Artist Pics: The Band Perry, Kristian Bush, RaeLynn

The T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research raised $1.6 million at the T.J. Martell Foundation 39th Honors Gala held in New York on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The annual fundraiser honored John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of Paul Mitchell Hair Products and Patron Spirits Company; Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO Sony Latin; Will Botwin, President & CEO, Red Light Management; and Marsha Vlasic, President, Artist Group International and Hard Rock International.
Performers included Latin recording artist Vincentico, Ben Folds and Republic Nashville recording artists The Band Perry took the stage.
“This year’s Honors Gala was everything we expected it to be and more,” said Laura Heatherly, CEO of the T.J. Martell Foundation. “I am so honored to have been amongst some of the world’s best in business, music and philanthropy during such an exciting night.”

Tony Martell, Founder & CEO of the TJ Martell Foundation (2nd left) and Will Botwin, President and CEO of Red Light Management (2nd right) joined Republic Nashville recording artists The Band Perry at this year’s 39th Annual New York Honors Gala which raised over $1.6 million for Leukemia, Cancer & AIDS research. Botwin was honored with the Visionary Leadership Award. Photo: Getty Images

• • •

Multi-platinum recording artist Kristian Bush performed “Trailer Hitch” on NBC’s Today show this morning and announced an exciting new partnership with Goodwill Industries International.
“When I learned more about Goodwill® and what they do with the proceeds from donations — how those donations help create jobs — I was really excited to join the effort,” said Bush. “If you are interested in creating change in your community, donating to Goodwill is a great place to start. It is so much more than a thrift shop.”

 • • •

RaeLynn collaborated with the Boston Brass last night (Oct. 26) to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Music in Our Schools Month and debut “Always Sing,” a new song she wrote with Nicolle Galyon & Jimmy Robbins for the organization’s efforts. The special live performance at the Gaylord Opryland Resort was one of highlights for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Conference, which centers on ways in which “Music Education Orchestrates Success” – in school, in work and in life.
“I grew up in a very musical family, yet my first real experience with playing an instrument began in middle school orchestra,” said RaeLynn. “I was very fortunate to be exposed to music at an early age and have such a heart for music teachers and the access they give their students to the arts. When we wrote ‘Always Sing,’ I was thinking of the countless kids across the country, like me, who found a place to belong through music and wanted this to be our anthem.”

Photo: Todd Cassetty

Photo: Todd Cassetty

Ralph Peer Biography To Be Released in November

9781613740217 hi res cover image111Author Barry Mazor tells the story of the influential Ralph Peer’s life and 50-year career in his new book, Ralph Peer and The Making of Popular Roots Music, available Nov. 3 on Chicago Review Press.
Peer, a Missouri native and kingpin A&R rep and music publisher of the 1920s and 1930s, produced the famous “Bristol Sessions” that launched The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. Peer also managed both acts.
He is credited with what is often referred to as Country music’s first recording, Fiddlin’ John Carson’s “Little Log Cabin In The Lane”/”That Old Hen Cackled and The Rooster’s Goin’ To Crow.” He followed that success by recording music from the Hill Billies, the Stoneman Family, Vernon Dalhart and others.
In 1928, he founded independent music publishing company Southern Music, which was later called peermusic. Some of peermusic’s classic titles include “You Are My Sunshine” (Jimmie Davis), “Georgia On My Mind” (Hoagy Carmichael), among many others.
Peer died in 1960 in California. He was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984.

Global Music Sales Drop For Apple's iTunes

itunesMusic sales at Apple’s iTunes Store have fallen 13 percent to 14 percent worldwide since the beginning of 2014, the Wall Street Journal reports. It marks a much sharper decline than in 2013, when global download revenues fell 2.1 percent, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The decline comes as consumers continuously move toward streaming services.
The decline demonstrates one reason Apple purchased $10-a-month subscription streaming service Beats Music earlier in 2014, as part of the $3 billion acquisition that included headphone manufacturer Beats Electronics. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is rebuilding Beats Music, with plans to relaunch it as part of iTunes next year.
A key challenge for the industry is to persuade enough users to pay a monthly subscription fee, rather than opting for free versions that require advertising and generate less monies. While Spotify offers a free, ad-supported version, Beats Music does not.
United States revenues from singles and albums downloads fell 11 percent, and 14 percent respectively, during the first half of 2014. Meanwhile, the industry saw a 28 percent leap in revenues from streaming music services, which aided overall digital revenue to increase slightly to $2.2 billion in the first half of 2014.

