CMA Elects New Board Of Directors

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CMA Corporate Logo

The Country Music Association has announced its new Board of Directors. The appointments are effective on Jan. 1, 2018.

Sally Williams, Senior Vice President of Programming and Artist Relations for Opry Entertainment and General Manager of the Grand Ole Opry, completes her term as Chairman of the CMA Board, while current CMA Board President Bill Simmons, Partner at The Fitzgerald Hartley Company, assumes that post. CMA President-Elect Jody Williams, Vice President, Creative, Nashville at BMI, will become President. Rob Beckham, Co-Head of WME Nashville, has been named President-Elect. Kurt Johnson, Senior Vice President of Programming at Townsquare Media, continues as Secretary/Treasurer of the CMA Board.

“It’s truly been an honor to serve as Chairman of the CMA Board,” said Williams. “I’m incredibly proud of our community and all of our accomplishments in 2017, from achieving record-breaking attendance at CMA Music Fest and three-year ratings highs with all three of our television specials to helping expand Country Music internationally. A huge thanks to Sarah Trahern and the world class CMA staff for making this past year a career highlight. I look forward to continuing to support CMA for years to come, and I join everyone in congratulating Bill Simmons as incoming Chairman.”

“CMA has a lot to celebrate from 2017, and I look forward to ushering forward even more in 2018,” said Simmons. “Sally Williams has done a tremendous job serving us as Chairman, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to continue the work she’s done. I’m eager to collaborate with Jody Williams, Rob Beckham and the rest of the Board as we make next year yet another one for the record books.”

Simmons is a partner at The Fitzgerald Hartley Company where he has been an artist manager for more than 20 years, 13 of which he has worked with Brad Paisley. He has also managed the careers of Brett James, The Kinleys, Jerrod Niemann, Kellie Pickler, Restless Heart, Chris Young and others. A graduate of the University of Mississippi with a degree in psychology and political science, Simmons began his career in social services but soon turned his attention to the music business when he met country singer-songwriter Paul Davis and moved to Atlanta to work at Bang Records. Soon after he moved to Nashville, and after a couple tour manager gigs he began working with Restless Heart and the management opportunity became available at Fitzgerald Hartley.

Simmons has served on the CMA Board since 2011 and dedicated his time to serving on multiple committees including Executive, Finance and Audit, Marketing, Television, and others. He is a member of the Academy of Country Music and is also on their Executive Committee, as well as an officer on the board of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

As Vice President, Creative, Nashville, Williams directs all songwriter and publisher relations activities in BMI’s Nashville office. Williams joined BMI in May of 2006 after leading Jody Williams Music, a joint publishing venture with Sony Tree, where he successfully placed songs with major label Country artists and discovered and managed MCA Nashville artist Josh Turner.

Williams began his career at BMI in the late 1970s before holding creative positions for several major publishing firms. In 1987, he returned to BMI and rose to Assistant Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations. Soon after, Williams was lured into the publishing world again, this time as President of the Nashville division of MCA Music Publishing, which flourished under his leadership, emerging as one of Nashville’s most awarded publishers.

During his most recent tenure at BMI, Williams has lead his team to capturing an extremely high Country market share percentage not seen in over 30 years. Presently his team oversees the active Nashville music scene for all genres, providing service as well as performance and networking opportunities. A Nashville native, Williams attended the University of Denver. In addition to serving on the CMA Board of Directors, he also serves on the boards of The Country Music Foundation and Porters Call.

Following is a list of 2018 CMA Directors and Directors at Large:

Directors By Membership Category
Carryover Directors, who are serving the second year of a two-year terms, are listed below along with newly-elected Directors, indicated in bold

Advertising/Public Relations/Media
Ebie McFarland, Essential Broadcast Media, LLC
Brian Philips

Affiliated
Joe Galante, Galante Entertainment Organization
Steve Buchanan, Opry Entertainment

Artist
Darius Rucker
Karen Fairchild, Little Big Town

Composer
Liz Rose, Liz Rose Music
Shane McAnally, SMACKSongs, LLC

Entertainment Services
Stacey Schlitz, SchlitzLAW
Dwight Wiles, Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC

International
Bob Shennan, BBC
Milly Olykan, AEG Europe, The O2 London

Marketing/Digital
Jennie Smythe, Girlilla Marketing
John Marks, Spotify

Musician
Kenny Greenberg, Greenberg Music
Jimmie Lee Sloas

Personal Manager
Clarence Spalding, Maverick
Marion Kraft, ShopKeeper Management

Producer/Engineer/Studio
Luke Laird, Creative Nation Music

Publisher/PRO
Troy Tomlinson, Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Jody Williams, BMI

