Exclusive: Dierks Bentley Finds A ‘Win’ In Spontaneous Moments On His 2017 What The Hell World Tour

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Dierks Bentley performs in Milwaukee.

For more than a decade, Dierks Bentley has brought his mix of party-ready tunes and thoughtful ballads to country fans, earning sold-out shows with songs such as “Feel That Fire,” “Riser,” “Drunk On A Plane,” “Free And Easy (Down The Road I Go),” and his latest, “Black.”

This year, Bentley’s 2017 What The Hell World Tour has been peppered with impactful moments.

During an April stop in Fresno, California, Bentley helped reunite a local military family. Sgt. Steven Mendez surprised his wife and two sons, after having been stationed overseas for nearly a year.

“That was so emotional,” Bentley tells MusicRow. “The dad was waiting behind this curtain. I’ve seen it happen on TV before, but I’ve never witnessed one before in person. The older son started crying and the younger son just stood there fascinated. Even talking about it now, it kind of wells me up just processing it. Everyone was crying and after the meet and greet we just had a private moment with all of them backstage. We asked them if we could bring it onstage and let everyone know what happened.”

That steely determination to win over the crowd each night, borne from years of playing small clubs across the country has stayed with Bentley as he has progressed to playing headlining shows in arenas and selling out amphitheaters.

The Platinum-selling singer-songwriter makes it his nightly goal to make sure the crowd is having as much fun as he and his band are having onstage, and he’s willing to go to some risky lengths to make that happen, such as keeping his security decidedly hands-off as Bentley makes his way through the crowd each night.

“When I was doing smaller shows and theaters, I was climbing railings, I would just do whatever I could, so when I got a chance to headline these amphitheaters, that’s a big part of the show for me. With Tom my tour manager and Jay my production manager, it took a few times to figure out how to do it because I don’t want anyone around me. I don’t want security, I don’t want anyone pushing people around. I’d rather risk bodily harm than have anyone be pushed or shoved. I’m dancing with girls in the aisles; I’m giving massages to the security people, like chop sueys on their backs.”

Dierks Bentley holds audience member’s baby in Tampa, Florida

That hands-on mantra does lead to some pretty unexpected moments, such as when, during a show in Tampa, Florida, a father handed his newborn child to Bentley.

“I thought it was a beer, but it was a baby about the size of a tall boy. I was shocked and it’s perfect because you are looking for spontaneous things to happen every night. That, like, exceeds anything I would ever expect. The look on the father’s face just makes it. He was so excited. The kid is going to look back and be like, ‘Dad, what the hell were you doing?’”

Sometimes his drive to bring fans new and unexpected experiences can lead to some slightly devious actions. Throughout the tour, Bentley and his bandmates disguised themselves as a bluegrass band, opening their own shows with a mix of bluegrass numbers, old-school country tunes and southern rock.

“I love bluegrass music and the guys in my band are some of the best acoustic musicians. Our guitar player played with Ricky Skaggs and is amazing on acoustic guitar. We just started scheming. That first time, even now, I’m more nervous doing the bluegrass gig than doing my own show. You go out there unannounced and fans are all excited thinking that it is Jon Pardi and they are like, ‘Oh, what’s this.’ If we don’t announce it, nobody knows who I am because I kind of stand off to the side and we have to win them over to the music. “

Dierks Bentley and band disguised as a bluegrass band on tour

During a show in Raleigh, Bentley invited his son Knox to join them.

“I need to get him a guitar next year because I have a feeling the bluegrass band is going to expand a member or two.”

After bringing Jon Pardi out on the road with him two years earlier, Bentley again has the “Dirt On My Boots” singer joining him for his What The Hell World Tour.

“He’s made a great record,” Bentley says. “We have the best time on the road. He’s a goofball and will do anything. We were playing Faster Horses and they had a pool set up backstage. My whole thing is ‘Say yes to everything.’ So I was walking by the pool and there were these girls who were teaching standup paddleboard yoga and I was like, ‘Why not?’ So I called Jon over there. It was really funny. He’s been a big part of the tour.

The camaraderie between Bentley and his opening acts stems in part from Bentley handpicking his openers, each of whom he says he calls personally to initiate conversations about the tours.

Dierks Bentley and Jon Pardi engage in backstage paddleboard yoga on tour.

Even moments that have long been part of Bentley’s show, such as stage diving or bringing fans onstage for a shotgun race, provide unique points where anything can happen.

