Weekly Register: Jason Aldean Tops Country Albums Chart

/by

Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean‘s Rearview Town returns to the top of the country albums chart this week, according to Nielsen Soundscan. Rearview Town moved 38K this week in total consumption. Luke Combs‘ This One’s For You is at No. 2, with 26K, followed by last week’s No. 1 album, Dierks Bentley‘s The Mountain, which falls to No. 3 this week with 18K.

Kane Brown‘s self-titled album is at No. 4 with 16K, followed by Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller at No. 5 with 11K.

Florida Georgia Line‘s “Simple” tops the country song sales chart this week, with 21K, as the duo also takes the No. 2 spot with their smash hit “Meant To Be,” with 17K.

Dan+Shay‘s “Tequila,” from their newly released, self-titled album, is at No. 3 with 16K. Jason Aldean’s “Drowns The Whiskey” ft. Miranda Lambert is at No. 4, with 13K. Kenny Chesney rounds out the Top 5 with “Get Along.”

Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum Promotes Ali Tonn

/by

CMHOF Leadership headshots and group shots on June 22, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Donn Jones Photography

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has promoted Ali Tonn to Senior Director of Education & Public Programs.

Tonn directs educational programming at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, including all content developed and provided in the Museum’s Taylor Swift Education Center. Tonn began work at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the fall of 2005. Since then, the education division has seen a 350 percent increase in participation with current engagement reaching over 100,000 individuals each year. The opening of the Taylor Swift Education Center in 2013 enabled the creation of new programs and services for students, teachers, and family audiences. A videoconference lab in the center allows for long-distance support to schools and community organizations far from Nashville, with partnerships for schools in New York City and Los Angeles.

Locally, Tonn helped develop the partnership with Nashville Public Library’s Wishing Chair Productions with the joint-creation of String City: Nashville’s Tradition of Music and Puppetry, showcasing Nashville’s traditions of country music and puppetry arts. She played a key role in the creation and launch of the 2017 Community Counts: Museum Admission Program for Locals enabling wider museum access for area residents. Tonn’s work has been recognized through awards from the American Alliance of Museums, Tennessee Association of Museums, and the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society of Key Women Educators.

Tonn holds a B. A. in Music and Music History from the University of Kansas and a M. A. in Arts Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to joining the museum, she worked with the Madison Civic Center in Wisconsin where she directed children’s programs; the Manhattan School of Music where she supported the Graduate Program in Orchestral Performance and administered the Conservatory’s Community Outreach efforts; and the W.O. Smith Community Music School in Nashville where she taught flute, piano, and music theory, created instructional materials, managed volunteers music teachers and assisted with various other operational needs.

SXSW 2019 Accepting Submissions For Panels, Music Performers

/by

South by Southwest Conference and Festivals has launched its 2019 season with the opening of PanelPicker programming proposals, Film Festival submissions, and Music Showcasing Artist applications for next year’s event. SXSW will be held March 8-17, 2019, in Austin, Texas.

PanelPicker, an online tool that allows the SXSW community to have a significant voice in programming conference activities through an open proposal and voting process, will accept proposals through Friday, July 20, 2018. Community voting begins Monday, Aug. 6, 2018 and continues through Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018.

Programming tracks that feature sessions from beginner to advanced-level include: Blockchain & Cryptocurrency; Brands & Marketing; Coding & Development; Design; Entrepreneurship & Startups; Future Workplace; Health & MedTech; Intelligent Future; Style & Retail; Tech Industry & Enterprise; Entertainment Influencers; Film & TV Industry; Making Film & Episodics; Making & Marketing Music; Music Industry & Culture; Touring & Live Experience; Cannabusiness; Cities, Government, & Politics; CLE; Experiential Storytelling; Food; Media & Journalism; Social & Global Impact; Sports; and VR/AR/MR.

The SXSW Music Festival is also accepting artist applications to showcase at the 2019 Music Festival. The application period closes on Oct. 25.

The SXSW Music Festival showcased 2,057 artists on 100 stages, featuring 569 international acts representing 66 countries. The 7-day SXSW official music showcase attendance totaled 161,000 at 2,729 total performances. Performers were selected from 6,678 applicants.

Shadowboxers Join Select Justin Timberlake European Tour Dates, Release ‘Shadowboxer’ Remix

/by

The Shadowboxers

The Shadowboxers (Adam Hoffman, Matt Lipkins and Scott Tyler) will also be joining Justin Timberlake’s Man Of The Woods Tour for select dates on the tour’s European leg beginning July 3 in Paris. The group received plenty of critical praise during the Spring US run, where they opened 30+ dates from March to early June.

In celebration, the group will release a remix of “Shadowboxer” by French DJ/producer Hugel on June 29. The song originally appeared on the band’s debut EP APOLLO, which was released in March via Villa 40/Sony/Red Music.

Tickets for the tour are on sale now, with VIP information coming soon.

Originally creating buzz with their YouTube cover of Timberlake’s “Pusher Love Girl,” the trio have since garnered over 4.5 million streams of original material on Spotify and Apple Music to date and growing.

