Ali Matkosky Named Director National Promotion And Strategy At Black River Christian

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Ali Matkosky has been appointed the new Director of National Promotion and Strategy at Black River Christian. Matkosky reports to Black River Christian’s VP of National Promotion Brian Thiele and is based out of Black River’s Music Row offices. 

Matkosky comes to the label from Word Entertainment, where she served as their Director of National Promotion. Prior to her four years at Word, she spent two years at Provident Label Group. Matkosky is an alumnus of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

“I had the privilege of working with Ali for four years before I came to Black River, and I can honestly say that she is one of the best promotion people in this industry,” says Thiele. “We are excited for her to bring her expertise, personality, and passion to Black River Christian!”

“I’m excited to be a part of the growing Black River family,” Matkosky says. “I look forward to working with incredibly talented artists alongside an amazing team.”

Matkosky can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 615-780-3070. 

Margo Price Sets First Ryman Headlining Show

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Margo Price will headline Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium for the first time on May 19, 2018. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Dec. 8 and Tyler Childers will support.

In October 2017, Price released All American Made, her second album via Third Man Records.

Upcoming Margo Price tour dates include:

Jan. 20 – Headliner’s Music Hall – Louisville, KY
Jan. 21 – The Ready Room – St. Louis, MO
Jan. 23 – Knucklehead’s – Kansas City, MO
Jan. 24 – ACM@UCO Performance Lab – Oklahoma City, OK
Jan. 26 – Kessler Theater – Dallas, TX
Jan. 28 – Sam’s Burger Joint – San Antonio, TX
Jan. 30 – Emo’s – Austin, TX
Jan. 31 – The Heights Theater – Houston, TX
Feb. 1 – Manship Theatre – Baton Rouge, LA
Feb. 4-11 – Cayamo Cruise – New Orleans, LA
Feb. 18 – The Crescent Ballroom – Phoenix, AZ
Feb. 20 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO
Feb. 21 – Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO
Feb. 23 – The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT
Feb. 24 – The Olympic – Boise, ID
Feb. 25 – Neptune – Seattle, WA
Feb. 26 – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR
Feb. 28 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
March  1 – The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
March 2 – Belly Up – Solana Beach, CA
March 3 – Pappy & Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA
March 9 – C2C Country 2 Country – Glasgow, UK
March 10 – C2C Country 2 Country – Dublin, Ireland
March 11 – C2C Country 2 Country – London, UK
May 19 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN

Jessi Vaughn Upped To A&R Strategy Coordinator At Warner/Chappell Nashville

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Jessi Vaughn

Jessi Vaughn has been promoted to the newly-created position of A&R Strategy Coordinator for Warner/Chappell Nashville.

In her new role, Vaughn will act as a central A&R team member to develop songwriters and improve their branding, digital strategy and marketing activities. In addition to artist development, Vaughn will also work the Warner/Chappell catalog, identify and solicit co-writing opportunities, recruit songwriters, and generally support A&R projects and events in Nashville.

 

‘MusicRow’ Reveals 2018 Next Big Thing List

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MusicRow is proud to reveal its list of artists, who in 2018, are predicted to become the Next Big Thing (NBT). The 4th annual NBT list features 11 artists, who are each profiled in MusicRow‘s latest 2018 Touring Issue print magazine, which hits shelves Tuesday, Dec. 5.

As in years past, MusicRow‘s Next Big Thing artists range from established hit makers prepping their next moves, to newcomers ready to claim their turns in the spotlight.

“It’s a privilege to bestow MusicRow‘s 2018 Next Big Thing title to these talented artists who are set to excel to higher prominence in the coming year,” says MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson. “There’s no doubt these deserving artists will have a significant impact in 2018 and we look forward to following them every step of the way.”

Be sure to pick up your copy of the 2018 Touring Issue print magazine here, or receive your copy with purchase of a yearly subscription.