Bobby Karl Works The Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 471

Pictured (L-R): CMA's Sarah Trahern, Suzi Cochran, Mac Wiseman, ??, and Ronnie MIlsap.

Pictured (L-R): CMA’s Sarah Trahern, Suzi Cochran, Mac Wiseman, Country Music Hall of Fame’s Kyle Young, and Ronnie Milsap.


You know you’re in for a grand event when the first person you meet in the lobby is serene goddess Emmylou Harris.
And the second person you see is the awesome Bill Anderson at the cocktail reception. They weren’t the only Country Music Hall of Fame members in attendance. Before the gig even began, we spotted Charley Pride, Brenda Lee, Harold Bradley, Randy Owen of Alabama, E.W. “Bud” Wendell, Bobby Bare, Ray Walker and Curtis Young of The Jordanaires, Charlie McCoy, Vince Gill, Ralph Emery and Jo Walker-Meador.
“It’s important that we show up,” said Brenda. That’s because the event in question was the Medallion Ceremony that officially installed the 2014 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame — Mac Wiseman, Ronnie Milsap and the late Hank Cochran.
Staged Sunday evening (Oct. 26) at various venues within the Hall of Fame, the Medallion Ceremony maintained its reputation as one of the finest musical evenings on the entertainment industry’s annual calendar. Champagne cocktails and mucho mingling occurred in the Conservatory. Then the actual ceremony took place in the CMA Theater. The cocktail supper afterward was in the new event space, plus its lobby and terrace, on the sixth floor of the museum’s recent addition.
As is customary, the ceremony began with an audio selection from the museum’s Bob Pinson Recorded Sound Collection. This was Clifton Chenier’s “Bogalusa Boogie.”
Kyle Young welcomes attendees to the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Photo: Terry Wyatt

Kyle Young welcomes attendees to the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Photo: Terry Wyatt


“Clifton was presented with a well-deserved Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year,” observed Hall of Fame director & CEO Kyle Young. He referred to inductees Mac, Ronnie and Hank as “three great Americans who have made country-music history.”
Chairman of the Board Steve Turner noted that the Hall of Fame was created and is elected by the CMA: “That’s why it is more than appropriate that this ceremony take place here in the CMA Theater, made possible by a $10 million gift from the Country Music Association.”
The CMA’s Sarah Trahern praised each 2014 inductee. “Hank Cochran’s songs have been recorded by everyone from Burl Ives to Etta James, George Strait to Ella Fitzgerald,” she said. “Mac Wiseman is a revered figure in the world of bluegrass and a founding Board member of the Country Music Association. Ronnie Milsap is an incredibly gifted pianist and performer who is also one of the most successful and versatile [pop] crossover artists in our genre.”
The video segment introducing Mac Wiseman featured him performing “Love Letters in the Sand,” “We Live in Two Different Worlds” and “Keep on the Sunny Side.”
“I was influenced by people like Bradley Kincaid and The Carter Family, but I never dreamed I’d be in this business,” said Mac in the video. “I’ve recorded over 800 songs,” he added, including ones his mother left him in 13 notebooks of transcribed lyrics from old-time radio shows. Some of these appear on his new CD Songs From My Mother’s Hand. This album marks his seventh decade of releasing records. “I feel like I’ve left my mark, a little.”
“He is known as ‘The Voice With a Heart,’” commented Kyle. “Hard to imagine a more accurate nickname. His dulcet-toned, expressive vocal does more than deliver a song well – it invites the listeners to feel the emotion in the lyrics.” Before launching his solo career, Mac performed with such greats as Molly O’Day, Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe.
Jim Lauderdale saluted the honoree with a spirited version of 1951’s “Goin’ Like Wildfire.” Charlie Daniels recalled being a boyhood fan of Mac’s music and sang 1958’s “Jimmy Brown the Newsboy.” One of Mac’s “signature” performances is his sweet, tenor delivery of 1957’s “Tis Sweet to Be Remembered.” Vince Gill’s sweet tenor did the honors on that one.
“It’s an honor to sing a great song for a great man,” said Vince. Mac was officially inducted by Jo Walker-Meador. “I just feel so blessed and so honored that Mac would want me to speak about him tonight,” she said. “He was invaluable to me in the early days, because when I went to work for the CMA, I knew nothing about country music and its artists….He was a giver, but never a taker.”
“I’ve tried to be true to myself and give back as much as I could,” said Mac. “I could never give back as much as this business has given me.” He added, “I’m almost spellbound….This means more to me than anything that has happened in my musical career.”
Suzi Cochran and Bobby Bare induct the late Hank Cochran at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Donn Jones

