CMHoF To Welcome Kenny Rogers Exhibit

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kennyrogersOn the heels of announcing a new Miranda Lambert exhibit, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has revealed an upcoming exhibit focusing on 2013 Hall of Fame inductee Kenny Rogers. Kenny Rogers: Through The Years will open Aug. 15, 2014, and will run through June 14, 2015 in the museum’s East Gallery.

“Kenny Rogers redefined and elevated country music superstardom in every sense,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “He blurred traditional genre lines and substantially expanded the core demographics of country music’s audience, all by being true to his unique artistic vision. His versatility is astounding. We could not be more thrilled to share this detailed presentation of his story.”

Last year, Rogers, along with Bobby Bare and Cowboy Jack Clement, became the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Earlier this week, Ronnie Milsap, Mac Wiseman and the late Hank Cochran were announced as inductees for 2014.

Industry Ink (4/24/14)

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Universal Music Publishing Group’s newest up and coming songwriter, Ryan Hurd, performed at Nashville restaurant the Tin Roof yesterday, April 23, for UMPG’s Spring Break Event. Hurd performed several new, uncut songs and a few that have been recently recorded, including “Payback” (Rascal Flatts) and “Later On” (The Swon Brothers).

Ryan Hurd celebrates after a performance at Nashville's Tin Roof.

Ryan Hurd celebrates after a performance at Nashville’s Tin Roof.

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crawfish boil111Music industry organization SOLID (Society of Leaders in Development) will hold its 17th annual Crawfish Boil, a free networking event for music industry leaders and those interested in working in the music industry.
The Crawfish Boil will take place Wed., May 14 from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at SESAC Nashville’s parking lot, located at 66 Music Sq. W. in Nashville.

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Pictured (L-R): The Mastersons (Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore), Kasey Chambers, Steve Earle with Austrialia Americana Advisory Group members Brian Taranto and Jeremy Dylan

Pictured (L-R): The Mastersons (Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore), Kasey Chambers, Steve Earle with Australia Americana Advisory Group members Brian Taranto and Jeremy Dylan


Kasey Chambers, Steve Earle and the Mastersons (Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore) recently met with Americana Advisory Group members Brian Taranto and Jeremy Dylan at Sydney, Australia’s Enmore Theatre.
The Australia Americana Advisory Group was formed earlier this month to create awareness of the genre in and foster two-way street opportunities for artists from Australia and North America. The group is comprised of Taranto (Love Police), Marty Jones (Rhythm Magazine), Dylan (Seven Shells Media), Dan Biddle (TCO Artists) and Dobe Newton (Bushwhackers, CMAA President). Nashville-based Australian producer and AMA Board President Mark Moffatt will chair the group.
“We are honored for the support that Kasey and Steve have given our organization over the years,” says Moffatt, “and thrilled they are willing to wave the flag of Americana on their current tour.”

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CMT_BLACK_WHITE111CMT Casting will come to Nashville this summer, seeking outgoing and entertaining characters for a variety of CMT programs. A CMT open casting call will be held at Nashville’s Paradise Park Bar, located at 411 Broadway, on June 5 and June 6. The casting call will be an all-day event.

Interested parties that cannot make open casting dates can register at cmtcasting.com. For more information, contact [email protected] or call 310-752-8556.

 

Live Nation Taps Rakov For Chief Strategy Officer Role

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Alan Rakov

Alan Rakov


Live Nation Entertainment has promoted Alan Rakov to the role of chief strategy officer of United States concerts (USC), according to Billboard. Rakov will collaborate with USC leadership to initiate new strategies aimed at enhancing the division’s performance.
Rakov previously worked as Live Nation’s president of revenue management; in this role he launched programs including Platinum, Value Channels and Dynamic Pricing.
He previously worked with Ticketmaster Entertainment in several roles, most recently as head of TicketExchange, Ticketmaster’s secondary market solution.
Before joining Live Nation, Rakov was a professional violinist at the Honolulu Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl.
Rakov earned an M.B.A. from The Anderson School of Business at UCLA, has an M.F.A. from The Eastman School of Music, and earned his undergraduate degree at Stanford University.

