Blaster Records has announced a downsizing this afternoon (Dec. 1) largely affecting its promotion staff. Layoffs include Promotions VP Bob Reeves in addition to regionals Glenn Noblit, Tyler Waugh, Dave Collins, and Bart Allmand.

The label will continue to operate in Nashville and Cleveland, focusing on developing new artists from the ground up where radio is not the primary focus. The enterprise will also invest energy and resources in a publishing venture, which has been in development over the past year.

President Derek Simon confirmed the announcement to MusicRow.

This has been a very difficult decision for us, just as the decision to hire an in-house staff was a difficult one over three years ago. Bob Reeves and our entire team have worked as hard as any staff out there to drive airplay for our artists in an incredibly competitive environment. But, as we analyzed the areas where we have operated effectively and those where we’ve been less effective, we realized that our strategy as a company needed some adjustment.

Blaster’s roster includes Montgomery Gentry, James Otto, Dallas Smith, Chuck Wicks, Jared Ashley and Christian Lopez Band.

Album Releases

December 4
Johnny Cash/Johnny Cash’s Man In Black: Live in Denmark 1971/Columbia-Legacy Recordings
Jessie James Decker/This Christmas/Big Yellow Dog

December 11
Cam/Untamed/Arista Nashville-RCA Records
Chris Carmack/Pieces of You [EP]

Industry Events

December 1
No Shave November Beard Bash

December 2
6th annual CMT Artists of the Year from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

December 8
Songwriters Hall of Fame ballots due

December 9
ACM nomination ballot closes

December 10
Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors airs at 9/8c on NBC

December 12
31st annual Symphony Ball at Schermerhorn Symphony Center

December 17
American Country Countdown’s Top 10 Stories of 2015 at 8 p.m. ET

December 31
Nashville’s Jack Daniels Bash on Broadway with Kings of Leon

Single Add Dates

December 7
David Fanning/What’s Next/Stoney Creek
Chris Lane/Fix/Big Loud Records
Drake White/Livin’ The Dream/Dot Records
Brecken Miles/The Anchor/Rhyme Partners
Crosby Lane/Crucified

December 14
Crosby Lane/Crucified/Mansion
Jeff Cook/Christmas Joy/Heartland Records-Quest
Jeff Cook/Rock N Roll Guitar/Heartland Records-Quest
Cash Creek/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Heartland Records
Magnolia Belle/Christmas In Vegas/Heartland Records

Blackberry Smoke Donate $15,000 at Atlanta Show

Blackberry Smoke performed a sold-out homecoming show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta on Friday (Nov. 27), where they donated $15,000 to CURE Childhood Cancer and $15,000 to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

The money was raised through the sale of VIP Meet & Greet packages at their 2015 shows. This latest donation brings the total given by the band to childhood cancer non-profits and research to more than $130,000 over the past three years.

Blackberry Smoke’s desire to give was inspired by Lana Turner, the daughter of drummer Brit Turner, who was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma at the age of 3. Thanks to the care she received from the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, she made a complete recovery and is now a happy and healthy 8-year-old. This year’s donations will be used to fund pediatric cancer research that will impact children throughout the Southeast region and beyond.

“We are so moved and appreciative to receive these funds from such a fantastic rock band which understands the crisis of childhood cancer after traveling the journey with the Turner family,” said Kristin Connor, Executive Director of CURE Childhood Cancer. “It means so much that Blackberry Smoke shares our mission to eradicate pediatric cancer in our lifetime.”

 

Luke Bryan Shakes the Salvation Army Kettle

Luke Bryan took the stage at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) to kick off The Salvation Army’s 125th Red Kettle Campaign with a halftime performance on CBS during the Dallas Cowboys game against the Carolina Panthers.

The campaign officially began with the halftime performance and the inaugural Red Kettle donation from Jerry Jones, owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, and his family. Since teaming up in 1997, the collaboration of The Salvation Army and the Dallas Cowboys has raised more than $2 billion for the Red Kettle campaign, which provides America’s most vulnerable with food, shelter and other support throughout the year.

 

Women Rock for the Cure Sets Fundraising Concert

Lucie Silvas, Nathan Barlowe, Heather Morgan and Caitlyn Smith will participate in a fundraiser for Women Rock for the Cure on Dec. 8 at 3rd & Lindsley. Billed as “A Pink Evening,” the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Women Rocks for the Cure works to build awareness and provide outreach programs through the power of the entertainment industry. All proceeds benefit the organization’s outreach efforts, including the Young Survivors Retreat, which brings together young women diagnosed with breast cancer.