Weekly Chart Report (4/14/17)
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Cumulus Media Promotes Three To Executive VP Roles
Pictured (L-R): Bob Walker, Dave Milner, Mike McVay
Cumulus Media has promoted three executives to newly-created EVP posts. Mike McVay, Senior Vice President, Content & Programming, has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Content & Programming. Dave Milner, Senior Vice President, Operations, has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Operations. Bob Walker, Senior Vice President, Operations has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Operations.
Mary Berner, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cumulus Media, said: “These promotions recognize the strong performance of these key members of our senior leadership team. Mike, Dave and Bob are terrific executives and have each been instrumental to the success we’ve achieved during the first year of executing our turnaround plan for the company.”
McVay and Walker are based in Atlanta, while Milner is based in San Francisco.
EXCLUSIVE: Song Suffragette Kalie Shorr To Perform At Rising Women On The Row
Kalie Shorr
Song Suffragettes member Kalie Shorr will bring her musical talents to MusicRow’s sixth annual Rising Women On The Row sold-out event on April 25.
The 2017 selected honorees previously announced are Tatum Allsep (Founder/Executive Director—Music Health Alliance), Virginia Davis (Managing Partner and Artist Manager—G Major Management), Kerri Edwards (President—KP Entertainment), Kella Farris (Business Manager—Farris, Self & Moore), Laura Hutfless (CEO and Founding Partner—FlyteVu Agency), Juli Newton-Griffith (Vice President—Magic Mustang/BMG). MusicRow has announced business manager Lou Taylor as the featured speaker.
Shorr is represented by CAA, Writerslist for publishing, Flood Bumstead McCready & McCarthy for business management and Cassetty Entertainment for management.
The 22-year-old Portland, Maine native’s “Fight Like A Girl” became the second best-selling single by a debut country female in 2016 (behind only Maren Morris) with 35,000 singles sold and over 1.6 million Spotify streams. Shorr became a SiriusXM Highway Find, a CMT Artist Discovery and a Taste Of Country Critic’s Pick.
The singer-songwriter penned every original song on her EP, Slingshot, produced by Aaron Eshuis (Ryan Hurd). Radio Disney Country has added all five tracks from the EP into rotation. So far this year, Shorr has been named a “New Artist You Need To Know” by Rolling Stone and one of only seven Taste Of Country “RISERS” artists for 2017.
The youngest of six children, Shorr got her start on YouTube when Perez Hilton scouted her talent and tapped her as an opening act to the Backstreet Boys for his birthday party. Taking extra coursework to graduate high school, Shorr moved to Nashville and took a gig selling hot dogs and cigarettes. She became part of the first Song Suffragettes in 2014 and has performed at CMA Fest.
City National Bank is the Presenting Sponsor for the 2017 Rising Women on the Row.
Kings Of Leon To Headline First Tennessee Park’s Inaugural Concert
Kings Of Leon is set to headline First Tennessee Park’s first major concert in the stadium’s history, on Sept. 29. First Tennessee Park is home to the Nashville Sounds.
Tickets for the event go on sale April 21 at 10 a.m.
“We’re very excited to bring Kings of Leon in as the first major concert event in the history of First Tennessee Park,” said Sounds General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Adam Nuse. “To bring in a renowned group back home is a thrilling way to showcase this beautiful ballpark.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to be the first act to play First Tennessee Park. It’s always special for us to play our hometown, but being the first, in such an awesome venue, is going to be something we’ll never forget,” said Kings of Leon member Jared Followill.
Last year, Kings of Leon previewed their latest album, Walls, with a performance at another Nashville venue, Ascend Amphitheater.
The show at First Tennessee Park is part of the band’s Walls tour. The second leg of the tour launches April 28 in Chula Vista, California.
MusicRowPics: MV2’s Nora Collins Offers New Tracks
Newcomer Nora Collins recently performed material from her latest EP during a visit to the MusicRow offices.
In 2016, Collins signed with management company MV2 Entertainment, founded by Clay Myers and Tony Harrell, though she began working informally with Myers approximately one year before the signing.
“Clay started setting me up with people to write with and a year later, I got a formal signing offer. I signed last March and moved to Nashville last April. So I’ve been here for a year,” Collins said.
Collins began writing songs at age 14, and soon after was playing shows around her home state of Wisconsin. For the past five years, Collins has played over 200 shows each year.