Suzi Cochran and Bobby Bare induct the late Hank Cochran at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Donn Jones


The video tribute to the late Hank Cochran (1935-2010) included footage of him singing “All of Me Belongs to You,” “That’s All That Matters to Me” and “I Don’t Do Windows.”
“Hank Cochran helped create the template for the professional Nashville songwriter,” said Kyle. “He helped establish the city as a songwriting mecca.”
In his honor, Alison Krauss sang stunning renditions of “Make the World Go Away” and “Don’t Touch Me.” She received a standing ovation. So did the sublimely country vocal master Gene Watson, who delivered a breathtaking “Don’t You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me.”
Bobby Bare inducted the songwriter. “Hank Cochran was an icon,” Bobby said. “He was a great songwriter and a great friend….Hank could feel things that nobody else could feel. He wasn’t afraid to let the world know how he felt.”
Widow Suzi Cochran accepted the Medallion from Bobby. “It breaks my heart that it’s me standing here and not Hank,” she said. “Hank was a dreamer, as are most songwriters, and he was blessed to have many of his dreams come true during his lifetime….One, of course, was to become a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.”
Ronnie Milsap is inducted at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Donn Jones

Ronnie Milsap is inducted at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Donn Jones


The Ronnie Milsap video featured him performing “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” “(I’m A) Stand By My Woman Man,” “Stranger in My House” and a duet with Ray Charles on “Hey Good Lookin.’” Kyle noted Ronnie’s pop and R&B influences and stated, “Nashville and country music gave his diverse talents a home. He scored 49 top-10 hits between 1973 and 1991.” Like Mac Wiseman, Ronnie continues to make new music, including the recent CD Summer Number Seventeen.
Sam Moore, formerly of Sam & Dave took the stage and recalled that he first encountered Ronnie opening for the duo in a black club in Washington D.C.– “He’s white boy in a colored theater! He ain’t gonna make it! When he got through singing, I had slosh in my shoe, and I couldn’t find Dave!”
“This is where I come in,” quipped Vince Gill. “We have a new duo. We just got signed – Sam & A Lighter Shade of Dave.” The two drew a standing ovation for “Lost in the Fifties Tonight.” Then Hunter Hayes sang and played dazzling guitar on “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me.” Ronnie’s next-door neighbor Martina McBride performed a thrilling “(I’d Be) A Legend in My Time,” ranging from the lowest notes of the song’s bridge to its shimmering-soprano climax.
Charlie Daniels, EmmyLou Harris, Brenda Lee, and Vince Gill backstage at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Terry Wyatt

Charlie Daniels, EmmyLou Harris, Brenda Lee, and Vince Gill backstage at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Terry Wyatt


Reba McEntire was scheduled to induct Ronnie. But her father, Clark McEntire, died on Thursday (Oct. 23), so Brenda Lee stepped into the breach. “It’s always an honor when I can be here,” said Brenda. “Every year, it gets sweeter and sweeter.” She recalled manager Jack D. Johnson asking her in the early 1970s to go see the genre-defying Ronnie perform at the King of the Road motor inn in East Nashville. Afterward, “I said, ‘I don’t know what you can do with him, but don’t let him get away.’
“It is my privilege to welcome Ronnie Milsap into the hallowed Country Music Hall of Fame. I’m comin’ over there [to the other side of the stage] with this medal, and you better bend over.” He did, to accommodate the diminutive Brenda. She hung the medallion around his neck and kissed him.
“To be inducted by the great Brenda Lee: This is as good as it gets,” Ronnie exclaimed. He praised his wife, Joyce Milsap, who drove him from club to club in their struggling days. “We were living in Memphis, and Joyce said, ‘We’re going to move to Nashville.’ I said, ‘Why? We’re doing pretty good here.’
Sam Moore and Vince Gill perform at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Donn Jones

Sam Moore and Vince Gill perform at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Donn Jones


