BREAKING: Shannan Hatch Named President For New Publishing Venture Fourward Music

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Shannan Hatch

Shannan Hatch has been tapped to serve as President for Fourward’s new publishing venture, Fourward Music. Hatch will serve as President with offices in both Nashville and Los Angeles.

Just over three months since CEO Will Ward announced the launch of Fourward’s Nashville office, the global management, production and business development company announces the formation of new music publishing company, Fourward Music, LLC.

“I am excited to expand and grow the Fourward brand in the publishing space,” says Fourward CEO Will Ward. “Our focus is to sign the most talented songwriters across all genres while bringing competitive advantages, particularly in the sync space, for the benefit of our writers at Fourward Music.

“With over two decades of music industry experience, Shannan Hatch has an incredible reputation for discovering talent in music,” adds Ward. “Her relationships are unparalleled; coupled with her remarkable work ethic, arresting wit and infectious laugh, she was my first choice to head this venture. I’m honored to have her join the Fourward family.”

“I have long held great admiration for Will, as he has built some of the biggest movie stars and touring acts in the business,” shares Hatch. “Will’s experience combined with his passion and vision inspires and empowers those around him. I look forward to combining my own experience and relationships with his global access to create a truly diverse and world-class publishing company. I will forever be thankful for my 17 years at SESAC as being a member of that team has been an incredible experience. I am proud to announce this next chapter that affords me an exciting opportunity to continue to service the music community only now from the publishing side.”

A member of the SESAC team since 2002, Hatch most recently served as Vice President of Creative Services for SESAC PRO, where she led the Nashville-based Creative Services team in supporting SESAC-affiliated songwriters and publishers. She serves on T.J. Martell’s Southern Region’s Board of Governors and as a Director at Large for the Academy of Country Music.

Congratulate Shannan Hatch at [email protected].

Loretta Lynn Presented With Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award

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LorettaLynn

Loretta Lynn was recently honored for her role as a trailblazer for women in country music with the 2019 Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award. The award was presented to Lynn by Cracker Barrel’s “Five Decades, One Voice” partner artist Trisha Yearwood at Lynn’s beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

The Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award is given to country musicians with decades in the business, past partnerships with Cracker Barrel’s music program, and a stated impact and influence on present day artists in the genre. Along with the award, Cracker Barrel is making a $5,000 donation to a charity of Lynn’s choice, the Grand Ole Opry’s Opry Trust Fund, whose mission is to help those in the country music industry when they need it the most by offering financial assistance during their time of need. The donation was presented to Grand Ole Opry’s Vice President and Executive Producer Dan Rogers by Cracker Barrel’s Senior Music Manager Julie Ulmer following Loretta’s award presentation at her ranch.

The award comes on the heels of Lynn serving as the leading voice and source of inspiration behind Cracker Barrel’s “Five Decades, One Voice,” a 50th anniversary program to celebrate iconic female country music artists and shine a spotlight on those following in their footsteps.

“For more than five decades, I’ve believed in taking chances where the opportunity for success is limited,” said Loretta Lynn. “To receive this honor from Cracker Barrel in recognition of all those chances and the career it led me to build is incredibly meaningful to me. It comes at an important time when I see so many female artists fighting for a chance to be heard. I want to help them bring their talents to the table and programs like ‘Five Decades, One Voice’ do just that. And trust me; there’s plenty to go around.”

“We’re honored to present Country Legend Award to Loretta Lynn for her long list of accomplishments in the country music genre, but more importantly, the influence she’s had on artists throughout her 60-year career,” said Julie Ulmer. “Loretta laid the groundwork for future generations, especially emerging females in the country music industry. There is no one more deserving, and we’re grateful for her continued partnership.”

Loretta is the second recipient of the award following 2018 winner Randy Travis, who was presented the honor for his impact on the country music genre at large.

Trisha Yearwood, Loretta Lynn

badflower Named Face Of John Varvatos’ Star USA Campaign

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Rock band badflower has been named the face of menswear designer and record label owner John Varvatos‘ fall 2019 John Varvatos Star USA Campaign.

The band, which includes frontman Josh Katz, guitarist Joey Morrow, bassist Alex Espiritu, and drummer Anthony Sonetti, signed a deal with Big Machine/John Varvatos Records in 2017.

