BBR Music Group Launches Wheelhouse Imprint, Signs Adkins and Smith

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Wheelhouse MSTR Color

BBR Music Group has added a fourth imprint with the launch of Wheelhouse Records, anchored by the imprint’s first artist signings, Trace Adkins and Granger Smith. Wheelhouse Records’ first single to be promoted to radio is Smith’s “Backroad Song,” while Adkins will debut new music in the Fall.

Teddi Bonadies

Teddi Bonadies

“When the BBR Music Group makes a commitment to an artist, we intend to do our very best to help them live out their dreams. In order for us to do that, we have to add the support it’s going to take to gain the most airplay for each single. We’ve found that if we have more than four or five artists on one label then someone isn’t going to get the fair shot they need. That’s why we started Stoney Creek in 2009, then Red Bow in 2012, and now Wheelhouse Records. We want to do everything we possibly can for each artist – because we don’t give up easy,” said Benny Brown, owner & CEO of BBR Music Group.

“Benny Brown and I have always shared a vision of providing the artists on our roster with the individualized attention and strategic support they each deserve. Recently, we’ve been fortunate to work with some extraordinary new talent. The formation of Wheelhouse Records – and its additional promotion staff – became a necessity so that we may uphold the vision that has made the BBR Music Group both a haven for artist development and for the continued growth of superstar acts,” said Jon Loba, Executive Vice President of BBR Music Group.

Teddi Bonadies will lead the imprint as VP of Promotion for Wheelhouse Records, and will report to BBR Music Group’s Sr. VP of Promotion Carson James. Bonadies can be reached at 615-496-6352 and [email protected].

Additional staffers include:

• Jennifer Shaffer, Director of Midwest/ Southwest Promotion
Shaffer reunites with Bonadies with whom she previously worked with at Streamsound, Rodeowave and also Columbia Records. A graduate of James Madison University, Shaffer’s career includes stops at Atlantic, Warner Bros Nashville, MCA Nashville, Lyric Street, Columbia, WAR Nashville, Rodeowave, Sidewalk and Streamsound Records.
Shaffer can be reached at: 904-386-5050 and [email protected]

• Brittany Pellegrino, Director of Northeast Promotion
Most recently an Assistant Editor at All Access Music Group, Pellegrino began her music industry career at the age of 18 as an intern for WDTW/ Detroit. Pellegrino’s vast industry experience since then includes internships with Big Machine Label Group, Warner Music Nashville and the Nashville Predators as well as working in Promotions for WKDF/ Nashville and as the Director of Northeast Promotion for Cold River Records.
Pellegrino can be reached at: 248-420-1125 and [email protected]

• Kimmie Trosdahl, Director of Southeast Promotion
Trosdahl has served as the Promotion Coordinator for Broken Bow Records and Stoney Creek Records since October 2014. Trosdahl previously spent six years in the promotion department at Bigger Picture Group working to enhance the careers of Zac Brown Band, Craig Campbell (now signed to Red Bow Records) and more.
Trosdahl can be reached at: 615-598-0175 and [email protected]

• Bill Snickers, Director of West Coast Promotion
Most recently the Promotion Coordinator for Red Bow Records, Snickers’ experience includes working in sales for Sprint, a Fortune 500 company, for over five years. He simultaneously got his start in the music business by representing local artists in booking and management while in his native Seattle. Combining his true passion for music with a strong foundation in corporate sales, Snickers relocated to Nashville in late 2013 to pursue a career in the music business.
Snickers can be reached at: 206-261-0588 and [email protected]

• Nicole Nehrbas, Promotion Coordinator, RED BOW & Wheelhouse Records
After serving two years as Publishing Administrator for Tucson’s Funzalo Records, Nehrbas took the plunge and moved cross-country to Nashville. Upon arriving in Music City, Nehrbas worked as a tour guide/ guest services rep at the Country Music Hall of Fame. She most recently served as the Promotion Coordinator at Streamsound Records, Nehrbas will serve as the Promotion Coordinator for both Wheelhouse Records and also Red Bow Records.
Reach Nehrbas at: 480-329-0718 and [email protected]

Project Music 2016 Accelerator To Accept Applications in September

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unnamedApplications will open for Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s Project Music 2016 Accelerator, beginning Sept. 1. A kick-off event will be held Sept. 2 at the Entrepreneurship Center, located at 41 Peabody Street in Nashville from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The program will begin Jan. 31, 2016, and will end in mid-May 2016. The program is slated to include 6-8 startups, with funding of a minimum of $30,000 per startup in exchange for 7 percent equity plus three percent equity reserved for key program mentors.

