Jimmy Webb To Be Honored With Carnegie Hall Concert

Jimmy Webb will be honored with a special tribute show at Carnegie Hall on May 3. Presented by City Winery, the event will celebrate Webb’s creative legacy and hit songs, including “Wichita Lineman,” “MacArthur Park,” “Galveston,” “Didn’t We” and “All I Know.”

A Celebration of the Music of Jimmy Webb: The Cake and the Rain features a lineup including Ashley Campbell (daughter of Glen Campbell), Art Garfunkel, Amy Grant, Toby Keith, Judy Collins, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. of the Fifth Dimension, Johnny Rivers and Dwight Yoakam. Webb is also slated to perform.

Proceeds from the concert will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association and the I’ll Be Me Foundation in honor of Jimmy’s dear friend Glen Campbell.

The tribute event coincides with two milestones: Jimmy’s new memoir, The Cake and The Rain, set for publication on April 18 through St. Martin’s Press, and the upcoming 50th Anniversary of “Wichita Lineman.”

Webb’s accolades include the Ivor Novello International Award (2012) and the Academy of Country Music’s Poet Award (2016). He received his first gold record at the age of 18 and was the youngest inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His diverse songwriting style was especially apparent in 2016 when he premiered his classical piece “Nocturne for Lefty” and had his music featured prominently on Kanye West’s “Famous.” From his country crossover hits with Glen Campbell, to a No. 1 disco hit with Donna Summer (“MacArthur Park”), to a Grammy-nominated rap song, Webb remains the only writer to receive Grammys across writing, music and orchestration.

Webb is the former Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and long-time Board Member of ASCAP.

Webb has released 10 solo albums since the 1970s, while continuing to write for other artists. 2010’s Just Across the River features duets on some of his biggest songs with friends Billy Joel, Jackson Browne, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, JD Souther, and Glen Campbell plus Lucinda Williams, Michael McDonald and Mark Knopfler. A follow up featuring Brian Wilson, Art Garfunkel, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Lyle Lovett, Carly Simon, Keith Urban, and more was released in 2013.

SNG Music Relocates, Adds Two

Pictured (L-R): Aubrey Schwartz, Mike Sebastian

SNG Music, LLP has relocated to offices at 3010 Poston Avenue in Nashville and has added to its staff. Aubrey Schwartz joins SNG Music as its Creative Director, and Mike Sebastian of MSMP Consulting, has signed on as a consultant.

Schwartz is a Belmont graduate and was most recently employed with Bluewater Music. Her responsibilities will include promoting the SNG song catalogue, booking co-writes for SNG Music writers and building relationships with the Nashville music community.

Sebastian, with more than 20 years of publishing experience, has held leadership positions at Starstruck Entertainment, Blacktop, Given Music, and more.

“It’s been exciting to see our business grow over the past three years,” says SNG Partner Steve Leslie. “As we’ve grown, it’s been tough to keep up with our space needs, but our new offices should be able to handle our growth for many years to come.”

SNG Music’s current roster of songwriters includes Marianne Allison, Abbey Cone, Marty Dodson, Steve Leslie, Gary Reamey and Zarni de Vette.

Craig Wayne Boyd Inks Deals With Copperline Music Group, Reviver Entertainment Group

Pictured (L-R): Gator Michaels, Will Edwards, Craig Wayne Boyd, Rusty Harmon

Craig Wayne Boyd, winner of Season 7 of NBC’s The Voice, recently signed with Copperline Music Group, and has enlisted Reviver Entertainment Group for radio promotion, and BDG/RED for distribution.

Copperline Music Group is led by Rusty Harmon and producer Will Edwards. Best-known for his work with Hootie and the Blowfish, Harmon also runs Harmon Music Management. Reviver Entertainment Group, led by David Ross, also includes Reviver Records, Reviver Label Services, Reviver Publishing, Reviver Productions and 1608 Promotion.

“Will and I are both excited and fortunate to be working with Craig and his world-class fan base. With the addition of Reviver, we are preparing to release Craig’s first LP since winning The Voice,” Harmon said.

“Craig Wayne Boyd is an artist that his fan base is very passionate about, and I believe the music he is working on will excite them very much – in addition to adding many more fans to the fold,” said Ross.