“badflower represent everything that’s missing in music and style today,” said John Varvatos. “They are rebels and amazing storytellers that carry themselves with ease and confidence. At the same time they are absolutely one of the best rock bands on the planet. I’m proud to have them representing the John Varvatos Star USA brand and chart topping artists on the Big Machine/John Varvatos label.”

The campaign was shot by photographer/director Mark Seliger, against a New York City backdrop. The fashions include layers and textures like faux fur, and all-black shearling, alongside vintage tees, plaids, and camouflage.

“We had such a blast working on this shoot with John and his crew,” badflower commented. “This was our first time getting involved with anything fashion related and John was with us the whole time making it super fun and low pressure. He’s such a visionary in both the music and fashion scene and we’re privileged to be able to work so closely with him.”

Previous musical collaborators for the John Varvatos brand include Machine Gun Kelly, Hozier, Gary Clark Jr., Jimmy Page and Nick Jonas.

badflower recently earned their second No. 1 with “Heroin,” which topped both Mediabase and Billboard‘s charts for Active Rock. The track followed their debut single, “Ghost,” which was their first No. 1 rock single and landed at No. 7 on Billboard‘s 2018 Year-End Mainstream Rock Songs chart. In addition to their own headlining dates, badflower recently toured with Nothing More as well as multi-Platinum rock band Shinedown and will hit the road this fall for their headlining OK, I’M SICK TOUR.

Nashville Vinyl Pop-Up Store To Open In New York

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The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. is teaming with Showfields to bring Nashville to New York City with a pop-up vinyl store, Spin On: Nashville’s Vinyl Collection. Curated by beloved Nashville record store Grimey’s in celebration of its 20-year anniversary, Spin On is set to open its doors on Oct. 1, and will offer a curated selection of vinyl by artists who live in Nashville or albums that were recorded in Nashville.

In addition to the selection of vinyl, the unique pop-up at Showfields  will host intimate performances, signings and more, and host guest artists including John Hiatt, Ben Folds, Rayland Baxter, Andrew Combs, Jessy Wilson, and Sugar + The Hi-Lows .

“The Music City brand is at the heart of Nashville’s tourism success and the city’s overall success,” says Butch Spyridon, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “We think this is a creative way to showcase and reinforce the strength and diversity of the music that’s created, written and recorded in Nashville.”

Spin On will be open Oct. 1, 2019-Jan 15, 2020, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Mondays from noon to 8 p.m.

Grimey’s, Nashville’s independent record store since 1999, specializes in new and preowned vinyl, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, turntables, and more. The Nashville trademark regularly hosts live performances, record release parties, book signings and interviews. Showfields’ flagship store premiered in December 2018 at 11 Bond Street in New York and has since grown into a revolving array of art, food, drink and community programming bridging art and retail in the heart of NOHO.

Animal Activist And Humanitarian Phran Galante Dies At 64

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Phran Galante. Photo: Courtesy Galante Family

Phran Rachel Galante, 64, of Nashville, TN, passed away today (Sept. 23) after a hard-fought battle with lung cancer over the last several years.

Born June 5, 1955 in New York City, Phran’s early years were filled with her love of animals—especially horses—theater, swimming, dance and tennis. The child of an Army physician, she moved around the country and even to Japan with her parents and siblings.

A dream of working on Broadway took Phran back to New York in 1981, where she landed a temp job at Chrysalis Records. In 1983, at the suggestion of her boss, she pursued and interviewed for a job at RCA Nashville, where she met her husband, Joe Galante. The two would marry in 1990.

In 1989, she left RCA to become part of the original team that built and launched Arista Records. With a talent for marketing, she designed, orchestrated and executed music marketing plans for a variety of artists and projects throughout her record label career. She also produced music videos for such artists as Alabama, K.T. Oslin, Ronnie Milsap and Alan Jackson.

Returning to Nashville in the early 1990s with her husband, Phran turned her time and efforts toward the community she loved and called home. She volunteered to rescue animals, was on the board of directors for TPAC, and worked at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. She was a founding member of United Partnerships in Animal Welfare, a community-based group sanctioned by the city of Nashville, working to reduce the very high rate of euthanasia in Music City’s animal shelters.

In 2018, she was honored with the Pet Community Center’s Jourdan Parenteau Excellence in Service Award for her 20+ years of leadership in animal welfare. Accepting the award, she said, “Animals can’t speak for themselves, so we must do it for them.”