NBT edit by: Sarah Skates

MusicRow‘s 2018 Next Big Thing List

Ashley McBryde

Atlantic-Warner Music Nashville / Q Prime / WME / The Song Factory / BMI

Ashley McBryde. Photo: John Peets

Ashley McBryde is the traditional female songstress that country music has been missing. Her songs are filled with stories of honesty and hope, carried through the microphone by warm lilting vocals. While expertly conjuring classic country elements, McBryde still manages to be radio ready.

Her debut single for Atlantic/Warner Music Nashville, “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega,” reached No. 1 on SiriusXM The Highway’s Hot 30 in 2017. When it recently hit terrestrial radio she was welcomed with open arms as the most added new artist and most added female.

McBryde is prepping the upcoming release of her album Girl Goin’ Nowhere, produced by studio wiz Jay Joyce. In the meantime, the singer is staying busy on the road. McBryde and Dinah (her trusty Gibson J-45 acoustic) have shared the stage with Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, and are joining Luke Combs on tour in 2018.

 

Brent Cobb

Low Country Sound-Elektra Records / Red Light Management / Paradigm Agency / Carnival Music / BMI

Brent Cobb. Photo: Don VanCleave

Brent Cobb etched a mark on the country/Americana scene with the release of his major label debut Shine On Rainy Day. His southern rock sound was embraced by fans and critics, yielding the Georgia native an Americana Music Award nomination for Emerging Artist of the Year. The album recently earned Cobb a Grammy nomination in the Best Americana Album category.

For more than a decade, Cobb has been making music and building a career, scoring cuts by Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan and Little Big Town. He has paid his dues on the road, and in 2017 completed a sold-out European headlining run, then joined Chris Stapleton’s extensive U.S. tour.

Ramping up for 2018, Cobb is poised to make an even bigger impact, including opening for Lambert and releasing a new album. He returned to the studio with Grammy-winner Dave Cobb (also his cousin), and fans are enjoying a groovy preview of the project thanks to soulful lead single “Ain’t A Road Too Long.”

 

Carly Pearce

Big Machine Records-BMLG / Vector Management / CAA / BMG / ASCAP

Carly Pearce. Photo: Courtesy Big Machine Records

The sparse production and soft-spoken delivery of Carly Pearce’s breakout single “Every Little Thing” offers a stark contrast to many of the songs on country radio, but therein lies its appeal. The track has consistently attracted listeners since its first spin on SiriusXM in December 2016. A year later, the single was certified Gold and reached No. 1 on the Mediabase and Billboard Airplay charts, making her one of only four solo females to reach the top of the charts with a debut single in 15 years. With such powerful momentum, Pearce released the follow-up “If My Name Was Whiskey,” scoring her second chart-topper on SiriusXM.

Pearce has been dreaming of a career in country music since she was a five-year-old girl in Kentucky. By age 11 she was honing her traditional vocal stylings with a bluegrass band, and at age 16 she left high school to perform in six shows a day at Dollywood.

After moving to Nashville eight years ago, Pearce continued running down her dream which is coming true piece by piece: She signed with Big Machine Records, released her debut album Every Little Thing, and has opened tours for Thomas Rhett and Blake Shelton.

 

Devin Dawson

Atlantic Records-Warner Music Nashville / Sandbox Entertainment / CAA / Neon Cross-Warner/Chappell / BMI

Devin Dawson. Photo: Courtesy Warner Music Nashville

The story of talented newcomer Devin Dawson begins in a house nestled in the shadows of legendary Folsom Prison in California, where he grew up absorbing the sounds of Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Creedence Clearwater Revival. He followed that love of music across the country to study at Nashville’s Belmont University. Before graduation, he already had a viral hit with a unique mash-up of two Taylor Swift songs.

Dawson’s vibey blend of pop/rock can be found on his Top 20 and climbing single “All On Me,” which has tallied over 30 million on-demand streams. The music video, which was shot in mostly black-and-white at the infamous Tennessee State Prison, has been viewed almost two million times.

