Industry Ink: Music City Media, Americana Music Association, Dan Hodges Music

Seven Entertainment Companies Relocate To Music Row

relocated

Seven entertainment companies have formed an alliance to offer an extensive menu of professional services for clients in the music and entertainment sectors.

Artist integration, Country Rewind Records, Music City Media, Karen Will Rogers Photography, Nashville Gig Finders, Nashville Music Line (including Lord & Thorn Music Publishing), and ProMO Image have relocated to the McGhee Entertainment Building at 21 Music Square West, Floor 1.
 
 

Rodney Crowell To Perform As Part Of 2017 Americana Series

Rodney Crowell

Rodney Crowell

The Americana Music Association and the Grammy Museum will launch the 2017 Americana Series with An Evening With Rodney Crowell on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017 at 8 p.m. at the Grammy Museum’s 200-seat Clive Davis Theater in Los Angeles.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at axs.com beginning Thursday, Dec. 22 at 10 a.m. CT.

“We are so excited to welcome Rodney Crowell to our theater for the first program of the year in our Americana Series,” said Lynne Sheridan, Director of Public Programs & Artist Relations for the Grammy Museum and member of the Board of Directors for the Americana Music Association. “Aside from being an incredibly talented songwriter and musician, Crowell’s contributions to the music community and Americana genre are unmatched. We look forward to what will surely be an unforgettable evening of music and conversation.”

“We truly value our partnership with the Grammy Museum,” added Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association. “This series has been fantastic and we are thrilled to kick off the New Year with the amazing Rodney Crowell.”

 

Troy Cassar-Daley Signs To Dan Hodges Music’s Australian Division

Troy Cassar Daley

Troy Cassar-Daley

Australian country artist Troy Cassar-Daley has entered into an agreement with DHM Endeavour Pty Ltd, an Australian division of Dan Hodges Music LLC, for creative catalog representation.

Daley’s accolades include 4 ARIA’s, 32 Golden Guitars, and 4 CMAA Entertainer of the Year awards. His 25-plus year career includes 10 albums, the 2008 CMA Global Artist Award, and his new storyteller project, Things I Carry Around.

DHM is a music publishing company and royalty administration firm, operating on Music Row since 2008. DHM publishes ASCAP Song of the Year “Good Directions,” “Dibs,” a recent hit for Kelsea Ballerini, and current releases on Keith Urban, Reba McEntire and Faith Hill.

Brad Paisley To Release CD/DVD, PBS Special From West Virginia University

bradlivefromwv

Brad Paisley will release Life Amplified World Tour: Live at WVU, a live concert DVD and CD on Friday, Dec. 23. PBS will air the concert as an hour-long show, titled Brad Paisley – Landmarks Live In Concert: A Great Performances Special, on Friday, Jan. 27 at 9 p.m. ET.

Paisley’s return to his homestate at West Virginia University’s outdoor stage took place on Sept. 9 in front of over 15,000 people. Paisley played for two hours that included many of his 23 number one singles, including “I’m Still A Guy,” featuring a performance with Chris Young. The show also includes a special version of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” which has become an anthem for WVU and part of the Country Music Association’s 50th annual video tribute.

The concert special was produced by award-winning director, CEO of City Drive Films and WVU alumnus, Daniel E Catullo III.
 

 
“I am so pleased to be partnering with Brad on the WVU show,” said Catullo III. “Being an alumnus of WVU this show is very special for me. To be able to bring WVU to the world stage is something I am proud to do and I couldn’t think of a better artist to do it with than Brad, who has similar feelings of WVU, having grown up not too far from the campus. It has been a dream of mine to go back to WVU and put on a huge show, free for the students.”

Songs included in the show are: “Crushin’ It,” “American Saturday Night,” “Water,” “Online,” “Perfect Storm,” “Letter to Me,” “This is Country Music,” “I’m Still a Guy” (feat. Chris Young), “She’s Everything,” “Ticks,” “Country Nation,” “Old Alabama,” “Then,” “Beat This Summer,” “I’m Gonna Miss Her,” “River Bank,” “Take Me Home,” “Country Roads,” “Southern Comfort Zone,” “Mud on the Tires” and “Alcohol.”

Both the DVD and the CD/DVD can be ordered online.

The Listening Room To Expand In New Location

Chris Blair, owner of The Listening Room.

