Rosanne Cash To Be Honored With Spirit Of Americana Free Speech Award

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Rosanne Cash will be honored with the “Spirit of Americana” Free Speech Award, which will be presented in partnership with the First Amendment Center. She will be honored during the Americana Honors & Awards on Sept. 12 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

As a board member of the Content Creators Coalition (C3), she has devoted her time and efforts to championing artists’ rights. Her most high-profile instance took place representing artists and the Americana Music Association in 2014 during a testimony before Congress on the issue of intellectual property rights and digital music licensing.

Cash has also been involved in advocating against gun violence for almost 20 years as a strong proponent of organizations like Giffords and Everytown for Gun Safety, among others.

 

 

 

Faster Horses Celebrates Successful Sixth Year With 40,000 Fans

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Florida Georgia LIne

The Faster Horses Festival in Brooklyn, Michigan, raced to yet another successful run over the weekend, with 40,000 fans enjoying three days of jam-packed concerts.

Celebrating its sixth year, the festival kicked off on Friday night with headliner Blake Shelton, who took the stage following a short weather delay. Saturday night highlights included a rousing set from Brooks & Dunn, who made their first debut together at the festival due to huge fan demand.

Sunday the event closed on a high with a full-energy show from Florida Georgia Line. Along with the music, fans embraced all that the festival has to offer, including the Campsite Contest, DeeJay Silver’s Pancake Party, Faster Humans Fun Run, Hustle & Muscle Classic Car & Truck Show and more.

For the first time ever, in addition to the lineup of artists including Jillian Jacqueline, Jon Langston and Charlie Worsham, the Next From Nashville stage welcomed a “Songwriters Storyjam” with The Warren Brothers, J.T. Harding and Lee Thomas Miller sharing stories about the hits they’ve penned for country’s top artists.

Blake Shelton

Cole Swindell, Dustin Lynch, Lauren Alaina Announce Fall Reason To Drink Tour

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Cole Swindell, Dustin Lynch, and Lauren Alaina will head out on the road on the Reason To Drink…Another Tour on Oct. 4. The tour will hit 25 cities through December including Richmond, Phoenix, Minneapolis, New Orleans, and more. 

“Being in a place in your career to go out and headline a tour is such a rewarding feeling,” Swindell says. “Dustin and I both know that is possible because of the fans who have supported us and now we’re getting to team up together for an even bigger show! Lauren is one of the best in the business and we are lucky to have her with us. So fired up to get started.”

“Cole and I have been dreaming this tour up for a few years now,” shares Dustin. “We wanted the time to be right. And, now IT’S TIME. Can’t wait to party with y’all!”

Pre-sale tickets for the Reason To Drink…Another Tour will go on sale Tuesday (July 24) and go on sale to the public this Friday, July 27.

Reason To Drink… Another Tour:
Oct. 4: Tuscaloosa, AL @ Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre
Oct. 5: Simpsonville, SC @ Heritage Park Amphitheatre
Oct. 6: Huntsville, AL @ Von Braun Arena
Oct. 11: Wallingford, CT@ Oakdale Theatre
Oct. 12: Worcester, MA @ DCU Event Center
Oct. 13: Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum
Oct. 19: Sugarland, TX @ Smart Financial Center
Oct. 20: New Braunfels, TX @ White Water Amphitheatre
Oct. 25: Missoula, MT @ Adams Center
Oct. 26: Bozeman, MT @ Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
Oct. 27: Bismarck, ND @ Bismarck Events Center
Nov. 1: San Jose, CA @ SJSU Event Center
Nov. 2: Bakersfield, CA @ Rabobank Arena
Nov. 3: Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
Nov. 8: Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
Nov. 9: Kearney, NE @ Viaero Event Center
Nov. 10: Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank Arena
Nov. 29: Duluth, GA @ Infinite Energy Arena
Nov. 30: Jackson, MS @ Mississippi Coliseum
Dec. 1: Tupelo, MS @ BancorpSouth Arena
Dec. 6: Evansville, IN @ Ford Center
Dec. 7: Moline, IL @ TaxSlayer Center
Dec. 8: Highland Heights, KY @ BB&T Arena
Dec. 13: Bossier City, LA @ CenturyLink Center
Dec. 14: New Orleans, LA @ Champions Square

