RCA Studio B Celebrates 60 Years With Surprise Performances, After Hours Programming

/by

Historic RCA Studio B, once the recording home for legends like Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley and Charley Pride, is celebrating its 60th anniversary from Aug. 17 through Oct. 29 with a slate of special surprise performances during random public tours and unique after-hours programming.

After-hours programming planned to commemorate the anniversary will include two panel discussions. Elvis Presley recorded more than two hundred songs at RCA Studio B, including “Stuck on You,” “Little Sister,” “Good Luck Charm,” “Guitar Man,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and many of his gospel classics. The King at B: Top Musicians Remember Elvis, is set for Thursday, Aug. 31, at 7:30 p.m. with musicians David Briggs, James Burton, Charlie McCoy and Norbert Putnam discussing their extensive work with Presley at the historic studio.

Hit-Makers Reflect on Historic RCA Studio B takes place Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. and Bobby Bare, Dave Cobb, Lloyd Green and Connie Smith will share their perspectives on working at the Home of 1,000 Hits. A studio tour will be offered 30 minutes before each program. Tickets for both programs are on sale now and can be purchased here for $25. 

To help celebrate the amazing legacy of the studio, surprise performances from contemporary artists who have been influenced by Studio B recording legends will occur during random public tours of the studio between Aug. 17 and Oct. 29. 

Artist Action: Lauren Alaina, Darryl Worley, Emily West

/by

Lauren Alaina To Play Friends Life Community Benefit

Lauren Alaina

Lauren Alaina will perform at the 9th Annual Songwriters Night benefiting Nashville nonprofit, Friends Life Community, September 9 at City Winery Nashville. The show, featuring Alaina and other artists, will raise money for adults with disabilities served through Friends Life Community’s programming. The Songwriters’ Night will include a cocktail hour, plated dinner, a full concert and a VIP experience. Tickets  for the special evening go on sale in August. Friends Life Community, located in Green Hills, helps adults with special needs build relationships. Founded in 2007, the organization offers a day program, social club, and career and life coaching services.

 

Darryl Worley Inks With Kinkead Entertainment Agency

(L-R:) Julianne Bagwell Drenon (Creekhouse Entertainment), Darryl Worley, Bob Kinkead (The Kinkead Entertainment Agency), Don Murry Grubbs (Absolute Publicity)

Darryl Worley has signed on with the Nashville-based Kinkead Entertainment Agency for booking. “We are very excited to be part of Darryl Worley’s live performance career and looking forward to many great opportunities in the future here at The Kinkead Entertainment Agency,” says agency CEO Bob Kinkead.

 

Emily West Sings With Tin Pan Symphony

Emily West is performing another symphony show in Nashville August 6 at City Winery. West will be performing a variety of songs including originals from her upcoming release Symphonies and classic covers reimagined for the debut of the Tin Pan Symphony. From the producers, Charles Dixon and Charlie Judge, Tin Pan Symphony is Nashville’s first true “pop symphony” geared towards “symphonic re-imagined” collaborations with Nashville-based artists and songwriters focused on songs and symphony. Tickets are $25 for premier, $20 for VIP, $15 for Balcony and reserved.

Jeff Meltesen Joins Taillight As VP/Branded Development

/by

Jeff Meltesen has been named VP of Branded Development for Taillight for its branded content division. In his new role, Meltesen will develop strategic partnerships to create premium content for brands featuring artists and influencers.

After years spent in advertising in Athens and Atlanta, Meltesen began his Music City career at the Nashville Songwriters Association International in 1999. In 2004, he joined Country Weekly and over 12 years, rose through the ranks to become the publication’s Publisher with responsibility for its print and digital revenue. Most recently, Meltesen was Sr. Account Executive/Sponsorship Sales for Cumulus Nashville.

“Jeff brings the best of both worlds, a level of expertise and know-how, with his vast experience working with some of the nation’s leading brands and working within the entertainment industry. I am thrilled to have him on board,” said Tom Forrest, President of Taillight. 

“Taillight thrives at taking a brand’s narrative and amplifying it with artist-driven content that’s entertaining and engaging,” said Meltesen. “I’m excited to join Tom Forrest, Thom Oliphant and the rest of the Taillight team and to build on the company’s success.”

 

Andrew Sparkler Upped To Sr/VP Business Development For Downtown Music Publishing

/by

Downtown Music Publishing has promoted Andrew Sparkler to Senior Vice President, Business Development.