A talented songwriter, Dawson co-wrote all 12 cuts on his debut album, Dark Horse, including the deeply personal title track. Jay Joyce produced the set, which will release Jan. 19. Dawson is on the road through the end of the year with labelmate Michael Ray.

 

Dylan Scott

Curb Records / McMurry Entertainment Group / WME

Dylan Scott. Photo: Joseph Llanes

Dylan Scott’s upbeat hit “My Girl” sent his career into overdrive, becoming his first No. 1 and first Platinum-certified song. Now his steamy follow-up single, “Hooked,” is ascending the country radio charts and has surpassed 12 million Spotify streams.

Scott has been growing his career since the release of his first single in 2013. His debut album followed in 2016, spawning the major hit “My Girl.” With that success, he met fan demand by offering a deluxe version of the self-titled debut and releasing his first holiday EP, Merry Christmas. A hard-touring artist, Scott spent 2017 playing his own headlining dates and enjoying an opening spot with hitmaker Justin Moore.

Growing up in Louisiana, Scott learned the basics of singing and playing guitar from his father—a former guitarist for Freddy Fender and Freddy Hart. Heading into 2018, Scott will become a father himself.

 

Luke Combs

River House Artists-Columbia Nashville-Sony Nashville / Make Wake / CAA / 50 Egg Music-Big Machine Music / BMI

Luke Combs. Photo: Matthew Berinato

It’s a rare feat for a country newcomer to sell out back-to-back nights at the Ryman Auditorium, but that’s just the latest milestone in a year that keeps getting bigger and better for Luke Combs. Like a lyric from his latest multi-week No. 1, “When It Rains It Pours,” Combs was showered with good fortune last year and is poised for even more in 2018.

His career launched with the gale-force strength of debut single “Hurricane,” which topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase chart for two consecutive weeks, making him the first debut country male to achieve a multi-week No. 1 since 2001. The track went on to earn Platinum certification.

Combs’ major label debut, This One’s For You, landed at No. 1 and remains the top-selling debut country album released last year.

This success comes after years of touring, songwriting, and dues-paying for the Asheville, North Carolina native, all leading to a coveted CMA Award nomination for New Artist of the Year and a presenting spot on the show.

 

Midland

Big Machine Records-BMLG / Sandbox Entertainment / BRND MGMT / CAA / Warner/Chappell / BMI-ASCAP

Midland. Photo: Harper Smith

Midland brings a throwback swagger to country music, donning Nudie-style suits and playing songs reminiscent of traditionalists Dwight Yoakam and George Strait.

Thanks to the debut single “Drinkin’ Problem,” lead singer Mark Wystrach, bass player Cameron Duddy and guitarist Jess Carson even have a No. 1 hit and Gold certification under their rhinestone belt buckles. (Duddy directed the music video, bringing with him an amazing track record of shooting spectacular videos for Bruno Mars.) Radio continues to embrace Midland, as the band’s second single “Make A Little,” was the most added song for two consecutive weeks.

The trio’s debut album, On The Rocks, was produced by three other big-time hitmakers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Dann Huff, which helped it reach the top of the charts. In 2018, Midland will bring their neo-retro sound to fans nationwide, performing on top tours with Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves and Thomas Rhett.

 

Parmalee

Stoney Creek Records-BBR Music Group / Pennington Entertainment / WME / Universal Music Publishing-27861 Music / BMI

Parmalee. Photo: Joseph Llanes

Parmalee’s new album, 27861, is packed with radio-ready hooks sure to attract fans, just like the band did with its breakout single “Carolina,” which reached No. 1 at radio and went on to Platinum certification.

Since then, Parmalee has earned an ACM Award nomination for New Vocal Duo/Group of the Year, and hundreds of millions of song and video streams. Following that initial success, brothers Matt Thomas and Scott Thomas, cousin Barry Knox, and friend Josh McSwain returned to the studio. The result is their 2017 sophomore album, named after the zip code of their hometown Parmele, NC.