Weekly Register: Luke Combs Tops Country Albums Chart

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Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Dan+Shay, Kane Brown and Chris Stapleton lead this week’s country albums chart, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

  1. Luke Combs- This One’s For You, 25K
  2. Jason Aldean- Rearview Town, 18K
  3. Dan + Shay- Dan + Shay, 17K
  4. Kane Brown –Kane Brown, 15K
  5. Chris Stapleton- Traveller, 13K

Chris Lane‘s Laps Around the Sun is this week’s only debut in the country albums Top 10, landing at No. 8 with 8.7K (3.1K album only/6 million song streams).

On the country songs digital sales chart, Florida Georgia Line’s “Simple” continues to lead with 21K. Eric Church‘s “Desperate Man” enters at No. 2 with 20K, followed by Brett Young‘s “Mercy” at No. 3 with 14K. Dan+Shay‘s “Tequila” is at No. 4 with 14K, followed by the Jason Aldean/Miranda Lambert collaboration “Drowns The Whiskey” at No. 5 with 13K.

Peter Strickland’s Marathon Talent Agency Signs Pop Artist Chris Mann

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Chris Mann, who appeared on Season 2 of The Voice, has signed with Marathon Talent Agency for management. MTA is headed by music industry executive Peter Strickland.

Mann is currently in the studio finishing up his third studio album to be released in the Fall. India Arie will lend her voice on “Honestly” a song which was co-written by Mann and will appear on the album.

Mann lit up a global audience with his 2012 post-Super Bowl XLVI performance on the show, singing with Christina Aguilera. His debut album reached the top spot on Billboard Magazine’s Heatseekers Chart and appeared on Billboard’s Top 200 chart as well as No. 1 on Amazon and iTunes.

“I’m excited that Chris has entrusted me with furthering the successes that he has already garnered and I look forward to working with him.” Strickland said. “He is an incredible talent and one of the best vocalists out there.”

Chris Mann and Peter Strickland

Cam Plots Road To Happiness Tour With Lucie Silvas

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Cam will launch her Road to Happiness Tour with a show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 26, featuring opening act Lucie Silvas. The tour will conclude Oct. 23 at the Bluebird Theater in Denver, Colorado.

This past week, Cam released a new song off her forthcoming album, also called “Road to Happiness.” The song was co-written with frequent collaborators Tyler Johnson and  Hillary Lindsey, while Johnson produced the track.

“I’ve met unhappy successful people and happy ‘unsuccessful’ people. There’s no one road to happiness, it doesn’t exist, it’s an illusion,” Cam says. “Happiness is now and it’s up to you to feel it in the moment. This song is me working through all this, and trying to be present and happy in my own way.”

Cam is currently on the road supporting Sam Smith on the first North American leg of his massive The Thrill of it All world tour.

A list of Road To Happiness Tour Dates is below:
Wed., Sept. 26- Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
Thurs., Sept. 27- Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
Fri., Sept. 28 -Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
Sat., Sept. 29- Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
Thurs., Oct. 4- Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Fri., Oct. 5- Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts
Sat., Oct. 6- Boston, MA@  Paradise Rock Club
Sun., Oct. 7- New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Fri., Oct. 12- Rosemont, IL @ Joe’s Live*
Sat., Oct. 13- Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall*
Tues., Oct. 16- Kansas City, MO@ Madrid Theater
Wed., Oct. 17 -Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theater
Fri., Oct. 19- Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Sat., Oct. 20- Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
Sun., Oct. 21 -Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Tues., Oct. 23- Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater

Nashville Rock-Punk Group Diarrhea Planet To Disband

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Nashville-based rock-punk band Diarrhea Planet has announced they are calling it quits.

“It’s with a heavy heart we announce our final shows,” the band shared via social media. “We’ve had an incredible run largely thanks to all of you incredible people, but we’ve decided to bring it to a close. It has truly been amazing to share our music with y’all onstage and off.”

