CRS Starts Today

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Catch Native Run and Natalie Stovall and the Drive at MusicRow's CRS party.

Catch Native Run, and Natalie Stovall And The Drive at ‘MusicRow’s’ CRS party.


Ready. Set. GO!!! Country Radio Seminar opens today (Tues., Feb. 18) with a bang.
MusicRow’s 12th annual CRS Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards, the unofficial kick off to CRS, will be today at Margaritaville in downtown Nashville, featuring performances by Native Run and Natalie Stovall & The Drive. Details here.
The jam-packed week will keep artists, industry and radio programmers hopping until the wee hours. Below are a few highlights from the official schedule, while tons of other invitation-only parties are also on attendees’ dockets.
All events are at the Renaissance Hotel/Nashville Convention Center unless otherwise noted.
Tuesday, Feb. 18
6:00 PM – 8:15 PM: Country Radio Hall of Fame Dinner & Ceremony. Honorees include Radio Inductees Larry Wilson and Mike Brophey; On-Air Personalities Paul Schadt and Jim Denny; Career Achievement Award winner Vince Gill; and President’s Award recipient Ed Hardy.
8:30 PM: Official Hall of Fame After Party featuring Rachele Lynae, sponsored by Momentum Label Group. Plus Millstar Entertainment artists Outshyne and a special guest appearance by Jamie O’Neal.
Wednesday, Feb. 19 
9:30 AM: Brett Eldredge will kick off the seminar with the national anthem at the opening ceremonies, followed by the presentation of Scholarship and the Artist Humanitarian Awards. Carrie Underwood is this year’s Artist Humanitarian Award recipient.
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM: Keynote Address: 11 Reasons Why Social Media Could Save The Radio Business Featuring Gavin McGarry Sponsored by Folds of Honor.
11:00 AM – 11:50 AM: Little Big Town “Perseverance” Sponsored by Folds of Honor. Bob Kingsley will conduct an interview with the CMA Vocal Group of the Year about perseverance in the country music industry.
12:00 PM – 2:20 PM: Team UMG at the Ryman Auditorium. This year’s performers are Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Easton Corbin, Billy Currington, Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Scotty McCreery, Kip Moore, Kacey Musgraves, David Nail, Jon Pardi, Eric Paslay, Darius Rucker and Josh Turner. Lunch served at NCC, Level 2, lobby near Ryman exit.
2:30 PM – 3:50 PM: CRS Research Presentation. Country Radio Seminar has commissioned a comprehensive Country music research study for presentation, with data on the increased popularity country music is seeing with the 12-34 year-old age group.
 Panelists: Larry Rosin, Jayne Charneski.
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Muscle Shoals: The Magic in the Music Sponsored by Muscle Shoals to Music Row Live and Alabama Tourism. These legendary producers and musicians are featured in a new award-winning documentary, Muscle Shoals. Panelists: Rick Hall, Jimmie Johnson, Spooner Oldham, Mac McAnnally, and David Hood. Moderator: Charlie Morgan.
9:30 PM – 11:30 PM: Muscle Shoals film screening.
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM: The Grand Ole Opry Presented by My Well Being Powered by Humana. Performances by Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Old Crow Medicine Show, along with Thompson Square, Chris Young, Charles Esten (Nashville), Love & Theft, Brandy Clark, Will Hoge and Eric Paslay. Bill Cody will host the event.
crs2014Thursday, Feb. 20
11:00 AM – 11:50 AM: CMA Presentation: Building a Strong Brand No Matter What Technology Does. Presenters: Mark Ramsey, Mark Ramsey Media; and Karen Stump, Senior Research Director, Country Music Association.
12:00 PM – 1:50 PM: UMG Nashville Lunch and Performance, Ryman Auditorium, with performers Jennifer Nettles, Brothers Osborne and Kalleigh Bannen.
3:00 PM – 3:50 PM: Why Choosy Brands Choose Country. Major brands are jumping on the country bandwagon. Moderator: Erica Farber, RAB. Panelists: Julie Craig, Retail Marketing Manager, Cracker Barrel;
Shari Lewin, William Morris Entertainment; Darcie Law, Vice President, Account Director, Chevrolet, Jack Morton Worldwide; and Mike Weidman, Chevrolet National Promotions Manager.
7:00 PM: Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley Sponsored by Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 and Co-Sponsored by Suntrust Bank, Beverage Bar Sponsored by ASCAP. Performers: Ben Hayslip, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Ashley Gorley, Rodney Clawson, Brett James, Matt Jenkins, Rhett Akins and Dallas Davidson.
Friday, Feb. 21
12:00 PM – 1:50 PM: Black River Entertainment Lunch and Performance with Kellie Pickler, Craig Morgan and John King.
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: BMI Legends Featuring John Oates Sponsored by BMI. Oates discusses his career and performs a couple of acoustic songs. John Esposito, President of Warner Music Nashville, will moderate.
6:30 PM – 10:00 PM: New Faces of Country Music® Dinner and Performance Co-Sponsored by MDA and ACM, with performers Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr, Cassadee Pope, Thomas Rhett and Charlie Worsham, followed by the Official After Party of the New Faces Show Presented by TNT’s Private Lives of Nashville Wives.