“Shotgunning with fans, I’ve thought about taking that out of the show because I’ve been doing it so long. I feel like fans can come to expect it,” Bentley says. “But once you get them onstage, you never know what is going to happen. Someone has peed their pants because they are so nervous. I’ve had people throw up. One girl just poured the beer all over herself, and I was using my shirt to wipe them off so they could go back into the crowd. It’s become a signature thing we do and I’d hate to lose that.

“Same thing with stagediving, which we do every night. It’s not the most comfortable thing to do because you are diving into people and you wonder, ‘Are they going to catch you? What are you going to do when you get down there, how are you going to get back up? But when you get back onstage, it’s like, ‘Yeah! We did that together. I trusted you and you supported me and it’s a thread that knits this whole experience together.”

Dierks Bentley shotguns with a fan in West Palm Beach

Though his What The Hell World Tour is nearing its final tour stops, and Bentley is gearing up to return to the studio, he says he already has some ideas for making his next tour just as memorable.

“I have a ‘90s cover band as well—Hot Country Nights—so that could be an option next year. It’s something we’ll try to hold on to. We come to these venues and it’s ours for the day, so we want to make the most of it.

“I think subconsciously, fans can tell when the lead singer is having more fun than anyone else onstage. It never feels like we are putting on a show, it’s like we are having an experience show. It’s like a hockey game, every night we’re trying to get a win.”

In Cleveland, Bentley holds a bra from a fan onstage.

Bentley dances with a security guard during a tour stop in Ottawa, Canada.

During a stop at the Faster Horses Festival, Bentley helps reunite two fans that saved each other’s lives via a kidney transplant.

Elle King performs with Bentley at the Stagecoach Festival

Bentley enjoys some time off on tour, playing hockey during a stop in Saksatoon, Canada.

Dustin Lynch Celebrates Double Gold Before Third Album ‘Current Mood,’ Headlining Tour

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Pictured (back L-R): L3 Entertainment’s JT Pratt, BBR Music Group’s Chelsey Flick and Scotty O’Brien, Dustin Lynch, BBR Music Group’s Shaina Botwin and Marisa Coffin. (Front L-R): BBR Music Group’s Andrea Knipp and Jennifer Coen, L3 Entertainment’s Neil Vance, BBR Music Group’s Jon Loba, Sara Knabe and Jay Jones, L3 Entertainment’s Peter Hartung and Steve Mekler. Photo: Daniel Vorlet

Tullahoma, Tennessee can boast hometown to at least two: George Dickel Whisky, and Broken Bow Records star Dustin Lynch.

So it was appropriate for busses to trek media and VIP guests some 70 miles from Nashville to the 140-year old distillery on Wednesday (Aug. 9) to the reveal details of Lynch’s third album, Current Mood, and his second headlining outing, The Ride Or Die Tour 2017.

Simultaneously broadcast on social media, the party announced Current Mood‘s release date for less than a month away, Sept. 8. Pre-orders are available immediately with an instant-grat track, “Love Me Or Leave Me Alone,” featuring Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild.

The complete track listing for the 13 new sides will be revealed gradually. But Lynch gave audience members a sneak listen of six new songs, all leaning towards the sultry and bold grooves built from his sophomore effort, Where It’s At. Below, MusicRow compiled all the track and writer we know so far. Additional writers include Josh Osborne, Justin Ebach, Kyle Fishman, Andy Albert, Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley and Jimmy Robbins.

Current Mood was produced by Brent Anderson, Mickey Jack Cones, Ross Copperman, Crowell, and Will Weatherly.

“Current Mood came together as a slow process,” Lynch told the crowd. “It’s a huge relief to start playing music for everyone again…One of the reason’s we’re two singles in before we have a new album is I’ve been touring so much, on top of writing and getting the vocal rest needed to record an album. [In the past three years] I’ve written well over 100 plus songs and listened to thousands.”

Lynch and the producers took care with each song, hand selecting specific musicians to capture a certain feel during sessions, rather than cranking a whole album out in a week.

BBR Label Group’s Jon Loba (R) surprises Dustin Lynch (L) with two Gold plaques. Photo: Daniel Vorlet

“Dustin completely consumed himself in this project,” confirmed BBR Label Group’s Exec. VP Jon Loba. “It’s pretty rare to have an album with a No. 1 already baked in, even more rare to have an album with a No. 1 and soon-to-be No. 1—we’re top 5 with ‘Small Town Boy.’ I don’t know of too many albums that before they’re released have two Gold singles. Current Mood has two Gold singles.”

Loba surprised Lynch with two plaques to commemorate the sales feat.

