CMA Awards, CMA Country Christmas Tickets On Sale Sept. 6

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Logo for "The 48th Annual CMA Awards"Tickets for the 48th Annual CMA Awards and CMA Country Christmas will go on sale to the public on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. CT.
Subscribers of CMA’s free e-mail newsletter will have exclusive pre-sale access for both events. This is also available to fans who “like” CMA on Facebook and follow it on Twitter.
Ticket prices start at $110 for the 48th Annual CMA Awards and $25 for CMA Country Christmas. They will be available at ticketmaster.com, by calling (800) 745-3000 or by visiting the Bridgestone Arena Box Office in downtown Nashville.
The 48th Annual CMA Awards will again be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and will broadcast live on ABC on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. CT.
More information can be found at www.CMAawards.com

Underwood, Nettles, McBride Slated For Michael W. Smith Christmas Album

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Michael W. Smith will welcome an impressive lineup of fellow artists for his upcoming holiday season release Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas, which will release Sept. 30. Bono, Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Amy Grant and Michael McDonald have all recorded tracks for the project.

Pictured (L-R): Robert Deaton, Carrie Underwood, Michael W. Smith

Pictured (L-R): Robert Deaton, Carrie Underwood, Michael W. Smith. Photo: Ryan Smith.


The project also marks Robert Deaton‘s debut as an album producer. The CMA Awards and CMA Country Christmas producer approached Smith about creating a full Christmas recording after Smith’s performance with Nettles during the 2013 Country Christmas program. Orchestral maestro David Hamilton was brought in as the third co-producer, and arranged and oversaw the London Symphony Orchestra’s recordings on the album.
“When we started talking about who could be on this record with him, the list got really narrow really fast,” remarked co-producer Deaton. “There’s a difference between a singer and an artist, or a celebrity and an artist. While we were fortunate to have these amazing guests on the record, it all feels like a cohesive piece and you never leave the fact that it’s a Michael W. Smith record. That was important. That, along with working with co-producer David Hamilton, who is the resident genius, was amazing. This entire process has just been phenomenal.”
Little Big Town with Michael W. Smith. Photo: Ryan Smith

Little Big Town with Michael W. Smith. Photo: Ryan Smith


This marks Smith’s fourth Christmas album, following 1989’s Michael W. Smith Christmas, 1998’s Christmastime, and 2007’s It’s A Wonderful Christmas.
“This is the most unique and unusual record I’ve ever done in my 31-year career. The entire record was sequenced together before we recorded one song,” comments Smith. “Sonically you’re hearing me in a way that you’ve probably never heard me before. At one point it’s like Smitty meets Bublé. There’s my granddaughter’s voice singing the song from ‘Home Alone,’ plus the whole orchestral and symphonic feeling of Christmas, mixed together with all these amazing voices and guests – yet it all fits together in a remarkable way.”
mws album cover1Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas Track Listing
1. The Miracle of Christmas
2. It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
3. Happy Holidays/Holiday Season
4. Christmas Time Is Here (feat. Vince Gill)
5. White Christmas (feat. Lady Antebellum)
6. Somewhere In My Memory
7. The Spirit of Christmas (Deck the Halls, Good King Wenceslas, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Feels Like Christmas, O Come All Ye Faithful)
8. Silent Night (feat. Little Big Town)
9. What Child Is This (feat. Martina McBride)
10. Almost There (feat. Amy Grant)
11. All Is Well (feat. Carrie Underwood)
12. Christmas Day (feat. Jennifer Nettles)
13. The Darkest Midnight (Spoken Word by Bono)
14. Peace (with Special Guest Michael McDonald)

Industry Ink: T.J. Martell Foundation, AC Entertainment

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T.J. Martell FoundationThe T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research has announced Let’s Talk Nashville, an opportunity for guests to dine and converse with some of Nashville’s most influential people in business, sports, and music. Grand Ole Opry VP and General Manager Pete Fisher, 3HL Sports Network host Brent Dougherty, Elvis Presley’s former musical director Joe Guerico, STYX founding member Tommy Shaw, and former News Channel 2 anchor John Dwyer are among those taking part in the event. Each table will feature a “guest host” who will provide a personalized centerpiece for the table that reflects their background or expertise. Each centerpiece will be auctioned off to guests in attendance. All proceeds will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation.
To attend the event, call 615-256-2002 or visit tjmartell.org.
 

