Industry Ink: BMLG, Larry Henley, Demolition Music Publishing, IEBA

/by

Republic Nashville and Big Machine Label Group Celebrate Grammys

Artists and executives at Republic Nashville and Big Machine Label Group celebrated after the Grammy Awards were held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 8.

Pictured (L-R): Big Machine President/CEO Scott Borchetta and Republic Records Founder/CEO Monte Lipman. Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Big Machine President/CEO Scott Borchetta and Republic Records Founder/CEO Monte Lipman. Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry and Reid Perry. Photo: Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry and Reid Perry. Photo: Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Celebration of Life Service Set for Larry Henley

LarryHenleySlider

Larry Henley

A Celebration of Life service has been set for singer-songwriter Larry Henley, who died Dec. 18, 2014 at the age of 77. His compositions included “Wing Beneath My Wings,” “‘Til I Get It Right,” “He’s a Heartache,” “Is It Still Over,” “Lizzie and the Rainman,” and “Bread and Butter.”

The service will be held Thursday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. in the first floor lobby of BMI (located at 10 Music Sq. E.). Those wishing to honor Henley can make donations to Alive Hospice, located at 1718 Patterson Street in Nashville.

 

Demolition Music Publishing Adds To Writer Roster

Demolition Music Publishing has signed Michael August, a New Jersey native who has made Nashville his home for the past two years.

Demolition’s President, Jon D’Agostino says the young company was proud to add Michael to their roster of writers because “Michael is that talented singer-songwriter who brings his ‘A’ game and ‘A+’ attitude to every writing session with the goal to write a hit and get it cut!”

DMP President Jon D'Agostino, DMP current DMP writers Adam Searan and Jason Eustice, welcome Michael August for to the songwriting team.

DMP President Jon D’Agostino, and DMP writers Adam Searan and Jason Eustice, welcome Michael August to the songwriting team.

 

IEBA To Offer Summer Scholarships 

International Entertainment Buyers Association has announced it will continue its Summer Internship Scholarship program and will award $15,000 in scholarships to 10 students interning in the entertainment business this summer. Each student will receive an individual scholarship of $1,500. Applications are available now at www.ieba.org. The application deadline is April 3, 2015.

In 2014, 10 summer scholarships were distributed to students at eight universities interning in eight states across the country. Internships included Hangout Fest, AC Entertainment, ROAR, Live Nation Clubs and Theaters, Rodeo Fame, and Progressive Global Agency.

Pictured (L-R)L Zach Swon of The Swon Brothers, Sinita Tatum (IEBA Student Member and 2014 MTSU graduate now employed with Neste Event Marketing), Kelly Feild (Belmont Student and 2014 IEBA Scholarship Recipient), and Colton Swon of The Swon Brothers.

Pictured (L-R): Zach Swon of The Swon Brothers, Sinita Tatum (IEBA Student Member and 2014 MTSU graduate now employed with Neste Event Marketing), Kelly Feild (Belmont Student and 2014 IEBA Scholarship Recipient), and Colton Swon of The Swon Brothers.

ACM Announces First-Ever ‘NOW That’s What I Call Music!’ Album

/by

Now-That's-What-I-Call-ACM-AwardsNOW That’s What I Call Music!, and the Academy of Country Music (ACM) are partnering for the first time to release NOW That’s What I Call The ACM Awards 50 Years as a joint venture between UMG, Sony Music Entertainment and the ACM, distributed by UMG.

The latest installment in the best-selling album series will feature two discs spanning the ACM Awards’ 50-year history. Recent hits such as “The House That Built Me” and “Need You Now” (disc one) are paired with classics such as “Always on My Mind,” “Why Not Me,” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (disc two). Other songs are featured from Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Alabama, Faith Hill, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and many more.

The album will be released on March 31, prior to the 50th ACM Awards airing on Sunday, April 19 at 8 p.m. ET/delayed PT on the CBS. All of the Academy’s proceeds from sales of the album will go to ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the ACM, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.

A track listing is expected to be released soon.

