Vanderbilt Purchases Acre Of Land In Midtown, Including Former House Of Manuel Site

Manuel

Manuel

Vanderbilt has purchased an acre of land at 1918 and 1922 on Broadway in Nashville for more than $13 million, WSMV reports. The plot of land includes the former House of Manuel, located at 1922 Broadway, where designer Manuel housed his business operations since 1988 before relocating to downtown Nashville in 2013. Manuel has designed for Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Bono, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and numerous other artists. The building was constructed in 1908. Manuel moved his business operations to 800 Broadway in 2013.

Also on the site are the former Noshville restaurant location, as well as businesses including J&J’s Market, Midtown Gallery and Framers, and Local Color Gallery.

Previously, a developer intended to redevelop the property into a 25-story mixed-use project, until Vanderbilt purchased the acre from the developer.

The location is across the street from other Vanderbilt-owned buildings including Barbizon Apartments, Center Building, and 2007 Terrace Place, and 2015 Terrace Place.

“Vanderbilt is working with the current tenants of 1912 Broadway to ensure a smooth transition; JJ’s Market and Midtown Gallery & Framers will remain in their leases while Vanderbilt finalizes long-term plans for the site,” Vanderbilt representatives said in a statement.

Nashville Artists Perform For Kennedy Center Honors

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The Kennedy Center Honors are set to air Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. on CBS. Garth Brooks, Darius Rucker, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow and Kings of Leon are among the artists who performed for the Washington D.C. tribute as part of the 39th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, which awards lifetime achievement recognition to some of America’s greatest contributors in the arts.

Among this year’s recipients were Martha Argerich, Al Pacino, Mavis Staples, James Taylor and The Eagles.

Brooks, Rucker and Crow performed in honor of James Taylor. Rucker, a South Carolina native, performed “Carolina In My Mind,” while Brooks offered a performance of Taylor’s “Shower The People.” Gill and Kings Of Leon honored the Eagles with renditions of “Take It Easy” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling.”

Others in attendance included Bonnie Raitt, Kevin Spacey, and Bob SegerStephen Colbert served as this year’s host.

Randy Rogers Acquires Texas Music Venue

 

Randy Rogers

Randy Rogers

On Dec. 20, 2016, Randy Rogers, along with Austin-based event production company KRR Entertainment, has become the official owner of longstanding San Marcos, Texas music venue Cheatham Street Warehouse.

Kent Finlay founded, owned and operated Cheatham Street from 1974 up until his death in 2015. The purchase was made from Finlay’s children, Jenni, Sterling and HalleyAnna.

In 1975, George Strait made his debut at the venue, and Guy Clark once sat in with Townes Van Zandt, playing well past midnight closing time. In 1980, Stevie Ray Vaughan had a regular Tuesday night gig, and Charlie and Will Sexton, then 12 and 10, would open for Vaughn and sometimes join him on stage. There was a time when each Strait and Vaughan played one night a week at the venue.

“We started out at the Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, Texas, a honky-tonk by the railroad tracks,” George Strait told USA Weekend in 2007. “We’d play Wednesday night, 50 cents at the door and ladies free. You’d be playing the song and — whoosh! — you’d hear the train go by. It was a cool place back then. We didn’t make much money. One time we left a club with $7 a piece in our pockets. But we always got the beer free.”

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Rogers’ plans for the building include the addition of a permanent patio and food service.

In 2000, Randy Rogers was a student at then Southwest Texas State University, pursuing a mass marketing degree and cutting his teeth in the world of songwriting. Every Wednesday he would make his way to the unpretentious building by the railroad tracks to add his name to the “list” of those who would perform the open “songwriter night.”

Rogers credits those songwriter nights for launching his career. Rogers met and formed Randy Rogers Band within the walls of Cheatham Street, and when they signed their first major label deal years later, they did it there, with Finlay by their sides as a nod to him and “where they came from.”

“I still get butterflies when I step on that stage. I’m going to make sure other songwriters and musicians young and old get to experience that same feeling for many years to come. That’s my goal,” says Rogers.

CNN To Feature Nashville’s NYE Celebration

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If you are planning to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Nashville this year, but don’t want to brave the downtown crowds, you can still see a portion of the festivities.

