Industry Ink: “Nashville In Concert,” WMN, SOLID, Bluegrass Nights At The Ryman

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“Nashville In Concert” Donates £10,000 To British Red Cross “UK Solidarity Fund”

Pictured (L-R): Clare Bowen, Charles Esten, Chris Carmack and Jonathan Jackson. Photo: Chris Hollo for Opry Entertainment

Stars of the hit series Nashville played two sold-out shows at Manchester’s O2 Apollo Saturday (June 24).

Following the shows, tour producer, Opry Entertainment, donated £10,000 to the British Red Cross “UK Solidarity Fund” on behalf of the touring cast, Clare Bowen, Chris Carmack, Charles Esten, Sam Palladio and Jonathan Jackson.

The fund was set up by the British Red Cross to help victims of terror attacks throughout the UK.

Fans lined up for blocks outside Manchester’s O2 Apollo. Photo: Chris Hollo for Opry Entertainment

The “Nashville In Concert” touring cast and band. Photo: Chris Hollo for Opry Entertainment

Nashville cast member Clare Bowen. Photo: Chris Hollo for Opry Entertainment

Clare Bowen. Photo: Chris Hollo for Opry Entertainment

 

WMN Hosts CRB Dinner With Brett Eldredge, Devin Dawson

Pictured (back row, L-R): Joel Raab (Joel Raab Country Radio and Media), Beverlee Brannigan (The E.W. Scripps Company), Charlie Morgan (Emmis Communications), Kurt Johnson (Townsquare Media), Tim Roberts (CBS Radio), Peter Strickland (WMN), Becky Brenner (Albright & O’Malley & Brenner), Scott Hendricks (WMN), Matt Signore (WMN), Kristen Williams (WMN), Rod Phillips (iHeartCountry), Mike McVay (Cumulus); (front row L-R) Brett Eldredge, John Esposito (WMN), Devin Dawson.

Warner Music Nashville hosted the Country Radio Broadcasters Board and Agenda Committee last Thursday (June 22) for a night of dinner and music.

The event featured brand new music from Brett Eldredge, whose forthcoming self-titled album is due on August 4, and a performance from up-and-coming artist, Devin Dawson.

 

SOLID Hosts Panel Of Industry Leaders For Future Of Live Music Discussion

Pictured (L-R): Brian O’Neil, Virginia Davis, Jay Williams, and Angela Miles-Powell.

SOLID invited a panel of industry leaders to The Steps at WME last week to discuss The Future of Live Music. Brian O’Neil (Iconic Entertainment) moderated the conversation while Virginia Davis (G Major Management), Angela Miles-Powell (Ticketmaster) and Jay Williams (WME) spoke about emerging trends in the live music industry.

Panelists gave their insight on new technologies, touring, ticketing, venues, and the overall future of the live music experience.

 

Springer Mountain Farms® Continues Sponsorship Of Bluegrass Nights At The Ryman Series

Springer Mountain Farms® will continue their 11th year of sponsoring Ryman Auditorium’s annual Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman series.

The event kicked off last Thursday (June 22) and will continue every Thursday evening through July. This year’s lineup includes Vince Gill, Earls of Leicester, Soggy Bottom Boys, Dailey & Vincent, Infamous Stringdusters, Sara Watkins, and Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

Tickets are on sale now at the Ryman box office or by calling (615) 458-BLUE and online here.

The Recording Academy Elects New Board Of Trustees Officers

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The Recording Academy recently held its Spring Board Of Trustees Officer Elections where John Poppo was re-elected Chair of its Board of Trustees and A&R executive Ruby Marchand was re-elected Vice Chair. Music executive Terry Hemmings will serve as Secretary/Treasurer and recording artist and founder/CEO of Swan Songs Christine Albert was also elected Chair Emeritus during the annual meeting.

“The dedication and wisdom of these talented National Officers will help us continue our mission of keeping the Recording Academy a premier organization within our vibrant industry,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “I look forward to working closely with such a diverse group of music professionals. The Academy, our membership, and the entire music community will benefit from their many years of experience.”

About The Officers:

Hemmings is a 30-year industry veteran who has helped shape and guide the careers of artists and songwriters and has executive produced dozens of albums and multiple award-winning feature films. As president/CEO of Provident Music Group, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, his roster includes Casting Crowns, Kirk Franklin, Third Day, Steven Curtis Chapman, Brandon Heath, Matt Maher, Fred Hammond, and more. Hemmings also oversees Provident Films (War Room, Courageous and Woodlawn), Provident Distribution, Essential Music Publishing, Essential Artist Services and New York-based Descendant Records (The Lone Bellow and Colony House). A Leadership Music alumnus, he serves on multiple music industry boards.