Chris Blair, owner of The Listening Room

The Listening Room Café, owned by Chris Blair, is moving to a new home next fall. Blair told The Nashville Post that his business will relocate from its current SoBro spot at 217 Second Ave. S. when the lease expires and take up new digs at 618 Fourth Ave. S.

With the move, the establishment will expand from 6,000 square feet to 11,500 square feet, and from 50 to 80 employees. It will have a separate restaurant and bar area, listening room and outdoor patio.

The Listening Room first opened in downtown Franklin in 2006, then moved to Cummins Station in 2008, and to its current location in 2011. Read more.

The Tennessean reports that The Listening Room’s future home on Fourth Ave is owned by real estate investor Treg Warner. He recently paid $3.55 million for the property.

 

Brantley Gilbert To Release ‘The Devil Don’t Sleep’ Jan. 27

brantley-gilbert-the-devil-dont-sleep

Brantley Gilbert will release his third project for BMLG’s The Valory Music Co., The Devil Don’t Sleep, on Jan. 27.

“A lot has happened,” Brantley says. “And anyone who knows me knows that every album is another chapter of my life. Even though it’s my life, even though some of what I write about is very specific to what happens to me, I think the challenges, the places where we figure things out are all the same – no matter what we’re facing, realizations all mean the same things.”

Gilbert says despite the celebratory tone of the album’s first single, “The Weekend,” The Devil Don’t Sleep explores an admonitory theme, as the title suggests temptation is a constant reality for many.

“By now, everyone knows the story turned out okay for me,” Brantley says. “But the truth is there’s always temptation, there’s always something – whether it’s work or substances or gambling or whatever – that can pull you off the path. For me, thankfully, I got through it, got the girl back, got to keep my career moving.”

The album features 16 tracks on the regular disc, with 10 more tracks on the deluxe version. The deluxe version captures the roots of his songwriting and live shows.

“Trying to get the whole story on the album was a little more than we’d bargained for,” Brantley says. “We tried every which way, but in the end, it seemed like we needed to do the straight-up record. But then for the folks who really go deep, I wanted to give them a piece of the last year on the road. We recorded live at Red Rocks at the end of the tour, and you can feel how hard they rocked. And I wanted that on this record.”

Brantley’s penchant for honest, transparent songwriting has proved a successful move. He has earned consecutive platinum albums with Halfway To Heaven and Just As I Am, and six No. 1 singles, including “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do,” and “Bottoms Up,” as well as songs he has penned for other artists such as Jason Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” and “My Kind of Party.”

“Life isn’t just chapters,” explains the songwriter/rocker. “What happens before influences what happens next. Not always the way you’d expect. Sometimes you don’t even see it ‘til later. But with these CDs, I feel like it’s the story and then more of the story. You know, depending on how deep you want to go, it’s a way to understand the journey to The Devil Don’t Sleep.

 

Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountains Rise Telethon Raises Nearly $9 Million

 

dolly-telethonAs millions of viewers tuned in to watch Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund telethon, the event has brought in nearly $9 million in donations so far. Large contributions were made from artists including Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton, Chris Young, Paul Simon and Dierks Bentley, as well as from people across the country.

Nearly 20 artists performed during the telethon, including Parton, Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams Jr., Chris Stapleton, Reba McEntire, Alison Krauss, Michael W. Smith, Chris Janson, Big & Rich, LOCASH, Chris Young, Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Cyndi Lauper, Don McLean, Amy Grant, Alabama, Aaron Lewis and Rhonda Vincent.

“I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the people who have donated from all over the country and to my friends who donated their time, their talent, and money for My People,” Dolly Parton explained. “The response has been so overwhelming that we haven’t been able to count all of the donations yet; right now, in total, we have raised about $9 million dollars for the folks who lost everything in Sevier County.”

The total amount raised is expected to rise as mail donations are counted and the telethon is rebroadcast to new audiences over the next five days.

Celebrities also donated their time to answer phones including: Paula Deen and her sons Bobby and Jamie, Chrisley Knows Best cast members Todd, Julie and Savannah, Moonshiners’ cast members Mark and Digger, Nashville’s Charles Esten, cast members of Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors, country hit-makers Chris & Morgane Stapleton, Mark Wills, Lee Greenwood, Larry & Rudy Gatlin, TG Sheppard, John Conlee, Ronnie McDowell, Kristian Bush, Tim Rushlow, T. Graham Brown, Dolly’s nieces Rebecca Seaver and Danielle Parton, bluegrass hit makers Lorraine Jordan and Darrin Vincent, comedian Henry Cho, KC of KC & The Sunshine Band, new country artists Lucas Hoge and Denny Strickland, songwriter Becky Hobbs, and members of the Tennessee Titans.