The program is held Monday through Friday at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. The Project Music title sponsor is the CMA.

For more information, visit projectmusic.co.

SAG-AFTRA, Labels Announce Online Payment Formulas

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SAG-AFTRA_Logo_Horz_gscale_K_6SAG-AFTRA and the recording industry, including Sony Music Entertainment, affiliates of Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Capitol Records LLC and Hollywood Records Inc., announced a tentative successor sound recordings agreement, which includes a payment formula for online streaming and non-permanent digital downloads that encompasses revenue from these types of exploitations generated outside the United States.

The successor collective bargaining agreement is the latest legacy contract negotiated since the merger of SAG and AFTRA in 2012 and will now be known as the SAG-AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Sound Recordings (or, the “Sound Recordings Code”). The code originated in 1951 and covers session singers, royalty artists, announcers, actors, comedians, narrators and sound effects artists who work on recordings in all new and traditional media and all music formats, as well as audiobooks, comedy albums and cast albums. The agreement covers work for the major record labels and sub-labels, as well as signatory independent record labels. The previous agreement expired Dec. 31, 2014. The new contract covers the period from Jan. 1, 2015, through and including Dec. 31, 2017.

“The Sound Recordings Code is one of SAG-AFTRA’s most important contracts, and I am very pleased that we have achieved groundbreaking changes in this first agreement post-merger,” said SAG-AFTRA National Vice President, Recording Artists Dan Navarro. “SAG-AFTRA and the labels recognize the need for change in order to deal with the challenges and opportunities presented by new economic models in the industry. This deal starts us down that road.”

Key terms of the agreement include:

  • Groundbreaking inclusion in payment formulas of label revenue generated from worldwide exploitation of member work in online streaming services and as non-permanent digital downloads
  • For the first time, payment of AFTRA Health and Retirement (H&R) contributions on a portion of domestic and foreign streaming payments
  • Substantial restructuring of the compensation system for licensing of sound recordings, streamlining and making licensing more effective for the industry, while generating more revenue for performers
  • Overall increase to minimums of 2 percent each year of the contract
  • Improvement to H&R contributions, including: Increase of 0.25 percent in the basic H&R contribution rate effective Jan. 1, 2017; 12.5 percent increase in the cap on H&R contributions for groups of three or more performers; and substantial increase in cap on label payment for roster artist health insurance eligibility.

SAG-AFTRA’s 15-member negotiating committee was chaired by Navarro, with vice chairs Jon Joyce, Janice Pendarvis and Pat Alger. Stefanie Taub, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and Randall Himes were co-lead negotiators for the union. The labels’ lead negotiators were Plum and Michael Lebowich of Proskauer Rose LLP.

Nielsen Tracking TV Streaming Viewership

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nielsenNielsen has expanded its television ratings, offering studios statistics on approximately 1,000 shows on services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Instant Video, etc., according to NBC News.

Overall, Nielsen is tracking around 3,000 episodes, and is sharing the results only with the studios it counts as customers.

Nielsen is not tracking original series from streaming companies, and does not share viewership stats on certain TV shows, such as re-runs of 30 Rock or The X-Files.

[Updated]: Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Reported To Help Hillary Clinton Network in Nashville

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tim-faith

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

(MusicRow) – [Updated, August 31,  8:40 a.m. CT]

Josh Schwerin, Spokesperson for the campaign of Hillary Clinton, has reported to MusicRow “the event is not confirmed.”

[Previous Story]

The Associated Press is reporting that Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton will “tap into the network” of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill during a fundraiser in Nashville, set for Sept. 29.

The event is said to take place for the former U.S. Secretary of State after seven fundraisers in Los Angeles and San Francisco earlier in that month.