“We wanted to do something special for this reveal because this is where it all started, I grew up probably a mile from here,” continued Lynch. “Tonight we’re celebrating new music. This is a collection over the last three years of all the adventures, travel, hookups, heartbreaks, growth—as a dude and a band. This is a glimpse behind the curtain of a chapter of my life. This is me in the present moment, which is why I decided to call it Current Mood.”

The celebration continued with a toast “from one rising star from Tullahoma to another” with a sample of George Dickel 17 (17 year old whisky). “This is a very special shot glass of whisky,” prefaced Lynch. “It’s my favorite I’ve ever had, and I’ve drank a lot of whisky all over the place.”

Lynch’s 15-date large theater and small stadium tour will stretch from November to December 2017. Special support comes from a variation of Michael Ray, LANCO and Ryan Hurd on select dates (full details below).

“If you’ve been to our shows, you know they are just big parties,” said Lynch. “The most exciting and scary thing for me is we’re going to try to tackle some small arenas on this tour. So there’s a lot of pressure to see how many tickets you can sell. It’s going to be bigger and better than we’ve ever done.”

Presales for The Ride Or Die Tour 2017 begin Aug. 21. DustinLynchMusic.com will offer first chance access for tour tickets with the purchase of exclusive merchandise bundles from his own clothing line Stay Country and pre orders of the new album, Current Mood. Until then, Lynch will continue on the road through September 24 with Brad Paisley’s Weekend Warrior Tour and an appearance on ABC’s CMA Fest: The Music Event of Summer, airing August 16 at 8 p.m. (ET).

Current Mood Track Listing (as we know it so far):

1) I’d Be Jealous Too (Dustin Lynch, Ross Copperman, Jon Nite)
2) Seein’ Red (Tully Kennedy, Kurt Allison, Steve Bogard, Jason Sever)
3) Small Town Boy (Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Kyle Fishman)
4) Why We Call Each Other (Dustin Lynch, Lee Miller, Ross Copperman)
5) —
6) Love Me Or Leave Me Alone [feat. Karen Fairchild] (Dustin Christensen, Chris Gelbuda)
7) Back On It (Brent Anderson, Will Weatherly, Smith Ahnquist)
8) —
9) —
10) Party Song (Brett Tyler, Craig Wiseman, Morgan Wallen)
11) —
12) —
13) —

Confirmed dates for The Ride Or Die Tour 2017:

11/3 – Fayetteville, NC – Crown Coliseum *+
11/4 – Atlanta, GA – Coca Cola Roxy Theatre *+
11/10 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom +
11/11 – San Antonio, TX – Cowboys Dancehall +
11/12 – Houston, TX – House of Blues +
12/2 – New York, NY – PlayStation Theater ^
12/3 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore ^
12/7 – Stockton, CA – Bob Hope Theatre ^
12/8 – Los Angeles, CA – The Novo ^
12/10 – Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan ^
12/17 – Grand Rapids, MI – 20 Monroe Live ^

*Michael Ray
+LANCO
^Ryan Hurd

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson, Dustin Lynch, MusicRow Operations Director Eric T. Parker. Photo: Daniel Vorlet

BMG Partnering With Black Box Music To Expand Reach In Canada

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BMG is scaling up its music operations in Canada with dedicated A&R, marketing and promotion resources in Toronto for the first time. The development comes via an innovative partnership with leading Canadian independent Black Box Music, headed by Jason Murray. Murray will head up the operation in Canada, reporting to Zach Katz, BMG US President Repertoire & Marketing and Jon Cohen, BMG EVP, Recorded Music.

The move demonstrates BMG’s commitment to the burgeoning Canadian music market, which grew by 14.4% in the first half of 2017 compared with the same period in 2016 according to figures from Neilsen. According to The 2017 IFPI Global Music Report, Canada is the world’s sixth biggest global music market.

“Canada has a long history of generating great artists. Canadian people are great music fans. So it is absolutely natural for us to have a strong presence in Canada,” said Katz. “We have made no secret of our goal to build a recordings business as strong as our presence in music publishing. Scaling up in Canada with a trusted and credible partner like Black Box will enable us to further improve our service to artists.”

“In an ever-changing musical landscape that has more than ever before become an industry without borders, it’s exciting to be part of a forward-thinking global music company,” said Murray. “Watching first hand what their team have built in both the publishing and recorded music businesses, in such a short period, is awe inspiring.”