Radio
Mike Moore, Entercom Communications
Charlie Morgan, Emmis Communications

Record Company
Mike Dungan, Universal Music Group Nashville
John Esposito, Warner Music Nashville

Talent Agent
John Huie, Creative Artists Agency

Talent Buyer/Promoter
Brian O’Connell, Live Nation Nashville
Allen Anders, AEG Presents

Touring Personnel
Scott Scovill, Moo TV, CenterStaging, and Moo Creative Media
Everett Lybolt, Sound Image

Venue
Ed Warm, Joe’s Bar
Sally Williams, Opry Entertainment

Lifetime Directors
J. William Denny, Denny Properties
Ralph Peer II, peermusic

Directors At Large:
Marcie Allen, MAC Presents, New York, NY
Chris Baldizan, MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas, NV
Jim Beavers
Rob Beckham, WME
Steve Blatter, Sirius XM, New York, NY
Scott Borchetta, Big Machine Label Group
Becky Brenner, Albright & O’Malley & Brenner Country Radio Specialists, Seattle, WA
Kix Brooks
Frank Bumstead, Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Terry Calonge, Richards & Southern, Inc.
Tony Conway, Conway Entertainment Group
Virginia Davis, G-Major Management
Bob DiPiero, Being Bob Music
Chris DuBois, Sea Gayle Music
Ann Edelblute, The HQ
Kerri Edwards, KP Entertainment
Brett Eldredge
Ted Ellis, Harbour Media Partners, Toronto Canada
Jeff Garrison, Cox Media Group, San Antonio, TX
Randy Goodman, Sony Music Nashville
Mary Hilliard Harrington, Red Light Management / Wild Hearts, LLC
Lon Helton, Country Aircheck
Clay Hunnicutt, Big Loud Records
Brett James, Cornman Music and Management
Kurt Johnson, Townsquare Media, Dallas, TX
Matthew Lazarus-Hall, Uncommon Cord, Drummoyne, AUS
Jonathan Levine, Paradigm
Vivien Lewit, YouTube / Google, New York, NY
Jon Loba, BBR Music Group
Bill Mayne, Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc.
Deb McDermott, McDermott Media Group LLC
Mike McVay, Cumulus Media – Westwood One Radio Networks, Atlanta, GA
Maria Molin Ljunggren, Freebird Entertainment AB, Stockholm, Sweden
Rod Phillips, iHeartMedia
Ryan Redington, Amazon Music, Seattle, WA
Sally Seitz, Apple / iTunes
Bill Simmons, The Fitzgerald Hartley Company
Jeff Stevens, Jeff Stevens Music
Mike Vaden, Decosimo Vaden
Ben Vaughn, Warner/Chappell Music Inc.
Troy Vollhoffer, Premier Global Production Company, Inc.
Biff Watson, Biff-Bangs Productions, Inc.
Chris Young

Ex-Officio Members
Jim Free, The Smith-Free Group, LLC, Washington, D.C.
Butch Spyridon, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation
Kyle Young, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

In Pictures: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, AIMP, Grand Ole Opry

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St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Celebrates “This Shirt Saves Lives” Campaign In Nashville

Clare Bowen and St. Jude Patient Ian with Santa

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital recently launched the nationwide campaign “THIS SHIRT SAVES LIVES” featuring some of the industry’s biggest names and influencers in order to create a giving movement.

St. Jude has long given apparel as a thank you to “Partners In Hope,” donors who give $20 per month to the hospital’s lifesaving work. THIS SHIRT SAVES LIVES T-shirt will exclusively be available to those that become Partners In Hope.

The campaign officially launched with an industry-wide reception at the Country Music Association on Monday (Dec. 4). Numerous artists involved with the campaign include Clare Bowen, Brett Eldredge, Darius Rucker, Brothers Osborne, Chris Young, Lee Brice, Maren Morris, Kip Moore, Kelsea Ballerini, and more.

Pictured (L-R): Keith Kauffman, RJ Curtis, Santa, Ian, April Johnson, Josh Easler, Chad Schultz, and Craig Campbell. Front row: St. Jude patient Ian.

 

AIMP Nashville hosts Barry Massarsky Presentation

Pictured (L-R): AIMP Nashville Board Member Dale Bobo, Big Deal Music; Brad Peterson, Regions Bank; Barry Massarsky; AIMP Nashville Executive Director John Ozier, ole; Kari Barnhart, Regions Bank.