MTV VMAs Move To The Forum

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mtvMTV’s 2014 Video Music Awards will return to the west coast when the show airs live from the Forum, presented by Chase, in Inglewood, CA on Sunday, Aug. 24. This year’s VMAs will have the distinction of being the first major award show to ever take place at the historic Forum.
The Forum reopened in January 2014 following a comprehensive reinvention. New amenities include a modernized arena bowl with superior acoustics, approximately 8,000 square feet of new event level hospitality offerings, new VIP clubs, a 40,000 square foot outdoor terrace, and seven star-caliber dressing rooms.
Opening in 1967, the Forum is the former home court of the Los Angeles Lakers and has hosted some of the greatest musical performers of all time, including The Rolling Stones, Eagles, The Jackson 5, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Madonna and many others.
The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards delivered big, with the award show ranking as cable’s No. 1 entertainment telecast of the year among P12-34 at the time and was the first-ever award show to be broadcast live from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Jesse Ignjatovic/Den of Thieves is the Executive Producer for the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Amy Doyle, Garrett English and Dave Sirulnick are Executive Producers. Joanna Bomberg, Jen Jones and Lee Lodge are Co-Executive Producers. Hamish Hamilton is Director. Wendy Plaut is Celebrity Talent Executive.

MusicRowPics: Small Town Pistols

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Small Town Pistols visit

Pictured (L-R): Amanda and Tyler Wilkinson


Tyler and Amanda Wilkinson, of brother-sister duo Small Town Pistols, sampled tunes from their self-titled 2013 Canadian project for members of MusicRow staff on Tuesday (April 22). Tyler and Amanda, of course, first graced the U.S. Country charts in 1998 as a trio with their father Steve, called The Wilkinsons. They scored with the Top 10 hits “26 Cents” and “Fly (The Angel Song)” (both songs also topped the Canadian Country chart).
Fast forward a few years and they had nine Canadian Country Music Awards and a Juno award to their credit, as well as a reality television series.
After a commendable career start, Amanda and Tyler pursued solo careers, which were derailed after they learned their mother had cancer—she would later win her battle with the disease. Additionally, both siblings endured personal romantic breakups, which led to the decision to collaborate on song material as a duo. “We wanted to get back to songwriting to help sort out and express all of these emotions, and we had this ‘Ah ha!’ moment,” said Amanda.
The newly created duo signed with 604 Records, the production company of Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger and attorney Jonathan Simkin, and soon began working with fellow Canadian, producer/songwriter Joey Moi (Jake Owen, Florida Georgia Line, Nickelback). One of the many resulting songs from the collaboration was their first single, “Colourblind,” co-written by Amanda, Tyler, Moi and Jeff Johnson and recorded/produced by Moi in Vancouver and in Nashville.
During their visit to MusicRow, Amanda’s strong, soulful voice was in full force on “Colourblind,” as were the duo’s signature family harmonies. “Living On The Outside” was written with their dad and became a Top 10 song for the duo in Canada. “Get your heart broken and you’re set for at least 10-15 good heartbreak songs,” quipped Tyler. In 2013, they released the self-titled project Small Town Pistols, and earned nominations from the Canadian Country Music Association for Group or Duo of the Year, and Album of the Year for Small Town Pistols.
Their third musical offering was “My Family,” which is slated to be included on their upcoming project. The duo will showcase tonight at Nashville venue The Rutledge at 6 p.m.
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Miranda Lambert Exhibit To Open at CMHoF

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lambert exhibit111

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will debut the exhibition Miranda Lambert: Backstage Access, beginning May 16, 2014. The exhibit will run through Nov. 9, 2014.