Grammy Ratings Slip, Still Dominate Primetime

/by
Eric Church performs on the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles Photo: Kevin Winter/WireImage.com

Eric Church performs on the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles
Photo: Kevin Winter/WireImage.com/Grammy.com

Ratings for last night’s (Feb. 8) Grammy Awards may have hit a six-year low, but the trophyfest on CBS still won the night by a longshot.

The show averaged 25.3 million viewers according Nielsen, an 11 percent slide from the 2014 broadcast which attracted 28.5 million.

Viewership among the key demographic of 18-to-49 year-olds received an 8.5 rating and was down 14 percent year over year.

Meanwhile, on CBS’s website, unique users of Grammy content hit record highs, up 133 percent year over year. Live streaming of “Grammy Live” was up more than 40 percent with 7.5 million streams.

Are Country Radio Listeners “Morning People”?

/by

edison-logo-hEdison Research will once again present findings of an extensive research study at Country Radio Seminar 2015, scheduled for Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. at the Nashville Convention Center in downtown Nashville, Tenn. Edison’s Larry Rosin and Megan Lazovick will present the study, which is a look at country radio listeners’ needs, habits, and media usage.

One key finding from the Edison Research study is that country music listeners more likely than the overall population to describe themselves as “morning people.” Country fans also say they are in a consistently better‐than‐average mood throughout the morning. The presentation on Feb. 26 will focus on how to appeal to these active country fans, and will be broken out into half-hour increments.

The new study is the latest in a series of Edison/CRS research presentations. Edison surveyed more than 1,500 listeners about their morning habits and media usage, as well as conducting dozens of one‐on‐one interviews in three different markets.

The 2015 CRS research presentation delves into major issues, such as in‐car usage, radio ownership, the need for service elements, and favorite morning show topics and
features, but also into the small details of listeners’ morning routines. Broadcasters have always asked their morning talent to focus on the “typical” listener’s lifestyle; this study will give them more information to do just that.

Vince Gill And Amy Grant Announce Ryman Holiday Residency

/by
Pictured (L-R): Amy Grant, Vince Gill

Pictured (L-R): Amy Grant, Vince Gill

Vince Gill and Amy Grant have announced an eight-night residency for their annual Christmas at The Ryman this December.

Two additional shows have been added to their 2015 dates, after all six shows sold out in 2014.

The concerts for 2015 are scheduled for Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 22 and 23., Tickets go on sale Saturday, Feb. 14 and cost $125, $75, $55 and $35. Tickets will be available via ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, ryman.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

“Christmas audiences are special,” Grant explains. “They tend to involve the whole family, and their emotions are a wonderful mix of anticipation and reverence. It’s a thrilling experience for both of us.”

“These holiday tours have become our favorites,” Gill agrees.

Shania Twain Gets New Day-To-Day Manager

/by
Aaron Kinssies

Aaron Kinssies

Sandbox Entertainment has recently hired Aaron Kinssies, who will serve as day-to-day manager for Shania Twain, and will work closely with Sandbox Entertainment president, Jason Owen.

Kinssies spent the first decade of his career tour managing various artists including Jo Dee Messina, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, The B-52’s, CeCe Winans, and SheDaisy. He later moved to Dennis Entertainment, where he has worked for the past five years, and held the role as an associate manager.

Aaron can be reach at [email protected]

Artist Updates: Dustin Lynch, Striking Matches, Garth Brooks

/by

Fresh off of playing Luke Bryan’s “Crash My Playa” festival in Mexico, Broken Bow Records’ Dustin Lynch recently performed sold-out shows at the popular Joe’s Bar in Chicago (Jan. 30) and The Rave/Eagles Club in Milwaukee, Wis. (Jan. 31). His set included songs such as his Top 40-and-climbing single “Hell Of A Night” and Gold-certified, multi-week No. 1 single, “Where It’s At.”

dustin lynch

Dustin Lynch performing for a sold-out crowd at The Rave/Eagles Club in Milwaukee, Wis.

Lynch also played Ballpark Village in St Louis this past weekend (Friday, Feb. 6) for 92.3 WIL Hot Country Nights presented by Ford.

