Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum Celebrates Ray Stevens’ Upcoming Induction

/by

Pictured (L-R, back row): Ray Stevens Music’s Ben Surratt, Andy Firkus, Buddy Kalb, Katie Gillon, Absolute Publicity’s Don Murry Grubbs; (L-R, middle row): Ray Stevens Music’s BJ Ladd, Country Wired’s Stephanie Orr, Ray Stevens Music’s Lisa Guglielmo; (L-R, front row): Ray Stevens Music’s Hayden Oothout, CMHoF’s Kyle Young, Ray Stevens, Timi Oothout. Photo: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum recently celebrated the upcoming induction of Country Music Hall of Fame Member Elect Ray Stevens with a special luncheon honoring him in the museum’s CMA Theater.

During the luncheon, Stevens shared this sentiment about his upcoming induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, “I tell you friends, it don’t get no better than this.”

In October of this year, Stevens, along with Jerry Bradley and Brooks & Dunn, will be formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Kacey Musgraves, Bebe Rexha Kick Off Mentoring Campaign On Bumble Bizz

/by

Bumble, the social networking app, announced a multi-year initiative to address a fundamental issue of gender disparity in the music industry with their ‘Empowered by Bumble Bizz’ program, after USC Annenberg’s 2019 survey report on inclusion in the recording studio highlighted the lack of women in popular music.

The Bumble Bizz campaign will kick-off by offering up-and-coming women musicians the opportunity to be mentored by this year’s top-billing women artists, including Bebe Rexha, Kacey Musgraves, and Hayley Kiyoko at one of the following top music festivals: Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Music Midtown, Austin City Limits Music Festival, and Voodoo Music + Arts Experience. The campaign will culminate with chances to win on-stage performance spots at top music festivals in 2020.

“Creating more opportunities for women in music has been a big initiative for me the last few years and I’m excited to be partnering with Bumble for this campaign. It’s important that we continue to champion women in the business to help create and push for equal representation within the industry,” said Bebe Rexha.

Starting today, women artists in the United States can submit their music in Bumble’s Bizz mode for both the 2019 mentorship and 2020 on-stage performance spots.  Applications for the mentorship program will close on June 30 within Bumble Bizz, but Bumble’s music incubator program for women artists will continue over the next year as the company rolls out additional opportunities for its users to receive mentorships, performance opportunities and more.

Mickey Jack Cones To Lead Relaunched Verge Records

/by

Mickey Jack Cones and Emmanuel Zunz

Indie label Verge Records, which had been the genesis of music company ONErpm, has relaunched with producer, publisher and artist manager Mickey Jack Cones at the helm. The Nashville-based Verge Records will leverage ONErpm’s global presence to discover and sign new talent.

Originally founded in 2006, Verge began as a social enterprise that won a grant from New York University’s Stern School of Business ‘Maximum Exposure Business Plan Competition’ to sign artists from impoverished areas, and reinvest profits from those releases in the artists’ communities to fund music education programs. The newly re-emerged Verge Records will contribute a portion of its annual profits to charitable organizations.

“Verge Records was my original passion project, ” said Emmanuel Zunz, founder of both Verge Records and ONErpm. “But I realized at the time that in order to create change at a global scale, I needed to invest in technology, so Verge evolved into ONErpm. With the music industry now undergoing healthy growth, we’ve come full circle and its time to reinvest in Verge.”

“I first met Emmanuel in 2016 when I was looking for distribution and marketing partners for my company COR Entertainment. I was impressed with ONErpm’s approach to marketing which fully utilized YouTube and streaming platforms. This approach gained the artists both exponential exposure and significantly increased income, even when those acts were not yet on radio’s radar,” said Cones.

Cones founded COR Entertainment and its subsidiaries COR Music Publishing, COR Artist Services and COR Audio Productions in 2015. He has produced, published, engineered, written or performed on projects for Dustin Lynch, Joe Nichols, Trace Adkins, Steven Tyler, Jason Aldean, George Strait, Thomas Rhett, Motley Crue, Eric Church, Ludacris, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Combs, and more.

Cam Announces Summer European Tour

/by

Cam is heading back across the pond this summer for her “Oh, The Places We’ll Go!” Tour. The tour kicks off on August 31st in Millport, UK and will visit 10 cities across Europe before wrapping up in Berlin, Germany on Sept. 14.

“I’m over the moon in love with the European music fans (and the C2C crowds this year definitely made me feel like it’s a mutual thing),” says Cam. “I love the kind of show I get to put on for those audiences, it’s so genuine and connected. And adding shows in cities I’ve never played before, feels like a beautiful adventure.”