Matt Thomas co-wrote nine of the album’s 12 tracks, and enlisted the help of songwriting heavyweights busbee, Hillary Lindsey, and Ross Copperman. The project’s hook-laden set of singalongs includes “American Nights,” “Back In The Game,” and “Like a Photograph.”

 

Russell Dickerson

Triple Tigers Records-Sony Music Entertainment / Dennis Entertainment / CAA / BMG / BMI

Russell Dickerson. Photo: Kailey Dickerson

Russell Dickerson’s breakout song “Yours” was a viral hit with more than 65 million streams before it even broke the Top 20 on the country airplay charts. The romantic ballad’s popularity scored him performances on ABC’s The Bachelorette and NBC’s Today Show, and earned the track Gold certification.

The Tennessee native drew from influences including Garth Brooks and Keith Urban when crafting his debut EP, Yours, the first release on Triple Tigers Records, a joint venture with Sony Music.

In 2017, Dickerson continued to gain fans online and in concert, touring with Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett. Driven by Spotify streams tallying more than 35 million, his track “Blue Tacoma” was featured in the X-Men film Logan. And his large presence on the platform led to Spotify selecting Dickerson as the inaugural country artist for its new program Rise, designed to identify and break the next wave of music superstars.

 

Tyminski

Mercury Nashville-UMG / Triple 8 Management / WME / Ten Ten / BMI

Tyminski. Photo: Lori Christian

Revered musician Dan Tyminski ditched his first name and reinvented himself with the creation of Tyminski in late 2017. The result is a cool hybrid of country music; a unique combination of high-lonesome vocals, electronic production and vivid storytelling.

To create his deliciously dark album, Southern Gothic, Tyminski teamed with talented producer Jesse Frasure and co-wrote with some of Nashville’s finest songwriters.

Tyminski began the solo project after the success of Avicii’s 2014 international pop hit “Hey Brother,” featuring Tyminski’s trademark vocals. That song tallied global streams of over 1.1 billion and downloads of 5.3 million, and spurred him to venture outside the acoustic music lane which had earned him 14 Grammy Awards, whether he was singing with longtime band Alison Krauss and Union Station, or as George Clooney’s character in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? He has previously released three solo albums.

 

Walker Hayes

Monument Records-Sony Music / SMACK Management / CAA / SMACKSongs-Rarespark Media Group / BMI

Walker Hayes. Photo: Courtesy Essential Broadcast Media

“Boom.” That’s the sound of Walker Hayes dropping bombastic new sounds into country music. It’s also the name of his album on Monument Records, a collection of unusual beats and unique perspectives delivered via a blend of spoken-word-rap and subtle singing. Fans are digging it, because lead single “You Broke Up With Me” is Top 30-and-climbing on the country charts with over 31 million streams.

Through his self-penned collection, Hayes lets listeners in on his real life, ranging from struggles with addiction to supporting a family between record deals. This candid music has attracted high-profile fans including Bobby Bones, who champions Hayes on his influential radio show. Signed to newly re-launched Monument Records, Hayes’ powerful team includes label co-Presidents Jason Owen and Shane McAnally, the latter of which also produced the new album.

Hayes has performed with Bones, as well as Dan + Shay, and now has a coveted opening spot on Thomas Rhett’s tour.