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ac entertainment11Concert promoter and festival producer AC Entertainment has partnered with South Carolina-based live music clubs Music Farm Charleston, and the new Music Farm Columbia, which is set to open in September 2014.
The Music Farm venues will join several venues booked and programmed by AC Entertainment, including Nashville’s Exit/In and Marathon Music Works, as well as Chattanooga, Tenn.’s Track 29. AC also exclusively programs all non-symphony concerts for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. AC Entertainment has operated and managed the Historic Tennessee Theatre since 1996. In 2006, it took the helm of the 105-year-old Bijou Theatre. Both theatres are in downtown Knoxville, Tenn.

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Renee Grant-Williams

Renee Grant-Williams


Vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams will host a MiniClinic for Singers at her downtown studio in Nashville on Friday, Oct. 17. The MiniClinic will be held from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and is limited to six attendees. The clinic is designed for singers of all styles, skills and experience levels. The fee for the all-day event is $425. Those interested in attending can register at myvoicecoach.com or by calling 615-244-3280.
Grant-Williams is known for providing vocal coaching to artists including Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Martina McBride, and others.

Alan Jackson To Perform Exclusive Shows at CMA Theater

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Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson


Alan Jackson is set to perform two Wednesday night concerts, Oct. 8 and 22, as the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s 2014 Artist-in-Residence. Held inside the new 800-seat CMA Theater at 7:00 p.m., both exclusive evenings provide Jackson the opportunity to personally structure the performances.
Jackson’s residency coincides with the forthcoming exhibition Alan Jackson: 25 Years of Keepin’ It Country, slated to run from Aug. 29 through March 2015, making him the first simultaneous artist-in-residence and major museum exhibit subject.
Tickets will be limited to two per show to the general public at Noon (CT) on Monday, Sept. 8 for $60-100. Limited pre-sale tickets will be offered to museum members registered by the end of August and Alan Jackson fan club members beginning Friday, September 5 at 10:00 a.m. For more information, visit countrymusichalloffame.org/artist-in-residence.
Established in 2003, the museum’s residency program annually honors a musical master who can be credited with contributing a large and significant body of work to the canon of American popular music. Previous Artist-in-Residence honorees include Cowboy Jack Clement, Earl Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Connie Smith, Kenny Rogers and Ricky Skaggs.

Kenny Chesney's 'The Big Revival' Track Listing Revealed

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kenny chesney11

Kenny Chesney


Fans who pre-order Kenny Chesney‘s Sept. 23 release The Big Revival will get his single “American Kids,” as well as new song “Flora-Bama,” a musical tribute to a well-known bar on the Alabama/Florida state line.
“It’s a very specific song about a very specific place,” Chesney says of the song, which was co-written with David Lee Murphy, “but it’s also a song for anyone who has somewhere they go to let their mind unwind. It’s about bein’ easy, but bein’ engaged. Because – as I’ve said – places like the Flora-Bama are what life is all about.”
Co-produced by Chesney and Buddy Cannon, the 11-track release The Big Revival includes songs from Dennis Linde, Andrew Dorff, Craig Wiseman, Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Tom Douglas, Brad Tursi, Luke Laird, Jimmy Yeary, Rodney Clawson, and more. “Don’t It” features the voices of Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski, while “Wild Child” reunites Chesney with his “You and Tequila” singing partner Grace Potter.

The Big Revival Track Listing

1. The Big Revival (Dennis Linde)
2. Drink It Up (Rodney Clawson/Vicky McGehee/David Lee Murphy)
3. Til It’s Gone (Rodney Clawson/David Lee Murphy/Jimmy Yeary)
4. American Kids (Rodney Clawson/Shane McAnally/Luke Laird)
5. Wild Child (with Grace Potter) (Kenny Chesney/Shane McAnally/Josh Osborne)
6. Beer Can Chicken (Kenny Chesney/Ross Copperman/David Lee Murphy)
7. Rock Bottom (Craig Wiseman/Matt Dragstrem)
8. Don’t It (Brent Cobb/Chase McGill)
9. Save It for a Rainy Day (Andrew Dorff/Matt Ramsey/Brad Tursi)
10. Flora-Bama (Kenny Chesney/Ross Copperman/David Lee Murphy)
11. If This Bus Could Talk (Kenny Chesney/Tom Douglas)

The Agency Group Acquires The Bobby Roberts Company

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Pictured (L-R): Travis James, Gavin O’Reilly, Bobby Roberts, Nick Meinema, and Lance Roberts.

Pictured (L-R): Travis James, Gavin O’Reilly, Bobby Roberts, Nick Meinema, and Lance Roberts.


