Jack White Books Hometown Show At Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena In November

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Jack White. Photo: Ray Neutron

Jack White has booked Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 20 as a makeup show for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival’s recent cancellation.

The outing will end his Boarding House Reach world tour, featuring support from special guests Margo Price and Joshua Hedley. The tour was named after White’s third solo effort, released in March by Third Man Records/Columbia.

A limited amount of pre-sale tickets will be available to Third Man Vault members starting Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets go on sale at the same time that Friday at livenation.com, the Bridgestone Arena Box Office or phone, at 800-745-3000.

Prior to the hometown stop, White will be in Europe, the UK and Canada. A complete list of dates can be found at jackwhiteiii.com.

Florida Georgia Line, Sheryl Crow, Brothers Osborne To Perform At Scott Hamilton & Friends Benefit

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The third annual Scott Hamilton & Friends Ice Show, which benefits the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, is set for Sunday, November 18 at Bridgestone Arena. 

Performers for this year’s event include Sheryl Crow, Brothers Osborne, Florida Georgia Line, Steve Cropper, MercyMe’s Bart Millard, Styx’s Tommy Shaw, and Chelsea Field.

Hosted by cancer survivors Hamilton and Crow and special guest host Kristi Yamaguchi, the show will simultaneously feature live music and skating from the biggest names in figure skating including 2x Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalists and Dancing with the Stars champion Meryl Davis and her partner Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalist Charlie White, Olympic Men’s Silver Medalist Patrick Chan, Olympic Bronze Medalists Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, Olympic Pairs Bronze Medalists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Olympic Team Bronze Medalist Ashley Wagner, 2x Olympic Pairs Gold Medalist Katia Gordeeva, Olympic Ladies Bronze Medalist Kaetlyn Osmond, Olympic Team Bronze Medalist Jeremy Abbott, Ice Dance World Medalists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, and US National Gold Medalist Ryan Bradley.

The night will also include a return of the fan-favorite special performance by local skaters, who raise funds for the opportunity to perform in the show through the CARES Foundation’s Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer peer-to-peer fundraising program.

Tickets are on sale now at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com and tickets and sponsorship packages that include an After Show Celebration at the Omni Hotel featuring dinner, live music and a silent auction can be purchased at scottcares.org/events/evening-scott-hamilton-friends.

Proceeds from the concert benefit the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, which is dedicated to changing the future of cancer by funding advanced, innovative research that treats the cancer while sparing the patient.

BMI Foundation Announces Opening Of 2019 Scholarship Season

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The BMI Foundation is now accepting online applications for its 2019 scholarship season, open to students attending colleges and universities nationwide. Among the scholarships is the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship, which will award $5,000 for the best original song and will be judged by Kacey Musgraves. 

The Foundation will administer five songwriting and composing scholarship competitions, judged by a panel of international musicians. These annual programs include the BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship, BMI Student Composer Awards, John Lennon Scholarships, peermusic Latin Scholarship and the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship. In addition, the Foundation administers two scholarship competitions outside the area of music creation: the newly revamped BMI Founders Internship Program for broadcasting students, and the Woody Guthrie Fellowship for scholars pursuing topics or themes related to American folk music.

“We love getting to open new creative doors for talented songwriters, composers and scholars across the country,” said BMI Foundation President Deirdre Chadwick. “So many of our award recipients have gone on to have flourishing careers, in part because of programs like these that afford them continued educational and development opportunities.”

Applications must be completed online no later than Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, and complete details can be found at  bmifoundation.org/programs.

Nashville Songwriting Scholarship
The fourth annual Nashville Songwriting Scholarship will award $5,000 for the best original song in any of the following genres: Americana, blues, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, country, folk, and roots. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States. Grammy-winning recording artist and BMI songwriter Kacey Musgraves endorses the competition and serves as a final judge.

BMI Founders Internship Program for Radio Broadcasting
Established in 2015, the BMI Founders Award is an annual internship program open to radio broadcasting students nationwide. The award commemorates the group of radio industry leaders who founded Broadcast Music, Inc. in 1939. A 4-6 week paid internship with a major broadcaster is awarded based on merit and the best original essay response submitted to the competition, and recognizes a student with the potential to become an innovator in the rapidly changing field of broadcast radio.

BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship
The fifth annual BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship will award $5,000 to a rising jazz star pursuing a graduate degree in Jazz Studies, Jazz Performance, or related majors. The award was established in 2015 in honor of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, a lifetime achievement recognition program of the National Endowment for the Arts. 

BMI Student Composer Awards
The 67th annual BMI Student Composer Awards will award $20,000 in prizes to young composers engaged in the study of classical music. Co-sponsored by BMI and the BMI Foundation, the competition is open to all composers studying classical music who are age 27 or younger and citizens of the Western Hemisphere. Classical music luminaries such as John Adams, Aaron Jay Kernis and Augusta Read Thomas received their earliest recognition through this program. *Please note that the application deadline for this program is Friday, February 1st, 2019.

John Lennon Scholarships
The 22nd annual John Lennon Scholarships will award three prizes totaling $20,000 to U.S. college-student songwriters (age 17 to 24) for the best original songs submitted to the competition. Established in 1997 by Yoko Ono in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, this scholarship program honors the memory of one of the preeminent songwriters of the 20th century, John Lennon, and has become one of the nation’s most esteemed accolades for emerging artists. 

peermusic Latin Scholarship
Established by music publisher Ralph Peer II and generously funded by peermusic, the 16th  annual peermusic Latin Scholarship competition will award a $5,000 scholarship for the best original song or instrumental composition in any Latin genre. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States and Puerto Rico. Acclaimed Latin artist and BMI songwriter Gloria Trevi serves as honorary spokesperson for the competition.

Woody Guthrie Fellowship
The 14th annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship will award up to $5,000 for scholarly research at the extensive Woody Guthrie Archives, a paper-based research repository located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Applicants must have a research project that leads to the creation of an original scholarly publication or product and requires a minimum of two weeks of research at the Archives. Established in 2005 in cooperation with the Woody Guthrie Center, the Woody Guthrie Fellowship seeks to encourage unique exploration into the life and legacy of one of the most influential folk musicians in American history, Woody Guthrie. 

PR Changes: Music Business Association, The Recording Academy, CMT, Kore PR

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The Press House Adds Music Business Association To Client Roster

The Press House, a full-service PR and branding firm with offices in New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles, has added the Music Business Association to its client roster.

The Music Business Association is a not-for-profit membership organization that advances, promotes and invests in the future of the music business by providing a trusted forum where ideas and cooperation flourish. Through events, education and engagement, the association brings together the full breadth of the industry for unparalleled access to networking, resources and thought leadership.

The association’s annual conference, Music Biz 2019, is set to take place Sunday, May 5 through Wednesday, May 8 at the new JW Marriott Nashville.

 

The Recording Academy Adds Sunshine Sachs As PR Partner

After two decades of working with public relations firm Rogers & Cowan, The Recording Academy has switched PR firms, with Sunshine Sachs taking over external communications, Billboard reports. The company’s role will include handling press for the annual Grammy Awards and MusiCares.

 

CMT’s Amanda Murphy Exits

After 15 years with CMT, Sr. Director, Corporate Communications Amanda Murphy has exited the company. She is joining the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development as Communications Director. No replacement has been named for her former role at CMT.

 

Ashton Shepherd Joins Kore PR

Ashton Shepherd

Ashton Shepherd, known for her singles “Look It Up,” “Sounds So Good,” and “Takin’ Off This Pain,” has joined the artist roster at Kore PR.

“Ashton is a phenomenal artist whose authenticity is irrefutable,” exclaims Kore Public Relations owner Dawn DeJongh. “We are proud to join her in writing the next chapter of her artistry.” 

Garth Offers Up In-Depth Look At Life On The Road With ‘The Anthology Part III’

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Garth Brooks is taking fans deep into the world of one of the best live performers in the history of music with the third segment of his five part anthology, The Anthology Part III, LIVE. Written by Garth with Warren Zanes, Part III gives fans an exciting, insider look at Garth’s live career, from his first job offer to play live at 19 to his massive Central Park show for a million people, plus everything in between and up to his recent World Tour with Trisha Yearwood.

The five-CD anthology contains 52 live recordings, including the new live album, TRIPLE LIVE, which is the soundtrack of the record-breaking, number one tour in North American history, The Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood. The collection also includes over 100 behind-the-scenes and performance photos, and over a dozen augmented reality experiences that can be experienced through downloading the Garth Live app and holding it over the book cover and various photos inside the anthology to watch Garth’s LIVE story come to life.

