Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Kelly Clarkson To Play Macy’s 4th Of July Fireworks Spectacular

/by

Keith Urban. Photo: Rick Diamond for TJ Martell Foundation

Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and Kelly Clarkson are among the artists who will perform during the upcoming Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular.

Urban will welcome Julia Michaels to perform “Coming Home” during his set, while Clarkson will perform alongside West Point Band and Glee Club on “God Bless America,” to commemorate the anthem’s 100th anniversary.

Also slated to take part in the event are Ricky Martin, American Authors and Brandon Victor Dixon (to be joined by the Harlem Gospel Choir for a rendition of “America The Beautiful”).

This year’s fireworks show will include more than 75,000 shells, marking the biggest Macy’s fireworks display since the Millennial Celebration in 2000.

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular airs Wednesday (July 4) from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT.

Weekly Register: ‘Dan+Shay’ Debuts At Peak Of Country Albums Chart

/by

Dan+Shay

Dan+Shay‘s self-titled album debuts at the top of the country albums chart this week, with 44K in total consumption, according to Nielsen Soundscan. The album is home to the hit single, “Tequila.”

Luke Combs‘ This One’s For You remains at No. 2 again this week, with 24K, followed by Jason Aldean‘s Rearview Town, which moves from No. 1 to No. 3 with 16K. Kane Brown‘s self-titled project remains at No. 4 with 15K, while Thomas Rhett‘s Life Changes rounds out the Top 5 with 11K.

Nashville-based rock-pop artist Ben Rector‘s album Magic sold 12K in its debut week.

On the country digital song sales chart, Dan + Shay’s new album also features the top debut country track this week. “What Keeps You Up at Night” debuts at No. 40 country with 2.8K.

At No. 1 on the country digital song sales chart this week, Bebe Rexha with Florida Georgia Line continues its mammoth sales streak, with 23K this week. FGL also holds the No. 2 position with their latest single, “Simple,” which moved 20K this week.

Dan+Shay’s “Tequila” is at No. 3, with 14K, followed by Brett Young‘s “Mercy” at No. 4 with 13K.  David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney‘s “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” is at No. 5, with 13K.

Country Radio Broadcasters Announce 2018-2019 Board of Directors

/by

The Country Radio Broadcasters have completed their elections for Board of Directors. Returning as CRB Board President is Kurt Johnson (Townsquare Media) along with R.J. Curtis (All Access Music Group) as Vice President and Beverlee Brannigan (Scripps Media, Inc.) as Secretary. Charlie Monk continues as a Lifetime Director Emeritus.

CRB/CRS President Johnson, says, “I am very excited to work with this great group of leaders in creating the best yet: Our 50th anniversary, CRS 2019!”

Serving on this year’s Board of Directors are:

Chuck Aly (Country Aircheck)
Becky Brenner (Albright & O’Malley & Brenner Consulting)
Johnny Chiang (KKBQ-FM)
George Couri (Triple 8 Management)
Andy Denemark (United Stations)
Ryan Dokke (Curb)
Mike Dungan (UMG)
John Esposito (Warner)
Randy Goodman (Sony Nashville)
Dan Halyburton (Falls Media)
Debra Herman (Shazam)
Clay Hunnicutt (Big Loud Records)
Dave Kelly (Big Machine Label Group)
Jon Loba (BBR/BMG)
Mike McVay (Cumulus Media and Westwood One)
Charlie Morgan (Emmis Communications)
Tyne Parrish (The GreenRoom PR)
Rod Phillips (iHeartCountry)
Tim Roberts (Entercom/Detroit)
Royce Risser (UMG)
Bob Richards (Emmis Radio/WLHK)
Brittany Schaffer (Spotify)
John Shomby (NASH)
Matt Sunshine (CFSS)
Joel Raab (Joel Raab Country Radio/Media)
Ryan Redington (Amazon Music)
Kristen Williams (Warner)

 

In Pictures: Charlie Daniels, Cody Johnson, Kalie Shorr

/by

Charlie Daniels Helps Raise $171K For MTSU’s Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center

Pictured (L-R): Major General Terry “Max” Haston, Charlie Daniels, David Corlew
Photo: MTSU / J. Intintoli

The inaugural “Veteran Impact Celebration” benefiting Middle Tennessee State University’s Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center (Daniels Center) brought in a total of $171,000.

The sold out fundraiser held in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at The Grove at Williamson Place featured live performances by student veterans as well as several guest speakers including retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber and MTSU senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives, and Sidney A. McPhee, President of MTSU. Marine Corps veteran and singer-songwriter Scott Brown of the Scooter Brown Band also performed.