Industry Pics: Luke Combs, Disney, SESAC, Clint Black

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Luke Combs Celebrates Gold-Certified Debut Album

Pictured (front row, L-R): Alex Heddle, Big Machine Music Publishing; Mike Molinar, Big Machine Music Publishing; Lyndsay Church, Sony Music Nashville; Luke Combs; Paige Altone, Sony Music Nashville; Lauren Thomas, Sony Music Nashville; Mary Catherine Kinney, Sony Music Nashville; Tracy Fleaner, Sony Music Nashville; and Chris Kappy, MAKE WAKE Management; (back row, L-R): Shane Allen, Sony Music Nashville; Lynn Oliver-Cline, River House Artists; John Zarling, Sony Music Nashville; Taylor Lindsey, Sony Music Nashville; Steve Hodges, Sony Music Nashville; and Ed Rivadavia, Sony Music Nashville. [CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Luke Combs was surprised Thursday night (Nov. 30) by team members from River House Artists, Sony Music Nashville, Make Wake Artists and Big Machine Publishing with the news that his debut album This One’s For You had achieved RIAA Gold certification. The news came exactly six months after Combs released the project.

Combs will release his third single from the project, “One Number Away,” on January 8. This follows his two back-to-back multi-week No. 1 hits–the Platinum-certified “Hurricane” and Gold-certified “When It Rains It Pours.” Today Combs was also announced as a finalist for CRS’ annual New Faces Of Country Music Show for February 2018.

 

Disney Music Publishing Holds Annual Songwriting Camp

Pictured (back row, L-R): Brandon Kitchen (Director, A&R, DMG), Tony Ferrari, Jintae Ko, Doug Rockwell, Louis Schoorl, Nick Pingree, Steph Jones, and Peter Lloyd (Director, A&R); (front row L-R): Barbara Vander Linde (VP, DMP), Dewain Whitmore, Jr., Jason Mater, Blush, Tina Parol, Jordan Power, Mio Vukovic (SVP Creative, DMG), and Johnny Dibb. [CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Disney Music Publishing (DMP) held their annual songwriting camp last month at Resonate Studios in Burbank, California. DMP writers from Nashville and Los Angeles all gathered together and collaborated on daily writing and recording sessions for a multitude of artists and projects. This group of writers have penned songs for pop and country artists, brand licensing, theme parks and more.

The camp was hosted by Disney Music Group Senior Vice President of Creative Mio Vukovic and DMP Vice President Barbara Vander Linde.

 

SESAC’s Jake Rose Performs At Wildhorse Saloon

Pictured (L-R): Rezonant Music Publishing’s Tim Wipperman, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, artist Jake Rose and SESAC’s ET Brown.

SESAC singer/songwriter Jake Rose performed at the Wildhorse Saloon last Thursday night (Nov. 30). Rose spent time with Rezonant Music Publishing’s Tim Wipperman and SESAC’s Shannan Hatch and ET Brown before taking the stage.

 

Nashville Music Industry Helps Raise Money For Special Forces Operations

Pictured (L-R): Songwriters Jon Nite, Chris DeStefano and JT Harding perform at Tomahawk Charitable’s 2017 Nashville Benefit supporting Special Operations Forces on November 14, 2017.

Nashville-based Tomahawk Charitable Solutions recently hosted a fundraiser benefitting Special Forces Operations at City Winery. The sold-out event—featuring Clint Black, Tyler Farr and songwriters Chris DeStefano, JT Harding, Jon Nite and Houston Phillips—was attended by many music industry executives and raised over $300,000 to aid our nation’s service members. Highlights included Pat Martin, of Martin’s BBQ, winning a live auction for a bottle of Silver Oak from Black’s personal wine collection.

Clint Black performs at City Winery for Tomahawk Charitable’s 2017 Nashville Benefit supporting Special Operations Forces on November 14, 2017.

Pictured (L-R): Larry McGrath, Clint Black, Keith Walawender (CEO, Tomahawk Strategic), and Daysha McGrath backstage at Tomahawk Charitable’s 2017 Nashville Benefit supporting Special Operations Forces at City Winery.

Brandi Brammer Joins WME

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Brandi Brammer

WME has announced former CAA Human Resources executive Brandi Brammer has joined its Nashville office in a role helping develop business strategy, client relations and daily operations. Brammer will also work as a liaison between Nashville and the rest of WME’s offices.

