Kelsea Ballerini Signs With Iconic Entertainment Group

Pictured (L-R): IEG's Brian O'Neil and Larry Beckwith, Kelsea Ballerini, IEG's Fletcher Foster and Ally Rodriguez

Pictured (L-R): IEG’s Brian O’Neil and Larry Beckwith, Kelsea Ballerini, IEG’s Fletcher Foster and Ally Rodriguez

Black River Entertainment artist Kelsea Ballerini has inked a management deal with Fletcher Foster‘s Iconic Entertainment Group.

Ballerini, whose single “Love Me Like You Mean It,” is being worked to country radio, is putting the finishing touches on her debut album, slated to release this spring.

“I was first drawn to Kelsea professionally by her amazing songwriting and personally by her spirit,” says IEG’s President/CEO Foster. “Once I saw her on stage and how she interacted with the audience and her fans, I knew we wanted to be a part of her life and career. She’s a very special person and talent.”

Ballerini has been included on “Ones To Watch in 2015” lists from Huffington Post, Billboard and CMT Women of Country, among others.

Kim Buie Named VP, A&R for New West Records

Kim Buie

Kim Buie

A&R executive Kim Buie has been appointed VP of A&R for New West Records. Buie joins New West from artist management and distribution company Thirty Tigers, where she was head of A&R. Prior to her work with Thirty Tigers, Buie ran Lost Highway’s A&R department under Luke Lewis for nearly eight years. Buie will be based at New West’s newly opened Nashville office where she will work alongside president John Allen.

“Kim brings a wealth of wisdom and expertise to our team that she has amassed throughout her storied career working with tremendous artists and legendary A&R executives,” said Allen. “We are lucky to have her lead our A&R department.”

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with John Allen, whom I’ve known for many years and greatly admire, and likewise look forward to working with the entire New West team,” said Buie. “I truly value that it’s an artist driven company with an impressive history and catalog and I look forward to contributing to this great label and roster and pushing the envelope.”

Throughout her more than 30-year career, Buie has worked for both major and independent labels and learned the art of A&R alongside record label visionaries Jimmy Bowen, Chris Blackwell and Lewis. Her resume of artists that she has signed or work with includes Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, Etta James, Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Richard Thompson, Hayes Carll, Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett, Allen Ginsburg, William S. Burroughs, Mazzy Star, Drivin’ N Cryin’, Michael Franti, Butthole Surfers, Mary Gauthier, Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett, Freestyle Fellowship, Nortec Collective, and more.

In addition to A&R, Buie also manages Jessie Baylin and co-manages instrumental band Steelism.

“iHeartRadio Country Festival” To Return in May

IHRiHeartMedia announced today the return of the iHeartRadio Country Festival which will be at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas on Saturday, May 2.

The lineup includes Tim McGraw, Brantley Gilbert, Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley, with more to be announced, and will be hosted by iHeartMedia’s nationally-syndicated Country music personality Bobby Bones.

“This is truly a night of Country’s All-Stars” said John Sykes, President of iHeartMedia Entertainment Enterprises. “Every single one of these artists can headline an arena or stadium on their own, but on this night they will share the stage to celebrate the amazing music on our iHeartRadio country stations and the iHeartRadio app.”

“The country format has great talent and on-air personalities who have such a strong bond and loyalty with their fans and there is no better way to celebrate that relationship than at a live event,” said Tom Poleman President of National Programming Platforms for iHeartMedia. “With our more than 120 country stations nationwide we have the ability to bring the biggest events and one-of-a-kind experiences to our loyal listeners that no one else can provide.”

Tickets go on sale to the general public on March 28. For more information visit iHeartRadio.com/countryfestival.

Performers Announced For ‘MusicRow’ Country Radio Meet & Greet

CRSAnnounce_Top

MusicRow is excited about CRS in February! We are even more pleased to reveal the performers for our 13th annual Country Radio Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards, set for Wednesday, February 25 at Margaritaville in Nashville.