During his run on the The Voice, Boyd hit the charts with his versions of such classics as “Old Rugged Cross,” “I Walk The Line,” “You Look So Good In Love,” and “Workin’ Man Blues.” After winning The Voice, Boyd was previously signed with BMLG’s Dot Records and released the single “My Baby’s Got A Smile On Her Face.” As a songwriter, he spent three years as a staff writer for EMI Publishing.

 

Jerrod Niemann, Lee Brice, Delta Rae To Play Westwood One Backstage At ACMs

Cumulus Media and Westwood One are presenting two days of backstage audio and video coverage and performances at the ACM Awards with Lee Brice, Mo Pitney, Jerrod NiemannDelta Rae and Walker McGuire on “Westwood One Backstage at the ACM Awards.” The show will feature exclusive private backstage performances from the artists and will be held at Lucky Live Lounge at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday March 31 and April 1. Delta Rae will kick off the celebration on Thursday night, followed by Walker McGuire’s backstage performance on Friday, and the trio of Lee Brice, Mo Pitney, and Jerrod Niemann on Saturday.

“Seldom do you have this many superstars assembled in one location,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP, Corporate Marketing for Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One. “We are honored to have country music’s most popular artists perform exclusively for us. It makes our backstage live experience even more special for our affiliates, brand partners and guests.”

The shows will serve as a finale for Westwood One Backstage at the ACM Awards Radio Row, where over 90 country artists will engage with more than 25 of the top country stations in the U.S. Cumulus and Westwood One are the official radio partners for the ACM Awards, which will air on April 2.

LifeNotes: Rock Music Founding Father Chuck Berry Passes

Rock-music founding father and powerful country-music influence Chuck Berry passed away on Saturday, March 18, at age 90.

In addition to being an inaugural inductee into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, Berry became a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame four years earlier. His song catalog not only serves as a cornerstone of rock ‘n’ roll, it has been tapped by dozens of country artists for more than six decades.

Such members of the Country Music Hall of Fame as Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Marty Robbins, Elvis Presley, Buck Owens and Ernest Tubb all scored major hits with Chuck Berry songs. Berry’s fusion of blues and hillbilly idioms – plus his lyric emphasis on cars, girls, school, clothes, parents and other teen concerns — made him a pluperfect rockabilly artist. Fittingly, he was also an inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Born in St. Louis on Oct. 18, 1926, he was a largely self-taught musician who began performing locally around 1952. His bands performed a mix of r&b, swing, pop, blues and country tunes. He recalled that black audiences particularly loved dancing to his hillbilly numbers.

Berry’s band was soon the biggest attraction in St. Louis. Encouraged by his local renown, he traveled to Chicago to earn a recording contract with Chess Records.

“Maybelline,” based on the country tune “Ida Red,” launched his hit-making career in 1955. Marty Robbins instantly recorded the song for the country market and scored a top-10 hit with it. Similarly, in 1956 Ernest Tubb covered Berry’s 1955 hit “Thirty Days” and turned it into a country top-10.

Chuck Berry then embarked on a barrage of late-1950s pop and/or r&b top-10 smashes that included “No Money Down” (1955), “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956), “Too Much Monkey Business” (1956), “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” (1956), “School Day” (1957), Rock & Roll Music” (1958), “Sweet Little Sixteen” (1958), “Johnny B. Goode” (1958), “Carol” (1958), “Memphis Tennessee” (1959) and “Almost Grown” (1959). These hits made him a leader of the rock ‘n’ roll revolution. Indeed, he is arguably the artist who most clearly defined the genre — as a songwriter, as a guitarist and as a “duck-walking” showman.

At the peak of his early fame, he was jailed on a morals charge. But Berry returned to the charts with such iconic tunes as “Back in the U.S.A.” (1959), “Too Pooped to Pop” (1960), “Nadine” (1964), “No Particular Place to Go” (1964), “C’Est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)” (1964) and “Promised Land” (1965). Berry’s final chart hits were “My Ding-A-Ling” (1972) and “Reelin’ & Rockin’” (1973), yet he remained a vital live performer for decades to come.

In addition, his songs continued to be recorded. The Beach Boys famously co-opted his “Sweet Little Sixteen” melody for their 1963 hit “Surfin’ U.S.A.” The first Rolling Stones single was a 1963 version of Berry’s “Come On.” The Beatles covered both “Roll Over Beethoven” (1964) and “Rock & Roll Music” (1965).