Sparkler joined Downtown in 2014 as Vice President, Business Affairs and Operations, and has been an integral part of the team sourcing, negotiating and closing new deals with Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, Nikki Sixx, Jason Isbell, RJD2, Fania and many more. He was also the main catalyst behind Downtown’s innovative direct partnership with YouTube. Andrew also is a frequent writer and speaker on issues surrounding technology, publishing and performing rights.

In his newly expanded position, Sparkler will manage all catalog acquisitions and strategic business development opportunities across the company’s global offices, reporting to Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Bergman.

“It’s been amazing to be a witness to Andrew’s growth as an executive over the past 3 years and we’re truly thrilled to announce his promotion today,” said Bergman. “He shoulders an ever increasing workload and has made himself an indispensable part of the management team. We look forward to many more years with Andrew leading our business development efforts.”

“Thanks to Justin and Andrew for this amazing opportunity,” said Sparkler. “Working with the Downtown team has been the most fun and rewarding job that I’ve had since helping to DJ Bar-Mitzvah’s with my cousin, ‘Big Al.’ I look forward to growing the company and, more importantly, fighting everyday for fair payment to songwriters.”

Prior to joining Downtown, Sparkler was Vice President and Head of Business Affairs at ASCAP. He began his career in the industry at Beldock, Levine & Hoffman, and is a graduate of Brown University and Fordham School of Law.

Aaron Lewis, Blackberry Smoke Team Up For ‘Sinners And Sanctified’ Tour

/by

Aaron Lewis and Blackberry Smoke are joining forces for the “Sinners and Sanctified Tour” this fall. The co-headlining tour will kick-off October 12 at Shreveport’s Municipal Auditorium and includes stops at Houston’s Ziegenbock Festival, Little Rock’s Verizon Arena, New York’s Terminal 5, Philadelphia’s Tower Theatre, and many others. New BMLG artist Alex Williams is the special guest on the 18-date tour.

Lewis has been touring in support of his latest album, Sinner, which landed at the top position on the Billboard Top 200 Albums, Top Country Albums and Top Digital Albums Charts upon its release. He collaborates with Willie Nelson,  Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski and Vince Gill on the album’s title track.

Blackberry Smoke’s new album Like An Arrow debuted at No. 1 on both Billboard’s Country Albums and Americana Albums charts as well as No. 3 on the Billboard Rock Albums chart. Recorded just outside of the band’s native Atlanta at The Quarry Recording Studio, the 12-track album was self-produced and features very special guest Gregg Allman on the album’s closing track, “Free On The Wing.”

Ticket pre-sale for the tour begins today, with general tickets going on sale Friday.

BLACKBERRY SMOKE AND AARON LEWIS CO-HEADLINING TOUR
Oct 12—Shreveport, LA—Municipal Auditorium
Oct 13—Irving, TX—The Pavilion at Irving Music Factory
Oct 14—Houston, TX—Ziegenbock Festival
Oct 26—Charlotte, NC—Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct 27—Oxon Hill, MD—MGM National Harbor
Oct 28—Pikeville, KY—Eastern KY Expo Center
Oct 29—Macon, GA—The Macon Centreplex
Nov 2—Little Rock, AR—Verizon Arena
Nov 3—Tupelo, MS—BancorpSouth Arena
Nov 4—Evansville, IN—Old National Events Plaza
Nov 5—Huntsville, AL—Von Braun Center
Nov 8—Indiana, PA—Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex
Nov 9—Grand Rapids, MI—20 Monroe Live
Nov 11—Warren, OH—Packard Music Hall
Nov 14—New York, NY—Terminal 5
Nov 15—Salisbury, MD—Wicomico Civic Center
Nov 16— Upper Darby (Philadelphia), PA—Tower Theatre
Nov 17—Charleston, WV—Charleston Municipal Auditorium

Review: The SongBird Tour

/by

By Robert K. Oermann

There’s a new moneymaking option in town for Nashville’s sizable songwriting population.

With songwriters’ royalty income plummeting, live performances have become increasingly attractive to this community. But the number of local venues willing to book songwriting talent is small. And few songwriters have either the name recognition or the inclination to go on the road beyond Middle Tennessee.