Several other celebrities shared special video messages during the telethon including: Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, Larry King, Steve Harvey, Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, and Today Show’s Willie Geist.

More than 1300 families have been displaced due to the wildfires which spread across Parton’s home area of Sevier County, Tennessee in late November. The entertainment icon established the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund to provide $1000 each month for six months to every family who lost their primary residence.

 

Paul Barnabee To Exit Sony Music Nashville

Paul Barnabee

Paul Barnabee

Sony Music Nashville Sr. VP, Marketing Paul Barnabee will exit his role at the end of 2016, after 22 years with the company, MusicRow has confirmed.

Barnabee joined Sony Music Nashville, formerly the RCA Label Group, in 1995, overseeing financial operations. He would later head sales, digital business and operational functions. In 2011, he was named head of marketing for Sony Music Nashville and its three imprints, including RCA, Columbia and Arista Nashville. Previously, Barnabee has served on the Board of Directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

“My 22 years at Sony have been amazing and more than I could have ever dreamed in my professional career,” Barnabee tells MusicRow. “I’m looking forward to my next chapter.”

Sony Music Nashville has not commented on the exiting, and no plans have been announced to fill the position.

Barnabee will be at Sony through next week, after which he can be reached at [email protected].

 

In Pictures: Brett Eldredge, Big & Rich, Sonny Curtis

Brett Eldredge Celebrates Christmas At City Winery

Pictured (L-R): Peter Strickland (WMN, Chief Marketing Officer), Rob Baker (Longshot Management), Camille Alston (Longshot Management), Brett Eldredge, John Esposito (WMN, Chairman & CEO), Scott Hendricks (WMN, SVP A&R)

Pictured (L-R): Peter Strickland (WMN, Chief Marketing Officer), Rob Baker (Longshot Management), Camille Alston (Longshot Management), Brett Eldredge, John Esposito (WMN, Chairman & CEO), Scott Hendricks (WMN, SVP A&R)

The third annual “Evening with Brett Eldredge” last night (Dec. 13) at Nashville’s City Winery was bright with music and holiday cheer, with the Platinum-selling recording artist channeling Sinatra to deliver classic Christmas songs and a new original from his recently released album Glow.

 

Big & Rich Joins CMT In Bahrain

big-rich

Big & Rich with Cody Alan

Country duo Big & Rich joined CMT Hot 20 Countdown as the show completed its first trip overseas to a military base in Bahrain to tape two special holiday episodes that will air at the end of the year. Hot 20 Video of the Year Countdown premieres Saturday, Dec. 17 at 9 a.m., ET/PT followed by Hot 20 Holiday Salute on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 9 a.m. ET/PT.

Partnering with Armed Forces Entertainment, Big & Rich, along with CMT’s Cody Alan visited the Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home to the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and U.S. 5th Fleet. Their trip, which included performances from Big & Rich, special music video shout-outs from military personnel to their friends and family back home, tours of Arabian Gulf naval ships, physical training sessions with soldiers on base, artillery demos and more will be highlighted across both “Hot 20” specials.

 

BMI Awards Two Million Air Awards

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Mason Hunter and David Preston, BMI songwriter Sonny Curtis and BMI’s Nina Carter and Jody Williams.

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Mason Hunter and David Preston, BMI songwriter Sonny Curtis and BMI’s Nina Carter and Jody Williams.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, member of The Crickets and BMI songwriter Sonny Curtis stopped by the company’s Nashville office to receive two Million Air awards, one for 3 million radio spins of “I’m No Stranger To The Rain” and the other for 1 million plays for “Straight Life.” The songwriter has awards for hits such as “I Fought The Law” and “Walk Right Back” and wrote and sang the iconic theme song to the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

ASCAP Holds Country, Christian Writers Workshops

Pictured (L-R): Stephen Gage, Courtney Drummey, Isaac Fox, Emily Hackett, Pat Alger, Jonathan Helfand, Robyn Collins, Jenny Ray and Blake Rackley

Pictured (L-R): Stephen Gage, Courtney Drummey, Isaac Fox, Emily Hackett, Pat Alger, Jonathan Helfand, Robyn Collins, Jenny Ray and Blake Rackley

ASCAP hosted two songwriters workshops at its Music Row offices recently. The ASCAP Foundation Garth Brooks Country Songwriters Workshop, held Dec. 5 – 7, is part of an ongoing series designed to focus on the development and education of promising new country music songwriters.

