BlackHawk Signs With Loud & Proud Records

/by

Blackhawk

Blackhawk


BlackHawk recently signed with Raleigh, N.C.-based Loud & Proud Records. The band, comprised of Henry Paul and Dave Robbins, is working on their first studio release in 12 years.
“Brothers of the Southland is the product of BlackHawk’s evolution,” says Loud & Proud Owner & President Tom Lipsky. “It represents the band through the years and their many hits, the adversity they faced and Henry and Dave’s decision to continue their musical journey together. BlackHawk’s sound remains a beautiful blend of melody and harmony with genuine and purposeful lyrics and Loud & Proud is excited to be their label partner. We know their legions of fans are going to love experiencing this new music.”
Along with third founding member Van Stephenson, Paul and Robbins made their Country music debut in 1993. The band notched several hit singles including “Goodbye Says It All,” “Every Once In A While,” “I Sure Can Smell The Rain” and “That’s Just About Right.”
In 1999, Stephenson was diagnosed with melanoma. After a courageous fight, Van lost his battle in 2001. Henry and Dave established the Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund in his memory, donating the proceeds of their efforts to the Vanderbilt Cancer Research Center.
Loud & Proud Records is an independent record label founded in 2007 by Lipsky. The label’s current roster includes Jonathan Jackson (currently on ABC’s Nashville) and his band Enation, singer/songwriter Willie Nile, and bands The Winery Dogs, Walking Papers, and Starship featuring Mickey Thomas. Loud & Proud Records is a registered trademark of Lipsky Music, LLC, and is distributed in the U.S. and Canada by RED.

Industry Ink (2/25/14)

/by

Alison Rose

Alison Rose


SESAC has promoted Alison Rose to Associate Director, Business Affairs. In the new position, Rose will be responsible for the daily administration task of the Business Affairs department, as well as assist the Senior Director of Business Affairs.
A graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., Rose joined SESAC four years ago following an internship at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. During her tenure at SESAC, she has worked in the Business Affairs department as a full-time administrator, reviewing and processing various agreements, processing statements and serving as a liaison for songwriter and publisher affiliate correspondence.

                                                         • • •

Third Floor Records artist Mitch Goudy recently became one of the newest members of the Country Music Association. While on a radio tour to promote his debut single, “Blow These Speakers Out,” Goudy stopped by the CMA office to become an official member.

Pictured (L-R): Carrie Tekautz, Membership & Balloting Assistant, Mitch Goudy and Brenden Oliver, Coordinator of Membership & Balloting. Photo credit: Christian Bottorff.

Pictured (L-R): Carrie Tekautz, Membership & Balloting Assistant; Mitch Goudy; and Brenden Oliver, Coordinator of Membership & Balloting. Photo credit: Christian Bottorff.

 • • •

GrammysNashville is one of four cities that will host a Grammy Camp, aimed at encouraging music education in schools. Belmont University will host Grammy Camp Nashville (a nonresidential day camp) from June 9-13. Other cities hosting camps throughout the year include St. Paul, Los Angeles and New York City. Grammy camp provides instruction from industry professionals in a creative environment.

The camps are open to U.S. high school students, and provide seven tracks of study, including Audio Engineering; Electronic Music Production; Music Business; Music Journalism; a performance track for drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, vocal, and wind & string instruments; video production; and songwriting.

For more information, visit grammyintheschools.com.

Belmont University To Honor Gordon Kennedy

/by

Gordon Kennedy1

Gordon Kennedy


Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business will honor Gordon Kennedy with the sixth annual Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence on March 29. The award presentation, which will occur during the University’s 2014 Best of the Best Showcase at Belmont’s Curb Event Center, will feature special performances by Belmont students as well as Kennedy colleagues Peter Frampton and Ricky Skaggs. “Best of the Best” begins at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
In the spring of 2008, the Curb College established the Award of Excellence in memory of program founder Bob Mulloy to annually recognize an individual who has achieved a level of excellence in the music business and entertainment industries with notable service to Belmont University and the Nashville community.
Kennedy, a Shreveport, La., native, was raised in Nashville. His parents are Jerry Kennedy and singer Linda Brannon. While attending Belmont, Gordon Kennedy played guitar for Reba on several cuts including “Today All Over Again” and her first No. 1 song, “Can’t Even Get The Blues.” Kennedy became nationally recognized when he won a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1997 for Eric Clapton’s “Change The World,” which Kennedy co-wrote with Wayne Kirkpatrick and Tommy Sims.
Kennedy has also spent time as a member of the bands WhiteHeart and Dogs of Peace, and has had songs recorded by Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, George Strait and Martina McBride. He has also played for Peter Frampton, Jewel, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Little Big Town, and Amy Grant.
Past recipients of the Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence include Donna Hilley, the International Entertainment Buyers Association, Vince Gill, Mike Curb, Clair Audio and Bandit Lites.