The band will end following two upcoming shows in Nashville, when they will play at Exit/In on Sept. 7 and 8.

For nearly a decade, the band has been popular in Nashville’s pop and punk scene, and has released three albums. The group, which includes Jordan Smith, Emmett Miller, Evan Bird, Brent Toler, Mike Boyle and Ian Bush, initiated at Belmont University. In 2009, they released their debut EP Aloha!.

They went on to sign with Infinity Cat Recordings to release their first LP Loose Jewels (2011), and also released the EPs Yama-Uba (2011), Aliens In The Outfield (2014) and the LPs I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams (2013) and Turn To Gold (2016).

 

Georgia Native Jason Aldean Takes Over Atlanta Braves SunTrust Park

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Jason Aldean performing at Atlanta’s Suntrust Park for a sold-out homecoming show for 37,935 fans on Saturday, July 21, 2018.

Georgia native Jason Aldean took over Atlanta Braves SunTrust Park for a sold-out homecoming show for 37,935 fans on Saturday (July 21) with opening acts, Lauren Alaina, Luke Combs, and a rare performance from Hootie & The Blowfish.

Inclement weather delays Jason Aldean performance at Atlanta’s Suntrust Park for a sold-out homecoming show for 37,935 fans on Saturday, July 21, 2018.

The High Noon Neon Tour stop at Atlanta Braves new SunTrust Park stadium began with Aldean rocking the venue with “Gettin’ Warmed Up” and “Take a Little Ride” but not before a storm delay temporarily evacuated fans to interior shelter. While the dark skies looked precarious, the bad weather never arrived and after an hour or so, the show went on as planned.

Aldean delivered his many hits such as “Tattoos on This Town,” “Any Ol’ Barstool,” “Dirt Road Anthem,” and “Lights Come On,” to a very energetic crowd singing every word. He also peppered into his set with songs from his new album Rearview Town including “You Make It Easy” and his current single, “Drowns the Whiskey” with the song’s featured artist, Miranda Lambert shown on giant video walls.

“Playing SunTrust was one of those nights I’ll never forget,” said Aldean. “So many friends, family and fans were out in the sea of people and I could feel that energy the minute we got on stage. Hootie & the Blowfish, Luke and Lauren definitely set the night off right, and if we could have kept playing all night, I think we would have.”

Many industry members from Nashville made the trek to Atlanta to witness Aldean’s high-energy stadium performance while some took the opportunity to catch up with Aldean backstage prior to showtime. Attending industry members included Rod Phillips, John Hamlin, Clarence Spalding, Charlie Cook, Jon Loba, Mary Hilliard Harrington, Kirsten Grenier, Sherod Robertson, Chris Parr, Aaron Spalding, Kristin Cantrell, Shelley Gaines and others. Broken Bow Records’ Dustin Lynch also took a break from his tour to come by and enjoy seeing label mate Aldean’s stadium performance.

Pictured (L-R): Guest, Charlie Cook, Sherod Robertson, Jason Aldean, John Hamlin.

Pictured(L-R): Chris Parr (Maverick Management), Dean Felber (Hootie & the Blowfish), Mark Bryan (Hootie & the Blowfish), Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker (Hootie & the Blowfish), Jim “Soni” Sonefeld (Hootie & the Blowfish) and Clarence Spalding (Maverick Management).

Prior to Aldean’s set, Lauren Alaina was first to hit the stage. The spirited entertainer was visibly emotional from having her father backstage to witness her dreams coming alive that day by playing the stadium. She also had plenty to celebrate when she announced that earlier that same day, she had become engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Alex Hopkins. Luke Combs was next in the lineup. Carrying his signature red solo cup, he worked the crowd into a frenzy for a 45-minute set. Next, with a backdrop of a Waffle House, Hootie & The Blowfish came onstage for a rare performance featuring lead singer, Darius Rucker. The band shared an hour of classic hits with fans.