After releasing several home-spun music collections, Collins released her first EP for MV2 in 2016, and co-wrote four of the EP’s five tracks. During her visit to MusicRow, she performed songs, including “Lights On A Highway,” which she co-wrote with Bart Butler and Larry McCoy.
Collins is beginning work on a new EP and will perform at the Key West Songwriters Festival in May.
Songwriter Tim Nichols Celebrates Five BMI Million-Air Awards
BMI’s David Preston and BMI songwriter Tim Nichols celebrate Tim’s Million-Air awards
Songwriter Tim Nichols stopped by BMI’s Nashville office to celebrate his impressive collection of Million-Air awards for five of his hit songs. The awards mark millions of radio spins per song, and the songs honored were “I Got The Boy,” with one million plays, “That’d Be Alright,” with two million, “Live Like You Were Dying,” with five million, “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing,” with three million, and “I’ll Think Of A Reason,” with three million performances.
CMA Announces Hirings, Promotions
Pictured (L-R): Amber Williams, Haley Steinbuchel, Taylor Viegut
The Country Music Association has named Amber Williams as Vice President of Communications and Talent Relations; Haley Steinbuchel as Strategic Partnerships Coordinator; and Taylor Viegut as Digital Coordinator.
The following staff members have been promoted to new roles: Catherine Blackwell has been named Senior Director of Marketing, Marty Filogamo rises to Brand and Design Specialist, and Tiffany Kerns becomes Director of Community Outreach.
Williams comes to CMA from running the New York City office of PR and marketing agency Beck Media & Marketing. Prior to her work at Beck Media, Williams served as Senior Director of Artist and Media Relations for Universal Music Group in Nashville, overseeing national publicity plans and album release campaigns for seven years. Her roster included Vince Gill, Julianne Hough, Reba, Sugarland, Josh Turner, Shania Twain, Lee Ann Womack, and Trisha Yearwood.
Before joining UMG, she worked in Los Angeles as Senior Publicist for Hallmark Channel with talent such as Bruce Dern, Bridget Fonda, Wynonna Judd, and Burt Reynolds; and in the Publicity, Promotions, and Talent Relations department at Columbia Tristar International Television/Sony Pictures, focusing on series Dawson’s Creek, Days of Our Lives, and Just Shoot Me. Williams graduated with a Bachelor of Arts & Science in Public Relations and Communications with a minor in Advertising from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Williams will report to CMA Chief Marketing Officer Damon Whiteside.
“We are excited to welcome Amber’s diverse background and skillset to the CMA team,” said Whiteside. “With experience in television, music, and digital, she has an intrinsic and unique understanding of the platforms that propel CMA’s mission. She will be critical in driving the CMA Communications strategic initiatives along with current Director of Media Relations, Jay Jones.”
Before joining CMA as Strategic Partnerships Coordinator, Steinbuchel worked for the M Street restaurant group in Nashville. Her background includes membership and event sales, as well as event planning and execution. At M Street, she pioneered a partnership program to broaden the organization’s community reach, which extended into a rewards program for salaried employees. She also has touring merchandise and concourse management experience.
Steinbuchel will report to CMA Director of Strategic Partnerships Emily Evans.
Viegut comes to CMA from the Social Strategy and Public Relations team at Crowd Surf in Nashville. Viegut’s background experience extends across social media and web management in e-commerce, digital communications, event marketing, analytics, and content development. A Wisconsin native, Viegut graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Strategic Communications & Communications Arts.
Veigut will report to CMA Director of Digital Strategy Meryl Johnson.
Industry Ink: Third Man Records, The Country Network, Plowboy Records
Third Man Records Releasing Bob Seger Reissue On Vinyl
Third Man Records is partnering with the Bob Seger camp to release the first vinyl reissue of Seger’s System’s”2+2=?” in nearly four decades. Remastered directly from the analog tapes by Robert Vosgien and cut by Ron McMaster at Capitol Mastering, Third Man will release a limited edition, yellow-colored vinyl version for Record Store Day, April 22nd, with a standard black vinyl version to follow. Fittingly, both versions are being manufactured at Third Man’s new pressing plant in Detroit. Other limited editions to be released include selections by Lillie Mae and Jack White.