THE SHADOWBOXERS – 2018 MAN OF THE WOODS Opening Act Tour Dates:
July 3: Paris, France AccorHotels Arena
July 4: Paris, France AccorHotels Arena
July 7: Glasgow, Scotland SSE Hydro
July 9: London, England O2 Arena
July 11: London, England O2 Arena
July 13: Mannheim, Germany SAP Arena
July 15: Amsterdam, Netherlands Ziggo Dome
July 17: Antwerp, Belgium Sportpaleis
July 18: Antwerp, Belgium Sportpaleis
July 21: Cologne, Germany Lanxess Arena
July 22: Cologne, Germany Lanxess Arena
July 31: Stockholm, Sweden Friends Arena
Aug. 2: Oslo, Norway Telenor Arena
Aug. 4: Copenhagen, Denmark Royal Arena
Aug. 5: Copenhagen, Denmark Royal Arena
Aug. 8: Hamburg, Germany Barclaycard Arena
Aug. 9: Hamburg, Germany Barclaycard Arena

Craig Wiseman’s 14th Annual Stars For Second Harvest Benefit Achieves Record-Breaking Evening

/by

Craig Wiseman. Photo: Peyton Hoge

Craig Wiseman‘s 14th Annual Stars For Second Harvest Benefit, held June 5 at the Ryman Auditorium, raised a record-breaking total of $180,000 for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. The Big Loud Party featured all Big Loud artists and writers including Jake Owen, Morgan Wallen, Jillian Jaqueline, Mason Ramsey, Chris Tompkins, Rodney Clawson, Matt Dragstrem and Wiseman as host.

Funds raised at this year’s benefit bring the 14-year total to $1.3 million which goes to support the hungry in Middle Tennessee. Presenting sponsor O’Charley’s, along with stage sponsor Nissan North America and Second Harvest supporter Steve Pariso, all made generous donations to help reach the record-breaking total.

“It’s astounding that in year 14, we’ve exceeded all previous years with the amount raised. I am so grateful for all of the fans, artists and supporters of this incredible event. Each and every one of them has helped us year after year to support this great cause,” said Wiseman. “It is a blessing to work alongside our generous sponsors O’Charley’s and Nissan North America and a special shout out to Steve Pariso for his generosity. With their help we are able to touch the lives of so many who struggle to find a meal.”

Since its inception, the annual event has raised enough to provide over 5.2 million meals to Middle Tennesseans at risk of hunger.

Jake Owen. Photo: Peyton Hoge.

Mason Ramsey. Photo: Peyton Hoge

Concert Impresario Joe Sullivan Passes

/by

 


Former Nashville concert, management and radio mogul Joe Sullivan died on Friday, June 22, at age 76. During the 1970s and 1980s, Sullivan’s Sound Seventy Corporation was a leading concert-promotion firm in the Southeast. His artist-management clients included Charlie Daniels, Wet Willie, Bobby Bare, Dobie Gray, Nicolette Larson and Dickie Betts.

Sullivan was a native of Manchester, Tennessee. He began his show-business career as a disc jockey on that city’s WMSR radio station. He spent 15 years in the radio industry. It was said that every station he was affiliated with earned its market’s No. 1 rating. By 1969, he was program director at WMAK, then Nashville’s top rock broadcaster.

At the time, most major rock acts bypassed Music City on tour. Sullivan booked Steppenwolf into Municipal Auditorium in early 1970, which launched Sound Seventy. The firm soon changed the face of live music in Nashville.

In 1973, Sullivan brought headliners such as The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers Band, Leon Russell and Alice Cooper to Nashville. Five years later, Sound Seventy was also promoting shows in Birmingham, Huntsville, Shreveport, Montgomery, Chattanooga, Dallas, Johnson City, Louisville, New Orleans, Knoxville, Baton Rouge, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Mobile and Pensacola.

But Nashville remained the impresario’s main focus. In 1978-79, alone, he brought to the city such superstars as David Bowie, Van Halen, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, The Doobie Brothers, The Jacksons, Elton John, The Eagles, Queen and Billy Joel. In addition to management and concert promotion, Sullivan expanded into song publishing, record promotion and tour merchandising. By the mid 1980s, Sound Seventy was a multi-million dollar Nashville company.

Journey, Tom Jones, Elvis Costello, Bob Hope, Jimmy Buffett, Rod Stewart, Kiss, Linda Ronstadt, Muhammad Ali, Bob Seger, The Beach Boys, Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Dylan, Chicago, James Taylor, Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Neil Young, Cyndi Lauper, Don Henley and Heart had all enjoyed huge box office successes with Sound Seventy by the time the business celebrated its 15th anniversary in 1985.

So had such country superstars as Willie Nelson, Ronnie Milsap, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Anne Murray, Emmylou Harris and Hank Williams Jr.
In the 1990s, Joe Sullivan moved to Branson, Missouri, and formed The Sullivan Company. In the 2000s, he worked with Larry Gatlin, Rick Springfield, The Fifth Dimension, The Lawrence Welk Orchestra, Billy Ray Cyrus and others in this new show-promotion venture. He had reportedly been in ill health for the past several years.

