Canaan Smith To Release Mercury Records Nashville EP in March

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Canaan SmithCanaan Smith will release his self-titled debut EP on March 24 via Mercury Records Nashville. The five-song project, produced by Brett Beavers and Jimmy Robbins, includes Smith’s current single, “Love You Like That.” The single was penned by Smith, Brett Beavers, and Jim Beavers.

“The creation of music, the whole process, has been so close to me for so many years that I feel like I’ve developed my own sound. It’s not super predictable. It’s unique, progressive and edgy,” Smith says.

CANAAN SMITH EP TRACK-LISTING:
1. Love You Like That (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers)
2. Two Lane Road (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Marv Green)
3. Mad Love (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Aaron Goodvin)
4. Hole In A Bottle (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Dan Couch)
5. Stuck (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Vincent Hickerson)

Bobby Braddock, Toby Keith To Join Songwriters Hall of Fame

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Revered Nashville songwriter Bobby Braddock and country superstar Toby Keith are headed to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York. They will be inducted along with Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia (posthumously), Cyndi Lauper, Linda Perry and Willie Dixon (posthumously). The organization’s 46th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner is slated for Thursday, June 18 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Bobby Braddock

Bobby Braddock

“Our 2015 lineup of inductees represents the rich diversity of American musical styles—rock, country, blues and pop—that have captivated the world over the past six decades,” said SHOF President & CEO Linda Moran. “Each one of these brilliant music creators have written instantly recognizable classics, songs that are both of their time and timeless. Our Annual Awards Gala is sure to be unforgettable.”

Braddock and Keith were among the nominees named for possible inclusion into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in October 2014.

Bobby Braddock is one of the most successful country music songwriters of all time. He grew up in Florida, traveled the South as a rock and roll musician, and became a songwriter in Nashville in the mid-1960s. He is the only living person to have written number one country hits in five consecutive decades, penning songs for artists such as Willie Nelson, Nancy Sinatra, Jerry Lee Lewis, T. G. Sheppard and many more. With 13 No. 1 hits, his songs have become country music standards, including favorites such as, “D.I.V.O.R.C.E,” recorded by Tammy Wynette, “Golden Ring,” the duet sung by George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Tracy Lawrence’s “Time Marches On,” and Toby Keith’s 2001 hit, “I Wanna Talk About Me.” “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” sung by George Jones, has led most surveys as the best country song of all time. In 2001, Braddock embarked on a new career as a producer, discovering singer Blake Shelton and making several No. 1 records with him. Braddock’s most recent No. 1 was Billy Currington’s, “People Are Crazy.” He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and received the annual BMI Icon Award. In 2012, he received the ACM Poet’s Award. He has received six CMA Song of the Year nominations, winning twice. He has received a total of 30 BMI airplay awards, and nine “Million Air” awards for songs that received at least one million performances each.

Toby Keith

Toby Keith

Toby Keith has been one of the most consistent self-directed songwriters and hit makers of his era. From his first No. 1 smash, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” to “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Who’s Your Daddy,” “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” “Beer For My Horses,” and “I Love This Bar,” his success is strongly due to his songwriting, which includes having written No. 1 songs every year for 20 consecutive years. It has powered an astounding succession of hits, to the tune of more than 85 million BMI performances. He has been honored with the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s Songwriter/Artist of the Decade distinction and is a three-time BMI Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year. His albums have sold more than 40 million copies, and his tours have drawn more than one million fans each year for the last 14 years. Keith also helps sick children and their families in his native Oklahoma through the Toby Keith Foundation and the cost-free home, the OK Kids Korral. He also supports US troops by participating in USO Tours throughout the world.

Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1,250 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, by calling 914-579-1000. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs. Songwriters Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 organization. The non-deductible portion of each ticket is $170.

For more on the other inductees, click here.

Brooks, Yearwood To Host ACM Lifting Lives “One Night, Two Cities, All Music” Gala

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trishayearwoodgarthbrooks

Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are set to host the ACM Lifting Lives “One Night, Two Cities, All Music” fundraising gala on April 17, 2015, two days before the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards. The event, which will consist of two simultaneous shows, will take place at the Omni Dallas Hotel and the Fort Worth Zoo.

Lady Antebellum will headline the show at the Omni Dallas Hotel, with a special performance from Hunter Hayes. Meanwhile, Keith Urban will headline the Fort Worth Zoo concert, with a special performance from Little Big Town. Journalist and Entertainment Tonight co-host Nancy O’Dell will join Brooks and Yearwood to co-host the Fort Worth gala.