Charlie Daniels performed “My Beautiful America,” and “In America,” and was then joined on stage by his manager, David Corlew, and Major General Terry “Max” Haston, where on behalf of The Journey Home Project, a $100,000 check was presented to MTSU’s Daniels Center.

 

Warner Music Nashville Staffers Celebrate Cody Johnson

Pictured (L-R): WMN Coordinator, Radio & Streaming, Promotions Justin Newell, WMN Sr Director, Interactive Marketing/Tech, New Media Brooke Hardesty, WMN Manager, Regional Radio & Streaming, Promotions Lou Ramirez, WMN Fan Engagement Strategist, Artist Development Marissa Begin, WMN National Director, Radio & Streaming, Promotions Katie Bright, Cody Johnson, WMN SVP, Radio & Streaming, Promotions Kristen Williams, WMN VP, Radio Marketing, Promotions Chad Schultz, WMN VP, Streaming, New Media Tim Foisset, WMN Manager, Regional Radio & Streaming, Promotions Mark Niederhauser

Warner Music Nashville staffers celebrated their newest signing, Cody Johnson, by visiting Johnson’s concert in Oklahoma City on Friday (June 29).

 

Kalie Shorr On Nash FM

Pictured (L-R): Ty Bentli, Kelly Ford, Kalie Shorr, Chuck Wicks.

Kalie Shorr dropped in on Nash FM’s Ty, Kelly & Chuck for a “10 Minute Tune.”

Phil Wickham To Release ‘Living Hope’ In August

/by

Phil Wickham is set to release his first new album in two years on Aug. 3, Living Hope, on Fair Trade Services. The album found Wickham working with 19 songwriters and six producers during a year-long journey to finish it. The project includes the soulful track for immediate download, “Song in My Soul” featuring Hollyn.

Wickham’s current single, “Living Hope” debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart and was co-written with Bethel Music’s Brian Johnson. “Living Hope” and other tracks from the record have been featured in key streaming playlists such as Amazon Music’s Fresh Christian and Spotify’s New Music Friday, Top Christian and WorshipNow playlists. The track “Till I Found You” is also set to impact Hot AC next month. Since its release to digital outlets two months ago, the song has garnered over four million streams across all platforms. Both singles also spent time on the Spotify US Viral 50 chart.

“So many songs on the record were born out of wanting to write the language and the prayers that go along with what God is doing in the community already,” said Wickham. “The goal wasn’t to write songs that were my expression necessarily of what is God doing in my life or what is my vision or what am I supposed to say through these songs. It’s more for the church.”

The California native will deliver a Living Hope album release show in Los Angeles on Aug. 3, followed by a performance at CMB’s Momentum conference this September.

Track Listing for Living Hope:
1. Great Things
2. Living Hope
3. Breath Away
4. Till I Found You
5. How Great is Your Love
6. Boundless
7. Song in My Soul
8. Wild River
9. Anthem
10. Eyes Fixed
11. Tethered
12. Revive Us Again
13. Christ Is Risen

MAE Announces New Album, Tour For Fall

/by

MAE has extended their label agreement with Tooth & Nail Records, and will be releasing their new album, produced by lead vocalist Dave Elkins, this Fall. They just released the first single from the new project, “5 Light Years.” Elkins is currently based in Nashville.

With a career spanning over 1600 concerts on four continents and eight albums selling in excess of 500,000, MAE was born out of funded academic research on the relationship between color and sound, and uses its music as a means to extend the concept of harmony to include other sensory languages and place listeners inside an experience of art for the whole body. The trio has shared the stage with bands like Weezer and The Foo Fighters, toured worldwide, and has performed everywhere from the Vans Warped Tour to the United Nations.

“Tooth & Nail has always supported and encouraged us to manifest our best work,” said the members of MAE. “We needed to be with a team that felt like family as we envisioned and embarked on our most ambitious efforts to date.”

MAE will be hitting the road for a two-week tour this fall in support of the upcoming album, kicking off in Nashville with a date at the High Watt Oct. 6 and wrapping in their home state of Virginia. The band will also be adding in special VIP Mae Day events to their tour calendar as well.

MAE Tour Dates:
Oct 06 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt
Oct 07 – Nashville, TN @ Schematic Studios (MAE Day)
Oct 09 – Chicago, IL @ Chubas (MAE Day)
Oct 10 – Pontiac, MI @ The Pike RoomOct 11 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre (MAE Day)
Oct 12 – New York, NY @ TBD
Oct 13 – Boston, MA @ Middle East – Downstairs
Oct 14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
Oct 18 – Philadelphia, PA @ TBD (MAE Day)
Oct 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
Oct 20 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java

Country Radio Seminar Hires Jean Williams, Promotes Two

/by

Jean Williams is joining the Country Radio Seminar as Director of Brand Marketing and Strategic Partnerships, starting July 2.