Poppo has enjoyed a 30-year career as a multiplatinum-selling producer, engineer, songwriter, and musician who’s worked in a wide range of genres. His credits include recordings by artists like Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, Al Green, Daryl Hall, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Annie Lennox, Madonna, ‘N Sync, Diana Ross, Seal, and Luther Vandross. The New York native is currently focused on the development of new artists for his production/management company, Pop Productions Inc. He has served on the Recording Academy’s Board of Trustees for the past 14 years.

Marchand has served as a global A&R professional over the past three decades who has discovered and developed artists across a multitude of genres. Having started her music career as a flutist in the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble, she now oversees the International Repertoire Initiative for Warner Music. She was previously head of A&R for the Ryko label, where she signed artists including Keb′ Mo′, Will Hoge, Fran Healy, Allison Moorer, and the Posies, among others. As VP of A&R at Warner Music International for almost 25 years, she worked with prominent and emerging artists throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Marchand is an adjunct professor at the NYU Steinhardt Music Business program.

Albert is an independent artist and founder/CEO of Swan Songs, an Austin-based non-profit that fulfills musical last wishes. Albert has released 12 albums as a solo artist and as part of the folk/Americana duo Albert and Gage. She and her husband/musical partner Chris Gage also own and operate MoonHouse Studio and MoonHouse Records in Austin. Albert is known for her “Texafrance” series of French/English recordings that combine her European heritage and Texas musical roots. She has appeared on “Austin City Limits,” was awarded Female Vocalist of the Year by the Kerrville Folk Festival Music Awards, and Superstar of Austin Music by the Austin Chamber of Commerce for her community service work.

Duo Haley & Michaels Ink Publishing, Label Deals With Sony/ATV

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Pictured (L-R): Ryan Michaels, Danny Strick, Shannon Haley, Rick Stone. Photo: Sony/ATV

Country duo Haley & Michaels have signed publishing and label deals with Sony/ATV Music Publishing and New York-based Sony/ATV label imprint Hickory Records, respectively.

“We both learned to write songs in Nashville,” the duo tells MusicRow of the signing. “The songwriting community is the reason each of us decided to move here. In addition to country, we have rock and pop influences and our music is a blend of all of that. Right after we had finished our latest recording session, our good friend Rick Stone called to tell us he had played the unreleased music for Danny Strick at Sony ATV in New York and that he wanted to meet us. That was the best phone call ever! When we sat down with Danny and played him our music, we could feel right away that we were speaking the same language about the songs, sound, and direction.”

“I am excited to work closely with Haley & Michaels,” said Sony/ATV Music Publishing U.S. co-president Danny Strick. “I believe that they have the potential to cross genres, both Country and Pop, and I look forward to providing opportunities to bring that to fruition.”

Haley & Michaels recently released their music on Spotify, where it was featured on the New Music Friday, New Boots, and Wild Country playlists, accompanying their breakout single “Giving It All (To You).”  The duo has accumulated over 10 million streams on Spotify.

LANCO Adds “Greatest Love Story” Mural To Nashville’s Growing Street Art Scene

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Nashville’s picturesque 12South area is home to popular eateries such as Bartaco and upscale boutiques including Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James and Holly Williams’ White’s Mercantile. Tucked throughout the area, several large-scale, colorful murals, such as the popular “I Believe In Nashville” piece, serve as compelling backdrops for unique photo opps.

Now, a new street art mural on the wall of 12South restaurant The FlipSide incorporates lyrics from Arista Nashville band LANCO’s current single, “Greatest Love Story.”

“We hang out over there in 12South a lot,” says LANCO’s Brandon Lancaster, as he and his fellow bandmembers are in the studio finishing up their first full-length major label project. “Corner Music is there and it’s a vibrant part of the city. It’s still kind of a hidden secret to some people. There’s a lot of culture in 12South.”

The band commissioned local Nashville artist Ners, professionally known as Neon Lumberjack, to craft the mural, which incorporates the idea behind Paris’ Love Locks Bridge and is emblazoned with the phrase “The Greatest Love Story This Town Has Ever Seen.”

“When we tour we see the love locks in a lot of cities,” Lancaster says. “Seattle, Tucson, Austin, so we’ve seen it a lot and we thought it would be cool to bring that to Nashville.”

Ners is known for his 3D spray paint art concepts, which were also incorporated into the piece.