Country artists were particularly enthusiastic about recording Berry’s songs. In fact, several became bigger hits on the country charts than they had been for Berry on the pop hit parade. These included Buck Owens’s chart-topping 1969 version of “Johnny B. Goode,” Waylon Jennings’s 1970 remake of “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” Freddy Weller’s 1971 rendition of “Promised Land,” Elvis Presley’s 1974 recording of “Promised Land” and Emmylou Harris’s 1977 revival of “C’Est La Vie (You Never Can Tell).”

Other significant country hits of Chuck Berry’s tunes included Freddy Weller’s 1974 top-10 success with “Too Much Monkey Business,” Linda Ronstadt’s 1978 version of “Back in the U.S.A.,” the George Jones and Johnny Paycheck 1979 duet of “Maybelline,” Freddy Weller’s 1979 reworking of “Nadine” and Fred Knoblock’s 1981 rendition of “Memphis Tennessee.” The last-named has also been recorded by Lonnie Mack (1963), Waylon Jennings (1964), Elvis Presley (1965), Buck Owens (1965), Flatt & Scruggs (1965), Karen Black (1975) and Toby Keith (2011).

Conway Twitty (“Maybelline”), Ronnie Hawkins (“Thirty Days”), Carmol Taylor (“Back in the U.S.A.”), Jerry Reed (“Promised Land”), Johnny Cash (“Brown Eyed Handsome Man”), Jerry Lee Lewis (“Sweet Little Sixteen”), Ronnie Milsap (“Johnny B. Goode”), Lyle Lovett (“Brown Eyed Handsome Man”), Elvis Presley (“Too Much Monkey Business”) and Roy Clark (“Johnny B. Goode”) have all covered Chuck Berry tunes over the years. In 1965, Bluegrass Hall of Fame members Jim & Jesse recorded an entire LP of Chuck Berry songs, Berry Pickin’ in the Country.

Meanwhile, the rock ‘n’ roll patriarch soldiered onward. In 1969, he played Central Park in New York and the big Toronto Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival festival. President Jimmy Carter invited him to play at the White House in 1979.

Chuck Berry was jailed again, this time for income-tax evasion. But he garnered increasing acclaim from such admirers as Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jerry Reed, Johnny Rivers, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, The Dave Clark Five, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Steve Miller, Merle Haggard and Keith Urban.

In 1984, Berry was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy. He was honored with a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987.

An all-star concert celebrating his career was filmed in 1987 as the movie Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll. During his lifetime, Berry also appeared in the films Rock! Rock! Rock! (1957), Go, Johnny Go! (1959), Mr. Rock and Roll (1957), The T.A.M.I. Awards Show (1964) and American Hot Wax (1978). He published Chuck Berry: The Autobiography in 1988.

In 1995, Berry performed at the grand opening of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame’s museum in Cleveland, Ohio. The following year, he began performing once a month at Blueberry Hill, a bar/restaurant attraction in his hometown of St. Louis. He was named a Kennedy Center honoree in 2000. Despite his advancing age, he toured Europe in 2008.

Chuck Berry continued appearing regularly in St. Louis until last October. He revealed at that time that his final album would be released by the Nashville label, Dualtone Records.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

 

 

Industry Signings: Big Loud Records, Big Yellow Dog, Banner Music

Big Loud Records Signs Jillian Jacqueline

Pictured (L-R): (back row) Big Loud Records’ Joey Moi, McGhee Entertainment’s Doc McGhee, Marcus and Colvin, LLP’s Kent Marcus, Downtown Music Publishing’s Danny Berrios (middle row) Downtown Music Publishing’s Steve Markland, McGhee Entertainment’s Scott McGhee, Big Loud Records’ Seth England, Downtown Music Publishing’s Natalie Osborne, Big Loud Records’ Chief Zaruk (front row) Big Loud Records’ Clay Hunnicutt, Jacqueline’s dad Peter Arciero, Jillian Jacqueline, Producer Tofer Brown, Big Loud Records’ Craig Wiseman

Big Loud Records has added singer-songwriter Jillian Jacqueline to its growing roster. The Pennsylvania native made her label debut at Nashville’s historic Belcourt Theatre last night (3/16), performing songs “Hate Me,” “God Bless This Mess,” “Til I See You Around,” and “Sad Girls.”