CNN will include Nashville’s “Music City Midnight” celebration, to be held at Bicentennial Park, as part of its New Year’s Eve coverage. The coverage will include an interview with headlining entertainer Keith Urban, as well as a portion of his performance.

Other U.S. celebrations in Dallas, Miami, and New Orleans will also be featured, along with New York City’s Times Square ball drop.

Additionally, Charlie Worsham and A Thousand Horses are also on the Nashville bill with Music City’s Music Note Drop at midnight, to be livestreamed via visitmusiccity.com/newyearseve.

Where To Ring In New Year’s Eve In Nashville

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Nashville is set to usher in 2017 with what the city does best: music. Numerous NYE shows are set across the city on Dec. 31. A listing of several top events follows:

Keith Urban will ring in the new year at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park as part of Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight event. The free street party and concert will also include Styx, A Thousand Horses, Moon Taxi, Charlie Worsham, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers, all performing as the city counts down to celebrate 2017 with fireworks and the Music Note Drop at midnight.

Old Crow Medicine Show, with guest Dom Flemons, has a sold out show at the Ryman Auditorium.

John Prine, Jason Isbell, and Kacey Musgraves will celebrate the new year with music at the Grand Ole Opry House.

City Winery will welcome Marty Stuart and his fabulous superlatives for a late show beginning at 11 p.m.

Widespread Panic will spend New Year’s Eve, Dec. 30, & 31 in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena.

The Bluebird Cafe will bring a bevy of songwriters for two shows on NYE (7 p.m. and 10 p.m. shows), including Thom Schuyler, Fred Knobloch, Tony Arata, and Jelly Roll Johnson.

The Grascals will perform at Nashville’s Station Inn, beginning at 9 p.m.

The Listening Room Cafe has seats available for their NYE dinner and show. Seats can be reserved here.

Wildhorse Saloon all-day celebration broadcasted LIVE on national TV featuring Tom Yankton, Whiskey, Cash & Roses, Two Way Crossing, and Phil Vaught. More information here.

2017 Marks Major Anniversaries For Several Music Institutions

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2017 will mark major anniversaries for many of Nashville’s most iconic music establishments. Each anniversary holds a special significance in Nashville.

“The convergence of this many significant anniversaries among our music offerings is an incredible opportunity for this city,” said Butch Spyridon, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “Together they showcase the depth and breadth of Music City. Music City is not a slogan or a logo, it is our DNA and we are proud and honored to tell the world the individual stories behind these milestones.”

The Nashville music institutions with significant 2017 anniversaries include:
Ryman Auditorium – 125th
Nashville Symphony – 70th season
Historic RCA Studio B – 60th
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum – 50th
Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) – 50th
The Bluebird Cafe – 35th
Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival – 25th
Music City Walk of Fame – 10th
Schermerhorn Symphony Center – 10th

For more on these anniversaries, visit visitmusiccity.com/anniversaries.

Rewind: 2016 MusicRow Events

MusicRow looks back on its 2016 events including the MusicRow Chart Annual Airplay Awards, the annual Rising Women On The Row breakfast and the reader-voted MusicRow Awards.

 

MusicRow CountryBreakout Awards

Pictured (L-R): Craig Shelburne, Kelsea Ballerini, Sherod Robertson

Pictured (L-R): Craig Shelburne, Kelsea Ballerini, Sherod Robertson

MusicRow held its 14th Annual Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards on Feb. 8 at Margaritaville in downtown Nashville. Winners include:

Male Artist of the Year: Jason Aldean
Female Artist of the Year: Kelsea Ballerini
Breakout Artist of the Year: Kelsea Ballerini
Duo/Group of the Year: Florida Georgia Line
Independent Artist of the Year: Erica Nicole
Label of the Year: Capitol Records Nashville
Songwriter of the Year (three-way tie): Shane McAnally, Ashley Gorley, Josh Osborne

At each awards show, MusicRow also honors one of its MusicRow panel radio station reporters. This year, Melissa Frost of KRRV-FM (Alexandria, La.) was honored as MusicRow’s Reporter of the Year.

Florida Georgia Line accepts MusicRow No. 1 Challenge Coins for five chart-toppers on the CountryBreakout chart. Pictured (L-R): Craig Shelburne; Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley; MusicRow‘s Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson.