Jim Malito-Nat'l Director of Promotion, Broken Bow Records; Danny Montana-WIL Asst PD; Dustin Lynch; Kelly Rebal-Promotions Director WIL; Derrick Keith-Midday Personality WIL; Bo Matthews-Afternoon Personality WIL

Pictured (L-R): Jim Malito-Nat’l Director of Promotion, Broken Bow Records; Danny Montana-WIL Asst PD; Dustin Lynch; Kelly Rebal-Promotions Director WIL; Derrick Keith-Midday Personality WIL; Bo Matthews-Afternoon Personality WIL

• • •

Striking Matches. Photo: Stephen Scofield and Sarah Barlow

Striking Matches. Photo: Stephen Scofield and Sarah Barlow

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member John Oates will be joined by new duo Striking Matches as performers at the Nashville Ballet’s upcoming annual fundraising event, Ballet Ball 2015. Oates will perform the Hall & Oates hit “She’s Gone,” as well as “Lose It in Louisiana,” a track from his 2014 solo album Good Road to Follow. Striking Matches will perform “When The Right One Comes Along” which was written for ABC’s Nashville, in addition to an original song composed specifically for the Ballet Ball 2015.

To be held Saturday, March 7 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center the event will feature music along with a performance from the Nashville Ballet company dancers, choreographed by Nashville Ballet company dancer Christopher Stuart.

“This year’s collaboration with John Oates and Striking Matches continues our mission of cultivating the local arts scene through partnerships with the musicians that make this Music City,” Nashville Ballet’s Artistic Director & CEO Paul Vasterling said. “Incorporating original choreography from one of our company dancers adds yet another layer onto this already special collaboration.”

• • •

Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks will return to Sacramento, for the first time in over 17 years, as part of his current world tour. The concerts will be held Friday, March 27 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m., both at Sleep Train Arena. Tickets will go on sale Friday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. PST at www.ticketmaster.com, ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks or 1-800-745-3000 or Ticketmaster Express 1-866-448-7849.

Reminder: First-Round Fan Voting For ACM New Artist of the Year Ends Tomorrow

/by

acm new artist of the year

The first round of fan voting for the Academy of Country Music Awards’ New Artist of the Year will close Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. ET. Fans can vote now at voteacm.com and voteacm.cmt.com.

The semi-finalists for this year’s ACM New Artist of the Year are:

  • Brett Eldredge
  • Tyler Farr
  • Sam Hunt
  • Kip Moore
  • Thomas Rhett
  • Chase Rice
  • Cole Swindell
  • Dan + Shay

The final three nominees will be announced in the coming weeks and will move on to compete in the final round of voting for the New Artist category at VoteACM.com. The final round of fan voting begins April 8 and will close on April 19.

“We take pride in uncovering the best new artists in country music,” said Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy, CMT. “The Academy’s New Artist category represents the best in our format, and we’re thrilled to partner with them on fan-voting.”

The ACM professional membership voted to determine the eight semi-finalists. The final three nominees for the ACM New Artist of the Year Award will be determined via the first round fan vote, combined with the ACM professional membership vote.

The final three (3) nominees will then compete for the trophy, with a final round of combined fan and ACM professional membership vote to determine the winner. The winner will be revealed on the live telecast of the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards from the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. live ET/delayed PT on the  CBS Television Network.

Developers Seek Rezoning To Raze Buildings on 16th Ave. S.

/by
16th ave apartments

Rendering of the proposed development on 16th Ave. S.

Six parcels on 16th Ave. S. could be rezoned at Thursday’s (Feb. 12) Metro Planning Commission meeting. Nashville-based businessmen Gary Belz and Brad Daniel are requesting the rezoning from office and residential to specific plan-mixed-use in order to build the 16th Avenue Apartments, according to the Nashville Post. The new development would offer 135 units as well as retail shops.

The parcels totaling about an acre are near Edgehill Village and are located at 1202, 1204, 1206, 1208 and 1212 16th Ave. S., as well as one unnumbered parcel. Four buildings would be torn down to make way for the apartment building.