Conducted by longtime ASCAP member, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member and veteran songwriter Pat Alger (“Unanswered Prayers,” “Thunder Rolls” – Garth Brooks), the sessions provided advice on the art and craft of songwriting techniques, as well as information on business-related topics including A&R and music publishing.

ASCAP Foundation Christian Music Songwriters Workshop was held Dec. 12 – 13, led by industry veteran Stacey Willbur with Centricity Publishing’s Justin Nicolet. This workshop is also part of an ongoing series designed to focus on the development and education of promising new songwriters. The sessions included intensives on the craft of songwriting, developing an eye for objectively looking at songs, expanding sources of inspiration, nurturing a creative community, marketing your songs and an overview of music publishing.

Pictured (L-R): (front) Emma Bartlett, Allison Rury, Madyson Williams, Kara Coats, Sam Nichols; (back) Stacey Willbur, Rachael Nemiroff, Colin Powers, Jason Earley, Caleb Crino, ASCAP's Kele Currier, ASCAP's Beth Brinker, Emily Falvey, Alyssa Newton and Justin Nicolet

Pictured (L-R): (front) Emma Bartlett, Allison Rury, Madyson Williams, Kara Coats, Sam Nichols; (back) Stacey Willbur, Rachael Nemiroff, Colin Powers, Jason Earley, Caleb Crino, ASCAP’s Kele Currier, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Emily Falvey, Alyssa Newton and Justin Nicolet

 

 

Road Pics: Brothers Osborne, Home Free, Michael Ray with Randy Travis

Brothers Osborne Perform Atop Tour Bus

brothers-osborne-on-tour-busBrothers Osborne literally “brought the house down” at the Fox Theatre in Hanford, California recently, when the venue’s roof collapsed minutes before they were scheduled to take the stage. Given this was the second such occurrence in two weeks, John and TJ Osborne came up with an alternate plan. They used their bus generator for power, moved equipment onto the roof through the emergency hatch and played for 30 minutes. See a video clip of the performance.

They will continue on The Dirt Rich Tour through the beginning of next year with upcoming stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New Orleans, as well as a show at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works on Jan. 18.

 

Randy Travis Joins Michael Ray

Randy Travis and Michael Ray

Randy Travis and Michael Ray

Atlantic / Warner Music Nashville recording artist Michael Ray performed at the KSCS-FM Country Fest in Grand Prairie, Texas on Friday (Dec. 9). The rising star surprised fans by bringing country music legend Randy Travis onstage to sing his classic “Forever and Ever, Amen.”

 

Home Free’s Sold Out Show at TPAC

Pictured (L-R): Home Free’s Tim Foust, Adam Rupp and Rob Lundquist, Alan Panettiere, Hayden Panettiere, Home Free’s Adam Chance and Austin Brown. Photo: Olena Lysenko

Pictured (L-R): Home Free’s Tim Foust, Adam Rupp and Rob Lundquist, Alan Panettiere, Hayden Panettiere, Home Free’s Adam Chance and Austin Brown. Photo: Olena Lysenko

Columbia Records’ Home Free brought their successful A Country Christmas Tour to Nashville’s TPAC Sunday night (Dec. 11). The sold out stop featured the all-vocal group performing songs from their new Christmas album, along with fan favorites including “Ring of Fire,” and “Snapback.”

After the show, CMT’s Nashville star Hayden Panettiere visited with the band backstage.

Luke Bryan is SoundExchange’s Most-Streamed Country Artist of 2016

soundexchange-2016-year-end

Click to see the full list.

SoundExchange has released lists of its Top 20 most-streamed artists, tracks and breakout artists of 2016.

Three country hitmakers landed among the Top 20 Streamed Artists, with Luke Bryan at No. 13, Kenny Chesney at No. 16 and Jason Aldean at No. 17.

Ranking at No. 11, Maren Morris was the only country singer on the Breakout Artists list.

Adele’s “Hello” was streamed more than any other track. The Weeknd scored three songs on the Top 20 tracks list: “The Hills,” “Earned It” and “Can’t Feel My Face.”

Drake was the most-streamed artist.

SoundExchange based the data on the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2016.