Enter SongBird Tours, a novel tourism idea that features Music City tunesmiths entertaining visitors as they ride around town. Each two-hour tour spotlights notable sites in Nashville’s songwriting history, an explanation of how songwriting and publishing works, a Q&A session and a song-swapping session featuring the city’s most talented composers and lyricists.

I decided this was worth investigating. So we boarded a vehicle about the size of a large airport shuttle bus on Hayes Street last week. The rear was outfitted with a small stage, two bolted-down stools and a large video screen.

One stool is occupied by a “name” writer. On the day I took the tour, this was prolific hit craftsman Trey Bruce. The other is occupied by a talented, lesser-known songwriter, in my case, Greg Allen.

Because of the configuration, ticket buyers ride backwards. Nobody seemed to mind.

As we headed up Music Square West, our guide pointed out spots where hits by stars such as Taylor Swift, Roy Orbison, Kris Kristofferson, Tammy Wynette and others were written. Each building or house was shown on the video screen (as well as out your window), followed by a brief video clip of the song in performance.

After we left Music Row, we headed out Franklin Pike, past the homes of Earl Scruggs, Jack White, Martina McBride and others. At this point, the tour became a song showcase. Trey sang hits like “Whisper My Name” (Randy Travis), “You Can’t Lose Me” (Faith Hill), “Amen Kind of Love” (Daryle Singletary), “How Your Love Makes Me Feel” (Diamond Rio), “Someone Else’s Dream” (Faith Hill) and other hits he’s written, accompanied by clever stories.

Songwriters Trey Bruce and Tommy Conners

Interestingly, the tourists on board responded equally strongly to Greg’s unknown tunes, including “Pictures,” “I Just Hold the Pen,” “Moonshine,” “The Good Lord Gives, the Bottle Takes Away” and “This Heartache’s on You.” All of them sounded like hits to both me and them. He was also a strong performer. I am told that other tours have showcased up-and-coming Belmont writers and new publishing-company signees as foils for the established hit writers.

Back on Music Square East, the sites included locations associated with the songs of Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Dolly Parton and others (again complete with video illustrations). Throughout the tour, the historical stories related were factual. So were the explanations of how the business works. Believe me, this is not always the case on Nashville tour buses.

We had a delightful pit stop at the Music Row songwriter watering hole Bobby’s Idle Hour. The tourists used the restrooms, grabbed a quick brew and chatted with each other, our hosts and the bar patrons. “Bobby” is dead, by the way. “Lizard” now runs the legendary Idle Hour spot.

Back on board as we headed toward downtown, the songwriters resumed song swapping and talking about their lives. The guide talked about who had served time on Lower Broadway (Dierks Bentley, Terri Clark, Willie Nelson, etc.) and told us about Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.
Next came more songs and witty chit-chat. When they started the Q&A, the fans asked surprisingly informed questions about the songwriting process and/or the publishing business.

When we arrived back at Hayes Street, the songwriters posed for selfies and answered more questions. The host sold merch.

SongBird Tours is the brainchild of veteran Music Row personality Patsy Bruce (who was once married to Trey’s father, Ed Bruce). She says she got tired of misinformation about the songwriting and publishing communities and came out of retirement to correct it.

The bus holds 30 people at a time. Tickets are $45 per person. That means the participating songwriters certainly earn more than the 50 bucks they can usually count on for a night’s work in most Nashville venues.

There are three tours a day, seven days a week. It’s a B.Y.O.B. thing, if the fans wish to imbibe.

The tour’s slogan is “The most intimate listening room in Nashville is on wheels.” That means that you’re supposed to stop using your device and/or talking while the songwriters perform. They tell this to the riders at the outset, and everybody respected it on the tour that I attended.
Frankly, I enjoyed my afternoon on the bus. So did the mostly Canadian fans who were on board with me. I think you would, too.

Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum Appoints Eight To Key Leadership Team

/by

Pictured (Front row, L-R): Ali Tonn, Mark DeLelys, and Kayla Ott. Back row (L-R): Leigh Ann Wise, Suzanne Tolbert, Donovan Sargent, Andrea Rizk, and Lee Boulie. Photos by Donn Jones Photography

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has tapped eight employees as members of its newly-formed Key Leadership Team.

