Nashville-based pop artist Quinn Lewis recently inked a major label deal with Arista Records/Small Giant Records, and celebrated with the release of his new single, “Hanging On.”

Lewis, a 22-year-old native of Brisbane, Australia, had previously released several independent singles, including “Weekend Luv,” “Slipping,” In Between,” and “How You’ve Been,” a collaboration with R3HAB, before signing with Arista.

Music publishing company Prescription Songs signed Lewis to its Nashville-based outpost in 2017.

Brandi Carlile, The War and Treaty, and Iron & Wine will perform at the Americana Music Association’s ninth annual Americana Spring Celebration, April 25-28 at Blackberry Farm in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

“We are so excited to be returning to Blackberry Farm to produce this important and truly spectacular fundraiser for the ninth consecutive year. It just keeps getting better and better,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association. “A weekend at this intimate venue with Brandi Carlile, The War and Treaty and Iron & Wine will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that no one will soon forget.”

Along with great music all weekend, guests will be able to enjoy the resort’s elegant accommodations, a destination spa, and some of the world’s finest wine, cuisine, outdoor activities and more. Reservations are available by calling 1-800-557-8864 or visiting blackberryfarm.com.

BMI Inks Long-Term Deal With DAOU Vineyards

DAOU Vineyards Proprietor Georges Daou and BMI’s Mason Hunter.

BMI and Paso Robles, California-based DAOU Vineyards have announced a long-term deal, with DAOU as BMI’s exclusive wine partner. DAOU wines have already been shared at BMI events including the BMI Country Awards, Maui Songwriters Festival, Troubadour Awards, and Rooftop series. Later this spring, the winery has plans to host a series of songwriter retreats for a group of curated BMI musicians.

“DAOU came to us with some really unique ideas to support our writers and artists, not just to get visibility for their wine,” says Mason Hunter, AVP, Creative, Nashville. “They’ve invited BMI writers and artists to visit their mountaintop winery in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles, be inspired by the wine, the scenery and the DAOU brothers’ own unique story – and use it as a writer’s retreat.”

Brothers Georges and Daniel Daou fled their homeland as children during the Lebanese civil war, after an errant missile hit their home. They moved with their French/Lebanese parents from Lebanon to France, then to the United States. “Struggle, love, loss, divine intervention…and success against all odds. Our story is all the things songs are made of,” DAOU Winemaker and Proprietor Daniel Daou said.

“Our journey to making world-class wine is really similar to what songwriters go through to get a hit song or to create a beautiful emotional expression that moves people,” Georges Daou added. “We want to support that struggle, that effort. So we’re developing this Artist-In-Residence program to give BMI artists and writers greater visibility on the national stage. And share a few glasses of fabulous wine along the way…”

New Office Space For Drennan & Associates

Pictured: Ashton Moody, Melinda Drennan, Cade Edwards

Nashville-based accounting firm Drennan & Associates has relocated to 60 Music Sq. E., Ste. 200 in Nashville. All emails, phone and fax numbers will remain the same. During the office transition, the company’s phones will be down on Thursday, Jan. 27 and Friday, Jan. 28. The team will be reachable via email.

Bethel Music, Jeff Roberts & Associates Partner For Touring Efforts

Bethel Music and Jeff Roberts & Associates (JRA) are partnering to support the touring efforts of Bethel Music. The collective of artists that form Bethel Music have been taking their music across the U.S. and around the world, including a recent trek in the UK. JRA has been serving artists for 33 years, including notables like Casting Crowns, for KING & COUNTRY, Matt Maher, Skillet and more. 

“JRA has long admired the amazing things happening with Bethel Music and all of their leaders,” shares Jeff Roberts, President of JRA. “We are beyond excited to now be able to partner with and represent them as we strive to expand what they are doing globally to impact the world.”

Amongst the roster JRA will represent from the Bethel Music family is Brian and Jenn Johnson, Cory Asbury, Josh Baldwin, Kalley Heiligenthal, Paul and Hannah McClure, Kristene DiMarco, Hunter Thompson, Sean Feucht, Bethany Wohrle and Emmy Rose.

“Over the years we’ve built a relationship with the Jeff Roberts Agency through many of their amazing artists they represent,” shares Bethel Music CEO Joel Taylor. “We have felt the way they’ve cared for them like family, and now we’re excited to be a part of that family.”

SongBird Tours To Support Historic Nashville Inc./Music Row Preservation Trust

SongBird Tours has announced that a portion of every ticket sold will be donated to Historic Nashville Inc (HNI) / Music Row Preservation Trust.

“SongBird Tours is more than excited to become a charitable partner for Historic Nashville Inc.,” explains Trey Bruce, SongBird Tours CCO.  “Their values regarding development and preservation are in lock-step with ours. We at SongBird appreciate the work Historic Nashville does, as a non-profit, to keep Nashville unique by encouraging a city-wide conversation regarding smart development & smart preservation.

