Dustin Lynch To Hold Hurricane Harvey Benefit

Photo Credit: Ford Fairchild

Dustin Lynch is the latest artist to step forward to lend a hand to Hurricane Harvey survivors. The artist will hold a benefit concert in Dallas Tuesday (Sept. 12) to support ongoing emergency storm relief efforts throughout the state. Lynch spontaneously made the decision to hold the benefit after visiting with storm victims in a Dallas shelter following his performance in the city Saturday (Sept. 2).

“The spirit of Texas, and of Country music, is to help your neighbor—to pitch in when others are struggling,” says Lynch. “So many people have stepped up to lend a hand to those affected by this storm, and I’m proud to do my small part to support the citizens of Houston and surrounding communities. After visiting the storm shelter, and meeting people whose lives have changed forever, the least I can do is come back to Dallas and try to raise spirits.”

The benefit will be held Tuesday at Cowboys Red River in Dallas. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on the KPLX and KSCS websites as well as at the door. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a physical copy of Lynch’s hotly-anticipated upcoming album Current Mood, due out Sept. 8.

All ticket proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross Storm Relief.

The concert will cap off a busy week for Lynch, who will perform on NBC’s Today show tomorrow (Sept. 7) and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Sept. 14 to launch Current Mood. Tomorrow night he will visit the iHeartRadio Theater in New York City for a live performance and Q&A session about the new project. The event will be broadcast across iHeartRadio’s mainstream Country stations, and also live-streamed on the iHeartRadio YouTube channel and iHeartRadio app.

CMT Reveals 2017 Artists of the Year

CMT will honor Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan as the premiere country artists of 2017 during the CMT Artists of the Year television special. The eighth annual event will air live from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

With this year’s honors, Aldean and Bryan extend their lead as the artists with the most wins, with six each. Additionally, Bryan earns the distinction as the artist with the longest winning streak to date (2012 to present). This marks both Aldean and Urban’s return to the list for the first time since 2014. Stapleton and Florida Georgia Line notch their second and fifth consecutive wins, respectively.

This year, the special will extend beyond music to honor those impacted by Hurricane Harvey and the volunteers contributing to the ongoing recovery efforts. In addition, throughout the event, country’s biggest stars will encourage fans to continue supporting the extensive recovery over the next year. More information will be announced at a later date.

During the 90-minute special, artists will toast one another with one-of-a-kind performances. Previous CMT Artists of the Year performances have included Adele and Darius Rucker performing Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now;” Meghan Trainor, Jill Scott and Kelsea Ballerini honoring Shania Twain with a medley of her biggest hits; Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis paying tribute to Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush;” and Maroon 5 covering Taylor Swift’s “Mine.”

Last year’s annual special honoring Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Shania Twain and Thomas Rhett fueled growth across the board with L+3 ratings climbing 21 percent from the prior year among A18-49, attracting nearly 2 million total viewers on premiere night and nearly 4 million total viewers throughout six telecasts throughout the weekend on CMT.

George Strait Plans Hurricane Benefit Concert Featuring Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton

George Strait‘s benefit concert for Hurricane Harvey Relief will be held Tues., Sept. 12 at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre. Joining him for Hand in Hand Texas will be Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen.

Select performances from the Majestic Theatre will air as part of Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief, being broadcast on ABC, CBS, CMT, Fox and NBC on Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. EST on the East Coast with a replay on the West Coast at 8 p.m. PST. The telethon broadcast, as well as Strait’s Hand in Hand Texas show will also be available internationally via live stream on Facebook.

Strait, a Country Music Hall of Fame member, pledged to lead the country music world with this concert serving as the start of his ongoing relief efforts, with all proceeds from the show benefiting Rebuild Texas Fund thanks to event sponsor Cavender Auto Family and with assistance from the Majestic Theatre, Ticketmaster, VER, Bill Young Productions and the City of San Antonio.

Tickets to Strait’s Hand in Hand Texas show at Majestic Theatre will go on sale Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 at 10 a.m. CST at ticketmaster.com.