Music City Roots To Visit Ireland

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musiccityrootsMusic City Roots, Nashville’s weekly radio broadcast for Americana and roots music, will air a webcast from the United Airlines 10th annual Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast, Ireland on March 1 at 1:30 p.m CST. The event will be filmed and featured on Music City Roots’ second season on American Public Television.
“As part of our global vision, we’re very excited to be planting our first flag in the U.K.,” said Music City Roots co-founder and executive producer John Walker. “It’s important to acknowledge the roots of our roots. Also, it’s giving us the opportunity to interface with the BBC, something that we’ve wanted to do for quite some time.”
Music City Roots went international last year with its trip to the Tamworth Country Music Festival in Australia. Jim Lauderdale will host and perform in this year’s event, which will also feature Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Donovan, American songwriter Chip Taylor and Belfast songwriter Gareth Dunlop. BBC Radio Ulster host Ralph McLean will emcee the event, and Music City Roots co-host and journalist Craig Havighurst will report on the event and interview artists.
The show will visit Nashville with an Irish artistry event on March 19. For more information, visit musiccityroots.com.

Craig Morgan Teams With Kidde Fire Safety On Latest Tour

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Country singer Craig Morgan (third from left) joins Kidde Fire Safety and leaders from the Tennessee State Division of Fire Prevention and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to announce the first group of fire departments to receive Kidde smoke alarms during the singer’s VA Mortgage Leader Presents Craig Morgan The Journey Tour.Photo credit: Ed Rode

Country singer Craig Morgan (third from left) joins Kidde Fire Safety and leaders from the Tennessee State Division of Fire Prevention and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to announce the first group of fire departments to receive Kidde smoke alarms during the singer’s VA Mortgage Leader Presents Craig Morgan The Journey Tour.
Photo credit: Ed Rode


Craig Morgan, along with the Tennessee State Division of Fire Prevention, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and Kidde Fire Safety, has announced the first group of fire departments to receive Kidde smoke alarms during the singer’s VA Mortgage Leader Presents Craig Morgan The Journey Tour. The donations are part of Kidde’s “Be a Safety Hero” initiative, which highlights five simple steps to fire safety with support from Morgan, who is a spokesperson. Kidde, a leading manufacturer of residential fire safety products, is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp.
The donation kicked off at Dickson City Fire Department in Morgan’s hometown. In all, Kidde will donate 5,000 of its new Worry-Free 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms to fire departments at stops during Morgan’s 2014 tour – a $125,000 retail value. The alarms will then be installed in homes in need throughout each community.
“As a former first responder, I’ve seen the damage home fires can cause. Many home fire deaths are preventable, and I want to do what I can to help keep families safe,” said the Black River Entertainment artist. Before embarking on his music career, the country music star worked as an emergency medical technician and assistant sheriff’s deputy in Dickson County. In 2011, Morgan put his EMT training to use and rescued two children from a burning house in his home state.
The National Fire Protection Association reports approximately 3,000 people die in home fires in the U.S. every year, with most fires happening during the winter. Two-thirds of residential fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarm or no working alarm.