Brooks and Yearwood will alternate between both locations throughout the evening to entertain attendees in Dallas and Fort Worth. The inaugural gala will kick off with a cocktail reception, followed by a dinner, live auction and a line-up of performances by country music’s most celebrated artists.

ACM Lifting Lives will donate funds raised from the gala to several Texas-based organizations including Garth Brooks’ charity, Teammates for Kids and the Child Life Zones in Children’s Health of Dallas and Cook Children’s of Fort Worth.

Industry Ink: NSAI, Spin Doctors Nashville

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NSAI Heads To Washington, D.C.

The Nashville Songwriters Association was in Washington, D.C. recently to discuss copyright issues and the recently released report on music licensing by the U.S. Copyright office in individual meetings with 25 members of Congress.

NSAI Sr. Director of Operations Jennifer Turnbow, Rep. Doug Collins (GA), sponsor of the SONGWRITER EQUITY ACT, songwriters Roger Brown and Ben Glover and NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison.

NSAI Sr. Director of Operations Jennifer Turnbow, Rep. Doug Collins (GA), sponsor of the SONGWRITER EQUITY ACT, songwriters Roger Brown and Ben Glover and NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison.

 

Spin Doctors Music Group Adds Director of National Promotion

spin doctors logo111The Spin Doctors Music Group has added Melissa Grayson as Director Of National Promotion for the company’s label imprint SMG Nashville. She will work directly with monitored and secondary radio on the labels artists Presley & Taylor, Kayla Calabrese and New Black Seven. Grayson’s previous experience includes, RCA Records, Rust Records, Whitestar Music, Clear Channel Entertainment, and The Tennessee Titans.

Spin Doctors Music Group Executive VP Kristin Johnson says, “We are fortunate to have Melissa join us and be an integral part of our team. Her relationships with our radio partners and her enthusiasm and passion for our artists will help us continue our growth.”

Reach Melissa here [email protected] or (615) 329-3375.

Executive Shift at Viacom Touches ‘CMT Music Awards’

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Van Toffler. Photo: Viacom.

Van Toffler. Photo: Viacom.

Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music & Logo Group–including CMT and VH1–will not renew his contract, according to multiple reports. Toffler will step down in April from his post, held since 2008.

According to Ad Age, Toffler plans to open a production company called Under The Radar. He is however expected to continue executive producing a number of MTV Network events, including the 2015 CMT Music Awards and MTV’s Video Music Awards.

Toffler has been with MTV for 28 years. His credits include Beavis & Butthead, The Real World, Jackass, Unplugged, Napoleon Dynamite and Jersey Shore.

Last month, Viacom president/CEO Philippe Dauman announced a company-wide shuffle to “focus on more and better original programming that monetizes on all screens.” Departure announcements have also been made from Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

Toffler’s successor has not yet been named, however Viacom COO Tom Dooley expounded on Dauman’s remarks, confirming further restructuring details are expected during the second quarter earnings call, April 29.

Artists Welcome Valentine’s Day Babies

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Logan Mize

Logan Mize and his children

Artists Logan Mize and Clara Henningsen Calaway each welcomed new babies on Valentine’s Day.

Mize’s daughter Violet Raye Mize joins big brother Lincoln.

Clara Henningsen Calaway gave birth to Louie Cannon Calaway.

Coincidentally, both artists are signed to Arista Nashville and are managed by Dennis Entertainment.

Louie Calaway

Louie Calaway

BeBe & CeCe Winans, Roland Lundy Among Gospel Music Hall of Fame Inductees

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Bebe and Cece Winans

Bebe and Cece Winans

Bebe & Cece Winans, Mark Lowry, Roland Lundy, and Twila Paris have been named as the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame’s latest inductees. They will be inducted during the GMA Honors, which is set for Tuesday, May 5 at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena, beginning at 6 p.m. Performers and presenters will be announced soon.

Additionally, the Gospel Music Association will honor Bishop Paul S. Morton, founding bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, as well as The Bridge (founded by Candy Christmas), Passion (founded by Louie and Shelley Giglio) and Porter’s Call (founded by Al Andrews).