“The coloring and the dimensions really pop out, he’s really good at that,” Lancaster says. “We talked about having dimensions and layers so that it catches your eye. The color scheme doesn’t look like some design on the side of a building that could be part of the restaurant. We really trusted him to take his own approach.”

Through October, visitors can chalk in their own names or initials as part of the mural.

Smyrna, Tennessee native Lancaster is the sole writer behind the intimate, sentimental tale told in “Greatest Love Story”—one that chronicles his own love story with his fiancée, whom he met during college at Lee University.

“She moved and we spent time apart,” Lancaster recalls. “We realized that what we were missing in each other’s lives was each other and we wanted that back. So the song is really personal. It came together really quickly because it was my story. I brought it to the guys in the band, and they liked it. I wasn’t looking to write a hit but I was looking to write my story.”

Bobby Bones To Be Inducted Into National Radio Hall Of Fame

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Bobby Bones is now the youngest inductee into the National Radio Hall of Fame thanks to his legions of loyal fans who voted for him in the Music Format On-Air Personality category. The host of iHeartMedia’s Bobby Bones Show now joins the ranks of radio legends like Dick Clark, Paul Harvey, Larry King, Howard Stern, and Bob Kingsley with the honor.

Nominated alongside Sean “Hollywood” Hamilton, Guy Phillips and Ryan Seacrest, Bones was the only representative in the country genre. The Nashville community and his devoted listeners rallied around Bones during the voting period June 5-19 encouraging people to vote, and artists including Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley and Little Big Town donned “VOTE BOBBY” t-shirts in support of Bones.

Bones, whose nationally syndicated radio show on 100 stations reaches over five million listeners weekly, will be inducted at a formal ceremony on November 2. The prestigious honor is the latest in a string of awards for Bones, who was also named ACM National On-Air Personality of the Year in 2014 and 2016, following multiple honors at the Austin Music Awards including Best Radio Personality and Best Radio Program.

 

Dierks Bentley Celebrates 16th No. 1 Single, “Black”

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Pictured (L-R): Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley, Ashley Gorley

Industry members, friends, and family gathered at new Nashville venue Hemingway’s Bar & Hideaway yesterday (June 22) to celebrate Capitol Nashville artist Dierks Bentley’s 16th chart-topping single (and 13th as a songwriter) “Black.”

ASCAP’s Mike Sistad kicked off the celebration to honor Bentley and his co-writers Ross Copperman and Ashley Gorley. Produced by Copperman and Arturo Buenahora, “Black” is the third consecutive No. 1 song off Bentley’s latest album with the same name.

“One of the things I’m most proud about this song is that working with Ross, obviously he’s a songwriter and we write a lot together, but the six songs that came before this were ones that none of them had our names on them together. This is the first song we’ve put out that actually we wrote together, and that’s something I think the three of us all take a little bit of pride in, that we’re just trying to find the best songs…whether we wrote them or not,” boasted Bentley.

ASCAP’s Beth Brinker honored Gorley, who celebrated his 33rd No. 1 hit. Gorley was the 2016 recipient of ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year award. The Warner/Chappell writer was also honored last year as the first songwriter ever to receive three CMA Triple Play Awards, each of which celebrates writers who pen three No. 1 hits in a 12-month period.

“I want to thank Ross and Dierks for bringing me into this write. Obviously they’ve had a great track record for a while now,” Gorley said. “I want to thank Dierks for being a writer first. He’s somebody that says, ‘This is what I’m thinking, can you guys help me get there?’ Which is a whole different thing and a whole different level of artist.”

Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg, Combustion Music’s Kenley Flynn, Warner/Chappell’s BJ Hill, and Kobalt Music’s Jesse Willoughby were also on hand to remark on Gorley’s writing achievements.

BMI’s MaryAnn Keen honored their 2016 Songwriter of the Year recipient Copperman, who also won ACM’s 2016 Songwriter of the Year award as well as a CMA Double Triple Play Award for penning six No. 1 songs in a 12-month period. This is Copperman’s 16th No. 1 song.

The Rezonant Music writer praised his fellow writer and friend by saying, “I just want to say one more thing about Ashley Gorley. If we were in high school he’d be the homecoming king of country music.”

“I feel so honored to be a part of this project. Thank you Arturo for bringing me into this world. Thank you to these guys for writing with me, and trusting in me, and being my best friends,” Copperman said.

Rezonant Music’s Tim Wipperman celebrated the writers’ success by presenting them each with a bottle of wine. “The only rule is that you can keep the bottle but you have to drink the wine,” Wipperman teased. “To all the songwriters here and especially to these guys, thank you for my career. Thank you for letting us do what we do and enjoy it.”