Joining us at the event will be Streamsound Records’ Austin Webb and Red Bow Records’ Chase Bryant. These outstanding newcomers will take the stage at our invitation-only party, treating guests to their latest music.

MusicRow publisher and owner Sherod Robertson says, “We are extremely pleased to feature emerging talents Chase Bryant and Austin Webb at MusicRow’s annual event during CRS. Both entertainers possess a rich influence of authentic country music and we are all very excited to showcase their unique styles and impressive talents to our valued guests.”

CRS15ArtistPhoto

The event at Margaritaville will also include the presentation of the CountryBreakout Awards. In-depth profiles of the yet-to-be-announced winners will be included in the February/March 2015 edition of MusicRow Magazine, which will debut at the party and be distributed throughout the Nashville Convention Center during CRS. MusicRow paid subscribers will receive copies by mail. Magazines are also available for purchase anytime at MusicRow.com or the magazine’s 17th Ave. S. headquarters in Nashville.

On Jan. 13 MusicRow affiliates, including subscribers and radio members, were emailed invitations to the event which leads up to Country Radio Seminar 2015.

About the artists performing at MusicRow’s 2015 Country Radio Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards

Austin Webb (Streamsound Records): A Williamston, S.C. native, Austin Webb’s influence comes from Motown, R&B, rock, and retro country, including stars Guy Clark and Kris Kristofferson. Webb began writing poetry at nine years old and picked up a guitar at age 16. Following high school, he worked odd jobs to support touring up and down the East Coast. While nursing a broken heart on his first trip to Nashville, a chance meeting with Charlie Louvin at Waffle House led to him playing onstage with the Opry member. Then a demo from winning a South Carolina songwriting competition made its way into the hands of Grammy award-winning producer Byron Gallimore, who offered him a publishing deal. Webb’s Streamsound Records debut is due out later this year, featuring the stellar new single, “All Country On You,” and Top 40 “Slip On By.”

Chase Bryant (Red Bow Records): Chase Bryant’s heritage is defined by music. Raised in Orange Grove, TX (pop. 1,200), the 22-year-old’s grandfather played piano for Roy Orbison and Waylon Jennings, and his uncles co-founded the ‘90s group Ricochet. The young songwriter was influenced by classic country, but his dreams of being a performer were solidified when he was introduced to the music of Sarah Buxton, Jedd Hughes and Keith Urban. Four years ago Bryant moved to Nashville, connecting with managers Neal Spielberg and Gene Dries. He also met Orbison’s widow, Barbara Orbison, and was her final addition to the roster of Still Working Music before her passing. A self-taught studio wiz, Bryant co-produced his Red Bow Records debut, including the guitar-shredding debut single “Take It On Back.” After being named to MusicRow’s 2015 Next Big Thing list, Bryant will maintain momentum into the summer as a guest on Tim McGraw’s tour.

Luke Bryan Reveals Stadium Dates, European Run

Pictured (L-R): Live Nation's Brian O'Connell, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Kyle, Luke Bryan and manager Kerri Edwards. Photo:  Alan Poizner

Pictured at today’s announcement (L-R): Live Nation’s Brian O’Connell, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Kyle Young, Luke Bryan and manager Kerri Edwards. Photo: Alan Poizner

Luke Bryan’s 2015 schedule includes a few firsts and a few lasts. He will perform overseas for the first time, and will christen a few stadiums (including Vanderbilt’s) as the first country artist to perform there. He will also perform his last spring break concert in Florida, ending a tradition that drew over 230,000 fans in 2014.

Bryan’s Kick The Dust Up Tour will launch May 8 in Grand Forks, ND. Several cities on the outing will host two-night arena stands. Seven stadiums are on the schedule, with his first stadium concert of the year set for June 6 in Denver. Bryan will be the first country act to play in St. Paul’s stadium (June 20) and Nashville’s Vanderbilt football stadium (July 11). Joining Bryan for all dates will be Dustin Lynch and Randy Houser. Stadium concerts will additionally feature Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett.