Artist Updates: Naomi Judd, Florida Georgia Line, Home Free, Charles Esten

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Naomi Judd Celebrates ‘Girls Night Out’

(Photo and release attached) Pictured from left to right: • Greg Hill and Jeri Cooper / Hill Entertainment Group • Neil Miller, Executive Director of Entertainment, The Venetian – The Palazzo • Jim Allison, Director of Touring, AEG Live Las Vegas • Bobby Reynolds, Vice President, Booking, AEG Live Las Vegas • Ed Huckfeldt, Director of Marketing, The Venetian – The Palazzo • Naomi Judd • John Nelson, Sr. Vice President, AEG Live Las Vegas

Pictured (L-R): Greg Hill and Jeri Cooper, Hill Entertainment Group; Neil Miller, Executive Director of Entertainment, The Venetian – The Palazzo; Jim Allison, Director of Touring, AEG Live Las Vegas; Bobby Reynolds, Vice President, Booking, AEG Live Las Vegas; Ed Huckfeldt, Director of Marketing, The Venetian – The Palazzo; Naomi Judd; John Nelson, Sr. Vice President, AEG Live Las Vegas

Naomi Judd recently celebrated the announcement of The Judds’ Girls Night Out nine-show residency at The Venetian Las Vegas with the executives involved in the deal. Produced by AEG Live, Girls Night Out will mark the country duo’s first concerts together in nearly five years. The show will run at the resort casino from Oct. 7-24, 2015. Currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of their fifth and final studio album Love Can Build a Bridge, The Judds have sold more than 20 million albums to date.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. PT and are available at any Venetian or Palazzo Box Office, online at www.venetian.com/thejudds or by calling 702-414-9000 or 866-641-7469.

Florida Georgia Line Slated For ‘Good Morning America’ Summer Series

Florida Georgia Line. Photo: James Wright

Florida Georgia Line. Photo: James Wright

Country duo Florida Georgia Line is set to appear on Good Morning America for the finale of their Summer Concert Series next Friday, Sept. 4 live from Central Park. The show airs at 7 p.m. ET on ABC. FGL’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard join a list of other artists from the course of the summer including Dierks Bentley, Ed Sheeran, Nicki Minaj, The Band Perry, Jessie J and Luke Bryan, among others.

The country duo will also join late night host Jimmy Fallon for another performance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, airing on NBC at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT.

Country Group Home Free Debuts Nitty Gritty Dirt Band/Little Big Town Mashup

Home Free

Home Free

Country group Home Free debuted their new track and music video, “Fishin’ In The Dark/Down in the Boondocks” on USAToday.com on Aug. 28. The mashup includes the classic Nitty Gritty Dirt Band tune “Fishin’ In The Dark” with Little Big Town’s breakthrough hit “Boondocks.”

The group’s third studio album, Country Evolution, will release Sept. 18 on Columbia Records.

Charles Esten To Join Sam Phillips Tribute

Screen Shot 2015-08-28 at 2.35.10 PM

Charles Esten

Charles Esten, star of ABC’s Nashville, will perform in the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Saturday, Aug. 29, at 2:00 p.m. Paying homage to Sam Phillips and the Sun Record label Phillips created, Esten will join Sonny Burgess, Mark Collie, Luther Dickinson, Eric Heatherly, W.S. “Fluke” Holland, Chuck Mead, Jerry Phillips, Charlie Rich Jr., the Secret Sisters, J. M. Van Eaton, and more for the concert. For a full lineup, click here.

The concert marks the opening of a new exhibit at the museum, Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll: The Cosmic Genius of Sam Phillips, which officially opens today, Aug. 28.

In addition, Phillips biographer and exhibit co-curator Peter Guralnick will moderate a panel, Go, Cat, Go: Sam Phillips in the Studio, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, with Burgess, Van Eaton, Holland, and Jerry Phillips in the museum’s Ford Theater.

All programs are free with museum admission or membership, and attendees must have a Program Pass to guarantee admission to the event. Program passes are distributed two hours prior to the event at the museum’s box office on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating is general admission and limited.

For additional programming and exhibit details visit countrymusichhalloffame.org.

Carrie Underwood To Be Guest Judge on ‘Project Runway’ Season Finale

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Carrie Underwood/CALIA

Carrie Underwood/CALIA

Not only will seven-time GRAMMY winner Carrie Underwood be stepping to center stage in the fashion world during New York’s Fashion Week at the recently announced Calia by Carrie Underwood show to present her fall collection, she will also appear on Lifetime’s Project Runway.

