CMA Music Fest’s Fan Fair X Gives Country Fans More Chances To Win

Fan Fair X ATTOne aspiring artist will get a shot at performing during this year’s CMA Music Festival, thanks to AT&T U-Verse. The Country Deep Rising Star Contest is offering rising performers a chance to attend the 2015 CMA Music Festival and to perform on the AT&T U-Verse Showcase Stage.

The winner will join a packed lineup that includes appearances from Lauren Alaina, Katie Armiger, Craig Campbell, Amber Carrington, Kristy Lee Cook, Joel Crouse, Jessie James Decker, Travis Denning, Eric Dodd, Cale Dodds, Elizabeth Huett, Savannah Keyes, Ryan Kinder, Love and Theft, Rachele Lynae, Dustin Lynch, MamaDear, Kristen Merlin, Katie Ohh, Angaleena Presley, Rainey Qualley, Ray Scott, Sister C, The Railers, Aaron Watson, and more to be announced.

Interested artists can apply at risingstar.att.com through May 10.

CMA Music Festival’s Fan Fair X has contest opportunities for fans with no musical ambitions, as well.

For many of the artist appearances at Fan Fair X, most signings do not require tickets. Fans can freely join the line formations for autographs and meet-and-greets for non-ticketed artist signings.

Fans can sign up for the ticket drawing for meet and greet sessions, fan experiences including front-row seats at the CMA Close Up Stage, a “Fast Pass” for the CMA booth, tickets to the 2016 CMA Music Festival, and more. Fans can enter to win these experiences at cmafest.com from May 28 (beginning at 10 a.m. CT) through June 1 (ending at 11:59 p.m. CT).

Fans will be prompted to create an account and complete the online entry form by selecting the artist they would like to meet from the list of ticketed meet-and-greet sessions. Only one account per person is permitted and fans can only be selected once.

Once the form is complete, fans are automatically entered into the random ticket drawing for each artist selected. If drawn, the fan will receive two tickets to that session. Winners will be notified by email by Friday, June 5.

AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X is free to all CMA Music Festival LP Field ticket holders. Individual tickets are $10 per day. A $25 for a four-day pass, or $35 four-day pass including one general admission into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for 2015 is available at CMAfest.com.

‘Nashville’ Renewed For Season Four

nashville tv show

Nashville will be back for a fourth season. ABC television network announced the show’s renewal last night (May 6), helping the series move closer to the number of episodes needed for syndication.

Unlike many television programs, Nashville earns revenue from its music sales and concert tour, which is going on now and features members of the show’s cast.

For the show’s fourth season, the city of Nashville earmarked at least $500,000 as an incentive to keep production here, reports The Tennessean. Additionally the state of Tennessee included $8 million in its budget, part of the Haslam administration’s $16 million for film and television development overall, according to the newspaper.

In return, the city and state earn tourism dollars, attracted by the show.

Nashville the series spends about $20 million per season on local labor. It employs about 500 workers when it is in production, and 150 to 200 year-round.

The season three finale airs Wednesday, May 13 at 9 p.m./CT on ABC.

LifeNotes: Publisher, Songwriter Dan Wilson, Jr. Dies

Dan-Wilson-Pic-2-227x300

Dan Burton Wilson, Jr.

Songwriter and publisher Dan Burton Wilson, Jr., died April 21, 2015 at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in Knoxville, Tenn. He was 69.

Wilson worked at Sony/ATV (Tree) Publishing in Nashville for 20 years as a song plugger, writer, producer and VP of Creative Affairs.

He also penned numerous songs, which were recorded by Ricky Skaggs, The Oak Ridge Boys, Jerry Reed, and others. Wilson co-penned “War Is Hell (On The Homefront, Too),” a No. 1 hit for T.G. Sheppard in 1982. Wilson retired from the music industry in 1996.

A celebration of life will be held at Ligon & Bobo Funeral Home on Tuesday, May 12 at 6 p.m. His family will receive visitors on Tuesday, May 12 from 4 p.m. until services begin at 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Dan Wilson Memorial Trust at any Suntrust Bank branch. Ligon & Bobo Funeral Home is located at 241 West Main St. in Lebanon, Tenn.

