Industry Ink: Kenny Rogers, AIMP Nashville, ASCAP

Kenny Rogers Receives Special Honor From The Smithsonian

Pictured (L-R): Ambassador Nicholas Taubman, Kenny Rogers, and museum director John Gray. Photo: Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Kenny Rogers set the tone during The Nation We Build Together gala opening at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. earlier this week.

Photo: Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Rogers performed his song “‘Merica” to a capacity crowd of 600 guests in front of the gallery that houses The Star-Spangled Banner, the actual flag that inspired the national anthem. The six-song set also included “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town,” “Lucille,” “The Gambler,” “Islands In The Stream,” and “You Can’t Make Old Friends.”

Photo: Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

AIMP Nashville Holds Panel With Pandora

Pictured (L-R): Chris Van Belkom (AIMP Nashville board member – Combustion Music), John Ozier (AIMP Nashville Executive Director – ole), Ree Guyer (AIMP Nashville Treasurer – Wrensong Music), Beville Dunkerley (Pandora), Rachel Whitney (Pandora), Michael McAnally Baum (AIMP Nashville Secretary – SMACKSongs), Dale Bobo (AIMP Nashville board member – Big Deal Music), and Brad Peterson (Regions Bank, event sponsor). [Click photo to enlarge]

The Nashville Chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) held a panel covering “Tips for Best Practices with Pandora” on Tuesday, June 20 at ASCAP’s Nashville offices.

Pandora’s Beville Dunkerly, director of Artist Marketing and Industry Relations, and Rachel Whitney, head of Country Music Programming, were on hand to provide updates on Pandora’s platform and give tips on how to maximize an artist’s imprint on the service.

ASCAP Showcases Feature Hit Writers & Emerging Artists

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad and Beth Brinker, Marc Beeson, Andy Albert, Alyssa Bonagura, and Jimmy Robbins

ASCAP presented several showcases across Nashville during the week of June 19 featuring some of the best of ASCAP’s hit songwriters and emerging artists.

On Monday, June 19, ASCAP AMPED featured breaking songwriter-artists Hunter Phelps and Brandon Ratcliff at The Country.

Tuesday night’s showcase (June 20) at The Bluebird Cafe presented hit songwriters Andy Albert (She’s Got a Way With Words,” “If the Boot Fits”), Marc Beeson (“When She Cries,” “Hometown Girl”), and Jimmy Robbins (“It Goes Like This,” “Think a Little Less”) alongside breakthrough songwriter-artist Alyssa Bonagura, whose duo with Ruby Stewart, The Sisterhood, recently signed with Sony Music Nashville. Stewart joined Bonagura on stage during the round, which benefited Musicians Corner and was hosted by The Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park Vice President John Tumminello.

Pictured (L-R): Ryan Plappert, Maxfield Camp, Bailey Callahan, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker and Ralph Murphy, and Bonner Black

On Wednesday, June 21, ASCAP presented up-and-coming songwriter Ryan Plappert and songwriter-artists Maxfield Camp, Bailey Callahan, and Bonner Black at its monthly showcase series at The Basement.