Through interviews with the band and crew, fans get an insider’s look at Garth’s early days as a bar bouncer and playing with only a few people watching at Willie’s Saloon in Stillwater, OK, to being an opening act for Reba, The Judds and Kenny Rogers and finally headlining his own tours throughout the ’90s and becoming an international star.

The collection, the third part of Garth’s massive five-part anthology, will be on sale November 20.‬

Paul Barnabee Joins FBMM

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Paul Barnabee

Longtime Sony Music executive and respected music industry veteran Paul Barnabee has joined FBMM (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.).

“Our FBMM family is excited to welcome Paul,” said Duane Clark, owner and vice chairman at FBMM. “Coming to us from a different side of the industry gives him a unique perspective, and FBMM’s executive team is excited to add another layer of industry expertise for our clients.”

A Long Island native, Barnabee moved to Nashville in 1995 to accept a position as senior director of finance at Sony Music Entertainment. He later became senior vice president in sales, finance and operations. In 2011, he was appointed as senior vice president of marketing for Sony and its three imprints, RCA, Columbia and Arista Nashville. In this role, Barnabee led his department in the creation and execution of strategic marketing initiatives for a number of global music artists. He also directed the development of industry campaigns to attract new artists to the label.

“FBMM is known worldwide as a leader in business management, and it’s an honor to join a company of this caliber,” Barnabee said. “This firm does great work with integrity and always puts its clients first, which is incredibly important to me. It’s amazing to see the dedication and breadth of services FBMM provides. I am very excited to be a part of a team driven to help artists achieve their goals.”

Barnabee earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Albany, SUNY and his CPA license in the state of New York. He served on the board of directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee for five years and now serves on the board of the Academy of Country Music (ACM) as a past chairman. He currently serves as vice chairman of ACM’s charitable arm, Lifting Lives.

Taylor Swift To Open American Music Awards In October

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Taylor Swift will make her first awards show performance in nearly three years when she opens the 2018 American Music Awards on Oct. 9 on ABC with a performance of “I Did Something Bad.”

A 19-time American Music Award winner, Swift garnered four 2018 nominations and is the current record holder of most wins for Artist of the Year, a category for which she is nominated again this year, along with nominations for AMA Tour of the Year, Favorite Female Artist – Pop/Rock, and Favorite Album – Pop/Rock.

Set to take the stage on the heels of her record-breaking reputation stadium tour, Swift joins previously-announced performers benny blanco with Halsey and Khalid, Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin, Mariah Carey, Ciara featuring Missy Elliott, Dua Lipa, Panic! At the Disco, Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign, Carrie Underwood and a moving tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

Hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, the show will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Spotify Announces Integration With Google Maps

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With navigation being the most widely used non-music app in the car, Spotify has introduced an integration with Google Maps that allows users to control music from Spotify between Maps and Spotify on both iOS and Android.

“We’ve previously seen how well navigation works in harmony with music through our integration with Waze in 2017,” reads a statement from Spotify. “Starting [October 1], millions of Google Maps users across Spotify markets will be able to to ‘jam through the traffic jam’ on both iOS and Android. After connecting your Spotify account, you’ll be ready to start.”

Playback controls like pause, play, or skip are enabled within the Google Maps navigation settings to enjoy music and podcasts from Spotify during active navigation. Through a simple entry-point from the Google Maps app into Spotify, users are able to browse songs, albums, and playlists. A banner in Spotify will return users to active navigation.

The integration will be rolling out to all Google Maps users over the next few days with the latest version of Spotify.

Thomas Archer Extends Deal With MV2 Entertainment

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Pictured (L-R): Nicole Sherrill – Creative Director, Ben Strain – Creative Director, Mike Whelan – Senior Creative Director, Thomas Archer, Tony Harrell – General Manager, Lauren Davis – Artist Management and Contract Administration
Photo by Lindsey Parrish.

MV2 Entertainment has extended its deal with hit songwriter Thomas Archer. Archer has had recent hits with artists Luke Combs (“Hurricane”) and Walker Hayes (“You Broke Up With Me”).