Artist Updates: Dierks Bentley, Annelle Staal, Jillian Cardarelli

Dierks Bentley’s 2017 What The Hell World Tour Brings In More than 750K Fans

Dierks Bentley‘s 2017 What The Hell World Tour wrapped this weekend, after bringing more than 60 shows to arenas and amphitheaters across the country since January and consistently bringing crowds of more than 25,000. The tour has sold more than 750,000 tickets this year to date. The tour featured openers Cole Swindell and Jon Pardi.

“This tour has been one of those experiences you wait for your entire life,” said Bentley. “To the fans and all the people who filled every seat in the house, who stood on their feet for hours and spent their hard-earned money to come see a show, you have made this an unforgettable journey. It’s going to be weird not having Cole and Pardi around, but I can’t thank those guys enough for coming along for this ride. Night after night the crowds were more explosive than the last…it will be a really hard year to top!”

 

Annelle Staal Makes SESAC Performance

Pictured (L-R): Wes Mayers, manager Redline Entertainment, Annelle Staal, Cristina Wheeler, manager Creative Services SESAC, and Tim Fink, VP Event Production SESAC. Photo: Moments By Moser Photography

New artist/songwriter Annelle Staal recently performed songs from her EP MARS as well as other originals for the staff at SESAC’s Nashville office. Staal was part of SESAC’s Living Room Sessions that feature SESAC writers performing in a casual atmosphere with up close seating for the staff.

 

Jillian Cardarelli’s New Video To Debut On CMT Today

CMT will debut the new music video for Jillian Cardarelli‘s single “Rerun” Tuesday (Sept. 5) as part of their Artist Discovery Program, which releases new videos along with a short bio about the artists.

“Rerun” was penned by Maren Morris, Tina Parol and Jordan Reynolds. Cardarelli is currently opening shows for Lonestar, Jake Owen and Jana Kramer. She is signed with William Morris Endeavor and with Suretone Entertainment.

 

Weekly Register: Old Dominion’s ‘Happy Endings’ Tops Country Albums Rankings

Old Dominion‘s Happy Endings tops this week’s country titles, according to Nielsen Soundscan’s Top 200 albums rankings. The album, which released Aug. 25, moved 41K in total consumption. The group earned multiple CMA Awards nominations yesterday (Sept. 4), including New Artist and Group of the Year.

Fellow CMA Awards New Artist nominee Luke Combs is at No. 2 this week, with This One’s For You selling 13K.

Chris Stapleton, who is included among the nominees for CMA Entertainer of the Year, lands at No. 3 this week with his 2015 album Traveller moving 11K. Stapleton also earned CMA nods for Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year (for his latest release From A Room: Vol. 1).

Kane Brown‘s self-titled album is at No. 4 with 9.1K.

Sam Hunt‘s Montevallo rounds out the Top 5 with 8.8K.

The Cadillac Three‘s Legacy is this week’s top country debut, at No. 13 and selling 5.9K.

Big Machine Label Group’s Taylor Swift ascends to the pinnacle of the digital songs chart, with her new single “Look What You Made Me Do” selling 352K.

In the digital core country songs rankings, Sam Hunt remains at No. 1 with “Body Like A Back Road” selling 26K, totaling more than 1.6 million to date. The record-breaking track is nominated for Song of the Year and Single of the Year at the upcoming CMA Awards.

Current CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee Luke Bryan‘s “Light It Up” is at No. 2, with 21.9K, followed by Kane Brown‘s “What Ifs” at No. 3 with 21.5K. Luke Combs’ “When It Rains It Pours” is at No. 4 with 16.3K, while Dustin Lynch‘s “Small Town Boy” is at No. 5 with 15.5K.

Lynch also has this week’s top country debut with “Why We Call Each Other,” which lands at No. 27 country and moved 5.1K.

Information provided by Nielsen Soundscan.