Phran was also passionate about the work being done by the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, using her record industry contacts to bring music into the facility to brighten children’s days. She raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through her work on the annual Music City Tennis Invitational, helping the event become a cornerstone of the hospital’s funding efforts. In 2017, while serving as honorary co-chair, she was recognized by the event with the MCTI Outstanding Service Award and the MCTI Sportsmanship Award (receiving the latter for a second time) for her many years of service as co-chair, silent auction chair and tournament player.

Almost immediately upon receiving her own diagnosis, Phran began helping friends and even strangers who were beginning their own journey with cancer, lending an ear, offering support and spending time with them. She went on-camera, sharing her voice and personal experience with the public on behalf of the T.J. Martell Foundation and its work to fund cancer research. “As each day goes by, we get closer and closer to a cure,” she said with conviction, giving hope to others through her own determination and fight to keep the disease at bay.

Phran is survived by her husband Joe, sister Debbie Linn, brothers Pete and Myke Schwartz, parents Marvin and Claire Schwartz, and her beloved pets Lexie and Fergie. Phran’s family thanks doctors Bal, Karlekar, Lovly and Meluch along with the nurses at Tennessee Oncology, Sarah Cannon, and the staff at Alive Hospice for the care they provided to Phran.

A celebration of Phran’s life will be held on October 23 at Congregation Micah in Brentwood, Tenn.; further details will be forthcoming. The family asks that anyone wishing to honor her memory consider a donation to the T.J. Martell Foundation’s Phran Galante Memorial Fund for Lung Cancer Research or the Pet Community Center in memory of Phran.

TobyMac’s Hits Deep Tour Returns For 2020 With Tauren Wells, Jordan Feliz, We Are Messengers

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TobyMac‘s “Hits Deep Tour” will return next year, with 32 stops in cities including Denver, Oklahoma City, San Diego, Milwaukee, and more.

Tauren Wells, Jordan Feliz, We Are Messengers, Ryan Stevenson, Aaron Cole, and Cochren & Co. will join the seven-time Grammy winner when the tour launches Jan. 30 at Beaumont, Texas’ Ford Park. The nationwide arena tour is a partnership with K-LOVE, Air1, Awakening Events, Altura Healthshare, and Food for the Hungry.

TobyMac will make a run of theatre shows in November, before the tour begins next year. His previous Hits Deep Tour, which included stops at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and Atlanta’s Infinite Energy Arena, sold 250,000 tickets and hosted tourmates Jeremy Camp, Jordan Feliz, Ryan Stevenson, We Are Messengers and Aaron Cole.

Lauren Akins To Release Memoir In 2020

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Lauren Akins is sharing her story in her first-ever book, titled Live In Love: Growing Together Through Life’s Changes (Ballantine), written with Mark Dagostino.

Available May 5, 2020 the book is available for pre-order now. Live in Love is a revealing and inspiring memoir by Akins, the wife of Thomas Rhett, regular contributor to Country Living Magazine, humanitarian, and mother of two (with a third on the way), offering inspiring guidance for anyone looking to keep romance alive, balance children and marriage, express true faith and live a life of purpose.

“I never would have guessed I’d be telling my story in a book about my life,” said Akins. “I hope by sharing parts of myself and my journey that I’m able to help someone feel less alone, inspired and find the love that we share as humans in these pages.”

Martina McBride Premiering New Podcast With Garth As First Guest

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Martina McBride is hosting a new podcast, “Vocal Point with Martina McBride” which is set to premiere on Friday, Sept. 27. The country star and lifestyle influencer is sitting down with A-List friends from across all genres including musicians, celebrity chefs, actors and anyone with a story to tell, and her first guest is none other than Garth Brooks. She and Garth chat about life in the limelight and how he has navigated fame and his impactful career. Other guests throughout the season include Lauren Alaina, Pam Tillis, Dustin Lynch, Rosanne Cash, Sara Evans, Don Was, Brenda Lee, Runaway June, Howie Mandel and Loretta Lynn.

“I wanted to do a podcast that’s not really an interview as much as it is a conversation,” says McBride. “I hope it’s entertaining for the listeners and also that it gives a little bit of insight into the person that I’m interviewing. We talked about their life philosophy, their struggles and how they’ve overcome them. A lot of it has been so inspiring as well as entertaining.”