Produced by Tofer Brown, Jacqueline’s first batch of tunes will begin rolling out in April alongside full-length videos to accompany each one. Her “Prime” music video premiered on Nylon.com and also aired in regular rotation on CMT, which also named Jacqueline as one of their Next Women of Country for 2017.

“I am so overwhelmed by all the love I felt last night, to have all the people in Nashville that have supported me on this long, crazy road, in one room, was really magical,” exclaimed Jacqueline. “I’m so proud and grateful to my Big Loud team for giving my music a home, and I can’t wait to share more with you.”

“Jillian is truly one of those voices and talents that comes along very rarely,” says Big Loud Records’ President Clay Hunnicutt. “This is truly a ‘passion project’ from day one and we are thrilled to be lucky enough to work together on great music and more. Jillian is a woman we will be talking about for a long time, and one day we’ll say ‘do you remember the first time you heard Jillian Jacqueline?’ This is going to be special in a lot of ways!”

Ellee Duke Inks With Big Yellow Dog

Pictured (L-R): Brad Bissell, Agent, CAA; Marci Duke, Mother Duke; Ellee Duke; Carla Wallace, Co-owner, Big Yellow Dog; Lauren Funk, Creative Manager, Big Yellow Dog; David Crow, Partner, Milom Horsnell Crow Rose Kelley PLC; Matt Lindsey, VP Creative, Big Yellow Dog

L.A.-based pop singer/songwriter Ellee Duke has signed with Big Yellow Dog Music. “Looking forward to working with Ellee Duke and the great music she is working on! Shout-out to Brad Bissell for the introduction,” said Carla Wallace, co-owner of Big Yellow Dog.

 

Martin and Lankford Re-Up With Banner Music

Jimbo Martin and Alice Lankford have extended their contracts as staff writers at Banner Music. Martin has written with hitmakers like Jerry Salley and Lance Carpenter, while Lankford has co-written songs for Morgan Myles, Kris Hitchcock, Banner Music’s Shelby Lee Lowe, and more. “With all the opportunities that these two songwriters have, we are blessed they are resigning and staying with us” said Banner Music CEO Camilla Kleindienst.

Jo Smith Drops ‘Old School Groove’

SMACKSongs artist Jo Smith has released the first song from her debut EP for the label. “Old School Groove” is a Motown-inspired torcher set to steel guitar. It was revealed as a Highway Find on SiriusXM’s “The Highway” earlier today (March 17).

The four-song project, titled Introducing Jo Smith, was helmed by award-winning producers Jesse Frasure (Thomas Rhett) and Shane McAnally (Sam Hunt, Kacey Musgraves), masters of blending classic R&B with contemporary country.

“Old School Groove,” which was written by Ben Burgess, Bobby Huff and Smith, yearns for the 1960s when a lover’s heart could spin like “vintage vinyl.”

“I love how this song connects with people,” says Smith. “There is a reason that vinyl is making a comeback, and I think this song captures the essence of that time.”

Smith has a lot to celebrate. Earlier this week, the Country Music Association announced that Smith will perform on the 2017 CMA Fest Broadway Stage.

Merle Haggard Tribute Adds Performers, Tickets Still Available

The April 6 Merle Haggard tribute show, set for Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, has added Toby Keith, Alabama and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top to the lineup. Sing Me Back Home: The Music Of Merle Haggard is a taping to honor of what would have been Haggard’s 80th birthday and the one-year anniversary of his passing.

This one-night-only show will bring together an additional lineup of previously announced performers, including Willie Nelson, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, John Mellencamp, Dierks Bentley, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams Jr., The Avett Brothers, Alison Krauss, Ronnie Dunn, Warren Haynes, Jamey Johnson, Kacey Musgraves, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lucinda Williams, Ben Haggard, John Anderson, Connie Smith and Bobby Bare. Additional performers to be announced in the coming weeks.

A limited number of tickets are currently available at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena box office.

Keith Wortman, Mark Rothbaum and Theresa Haggard are the creators and executive producers of the show. Don Was, Ben Haggard and Buddy Cannon will serve as music directors, and preside over the house backing band. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation.

“I am so very thankful for this tribute to my husband, Merle Haggard. Please come join me and my family at this fantastic show that Merle would be so proud of,” said Theresa Haggard.