Country Artists Play Valentines Veterans Concert

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Pictured (L-R): Diane Hartmann (CEO/Help Hospitalized Veterans) Darryl Worley, Susan D. Wiseman (The Tribute Lady/Bugles Across America) Aaron Tippin, Larry Wiseman (National Coordinator/Bugles Across America) Lee Greenwood, Honorable Jack Meagher (Chairman of the Board/Help Hospitalized Veterans), Frank Cimorelli (National Special Events Liaison/Valentines For Veterans)

Pictured (L-R): Diane Hartmann (CEO/Help Hospitalized Veterans) Darryl Worley, Susan D. Wiseman (The Tribute Lady/Bugles Across America), Aaron Tippin, Larry Wiseman (National Coordinator/Bugles Across America), Lee Greenwood, Honorable Jack Meagher (Chairman of the Board/Help Hospitalized Veterans), Frank Cimorelli (National Special Events Liaison/Valentines For Veterans)


Country artists Aaron Tippin, Darryl Worley, Lucas Hoge, and special guest Lee Greenwood teamed up to support veterans and America’s Gold Star Families at the Valentines For Veterans Salute To America’s Gold Star Families concert on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Nashville’s CMA Theater.
The event featured performances by the aforementioned artists, and presentations held by Bugles Across America and Soldier’s Wish. Additionally, veterans received handmade Valentines cards from students at several schools, including George Whitten Elementary (Hendersonville, Tenn.) and Warren East High School (Bowling Green, Ky).
Plans for future Valentines For Veterans events are underway. For more information, visit hhv.org.

CMA Music Festival's Nightly LP Field Concerts Sold Out

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Photo Credit: Bennett Farkas / CMA

Capacity crowds at Nashville’s LP Field during CMA Music Festival in 2013. Photo Credit: Bennett Farkas / CMA


Tickets for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field are sold out a record-setting 15 weeks in advance of the 2014 CMA Music Festival. For the second year, demand for four-day ticket packages means that single night tickets will not be available for LP Field concerts, CMA announced. The CMA Music Festival is set for June 5-8.
“Tickets to LP Field sold faster than ever before – a record nine weeks sooner than in 2013 – and before we announced a single artist performing during the Nightly Concerts,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern. “I think that speaks volumes about the strength of this Festival, the premium experience we provide to the fans, and the popularity of our format.”
Though the Nightly Concerts at LP Field are sold out, there are numerous other entertainment options during CMA Music Festival. CMA Music Festival’s latest attraction, AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X at the Music City Center, features multiple stages with performances, celebrity Q&A sessions, and more. Fans can play paparazzi and snap photos of the stars, shop the Fan Fair X Marketplace, and more. FFX tickets are $10 a day or $25 for four days. Children 8 and under are admitted free. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or the CMA Music Festival Box Office by calling 1-800-CMA-FEST.
“With the expansion of our autograph signings, concerts, and family events into the Music City Center – which we call Fan Fair X – local and regional residents have affordable, easy access to great entertainment with hundreds of our most popular artists,” added Trahern.
For additional information, visit cmafest.com.

Industry Ink (2/17/14)

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patton housePatton House Entertainment, the company that signed Rush of Fools in 2006 and The Rhett Walker Band in 2012, is conducting a search for new talent. The company seeks male and female solo artists ages 17-22. Applications are being accepted at the Patton House Entertainment website and online applications will close in late March. Invitation-only live auditions will take place in Nashville on April 24 and 25, 2014.
In 2012, PHE hosted their first open auditions, which resulted in more than 120 artists applying and resulting in the creation of the five-member all-girl pop group 1 Girl Nation.
“Our company has had the opportunity to create and develop some amazing talent through the years,” says Patton House Entertainment president Andrew Patton. “From signing RUSH OF FOOLS in 2006, to breaking THE RHETT WALKER BAND in 2012, and creating and launching 1 GIRL NATION in 2013, our team continues to be focused on finding the best young musicians to bring to the forefront of radio and touring worldwide.”