The “backstage access” will feature an array of gowns and stage costumes, awards, and a custom pink Gibson acoustic guitar.
Opening weekend activities will include a songwriter session featuring Lambert’s Pistol Annies bandmate Ashley Monroe (also the purveyor of the acclaimed solo project Like A Rose), a family songwriting program, and a free film screening. Later in the month, some of Lambert’s frequent co-writers including Nicolle Galyon, Natalie Hemby and Jimmy Robbins will participate in a songwriter round.
“Miranda Lambert is one of contemporary music’s most popular and acclaimed artists, and for good reason,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “She’s a dynamic performer; an emotive and powerful vocalist whose voice is equally at home with lyrics tough or tender; and a songwriter with a deft touch for feeling and place. Her numerous hits, from empowering anthems like ‘Gunpowder and Lead’ to introspective set pieces like ‘The House That Built Me,’ are rich contributions to country music’s storytelling tradition. We are looking forward to taking our visitors behind the scenes with Miranda during her amazing successes in 2013.”
Lambert’s fifth album, Platinum, is slated for release June 3 on RCA Nashville.
Among the items to be displayed:

  • Roberto Cavalli gown with plunging neckline Lambert wore at the 2013 CMA Awards
  • Blue vintage-style lace dress Lambert wore in her music video for “Mama’s Broken Heart”
  • Rolling pink wardrobe case from Lambert’s Locked & Reloaded Tour with Dierks Bentley
  • Black Ani & Ari corset with pink flames Lambert wore at LP field during CMA Music Fest
  • Jovani dress embellished with chains and studs worn at the 2013 ACM awards
  • Custom Gibson acoustic guitar with pink finish and pearloid pickguard
  • A prototype of the Miranda by Miranda Lambert platinum-colored boots worn on the Platinum album cover
  • Outfit Lambert wore in the “We Were Us” music video with Keith Urban

Grand Ole Opry Reveals CMA Music Fest Week Lineup

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Josh Turner

Josh Turner


Grand Ole Opry members Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Terri Clark as well as Jennifer Nettles and Charlie Worsham will grace the stage of the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday, June 3, as the Grand Ole Opry® embarks on CMA Music Fest Week with two star-packed shows. Clark will be celebrating her 10th Opry anniversary during the performances.
Additionally, Worsham and Chris Janson will be featured earlier in the evening during the Opry Plaza Party presented by Humana. Worsham will perform songs from his project Rubberband, and Janson will perform songs from his EP Take It To The Bank.
Later in the week, Friday, June 6 will bring performances by Rascal Flatts, Sara Evans, Lorrie Morgan, Charley Pride and Mel Tillis.
Tickets and information are available at 800-SEE-OPRY and opry.com.

Nashville's Live On The Green Slated To Begin Aug. 14

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Pictured: Mayor Karl Dean speaks to members of the press at the official Live On The Green announcement event on Wednesday, April 23, 2014.

Pictured: Mayor Karl Dean speaks to members of the press at the official Live On The Green announcement event on Wednesday, April 23, 2014.


The free music series Live On The Green will launch its 2014 season with three consecutive Thursday concerts– slated for Aug. 14, 21, and 28–and wrap with a weekend finale set for Sept. 4-6. The festival will take place at the Public Square Park in downtown Nashville. Lightning 100’s Music City Mahem winner Phin has been announced as the first artist to perform at the festival.
“As we approached our sixth year, we knew we wanted to grow the event in a way that would offer our guests an even bigger, better experience,” said Lester Turner, Executive Producer of Live On The Green and President of Tuned In Broadcasting, Inc. “We decided that adjusting our schedule was the best way to accomplish that goal. In 2014, Live On The Green will graduate from a weekly concert series to a full-fledged music festival featuring an expanded artist line-up and festival site, longer hours, and a new schedule. Of course, as always, all events will remain free and open to the public.”
The festival location has expanded this year, extending from 3rd Ave. between Union Street and James Robertson Parkway, up Deaderick Street to 4th Ave. The additional block of city space will allow for more food, retail and entertainment offerings.
Pictured (L-R): Gary Kraen - Producer & CFO Live On The Green, Chris Cobb - Talent Buyer Live On The Green, Lester Turner - Executive Producer of Live On The Green and President of Tuned In Broadcasting, Inc, Thomas Hansen - Producer / Strategic Partnerships Live On The Green, Christopher Paxton - Producer / Festival Director Live On The Green