Bryan shared news about his tour during a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville this morning (Jan. 21). Having played to 1.7 million fans last year, Bryan says he’s more confident than ever going into 2015. “This is still only my third year of true headlining. I don’t ever want to take for granted being able to do a double [show] in a city. It’s nice having that confidence that we’ll be able to roll in there and add to production and add to the show. Our fans have shown me that they are going to show up in full support, and we can start stretching our boundaries on how big we want to make the show. It’s a wonderful place to be in, to announce the show and have true excitement of what’s to come, not necessarily the anxiety of whether we going to be able to pull it off or not.”

Pictured (L-R): Luke Bryan, Brian O'Connell.

Pictured (L-R): Luke Bryan, Brian O’Connell share details of Bryan’s upcoming tour.

The singer-songwriter recalled the lesson he learned from his first stadium show. “I never will forget when we walked onstage for the first time in Heinz Field last year in Pittsburgh. It was my first stadium show. I remember hitting that stage and thinking, ‘Well the only way to learn how to do this is to run your butt out there and do it.’ I remember at the end of the show, thinking, ‘Well, that was an experience.’ That’s what you live for, pushing yourself. Now I have four stadium [shows] behind me, and now I’ll know a little better how to make every fan feel special.”

Bryan has decided to end his run of spring break shows in Panama City, Fla. after this year. He will perform two free concerts at Spinnaker Beach Club on March 11 and 12. His seventh spring break album Spring Break…Checkin’ Out will be released March 10.

In 2015, Bryan is touring overseas for the first time. He ventured to Canada last year and is going to Europe in February and March, playing festivals and clubs in the UK, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and Norway, including four C2C: Country to Country shows.

Brian O’Connell, Pres. of Live Nation Country Touring, joined him at today’s event which was streamed live on Bryan’s website. CMHoF director Kyle Young came onstage to announce that Bryan will be the subject of the Museum’s next major exhibition, set to open in May. Fan club members were also in attendance.

“Just five or six years ago, I walked Broadway and these streets, walking by the Country Music Hall of Fame, being in this room and being all through the halls of this place,” said Bryan. “My parents used to come to town and I’d take them to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Now family and friends can come to town and see an exhibit of mine is truly…I remember driving down Music Row and seeing Carrie [Underwood]’s ad on the billboards, and wondering if that would ever happen to me. When you consider how much attention and how Nashville is such a bubbling, vibrant city and all the people coming through here and they can see part of my life on display, it’s exciting. I’m sure my boys [Thomas Boyer, age 6, and Tatum Christopher, age 4] will have some interesting things to say about seeing dad behind the cases.”

Bryan’s career tally includes 11 No. 1 hits, 7 million albums, and 27 million tracks sold. He also promises a new album soon. “We were in the studio in conjunction with recording the Spring Break album, and we recorded four new songs to start wrapping our heads around the new album, and ‘Kick The Dust Up’ was one of those new songs. I only have four songs recorded, so that tells you how much work we still have to do on the album.”

Cabela’s is a sponsor of the tour. Cabela’s Club Visa members and Citi cardmembers will have exclusive ticketing options.

For a complete list of tour dates visit lukebryan.com.

-with additional reporting by Jessica Nicholson

K-Love Announces Awards Nominees, TV Channel

Pictured (L-R): Matthew West, Steven Curtis Chapman, Plumb, John Sanders (Co-Creator and Producer), Jon Klein (TAPP Co-Founder and CEO), Mike Novak (K-LOVE President and CEO), Francesca Battistelli, David Pierce (K-LOVE CCO) and Colton Dixon. Photo: Aaron Crisler

Pictured (L-R): Matthew West, Steven Curtis Chapman, Plumb, John Sanders (Co-Creator and Producer), Jon Klein (TAPP Co-Founder and CEO), Mike Novak (K-LOVE President and CEO), Francesca Battistelli, David Pierce (K-LOVE CCO) and Colton Dixon. Photo: Aaron Crisler

K-LOVE–the Christian radio network in 47 states with an estimated weekly audience of over 14 million–has revealed the nominees for its third annual K-LOVE Fan Awards Show and separate plans for a TV channel.

Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House will hold the awards event on May 31 as the pinnacle event of the K-LOVE Ultimate Fan Experience, which includes dinner with the K-LOVE staff and friends, a weekend kick-off concert, two breakfasts, speakers, Fan Zone and more.

Leading the 2015 nominations with four each were for KING & COUNTRY and Newsboys (full list below). For the first time, nominees were selected and voted upon completely by fans. Voting will open at Midnight ET on May 1 and will close at Midnight ET on May 30. Nominees for Film/Television Impact, Book Impact and Sports Impact Awards will be announced at a later date.

Additionally K-LOVE has unveiled K-LOVE TV, a network set to launch as a subscription-based TV channel this spring. TAPP, the brainchild of reality television pioneers Jeff Gaspin and Jon Klein, recently launched the Sarah Palin Channel, Herman Cain Channel, New Life TV and is partnering with K-LOVE and John Sanders LLC to build K-LOVE TV from the ground up.

2015 K-LOVE Fan Awards Nominees

Male Artist of the Year
Chris Tomlin
Colton Dixon
Crowder
Jeremy Camp
Matthew West
Steven Curtis Chapman

Female Artist of the Year
Francesca Battistelli
Jamie Grace
Kari Jobe
Mandisa
Natalie Grant
Plumb

Group/Duo of the Year
Casting Crowns
for KING & COUNTRY
MercyMe
Newsboys
Tenth Avenue North
Third Day

Best Live Show
for KING & COUNTRY
NEEDTOBREATHE
Newsboys
Tenth Avenue North
Third Day
TobyMac

Worship Song of the Year
“Overwhelmed” Big Daddy Weave
“Jesus Loves Me” Chris Tomlin
“Come As You Are” Crowder
“No Other Name” Hillsong Worship
“How Can It Be” Lauren Daigle
“Because He Lives” Matt Maher

Song of the Year
“Hope In Front of Me” Danny Gokey
“Fix My Eyes” for KING & COUNTRY
“He Knows My Name” Francesca Battistelli
“Do Something” Matthew West
“Greater” MercyMe
“We Believe” Newsboys

Artist of the Year
Casting Crowns
Chris Tomlin
for KING & COUNTRY
MercyMe
Newsboys
TobyMac

Miranda Lambert Added To List Of Grammy Performers

Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert has been added to the list of performers for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Lambert is already a Grammy winner and is nominated this year in four categories. Her nominations include Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for “Automatic,” Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Somethin’ Bad” with Carrie Underwood, and Best Country Album for Platinum.

Also announced as performers are eight-time Grammy winner Usher, and two of this year’s leading nominees, Sam Smith, and Pharrell Williams, who have six nominations each.

They join previously announced acts Eric Church, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, AC/DC, and Madonna. That story can be read here.

Grammy winners Common and John Legend will perform the song “Glory” from the film Selma.

The event will be broadcast live from The Staples Center in Los Angeles on CBS. “Music’s Biggest Night” will take place on Sunday, Feb. 8 from 8pm-11:30pm/ET.

Industry Ink: NMPA, YEP, Nashville Underground Entertainment

Jody Gerson_UMPG (1)

Jody Gerson

Jody Gerson Named To NMPA Board of Directors

The National Music Publishers’ Association has announced that Jody Gerson, the new chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, has officially joined the NMPA Board of Directors.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jody,” said Irwin Z. Robinson, chairman of the NMPA Board. “Her reputation as a songwriter advocate precedes her, and we are grateful to add her expertise to our Board.”