Cam has been a bit of a world traveler already this year, kicking off 2019 with a world tour that included dates in Europe, Asia, and Australia. She also performed at this year’s C2C Festival in both Germany and the UK, as well as CMC Rocks in Australia.

Tickets for the “Oh, The Places We’ll Go!” Tour will go on sale this Friday, June 7 at CamCountry.com.

Cam recently released the video for her acoustic rendition of “So Long,” her collaboration with Diplo for his new country project, Thomas Wesley. The two artists filmed the official video for the song backstage at this year’s Stagecoach, which featured guest appearances from Billy Ray Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Guy Fieri, Dwight Yoakam and Sam Hunt, who was also a co-writer on the track.

Cam Tour Dates:
August 31 – Millport, UK – Millport Country Music Festival
September 1 – Belfast, Northern Ireland- Empire Music Hall
September 4 – London, UK – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
September 5 – Sheffield, UK- Leadmill
September 6 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy 2
September 8 – Lutterworth, UK – The Long Road Festival
September 9 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg (Oude Zaal)
September 11 – Paris, France – Les Etoiles
September 13 – Hamburg, Germany – Fabrik
September 14 – Berlin, Germany – Huxleys

Tim McGraw, Zac Brown Band, Maren Morris, Brett Young To Perform At 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival

/by

Tim McGraw, Zac Brown Band, Alicia Keys, Cage The Elephant, Camila Cabello, Chance The Rapper, Def Leppard, French Montana, Halsey, Heart, H.E.R., Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons and more are set to perform at this year’s 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival on Friday, September 20-21 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

The Daytime Stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival will take place at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on Saturday, Sept. 21 with performances by Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Brett Young, Juice WRLD, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Zara Larsson, CNCO, FLETCHER, Monsta X, Bryce Vine and Lauv, with more to be announced. In addition to live performances from today’s emerging artists, the Daytime Stage will also feature fan zones and interactive experiences by iHeartRadio’s brand partners.

“Year after year, the iHeartRadio Music Festival continues to captivate audiences nationwide,” said Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia. “Since its inception in 2011, this festival has become the can’t miss music event of the year. We’re thrilled to once again bring the world’s biggest artists together on one stage for one incredible weekend.”

Each night, the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival will broadcast live for fans via iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets. The CW Network will broadcast a two-night TV special on Wednesday, October 2-3. Leading up to the official special, The CW will also air an hour-long Best Of special on Sunday, September 29 at 8 p.m. ET. In addition, The CW will exclusively live stream both nights of the festival via The CW App and CWTV.com.

Beginning Tuesday, June 11 through Thursday, June 13 Capital One cardholders will have access to a special pre-sale for the iHeartRadio Music Festival. Additionally, Capital One cardholders can purchase an exclusive Capital One Access Pass which includes an intimate acoustic performance with Cage The Elephant, a meet and greet with the band and a backstage tour of T-Mobile Arena. Tickets go on sale to the general public on June 14. Tickets for the Daytime Stage are also on sale and can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com.

Throughout a summer-long on-air and online promotion, iHeartMedia station listeners across the country will have the chance to win a one-of-a-kind dream trip to Las Vegas where they will join thousands of other dedicated music fans to experience the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena.

Blake Shelton, Musicians On Call Celebrate Record-Breaking Night

/by

Pictured (L-R): Charles Esten, Cale Dodds, Blake Shelton, Martina McBride, Shane Tarleton, Lauren Alaina, Pete Griffin, Charlie Cook. Photo: Terry Wyatt/MOC

Musicians On Call and Blake Shelton brought in a record-setting amount for the nonprofit organization on Friday (May 31), when the 20th Anniversary Kickoff Celebration Presented By Pepsi raised $330,000, the most raised at an MOC event in Nashville to date.

Shelton and Cale Dodds performed during the event, held at Nashville’s CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Warner Music Nashville’s Sr. VP, Artist Development Shane Tarleton was the evening’s top honoree, and the recipient of the organization’s first Lifetime Achievement Award and commemorated with a platinum guitar. Martina McBride, Brandon Ray and Chandra LePlume honored Tarleton during the event, before he was surprised with two new programs in his honor. The first is a Music Pharmacy near his hometown at the Hospice of Union County, and a Bedside Performance Program at Transitions LifeCare in Raleigh, where Tarleton’s sister, Tanya Rand, is a nurse.

“I am humbled beyond belief to have been a part of such a historical event for Musicians On Call. There was so much joy in that room as we celebrated 20 years,” said Shane Tarleton. “Having two programs started in North Carolina in my name is the best gift I could ever receive. I’ll certainly do my best to always be worthy of this beautiful Lifetime Achievement award.”
Universal Music Group Nashville recording artist Lauren Alaina received the Music Heals award, and was honored by longtime mentor Gator Harrison, who highlighted her experience as a volunteer musician.