Pictured (L-R): Gary Kraen – Producer & CFO Live On The Green, Chris Cobb – Talent Buyer Live On The Green, Lester Turner – Executive Producer of Live On The Green and President of Tuned In Broadcasting, Inc, Thomas Hansen – Producer / Strategic Partnerships Live On The Green, Christopher Paxton – Producer / Festival Director Live On The Green


“Live On The Green continues to grow its fan base while also continuing to bring local and national artists to perform on Nashville’s front lawn – our Public Square,” Mayor Karl Dean said. “I want to congratulate Lester Turner and his team for making this free music festival one of the top events in the country. I am pleased to see the addition of a free weekend festival that will showcase live music and all that Nashville has to offer to local residents and visitors alike.”
The full lineup for 2014 Live On The Green will be announced Thursday, June 26, 2014, the same day VIP ticket packages go on sale.

Warner/Chappell Music Signs Co-Pub Deal With Joyce

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Jay Joyce. Photo: CJ Hicks

Jay Joyce. Photo: CJ Hicks


Warner/Chappell Music has signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with songwriter and producer Jay Joyce. Joyce has written and produced artists including Eric Church, Little Big Town, Keith Urban, Emmylou Harris, Cage The Elephant and The Wallflowers.
Warner/Chappell has also signed a co-publishing agreement with Joyce’s newly established publishing company Neon Cross. The two companies will jointly sign and develop writers and artists across multiple genres.
Neon Cross recently appointed Melissa Spillman, formerly in A&R with Capitol Records Nashville, as Director of Publishing. She can be reached at [email protected].
“I am thrilled to team up with such a storied and progressive group, and am looking forward to a long prosperous journey together,” said Joyce.
Ben Vaughn, Executive Vice President, Warner/Chappell Music Nashville, said, “Wow—getting to work with Jay Joyce is a music lover’s dream come true. His talent cuts across all genres of music and he is the definition of a music innovator. It’s a real honor to welcome Jay and Melissa into the family.”
Church’s latest, The Outsiders, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Cage the Elephant’s single “Come a Little Closer” (from Melophobia) reached No. 1 on both the Rock Airplay and Alternative Songs charts. Beyond songwriting and producing, Joyce is also credited as a musician on a wide array of recordings by artists ranging from Iggy Pop to Tim McGraw.
Joyce’s most recent project is St. Charles Studio, an East Nashville church that he converted into a recording studio. That space is where he has recorded albums by Amos Lee, The Wild Feathers, and Church’s The Outsiders.

Opry Star David "Stringbean" Akeman's Killer Up For Parole

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David "Stringbean" Akeman

Pictured: the late David “Stringbean” Akeman


Convicted killer John A. Brown, 63, the man who murdered Grand Ole Opry and Hee Haw star David “Stringbean” Akeman and his wife Estelle in 1973, appeared before a member of the Tennessee Board of Parole Wednesday morning, April 23, according to The Tennessean.
Brown and his cousin, Doug Marvin Brown, attacked and killed Akeman and his wife on the evening of Nov. 10, 1973 at their cabin home in Ridgetop, Tenn. Both men were sentenced to serve two life sentences in prison; Doug Brown died in prison in 2003.
Past requests for parole by John A. Brown have been denied.
Only one board member will cast a vote for or against parole at the hearing; it could take up to two weeks for an official decision from the entire board.
Brown is being held at the Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility in Nashville.