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artiphonArtiphon’s Instrument 1 is a new iPhone-powered, Nashville-designed and -built digital instrument/interface. The company is currently taking pre-orders ($10 will get you $20 toward the $799 purchase price). Instrument 1 is a musical controller, a multi-instrument with an ergonomic hardwood body that is playable in five positions, with a virtual string interface.
The company is currently seeking beta testers, and according to the product’s official twitter, Nashvillians get priority in beta testing.
Watch a demonstration video below. For more information, visit artiphon.com.

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Jon Loba

Jon Loba

BBR Music Group‘s Jon Loba was featured prominently in The Tennessean’s Sunday Business section, discussing the relationship between country record labels and country radio. “When I got into the business, at my first CRS in 1997, I remember radio stations saying, “It is not our job to sell records. Our job is to keep listeners tuned in to our station. That is it. If we happen to sell records as a byproduct, that’s fantastic, but it’s not our job,'” said Loba.

“To that end, as you were trying to get stations to play your records or play them more, you’d try to convey information such as sales on an album, (but) the majority of stations just didn’t care. That relationship has evolved tremendously to where stations really are looking at those tangible measurements, such as downloads and social activity, to get a gauge on whether records are really working. And there’s a much more symbiotic relationship, not just in words, but actually in action. CBS and Clear Channel both are taking the time to say very proactively, “We want to help you highlight your priorities, we want to help you sell records. We know healthy record labels are a large part of our business.” To read the full article, visit Tennessean.com.

Songwriter Pics (2/17/14)

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Publishing Signing
Given Music Publishing has signed songwriter/instrumentalist Chris Caminiti.
VP/GM Mike Sebastian made the announcement. “I have watched Chris Caminiti blossom as a writer over the last year, and in the last six months he has really come into his own,” said Sebastian. “Chris’s unique take on lyrics, combined with his production and melody chops, make him sure to be a successful and diverse writer.”
Born in Chicago and raised in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Caminiti moved to Nashville in 2005 to focus on songwriting. He finished as a top-4 finalist in back-to-back years in the CMT/NSAI Song Contest and has performed multiple times at Tin Pan South and the Key West Songwriter’s Festival. During college at Towson University he fronted a popular 80’s tribute band. After college he worked as an Algebra teacher.
“I look forward to being part of the Given Music Publishing team of writers,” said Caminiti. “The opportunity for me to write at a brand new company is made even sweeter with somebody as successful as Mike Sebastian at the helm.”
Mike Sebastian can be reached at [email protected] or 615-430-2491.

Attached Photo: Front Row: (l. to r.) Mike Sebastian, VP/General Manager, Given Music Publishing; Chris Caminiti. Back Row: (l. to r.) Michael Martin, Senior Creative Director, ASCAP; Denise Stevens, Senior Counsel, Loeb & Loeb LLP.

Front Row (L-R): Mike Sebastian, VP/General Manager, Given Music Publishing; Chris Caminiti. Back Row: Michael Martin, Senior Creative Director, ASCAP; Denise Stevens, Senior Counsel, Loeb & Loeb.