Florida Georgia Line accepts MusicRow No. 1 Challenge Coins for five chart-toppers on the CountryBreakout chart. Pictured (L-R): Craig Shelburne; Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley; MusicRow‘s Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson.

 

 

Rising Women on the Row

Pictured (L-R): Craig Shelburne, Amanda Cates, Leslie Roberts, Cris Lacy, Abbey Adams, Risha Rodgers, Sherod Robertson. Photo: Molly Hannula

Pictured (L-R): Craig Shelburne, Amanda Cates, Leslie Roberts, Cris Lacy, Abbey Adams, Risha Rodgers, Sherod Robertson. Photo: Molly Hannula

MusicRow honored five music industry superstars on April 8, 2016 during its fifth annual Rising Women on the Row breakfast, held at the Omni Nashville.

The event saluted Sony/ATV’s Creative Director of A&R Abbey Adams, Maverick Nashville’s head of marketing and digital strategy Amanda Cates, Warner Music Nashville’s VP of A&R Cris Lacy, BMI’s executive director of writer/publisher relations Leslie Roberts, and WME’s first female partner in Nashville Risha Rodgers.

The morning also included an interview with AEG Live Sr. VP executive Ali Harnell, and a performance by Capitol Records Nashville rising artist Mickey Guyton.

 

MusicRow Awards

Pictured (L-R): Sherod Robertson, Lori McKenna, Kent Earls, Craig Shelburne. Photo: Moments by Moser

Pictured (L-R): Sherod Robertson, Lori McKenna, Kent Earls, Craig Shelburne. Photo: Moments by Moser

MusicRow held its 28th Annual MusicRow Awards at BMI on June 29 in front of a packed house. The 2016 awards honored MusicRow‘s Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians for playing on the most top 10 albums during the awards timeframe in addition to the reader-voted Breakthrough Artist and Songwriter and Producer and Song of the Year.

Song of the Year was presented to McKenna for her solo-penned “Humble and Kind,” recorded by Tim McGraw for Big Machine Records. She shared the award with the song’s publisher, Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville.

Morris was named Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year for achieving her first Top 10 single as a songwriter during the eligibility period, with the song “My Church.” She is represented by BMI, published by Big Yellow Dog Music and is a Columbia Nashville recording artist.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year went to RCA Nashville’s Old Dominion. The quintet was honored for achieving significant career progress for the first time.

Producer of the Year was awarded to Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, A Thousand Horses, Wheeler Walker Jr.). This year marked the first nomination and win for Cobb, who is a producer-in-residence at historic Studio A in Nashville.

Earlier in the event, awards were also presented to Nashville session musicians who earned the most credits on albums that reached Billboard’s Top 10 Country Albums Chart during the eligibility period.

The list includes: Shannon Forrest, drums; Charles Judge, keyboards; Justin Niebank, engineer; Paul Franklin, steel; Wes Hightower, vocals; Ilya Toshinskiy, guitar; Jimmie Lee Sloas, bass; and Stuart Duncan and Larry Franklin (tie), fiddle.

28th Annual MusicRow Awards (C) Moments By Moser Photography

28th Annual MusicRow Awards (C) Moments By Moser Photography

Rewind: 2016 ‘MusicRow’ CountryBreakout Chart No. 1s

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Since 2002, The MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart has crowned No. 1 songs in the country radio marketplace, celebrating 49 chart-topping songs in 2016. MusicRow congratulates each artist, songwriter and label for its accomplishments this year.

Five artists celebrated three chart-toppers this year, making it a five-way tie for the artist with the most No. 1 songs on the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart this year.

Carrie Underwood-
“Heartbeat”
“Church Bells”
“Dirty Laundry”

Tim McGraw-
“Humble And Kind”
“How I’ll Always Be”
“May We All” (with Florida Georgia Line)

Florida Georgia Line-
“Confession”
“H.O.L.Y.”
“May We All” (feat. Tim McGraw)

Luke Bryan-
“Home Alone Tonight” (feat. Karen Fairchild)
“Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day”
“Move”

Keith Urban-
“Break On Me”
“Wasted Time”
“Blue Ain’t Your Color”

The 15th Annual MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart Awards, based on radio airplay reported by stations on MusicRow’s radio panel, will be held on February 22, 2016.

MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart No. 1 Songs of 2016

Jan. 7, 2016 – A Thousand Horses/(This Ain’t No) Drunk Dial/Republic Nashville
Jan. 14, 2016- Keith Urban/Break On Me/Capitol Nashville
Jan. 21, 2016- Luke Bryan feat. Karen Fairchild/Home Alone Tonight/Capitol Nashville
Jan. 28, 2016- Sam Hunt/Break Up In A Small Town/MCA Nashville
Feb. 4, 2016- Carrie Underwood/Heartbeat/Arista Nashville
Feb. 11, 2016- Granger Smith/Backroad Song/Wheelhouse Records
Feb. 18, 2016- Chris Stapleton/Nobody To Blame/Mercury Nashville
Feb. 25, 2016- Florida Georgia Line/Confession/Republic Nashville
March 3, 2016- Lee Brice/That Don’t Sound Like You/Curb Records
March 10, 2016- Rascal Flatts/I Like The Sound Of That/Big Machine
March 17, 2016- Zac Brown Band/Beautiful Drug/Southern Ground-Dot Records
March 24, 2016- Old Dominion/Snapback/RCA Nashville
March 31, 2016- Jon Pardi/Head Over Boots/Capitol Nashville
April 7, 2016- Maren Morris/My Church/Columbia Nashville
April 14, 2016- Chris Young feat. Cassadee Pope/Think Of You/RCA Nashville
April 21, 2016- Dierks Bentley/Somewhere On A Beach/Capitol Nashville
April 28, 2016- Tim McGraw/Humble And Kind/Big Machine
May 5, 2016- Dustin Lynch/Mind Reader/Broken Bow
May 12, 2016- Luke Bryan/Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day/Capitol Nashville
May 19, 2016- Thomas Rhett/T-Shirt/Valory Music Co.
May 26, 2016- Blake Shelton/Came Here To Forget/Warner Bros.
June 2, 2016- Keith Urban/Wasted Time/Capitol Nashville
June 9, 2016- Eric Church/Record Year/EMI Nashville
June 16, 2016- Kenny Chesney/Noise/Columbia Nashville
June 23, 2016- Carrie Underwood/Church Bells/Arista Nashville
June 30, 2016- Jason Aldean/Lights Come On/Broken Bow
July 7, 2016- Florida Georgia Line/H.O.L.Y./Republic Nashville
July 14, 2016- Jake Owen/American Country Love Song/RCA Nashville
July 21, 2016- Chris Lane/Fix/Big Loud Records
July 28, 2016- Kelsea Ballerini/Peter Pan/Black River Ent.
Aug. 4, 2016- Sam Hunt/Make You Miss Me/MCA Nashville
Aug. 11, 2016- Dierks Bentley feat. Elle King/Different For Girls/Capitol Nashville
Aug. 18, 2016- Billy Currington/It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To/Mercury Nashville
Aug. 25, 2016- LOCASH/I Know Somebody/Reviver Records
Sept. 1, 2016- Tucker Beathard/Rock On/Dot Records
Sept. 8, 2016- Blake Shelton/She’s Got A Way With Words/Warner Bros
Sept. 15-22, 2016- Kenny Chesney feat. Pink/Setting The World On Fire/Columbia Nashville
Sept. 29, 2016- Miranda Lambert/Vice/RCA Nashville
Oct. 6, 2016- Luke Bryan/Move/Capitol Nashville
Oct. 13, 2016- Old Dominion/Song For Another Time/RCA Nashville
Oct. 20, 2016- Brett Young/Sleep Without You/BMLG Records
Oct. 27, 2016- Tim McGraw/How I’ll Always Be/Big Machine
Nov. 3, 2016- Florida Georgia Line feat. Tim McGraw/May We All/BMLG Records
Nov.  10, 2016- Keith Urban/Blue Ain’t Your Color/Capitol Nashville
Nov. 17, 2016- Jason Aldean/A Little More Summertime/Broken Bow
Nov. 23, 2016- Carrie Underwood/Dirty Laundry/Arista Nashville
December 1, 2016- Maren Morris/80s Mercedes/RCA Nashville
Dec. 8, 2016- Eric Church/Kill A Word/EMI Nashville
Dec. 15, 2016- Chris Young feat. Vince Gill/Sober Saturday Night/RCA Nashville

Nashville’s United Record Pressing Relocates

United Record Pressing. Photo: Bev Moser/Moments By Moser

United Record Pressing. Photo: Bev Moser/Moments By Moser

United Record Pressing (URP) has left its historic facility in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood to expand, according to a social media post.

