffered from dementia for the past four years. An appropriate essence of living in the moment, and appreciating life’s joys as well as its heartaches, permeates tracks including “Greet The Day,” “Our Time Is Now” (featuring Carole King), and “Golden.”
The album was produced by Marshall Altman (Natasha Bedingfield, Matt Nathanson, Kate Voegele, Matt Duke, Audrey Assad and Marc Broussard), and Grant says the experience was one that stretched her creatively. “We took the songs that I had written, that we thought were the best ones and Marshall put them through this grueling process of tearing them apart, making me fight for every chorus, every line, which was the best creative experience I could have had. It was a great lesson in just pushing against another creative mind.”
The project features plenty of high-profile collaborations, including Will Hoge (“Shovel In Hand”), Vince Gill (who lent his vocals and guitar work to “Better Not To Know,” “How Mercy Looks From Here,” “Deep As It Is Wide” and “Shovel In Hand”) and James Taylor. Taylor is featured on the album’s first single, “Don’t Try So Hard.”
“I’m a big James Taylor fan,” says Grant. “I’ve stood in many meet and greet lines backstage to say hello to him.” They first collaborated professionally in 1987. “I showed up with a 9-week-old fussy baby boy and I was exhausted,” Grant recalls. “[Taylor] looked at me and said, ‘Hand me that child.’ So really, when somebody helps you with your children…” she says with a laugh, “…and then he came to Nashville when Minnie Pearl and I did a benefit for the American Cancer Society. He came and did that and we slowly forged that friendship.”
Sheryl Crow and Eric Paslay trade verses and harmonies with Grant on the Paslay-penned “Deep As It Is Wide.” “Eric and I passed in the studio many days because we were working with the same producer and I was nearing the end of the record and I kept thinking about the song,” says Grant. “We called Sheryl Crow and she happened to be home and said, ‘Send me the song.’ There was such an amazing spontaneity to it. It was one invitation at a time. Everything just fell in order; it was really beautiful.”
The group met at Crow’s home outside of Nashville to sort out verses and harmony lines. “Marshall, Sheryl, Eric and I sat in her living room with a guitar and divided the song up and just sang it. Rather than try to get a road map in the studio, we just thought, ‘How would we sing it if we were just having a conversation?’ I love how it turned out. It feels like three people having this conversation about something that is bigger than they can comprehend.”
It is not certain if the Grant-Paslay-Crow collaboration is a possible radio single, but Grant knows she will be touring and bringing the new material to her audience. “I don’t know what plans are for radio,” says Grant. “It makes sense because of some of the people singing that it might open up a different market besides just the faith-based radio stations, but I’ve never stopped touring. I don’t tour like I did decades ago, so I’m just slowly adding the new songs in.”
Pictured (L to R): LeAnn Phelan (ASCAP), Amy Grant, Michael Martin (ASCAP) and Peter York (President, Capitol Christian Music Group Label Group). (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Amy Grant)

Pictured (L to R): LeAnn Phelan (ASCAP), Amy Grant, Michael Martin (ASCAP) and Peter York (President, Capitol Christian Music Group Label Group). (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Amy Grant)

Weekly Register: Fighting For Dashboard Control

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tateSirius XM Radio recently reported its first quarter profits increased 15% and revenue grew 12% to $897.4 million. Perhaps the best news from the satellite radio provider was an increase in net subscribers of 452,890 from a year ago, giving the company a total of 24.4 million paying customers.
According to a WSJ article, the bullish growth has been driven by used-car buyers who, due to special dealer arrangements, are being offered free trials. Data shows that over 50 million cars in the U.S. are equipped with satellite radios, while only half that number are paying subscribers.
SiriusXM’s good news was tempered by increasing competition from Internet radio offerings such as Pandora and interactive music channels like Spotify. In response to those and other online competitors, Sirius has created its own Internet offerings (extra $3.50 per month) that give listeners the ability to custom design their own channels.
Content providers will soon be immersed in a major slugfest for control of the all-powerful automobile dashboard. This writer, and many observers, now believe that Internet will drive distribution for the new dashboard interface. That means that all parties—terrestrial radio, satellite radio and Internet radio must establish or maintain a strong online presence. (Satellite radio will eventually reap a giant bonus with this strategy if, instead of costly replacement rocket launches, they simply use the Internet for distribution when its lofty sputniks burn out.)
weeklygrid4-28-13Sirius is especially well positioned for the upcoming battle with five times more paying subscribers than all the other players combined, although its road ahead may require flexibility if indeed it does transition to Internet distribution and face competitive pricing challenges.
The Nitty Grid-y
Seems like only yesterday the Nashville record community was arguing about Warner Music’s unorthodox Blake Shelton sixpak strategy. Would it devalue the music? Did it make the artist seem less important without a full size album? But more importantly, did Shelton’s increased six-pak visibility lead to getting the Voice judgeship which has played a major role in his exploding profile? With Shelton at No. 1 again this week and over 420k albums sold in five weeks, maybe we should send WMGN strategists Peter Strickland and John Esposito a little note saying, “Job well done, guys.”
weeklygrid4-21-13RCA’s Tate Stevens debuted this week in the No. 4 spot with sales of almost 17k (22.2% digital). Last week’s Casey Donahew Band debut tumbled 72% from No. 7 to No. 26.
Expect a frenzy of register ringing over the next four weeks as we see offerings from Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Pistol Annies, George Strait, Trace Adkins and Darius Rucker.
Overall, the week’s tepid country performance caused the YTD gain to slip in half from .9% last week to only .4% gain for the year. All genre music is faring much worse however, down 5.3% YTD.
The sad passing of Mr. George Jones was reflected in an outpouring of love on this week’s country digital tracks chart. “He Stopped Loving Her Today” entered at No. 15 with over 34k downloads followed by “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” (11k), “White Lightning” (7.6k), “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair” (6k), “Finally Friday” (5k), “Choices” (5k) and ”The Grand Tour” (5k). RIP George Jones.
All genre track sales are down 2% YTD, but country track sales are up 7%.
Look for Kenny Chesney launch results next week…

Bud Light Music First Concert Coming To Nashville

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bud light• • Bud Light announced today (May 1) it will present one concert in each of the 50 states on Thursday, Aug. 1, including a concert in Nashville. The “50/50/1” event is the culmination of the new “Bud Light Music First” program. Live Nation is curating the line up which includes Kendrick Lamar, Sublime with Rome, Alex Clare, The Flaming Lips, Drive-By Truckers, The Gaslight Anthem, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Hold Steady, Corey Smith, and more. The Bud Light Music First app offers prizes including UMG music downloads. Fans can livestream the concerts via MySpace. The Nashville venue has not been announced.
• • Brett James, Jason Sellers, Natalie Hemby, Wendell Mobley, Neil Thrasher and special guests will perform at Songs for Sound to raise money for children who need cochlear implants. The concert is May 23, 8 p.m., at the Grand Ole Opry House. Tickets are $29 here.
• • Bob Dylan’s Americanarama Festival of Music tour will visit Nashville on Sunday, June 30 at The Lawn at Riverfront Park. On the schedule are Dylan and his Band, WILCO, My Morning Jacket, and Bob Weir. Details here.

Country Artists Snag Daytime Emmy Nods

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Trisha Yearwood’s Food Network show Trisha’s Southern Kitchen earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Culinary Program today (May 1). Her third season begins airing Saturday, May 25.
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Little Big Town was recently announced as a nominee for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song “Good Afternoon” for Good Afternoon America on ABC.
“Good Afternoon” was co-written by Little Big Town, Brett Warren and Brad Warren and was produced by Jay Joyce. It was recorded in Nashville, Tenn. this past summer.
“What an unexpected honor to be nominated for an Emmy,” said Jimi Westbrook. “This is something we never could have dreamed up as a band and we are beyond thrilled to say the least!”
The announcement comes fresh off of the heels of a sold-out show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.
The 2013 Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony will take place on June 16 in Beverly Hills, Calif., airing on the cable network HLN.

Country Music Hall of Fame's 'Hot Nights at the Hall' Returns

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countrymusichalloffameThe Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s Hot Nights at the Hall summer concert series for museum members will return on June 4 with a performance by Ashley Monroe.
The series debuted in the summer of 2010 and features live music, complimentary food,  a cash bar, autograph signings, a limited edition Hatch Show Print® poster and exclusive access to the museum and Museum Store.
Upcoming performers include Sarah Darling on July 19 and Craig Campbell on August 9.
Admission to Hot Nights at the Hall is free to all museum members. Museum membership begins at $40 and includes admission to all three concert events as well as a year of free admission to the museum, invitations to other member-only events and much more. A membership may be purchased at the door on each night of the series, by phone at (615) 291-8419 or at countrymusichalloffame.org/membership.
“Our members are a vital part of our museum family, and their contributions directly support our mission,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “Hot Nights at the Hall allows us to say ‘thank you’ to the members we have, and to encourage others to join us by providing them with a really great value and yet another benefit to museum membership. We’re excited to bring the series back for a third year and again offer members old and new a chance to hear some great music, meet the performers and enjoy our exhibits after hours.”

The Civil Wars' Sophomore Album Coming This Summer

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civil wars111The Civil Wars announced today (May 1) that the duo will release its self-titled sophomore album this summer. The duo, comprised of Joy Williams and John Paul White, released their debut album, Barton Hollow, in 2011.
Earlier this year, The Civil Wars canceled all of their upcoming concerts due to “irreconcilable differences of ambition.”
“Patience is a virtue,” White said via a letter posted on the duo’s website. “Yours has been appreciated. Here’s to the hope you consider it rewarded.”
Shortly after the duo’s announcement was made, their official website became temporarily unavailable. There is no word whether the duo will resume touring.

[Updated] George Jones Memorial To Feature Star-Studded Tributes

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george jones new image1111Thursday’s (May 2) public memorial for George Jones will take place at the Grand Ole Opry House, and an all-star lineup will be on hand to pay tribute to the entertainer that many call the best singer in country music.
The funeral will include musical performances by Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Alan Jackson, Ronnie Milsap, The Oak Ridge Boys, Brad Paisley, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Kid Rock, Tanya Tucker and Wynonna.
First Lady Laura Bush, Kenny Chesney, Grand Ole Opry’s Pete Fisher, Governor Bill Haslam, Governor Mike Huckabee, Barbara Mandrell and CBS’ Bob Schieffer will all make special remarks.
Garth Brooks and Dierks Bentley will also be in attendance, though not speaking or performing.
The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. and is open to the public. Doors will open at 9 a.m. The funeral will be broadcast live on several outlets, including all four of Nashville’s local television stations, as well as on CMT, GAC, RFD and FamilyNet and opry.com, WSM 650 AM and SiriusXM.
••• Update: Music industry members who wish to attend the event should park in the public parking lot shared by Opry Mills and the Grand Ole Opry House. At the front of the Opry Plaza you will be directed to the Music Industry entrance doors of the Opry House, and from there you will be seated in an area reserved for Music Industry professionals. This seating will be accommodated on a first come, first-served basis.

Toby Keith Thanks Troops With Visits To Guam, Philippines

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Toby Keith is thanking troops and their families with a three-country, 10-day USO tour April 28-May 7. Keith is currently visiting the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii to lift the spirits of troops and their loved ones. During the tour, he is scheduled to perform seven USO shows exclusively for military families.
“It feels so good to be back out visiting and performing for our troops in uniform and their families,” Keith said. “I’ve toured a lot in my lifetime but nothing beats traveling with the USO, having the opportunity to uplift the spirits of our nation’s service heroes and showing them that America is always by their side no matter where they are in the world,” said Keith.

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The troops applaud Keith and Scotty Emerick as they entertain on April 28.


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At left, Keith performs his acoustic show with Scotty Emerick.