Writers Round at the Rectory 
Writers Round at the Rectory hosted its inaugural event on Valentine’s Day Weekend at the Cathedral of the Incarnation Rectory. The Writers Round series is a fundraiser for the San Gennaro MusicFest, a two-day outdoor music fest which will take place in Nashville’s Midtown district Sept. 20-21.
Participating in the round were Bobby Tomberlin (cuts by Diamond Rio, Faith Hill, Rodney Atkins, Josh Turner, Thompson Square), Heather Morgan (cuts by Sara Evans, Keith Urban, Brett Eldredge, Lauren Alaina, Tim McGraw, Eli Young Band and the TV show Nashville) and O’Shea (2014 CMAA Best Vocal Group/Duo, and stars of the Australian TV show, O’Shea USA). The event was hosted by singer/songwriter and parishioner, Colm Kirwan, who tours with Don Williams. Brenda Lee was in attendance.
Pictured (L-R): Bobby Tomberlin, Jay O’Shea, Brenda Lee, Mark O’Shea, Heather Morgan and Colm Kirwan.

Pictured (L-R): Bobby Tomberlin, Jay O’Shea, Brenda Lee, Mark O’Shea, Heather Morgan and Colm Kirwan.

Brooks' Ireland Shows Resisted By Dublin Residents

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GarthGarth Brooks is slated to perform five sold-out shows at Dublin, Ireland’s Croke Park in July 2014. About 400,000 people are expected to attend the shows, which run from July 25-29.
However, according to BBC News, a legal document shows Croke Park operators agreed to limit the number of concerts it hosts to three per year. Residents of the area have threatened a High Court injunction if licenses are allowed for the fourth and fifth Brooks concerts.
Promoters have 10 weeks to apply for a license before the first show, and residents are allowed five weeks to protest the application. Dublin’s city council has only rejected one application for a license in 30 years.
Approximately 25,000 people live in the area of Croke Park, with 6,000 of them living in a zone that is supposedly adversely affected during large events. Pat Gates with the Clonliffe and Croke Park residents’ association, residents experience significant disruption to their lives in the weeks leading up to major concert events, including noise pollution, traffic congestion, litter, and drunken concert-goers.
It has been 17 years since Brooks’ last concert in Dublin.

Bradbery To Visit Nashville Area High School In Support of Music Education

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Danielle Bradbery. Photo Credit: Angela Talley

Danielle Bradbery. Photo Credit: Angela Talley


Big Machine Records artist Danielle Bradbery is teaming with Give A Note Foundation and Disney Performing Arts to bring an important message to students, parents, teachers and community leaders: don’t forget the importance of music education.
Kicking off National Music In Our Schools Month (March), each stop on the cross-country bus tour will spotlight music education and will include a performance by 17-year-old Bradbery. Among the high schools visited will be Nashville’s Antioch High School on March 6.
The tour will visit high schools five cities:
Eldorado High School in Albuquerque, N.M. (March 3)
Cypress Ranch High School near Houston, Texas (March 4)
Classen School of Advanced Studies in Oklahoma City, Okla. (March 5)
Antioch High School near Nashville, Tenn. (March 6)
Northwest School for the Arts in Charlotte, N.C. (March 7)
The tour will conclude March 8 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., where Bradbery will perform at Festival Disney, a national competitive music festival where top school bands, instrumental and vocal ensembles compete with other schools from across the country.
The five schools to be honored as part of the Music In Our Schools tour were selected by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME)’s Give a Note Foundation, in partnership with NAfME’s state music education association leaders. Each school will be recognized for the outstanding achievements of their music programs, and for the important role music education plays in their students’ daily curriculum.

2nd Gear Used Music Consignment Opens in Berry Hill

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2ndgear2nd Gear Used Music Consignment store has officially opened its doors for business on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) in Berry Hill at 442 East Iris Dr.
The store will encompass a wide selection of used musical equipment for purchase, from high end vintage to budget workingman’s equipment, including used electric & acoustic guitars, basses, amplifiers, effects, accessories, keyboards, recording gear, drums, and more.
Services include outright package purchases, trade-ins, and consignment services in store or on eBay. A 20 percent fee for items valued less than $1,500.00 sold from the store and a 15 percent fee on items $1,500.00 or more, while a 25 percent fee is retained from eBay sale prices.
Hours are from 11 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday -Saturday. For more information call, (615) 297-1556.