On Dec. 5, AIMP Nashville hosted a presentation from economist Barry Massarsky. Titled “Outlook on Performance Based Income,” the event was held in the Connie Bradley Board Room at ASCAP’s Nashville offices. Massarsky delivered a presentation on performance-based income, specifically in regards to country radio, that focused on four key areas—the state of the radio industry and music’s role on radio, the license outlook for commercial radio, the country format’s share of commercial radio, and indexing chart position for country songs with likely outcome for lifecycle PRO earnings.

 

NewSong Makes Grand Ole Opry Debut

NewSong with Francesca Battistelli

Christian band NewSong, recently made their Grand Ole Opry debut on the stage of Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Performing their multi-format mega-hit “The Christmas Shoes,” NewSong was also joined by Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli for a rendition of “The Best Christmas Ever,” the title-cut of the group’s critically-acclaimed 2016 holiday set.

ole Inks 360 Deal With Singer-Songwriter Austin Jenckes

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Pictured (L-R): John Ozier, ole, VP Creative; Ben Strain, ole, Sr. Creative Director; Singer/​Songwriter Austin Jenckes; Emily Mueller, ole, Creative Director; Mike Whelan, ole, Sr. Creative Director; Catherine Fogarty, ole, Creative Administration Coordinator

ole has inked a worldwide 360 deal with Nashville singer-songwriter Austin Jenckes. The deal includes exclusive publishing and recording rights and exclusive admin of properties on YouTube.

Duvall, Washington native Jenckes relocated to Nashville in 2012 and has penned songs including Lee Brice’s “American Nights,” and the track “Same Beer Different Day” from Jenckes’ own upcoming album.

A talented songwriter his credits include, “American Nights,” from the forthcoming self-titled Lee Brice album. Jenckes also recently released the song “Same Beer Different Day” from his upcoming album and plans for extensive touring throughout the coming year.

“We are pleased to welcome Austin to the ole family,” said ole VP Creative, John Ozier. “We look forward to working with him and seeing him have continued success.”

“I feel very fortunate to have found a home base where I can create music. Thanks to Neil Mason, John Strohm, Ben Strain, John Ozier and all the folks at ole for making this possible,” said Jenckes of the deal.

Sony Music Nashville Names Nicole Marinake As Sr. Director, Partnership Marketing

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Nicole Marinake

John Zarling, EVP, Marketing and New Business, Sony Music Nashville, has announced the appointment of Nicole Marinake to the position of Senior Director, Partnership Marketing, Sony Music Nashville. Reporting directly to Zarling, Marinake will lead strategic partnerships and brand initiatives for the label group. Her team will include current Sony Music Nashville Manager, Partnership Marketing Jamie Alberici.

“I am so excited about Nicole joining our Sony Nashville team!” remarks Zarling. “Over the past three years I have gotten to know Nicole’s work ethic through the One Night Only series she quarterbacked at MSG Sports & Entertainment. The stars aligned and the timing was right for her to come in and lead our brand partnership efforts. She will only make us stronger.”

“As my next chapter begins in Nashville, I am beyond excited to join the amazing team at Sony Music,” notes Marinake. “Thank you so much to Randy Goodman and John Zarling for the opportunity to work with this incredible roster of talent.”

Born in the Boston, MA area and raised in Clearwater/Tampa, FL, Marinake earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design at the University of South Florida at St. Petersburg. Subsequently, she moved to New York City where she attended the School of Visual Arts and earned a Masters in Fine Arts.

Nicole Marinake started at Madison Square Garden in 2009 as a Graphic Designer, which evolved into one of the founding positions in the newly created Business Solutions team as part of MSG’s Marketing Partnerships. Under the MSG Sports umbrella, Marinake activated partnerships with artists including Taylor Swift, DNCE and Laura Marano before taking a full time position with MSG Live. As a Director of Partnership Development MSG Live, she spearheaded the creation and building of platforms including Anheuser-Busch One Night Only with marquee artists including Florida Georgia Line and Chase Sound Check emerging artist platform featuring artists AJR and RaeLynn.

Marinake can be reached at [email protected].

Acme Feed & Seed Launches Record Label

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Acme Feed & Seed has launched the in-house record label, Acmeville Records, with its first album release scheduled for mid-January. The label will be focused on digital releases exclusively distributed by TuneCore. Acmeville plans to record and produce albums captured during live performances from the stage at Acme Feed & Seed, as well as compilation records, original content and commentary from inside the Acme Radio Live studio. The label is focused on promoting Nashville artists who have helped to define Acme and Acme Radio Live’s unique sound and atmosphere.

Acmeville’s first release will be a live album from local rock/pop artist Paul Childers, titled Paul Childers Live at Acme. The set, which was recorded during his Acme Feed & Seed performance on Sept. 29, 2017, will release Jan. 19, 2018, via digital download and through Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and Amazon Music.