John Huie, CAA and Co-Chair of GMA Honors states, “Last year’s inaugural event was an amazing evening of firsts for our industry. We have been encouraged by the many comments surrounding the ceremony and are thrilled to honor this year’s recipients.”

Mark Lowry

Mark Lowry

“The GMA Foundation is charged with observing our gospel music history and its trailblazers,” says Jackie Patillo, President of the GMA Foundation. “With the ongoing support from our music community, we can fulfill the mission to foster an appreciation for our heritage and its impact for generations to come. We, as always, thank all of those involved in helping make these special celebrations possible.”

About the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees:

BeBe & CeCe Winans have been recording music together for more than 25 years. The brother/sister duo, part of the gospel singing Winans family and one of the most successful gospel artists of all time, have had 12 charting R&B singles, and numerous No. 1 singles on Christian, AC and CHR radio. Their accolades include numerous gold and platinum releases, plus Dove, Grammy, Stellar, Soul Train and NAACP Image Awards.

Roland Lundy

Roland Lundy

Mark Lowry is a singer, storyteller, humorist, author and songwriter. He has spent 20-plus years as the baritone singer for the Grammy- and Dove award-winning Gaither Vocal Band and serves as the comedic sidekick on tour. He also tours as a solo act with many DVD projects to his credit and has had over 400 artists record his lyric to “Mary Did You Know?”

Roland Lundy served an 11-year run as President and CEO of Word Entertainment. He was responsible for the Thomas Nelson and Word consolidation that grew Word revenues to over $100 million in 1993. He later managed the sale of Word to Gaylord Entertainment. His leadership navigated the entertainment company’s very diverse roster and attracted top artistic and creative talent. He currently serves on the board of the Gospel Music Trust Fund and is Chairman of the Board for American Red Cross, Nashville Chapter.

Twila Paris

Twila Paris

Twila Paris has released 22 albums, earned 33 No. 1 singles and has been named the GMA Dove Awards “Female Vocalist of the Year” three times, as well as earning several awards in the song and album of the year categories. The accomplished singer/songwriter has also written books and recorded children’s music.

CMHoF Promotes Four Following Record Breaking Year

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Sharon Brawner

Sharon Brawner

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum announces that key members of the non-profit institution’s executive team have been promoted in recognition of their vital roles in shaping the museum’s recent growth and expansion. Sharon Brawner, vice president sales and marketing; Nina Burghard, vice president financial services and operations; and Carolyn Tate, vice president museum services, have each been promoted to senior vice president. Jo Ellen Drennon McDowell has been upped from senior director to vice president of events management.

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Carolyn Tate

“Each of these leaders has been with us for over twelve years and each has watched her responsibilities and staff sizes grow beyond any of our wildest dreams. To have the stability of our core senior team and our new VP of development, Lisa Purcell, working in lock-step with each other, we’re realizing a new era of opportunity,” said Museum Director Kyle Young.

Buoyed by Nashville’s growth and popularity, the museum has a trajectory paralleling the city’s, including an expansion and milestones that saw the museum’s 2014 attendance approaching the 1,000,000 mark. “The museum’s 2001 relocation to downtown has proven prescient as we find ourselves firmly at the crossroads of one of America’s most thriving cities and a cultural crossroads for visitors from all over the world,” Young  said.

Carolyn Tate

Nina Burghard

A downtown pioneer in 2001, the museum is now a downtown linchpin, a mecca for tourists and a cultural Rosetta Stone for the people of Middle Tennessee. Attendance in 2014 rose 45 percent over 2013, to an all-time high of 970,991. There’s more room for those visitors now, as the museum completed a 210,000-square-foot expansion in April of 2014. That expansion allowed significant increases in educational engagement, public programs and a tripling of archival storage space.

Jo Ellen

Jo Ellen Drennon McDowell

“It’s a new golden era for the museum and for our efforts to tell the story of a truly American art form,” continued Young. “We reflect with pride on our recent accomplishments, while remaining focused on the important work we must continue doing to secure the museum’s position as the caretaker of country music’s legacy. Stay tuned.”

Charity Events: Krauss To Join T.J. Martell Honors Gala

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Alison Krauss To Join 7th Annual T.J. Martell Honors Gala

Alison Krauss

Alison Krauss

Alison Krauss is the latest artist to be added to the lineup for the upcoming 7th annual T.J. Martell Honors Gala, slated for March 30 in Nashville. Krauss joins previously announced artists Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Emmylou Harris, Matthew West, and Chip Esten.