“We are thrilled that Brandi has decided to join our team in Nashville,” said Scott Clayton, Co-Head of WME’s Nashville office and first to start a migration of now four executives including Matthew Morgan and Buster Phillips. “I am excited to continue our successful 10 year plus partnership, and we are all looking forward to working with Brandi to grow WME’s business in Nashville and around the globe.”

In her previous role at CAA, Brammer led the Human Resources team and managed operations for the agency’s Nashville office. She also grew the office from 38 employees to more than 120, ultimately expanding her role to function as the lead Human Resources Business Partner and Recruiter for the CAA offices throughout the Southeast region.

During her career, Brammer has served on many philanthropic committees and boards, recently honored for the second year in a row with Nashville Business Journal. Brammer began her career at CAA in its Los Angeles office before joining the Academy of Country Music as Director of Events. She rejoined CAA’s Nashville office in 2007.

WME also announced the promotion of Sarah Van Hoven to Director of Human Resources for the Nashville office, continuing to serve as the HR lead for the office’s 119 employees.

Montgomery Gentry Announces New Tour: Here’s To You

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Montgomery Gentry’s Eddie Montgomery is taking the band’s latest studio album, Here’s To You, on the road with the Here’s To You tour this winter. When he returns to the stage January 19, it will mark an emotional return to the road for member Eddie Montgomery for the first time since Troy Gentry was killed in a tragic helicopter accident earlier this year.

The 25-date tour will hit Indianapolis, Augusta, Sioux Falls, Birmingham, Ridgefield, CT and more through September.

“I’m anxious to get back out on the road and play some new music for our friends and fans,” reveals Montgomery. “Next year marks the 20th anniversary of our band – we’ve got lots to celebrate and look forward to in 2018.”

“Better Me,” the lead single from the new album, set for release on February 2, 2018, is currently on Country radio and was penned by Jamie Moore, Josh Hoge, and Randy Montana.

Here’s To You Tour Dates:

1/19/18 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford Premier Center+
1/20/18 – St. Charles, MO – The Family Arena+
2/9/18 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
2/10/18 – Springfield, IL – Boondocks
2/23/18 – Indianapolis, IN – 8 Seconds Saloon
3/2/18 – Clifton Park, NY – Upstate Concert Hall
3/3/18 – Lynchburg, VA – Phase 2
3/9/18 – Jordan, NY – Kegs Canalside
3/10/18 – Warrendale, PA – Jergel’s
3/16/18 – Medina, OH – Thirsty Cowboy
3/17/18 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone
3/22/18 – Augusta, GA – Country Club Dance Hall and Saloon
3/23/18 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City
6/2/18 – Marion, KS – Chingawassa Days Festival
7/6/18 – Ft. Loramie, OH – Country Concert at Hickory Hill Lakes
7/13/18 – New Salem, ND – ND Country Fest
7/14/18 – Pierz, MN – Pierz Freedom Fest
7/20/18 – Hillsboro, MO – Jefferson County Fair
7/21/18 – Springville, IN – The Boogie
7/27/18 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse
7/28/18 – Bar Harbor, ME – Criterion Theater
8/2/18 – West Allis, WI – Wisconsin State Fair
8/17/18 – Zanesville, OH – Muskingum County Fair
9/8/18 – Manistee, MI – Little River Casino
9/15/18 – Ventura, CA – Boots and Brews
+ Supporting act for Alabama

Weekly Register: Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks Continue To Reign On Albums Chart

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Now in it’s third week of release, Taylor Swift‘s reputation has retained the top spot on the overall albums chart, bringing in an additional 147K units for a combined 1.58M moved in the US. On Friday, Dec. 1, reputation became available on streaming services, where it was previously limited to physical sales.