“Collaborating across divisional and departmental lines has always been a hallmark of our museum,” says Museum CEO Kyle Young. “As we have scaled to meet the demands of our new physical footprint, we have added new staff, expanded existing programming and launched several new institutional initiatives. In order to maintain our culture of collaboration – and to focus on speed, efficiency and integration across the organization – I am happy to tap the following staff for the Key Leadership Team. The name of this newly-formed working committee speaks for itself.”

Members of the team include:

• Lee Boulie – Director of Digital and Library Collections
• Mark DeLelys – Director of Merchandising and Retail Development
• Kayla Ott – Director of Marketing
• Andrea Rizk – Director of Communications
• Donovan Sargent – Director of Information Technology
• Suzanne Tolbert – Director of Museum Sales and Guest Relations
• Ali Tonn – Director of Education and Public Programs
• Leigh Anne Wise – Director of Operations

Tickets On Sale For 15th Annual SOURCE Hall Of Fame Awards

/by

Tickets to the 15th annual SOURCE Hall of Fame Awards dinner at the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville Aug. 22, 2017 are now on sale at eventbrite.com.

Presented by Springer Mountain Farms, individual tickets are $75 for SOURCE members and $85 for the general public. The annual event honors and inducts a select group of women into the SOURCE Awards Hall of Fame. This year, the event will also celebrate two milestone anniversaries—the 35th Anniversary of the Bluebird Café and the 125th Anniversary of the Ryman Auditorium.

SOURCE Nashville previously announced this year’s Hall of Fame inductees to be Amy Kurland, Bluebird Café; Bonnie Sugarman, Agency of Performing Arts (APA); Joyce Rice, First American National Bank, BMI; Judith Newby, Top Billing, J.P. Newby Management, Tapped Into; Martha Moore, WLAC Radio, MCA/ABC Records, PolyGram Records, So Much MOORE Media; Susan Turner, Capitol Records, RCA Records, Moress/Nanas/Peay Management Co., Shindler/Turner Promotions and Turner & Associates; and Lula Naff, Posthumous, Ryman Auditorium, Lyceum Bureau.

SOURCE Hall of Fame inductees are nominated and inducted based upon peer recommendations, biographies, accomplishments, reputation, the number of years each individual has worked within the entertainment industry, and level of community involvement.

No. 1 Party: Romance Tops The Charts On Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know”

/by

Pictured (L-R): Kyle Schlienger, Brett Young, Tyler Reeve, Trent Tomlinson. Photo: Peyton Hoge

During a time when uptempo, rock-tinged tracks dominate the country airwaves, Brett Young‘s gentle, R&B-inflected ballad “In Case You Didn’t Know,” gripped the chart pinnacle for two weeks. That feat was celebrated during a party held Monday, July 17 at the newly-opened FGL House, created in downtown Nashville by Young’s BMLG labelmates Florida Georgia Line.

“In Case You Didn’t Know” marked the first No. 1 song for Young’s co-writers Trent Tomlinson, Tyler Reeve and Kyle Schlienger. It was Young’s second chart-topper, following “Sleep Without You.”

Young, Tomlinson, Reeve and Schlienger penned the romantic ballad during a songwriting retreat in Puerto Vallerta, Mexico, in June 2015. For Young, that writing retreat yielded multiple benefits. Not only were his first two No. 1 hits, “Sleep Without You” and “In Case You Didn’t Know,” written during that trip, but he also signed the first draft of his recording contract with Big Machine Label Group during his stay.

The launch the celebration, black-and-white footage of the writing and demo recording sessions for “In Case You Didn’t Know” was shown, as the writers grappled with setting the perfect marriage of words, rhyme, melody and message.

Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar praised the behind-the-scenes footage. “That video shows how incredible the whole songwriting process happens. Watching you put together those melodies and all of you jumping in and nipping and tucking every word, that is the magic of what you do. Brett, I’m honored to be your publisher, but I’m particularly honored to be part of this song. It’s an instant classic. By every metric, whether it’s airplay, sales, streams, total consumption, fan engagement, this is one best songs of the year, and it’s going to be in the pantheon of the all-time greatest country love songs.”

Big Machine Label Group founder and CEO Scott Borchetta was transparent in his bid for “In Case You Didn’t Know” to be in the running for CMA’s Single and Song of the Year categories. The first round of voting is now open for CMA members.

“When Mike Molinar came in and said we are going to pay for these writers to go down to Puerto Vallerta, I wasn’t laughing. I was like, ‘Mike, one condition. They better write a hit.’ You win. Not only did they write a hit, they wrote the Song of the Year, and I expect all of you to vote for it.”