Steve and Judy Turner, Ken Levitan, Dr. Jeffrey Balser, Billy Ray & Bill Hearn, and Becca Stevens will all be honored during the event. The gala has netted more than $2 million since 2009. For more information, visit tjmartell.org.

 

Craig Morgan Announces 2nd Annual Billy’s Place 5K

Craig Morgan.

Craig Morgan

Craig Morgan will welcome fans, friends and neighbors as he hosts the second annual Billy’s Place 5k on Sunday, April 12 at 1 p.m. from Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson, Tenn.

Runners and walkers can sign up at eventbrite.com and all TriStar Bank locations in Dickson. Registration is $30 in advance and $35 for walk up registrations day of race, while tickets for children 7 and under are free and they are welcome to participate in the 60-yard dash. Spirit tickets will be available for supporters who prefer to participate from the sidelines.

Everyone registered by March 29 will receive an official race t-shirt and the top 5 female and male finishers will receive a commemorative trophy. The race will benefit the Dickson County Craig Morgan Foundation.

 

Jamey Johnson, Carlene Carter To Perform at Nikki Mitchell Foundation Fundraiser

Jamey Johnson

Jamey Johnson

The Nikki Mitchell Foundation will host a fundraiser to honor Country Music Hall of Fame members Ray Price, Hank Cochran, The Carter Family, The Louvin Brothers, Waylon Jennings, Felice Bryant, and Webb Pierce.

The event will be held April 1, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Following a reception and auction in the CMHoF Rotunda honoring these celebrated artists, an acoustic concert will be held in the CMHoF’s Ford Theater, featuring Carlene Carter, Jamey Johnson, Jessi Colter, Shooter Jennings and other guests. Johnson, Colter, and Hank Cochran’s widow Suzi Cochran serve on the board of the Nikki Mitchell Foundation.

“As we were thinking about venues to host our event, there was really only one choice for us,” said Rachel Winston, Vice President of The Nikki Mitchell Foundation. “The events spaces at the museum are some of the most special in Nashville! It is only fitting that a benefit to honor these country music legends be held there.”

For more information, visit eventgrid.com.

 

Blackhawk Makes $20,000 Donation to Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

Country group Blackhawk recently raised funding for Nashville’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center on behalf of the Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund. Blackhawk’s two surviving founding members, Henry Paul and Dave Robbins, presented their annual donation to the hospital in honor of Stephenson, who died from melanoma cancer in 2001. The latest donation of $20,000 brings their total raised for Vanderbilt-Ingram’s research lab to $100,000 since 2006.

Pictured (L-R): BlackHawk's Dave Robbins, Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund volunteer Lori Stefanski, BlackHawk's Henry Paul and Dr. Hal Moses

Pictured (L-R): BlackHawk’s Dave Robbins, Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund volunteer Lori Stefanski, BlackHawk’s Henry Paul and Dr. Hal Moses

 

 

Eli Young Band Aims To ‘Turn It On’ With New EP

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Photo: Republic Nashville

Photo: Republic Nashville

Music lovers eager for new tunes from Republic Nashville’s Eli Young Band won’t have to wait long. The foursome will release their new Turn It On EP March 10. The band’s new single, “Turn it On,” will impact country radio beginning March 9.

The four-track EP features songs co-written by members of Eli Young Band, with producers Ross Copperman and Jeremy Stover. Label execs at Republic Nashville loved the new music Eli Young Band was creating to such an extent that they fast tracked the EP and single for release.

“We live in a time when fans are consuming music at a voracious pace as well as having a strong penchant for instant gratification,” said Jimmy Harnen, Republic Nashville President/Big Machine Label Group EVP. He continued, “when we heard the fantastic cutting edge new music from EYB our only instinct was to get it out there to the fans as soon as possible.”

Turn It On EP is the follow-up to the band’s critically acclaimed album 10,000 Towns. The album earned the band multiple Grammy, CMA, ACM, CMT, and ACA nominations.

Turn It On EP Track List:

“Turn It On” (Mike Eli, James Young, Rodney Clawson, Matt Dragstrem)
“Plastic” (Mike Eli, Ashley Gorley, Ross Copperman, Jeremy Stover)
“Your Place Or Mine” (Mike Eli, Jon Jones, Ross Copperman, Jeremy Stover)
“Drink You Up” (Mike Eli, Jon Jones, Ross Copperman, Jeremy Stover)