Prior to joining the CRS team, Williams served as the Regional Promotions and Marketing Director for Show Dog Records, with previous stints in promotion at Warner Bros./Reprise and BNA Records, at CMT as Director of their Radio Division, and Westwood One as Affiliate Sales Director. She got her start in country radio at WKIS Miami as the On-Air/Music Director.

The Country Radio Seminar has also elevated Brooke Sanders from Director of Brand Marketing and Strategic Partnerships to Senior Director, and promoted Marketing Manager Darcie Van Etten to Director of Marketing.

Williams can be reached at [email protected] or 615-327-4487, Sanders can be reached at [email protected] and Van Etten can be reached at [email protected].

Amy Grant’s Father, Dr. Burton Grant, Dies

/by

Pictured (L-R): Dr. Burton Grant and Amy Grant. Photo: Amy Grant

Singer-songwriter Amy Grant‘s father, Dr. Burton Grant, died Saturday (June 30). He was 86.

Burton Grant was an oncologist, who also championed his daughter’s musical career. According to 2002’s The Sound Of Light, penned by Don Cusic, Dr. Grant provided financial support to help launch Amy Grant’s first album and tours, including hiring an independent radio promoter for her debut album, financially supporting her early tours, and providing financial support for Grant managers Michael Blanton and Dan Harrell when they opened Blanton/Harrell Production and Management in 1980, with Amy Grant as their first client.

Dr. Burton Grant’s wife Gloria Dean Napier Grant died in 2011.

“Walking our dad home has been a ten year journey, taking our family places we never imagined,” Amy Grant shared via Facebook on Sunday (July 1). “We are all closer because of it. I’m so grateful for my dad. My grandfather passed away when my dad was a teenager. When my dad decided to become a doctor it was his mother, my grandmother, who paid his way through school. Years after my grandmother passed, I found his graduation program in a box of her things with a note from my dad. It said, ‘Mother, I hope I will serve mankind in such a way as to justify your faith in me. Love, Burton’ Well done, Dad.”

Mark Your Calendar—July 2018

/by

Single Add Dates

July 2
Dierks Bentley feat. Brothers Osborne/Burning Man/Capitol
Michael Ray/One That Got Away/Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville
Brooke Woods/I’m So Gone/MC1 Nashville

July 9
Luke Combs/She Got The Best Of Me/Columbia Nashville
Christa Jordan/Gonna Be A Truck/MC1 Nashville
Spencer’s Own/Friends With Money/ElectricHouse
Sylvia/Nobody/Red Pony Records
Jeff Clayborn/Caddy in the Campground/The Cabin Record Co.

July 16
Ashley McBryde/Radioland/Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville/WAR Radio & Streaming
Lee Brice/Rumor/Curb Records
Chance McKinney/Take It Back/Studio 2Bee Entertainment/Star Farm Nashville
Nu-Blu/A Lot More Love/MC1 Nashville
Dawn Rix/Don’t Let The Make Up Fool Ya/MC1 Nashville

July 23
Randy Houser/What Whiskey Does/Stoney Creek Records
Troy Anderson/My Side Of The Story/SSM Entertainment
Jessica Lynn/Let’s Don’t/Daydreamer Records

Album Releases

July 6
Kinky Friedman/Circus of Life/Echo Hill
Jesse Allen/I’m Steppin In/JA Country

July 13
Chris Lane/Laps Around The Sun/Big Loud
Jason Isbell/ Sirens Of The Ditch (Deluxe)/New West Records
Rodney Crowell/Acoustic Classics/RC1
Krystal Keith/Boulder/Show Dog
The Dryes/Vol. 1 [EP]

July 20
Lori McKenna/The Tree/CN Records-Thirty Tigers
Sarah Ross/Nervous Breakdown/Average Joes

July 27
Kenny Chesney/Songs for the Saints/Blue Chair-Warner Bros. Nashville
Various/The Music Of Nashville, Season 6, Vol. 2/Big Machine Records-Lionsgate Television Inc.-ABC Studios
Cody Jinks/Lifers/Rounder Records
Drivin’ N Cryin’/Too Late To Turn Back Now [re-issue]/New West Records

Industry Events

July 12
CMA first ballot closes at 6:00 p.m. CT