The Country Network Brings Home Two Tellys
The 37th Annual Telly Awards has awarded The Country Network two Telly Awards for its programs, “Guitars & Swim Up Bars” and “Our Land—The Music Highway.” “Guitars & Swim Up Bars” was awarded with a Silver Telly, while “Our Land—The Music Highway” was awarded with a Bronze Telly. The network won out out of over 13,000 entries from all 50 states.
Plowboy Records Throws Fifth Birthday Bash
Plowboy founders Shannon Pollard (left) and Don Cusic (right) with Bobby Bare
Plowboy Records celebrated its fifth anniversary at a party and showcase at Third and Lindsley on April 12. Performers at the bash included Eric Heatherly, Sylvain Sylvain, the Kentucky Headhunters, Bobby Bare, the Blackfoot Gypsies, and the Fuel Injected Legends. The first act on Plowboy was Bobby Bare and his album, Darker Than Light, was the label’s first release.
Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Sam Hunt Headline 5th Annual Taste Of Country Music Festival
Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Sam Hunt
Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and Sam Hunt are set to headline the 5th Annual Taste of Country Music Festival, the multi-day country music festival to be held June 9-11 at Hunter Mountain Resort (Hunter, NY) in the Great Northern Catskills of Greene County.
The full lineup is below:
Friday, June 9
Jason Aldean
Chris Young
Maddie & Tae
RaeLynn
Jackson Michelson
Saturday, June 10
Miranda Lambert
Tyler Farr
Joe Nichols
Cody Johnson
Courtney Cole
Smithfield
Sunday, June 11
Sam Hunt
Kip Moore
Maren Morris
Steve Moakler
Brooke Eden
The Bud Light Stage will feature performances from RaeLynn, Dylan Jakobsen, Caroline Gray, McKenna Faith, and Morgan Myles throughout the weekend.
Single day tickets for the 2017 Taste of Country Music Festival are now available for $99 per day. Still on sale are three-day passes which start at only $185, with VIP Outlaw packages starting at $529. For additional information on tickets and camping packages – which includes RV, car and tent camping – go to tasteofcountryfestival.com.
Loretta Lynn Gears Up For Birthday Celebration With Music City Shows, New Album
Country legend Loretta Lynn is celebrating her 85th birthday tomorrow (April 14), and she’s celebrating with a few thousand of her friends and fans at two shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium April 14 and 15.
The coal miner’s daughter will likely perform a few songs from her upcoming new album, Wouldn’t It Be Great, during the sold-out shows as she gears up for the release of the new Legacy Recordings project later this summer on Aug. 18. The new collection was recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee with producers Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash and is available for pre-order now.
The CD features 13 songs written or co-written by Lynn herself, including new tracks “Ruby’s Stool,” “Ain’t No Time To Go,” and “I’m Dying For Someone To Live For,” alongside classics like her signature song “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)” and some reinterpreted tracks as well.
“I think you try to do better with every record you put out,” Loretta says of the new CD. “It’s just everyday living–and everybody wants to know, ‘Well, what is it about your songs that people like?’ I think you’ve got to tell your stories. I just think it hits everybody, you know, the songs.”
Lynn will return to the Ryman for a bookend set of 2017 shows on Aug. 25-26, and each pair of tickets purchased for these shows will include a copy of the new album. More information can be found at ryman.com.
2017 is shaping up to be a huge year for the icon with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum mounting a major exhibition opening Aug. 25 on her life, art and music.
Wouldn’t It Be Great Track Listing:
Wouldn’t It Be Great – (Loretta Lynn)
Ruby’s Stool – (Loretta Lynn, Shawn Camp)
I’m Dying for Someone to Live For – (Loretta Lynn, Shawn Camp)
Another Bridge to Burn – (Loretta Lynn, Lola Jean Dillon)
Ain’t No Time to Go – (Loretta Lynn, Patsy Lynn Russell)
God Makes No Mistakes – (Loretta Lynn)
These Ole Blues (Loretta Lynn, Patsy Lynn Russell)
My Angel Mother — (Loretta Lynn)
Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ – (Loretta Lynn, Peggy Sue Wells)
The Big Man – (Loretta Lynn, Shawn Camp)
Lulie Vars – (Traditional, arrangement by Loretta Lynn)
Darkest Day – (Loretta Lynn)
Coal Miner’s Daughter – (Loretta Lynn)