Pictured (L-R): Back Row – ASCAP’s Michael Martin, Producer Dann Huff, BMLG’s Jimmy Harnen, Scott Borchetta, Laurel Kittleson and Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar; Front Row – ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Writers Kyle Schlienger, Brett Young, Tyler Reeve, Trent Tomlinson, BMI’s David Preston. Photo: Peyton Hoge

BMLG president Jimmy Harnen recalled that Young sent the song to him at 4 a.m. (Harnen displayed the email thread on a video screen during the party to prove it).

Young’s first single, “Sleep Without You,” was certified Gold.

“In Case You Didn’t Know,” has bested that mark, having been certified Platinum, and it is closing in on a double-Platinum certification.

BMLG’s promotion staff went into overdrive just before the No. 1 party, pushing Young’s latest single “Like I Loved You” to become the most-added song in the country on the day of his No. 1 party.

ASCAP’s Beth Brinker and Michael Martin offered Yeti coolers to celebrate ASCAP writer Kyle’s first No. 1, and gave one to ASCAP writer Young as well. Schlienger also serves as Young’s music director and bandleader.

“On Jan. 10 we celebrated his first No. 1 with ‘Sleep Without You’ and now we have the second. That’s like pitching a perfect game,” Martin said.

Brinker shared a humorous anecdote of Schlienger’s journey on the trip to Mexico.

“Kyle had never been out of the country. He was waiting for his passport up until that very morning. He got his passport in the mail that morning. He had never traveled with his rig as a producer. He didn’t have a traveling setup so Kyle put his desktop computer and two speakers in a giant blue suitcase with a blanket in it to go to Mexico.”

Pictured (L-R): Back Row – BMLG Records’ Matthew Hargis, Michelle Krammerer, Liz Santana, Leah Fisher, Angie Coonrod, Stella Prado, Lauren Longbine, BMLG’s Scott Borchetta and Andrew Thoen. Middle Row – Writers Kyle Schlienger, Brett Young, Tyler Reeve, Trent Tomlinson. Front Row – BMLG Records’ Jimmy Harnen. Photo: Peyton Hoge [Click Photo To Enlarge]

BMI’s David Preston was on hand to honor 20-year BMI songwriter Tomlinson and 10-year BMI writer Reeve with their first No. 1 single. BMI presented them with Epiphone guitars and No. 1 mint julep cups to honor their first No. 1 singles. “Hopefully this will be the first of a whole collection,” Preston said.

MusicRow Magazine owner/publisher Sherod Robertson was also on hand to present Young and his co-writers with MusicRow Challenge Coins to commemorate the song going to No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart.

Others on hand to celebrate the song included the CMA and Country Radio Broadcasters, as well as the song’s producer, three-time CMA Producer of the Year winner Dann Huff and engineer Justin Niebank.

“We wanted to write great songs but we also wanted to go on vacation so we all win,” Young quipped as he took the mic to thank his manager Enzo DeVincenzo, Borchetta, Harnen, Martin, Molinar, his co-writers, and others in his team. “My promo team is the best in the world,” he said to the cheers of the audience. “I’m living the dream. Everybody’s belief and support has been unreal.”

Play It Again Music Publishing Names Alex Torrez As VP, A&R

/by

Pictured (L-R): Alex Torrez, Kirby Smith

Play It Again Publishing (PIA) owner Dallas Davidson announced today the addition of industry veteran Alex Torrez as the company’s VP of A&R.

“Having someone like Alex on the Play It Again team is a huge asset to our writers and artist,” said Davidson. “He brings an insight into this business that you can only achieve from years of experience. I’m thrilled to announce Alex Torrez as Play It Again’s VP of A&R.”

Along with adding Torrez to the staff, PIA has promoted Houston-native Kirby Smith to Creative Coordinator.

“We feel like we’re all a family here and we’re all after the same goal, and that goal is to make an impact on music,” said Davidson. “We don’t have fences around this company. I don’t care if they write a rap song, a pop song or a country song. This is all about music at Play It Again. We’re not focused on one certain genre. I want our writers to feel as creative as they can.”

PIA’s roster includes writers Brian Kolb, Houston Phillips, Kyle Fishman and artist newcomer Trea Landon.