“Jody is a rock star and I am so pleased to have her join the NMPA Board,” said NMPA President and CEO David Israelite. “NMPA’s Board, its members and its advocacy efforts will benefit greatly from her years of experience helping creators thrive.”

Formerly the co-president of Sony/ATV Publishing, Gerson fills the vacancy left by former UMPG chairman Zach Horowitz.

 

YEP Upcoming Events

yep11Nashville entertainment industry organization Young Entertainment Professionals will host several upcoming events in Nashville. On Jan. 27, BMI and YEP will co-host a night at Exit/In beginning at  6 p.m. YEP will host a mixer on Feb. 9 at the Listening Room, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 10 will bring a Musicpreneur No. 2 session at the Entrepreneur Center at 5:30 p.m. For more information on these events, visit yepnashville.com.

 

Nashville Underground Entertainment Expands To Include Nashville Underground Online

Nashville Underground Online2Nashville Underground Entertainment, LLC, home of Nashville Underground Radio and Nashville Underground Management has expanded to include Nashville Underground Online, a creative agency specializing in graphic and web design, viral marketing and social media, aimed specifically towards independent artists and entrepreneurs.

“I’ve said before that the Nashville Underground brand has limitless potential,” says Matt Williams, co-founder of Nashville Underground Entertainment. “This is not only proof of that, but was an inevitable next step for our company as viral marketing and design is something we make a living at anyway.”

Nashville Underground Online is a partnership between Nashville Underground Entertainment and Brand Ur Band, a digital marketing and social media company.

“This partnership with Nashville Underground will change the game,” says Damar Howard, founder and CEO of Brand Ur Band. “This is a powerhouse team of people with the goal to help artists become truly independent, as well as promote local culture and business.”

LifeNotes: Music Journalist Bill Littleton Dies

Bill Littleton

Bill Littleton

Veteran country music journalist Bill Littleton passed away last weekend in his home state of South Carolina. He was 75 years old.

Littleton died on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. He was a native of Greenwood, S.C. who spent 47 years in Nashville.

He is probably best known as the Nashville bureau chief of Performance magazine for more than 20 years. Littleton was also an actor, a singer-songwriter and a writer of fiction. He had character roles in such films as I Walk the Line (1970), co-starring Gregory Peck and Tuesday Weld; Payday (1973), starring Rip Torn; and Deadhead Miles (1973), co-starring Alan Arkan and Charles Durning.

Bill Littleton recorded several of his songs, occasionally performed in clubs and posted both audio and videos of his music online over the years. He notably accompanied Tom T. Hall on the journey that resulted in Hall’s 1971 LP In Search of a Song. Littleton wrote the album’s liner notes and his many snapshots of the trip were featured on its back jacket.

At the time of his death, Bill Littleton was residing in Boiling Springs, SC. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister and his wife, Connie Fuller Littleton. He is survived by sister Linda Griebno and several nieces and nephews. Celebration of life services are being planned for Boiling Springs as well as Nashville.

Clearview Artist Management Signs Elizabeth Lyons

Pictured (L-R): Elizabeth Lyons & Clearview Artist Management's Steve Schweidel

Pictured (L-R): Elizabeth Lyons & Clearview Artist Management’s Steve Schweidel

Clearview Artist Management has signed Vanderbilt University graduate Elizabeth Lyons to its roster.

Steve Schweidel, Principal of Clearview, says, “This young talented artist will be the next big female star in country music and I’m just lucky to have stumbled upon her.”

“Our paths crossed after playing at The Bluebird Cafe.” Lyons said. “So thankful to be working with such an experienced manager! From the moment I met Steve we shared the same vision. I’m honored to be working with him. This #PartyRules! WOOWOO!”

Last week, Lyons released her new music video for her single, “#PartyRules,” which is being worked to country radio.

Clearview Artist Management clients have included Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, James Otto, Ty Murray, and Ocean Street.