Wilson, Jr. is survived by daughters Tori (Mark) Langellier of Heyworth, Ill., and Karen Fischer of Normal, Ill.; grandchildren Gage, Carsyn, and Kannon Langellier of Heyworth, Ill., Kaleb Peterson, Jake Fischer of Normal, Ill.; sister Betty Mitchell; niece Wynne Luter; and nephew Tom Mitchell.

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Country Music Hall Of Fame To Open Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary Exhibit

luke bryan

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will open the Luke Bryan: Dirt Road Diary exhibit on May 22, with the exhibit running through Nov. 8. It will showcase the singer-songwriter’s rise to stardom and also include memorabilia from his childhood.

Festivities during the opening weekend will include a songwriter session featuring Ashley Gorley and Rodney Clawson, and an album cover art program on May 23. The Peach Pickers (Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, and Ben Hayslip) will perform on Aug. 1. Bryan’s producer Jeff Stevens will be featured as part of the museum’s Music Masters series on Aug. 8.

Some of the items that will be on display include Bryan’s Little League baseball uniform and glove, his first guitar, handwritten lyrics to his 2014 chart-topping single, “I See You,” stage clothes worn at concerts and awards shows and trophies for his ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year wins.

For more information, visit countrymusichalloffame.org

Shania Twain Adds Dates To ‘Rock This Country Tour’

shania twain rock this country tour 2015Shania Twain, who recently concluded her two-year residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, is ready to bring her Rock This Country Tour to even more fans in 2015.

Due to overwhelming demand, a fall leg of the tour has been added, slated to begin Sept. 12 in Spokane, Wash., followed by dates in Portland, Columbus, Albany, and more. Additional Canadian tour dates include two shows in Calgary, a stop in Quebec City, and a concluding show on Oct. 11 in Toronto.

Public onsale tickets for most US dates on the now 67-stop tour will begin Friday, May 15 at 10 a.m. Tickets for Canadian dates will go on sale Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m. on axs.com.

ADDED DATES – Shania Twain 2015 Fall Tour
Sep 12-Spokane, WA/Spokane Arena
Sep 13-Portland, OR/Moda Center
Sep 15-Boise, ID/Taco Bell Arena
Sep 17-Calgary, AB/Scotiabank Saddledome
Sep 18-Calgary, AB/Scotiabank Saddledome
Sep 20-Winnipeg, MB/MTS Centre
Sep 21-Fargo, ND/FARGODOME
Sep 23-Sioux Falls, SD/Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
Sep 24-Lincoln, NE/Pinnacle Bank Arena
Sep 26-Minneapolis, MN/Target Center
Sep 27-Madison, WI/Kohl Center
Sep 29-Peoria, IL/Peoria Civic Center
Sep 30-Columbus, OH/Nationwide Arena *
Oct 2-Allentown, PA/PPL Center
Oct 3-Buffalo, NY/First Niagara Center
Oct 6-Manchester, NH/Verizon Wireless Arena
Oct 7-Albany, NY/Times Union Center *
Oct 9-Quebec City, QC/Videotron Centre
Oct 11-Toronto, ON/Air Canada Centre
* supporting act TBD

Strait, Kristofferson Included On History Channel Soundtrack

Texas-RisingThe soundtrack to The History Channel’s anticipated series event, Texas Rising, will release to digital retail by MCA Nashville on May 18, featuring compositions from George Strait and Kris Kristofferson.

Strait delivers original song, “Take Me To Texas,” written by Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark, while another Texas son, Kristofferson, remade the Tom Petty classic, “I Won’t Back Down.” International guitar virtuoso José Feliciano contributed the original piece “Igual Que Yo.”

The remaining 25 tracks are scored by Academy Award-nominated composer John Debney and 10-time Emmy Award-winning Bruce Broughton. The first time for both composers to work in Nashville, Debney and Broughton fully created the score at Ocean Way Studios on Music Row. The album’s producer is Leslie Greif, while executive producers are William Ewart and Greg Cahn.

From the same creative team behind Hatfields & McCoys, the forthcoming 10-hour, five-part series event will depict the Texas Revolution and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers – set to air beginning Monday, May 25 at 8 p.m. CT on the History Channel. The all-star cast includes Kristofferson as Andrew Jackson, Bill Paxton as Sam Houston, Olivier Martinez as Santa Anna, Ray Liotta as Lorca and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Deaf Smith.

For more information, visit History.com/shows/Texas-Rising.