BMG recently signed two of Canada’s biggest stars, singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne and rock band Nickelback. Nickelback’s new album Feed The Machine was released on June 16 and debuted Top 5 in the U.S., Canada, and around the world. Lavigne is currently in the studio finishing work on a new full-length album to be released later this year.

BMG’s publishing roster of Canadian songwriters already features Paul Anka, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings (The Guess Who), WondaGurl (Drake, Rihanna, Travis Scott), electronic musicians Keys N Krates, as well as rising stars NAV (Drake, Travis Scott), Jazzfeezy (Drake, T.I.), Jessie Reyez, and rockers The Glorious Sons.

George Strait Added To Skyville Live Taping Honoring Jerry Lee Lewis

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Skyville Live has announced country superstar George Strait will grace the stage on August 24 as part of the show honoring rock and country icon Jerry Lee Lewis. Celebrating the legacy of Jerry Lee Lewis and his award-winning catalog of hits, previously announced performers in addition to Lewis include Kris Kristofferson, Toby Keith, Chris Stapleton, Lee Ann Womack and Waylon Payne.

“This is going to be an over-the-top night of music with the King of Country joining an already amazing lineup honoring living legend Jerry Lee Lewis,” commented Wally Wilson, creator of Skyville Live. “George is a tremendous talent and adding him to the lineup will make the evening even more unforgettable.”

The show will film live in front of a studio audience with streaming details announced at a later date. Previous pairings on the show have included Lady Antebellum, Jason Isbell, Jewel, Brandy Clark and Amanda Shires bringing down the house with Kris Kristofferson, Cam joining Melissa Etheridge on stage, and an impassioned performance of Steve Earle’s “Pilgrim” featuring the acclaimed songwriter alongside Emmylou Harris, Brothers Osborne, Margo Price and Colter Wall.

Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch Earn RIAA Heavy Metal

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Several Nashville artists received metal from the RIAA in July 2017.

After being certified 2x platinum in June, Sam Hunt earned 3x platinum for “Body Like A Back Road” this month. Also certified platinum was “Drunk On Your Love” by Brett Eldredge and “Middle Of A Memory” by Cole Swindell.

Luke Bryan’s Kill The Lights earned 2x platinum marks, while Miranda Lambert’s The Weight Of These Wings receives both platinum and gold credits.

Dustin Lynch and Michael Ray each earned two gold single credits among 10 total singles.

Gold Single:
“Gonna” – Blake Shelton
“Seein’ Red” – Dustin Lynch
“Small Town Boy” – Dustin Lynch
“Way Out Here” – Josh Thompson
“Hometown Girl” – Josh Turner
“What Ifs” – Kane Brown Feat. Lauren Alaina
“80s Mercedes” – Maren Morris
“Kiss You In The Morning” – Michael Ray
“Think A Little Less” – Michael Ray
“Good Morning Beautiful” – Steve Holy

Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Crabb, David “Stringbean” Akeman Named To Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame

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The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame has named its 2018 class. Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Crabb, Jackie DeShannon, Dale Ann Bradley, Bobby Lewis, and David “Stringbean” Akeman have all been named to the latest class. The induction ceremony will be held May 11, 2018 at the Center For Rural Development in Somerset, KY.

Flatwoods, Kentucky native Cyrus’ career launched in the early 1990s with“Achy Breaky Heart.” From 2006-2011, his daughter, Miley Cyrus, starred on her own Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana, along with Billy Ray, who played her dad. Cyrus is currently starring in CMT’s Still The King.

Beaver Dam, Kentucky, native Crabb was previously the lead singer for The Crabb Family, until the group’s disbanding in 2007. As a solo artist, Crabb signed with Spring Hill Music Group and released a Grammy-winning project in 2009.

Bradley, born in southeastern Kentucky, has earned the Female Vocalist honor from the International Bluegrass Music Association five times. She has released 10 albums, both as a solo artist and as part of the New Coon Creek Girls.

DeShannon, born in Hazel, Kentucky, is best known as the vocalist for “What The World Needs Now Is Love,” as well as “Put A Little Love In Your Heart.” Also an acclaimed songwriter, she penned songs including the Kim Carnes hit “Bette Davis Eyes,” as well as The Byrds and The Searchers “When You Walk In The Room.”

Akeman, known to fans as “Stringbean,” was a banjo player and member of the Grand Ole Opry. He and his wife were murdered in 1973, after returning to their home after a performance at the Grand Ole Opry.

Hodgenville, Kentucky, native Lewis is a Grand Ole Opry member and charted several songs from the mid-1960s through the ’80s, including “How Long Has It Been.”