Industry Ink: Country Cares For St. Jude Kids, Niko Moon, The Press House

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Country Cares For St. Jude Celebrates 30th Anniversary On The Opry

Backstage before his performance, Chris Janson met with St. Jude patient Kaelyn and her family and presented them with autographed harmonicas on Tuesday night’s special Opry celebrating 30th Anniversary of Country Cares for St. Jude Kids

The Grand Ole Opry celebrated the 3oth anniversary of Country Cares for St. Jude Kids during a special show on Sept. 19 as part of the Opry’s series of Fall Wednesday shows that will run through Oct. 30. Artists performing during the special evening included Bobby Bones, Chris Janson, Dailey & Vincent, High Valley, Jeannie Seely, Michael Ray and Mickey Guyton. Throughout the show, photos and videos of inspirational moments from Country Cares for St. Jude Kids were shared and a St. Jude patient, Kaelyn, served as a special guest announcer. Backstage before his performance, Chris Janson met with Kaelyn and her family and presented her and her sister Emily and brother Phillip with autographed harmonicas. During Janson’s performance, he surprised Kaelyn by bringing her onstage with him to play “Folsom Prison Blues” on her new harmonica while Janson sang. The evening also included a poignant performance by Michael Ray of Alabama’s hit “Angels Among Us” in honor of the group’s frontman Randy Owen, who, 30 years ago, founded Country Cares For St. Jude Kids, which has raised over $800 million to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.

 

Niko Moon Showcases New Music

RCA Nashville’s Niko Moon celebrated an industry showcase with his label team in Nashville this week.

Moon’s co-manager Lynn Oliver-Cline, Sony Music Nashville’s SVP Sales/Streaming Caryl Atwood and COO/EVP Ken Robold, Niko Moon, CAA Nashville’s Jon Huie, Sony Music Nashville Chairman/CEO Randy Goodman and VP Digital Strategy Ed Rivadavia, CAA’s Aaron Tannenbaum, Moon’s co-manager Chris Kappy, SMN’s SVP A&R Taylor Lindsey, EVP Promotion/Artist Development Steve Hodges, VP Creative Services Tracy Fleaner and Sr. Director Marketing Liz Cost, SVP RCA Nashville Promotion Dennis Reese and Moon’s co-manager Randi McFadden.

 

The Press House Adds Donny Evans

Donny Evans

The Press House has added Donny Evans as a publicist. Evans’ career has included time as a touring musician, photographer and graphic designer. He was worked as Beverage Director for the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville and Public Relations Specialist for music festival BottleRock Napa Valley.

The Press House clients include Music Business Association, A2IM, Gifft Wines, Monster Energy, Nashville Film Festival, Gloria Gaynor, The Cerny Brothers, Alisan Porter, Gaither Music, Rory Feek, Morrison Hotel Gallery, Fireplay, and more.

Anthem Entertainment, RED Creative Group Extend Deal With Adam Hambrick

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Pictured (L-R): Lauren Lieu, Brooke Antonakos, Adam Hambrick, Tye Worobess, Alex Tamashunas. Bottom (L-R): Jeremy Stover, Helen Murphy, Tim Wipperman, Gilles Godard, Tim Hunze

Anthem Entertainment and RED Creative Group, the publishing venture of Anthem songwriter/producer Jeremy Stover, have extended their publisher deal with Adam Hambrick. Under the deal, Anthem will handle global co-publishing for Hambrick’s future copyrights.

“I am very excited to be continuing to work with Anthem,” said Hambrick. “They have been fantastic partners in helping me establish my career, and I am thrilled to see what we will accomplish together in the years to come.”

“I’ve been a fan of Adam Hambrick since Jeremy Stover gave me a copy of his independent LP in 2011,” said Anthem Nashville’s Senior Director of Creative, Tim Hunze. “It’s taken me eight years and moving to Anthem to be able to work with him professionally…and I could not be more excited!”

“Adam not only has one of the most gifted voices in music, but his fresh melodic approach mixed with vivid lyrics truly make him one of the best,” added Jeremy Stover, President of RED Creative Group. “Working with Adam has been an amazing experience and I look forward to what the future holds.”

Hambrick has written songs for artists including Miranda Lambert and Eli Young Band as well as No. 1 hits for Dan + Shay (“How Not To”) and Justin Moore (“Somebody Else Will”). He released his own debut single “Rockin’ All Night Long” last fall and is currently in the studio working on his debut album with producers Andrew DeRoberts (James Blunt, Miley Cyrus) and Paul DiGiovanni (Blake Shelton, Jordan Davis).