 

High Valley, Ashley McBryde, Adam Doleac To Join The Highway Finds Tour

Pictured (L-R): Curtis Rempel of High Valley, Ashley McBryde, SiriusXM host Storme Warren, Adam Doleac and Brad Rempel of High Valley announce The Highway Finds Tour live on SiriusXM’s The Highway channel at the SiriusXM Studios in Nashville on Sept. 5, 2017. Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for SiriusXM

SiriusXM and Live Nation will present The Highway Finds Tour featuring High Valley, Ashley McBryde and Adam Doleac. Visiting 20 cities in North America, the outing will kick off Wednesday, Oct. 18 in Washington, DC and include stops in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, and more before wrapping on Dec. 9 in San Diego. The tour will visit Nashville’s Mercy Lounge on Friday, Oct. 27.

SiriusXM and Live Nation presented The Highway Finds Tour for the first time in March 2017, when the inaugural outing featured Steve Moakler, Drew Baldridge and Smithfield.

The “Highway Finds” spotlight on SiriusXM’s Highway channel is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to discovering and breaking new artists. Past “Highway Finds” artists include Florida Georgia Line, Cole Swindell, Maren Morris, William Michael Morgan, Carly Pearce and Chase Rice.

Qualified subscribers will have the opportunity to win tickets to these shows through dedicated listener emails. Listeners can also enter for the chance to win tickets to the event. SiriusXM listeners will have the chance to purchase tickets to the tour via a special SiriusXM Presale, before tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. local time in each tour market.

Visit siriusxm.com/highwayfindstour for more information.

Darcie Van Etten Named Marketing Manager For Country Radio Broadcasters

Darcie Van Etten has joined the CRB/CRS staff as Marketing Manager, effective immediately. In her new position Van Etten will focus on marketing and strategy for Country Radio Broadcasters, Country Radio Seminar, and its affiliated events.

Van Etten joins the Country Radio Seminar team from Round Hill Music, where she served as Administration Coordinator. A recent graduate of Belmont University’s Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, she previously volunteered and interned for CRS.

“In the time that Darcie has assisted our staff, she has been such a bright shining star,” said CRB/CRS Executive Director, Bill Mayne. “She knows the part, and she’s going to be great.”

“After several years of helping the CRS team, I am thrilled to officially join their staff as Marketing Manager,” said Van Etten. “I could not ask to work for a better company, or to be a part of a better team.”

Van Etten can be reached at 615-327-4487 or darcie@crb.org.

Warner/Chappell Music, Warner Music Nashville Name Katie Jelen To Synch Creative Manager Role

Katie Jelen

Warner/Chappell Music (WCM) and Warner Music Nashville (WMN) today announced the appointment of Katie Jelen as Creative Manager, Synchronization, Warner/Chappell Music & Warner Music Nashville. In this newly created Nashville-based role, Jelen will serve WCM songwriters and WMN recording artists by developing new opportunities for their music in film, TV, advertising, video games, and new media. She will be an integral member of Warner Music Group’s unified synchronization team, representing both recorded music and music publishing rights, and will report to Ron Broitman, Executive Vice President & Head of Synchronization, Warner/Chappell Music & WMG Masters.

“The Nashville music community is buzzing with creative energy,” said Jelen. “WMG is home to an amazing lineup of gifted artists and songwriters, and my new colleagues are an incredibly talented and passionate team of experts. I’m inspired by the opportunity to find new creative and commercial opportunities for the company’s music, and I can’t imagine a more exciting time to become a part of Warner Music’s Nashville office.”

Broitman added, “By representing both sides of the business, we’re uniquely able to offer a rich diversity of music to licensees and, having worked across various areas of the sync business, Katie is perfectly suited to take on the Nashville post. We’re very happy to have her on board, and look forward to everything she will be doing on behalf of our artists, songwriters and partners.”

Jelen was previously Head of Artist Relations for Secret Road Music Services, and one half of the creative team for Secret Road Music Publishing, where she handled the company’s Nashville operations. Her responsibilities at Secret Road included setting up co-writes, coordinating the fulfillment of creative briefs for synch placements, and pitching songs to the country and pop markets. A “recovering singer-songwriter,” she is a classically trained vocalist with a degree in Music Industry, as well as a law degree from Drexel University with a concentration in intellectual property.