“I am honored to produce a show that celebrates the life and music of Merle Haggard,” says Wortman. “His music and lyrics continue to shape the lives of musicians and millions of fans. I can’t think of any better way to celebrate his 80th birthday than to honor his legacy with this extraordinary event. It’s going to be an unforgettable evening.”

Jerrod Niemann Restores Romance With New Single, ‘God Made A Woman’

Hitmaking Curb Records artist Jerrod Niemann (“Lover, Lover,” “Drink to That All Night”) aims to restore country’s old-school ideals of classy romance in his brand new single, “God Made A Woman,” hitting country radio airwaves today (March 17) and available now via digital retailers nationwide here

The first taste of Niemann’s upcoming fourth album, his first for Curb Records, “God Made A Woman” is a delicate and dignified celebration of a woman’s love, backed by sweeping orchestral strings, pedal steel and Niemann’s reverent vocal. Bucking the current trend of throwaway pickup lines, “God Made A Woman” finds Niemann putting the lady in his life up on a pedestal of adoration.

“You realize really quickly that the weight of the world is easier to hold with two sets of shoulders,” says Niemann, who married wife Morgan in 2014. “That’s what I think about when I listen to this song.”

Niemann first teased the single on social media calling it “my favorite song I’ve ever recorded.” Co-produced with Jimmie Lee Sloas, more details on the upcoming project – including the album’s official release date – will be revealed soon.

After joining good friend and labelmate Lee Brice for select shows in 2016, Niemann is currently headlining solo dates with shows scheduled through June, including the ACM Pool Party For A Cause in Las Vegas, Nevada (April 1) and the Suwannee River Jam in Live Oak, Florida (May 5).

SXSW News: Garth Announces Single, Lady A Brings Back Series, SESAC With R.E.M.’s Mike Mills

CMA Entertainer of the Year Garth Brooks Announces New Single “Ask Me How I Know”

In a press conference today (March 17) at South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, Garth Brooks announced that “Ask Me How I Know,” written by Mitch Rossell, will be the second single from his new album Gunslinger. The song, available to preview here, is a poignantly reflective track heralded as a “romantic power ballad” by LA Times.

It was also revealed that Brooks will headline Saturday night at the SXSW Outdoor Stage featuring Garth Brooks: Presented by Amazon Music. Taking place at Ladybird Lake, complimentary general admission tickets are sold out. Tickets to this event are restricted to residents of Austin and surrounding areas. SXSW registrants and Music Festival wristband holders can also attend, with a special allocation of space made available via Primary and Secondary access.

Later today, Brooks will be joined by Amazon Music Vice President Steve Boom for a special keynote conversation.

 

Lady Antebellum, busbee and Nicole Galyon perform on Thursday, March 16 at CMA Songwriters Series at The Moody Theater in Austin, Texas as part of South By Southwest.

Award-Winning Lady Antebellum Ushers In CMA Songwriters Series In Acoustic Evening

Seven-time CMA Awards-winning trio Lady Antebellum brought the intimate CMA Songwriters Series back to the SXSW Music Festival Thursday night (March 16) as they took the stage at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater, alongside CMA Awards-nominated songwriters busbee and Nicolle Galyon.

Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, and Hillary Scott performed their hits, including six-time Platinum single “Need You Now” and double Platinum “I Run To You,” along with new material from their forthcoming seventh studio album Heart Break. Lady A also performed a special rendition of their current Top 25 single “You Look Good,” as they were joined by the song’s co-writer busbee, who also serves as the producer on their upcoming record.

“This is our first time at SXSW and we are so excited that it’s for the CMA Songwriters Series,” said Scott. “We’ve worked so hard on this upcoming record with both busbee and Nicolle Galyon, and to share the stage with them made this night even more special and one we will never forget.”

The performance marked the CMA Songwriters Series debuts for busbee and Galyon, both CMA Song of the Year nominees for penning Maren Morris’ “My Church” and Miranda Lambert’s “Automatic,” respectively.

 

SESAC’s Erin Collins, Mike Mills of R.E.M., and SESAC’s Dennis Lord

Mike Mills And SESAC Staffers At SXSW

Mike Mills of R.E.M. spent some time with SESAC execs at South By Southwest. Mills was in attendance for a Q&A session following the premiere of Thank You, Friends: Big Star‘s Third Live … And More which will be released on CD/DVD on April 21.