Napa In Nashville Brings Songwriters Round, Wine Tastings

/by
napa in nashvill2Top Napa Valley winemakers and Nashville songwriters will combine their passions for music and wine during Napa For Nashville, which will take place March 6 at the Hard Rock Cafe and begins at 6pm.
Songwriters confirmed for the event include Jonathan Singleton (David Nail’s “Let It Rain” and “Red Light,” Gary Allan’s “Watching Airplanes,” Josh Turner’s “Why Don’t We Just Dance”), David Lee Murphy (“Jason Aldean’s “Big Green Tractor,” Thompson Square’s “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”), Jon Randall Stewart (Brad Paisley’s “Whiskey Lullabye”), Ray Stephenson (Kenny Chesney’s “Hemingway’s Whiskey,” Blake Shelton’s “Red River Blue”), and Striking Matches (ABC Nashville‘s “When The Right One Comes Along”).
Featured winemakers will include Michael Baldacci (Baldacci Family Vineyards), Rolando Herrera (Mi Sueno Winery), Dana and Don Gallagher (Trespass Vineyard), Suzanne Phifer Pavitt (Date Night-Phifer Pavitt Wines), Debi Cali (Harmony for NOTES), Ca’Momi, and BNA Wine Group.
For more information and tickets, visit notesforeducation.org. $85 includes wine tasting, heavy hors’ d’oeuvres, and two sets of live music.

Artist Updates (2/25/14)

/by
Swift performs in Nashville in 2013.

Swift performs in Nashville in 2013.


Taylor Swift is nominated for two 2014 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, including Favorite Female Singer and Favorite Song.
In the Favorite Female Singer category, Swift is nominated alongside Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez and Katy Perry. Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” is nominated for Favorite Song along with Perry’s “Roar,” One Direction‘s “Story Of My Life” and Miley Cyrus‘ “Wrecking Ball.”
The 2014 Kid’s Choice Awards are coming to your screen on March 29 at 8 p.m. ET. Voting begins Monday, Feb. 24, on Nick.com.

 • • •

jay demarcus111Kevin Carter, ESPNU sports analyst and 14 year NFL veteran and former Tennessee Titans player, will host the 13th annual Kevin Carter’s “Waiting for Wishes” Celebrity Waiters Dinner to benefit The Kevin Carter Foundation and Make-A-Wish® Middle Tennessee at The Palm Restaurant on Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Nashville’s premiere celebrity event, “Waiting for Wishes” has raised more than $1.5 million for charity since its inception in 2002.
The celebrity event, co-hosted by Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts, is an exclusive VIP evening where Carter, professional athletes, country music artists and other various celebrities take over The Palm as servers before they head over to Honky Tonk Central for the Official After-Party – Jam with Jay DeMarcus & Friends. 
After Party tickets are $85 and available online only in advance of the event at waitingforwishes.com. Tickets are limited, and the event is expected to sell out. Proceeds benefit The Kevin Carter Foundation, Make-A-Wish® Middle Tennessee and the YWCA.

• • •

jake owen2222The Players Championship, along with RCA Nashville, announced today that country music star Jake Owen will perform on Wednesday, May 7, as part of the tournament’s Military Appreciation Day. Owen’s performance will take place on the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse Lawn and conclude a day of special activities and programs that celebrate the men and women of the Armed Forces. The Players 2014 returns to The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass from May 6-11.
For nearly a decade, Vero Beach-native Jake Owen has been delivering chart-topping country hits, including four consecutive No. 1 singles since 2011. Owen earned GRAMMY and CMA nominations in 2008 with his revival of “Life in A Northern Town” with Sugarland and Little Big Town, and in 2009 he was named Top New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music. Owen’s first headlining tour, CMT On Tour Jake Owen: The Summer Never Ends 2012, made CMT history for the most sold-out shows in a row for the annual nationwide tour. Owen is launching his second headlining tour in March 2014 – Jake Owen’s Days of Gold. The 55-city plus tour also stars Eli Young Band* along with Parmalee*, Thomas Rhett* and The Cadillac Three. (*select dates).

 • • •

TobyMac

TobyMac


TobyMac, Skillet and LeCrae, are joining forces to thrill crowds on a summer shed tour.
Tickets go on sale to the mass public on March 1, with a special presale for artist fan clubs at 10 a.m. local venue time on Feb. 27 through 10 p.m. on Feb. 28. For more information, visit ticketmaster.com.