“I love y’all, and thank you so much for having me in the Country Music Hall of Fame. I love you. Thank you.”
Ronnie sat at the piano and led all the evening’s performers — plus The Bethel UMC Chancel Choir — through his downbeat blues arrangement of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” Thus, this year’s finale was a whole new kind of train wreck.
Among those not trying to sing along were David Briggs, David McCormick, David Ross, David Crow, David Conrad, Dave Pomeroy, David Anderson, Dan Rogers, Dan Hayes, John Lomax III, Jon Freeman, John Grady, Rob Galbraith, Rob Beckham, Tom Corley, Tom Roland, Tom Collins, Pat Collins, Jody Maphis and Rose Lee Maphis.
Nashville’s songwriting community was well represented by Mike Reid, Gretchen Peters, Tony Arata, Dallas Frazier, Wynn Varble, Sandy Knox and Norro Wilson. From the Americana world came Paul Burch, Kim Richey, Chuck Mead & Brenda Colladay, Erin Enderlin, Billy Burnette, Bobby Bare Jr. and James House. Representing the Grand Ole Opry were Jeannie Seely, Stonewall Jackson, Jan Howard, Keith Bilbrey, Jimmy Capps and Eddie Stubbs.
The post-show cocktail supper upstairs featured roast-beef carving stations, squash and/or mushroom ravioli, green salad, mahi-mahi filets, gnocchi, asparagus spears and more. The desert table had truffles, lime mousse, chocolate fondue and fruit.
Gene Watson performs at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Donn Jones

Gene Watson performs at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Donn Jones


I don’t know if they ate or not, but other music-biz attendees included Fred Foster, Dale Dodson, Les Leverett, Mike Milom, Margie McGahey, Martha Moore, Paul Moore and the colorful mix of Jed Hilly, Jewly Hight, Hunter Kelly, Terry Smith & Nancy Cardwell, Kyle Lehning, Nina Miller, Lori Badgett, Ron Cox, Lisa Harless, Ed Salamon, Frank Bumstead, Lane Brody, Katie Gillon, Chris Horsnell, Joe Galante, Buddy Cannon, Heath Owen, Susan Nadler, Brian Mansfield, Melanie Howard, Tony Conway, Jerry & Connie Bradley, Charlie Cook, Barry Mazor, Anita Hogin and Kevin Lamb.
This gig is so prestigious, that many attended from the “civilian” world. These included Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Francis Guess, Kent Oliver, Donna & Gerald Nicely, Jerry Williams, Seab Tuck, Bill Denny and Adam Dread.
Alison Krauss performs at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Terry Wyatt

Alison Krauss performs at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Terry Wyatt


I cannot close without mentioning the great Bill Cody, who once again emceed the red-carpet arrivals. Nor without citing the Medallion All-Star Band. This year, that was musical director John Hobbs, plus Paul Franklin, Deanie Richardson, Steve Gibson, Biff Watson, Eddie Bayers, Michael Rhodes, Laura Weber Cash, Jeff White and Mark Douthit. “We couldn’t do it without them,” quoth Kyle Young. Amen.
Hunter Hayes performs at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – photo by Donn Jones1

Hunter Hayes performs at the 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Donn Jones

Swift Launches '1989,' Announces NYE Performance

swift on GMA robin roberts

Taylor Swift and Robin Roberts, video below.


Taylor Swift is making the release-day media rounds. Earlier today (Oct. 27) she sat down with Robin Roberts on ABC’s Good Morning America, broadcasting live from Times Square.
On GMA, Swift discussed the private listening sessions she hosted for groups of fans at her homes across the country prior to the release of 1989, as well as her move to New York City and her new role as the city’s tourism ambassador.
ABC announced that Swift will headline New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, hosted by Ryan Seacrest. She will be one of more than 30 yet-to-be-revealed musical performers during the program.
Last week, MusicRow reported that 1989 is expected to sell between 800K-900K copies during its debut week.
More ABC news videos | ABC Health News