For the country albums charts, Garth Brooks moves to the No. 1 slot with his Anthology Part 1: The First Five Years box set, which debuted last week at No. 2 with 53K. This week the anthology, which comes with a 240-page book, moved 57K, for a combined 110K units to date. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill‘s duets project for Sony, The Rest Of Our Life, flip flops this week with Brooks, landing at No. 2 on the country chart with 24K, compared with 104K units moved last week when it debuted. Sitting at No. 3 for the second week is Blake Shelton‘s Texoma Shore, which saw 21K units moved this week for 130K cumulative sales. Thomas Rhett follows at No. 4 with Life Changes, at 16K this week, while Kane Brown notches the No. 5 sot with his self-titled project moving 14K.

Debut albums this week included Cole Swindell‘s Down Home Sessions IV with Warner, garnering 2.7K units while Jake Owen‘s Greatest Hits release from ex-label RCA broke out with 2.5K.

For the country single sales, the Florida Georgia Line feature with Bebe Rexha, “Meant To Be” sits at No. 1 with 25K this week, for a total of 404K since release. Down from the top spot last week at No. 2 is LANCO’s “Greatest Love Story,” moving 13K. The No. 3 song this week is Kane Brown duet with Lauren Alaina, “What If’s,” with 9.3K. Blake Shelton’s “I’ll Name The Dogs” sits at No. 4 with 9.1K while Chris Stapleton’s “Broken Halos” moved 8.4K.

The Voice contestant Red Marlow is the top country debut with his cover of Garth Brooks’ “The Dance” at No. 8 with 8.2K. In addition to Bebe Rexha, FGL also lends a hand to Big Loud artist Morgan Wallen‘s “Up Down,” which went for adds on Nov. 7 but has already garnered 32K in cumulative sales, 3.6K this week.

Information courtesy of Nielsen Soundscan.

Official Curb/Word Entertainment Announcement Elevates Four Key Executives

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After the complete purchase of Word Label Group in 2016 and the October elevation of Jim Ed Norman to CEO, Recorded Music and Publishing, Chairman Mike Curb has officially announced the establishment of Curb/Word Entertainment today, Dec. 4.

The announcement subsequently elevates four key executives, including Benson Curb, Jeff Tuerff and Ryan Dokke overseeing a 12 member marketing and promotion department for Curb/Word Entertainment. Bryan Stewart, former VP A&R, will be elevated to SVP of A&R for Curb/Word Entertainment.

Similarly, Benson Curb has been elevated from VP Sales to SVP of Revenue and Marketing, Curb/Word Entertainment; Jeff Tuerff has been upped from VP Marketing to SVP of Marketing, Curb/Word Entertainment. Ryan Dokke sees an elevation from VP Promotion, to SVP of Promotion, Curb/Word Entertainment.

“We’ve witnessed dramatic changes in the entertainment industry over the last decade. Benson, Bryan, Jeff and Ryan have met these challenges with the necessary enthusiasm and understanding to successfully market music and artists to multiple genres. This combined company effort will allow artists on our rosters to draw on the full breadth of experience and talent these executives exhibit. Bringing Curb and Word together will create opportunities for our artists that individual and separate companies can’t,” said Norman.

Additional executive promotions and announcements are expected in the coming weeks.

Reminder: Lee Thomas Miller Rally At BMI Today

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A rally for Lee Thomas Miller‘s run for Congress is happening this afternoon in the BMI Lobby from 4-6 p.m.

The event is being hosted by Shannan Hatch, Bart Herbison, Michael Martin, Liz Rose, Ben Vaughn, Jody Williams, and Craig Wiseman. Host committee members include Jim Beavers, busbee, Tom Douglas, Jim Free, Mitch Glazier, Ben Hayslip, Brett James, Kelley Lovelace, Tim Nichols, Frank Rogers, Stacie Standifer, Jeff Stevens, Troy Verges, Brad Warren, Brett Warren and Kris Wiatr.

RSVPs go to 615-830-7000 or [email protected].