“Recording and releasing a live album is a unique opportunity for artists to connect with fans and involve them in the record-making process,” said Carl Gatti, Director of Entertainment and Radio at Acme Feed & Seed. “We’re excited to get Acmeville Records up and running to continue our mission of discovery and preservation of the local music scene, and Paul Childers is a perfect fit for our first release.”

Paul Childers Live at Acme includes eight original songs and two covers:

Music Pulls You Through – Paul Childers
No One Goes Dancing Anymore – Paul Childers
Naked Poetry – Paul Childers
My Love of the Rain – Paul Childers
Sir Duke- Stevie Wonder
Roxanne/Ain’t No Sunshine – The Police/Bill Withers
Perfect Man – Paul Childers
At Our Own Pace – Paul Childers
Disclosure – Paul Childers
Why Don’t You Stay (A Little Longer) – Paul Childers

Little Big Town, The Judds To Be Featured In New Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum Exhibits

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has announced its complete slate of exhibitions for 2018, which will include exhibits featuring Little Big Town, Ralph Stanley, the Judds and Emmylou Harris.

“For over 50 years, the museum has shared with its visitors the rich and diverse history of country music, while documenting the music’s ongoing evolution. Our 2018 exhibits continue that tradition,” said museum CEO Kyle Young. “Next year we will look at a variety of subjects, including the career of a legendary Country Music Hall of Fame member who has been embraced by the Americana movement, and the life of an iconic mountain musician who influenced her. As we examine the legacies of these country music greats, we will also look at some of the most awarded talent of today.”

In addition to examining the stories of individual artists, the museum will also unveil the exhibition American Currents: The Music of 2017, on March 9, 2018. The exhibit will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the major country music happenings in the prior year. Highlights of 2017 will be represented by artifacts from Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Randy Travis and Chris Young, with more to be announced.

The Little Big Town exhibit will open on June 29, the Ralph Stanley exhibit will open July 13, the Judds will open Aug. 3, and the Emmylou Harris exhibit will open Oct. 5.

The Country Music Hall of Fame And Museum is one of the most visited museums in the United States, with an unduplicated collection of more than 2.5 million artifacts, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017.

Belmont University Honors Chuck Ainlay With Robert E. Mulloy Award

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Chuck Ainlay

Producer, engineer, and Belmont alumnus Chuck Ainlay was presented the 2017 Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence from the University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business last night (Dec. 5).

“It is an honor to shine a light on Chuck Ainlay for his outstanding career accomplishments and to express our deepest appreciation for his contributions to the music industry and to Belmont’s Curb College,” said Curb College Dean Doug Howard. “Chuck is truly an engineer/producer extraordinaire who is loved and respected by the artists, engineers and industry professionals who have had the great fortune to benefit from his amazing talent.”

Throughout his 30-year engineering career, Ainlay has worked with a diverse list of clients that ranges from George Strait to Dire Straits. His engineering dominance in the country field has been recognized with multiple Grammy nominations for his numerous critically and commercially successful albums. The Nashville Music Association named him Engineer of the Year in 1996 and 1997, and MusicRow Magazine voted him the ‘Engineer with the most Top Ten Hits’ as part of its Top 10 Album All-Star Musician Awards in 1999.

Pictured (L-R): Belmont University’s Curb College Dean Doug Howard, Chuck Ainlay, Tony Brown

Ainlay’s long-standing collaboration with Mark Knopfler has resulted in two albums by Dire Straits, as well as production and engineering credits on several of Knopfler’s multi-platinum solo albums. This partnership has also produced two movie scores for the films Wag the Dog and Metroland.

Many within the audio industry also regard Ainlay as a leader in cutting-edge technology as he produced the first all-digital recording out of Nashville. His community involvement includes serving on the Board of Governors and The Producers and Engineers Wing of NARAS, Leadership Music, SAE Advisory Board and the Nashville Chapter Board of the Audio Engineering Society.

The Curb College established the Award of Excellence in 2008 in memory of program founder Bob Mulloy to annually recognize an individual who has achieved a level of excellence in the music business and entertainment industries with notable service to Belmont University and the Nashville community.

Past recipients of the Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence include Troy Tomlinson, Gary Overton, Donna Hilley, the International Entertainment Buyers Association, Vince Gill, Mike Curb, Clair Audio and Bandit Lites.

Nelly Joy Joins Warner/Chappell Nashville Roster

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Pictured (Back row, L-R): BJ Hill, Will Overton, Phil May, Travis Carter, Katie Jelen, Matt Michiels. (Front row, L-R): Ryan Beuschel, Alison Junker, Nelly Joy, Ben Vaughn

Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer Nelly Joy has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Warner/Chappell Nashville.