Pinnacle Bank’s Cooper Samuels congratulated the writers and celebrated with a charitable contribution made to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital in each of their names.

CMA’s Brandi Simms presented the writers, who have 13 Triple Play Awards between them, with their No. 1 medallions.

Cindy Mabe, President of Universal Music Group Nashville, praised Bentley as the “protector of music.” Mabe said, “’Black’ may be the most personal song of his career. To get that intimate and honest and personal as a writer and performer is what separates Dierks from everyone else in the class. I think his level of honesty and openness and realness is what made his career flourish.”

Industry Ink: Kenny Rogers, AIMP Nashville, ASCAP

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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.

Toby Keith Coming To Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater

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Toby Keith is set for his first headlining Nashville show in 13 years. Keith will perform July 20 at Ascend Amphitheater. Keith, who recently added 30 additional dates to his Toby Keith Interstates & Tailgates Tour, also recently released his new single, “Wacky Tobaccy,” penned with longtime co-writer Scotty Emerick. The song’s video features guest appearances from Willie Nelson, Mac McAnally, and Emerick.

“Wacky Tobaccy is a slogan, a saying that’s been around forever and no one has ever written it in a song,” says Keith. “The song is written to the screws, and it fits in with what we do every night with the party crowd.”

Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, June 28 at 10 a.m. at livenation.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Brad Paisley Comedy Special Coming To Netflix

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Pictured (L-R): Nate Bargatze, Jon Reep, Sarah Tiana, Paisley, Mike W. Winfield, John Heffron. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Brad Paisley will debut a one-hour comedy special, Brad Paisley’s Comedy Rodeo, on Netflix on Aug. 15. The show was filmed earlier this year, as Paisley hosted two comedy shows at Nashville venue Zanies Comedy Club as part of the Wild West Comedy Festival.

The Netflix special will feature comedians Nate Bargatze, John Heffron, Jon Reep, Sarah Tiana and Mike E. Winfield. Actor David Hasselhoff and multi-talented Reba McEntire make special appearances.

“Year Of Lomax” Launched

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John Lomax III

Nashville journalist and entrepreneur John Lomax III has announced a year-long celebration of his family’s contributions to American music.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, John Avery Lomax (1867-1948). The “Year of Lomax” celebration will include the release of a series of recordings and the reissue of a seminal folklore book.

The contributions of the Lomax family have touched the lives of such diverse figures as Muddy Waters, Guy Clark, Beyonce, Leadbelly, K.T. Oslin, Steve Earle and Nicki Minaj.

John Avery Lomax began collecting folk songs in 1908. He and his son Alan Lomax (1915-2002) are particularly noted for a 16,000-mile collecting trip that began in 1932 and was sponsored by the Library of Congress. Their efforts resulted in saving and preserving such immortal songs as “Home on the Range,” “Irene Goodnight,” “Git Along Little Dogies,” “Cotton Fields” and “Midnight Special.”

On the trip, they discovered Leadbelly, Muddy Waters and many other folk, gospel and blues pioneers. John Avery Lomax’s 1947 book about their expeditions, Adventures of a Ballad Hunter, will be reissued by the University of Texas Press later this year.

Lomax III is collaborating on a new introduction for the book with his son John Nova Lomax, a senior editor at Texas Monthly, as well as with his cousin Dr. Anna Lomax Wood, the daughter of Alan.

The first “Year of Lomax” project, however, is an album titled Folk. This is a collection of home recordings made by John Lomax II (1907-1974) in 1969. With liner notes by his son, Lomax III, it is now available on Sounds From Lomax Discs.

“The songs my father sings on Folk are part of the soundtrack of my life,” says Lomax III. “Now you can enjoy these vivid slices of our shared American heritage.”

Lomax II helped to establish The Houston Folklore Society, whose “graduates” include Oslin, Clark and Lucinda Williams. He managed Lightning Hopkins and aided Mance Lipscomb in becoming a recording artist. He also recorded two solo albums for Folkways Records, which remain in print today.

During his varied Nashville career, Lomax III has managed David Schnauffer, The Cactus Brothers, Townes Van Zandt and Earle. He won the CMA’s Jo Walker-Meador International Award in 2010.

The Lomax celebration unofficially began last year when Beyonce included samples from Lomax field recordings on the “Freedom” track of her blockbuster album Lemonade. The David Guetta-Nicki Minaj hit “Hey Mama” began with another Lomax sample, a prison song called “Rosie.”