 

Reba Earns First Dove Awards Nomination

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Reba McEntire has landed her first career GMA Dove Awards nomination for her single “Back To God.” The leadoff track from her dual Billboard Country and Christian/Gospel charts-topping album Sing It Now: Songs Of Faith & Hope (Nash Icon Records/Capitol Christian Music Group) is up for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song Of The Year at the 48th Annual Awards, slated to air on TBN Oct. 22.

The double-disc collection of traditional hymns and contemporary tracks marked Reba’s thirteenth No. 1 album. Fans from both genres have embraced the Oklahoma native’s return to her roots with a modern twist, merging her powerhouse vocals with Christian artist Lauren Daigle for a special collaboration of the song.

Reba will also be honored next month at The 11th Annual ACM Honors celebration with the Mae Boren Axton Service Award for her years of dedication and service to the Academy of Country Music. For more than 30 years she has lent her support to the organization, hosting the ACM Awards for a record 14 times and winning 14 ACM Awards, (seven as Female Vocalist of the Year), in addition to supporting their charitable efforts. The event will be filmed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and broadcast September 15 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS.

And in celebration of her debut at the Grand Ole Opry 40 years ago, Reba will mark the milestone with two performances in the famous circle on September 22. A month later (10/25), she will appear as part of the star-studded All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration taping at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Brickshore Media Signs New Clients

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Brickshore Media, Inc. has added several clients to its growing roster.

Kayla Calabrese, Crystal Day, Travis Rice, and Jagertown have all inked with the company for PR representation, and join Brickshore clients Brady Seals (Little Texas), Hope Nation Radio, Nick Hickman, Renegade Radio Nashville, Williams Honor, and others.

Brickshore Media, which launched less than a year ago and is owned and operated by Nicole Zeller, specializes in public relations, digital publicity, social media marketing and event coordination for brands and artists that are looking to create an awareness across multiple platforms within the industry.

IBMA Announces Special And Momentum Award Nominees

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The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced the nominees for this year’s Special Awards and Momentum Awards. The recipients of the 2017 Momentum Awards will be presented with their awards at a luncheon on Sept. 27, and the recipients of the 2017 Special Awards will be presented with their awards at a separate luncheon on the following day (Sept. 28) in Raleigh, North Carolina, as part of IBMA’s World of Bluegrass event Sept. 26-30.

The IBMA Special Awards recognize outstanding work in categories including Broadcaster of the Year, Bluegrass Event of the Year, Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project, Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project, Print/Media Person of the Year and Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year. Nominees in each category are selected by a specially appointed committee made up of bluegrass music professionals who possess significant knowledge of that field. The recipient of each award is decided on by the Panel of Electors, an anonymous group of over 200 veteran bluegrass music professionals selected by the IBMA Board of Directors.

The IBMA Momentum Awards recognize both musicians and bluegrass industry professionals who, while in the early stages of their careers, have contributed to, or had an influence on, bluegrass music. The Mentor award, in contrast to the others, recognizes a bluegrass professional who has made a significant impact on the lives and careers of newcomers to the bluegrass industry. Starting with recommendations from the IBMA membership, nominees are chosen by committees through a multi-stage process involving respected musicians and industry leaders in the bluegrass world.

The 2017 IBMA Special Awards nominees are:
Graphic Design:
Casey Campbell and Gina Leslie, Casey Campbell – Mandolin Duets: Volume One, Independent
Jimmy Hole, Noam Pikelny – Universal Favorite, Rounder Records
Lisa Horstman and Karen Key, On Top of Old Smoky: New Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music, Great Smoky Mountains Association
Scott McCormick, The Infamous Stringdusters – Laws of Gravity, Compass Records
Lynn Weathers, Kristin Scott Benson – Stringworks, Mountain Home

Liner Notes:
Peter Cooper, The New Kentucky Colonels – Live in Sweden 1973, Roland White Music
Thomas Goldsmith, The Earls of Leicester – Rattle & Roar, Rounder Records
Matt Glaser, Michael Cleveland – Fiddler’s Dream, Compass Records
Bill Nowlin, J.D. Crowe and the New South – 40th Anniversary Edition, Rounder
Ted Olson, On Top of Old Smoky: New Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music, Great Smoky Mountains Association

Broadcaster:
Cindy Baucom (Knee-Deep in Bluegrass)
Michelle Lee (WOBL 1320AM/107.7FM)
Steve Martin (WSDL 90.7 FM NPR/WOBO 88.7 FM/SSB Radio)
Alan Tompkins (KHYI FM-95.3)
Kris Truelsen (Radio Bristol)