Stoney LaRue Releases New Album On eOne Records

unnamed (6)Stoney LaRue will release his new album called Aviators today (Oct. 27). Produced by Frank Liddell and Mike McCarthy, it is LaRue’s first on the eOne Nashville label.
He is considered one of the top acts from the Texas Music scene and he has described himself as “Bob Dylan meets Tom Petty.”CMT PURE will simultaneously release the title track video, making this the 2nd video from the project. LaRue is set to make his Grand Ole Opry debut Saturday, Nov. 15th.
“I can’t stop pinching myself about my Opry debut. I mean, when I got the news, I couldn’t speak because that has been the one event and I mean, event that has been at the top of my career list since day one,” says LaRue.
LaRue released the lead off single “Golden Shackles” in August, that quickly jumped inside the Top 10 on the Texas Music Chart as the video for the cut “First One To Know” has hit Top 5 on the CMT PURE 12 Pack Countdown, as well as receiving play on various other CMT properties.
He consistently plays over 200 shows a year yielding over 250,000 tickets sold last year alone.
LaRue is no stranger to the spotlight as his 2011 self-released Velvet debuted at No. 3 on the iTunes chart, as well as Top 15 on the overall Billboard Country Music Chart. Additionally, the Texas Regional Radio Awards named Velvet Album of the Year along with his Male Vocalist award in 2012.

Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean Team For Summer Stadium Run

JasonAldean_KennyChesney_500x500_Static22222
Fans can expect twice the star power for the summer of 2015. Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney have revealed that their respective tours, The Burn It Down Tour and The Big Revival Tour Presented by Corona Light, will combine for 10 stadium shows next summer. The first shows to go on sale will be New England’s Gillette Stadium, slated to take place Aug. 28, 2015, and San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium, slated for May 2, 2015.
“We’ve played so many of these stadiums so many summers, I know just how hard the fans coming out can rock,” Chesney says. “There aren’t a lot of guys out there who can hit it the way Jason does, so I’m glad we’re able to bring both of our tours together for 10 nights this summer. I know what me and the guys are bringing in terms of music, and I know Jason can hang with us!”
“Kenny is the guy everybody in country music looks up to when they think about workin’ hard, building your career out on the road and getting to eventually play stadiums,” added Aldean. “When we first started dipping our toe into that business a few years ago, he’s the guy I would call or text for advice. We have a real friendship.  Don’t get me wrong…that doesn’t mean I’m going to make it easy to follow me every night…he’s gonna have to work for it harder than he ever has before!”
5/2/15              San Francisco, CA| Levi’s Stadium
5/16/15            Dallas, TX| AT&T Stadium
6/20/15            Green Bay, WI| Lambeau Field
6/27/15            Seattle, WA| CenturyLink Field
7/18/15            Minneapolis, MN| Target Field
7/25/15            Pasadena, CA| Rose Bowl
8/1/15              Kansas City, MO|A rrowhead Stadium
8/8/15              Denver, CO| Sports Authority Field at Mile High
8/15/15            E. Rutherford, NJ| MetLife Stadium
8/28/15            Boston, MA| Gillette Stadium

Downtown Nashville Prepares For 2014 CMA Awards

awards14-logo-jpgDowntown Nashville will be making a few traffic adjustments in preparation for The 48th Annual CMA Awards, which will air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Production set-up for the CMA Awards will require special traffic patterns.
Monday, Oct. 27 to Saturday, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 7 to Monday, Nov. 10, from 6:00 AM– 6:00 PM/CT, the Demonbreun Street Northside curb lane, next to Walk of Fame Park, will be closed between Fourth and Fifth Avenues South.
From 6:00 AM/CT Sunday, Nov. 2 to 6:00 AM/CT Saturday, Nov. 8, Sixth Avenue South will be closed between Demonbreun Street and Broadway.
From 6:00 AM/CT Sunday, Nov. 2 to 6:00 AM/CT Thursday, Nov. 6, Demonbreun Street will be closed between Fifth and Sixth Avenues South.
From 9:00 AM/CT Monday, Nov. 3 to 5:00 PM/ CT Thursday, Nov. 6, Fifth Avenue South will be closed between Demonbreun Street and Broadway.
From 8:00 PM/CT Monday, Nov. 3 to 2:00 AM/CT Tuesday, Nov. 4, Broadway will be closed between Fourth and Seventh Avenues South.
From 9:00 AM/CT Tuesday, Nov. 4 to 4:00 AM/CT Wednesday, Nov. 5, the westbound lanes of Demonbreun Street will be closed from Fifth to Fourth Avenues.
From 6:00 AM/CT Wednesday, Nov. 5 to 3:00 AM/CT Thursday, Nov. 6, the following streets will be closed:
Sixth Avenue South will be closed between Korean Veterans Blvd. and Demonbreun Street
Fifth Avenue South between Korean Veterans Blvd. and Demonbreun Street.
Demonbreun Street will close between Eighth and Sixth Avenues South.
Seventh Avenue South will close between Demonbreun Street and Broadway.
McGavock Pike will close between Eighth and Seventh Avenues South.
From 6:00 AM/CT Wednesday, Nov. 5 to 4:00 AM/CT Thursday, Nov. 6, Demonbreun Street will close between Fourth and Fifth Avenues South.
Wednesday, Nov. 5, from 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM/CT, the Fourth Avenue Southbound curb lane (West) will close between Broadway and Demonbreun Street.
The 48th Annual CMA Awards will air on the ABC Television Network on Wednesday November 5 at 8p/Eastern.