Joy’s songs have been recorded by Kelly Clarkson, Big & Rich, Colbie Caillat, Jesse & Joy, The Mowglis, Rachel Wammack, and Tegan Marie. Most recently Joy was nominated for Song of the Year at the Latin Grammys for “Ecos De Amor” by Jesse & Joy, which has over 300 million streams worldwide.

Joy co-wrote ten songs on the JaneDear Girls’ first album that debuted at 10 on the Billboard Top Country Charts in 2011. She also has a CMT nomination, two ACM nominations, and has had songs featured on ABC’s GCB, NBC’s The Chase, The Today Show, CNBC and Bunheads. She also just received vocal engineering/production credit on “12 Days of Christmas” by Colbie Caillat featuring Aloe Blacc on the movie A Bad Mom’s Christmas.

IBMA, Foundation For Bluegrass Music Announce Merger

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The International Bluegrass Music Association, Inc. (IBMA) and the Foundation for Bluegrass Music Inc. have merged into a single organization, with the Foundation for Bluegrass Music now known as the IBMA Foundation. The merger recognizes and formalizes the historic relationship between the two organizations and will help to strengthen coordination of their fundraising and operations. The merger became effective on Nov. 30.

The Foundation now enjoys greater access to IBMA’s staff and infrastructure to facilitate joint fundraising and other joint efforts that benefit both organizations. Meanwhile, the IBMA, for the first time since its inception, is able to accept charitable contributions directly from donors, who can claim tax deductions for those contributions. The IBMA will seek to benefit as well from its new capacity to apply for grants as a Section 501(c)(3) organization.

IBMA, the professional bluegrass organization founded in 1985, has created numerous programs to help preserve the legacy of bluegrass music, while supporting the genre’s future. These programs include the Bluegrass Hall of Fame (originally the Bluegrass Hall of Honor), the International Bluegrass Music Museum, the Bluegrass Trust Fund (a safety net for bluegrass professionals), World of Bluegrass, and, in 2007, the Foundation for Bluegrass Music.

Joe Mullins, Chair of the IBMA, added, “I am grateful for the planning and execution of this merger, with many hours invested by the Board of Directors of IBMA, the Board and officers of the Foundation and Paul Schiminger, IBMA E.D., and Nancy Cardwell, the Foundation Administrator. Bluegrass music is our shared passion, and now it’s easier for each member of our community to participate in successfully funding the efforts of the association on behalf of our membership, and the programming encouraged and supported by the Foundation.”

Paul Schiminger, Executive Director of the IBMA emphasized, “The strong 10-year partnership of the IBMA and what is now the IBMA Foundation has now become even stronger. Each organization benefits from this combined effort to carry forward ongoing efforts to educate, connect, and empower the bluegrass community. This merger will create efficiencies to attract and utilize additional resources necessary to fulfill our collective mission.”

Walker Hayes To Launch Good As Gold Tour In February

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Walker Hayes. Photo: Rachel Deeb

Walker Hayes is launching his own 13-city tour, the Good As Gold tour, named for a line in his Gold-certified hit,“You Broke Up With Me.” The tour will kick off Feb. 1 in Uncasville, Connecticut and will run through April. Hayes is gearing up for the release of his debut album, boom., this Friday, (Dec. 8), and “You Broke Up With Me,” which is Top 15 on the charts, has already notched over 50 million streams.

“I am so humbled by folks wanting to see this live that we can do this,” shares Hayes. “I’m so honored to have so many supporters — from my peers to the industry to country radio — on this crazy journey with me. You all have absolutely changed my life.”

Fans can pre-order Hayes’ new album boom. and instantly receive five tracks including the current single, “Beautiful,” “Halloween,” “Shut Up Kenny” and “Beer in The Fridge.”

Tickets for the new tour go on sale this Friday (Dec. 8).

Good As Gold Tour Dates:
February 1 – Mohegan Sun- Wolf Den in Uncasville, Connecticut
February 2 – Paradise Rock Club in Boston, Massachusetts
February 3 – The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland
February 17 – The Coyote Joe’s in Charlotte, North Carolina*
March 1–  Brick Street Bar in Oxford, Ohio
March 2 –  Joe’s on Weed Street in Chicago, Illinois
March 3 –  Stage AE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
March 15 – House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio
March 16 – 8 Seconds Saloon in Indianapolis, Indiana
March 17 –  St. Andrews Hall in Detroit, Michigan
March 24 –  Saddlebags in Savannah, Georgia
April 26 – Buck Owens Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California
April 27– Close LaChance Winery in San Martin, California

*On sale December 15