On Friday, the day before the Atlanta show, Jason Aldean surprised two fans at the Field & Stream Shop in Kennesaw, Georgia, with tickets to his concert on Saturday in Atlanta. Aldean is a brand ambassador for Field & Stream Shop and announced the giveaway earlier that afternoon on Twitter. Fans quickly made their way to the store for the event but what they didn’t know, is that Aldean would be there to personally give the winners their tickets and invite them to a private acoustic performance before Saturday’s show.

That same day, he announced details behind his third Concert For The Kids charity event on Thursday, Sept. 6 in Macon, Georgia. The reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year will return to the Macon Coliseum with direct support from Lauren Alaina. After raising more than $1.2 million from the past two events, proceeds will once again benefit Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health, which serves as the region’s only dedicated pediatric facility, serving central and south Georgia. The facility enhances the lives of children through patient care, research and education. Tickets go on-sale to the public beginning Friday (July 27) at 10 a.m. EST.

“There are a lot of reasons I love doing what I do, but being able to give back to these kids and their families is definitely really important to me,” said Aldean. “We’ve been able to help support the build of an entirely new facility, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the community shows up for the hospital this year and what we can do to keep helping the people there.”

Jason Aldean performing at Atlanta’s Suntrust Park for a sold-out homecoming show for 37,935 fans on Saturday, July 21, 2018. Photo: Chris and Todd Owyoung.

Jason Aldean performing at Atlanta’s Suntrust Park for a sold-out homecoming show for 37,935 fans on Saturday, July 21, 2018. Photo: Chris and Todd Owyoung.

Chris Young Signs New Publishing Deal

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Front Row (L-R): Kent Earls, UMPG Nashville; Chris Young; Cyndi Forman, UMPG Nashville. Back Row (L-R): Bill Simmons, Fitzgerald Hartley; Travis Gordon, UMPG Nashville; Ron Stuve, UMPG Nashville; Larry Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Hartley; Becky Harris, Huskins-Harris Business Management; Dorothy Leonhardt Huskins-Harris Business Management; Missy Roberts, UMPG Nashville

Having co-written several of his own No. 1 singles, in addition to penning hits for artists including Kane Brown, Chris Young is becoming as known for his songwriting as for his signature country voice.

Young has now announced a new global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group.

“Chris Young is a publisher’s dream. He’s a gifted songwriter, incredible vocalist and selling out arenas on his current headlining tour. We’re honored and thrilled that he has joined the UMPG family and look forward to an exciting future together,” said Kent Earls, Executive Vice President and General Manager, UMPG Nashville.

“Kent, Ron Stuve, Cyndi Forman, Evan Lamberg and everyone at Universal Music Publishing are passionate about my work as a songwriter and what can be accomplished together in the future. I can’t wait to see where we will go together as a team,” said Young.

Young co-wrote his consecutive No. 1 singles, “Losing Sleep,” “Sober Saturday Night,” “Think Of You” and “I’m Comin’ Over.” The RCA Records artist has also earned 17 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum projects. The Grammy and ACM-nominated artist is currently headlining his Chris Young Losing Sleep 2018 World Tour, with more than 55 arena and amphitheater scheduled dates.

Jonathan Wolf Joins Stites & Harbison’s Nashville Office

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Attorney Jonathan Wolf has joined the Stites & Harbison Nashville office. Wolf joins the Intellectual Property & Technology and Domestic Relations/Family Law Service Groups.

Wolf works with clients on a wide range of copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property law litigation and transactional matters related to the media and entertainment industry, as well as domestic relations/family law matters. His work includes matters related to music publishing; royalty disputes; intellectual property rights; social media; internet defamation; right of publicity; talent-driven marketing; integrated media; and book publishing. He also assists clients with domestic relations issues such as divorce and post-divorce matters.

Prior to joining Stites & Harbison, Wolf practiced in Memphis, where he advised clients in the areas of media and intellectual property rights in both a transactional and litigation context, as well as in creditors’ rights and collection law. Before obtaining his law degree, he worked with high profile artists in the music industry, media companies and other rights holders by facilitating transactions in concert touring, music publishing and artist management. He earned his J.D. from the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and received his undergraduate degree from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.