Texas Rising Track Listing:
1. I Won’t Back Down – Kris Kristofferson
2. Igual Que Yo – José Feliciano
3. Texas Rising Suite
4. Emily Arrives in Camp / Town Evacuation
5. Anderson Wakes Rangers
6. Truett & Yancey Flirt with Sarah
7. The Alamo and Lorca
8. Sam Talks Strategy
9. Deaf’s Goodbye to Lupe
10. Lupe Watches Deaf Ride Off
11. Getting’ a Whippin’
12. Houston Addresses the Troops
13. Rangers Run into Mexican Army
14. Mexican Ambush
15. Santa Ana and Emily Sex in the Bath
16. Bigfoot and Hayes at the Waterfall
17. Lorca’s Hanging Bodies
18. Wykoff’s New Home
19. Deaf Tries talking to Lupe
20. The Battle of San Jacinto (Part 1)
21. The Battle of San Jacinto (Part 2)
22. Emily Rescue
23. Yellow Rose of Texas
24. Yellow Rose of Texas (Alternate Version)
25. Come to the Bower
26. Come to the Bower (New Orleans Version)
27. Texas Rising Main Title
28. Take Me to Texas – George Strait

MusicRowPics: Blackjack Billy Has Your Soundtrack For ‘Summertime’

Blackjack Billy artist visit

Blackjack Billy artist visit

“We’re a road band,” says Blackjack Billy member Rob Blackledge, describing the Reviver Records group’s approach to music. The group has been playing music together for the past three years, logging numerous hours on the road and using each performance as a testing ground for new songs. “We record new songs as we write them. We’ll perform them for fans and see which ones really connect with the audience.”

The group recently showcased its high-octane stage presence and layered harmonies during a performance for MusicRow staffers. Blackjack Billy’s effervescent performance comes courtesy of members Blackledge, Noll Billings, Jeff Coplan, and Brad Cummings.

The group’s tightly-woven harmonies sounded effortless on the self-penned songs “I Got A Feeling,” “The Booze Cruise,” “Night Light” and current single “Why God Made Summertime.”

Coplan and Blackledge found early success as songwriters for duo Love and Theft. Blackledge co-wrote Love and Theft’s 2009 single “Runaway” with Canaan Smith and Stephen Barker Liles, while Coplan co-wrote the duo’s 2011 hit “Angel Eyes,” with Eric Paslay.

Blackjack Billy artist visit

Blackjack Billy artist visit

Blackjack Billy’s growing fanbase and songwriting skills caught label attention, leading to a deal with Bigger Picture Group. The group’s dedication to fans and touring never stalled, even after Bigger Picture shuttered in 2014, just months after the signing. “We had fans who had been with us from the beginning, and we felt like they were waiting on an album, so we went ahead and released an album as an indie band,” said Blackledge.

While with Bigger Picture, Blackjack Billy had signed separate deals with companies in Canada and Australia. “We had three different labels,” said Coplan. “When Bigger Picture shut down, we were still rolling in Canada and Australia. It took us this long to catch up in the US and be synchronized with the same single.”

Blackjack Billy has found new life, inking deals with Reviver Records and Red Light Management. The Agency Group has signed on to handle booking, while Wortman Works Media & Marketing oversees public relations.

Meanwhile, Coplan does double duty as the group’s producer. Blackledge says, “With Jeff’s abilities as a producer, we don’t have to pay anyone to record music. If we write a song and we like it, we can do it all. We don’t have to hire musicians. We haven’t even had a tour manager. Since we hooked up with Red Light, we’ve been really self-sufficient, which has allowed us to do things our way.”

The group has numerous tour dates lined up for the coming months, including a show June 11 during CMA Music Festival at the Belk Plaza Stage.

Blackjack Billy artist visit

Blackjack Billy artist visit

Chris Stapleton Marks Release of ‘Traveller’ In New York, Nashville

Chris Stapleton and wife Morgane in New York for his performance on Letterman.

Chris Stapleton and wife Morgane in New York for his performance on “Letterman.” Photo: Becky Fluke

Chris Stapleton’s solo debut album Traveller was released this week via Mercury Records Nashville. He marked the occasion Tuesday (May 5) with a performance of album cut “Tennessee Whiskey” on ABC’s The View. (Listen to the track.) Stapleton also performed an album release show at New York’s Mercury Lounge and is set for shows at Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom on May 8 and 9.

The singer-songwriter is touring through the fall. In addition to his own headlining dates, Stapleton will appear at select concerts with Eric Church, Gary Allan and Jason Isbell.

