Black River Entertainment has hired Marisa Henderson as Creative and Client Services. In this role, Henderson will be the first to greet guests as they enter the record company and will also be assisting in creative output for Black River. The Pensacola, Fla. native graduated from Troy University and has been living in Nashville for four years. Her career has included time at Music City News Media and Marketing and Warner Music Nashville.
Reporting to Black River’s General Manager, Greg McCarn, Henderson can be reached at Marisa@blackriverent.com or at 615-780-3070.
 

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Country Radio Seminar has commissioned a comprehensive Country music research study for presentation at CRS 2014, with data on the increased popularity country music is seeing with the 12-34 year-old age group. Edison Research is surveying 1500 12-34 year-old music and radio consumers to provide insight into the generation’s music attitudes and behaviors. The team will interview a random pool of young country music listeners in their home environments.
In 2010, Country was ranked 4th with a 7.2 share according to Arbitron, but in Fall 2012 Country climbed to 2nd, only behind Top 40, with a 9.5 share.
The panel, titled “The New ‘Young Country’ Boom and What it Means to You” and scheduled for Wed. Feb. 19 at 2:30 p.m., will include a multi-media presentation of the study, presented by Edison Research’s Larry Rosen and media strategist, Jayne Charneski.
CRS 2014 will be held February 19-21, 2014 at the downtown Nashville Convention Center.

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Ryman Auditorium and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Lynyrd Skynyrd, will pay homage to vets with a Veterans Day celebration and fundraiser on Nov. 11, 2013. Partnering with Gibson Brands and 105.9 The Rock, proceeds from a special auction will benefit Guitars for Vets (G4V).
Prior to the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert on Nov. 11, the Ryman will host a preshow plaza party starting at 5:00 p.m. Attendees will enjoy live music while they check out guitars which are to be auctioned online and as part of a silent auction at the concert. Puckett’s “Trolley Parton” will be on site and any concert-goers riding motorcycles will be allowed to park on the Ryman drive as space allows.
Guitars for Vets is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in Milwaukee in 2007. G4V currently operates over 30 chapters in 15 states with the assistance of over one hundred volunteers nationwide. This event will serve as a kick-off for the formation of a new Nashville chapter of G4V. Wounded Warriors supports the organization and will select the first two veterans to participate in the G4V Nashville chapter. Gibson will provide guitars to be awarded to these veterans.

Media is abuzz after Garth Brooks recently sent a cryptic message to fans. On Friday, Oct. 18, before Brooks hit the stage in Las Vegas, an email from the star’s camp went out: “The sevens have aligned. It has begun…thank you so much for believing…love, g.” Brooks’ official website echoes this sentiment with rolling thunder, lightning strikes and an occasional “It Has Begun…” text.
We do know Country music’s best-selling entertainer announced his retirement in 2000 to focus on raising his three daughters. Taylor Mayne Pearl and August Anna are reportedly out of high school, while youngest, Allie Colleen, will graduate next year.
From Memorial Day to the 4th of July this year, after spending three years acoustically performing at Steve Wynn‘s resort casino, Brooks recorded six shows at the Wynn. Last month (Sept. 21), Trisha Yearwood confirmed her husband was currently in the studio working on a new project.
Rumors have been floating around that a DVD/CD box set, including multiple new studio albums, is in the works. Additionally, a songwriter reunion with the star is rumored for next month in a Nashville club.
Knowing Brooks, we’re sure not to miss his official announcement. Stay tuned!
Brooks’ encore run will continue at the Las Vegas casino with two more sold-out shows, Nov. 8 and 9.

On Monday (Oct. 21), YouTube announced the nominations for its inaugural Music Awards, which will be directed by Spike Jonez and webcast live from New York City’s Pier 36 on Nov. 3.
The nominations cover a variety of artists, including Country darling Taylor Swift, who received a nomination for Artist of the Year. Her song “I Knew You Were Trouble” garnered a nomination in the YouTube Phenomenon category. Actor Jason Schwartzman will host the awards show, which will feature performances by Eminem, Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, M.I.A. and Avicii, among others.
The video site asked viewers to vote on nominations, which include six categories: Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Response of the Year, YouTube Phenomenon, YouTube Breakthrough and Innovation of the Year.
View all of the nominations below.
Video of the Year: Nominees represent the videos with the most fan engagement on YouTube over the last year.

• Epic Rap Battles Of History — “Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney”
• Demi Lovato — “Heart Attack”
• Girls’ Generation ­– “I Got A Boy”
• Justin Bieber (feat. Nicki Minaj) — “Beauty And A Beat”
• Lady Gaga ­– “Applause”
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. Mary Lambert) — “Same Love”
• Miley Cyrus ­ — “We Can’t Stop”
• One Direction ­– “Best Song Ever”
• PSY ­– “Gentleman”
• Selena Gomez ­– “Come & Get It”

Artist of the Year: Focused on acts YouTube fans have made stars, nominees represent the most watched, shared, liked, and subscribed ­to artists.

• Eminem
• Epic Rap Battles
• Justin Bieber
• Katy Perry
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
• Nicki Minaj
• One Direction
• PSY
• Rihanna
• Taylor Swift

Response of the Year: Best fan remix, parody or response video, these nominees represent the top “unofficial” fan videos on YouTube based on views, shares and other social activity.

• Boyce Avenue (feat. Fifth Harmony) ­– “Mirrors
• Jayesslee ­– “Gangnam Style”
• Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix ­– “Radioactive”
• ThePianoGuys ­– “Titanium / Pavane”
• Walk Off the Earth (feat. KRNFX) — “I Knew You Were Trouble”

YouTube Phenomenon: Nominees are based on the phenomena that generated the most fan videos.

• Diamonds
• Gangnam Style
• Harlem Shake
• I Knew You Were Trouble
• Thrift Shop

YouTube Breakthrough: Focusing on breakout new acts, nominees represent the artists who experienced the biggest growth in views and subscribers.

• Kendrick Lamar
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
• Naughty Boy
• Passenger
• Rudimental

Innovation of the Year: Most creative and innovative music videos on YouTube.

• Anamanaguchi ­– “ENDLESS FANTASY”
• Atoms For Peace ­– “Ingenue”
• Bat For Lashes ­– “Lilies”
• DeStorm ­– “See Me Standing”
• Toro Y Moi — “Say That”

• It will be all Luke Bryan, all the time on Nov. 6 when he kicks off country’s big day with a performance on ABC’s Good Morning America and then opens the 47th Annual CMA Awards later that night at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena as well. GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts will also be on hand for all the country festivities, reporting live from Bridgestone that morning and presenting a CMA Award that night during the show’s broadcast.
Bryan is nominated for three CMAs this year, including Entertainer of the Year. He is also nominated for Male Vocalist and Musical Event of the Year for “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Eric Church.
 

• Craig Campbell raised over $15,000 for the T.J. Martell Foundation‘s colon cancer research with his inaugural Celebrity Cornhole Challenge in June. During the event, he auctioned off a private backyard barbeque to the highest bidder, and earlier this month he traveled to Long Island to perform at the home of winners Bill and Anita Marie Robitsek.
The couple surprised Campbell at the event with limo transportation, a hotel, catering, and also handed him a $3,000 check of funds raised by friends and family who attended the special show.
 
•  Natalie Stovall and the Drive are releasing their first self-titled EP on iTunes. The Tennessee native is a road warrior, having played over 200 dates each year across college campuses, clubs and military bases around the globe. Her debut project was produced by Paul Worley and features six tracks showcasing Stovall’s vocal chops and high-octane energy. She’ll perform some of the tunes at a free show at Anthem in Nashville tonight (Oct. 21) at 6:15 p.m.
 
 
 

• Elvis manager Colonel Tom Parker‘s former Nashville office at 1215 Gallatin Road is up for sale. Parker maintained the offices even after Elvis became a massive star, and also managed artists like Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow from the building. The home has been well preserved over the years and will be marketed by Rockology’s Stephen Shutts. The property is being showcased on ebay with strict bidding criteria, and private tours will be available to a select qualified few during the duration of the sale. The property is zoned for multiple use.
“The property is easily one of the five most significant music-based properties in greater Nashville, if not the single most significant,” Shutts said. “This is a vault of music energy when you consider Elvis monumental career was strategically built, negotiated and managed from within these walls from 1955 to well past Elvis’s passing in 1977. Colonel Tom Parker captured musical lightening in this very building that eventually influenced the world as we know today”.