Blake Shelton performs during the Musicians On Call 20th Anniversary Kickoff Celebration Presented by Pepsi at CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on May 31, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Musicians On Call)

Thomas Rhett, Kelsea Ballerini Return As Hosts Of ‘CMA Fest’ ABC Special

/by

Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini are returning to host CMA Fest, the Music Event of Summer, with Bobby Bones as special guest host. The three-hour primetime concert special, which brings country music’s ultimate fan experience to a national TV audience, airs Aug. 4 at 7 P.M. CT on ABC.

“This year’s CMA Fest offers something for every music fan,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “From surprise collaborations to some of country music’s most exciting emerging and legendary talent, we’re excited to bring the festival to millions of fans around the world later this summer.”

Filmed during Nashville’s annual four-day CMA Fest June 6-9, the TV special features more than 30 performances and surprise collaborations on stage at Nissan Stadium. 2019 marks the 16th consecutive year of the broadcast, a feat no other U.S. music festival has achieved. Last year’s broadcast generated ABC’s top summertime non-sports ratings, leading ABC to the most-watched network that night according to Nielsen Media Research.

“‘CMA Fest’ is always the summer’s must-see music event with the biggest names in country music,” says Rob Mills, ABC Entertainment Senior Vice President, Alternative Series, Specials & Late-Night Programming. “With Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini returning for their third year and Bobby Bones joining them as special guest host, we know this summer’s festival will knock it out of the park.”

Thomas Rhett returns to host CMA Fest for a fourth year, first co-hosting the special in 2016, while Ballerini returns for a third year. Ballerini takes the Nissan Stadium stage to perform this Thursday, June 6, while Thomas Rhett performs Friday, June 7.

Alecia Davis Tapped To Co-Host 2019 MusicRow Awards

/by

Alecia Davis

Alecia Davis, the respected television host, entertainment journalist, writer and producer, will co-host this year’s MusicRow Awards at War Memorial Auditorium on June 26. She will join MusicRow Magazine’s Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson for the annual event held to honor the Nashville music industry’s top talents.

“I’m really looking forward to sharing the hosting duties with such a bad-ass talent as Nashville’s Alecia Davis,” says Robertson. “She’s the consummate professional and I am truly blown away by her incredible expertise and infectious personality. While the goal for these awards is to honor the musical talent in our industry, it will be our goal that evening to make sure everyone attending has a ridiculously fun time doing so.”

Alecia Davis currently interviews today’s biggest celebrities on the Emmy award-winning entertainment news show, EXTRA. She joined the internationally syndicated program in 2007, and has garnered exclusive interviews with Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Kevin Costner, Keith Urban, Miley Cyrus, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, and more.

In addition to her work at EXTRA, in 2008 Davis gained notoriety as she returned to her hometown of Nashville and her country music roots to serve as co-host of CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown and #1 Music and a Movie, as well as other specials, and Countdown to Country Music’s Top 100 Songs. Davis credits CMT for launching her career as a television host in 2000, on the popular series, Hit Trip.

The 31st Annual MusicRow Awards, set for an invitation-only gala at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium on June 26. Nominees and ticket information can be viewed at MusicRow.com. Supporting Sponsors of the event are Vaden Group | Elliott Davis, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Keller Turner Andrews & Ghanem, PLLC. Partner level sponsors include Ram Trucks and City National Bank.

Having almost 20 years experience, Davis is a go-to anchor on the red carpet and backstage at the CMA Awards, ACM Awards, the Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and Emmy Awards, as well as live specials like TV Guide’s Live at The Grammys, CMT’s Live from the Red Carpet at the CMT Awards, the Live from the ACM Awards Red Carpet, and CMA Nominations Live.

Davis worked at TV Guide Network (2008-2011) as a correspondent interviewing Hollywood’s top celebrities at award shows, red-carpet movie premieres, set-visits, movie junkets and events. She served as guest host, alongside Chris Harrison, on the daily entertainment news program Hollywood 411. Davis also hosted many specials for the network, and with her background in country music, she was a natural choice to host the biography focused Close Up, featuring artists Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, and Blake Shelton, and The Sexy Stars of Country Music; as well as, What’s on DVD and Big Movie Premiere.

Davis then joined Reelz Channel (2011-2012), where she utilized her fashion background and served as co-host on Fashion Fanatics and a correspondent on the daily entertainment news program, Hollywood Dailies.