“We are excited to move forward with Thomas as he continues his growth and success as one of Nashville’s top-tier young writers,” said MV2 General Manager Tony Harrell.

Archer, born and raised in Georgia, made his move to Nashville in 2012 after securing numerous cuts with independent artists, which caught the ear of Nashville publishers and helped him land his first publishing deal. Since moving to Nashville, Archer has become a well-known name in the songwriting community and is poised to have a breakout year.

MV2’s roster of writers includes Thomas Archer, Nick Donley, Jimmie Deeghan, Eric Dodd, Clay Mills, Robert Arthur and artist Nora Collins.

One-On-One With Irlene Mandrell: New Music And Video Series

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Irlene Mandrell

From behind the drum set in her sister’s band to the corn fields of Hee Haw to being the ‘funny one’ on Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters television show, Irlene Mandrell has done it all. She’s a performer, a model, a comic, a singer, a musician, a mother and more.

2018 finds Irlene reflective and thankful; releasing new projects that look back on her life with clarity. She has recently released a new album dedicated to military and first responders called Thanks To You on Reviver Records. Likewise, Irlene has released a new country single to radio called “You Ain’t Nothin’ But A Heartache,” also on Reviver Records.

Irlene has also become an author. Her book, God Rains Miracles, is an inspirational look at her family life and her faith.

“I have had all these stories forever,” she explained. “They’re family stories that happened both before and after I was born. It’s like ‘God rains miracles’ all the time, constantly all around me. I could be writing another book right now because they’re so constant.”

Irlene Mandrell with MusicRow owner/publisher Sherod Robertson

Irlene has also become the host of a YouTube series she has appropriately named “Now and Then,” distributed by The Nashville Soundbite. The series is a nostalgic look back on Mandrell Sisters memories, as well as new updates from Irlene. So far, the series has featured guest appearances from Charlie Daniels, John Schneider of The Dukes of Hazzard and Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys. Each video features a short interview and clips of Irlene interacting with her guests back on the Mandrell Sisters show.

“People have been great to do the videos with, so we’ll just keep going as long as we can drag people in,” Irlene said with a laugh.

Reflecting back on her sisters’ television show provides Irlene with plenty of fond memories.

“The girls and I always think about them as the best home movies ever,” she said. “We were already really close because Louise and I were part of Barbara’s band, so we traveled together growing up. When the show happened, we weren’t working together anymore so it was kind of like a reunion.”

The NBC variety show was one of the last successful prime-time TV variety shows. The Mandrell sisters sang and danced, entertained the audience with skits and comedy, and hosted guests like Brenda Lee, Alabama, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, The Statler Brothers, Ronnie Milsap, Minnie Pearl, Glen Campbell, Roy Rogers, Ray Charles and many more.

Each sister developed her own character during the show. Barbara, the leader. Louise, the smart one. And the striking, blonde Irlene, the funny one.

“It’s so nice that you say funny and not ditzy, right!” she laughed, “We had 12 writers. They spent a few weeks getting to know us before they started writing. So of course they’re going to exaggerate us. They take care of me because I’m the baby. But it also makes me take things not very seriously sometimes and just have fun with life. My dad always said if you make a mistake you gotta be able to laugh at it, so that makes me laughing all the time.”

Irlene Mandrell with MusicRow staffers.

After the Mandrell Sisters came to an end in 1982, Irlene found work on another hit variety show: Hee Haw. She eventually became a ‘Hee Haw Honey,’ a sought after role on the show, and often did skits as Kornfield Kounty’s telephone operator.

“Oh Hee Haw was funny,” she said, “we went from learning a drum solo a week. You really had to learn it because you first pre-recorded it and then you had to match it [during the taping]. Learning the dance and the comedy…everything was scripted, which we’d memorize.”

When asked about cue cards, Irlene said there were none. “No, we didn’t want to [use them],” she explained. “It just seemed so more real to us– to just have it down.”

However, cue cards were used during the jokes in the corn field to help create comedic reactions to the punch lines. Irlene adds, “Sam [Lovullo, the producer of the show] liked to not let anyone see the jokes until they held up the cue cards, and if you made a mistake, fine, they loved it!”

In addition to her newly released single “You Ain’t Nothin’ But A Heartbreak,” Irlene is planning some Christmas shows later this year with her children Vanessa, Christina and Deric.