Earlier this month, Stapleton made his network television solo debut on the Late Show With David Letterman performing the first single and title track, “Traveller.” (See video below.)

Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, with additional production at The Castle and Blackbird Studio, Traveller was produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded by Vance Powell (Jack White). In addition to renditions of Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove’s “Tennessee Whiskey” and Don Sampson’s “Was It 26,” the album features twelve original songs, including fan-favorite “Sometimes I Cry.”

Stapleton says, “This record was made standing on the shoulders of friends, family, and heroes. I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.”

Stapleton has enjoyed five No. 1 singles and penned over 170 album cuts, including songs recorded by Adele, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley. As lead vocalist for critically acclaimed bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, Stapleton earned three Grammy nominations.

Traveller tracklist

1. Traveller (Chris Stapleton)
2. Fire Away (Chris Stapleton and Danny Green)
3. Tennessee Whiskey (Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove)
4. Parachute (Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers)
5. Whiskey And You (Chris Stapleton and Lee Thomas Miller)
6. Nobody To Blame (Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales and Ronnie Bowman)
7. More Of You (Chris Stapleton and Ronnie Bowman)
8. When The Stars Come Out (Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson)
9. Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore (Chris Stapleton)
10. Might As Well Get Stoned (Chris Stapleton and Jimmy Stewart)
11. Was It 26 (Don Sampson)
12. The Devil Named Music (Chris Stapleton)
13. Outlaw State Of Mind (Chris Stapleton, Ronnie Bowman and Jerry Salley)
14. Sometimes I Cry (Chris Stapleton and Clint Ingersoll)

Lee Ann Womack, Patty Griffin Slated For Americana Music Festival

americanaThe initial slate of performers has been revealed for the Americana Music Association’s 16th Annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, presented by Nissan. The event will be held Sept. 15-20, 2015.

More than 100 acts are still to be announced for the festival. A $50 Americanafest wristband allows admission to all showcase venues for four nights, plus a weekend. Wristband wearers are also invited to select cocktail parties and special events. Wristbands can be purchased exclusively at mercylounge.com. Rates will increase to $60 on Aug. 15.

The Americana Music Festival & Conference is open to the general public and music industry professionals. Festival and Conference Registrations are now available at the reduced rate of $415 for Americana Music Association members and $465 for non-members (rates will increase to $500). Registrants receive entrance to all sanctioned daytime conference music, panels and parties, plus priority access to all evening showcase performances and one ticket to the 14th annual Americana Honors & Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at the Ryman Auditorium.

Confirmed showcase artists include:
Anderson East
Andrew Combs
Anthony D’Amato
Banditos
Barna Howard
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Billy Bragg & Joe Purdy
Birds of Chicago
Brian Wright
The Bros. Landreth
Caleb Caudle
Caleb Klauder Country Band
Carly Ritter
Carsie Blanton
ChessBoxer
Christopher Paul Stelling
The Contenders
Corb Lund
Crooks
Darlingside
Dead Winter Carpenters
Dom Flemons
The Dustbowl Revival
Emma Swift
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
The Freightshakers
The Grahams
Grant-Lee Phillips
Guthrie Brown & The Family Tree
Hackensaw Boys
Halfway
The Hello Strangers
Henry Wagons
honeyhoney
Horse Feathers
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades
Hugh Bob and the Hustle
Jackie Greene
James McMurtry
Joe Pug
John Moreland
John Paul Keith
Kingsley Flood
Kristin Diable
Kristin Andreassen
Laney Jones and the Spirits
Lee Ann Womack
Lera Lynn
Leyla McCalla
Lilly Hiatt
Liz Longley
Los Lobos
Lucette
Lydia Loveless
Martin Harley
Mary Gauthier
Nikki Lane
Nora Jane Struthers
Nudie
Oh Pep!
Packway Handle Band
Patty Griffin
Pokey LaFarge
Porter
Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen
Ray Wylie Hubbard
River Whyless
Sarah Borges
Sean McConnell
Shemekia Copeland
The Show Ponies
Session Americana
Steelism
The Steel Wheels
Stephen Kellogg
The Stray Birds
Tall Heights
The Vespers
Water Liars
The Whistles and The Bells
Whitey Morgan and the 78s
The Wild Reeds
William Elliott Whitmore
Whitehorse