Carrie will join Nina Garcia and Zac Posen as a guest judge on the season finale show that tapes Friday, Sept. 11 with Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn. The finale episode will air Thursday, Nov. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Carrie recently announced her fifth studio album, Storyteller, will be in stores on Oct. 23.

MusicRowPics: Hailey Whitters

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Hailey Whitters performs for MusicRow staff.

Hailey Whitters performs for MusicRow staff.

Carnival Music Publishing singer-songwriter Hailey Whitters previewed songs from her upcoming album, Black Sheep, during a recent visit to the MusicRow office. Whitters signed with Carnival Music Publishing in 2012, and has recently been working with producer Derek Wells on her debut project. “We sat down with Carnival and picked out the 10 songs that most represented me as an artist,” says Whitters.

Whitters’ first single release, “City Girl,” describes a small town girl dreaming of life in the big city. Being from Shueyville, Iowa (population: 600), Whitters immediately connected with the song. “My house was in the middle of a cornfield,” she recalls. “I always fantasized about moving to a big city. It’s a dramatic, sassy way of saying, ‘I’m from the country.’” She grew up influenced by the country songs of the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, and Shania Twain emanating from the radio. She later fell in love with the music of Loretta Lynn, Keith Whitley, and Johnny Cash through records her grandmother gave her.

This self-described country girl eventually packed up and moved to the “big city” (Nashville). At 17, Whitters enrolled in Belmont University, where discovered Nashville’s songwriting community.

“City Girl” isn’t the only song on the project to tout big dreams and the ambition to follow them. During her visit, Whitters offered an acoustic take on “Black Sheep,” the album’s title track co-penned by The Wrights’ Adam Wright. The song praises independent thinkers who have the courage to follow their own paths.

Whitters followed her acoustic showcase with “One More Hell,” a tribute to her young brother, who died four years ago in a car accident. “The family packed up for a trip to California. We didn’t know where we were going, we didn’t have a plan, we just drove,” recalls Whitter. Upon returning to Nashville after the trip, it was the first song she wrote. “It was really therapeutic for me.

“I still tear up a bit sometimes when I sing it,” she continued. “I love performing it because I feel like a lot of people have experienced loss. But even if they haven’t, I had someone come up to me at a show and say, ‘I’ve never lost anyone, but I’m here with my brother and I want say that song really touched me.’ So I feel like whether you have experienced loss or not, people have a soft spot for that song.”

The heartfelt singer/songwriter also obliged staff with a rendition of her “Low All Afternoon,” a solo-write on her Carnival debut and a title recorded by Martina McBride for consideration on her forthcoming Nash Icon debut.

Whitters is currently on the road performing shows with Leon Russell, having recently signed a booking deal with APA.

An album release will preview songs from her upcoming project at The Basement (1604 8th Ave. S.) in Nashville on Sept. 29.

Hailey Whitters with MusicRow staff.

Hailey Whitters with MusicRow staff.

Ian Rogers To Leave Apple Music

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Ian Rogers.

Ian Rogers

Ian Rogers–Apple executive and former CEO of Beats Music before its acquisition by Apple–is leaving the tech giant, according to confirmation from Billboard after a first report from the Financial Times.

Rogers was appointed as head of iTunes Radio in 2014. He was previously CEO of Topspin, which was acquired by Beats Music earlier that year. He was also general manager of Yahoo! Music.

“According to Financial Times sources, Rogers will be taking a job in Europe in an unrelated industry,” reports the national industry trade publication. “Rogers was key to the development of the popular Beats 1 radio, as well as drawing Beats 1’s leader Zane Lowe away from his position at the BBC (which caused a bit of a trickle-down effect).”

Bobby Karl Works The Sam Phillips Exhibit

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Pictured are (l-r): Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Editor and co-curator Michael Gray; co-curator and author Peter Guralnick; Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Sr. VP of Museum Services Carolyn Tate; Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young; Knox and Jerry Phillips, sons of Sam Phillips; and guitarist Sonny Burgess. Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum)

Pictured are (l-r): Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Editor and co-curator Michael Gray; co-curator and author Peter Guralnick; Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Sr. VP of Museum Services Carolyn Tate; Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young; Knox and Jerry Phillips, sons of Sam Phillips; and guitarist Sonny Burgess. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM Chapter 501

Music City hosted Memphis this week and gave our West Tennessee neighbors a royal welcome with a first-class par-tay.