The company is moving operations to its new 142,000-square-foot facility located on Allied Drive in South Nashville. The new facility was purchased in 2014.

The move was expected, but the status of the 1962 factory has long been up in the air.

URP commented the Chestnut Street location will be preserved.

“We love our Chestnut Street location and have every intention to honor and preserve it,” URP responded. “However, as we respond to our customers’ requests for greater capacity, high quality, quick turnarounds, and outstanding customer service, we’re excited to introduce our new modern facility to the world. We will resume production and normal business hours on January 3, 2017.”

The company, which opened in 1949, had the capacity to manufacture more than 30,000 vinyl units per day in the old location. Since its opening, that two-building, 65,000-square-foot site served not only to press records, but accommodate top artists and clients, such as Vee Jay Records and Motown, having been run by people of color. URP created what we now call the “Motown Suite,” an apartment located above the factory.

Plant tours were put on hold in August 2016, having offered guests a peek into the history of those suites. Frozen in time were the same novel 60’s furnishings, dinette sets, and phone books that these label execs and artists were offered. Original “mother” disc archives were also cataloged at the site.

December 22th was the last work day for the facility. Many of the 22 presses, now out of production, have been moved to the new facility.

“It’s a bitter-sweet thing to leave this place, but we’re excited for the expansion where we can continue to make vinyl records like we have been since 1949,” said a statement from URP on social media.

Thomas Rhett’s “Die A Happy Man” Brings Hope, Healing For Nashville Native

Shondell Howse

Editor’s Note: A random Uber ride connected MusicRow’s Sherod Robertson with Uber driver Shondell Howse. During that short trip from the office to Bridgestone Arena, she shared her story, reminding us all of the impact a song can have.

Thomas Rhett’s signature tune, “Die A Happy Man,” the story of a man who needs nothing more than his woman’s “crazy love,” was inspired by his wife, Lauren (Gregory) Akins.

Though the song was intensely personal for Thomas Rhett (and for co-writers Sean Douglas and Joe Spargur), the song’s romantic message has touched countless listeners. One of those listeners is Nashville native Shondell Howse.

“The first time I heard it, it was the beat I noticed. I listened to it and instantly I called my mom. I said, ‘I just heard this song and you’ve got to hear it.’ I started listening to the words and I was like, ‘Wow, you can tell this man truly loves his wife.’”

Snippets from the song’s lyrics closely resembled her relationship with husband Quincy “Q” James. Shondell met James in Murfreesboro. The couple was together for seven years before they wed on Sept. 22, 2007.

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“It’s just little bits and pieces of that song that really I relate to because of my husband. Dancing around the fireplace is something we used to do in our apartment. Driving a sports car up the coast of California, I always wanted to do that. When Quincy and I went to Las Vegas one year, we got a convertible and drove it across the California line, just to say we had been to California,” she recalls. “He had a love for music. We would always ride and listen to music.”

Unbeknownst to either of them, Quincy had an undiagnosed heart condition, and passed away suddenly in August 2010.

She credits “Die A Happy Man” as a source of comfort and good memories of a husband Shondell says taught her to love.

“He would always say, ‘If I die today, I’m ok.’” Shondell recalls. “There was nothing he wanted more than for me to be his wife. The one thing he would say is, ‘As long as I’ve got your hand, I’m fine. I’m happy.’

“I think about that song and smile. It gives me comfort knowing he was happy when he passed away. He knew I totally loved him.”

Shondell also says the song reignited her love for country music. “I love country music and I appreciate it. I love artists that are open-minded and now it’s reaching out to all people. If it continues to reach out to all people, I can see it helping our country heal as a whole,” she says, citing Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind” as another touching track.

“If we could all live the way he sings in that song, and just follow those simple instructions, how wonderful would the world be? That’s what makes the world go around, is love. Country music gives us love. It’s about every day life, and you never know who you will touch with that music.”

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