The Agency Group today (Aug. 12) announced the acquisition of The Bobby Roberts Company, the talent agency representing artists including Merle Haggard, John Anderson, Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan, John Michael Montgomery, Blackjack Billy and Chris Janson.
Earlier this year, The Agency Group celebrated the second anniversary of the establishment of its Nashville office led by Sr. VP Nick Meinema and home to agents Scott Galloway, Justin Bridgewater, Stu Walker and Justin Hill. The Nashville office will now see the addition of newly appointed Vice President Lance Roberts and booking agents Travis James, Josh Garrett, Matt Rizor and Alec Vidmar with their respective rosters. Bobby Roberts will continue his active involvement as a strategic consultant.
The system of booking dates by Agents in the Nashville office will be territorial, instead of The Agency Group’s standard Responsible-Agent system. Territories will be allocated as follows:
Lance Roberts: TN, ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL
Travis James: MI, IN, OH, KY, WV, PA, NY, VT, ME, NH, MA, CT, RI, NJ
Scott Galloway: AR, LA, TX, OK, MN
Josh Garrett: FL, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, VA, TN, MD, DE
Alex Vidmar: WA, OR ,MT, ID, WY, CO, UT, NV, CA, AZ, AK, HI
Justin Hill (Performing Arts Centers): WA, OR, MT, ID, WY, CO, UT, NV, CA, AZ, AK, HI
Nick Meinema: Canada
The Agency Group is headed by Founder & Worldwide President Neil Warnock who leads a team of 90 agents in seven international offices (London, Los Angeles, Malmo, Miami, Nashville, New York, and Toronto). The Agency Group’s roster includes The Black Keys, Guns N’ Roses, Kevin Costner and Modern West, Muse, Paramore, Nickelback, Wiz Khalifa, Jeff Bridges, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Ringo Starr, Dolly Parton, RUSH, The Mavericks, Sundy Best, Dallas Smith and many more. Warnock said, “Nashville—the home of so many music legends—has always been a central ambition of The Agency Group to increase our presence here, and with The Bobby Roberts Company joining us it will bring even greater strength and purpose going forward.”
“We see Nashville as a vital music hub and an essential ingredient in our global strategy. The addition of The Bobby Roberts Company’s roster to our list of internationally acclaimed Country artists solidifies our place within the genre,” stated Gavin O’Reilly, Group CEO of The Agency Group. “We are delighted and honored to carry on the goodwill and proud legacy built by the incomparable Bobby Roberts and to welcome a group of talented agents.”
“All of us at The Bobby Roberts Company are very pleased to become a part of The Agency Group family through this exciting merger,” said Bobby Roberts. “We now have the resources, tools and additional agents to better serve and enhance the touring needs of our artists. The possibilities are endless for our roster with The Agency Group’s team of professionals and their various departments, and under the combined leadership of Nick Meinema and Lance Roberts we will have much to offer artists, managers and the overall Nashville music community.”
“Since its founding in 1986, The Bobby Roberts Company has been a highly respected Nashville institution with superb A&R and booking capabilities,” said Meinema. “With The Agency Group’s unique global reach and added strategic services in Brand Integration, Digital and Tour Marketing, and Fairs/ Festivals, Casinos, Colleges and Corporate Booking, we look forward to bringing a world of new opportunities to our expanded roster of artists.”

Jerrod Niemann To Headline Fall Dates

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Jerrod Niemann. Photo: Rebecca Clark

Jerrod Niemann. Photo: Rebecca Clark


Sea Gayle Records/Arista Nashville recording artist Jerrod Niemann has announced he will headline his Get Your Buzz Back Tour, from October through the end of the year.
Named for his latest single by the same name, the tour will hit over 15 cities with opening act Chris Lane.
Niemann is currently on tour with Keith Urban’s summer Raise ‘Em Up Tour.
For his Sept. 12 headlining date at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Niemann’s opening act will be Logan Mize.
Initial Get Your Buzz Back Tour dates:
Oct. 24 | House of Blues | Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Oct. 31 | The Fillmore | Silver Spring, Md.
Nov. 6 | Theatre Of The Living Arts | Philadelphia, Pa.
Nov. 12 | Egyptian Room | Indianapolis, Ind.
Nov. 13 | House of Blues | Chicago, Ill.
Nov. 14 | House of Blues | Cleveland, Ohio
Nov. 15 | St. Andrews Hall | Detroit, Mich.
Nov. 20 | House of Blues | San Diego, Calif.
Dec. 4 | House of Blues | Houston, Texas
Dec. 6 | House of Blues | Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Industry Pics: Paisley's Album Listening Party, Rogers with Dan Rather

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08-07 Yellow House Listening Party-235