Industry Pics: Natalie Stovall, Swon Brothers, Danielle Bradbery

/by

Clay Hunnicutt, newly named Exec. VP/GM of National Programming Platforms at Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, visited the HitShop Records suite during the Country Radio Seminar 2014 to a catch a special Natalie Stovall and the Drive performance which included the band’s new single, “Baby Come On With It.”

(L-R) Hunnicutt, Natalie Stovall and HitShop President Skip Bishop.

(L-R): Clay Hunnicutt, Natalie Stovall and HitShop President Skip Bishop

  • • • 

BMI recently welcomed Big Machine Records artist and The Voice season four winner Danielle Bradbery to its family of songwriters. Bradbery released her self-titled, debut album in November 2013 and is currently on Brad Paisley’s nationwide Beat This Winter Tour 2014.

Pictured L-R are BMI’s Mark Mason, Universal Music Publishing’s Kent Earls, G Major Management’s Samantha Thornton, and BMI’s Mike O’Neill and Jody Williams; (front row, l-r): Gloria Martinez, Danielle Bradbery, and G Major Management’s Virginia Davis. Photo: Drew Maynard

Pictured (L-R) standing: BMI’s Mark Mason, Universal Music Publishing’s Kent Earls, G Major Management’s Samantha Thornton, and BMI’s Mike O’Neill and Jody Williams; (seated): Gloria Martinez, Danielle Bradbery, and G Major Management’s Virginia Davis. Photo: Drew Maynard

 • • •

Taking in the fun aboard last week’s Sony Music Nashville Boat Show were performers The Swon Brothers, together with Bobby Bones and Amy of the ACM Award-winning Bobby Bones Show. The Swon Brothers’ debut single “Later On” officially impacts radio March 3.

Pictured (l-r): Colton Swon, Amy, Bones, and Zach Swon.

Pictured (L-R): Colton Swon, Amy, Bobby Bones, and Zach Swon

 • • •

Brett Eldredge, Justin Moore, and Kip Moore, nominees for ACM New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s Department Store, gathered in Nashville to tape ACM New Artist of the Year – a new concert special premiering Monday, March 24, 8 p.m./ET on Great American Country. In the special, hosted by reigning ACM New Artist of the Year winners Florida Georgia Line, viewers will be treated to interviews and special performances by each nominee.

Pictured (L-R): Justin Moore; Suzanne Gordon, vice president of programming, Great American Country; Brett Eldredge, and Kip Moore. (Credit: Ed Rode)

Pictured (L-R): Justin Moore; Suzanne Gordon, vice president of programming, Great American Country; Brett Eldredge, and Kip Moore. (Credit: Ed Rode)

Florida Georgia Line To Headline 10th Annual Stars for Second Harvest

/by

FGLFlorida Georgia Line (FGL) will headline the 10th annual Stars For Second Harvest benefit on Tuesday, June 3, 7:30 p.m. at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Presented by O’Charley’s as a benefit for the Middle Tennessee food bank, songwriter Craig Wiseman will again serve as host for the show, which features unplugged acoustic style performances by acclaimed country music songwriters and performers.
Fifty “VIP Experience” tickets will be offered this year for $250 each, including premium seating, a meet and greet with FGL and other performers, as well as a special 10th anniversary gift bag.
“We’ve been so incredibly blessed this past year and have always wanted to make it bigger than the music,” says Kelley. “To have the opportunity to give back and help feed the hungry in our community is an honor.”
To purchase a “VIP Experience” ticket please visit ticketmaster.com. General admission tickets are available from $35.00 via Ticketmaster outlets, Ryman box office, Ryman.com, or 800-745-3000. For $50.00 preferred seating tickets, please contact Second Harvest Food Bank at 615-329-3491.