Chris Tomlin Plans Intimate Christmas Tour For December

Chris Tomlin is celebrating the holidays this year with fans on his new Chris Tomlin Christmas: Christmas Songs of Worship tour. Tomlin will visit 10 cities throughout the month of December, offering an up-close night of worship at intimate venues across the country.

“I want these nights to feel warm and cozy… that’s what I love about the beautiful, historic theaters,” shares Tomlin. “They provide the perfect setting for a night to come together as a family, celebrating the spirit of Christmas. This is going to be an incredible night, an intimate night of remembering what this season is about, remembering what Christmas is about, remembering why we celebrate and why we worship, and remembering our Savior together.”

Tickets for the special tour go on sale Sept. 15.

Chris Tomlin Christmas: Christmas Songs of Worship Tour:
Dec. 1 – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Performing Arts Centre
Dec. 2 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
Dec. 3 – Birmingham, AL – Alabama Theatre
Dec. 4 – Ft Wayne, IN – Embassy Theatre
Dec. 8 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace Theater
Dec. 9 – Saginaw, MI – Temple Theatre
Dec. 11 – Ottawa, ON – National Arts Centre
Dec. 12 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
Dec. 13 – Syracuse, NY – John H. Mulroy Civic Center
Dec. 14 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre

Industry Pics: Devin Dawson, Dwight Yoakam, Morgan Evans, Shelby Lee Lowe, The Color

Academy Of Country Music Welcomes Devin Dawson For A Visit

Pictured (L-R): Wyatt Thomas, Sandbox Entertainment; Devin Dawson; Nick Di Fruscia, ACM VP, Awards and Membership; and Todd Ramey, Sandbox Entertainment. Photo: Michel Bourquard/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music

The Academy of Country Music welcomed Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville recording artist Devin Dawson to the office while he was in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, Dawson performed his current single, “All On Me,” and other songs from his forthcoming debut Dark Horse.

Click here to watch a video from Dawson’s visit featuring an exclusive interview and clips from his performance.

 

Dwight Yoakam Performs Private Hamptons Show For SiriusXM

Photo: Mike Coppola

Photo: Mike Coppola

Dwight Yoakam performed a private concert for SiriusXM on Wednesday (Aug. 30) at The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York.

The special performance, which aired live on SiriusXM’s Prime Country and Outlaw Country channels, featured Yoakam performing songs from throughout his career, as well as dipping into his vast repertoire of covers.

Yoakam’s intimate show is the latest in a series at the famed Hampton’s music venue.

Watch the live performance here.

 

Morgan Evans Performs At WMN’s Pickin’ On The Patio

Pictured (L-R): Matt Signore (COO, WMN), John Esposito (Chairman & CEO, WMN), Morgan Evans, Scott Hendricks (EVP A&R, WMN), and Kristen Williams (SVP Radio & Streaming, WMN).

Morgan Evans drove the rain away with sunny songs and a loop pedal at Warner Music Nashville’s Pickin’ on the Patio event last Wednesday night (Aug. 30).

The singer/songwriter performed a set of original tunes including his recently released debut single “Kiss Somebody,” which is currently featured on Spotify’s Hot Country and New Boots playlists and impacting radio soon.

 

Shelby Lee Low Performs BMI Showcase

Shelby Lee Lowe was a featured artist at BMI Presents The Young Guns Showcase last Wednesday night (Aug, 30) at The Sutler Saloon in Nashville.

Lowe performed nine songs with a full band including his new song “Lock It Down.” The show ended with the audience dancing to “Honky Tonk Race.”

 

The Color Completes Successful U.S. Radio Tour

Pictured (L-R): The Color’s Jordan Janzen and Larry Abrams, Will Graham, and The Color’s James Shiels and Tyson Unrau posing in front of a podium Billy Graham used in the 1970s.

Canadian pop group The Color continues climbing the Billboard charts with their new single “Surprise” (No. 35). The band has been on a successful radio and promotional tour which included a stop at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, NC to visit their friend Will Graham. The group has partnered with the Billy Graham Association for several Canadian events.