Seated row (L-R): Jeri Cooper, Justin Cole, Brad Paisley, Coyote Calhoun, Michael Bryan, Rob Anthony. Middle Row  (L-R): Bill Simmons, Todd Nixon, Opie Joe, Charlie Cook, JJ Ryan, Jeff Wyatt, Lauren Thomas, Ali O’Connell, Ginny Rogers, Lesly Tyson, Rusty Sherrill, Jenny Shearin. Back Row (L-R): Gator Harrison, Gary Overton, Jeff Garrison, Doug Montgomery, Shane Collins, Andy Elliott, Gregg Swedberg, Dusty Panhorst, John Sigler, Kendal, Elizabeth Heller, Mike Craft, Jody Van Alin, Joel Raab


Brad Paisley hosted a Moonshine In The Trunk album listening party at his Yellow House on Thursday (Aug. 7). After a serving of songs from his Aug. 25 release accompanied by “song-appropriate shots of alcoholic beverages,” the crowd of radio VIPs, Arista Nashville promo folks and Sony Music Nashville execs posed for a group photo.

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Pictured (L-R): The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s VP of Museum Services Carolyn Tate, Museum Board Chairman Steve Turner, Dan Rather, Kenny Rogers, and Museum Executive Director Kyle Young. Photo: Rick Diamond

Pictured (L-R): The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s VP of Museum Services Carolyn Tate, Museum Board Chairman Steve Turner, Dan Rather, Kenny Rogers, and Museum Executive Director Kyle Young. Photo: Rick Diamond


Kenny Rogers recently opened up to journalist Dan Rather for a feature that will air this fall on AXS’ series The Big Interview with Dan Rather. The interview is in anticipation of Rogers’ Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit Kenny Rogers: Through The Years, which will open Aug. 15.

Kim Copeland Productions Adds Artist Development Services

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Kim Copeland

Kim Copeland


Kim Copeland Productions has opened a comprehensive Artist Development branch of the organization. Owner Kim Copeland and business partner Susan Tucker will work to offer assistance to clients to take recording projects beyond the studio.
Services include performance coaching, vocal coaching, image coaching, social media training, business marketing, branding, and more.
“We love discovering the uniqueness in each artist and helping them showcase their talent to the world,” says Copeland. “Whatever their ambitions, we want to give them all of the tools they need to succeed.”
“I’m so excited to be working with Kim in offering these great new services,” says Tucker. “It was the logical next step for us to combine all of the knowledge and experience we have to give our clients their best opportunity for success.”
Tucker, who made the move from Houston, Texas to Nashville more than 25 years ago, began her career as a performing songwriter. She has authored two books. In addition to music publishing, she has worked in artist management and promoted live events.
Copeland first launched her career as a performer, producer, songwriter, vocal and performance coach. She has worked with artists including Nashville Star finalist Rachel Williams, Tim Sweeney, Chris Monaghan, McKenna Faith, and Leather & Lace. Her music recently appeared in the movie Frozen Ground, featuring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack.
The business office for Kim Copeland Productions is located at 1216 17th Ave. S. The recording facility is located at 1204 17th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212.

Bryan Sets Touring Record, Plans Jam In Mexico

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Luke Bryan. Photo Courtesy of Gillette Stadium/ David Silverman

Luke Bryan at Gillette Stadium. Photo Courtesy of Gillette Stadium/ David Silverman


Luke Bryan broke another concert attendance record over the weekend, and followed that with the announcement of his Crash My Playa event in Mexico.
Bryan’s concert at Boston’s Gillette Stadium on Sunday night (Aug. 10) set the all-time record for a single day Country concert in the history of the field. Over 60,000 fans attended to watch Bryan, special guest Dierks Bentley, and openers Cole Swindell and Lee Brice.
Crash My Playa is set for January 23-27, 2015 at the all-inclusive Barceló Riviera Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula. It will include beachfront concerts by Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, and Cole Swindell, and special guests Kelleigh Bannen, Dustin Lynch, Eric Paslay, DJ Rock and Chris Stapleton. Details at www.crashmyplaya.com.
Bryan’s That’s My Kind of Night Tour continues until the end of October with additional stadium dates in Philadelphia and in Chicago. The tour will also stop in New York City again for its second sold-out show at Madison Square Garden and Bryan will be the first Country concert to play Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center on Sept. 14. In October, Bryan will be on his annual Farm Tour.
Live Nation is the national promoter for the That’s My Kind of Night Tour, which is sponsored by Miller Lite, Texaco and Cabela’s.
Bryan's concert at Gillette Stadium. Photo: Michael Monaco

Bryan’s concert at Gillette Stadium. Photo: Michael Monaco