Historic Nashville Inc., which was established in 1968 and renamed in 1975, aims to promote and preserve historic places in Nashville, and has advocated for the preservation of historic places including Ryman Auditorium, Union Station, Hermitage Hotel, Shelby Street Bridge and more. In 1982, NHI established the state’s first Preservation Easement program and currently owns easements on 18 landmarks with a market value of over $50 million.

SongBird Tours is a rolling BlueBird Cafe with hit songwriters, a hostess and a look and listen through songwriters’ storied past and present, celebrating Nashville’s unsung heroes and the exact locations where No. 1 songs and world standards were penned, all on a state of the art, audio/visual bus.

For more, visit songbirdtours.com.

For 60 years, Ray Stevens has made audiences howl with his unique brand of humorous storytelling on comedic gems such as “The Streak” and “Santa Claus Is Watching You,” and made them believe in the best life has to offer on sentimental tracks such as “Everything Is Beautiful,” which earned Stevens his first No. 1 hit in 1970.

Stevens’ music career began in the late 1950s; he moved to Nashville in the early 1960s, when he forged friendships with artists and executives such as Chet Atkins. He produced songs for Dolly Parton, recorded with Waylon Jennings and played on recording sessions for Elvis Presley. Throughout his career, Stevens would produce 30 hit songs including classics such as “Misty,” “It’s Me Again, Margaret,” and “Mississippi Squirrel Revival.” He has sold more than 40 million albums.

Along the way, he has built an entertainment empire that has included music venues in Branson and, as of last year, opened his 35,000-square-feet CabaRay Showroom venue in Nashville. The new venue also houses his business offices. Along the way, Stevens has stayed true to his commitment to Music City, watching as it has risen from simply a country music mecca to an overall music powerhouse, and gaining “It City” status. Recently, a reported contract was placed on a portion of Stevens’ Music Row-area properties, which had a listing price of $13 million. He has been adamant that the property continue to serve Nashville’s creative and music community.

Though Stevens will celebrate his 80th birthday on Jan. 24, he shows no signs of slowing down. In addition to weekly shows at CabaRay, he hosts Ray Stevens CabaRay Nashville, a 30-minute weekly music and talk show that airs on RFD-TV and public television. In 2018, the two-time Grammy winner was also honored with a star on the Music City Walk of Fame. Stevens recently discussed his new CabaRay venue, his commitment to Nashville, and his plans for his upcoming birthday.

Ricky Skaggs inducts Ray Stevens into the Music City Walk of Fame on Aug. 18, 2018. Photo: Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

MusicRow: You launched the CabaRay Showroom one year ago, and you were highly involved with the design of the venue. How has your stage show evolved or changed since you have been performing there over the past year?

Stevens: I love to perform. When you are out there in front of an audience regularly you learn from them. I thrive on feedback and can tell by audience reactions what works and what really works. It’s all part of the joy of performing so to answer your question, the show is always evolving.

What has been your favorite thing about launching this venue in Nashville?

It’s so great to sleep in my own bed every night and not have to fly and mess with all that entails, these days. I’m 10 minutes from my house when I leave the stage at the CabaRay and that’s really nice!

Of course, CabaRay isn’t your first venue. What things did you learn from running and performing at your Branson venue that you brought to the design of CabaRay?

The two places are really different. Branson was a 2000+ theatre venue and CabaRay is a 700+ showroom where we serve dinner and drinks. They are very different but what I learned is that I need people I trust to run the venue so I can concentrate on the show. I have great people.

Pictured (L-R): Norro Wilson, Chet Atkins, Ray Stevens, Jerry Reed, Bob Beckham, and Harry Warner (aka- The Possum Pack) in the early 1970s.

You recently sold your building on 17th Avenue and you specifically wanted the location to still be a place where the music industry and music creatives can thrive. You built CabaRay in Nashville. What drives you to continue to invest in Nashville and in this creative community you have known for so many years?

I came to Nashville in 1962 and found my home. I love Nashville and the music business here. There is a kind of energy here that produces great creativity. I felt it when I arrived 60 years ago and I still feel it today. This really is MUSIC City.

You have had 60 years of music incorporating various genres—and you have put out box sets before. How will this new set you are working on be different?

I don’t know if anyone has ever put out several albums at the same time but this the culmination of months and years in my studio and rather than space out the releases, I decided to release them all at one time. We’ll have more information on the new music soon.

How much new music might be included on the new set?

Well it’s all new in a sense because it’s done in a very different way. Remember my version of “Misty?” Well this is a step in that direction but it takes that idea a mile down the road instead of just a step. I do have a new comedy song that will be out soon called “The Coco Cabana Band.”

You turn 80 on Jan. 24. How are you planning to celebrate?

I’m pretty low-key about birthdays. My family may have some plans but I just intend to keep focused on the CabaRay and this year’s shows starting on March 14. I’m glad to be here to celebrate, don’t get me wrong, but in many ways it’s just another day to accomplish something good and exciting.

Pictured (L-R): Mel Tillis, Jerry Reed and Ray Stevens with CBS officials in 1971.