A group fighting the development has created a Facebook page with details for anyone wanting to contact the planning commission or speak at the rezoning meeting.

Bobby Karl Works The Nashville Grammy Party

/by
Taylor Swift on the Grammys red carpet. Photo: Grammy.com

Taylor Swift on the Grammys red carpet. Photo: Grammy.com

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM

Chapter 479

Here’s a choice: Spend hours cramped in an uncomfortable airplane seat, book an expensive hotel and sit in the vast Staples Center in L.A. …. or settle into a comfy Nashville bar with big-screen TVs, plus food and drinks within reach.

I’ll take the barroom. The Listening Room on 2nd Avenue North, to be specific. That’s where the Nashville Chapter of The Recording Academy held its Grammy-viewing party on Sunday night (Feb. 8).

The handsome, warm, brick-and-wood room was decked out with five TV monitors, one of them wall-sized. Two bars, each the width of the entire venue, made getting libations easy. A food station offered exotic cheeses, crab cakes, meatballs in barbecue sauce or marinara, Thai peanut chicken with noodles, fruits, crackers and melted cheesy mushroom caps. Desserts, too.

As we schmoozed before the CBS Grammy special began, word circulated in the crowd about the Nashvillians who were pre-telecast winners, such as Old Crow Medicine Show (Folk), Jack White (Rock Performance), The Band Perry (Country Group), For King & Country (CCM), Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile (Instrumental), The Earls of Leicester (Bluegrass), Mike Farris (Roots Gospel) and Carrie Underwood (Country Solo). Our own Hunter Hayes hosted the pre-tel ceremony.

Dierks Bentley on the Grammys red carpet. Photo: Grammy.com

Dierks Bentley on the Grammys red carpet. Photo: Grammy.com

At this pre-tel, now called the “Premiere,” Glen Campbell’s “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” won Country Song. Rosanne Cash picked up all three Americana honors. Jo-El Sonnier won for Regional Roots Music Album. The Hank Williams set The Garden Spot Programs 1950, co-produced by Colin Escott, took home the Historical Album Grammy. Roger Nichols phoned Hayley Williams of Paramore to congratulate her win for Best Rock Song and asked if she was in L.A. to accept it. She replied that she was here at home in her pajamas, freaking out.

She should have joined us downtown. This year’s Grammy-viewing party vibe was absolutely perfect. The Listening Room held exactly the right crowd size. Some previous viewing parties in Music City have been jam-jam packed. This year, the event was full, but you could still maneuver in the space. And we did. With four Grammys, Brit soul-pop singer Sam Smith was the big winner. But at our gala, everyone cheered whenever a Keith Urban, a Dierks Bentley, a Blake Shelton, a Taylor Swift or a Meghan Trainor appeared on screen.

Dwight Yoakam, winner Miranda Lambert (Country Album) and nominees Eric Church and Brandy Clark performed. There were 23 musical performances during this year’s Grammy telecast. All of ours did us proud.

Hunter Hayes performs on the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles. Photo: Grammy.com

Hunter Hayes performs on the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles. Photo: Grammy.com

Eric created a true Grammy moment with his videos of social-justice movements and tribulations of our times during “Give Me Back My Hometown.” It was country music taking back its populist focus, instead of representing the reactionary know-nothingness that its artists have too often espoused.

Brandy and Dwight’s performance of her “Hold My Hand” was tender and touching. Miranda’s “Little Red Wagon” was fierce and feisty.

Working the Nashville Grammy-viewing soiree at The Listening Room were the likes of Chapter vice president David Corlew, plus Ed Salamon, Bill VornDick, Ashley Ernst, Shannon Sanders, Anthony Martin, Bri Stewart, Cerrito, Kevin Edwin, 2013 Ms. Senior America Carolyn Corlew, Nathan Pyle, Randy Perkins, Raeanne Rubenstein, Roger Nichols and Courtney White.

They helped make it the best one yet. I’ll take the barroom.

Rosanne Cash accepts a Grammy honor during the Awards Premiere Ceremony on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles

Rosanne Cash onstage at the Awards Premiere Ceremony on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles. Photo: Grammy.com