The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum opened its doors to the family and friends of Sam Phillips on Thursday evening (Aug. 27). Every time a Memphian’s name was mentioned, many attendees erupted in wild cheers—the crowd seemed to include half the population of Memphis.

The occasion was the preview party of a new exhibit, “Flying Saucers Rock & Roll: The Cosmic Genius of Sam Phillips.”

“I thought that museum people were squares until I met with them, and they said they were thinking of that title,” said Sam’s colorful son Jerry Phillips. “These people are not squares.”

“American music would not be what it is today, if not for Sam Phillips,” said the museum’s Kyle Young. “Sam Phillips was a man with a mission. That mission got him elected on the first ballot to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.” Thanks to his ground-breaking work at Sun Records in Memphis, Phillips is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“Sun Records was a…beacon shining out to [musical] misfits. We all know their names,” Young added, referring to the brightest stars in the astounding Sun constellation—Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Howlin’ Wolf, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Ike Turner, Charlie Rich, B.B. King, Rufus Thomas, Roy Orbison and the like.

Jerry Phillips recalled an English rock band asking his father about the secret of his success. “Son,” Sam replied, “you gotta reach deep inside yourself and pull it out of your a—hole.”

Jerry and The Recording Academy’s Jon Hornyak led a parade of Memphis celebrants at the gig, not the least of whom was rockabilly legend Sonny Burgess.

The Sun veteran proved that he can still rock at age 84. Burgess drew a standing ovation with his Sun classics “We Wanna Boogie” and “Red Headed Woman,” backed by a band led by Nashville’s Colin Linden.

Appreciating the groove of it all were such esteemed music makers as Web Wilder, Paul Burch, Chuck Mead, David Olney, Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplan, Mark Collie, Bob Delevante, Erica Nicole, John Singleton and Memphis vets W.S. Holland, Dickey Lee (who was on Sun), Allen Reynolds and Bob McDill.

The Hall really put on the ritz for this soiree. The carved barbecue-turkey sliders were accompanied by peanut slaw, corn & quinoa salad, cucumber chow-chow, spiced deviled eggs sprinkled with bacon, marinated vegetables and jumbo stuffed olives. The wait staff circulated with poached pear plus goat cheese and walnuts on bagel crackers and braised oxtail on toast points.

On the balmy balcony off the event hall, you could savor your desserts of Elvis TCB peanut-butter mousse and banana chip on chocolate-cake crumbles in slipper spoons. Or sample the chess and fudge pie tartlets.

Downstairs in the actual exhibit, we oohed and ahhed over classic Sun vinyl, show posters, video clips, Cash and Jerry Lee sport coats, Elvis’s “My Happiness” first acetate, the Sun console and tape recorder that created the “slapback” echo, Wolf’s guitar, vintage photos and Sam’s Rock Hall of Fame garb and statuette. Plus more.

Lon Helton, Mark Moffatt, Trip Aldridge, Hank Adam Locklin, Colin Escott, Ernie & Jerry Williams, Ashley Ernst, Bob Goldstone, Eric T. Parker, Nicky Riggins, Lois Riggins & David Ezell, Susan Stewart, Jon Freeman, Karen Leipziger, Lyn Aurelius and Peter Guralnick moved and grooved and schmoozed.

Exhibit co-curator Guralnick is the author of the forthcoming book, Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock ‘n’ Roll. So the fun continues on Saturday (Aug. 29) when he moderates an 11 a.m. “Go, Cat, Go” panel discussion with Burgess, Holland, Phillips and J.M. Van Eaton.

This will be followed by a “Get Rhythm” celebratory concert at 2 p.m. co-starring Burgess, Linden, Collie, Mead, Phillips, Van Eaton, Holland, Eric Heatherly, Luther Dickenson, The Valentines, Marvell Thomas, The Secret Sisters, Billy Swan, Charlie Rich Jr. and The Kitchen Sisters. Be there or be square.

Sonny Burgess performs

Sonny Burgess performs. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum