Erv Woolsey Company Adds Artist To Roster

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Pictured (L-R): Steve Branch, Erv Woolsey, Dean Scallan

Branch & Dean sign with Erv Woolsey Company


Erv Woolsey, long-time manager of George Strait, has signed a management agreement with new country act Branch & Dean. The duo is comprised of Florida natives Steve Branch and Dean Scallan, who are promoting their current single “The Dash,” which sits in the Top 25 on the MusicRow radio chart.
“Having seen many artists perform, I was blown away by their live show. I am excited to be working with Branch & Dean,” says Woolsey.
“It is exciting for us to be with such a well-respected and knowledgeable manager,” says Dean Scallan. “We can’t wait to see what happens next. We are getting great response from radio with our new single and we are playing shows. What more can we ask for?,” adds Steve Branch.
“The Dash” released widely in June 2013; the song is a tribute to Steve Branch’s only son Theron Steven William Branch, who passed away on March 15, 2013, following a long struggle with Cystic Fibrosis.

Country Radio Broadcasters/CRS Get New Office Location

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Pictured L to R: Bill Mayne (Executive Director), Chasity Crouch (Business Manager), Charlie Morgan (CRS President), Michelle Tigard Kammerer (Director of Brand Marketing and Strategic Sponsorships), Kristen McRary (Event Support Director and Executive Assistant), Bradford Hollingsworth (Director of Brand Marketing and Strategic Sponsorships), Sheree Latham (Agenda Coordinator) and Kristen England (Creative Director).

Pictured (L-R): Bill Mayne (Executive Director), Chasity Crouch (Business Manager), Charlie Morgan (CRS President), Michelle Tigard Kammerer (Director of Brand Marketing and Strategic Sponsorships), Kristen McRary (Event Support Director and Executive Assistant), Bradford Hollingsworth (Director of Brand Marketing and Strategic Sponsorships), Sheree Latham (Agenda Coordinator) and Kristen England (Creative Director).


Country Radio Seminar officials have relocated to a new address on Music Row. The move was due to the sale of their previous building, which was located on 18th Ave S., which has since been demolished to make way for a new apartment development project. The office is now located at 1009 16th Ave South, Nashville, TN 37212. All email addresses stay the same, as does their main phone number, which is (615) 327-4487.
To view the final hours of the old CRS office building, watch the time-lapse video clip (shot by Hi-Fi Fusion’s Todd Cassetty) below.

Symphony Musicians Served Tentative Contract

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schermerhorn symphony center111The Nashville Symphony Association together with The Nashville Musicians Association and AFM Local 257 reached a tentative agreement last Friday (Aug. 16) regarding the orchestra musicians’ contract, according to a statement from the Nashville Symphony/Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
The agreement remains pending by ratification from the members of the orchestra. The tentative arrangement comes after the Schermerhorn’s summer of financial unrest.

Luke Bryan Sells Out Nashville Tour Dates

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luke bryan crash my party album cover1111
Luke Bryan has sold out both of his Dirt Road Diary tour dates at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 18 and 19. Both dates sold out in less than five minutes. Bryan’s Oct. 18 show will feature tour mates Florida Georgia Line and Thompson Square, while his Oct. 19 show will feature special guests Dierks Bentley and Cole Swindell.
“I have had the most amazing week launching the new album,” said Bryan. “The overwhelming response of my fans to this new music and to the ‘Dirt Road Diaries Tour’ has blown me away.  We are definitely going to have a party in Nashville in October!”
When the singer learned that his diehard fans were camping out around the arena’s box office, he thanked them for their support by sending them coffee and donuts. Bryan’s latest album Crash My Party is on shelves now. For more information on the singer’s album and tour, visit lukebryan.com.
 

Nathan Hubbard Exits Ticketmaster

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ticketmasterGlobal President of Ticketmaster Nathan Hubbard has exited the company, according to Billboard.biz. The company’s North American President Jared Smith will retain that title, but is expected to assume many of Hubbard’s duties. Smith, along with Ticketmaster’s International President Mark Yovich will report to Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino. An SEC filing confirmed Hubbard’s departure from the company.
Hubbard was named CEO of Ticketmaster after it merged with Live Nation in 2010. He had previously been Chief Executive Officer of Ticketing Unit at Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. He joined Live Nation through the acquisition of Music Today’s direct-to-fan platform in 2006, where Hubbard served as CEO. Hubbard is a graduate of Princeton University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
In early 2009, Live Nation Ticketing was launched as a direct competitor to Ticketmaster, but LNT was done away with after Ticketmaster’s merger with Live Nation.

T.J. Martell Foundation Announces 38th Annual Gala Honorees

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TJcarrie underwood featured111The T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research has announced that Carrie Underwood will be honored at its 38th Annual Honors Gala on Tuesday, Oct. 22 with the 2013 Artist Achievement Award. The gala will be held at the legendary Cipriani in New York.