Previously, Davis gained recognition as host of TLC’s hit wedding show, For Better or For Worse. Some of her other hosting and broadcasting credits include, her work as a correspondent on E! News Live, co-host of ABC Family’s XYZ at the Movies, CoverGirl’s The Look (13 looks of Taylor Swift) and Time-Life’s Country USA, with Larry Gatlin.

Apart from being a television host, Davis co-hosted the national weekly radio call-in show, Give and Take on WLAC (2006-2008); and she served as a contributing editor at Country Weekly Magazine. Davis also started her own business, Gemini Media, producing content for media platforms and providing media training.

 

Ross Copperman, Lady Antebellum, Tenille Townes To Lead 10th Annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp

/by

ACM Lifting Lives and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities will partner again for the 10th Annual ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp, June 12-June 19, 2019, in Nashville, TN. Country artists Lady Antebellum, Tenille Townes, Jessie James Decker, producer-songwriter Ross Copperman and singer-songwriter Joy Williams have volunteered their time with the campers at various points throughout the week. The finale will take place Tuesday, June 18, 2019 on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry as ACM Lifting Lives Music campers offer a live performance with country music artist Michael Ray.

The camp, a week-long residential program open to individuals with Williams syndrome talented in music from around the U.S. and Canada, has a dual purpose of studying Williams syndrome while providing music enrichment through performance and education. ACM Lifting Lives funds the costs of the camp in addition to providing scholarships to several campers, enabling the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center to advance its mission of improving the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families through research, training and service.

Campers will participate in a songwriting workshop and recording session, along with other music-oriented activities, culminating in a live performance at the world-famous Grand Ole Opry.

Throughout the week, campers gain invaluable experience through visits from top-tier country music veterans. Prior camps have featured artist visits from Lauren Alaina, Gary Allan, Kelsea Ballerini, The Band Perry, Danielle Bradbery, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Lee Brice, Kix Brooks, Luke Bryan, Brett Eldredge, Hunter Hayes, JT Hodges, Julianne Hough, Casey James, Chris Janson, Jana Kramer, Brandon Lay, Little Big Town, Love and Theft, Maddie & Tae, Scotty McCreery, Lance Miller, Eddie Montgomery, Craig Morgan, Kip Moore, Maren Morris, David Lee Murphy, Jerrod Niemann, Jon Nite, Jake Owen, Eric Paslay, Cassadee Pope, LeAnn Rimes, RaeLynn, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Hillary Scott, The Swon Brothers, Carrie Underwood, Paul Worley, Wynonna, Chris Young and more. This year’s schedule includes:

Thursday, June 13
Songwriting Workshop with Ross Copperman, Lady Antebellum and Joy Williams
Dinner and Karaoke at Winner’s Bar & Grill with Surprise Guest Artist

Friday, June 14
Seacrest Studios visit with Surprise Guest Artist
Meet & Greet with Surprise Guest Artist at Wildhorse Saloon

Saturday, June 15
Bluebird Cafe visit with Jessie James Decker

Monday, June 17
Recording Studio Day with Ross Copperman and Tenille Townes at Belmont University’s Ocean Way Nashville

Tuesday, June 18
LIVE performance with Michael Ray at the Grand Ole Opry

 

BBR Music Group Promotes DeToro, Adds Wisz To Staff

/by

DeToro, Wisz

BBR Music Group has promoted Devin DeToro to Director of Marketing and hired Channing Wisz as Manager of Marketing. Both will report to BBR Music Group VP of Marketing, JoJamie Hahr.

In addition to serving as the day-to-day marketing contact for many artist teams, DeToro has expanded BBR’s influencer relations and has taken a lead role in the planning of BBR events. DeToro joined the team in 2017 as a Manager of Marketing following a two-year stint in Los Angeles at iHeartMedia as Manager, Activation and Account Management. Prior to iHeartMedia she served for seven years with CBS Radio rising to Project Manager, Integrated Marketing and Events for the Chicago cluster.

“Since joining the label, Devin has become a crucial part of our team,” stated Hahr. “She far exceeds every expectation within her role and is so deserving of this promotion.”

Wisz has been hired as Manager of Marketing. In this role she will be serve as point on coordinating marketing efforts for BBR Music Group’s diverse roster of artists. Wisz joins BBR from Crowd Surf, a digital marketing company where she served as a Marketing Account Manager, specializing in social media. She joined Crowd Surf in their Los Angeles office as a fall intern in 2014 before joining the Nashville team full-time in January 2018 following stops at RPM Entertainment and Miles High Productions.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome Channing to the team! Her creativity, passion, and go-getter mentality make her the perfect fit for the BBR Music Group family,” added Hahr.

DeToro can be reached at [email protected]. Wisz can be reached at [email protected].