Florida Panhandle To Host 6th Annual Songwriters Festival

30a-Songwriters-FestivalThe 6th Annual 30A Songwriters Festival has been set for Jan. 16-18 in South Walton County, Fla., featuring an initial line-up including Graham Nash, Jason Isbell, Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Jeffrey Steele, Chely Wright, Kyle Jacobs, Joe Leathers, Billy Montana, Bobby Bare Jr., Angaleena Presley, Hayes Carll, Leon Russell and Deana Carter.
More than 200 shows will incorporate unique listening room environments throughout the weekend in the 25 venues that partner with the festival, ranging in capacity from 75 to 3,500. Net proceeds benefit the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County, supporting the arts.
Four course VIP dinners from award-winning chefs are offered on Saturday and on Sunday, including wine pairings and special musical guests. Those upgraded packages offer preferred seating, personal town car or limousine transportation, complementary lunch, beer and wine at Gulf Place Amphitheater in a VIP tent.
“There is a very special excitement and vibe that is palpable every year throughout 30A in January, the month of the Festival,” says Russell Carter, a festival producer. “We are all moved and informed by musical expressions, showmanship, glamour, humor, and outright drama – it is high art on 30A! ”
“Each year we build on the success of the prior year,” says Jennifer Steele, Executive Director of the Cultural Arts Alliance and festival producer. “The 30A community of businesses and individual volunteers take personal pride in producing an event unique to the culture and geography of our Gulf Coast community in South Walton.”
Festival weekend passes are now available for $200 alongside VIP packages at 30asongwritersfestival.com or at the Cultural Arts Alliance office and at Central Square Records in Seaside, Fla.
Additional 2015 performers include Vicki Peterson and Susan Cowsill (Psycho Sisters), Toby Lightman, Liz Longley, Heather Maloney, Charlie Mars, Randall Bramblett, Griffin House, Old Salt Union, Gabriel Kelley, Brigitte DeMeyer, Craig Fuller (Pure Prairie League), Rusty Young (Poco), David Olney, Pierce Pettis, Grant Peeples, Pete Sallis, Gretchen Peters, The Smokin’ Novas, David Berkeley, Jeff Black, Jaren Johnston, Crystal Bowersox, Callaghan, Grayson Capps, Adron, Robbie Hecht, Ruston Kelly, Phil Madeira, Jonathan Singleton, Jeremy Stover, Tommy Talton, Reed Waddle, Daphne Willis, Webb Wilder, Cooper Carter & the Royal Senders, Nicole Witt, Alan Rhody, Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, Will Kimbrough, Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket), Steve Poltz, Over the Rhine, Jesse Harris, Mary Gauthier, Bob Schneider, Ellis Paul, Allison Moorer, Peter Karp & Sue Foley and David Ryan Harris.

Industry Leaders Rally Around Vanderbilt Children's Hospital

Jay DeMarcus, Clarence Spalding, John Russell, Allison DeMarcus

Jay DeMarcus, Clarence Spalding, John Russell, Allison DeMarcus

Allison and Jay DeMarcus and Clarence Spalding helped the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt launch the “Growing to New Heights” fundraising campaign at an event on Wednesday night, Oct. 22. The Rascal Flatts member and his wife emceed the event which was attended by patients and their families, community supporters and Vanderbilt University officials. 

Spalding and Kix Brooks are among the co-chairs of the campaign to raise $30 million over three years to help fund a $100 million expansion of the hospital. The four-floor building expansion will add 160,000 square feet of space atop the hospital’s existing structure. Construction on the new tower is expected to begin in 2015.

During the leadership phase of the campaign, $17.7 million was committed, including a $10 million gift from the daughters of Monroe Carell Jr., the hospital’s namesake, and his wife Ann Scott Carell, both now deceased. The gift is from Kathryn Carell Brown, Julie Carell Stadler, and Edie Carell Johnson and their families.

Rendering of the proposed expansion.

Rendering of the proposed expansion.