According to Nashville music industry veteran Steve Greil, Joe Sullivan’s body is being donated to a research hospital in Memphis. Services will take place in Branson and burial will be n Manchester.

Centricity Music’s Lauren Daigle Celebrates Platinum Album

/by

Pictured (L-R): Centricity Senior VP of A&R John Mays, Centricity VP of Publishing Chad Segura, Lauren Daigle, Centricity General Manager Steve Ford

Centricity Music artist Lauren Daigle’s debut album, How Can It Be, has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. Released in 2015, How Can It Be is one of only five albums in the Christian genre to attain Platinum status since 2003, and the first from a female artist since 2001.

Daigle’s album has received two Grammy nominations and earned her two Billboard Awards and an American Music Award. Three songs from the album, “How Can It Be,” “Trust In You,” and “O’Lord,” have also been certified Gold by RIAA.

“There are moments in life that show you years worth of time and hard work. When they told me ‘How Can It Be’ has been certified platinum, I was overcome with the awareness that every year of my life has built up to this moment and led to this first milestone,” says Lauren. “It could only be made possible by people willing to open up their heart and share their vulnerability with others through music. I’m so incredibly grateful. To all who have supported, you made this happen!”

“Having How Can It Be reach Platinum status shows the hard work and dedication from Lauren and her ability to connect with so many people from all over the world,” Centricity CEO Caren Seidle said. “When I first heard Lauren sing in a small church six years ago, she made me sit up and appreciate the sound and the message- it was as if I was the only one in the room. I think everyone who hears Lauren feels that way, like she is speaking to them personally.”

Matthew West Issues Deluxe Version Of ‘All In,’ Featuring Acoustic Tracks

/by

Matthew West has released a special version of his chart-topping album All In, featuring five new acoustic tracks.

The new tracks included on the redelivered version include the title track “All In,” as well as “Jesus & You,” “The Beautiful Things We Miss,” “Mercy Is A Song” and the No. 1 hit song “Broken Things.”

“The songwriting process for [All In], and every record I make, usually begins with my guitar and my journal. From there, these songs begin to take shape and I get to watch them grow up throughout my time in the studio until they’re all ready to be sent out into the world,” said West. “But there’s something special to me about revisiting these songs and playing them the way they were first written – leaving some of the bells and whistles behind. That’s why I wanted to re-release this record I’m so proud of, with new versions of some of the songs in a more stripped-down form.”

The special release follows the sixth annual K-LOVE Fan Awards, where West teamed up with longtime friend Mandisa to host his fourth K-LOVE Awards at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.

 

Scooter Carusoe Signs Joint Venture With Rezonant Music Publishing, BMG

/by

Pictured (L-R): Kos Weaver/BMG; Scooter Carusoe; Tim Wipperman/Rezonant

Scooter Carusoe has signed a joint venture publishing deal with Rezonant Music Publishing and BMG. The companies have also purchased his recent catalog. 

Carusoe co-wrote Darius Rucker’s latest No. 1, “For the First Time,” as well as the Brett Eldredge chart toppers  “Wanna Be That Song” and “Mean To Me” and Kenny Chesney hits “Better As A Memory” and “Anything But Mine.” He has also had songs recorded by Jordan Davis, Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts, Chris Janson, Chris Young, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Eli Young Band and more.

“The opportunity to work with an elite lyricist like Scooter as well as Kos and his creative team at BMG was compelling for us at Rezonant,” said Tim Wipperman, Rezonant’s CEO and founding partner. “It’s a great combination.”

“Scooter is one of the best songwriters around, and in a lane all his own,” said Kos Weaver, BMG EVP Nashville. “We are thrilled to be representing him with Tim and Rezonant.”

“I am very proud to be part of the Rezonant team,” said Carusoe. “They are an exciting addition to the Nashville music community and the perfect partner for me as I start a new chapter in my career. The uniqueness of their model, which also allows us to partner with BMG, gives me a lot of support moving forward and a new energized spirit.”

CMA Songwriters Series Announces Chicago Show With Brett Eldredge

/by

Brett Eldredge, Ross Copperman, Tom Douglas, and Jordan Reynolds will appear on a special CMA Songwriters Series show in Chicago at Joe’s Bar on Weed Street July 24. The show will feature intimate performances from the writers along with the stories behind their hit songs.

During the trip, the CMA Foundation, CMA’s philanthropic arm, will also visit Chicago’s Notes for Notes studio, located in the Near West Side neighborhood. As part of U.S. Bank’s Community Possible giving platform and its Places to Play partnership along with the CMA Foundation, both entities will present $75,000 in funding to Chicago’s Notes for Notes studio during the visit, which will sustain operational costs for the remainder of 2018.

In 2017, the CMA Foundation partnered with Notes for Notes to help fund studios across the country and allow the spaces to operate freely each year. By investing in these state-of-the-art studios, youth are given the opportunity to create, experience and play music in their community.

Tickets for the performance are on sale now at joesbar.com/SuSF0. General admission tickets cost $40.