The Mavericks To Launch Twenty-Five Live Tour

/by

Celebrating more than two decades of performing together, The Mavericks will embark on the Twenty-Five Live Tour Feb. 27.
the mavericks in time111“While the band was formed in the summer of 1989, our first show wasn’t until months later … making 2014 our twenty-fifth year together and we’re very excited to get back out on the road,” says guitarist Robert Reynolds. “In many ways, our fans have become de facto members of the group and it seems high time we throw a party!”
Last February, Cuban-American frontman Raul Malo and vivacious musicians Paul Deakin, Reynolds, Eddie Perez and Jerry Dale McFadden reconnected to release a new album, In Time (The Valory Music Co.).
The Mavericks’ music has most recently been featured in the movie Grudge Match and ABC’s new TV drama Killer Women, in which the band also made a cameo appearance performing “Dance in the Moonlight.”
TWENTY-FIVE LIVE TOUR DATES:
Thurs., Feb. 27 Charleston, SC Charleston Music Hall
Fri., Feb. 28 Durham, NC Carolina Theatre
Sat., March 1 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theater
Sun., March 2 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
Fri., March 7 Milwaukee, WI Northern Lights Theater
Sat., March 8 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
Sun., March 9 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theatre
Thurs., March 13 Saskatoon, Canada O’Brian’s Event Centre
Fri., March 14 Regina, Canada Casino Regina
Sat., March 15 Swift Current, Canada Living Sky Casino
Sun., March 16 Winnipeg, Canada Burton Cummings Theatre
Tues., March 18 Brandon Manitoba, Canada West Manitoba Centennial Theatre
Wed., March 19 Sherwood Park, Canada Festival Place
Thurs., March 20 Sherwood Park, Canada Festival Place
Fri., March 21 Athabasca, Canada Athabasca Regional Multiplex
Sat., March 22 Calgary, Canada Flames Central
Sat., March 29 Reno, NV Silver Legacy Resort & Casino
Sun., March 30 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Tues., April 1 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
Thurs., April 3 Los Angeles, CA The Fonda Theatre
Sat., April 5 Scottsdale, AZ Talking Stick Resort Showroom
Thurs., April 10 Houston, TX House of Blues
Fri., April 11 Austin, TX ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Sat., April 12 Ft. Worth, TX Main Street Arts Festival
Sun., April 13 Helotes, TX Floores Country Store
Fri., April 18 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads Saloon
Fri., April 25 Atlanta, GA Center Stage
Sat., April 26 New Orleans, LA JazzFest
Thurs., May 1 Fort Lauderdale, FL Parker Playhouse
Fri., May 2 Clearwater, FL Capitol Theatre
Sat., May 3 Live Oak, FL Suwannee River Jam
Thurs., May 8 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre
Fri., May 9 Portland, ME State Theatre
Sat., May 10 Concord, NH Capitol Center for the Arts
Sun., May 11 Boston, MA The Wilbur Theatre
Thurs., May 15 South Orange, NJ SOPAC
Fri., May 16 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
Sat., May 17 Munhall, PA Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
Mon., June 7 Manistee, MI Little River Casino Resort
Sat., June 19 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Theatre
Sun., June 20 Westbury, NY The Space at Westbury
Tues., June 22 Morristown, NJ Mayo Performing Arts Center
For additional tour information, visit themavericksband.com.

Harnen Re-Ups Contract with BMLG

/by

harnenBig Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta announced that BMLG EVP/Republic Nashville President Jimmy Harnen has signed a new multi-year deal with the company. Harnen will continue to oversee the company’s three labels, including Big Machine Records, The Valory Music Co. and Republic Nashville.
“The leadership and musical vision that Jimmy has brought to the Big Machine Label Group has helped propel us to heights I honestly hadn’t imagined,” said Borchetta. “What he has done with Republic Nashville is historic and many of his initiatives have spread across the entire BMLG platform to make the Machine run even smoother and faster. I’m thrilled that he has made a long-term commitment to continue his great work with the BMLG!”
Harnen has demonstrated success in developing the careers of Florida Georgia Line, The Band Perry, Eli Young Band and Cassadee Pope. With Harnen’s guidance, Republic Nashville has achieved eleven No.1s, seventeen Top 10 singles and sales exceeding five million albums and thirty-three million tracks.
“BMLG continues to create and deliver historic accomplishments in the music business on all levels,” said Harnen. “It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of such a ground breaking company and to have so much fun in the process!”
 
 

'Private Lives Of Nashville Wives' Premieres Tonight

/by

Private-Lives-of-Nashville-Wives

Pictured (L-R): Erika, Sarah, Ana, Cassie, Betty and Jenny


Tonight, Feb. 24, TNT will premiere its latest reality series Private Lives of Nashville Wives, starring six women with ties to the music industry. TNT’s imitation of Bravo’s Real Housewives Franchise stars Erika Page White, Jenny Terrell, Sarah Davidson, Cassie Chapman, Betty Malo and Ana Margarita Fernandez.
White previously appeared on daytime soaps One Life to Live and Days Of Our Lives. She is married to 90’s Country singer Bryan White. Terrell serves as VP at a major internet company and is married to event and party producer JT Terrell. Davidson is a singer-songwriter, who is married to singer-songwriter Dallas Davidson. Chapman is a former model who is married to Christian singer-songwriter Gary Chapman. Malo is married to Raul Malo, lead singer of veteran Country band The Mavericks. The show also features Malo’s twin sister, Fernandez.
Private Lives will air on TNT tonight at 9 p.m. CST.