Other honorees during the evening include Jennifer Breithaupt, SVP of Marketing CITI (Spirit of Music Award), Brandon Steiner, CEO of Steiner Sports (Humanitarian of the Year Award), John Sykes, President of Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises (Lifetime Music Industry Achievement Award) and Target Corporation (Spirit of Excellence Award). Celebrity performers and presenters will be announced throughout the summer.
“When I started this Foundation with several of my peers in the music and entertainment business in honor of my son T.J., I wanted to do all that I could to make sure other families would not have to suffer the way my family did,” said Tony Martell, Founder & Chairman of the T.J. Martell Foundation. “We are thrilled to honor Carrie Underwood with this year’s Artist Achievement Award.”
Past honorees have included former President George W. Bush and former President William J. Clinton, the late Frances Williams Preston, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Anne Curry, Al Roker, Clive Davis, Arnold Palmer, Del Bryant, Scott Borchetta, Clarence Avant, Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, the late Gil Freisen, Irving Azoff, Russell Simmons, Monte & Avery Lipman, Bruce Lundvall, John Esposito, Joel Katz and the late Ahmet Ertegun. The T.J. Martell New York Honors Gala is sponsored by American Airlines.

Old Crow Medicine Show To Become Opry Members

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Old Crow Medicine Show, Sally Williams (second from left) Ryman Auditorium, Marty Stuart and Pete Fisher (far right) Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo.

Old Crow Medicine Show, Sally Williams (second from left) Ryman Auditorium, Marty Stuart and Pete Fisher (far right) Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo.


Old Crow Medicine Show was invited to become the latest members of the Grand Ole Opry during their show last Friday night (Aug. 16) in Ohio. The string band has long-standing ties with the Opry since some of its first performances took place on the sidewalks outside the Opry House in 2000 playing for fans on their way into and out of Opry shows. They’ve come a long way since then, making their first official performance on the Opry stage a year later in January 2001, and subsequently playing the hallowed hall dozens of times since. Their formal induction ceremony will take place Sept. 17.
The band received their surprise invitation to join the Opry from Marty Stuart during their show at the Ohio Theater in Cleveland. Clearly thrilled with the invitation, they gave a resounding yes and then launched into  “We Don’t Grow Tobacco” with Stuart before performing their signature tune/fan favorite, “Wagon Wheel.”
“Inviting Old Crow to become our next member is truly exciting for us,” said Pete Fisher, Opry vice president and general manager. “For one, Old Crow has grown before our eyes from entertaining Opry-goers for free in the Opry Plaza a dozen years ago to rank today among the most respected and popular acts in music. It’s also exciting that in many ways Old Crow looks and sounds a lot like some of the string bands of the 1920s  which helped first propel the Opry to national prominence. While recent Opry inductees and contemporary hit-makers such as Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and Dierks Bentley, will help shape the Opry in coming years, our future is also in excellent hands with this group, which happens to be quite reminiscent of our musical past. It’s an awesome full circle.”

16th Annual Buds-n-Suds Music Festival Announces Headliner

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buds n suds111Joe Diffie is confirmed to headline Losers’s Most Wanted Bar and The Big 98 WSIX Present the 16th Annual Buds-n-Suds Music Festival, set for Thursday, Oct. 17.
The outdoor concert will be held at Loser’s in Nashville, to support the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Tennessee Chapter. The performance will take place beginning at 6 p.m. Additional performers will be announced soon.
General admission tickets are Free, with VIP tickets available for a discounted $50 donation. VIP tickets will include a special seating area, drink tickets and light appetizers. To purchase VIP tickets, visit budsnsuds.eventbrite.com.

Sony Corp. A Contender For Elvis Presley Estate

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elvisThe estates of Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali, owned by Core Media, were up for a second round of auction bidding which ended Wednesday (Aug. 14), according to the New York Post. Assets of the estate include a half interest in Elvis’ music publishing catalog, which has an annual net publishing revenue of $6 million. According to reports, real estate assets Graceland and Heartbreak Hotel are also included in the Presley estate. Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie commented via Twitter, stating that, “Graceland and all of its artifacts are all mine and always will B [sic].”
Sony Corp. and the G2 Investment Group are reportedly working on a joint bid for the assets. Sony Music Entertainment currently controls the Presley master recording catalog; a purchase of the estate would eliminate artist royalty payments from Sony to the estate.

'MusicRow' No. 1 Song

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Kenny Chesney. Photo: Shaun Silva

Kenny Chesney. Photo: Shaun Silva


Perhaps it’s fitting that Kenny Chesney’s “When I See This Bar” takes the MusicRow Chart’s No. 1 spot this week, at the end of the summer season.
As the weather softens and school bells ring, the title offers a chance for reflection on vacations and memories beyond. The song, written by Chesney and Keith Gattis, has spent the past 13 weeks surfing to the top as the second title released from Chesney’s 2013 project, Life On A Rock.
The 4:07-minute radio edit has been extended to over six minutes for the music video, directed by Chesney’s mainstay director Shaun Silva.
Speaking of summer wrapping, Chesney has four dates left on his No Shoes Nation tour, not including his appearance at The Zac Brown Band’s Southern Ground festival in Nashville, Fri. Sept. 27. The stadium singer has announced plans to take 2014 off from touring.