Print Media:
Gordon Castelnero and David Russell (Earl Scruggs: Banjo Icon, pub. Rowman & Littlefield)
Derek Halsey (Bluegrass Unlimited, the Mountain Times, the Herald Dispatch, the Columbus Dispatch)
John Lawless (Bluegrass Today)
Ted Lehmann (No Depression/ Bluegrass Today /Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms)
David Morris (Bluegrass Today)

Songwriter:
Larry Cordle
Carl Jackson
Thomm Jutz
Milan Miller
Tim Stafford

Event:
Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival & Chili Cook-Off – Farmers Branch, TX
Bluegrass & Chili Festival – Claremore, OK
Emelin Theatre Bluegrass Concert Series – Mamaroneck, NY
Pickin’ in Parsons – Parsons, WV
25th Bluegrass Music Festival – Ulster American Folk Park, Northern Ireland

Momentum Award nominees are:
Festival/Event/Venue:
Carolina in the Fall Music & Food Festival – Wilkesboro, NC
Farm & Fun Time – Radio Bristol – Bristol, VA
Frankfort Bluegrass Festival on the Green– Frankfort, IL
Jam in the Trees – Black Mountain, NC
Red Wing Roots Music Festival – Mt. Solon, VA

Industry Involvement:
Megan and Adam Chowning (Nashville Acoustic Camps)
Ernie & Debi Evans (Evans Media Source Promoters)
Kris Truelsen (Radio Broadcaster/Radio Station Producer/Host of Farm and Fun Time)

Mentor:
Darin Aldridge (Artist – Darin & Brooke Aldridge)
Anni Beach (JamPak)
Robert Fisher (Laser scientist by day, pro bono mandolin teacher by night)
Lorraine Jordan (Artist)
Laurie Lewis (Artist)

Band:
Bill and the Belles (Johnson City, TN)
Fireside Collective (Asheville, NC)
Mile Twelve (Boston, MA)
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (Sevierville, TN)
The Wooks (Lexington, KY)

Vocalist:
Jacob Greer (Claybank – West Jefferson, NC)
AJ Lee (AJ Lee/ AJ Lee and Blue Summit -Tracy, CA)
Kim Robins (Kim Robins and 40 Years Late – Clear Creek, IN)
Jesse Smathers (Lonesome River Band – NC)
Dan Thrailkill (The Trailblazers – NC)

Instrumentalist [three are chosen in this category]:
Carley Arrowood (Fiddle – Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Union Mills, NC)
David Benedict (Mandolin – Mile Twelve, Boston, MA)
Brandon Bostic (Dobro, Guitar, Mandolin – Blue Moon Rising, East TN)
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (Fiddle – Mile Twelve, Boston, MA)
Casey Campbell (Mandolin – Bryan Sutton Band, Nashville, TN)
Ellie Hakanson (Fiddle – Jeff Scroggins & Colorado, Portland, OR)
Garrett Newton (Banjo – the Garrett Newton Band, Washington, DC)
Tristan Scroggins (Mandolin, Guitar, Bass, Banjo – Jeff Scroggins & Colorado/Scroggins & Rose) (Greenwood Village, CO)
Zeb Snyder (Guitar – Snyder Family Band, Lexington, NC)

ASCAP Writer Hunter Phelps Receives Abe Olman Scholarship

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Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Robert Filhart and Kele Currier, Phelps, and ASCAP’s Mike Sistad

ASCAP songwriter Hunter Phelps recently stopped by the performing rights organization to receive his Abe Olman Scholarship for Excellence in Songwriting for 2017 from the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

A native of Niceville, Florida, Phelps was introduced to songwriting by his father, who owned a small recording studio. He began writing songs while attending the University of Florida in Gainesville and joined a band, quickly developing a loyal following. Early in his career he shared the stage with acts like Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Gary Allan, and Michael Ray. Moving to Nashville in 2012, Phelps began playing the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway and sharpened his songwriting skills in the writers’ rooms of Music Row. In 2014, he released his own EP, and signed a joint publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music and songwriter Ashley Gorley’s Tape Room Music. His recent cuts include Florida Georgia Line’s “Wish You Were On It.” Phelps is currently writing and recording for his debut full-length album release.

Abe Olman, for whom the scholarship program is named, was a major figure in the publishing community and an ASCAP writer himself, in addition to being one of the founders of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Abe Olman Scholarships, given out annually since 1990, are made possible by his family in the interest of encouraging and supporting the careers of young songwriters.