BREAKING: Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan Placed On “Administrative Leave”

Deborah Dugan. Photo: courtesy The Recording Academy

Deborah Dugan, who took the helm as president and CEO of The Recording Academy on Aug. 1, 2019, has been placed on immediate administrative leave, in light of concerns raised by the Board of The Recording Academy, according to a memo sent to Recording Academy members. Board Chair Harvey Mason Jr. will serve as interim President and CEO.

MusicRow Magazine obtained a copy of the memo, which reads:

We wanted to share that the Recording Academy Board of Trustees has placed Recording Academy President and CEO Deborah Dugan on Administrative Leave, effective immediately.

The Board of Trustees felt this action to be necessary in light of serious concerns that recently came to their attention. While we are unable to share the details of the concerns to protect employee privacy, please know that the Board has also retained two independent third-party investigators to conduct independent investigations of the allegations that caused the concerns.  We want to assure you that the Recording Academy Board of Trustees is committed to fostering a safe, diverse, and inclusive workplace, music industry, and society.

The Board has appointed me to serve as Interim President and CEO, and all Recording Academy operations will proceed as normal during the interim leadership transition. The GRAMMY Awards and all related activities will go forward as planned.

Recording Academy Chief Industry, Government Affairs, & Member Relations Officer Daryl Friedman and VP of Membership & Industry Relations Laura Segura Mueller will share additional information with you as it becomes available and when appropriate.  In the interim, our focus on service to the music community – and to you, our members – will remain uninterrupted and undiminished.

Sincerely,
Harvey Mason, Jr.
Interim Recording Academy President and CEO

Prior to joining The Recording Academy, Dugan served as CEO of (RED), the AIDS nonprofit co-founded in 2006 by U2 singer Bono and activist Bobby Shriver. She took on the position at the Recording Academy in August after the exit of Neil Portnow, who had led the organization for 17 years.

A former Wall Street mergers and acquisitions attorney, Dugan was also president of Disney Publishing Worldwide, and executive vice president of EMI Records Group/Angel Records.

The news comes just over a week before the upcoming Grammy Awards, which are slated for Jan. 26 at the Los Angeles Staples Center.

DISClaimer: Ashley McBryde, Brandy Clark, Jessi Alexander, Drew Fish Top New Releases

Ashley McBryde. Photo: Daniel Meigs

This day belongs to country’s new breed.

Jordan Davis, Brandon Lay, Logan Mize and Filmore are all here with new sounds. I have expressed my affection for all of them in the past, and I am happy to report that they are starting the new year off with audio excellence.

Three of my favorite new female artists are with us today as well. Ashley McBryde, Brandy Clark and Disc of the Day winner Jessi Alexander all belong on your playlists. Do this now.

Texan Drew Fish wins this week’s DisCovery Award.

BRANDON LAY/For My Money
Writers: Brandon Lay/Andrew DeRoberts; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; EMI
– Pretty funky. Pretty groovy. Pretty infectious. Pretty dang good. He’s fakin’ it ‘til he makes it, because she thinks he’s got money that he ain’t.

ASHLEY McBRYDE/Martha Divine
Writers: Ashley McBryde/Jeremy Spillman; Producer: Jay Joyce; Publisher: none listed; Warner
– This dark ditty rocks. She’s out for revenge against Miss Martha because that Jezebel is Daddy’s lover. It’s been awhile since we had a good murder lyric in country music, hasn’t it? Not to mention a solid story song.

JORDAN DAVIS/Heads Carolina, Tails California
Writers: Mark D. Sanders/Tim Nichols; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Amazon/MCA
– Jordan takes the Jo Dee Messina oldie at a slower, bluesier pace. It has a rump-shaking, head bobbing vibe. Which is mighty attractive and also shines a light on how well written the song is. I could definitely get used to this addictive groove.

LOGAN MIZE/I Ain’t Gotta Grow Up
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Big Yellow Dog
– I dig this guy. Everything he does is just so listenable….. and so country. This is a party bopper with an itchy beat, a jaunty vocal and a smiling attitude. In other words, a hit. There’s an equally delightful version with country up-and-comer Willie Jones.

BRANDY CLARK/Who You Thought I Was
Writers: none listed; Producer: Jay Joyce: Publisher: none listed; Warner
– This woman is just awesome, that’s all. Her liquid vocal, her lovely melody, her pristinely constructed song and her overall artistry are all perfectly in place here. She is a country queen if I have ever heard one in my life.

DREW FISH & PAM TILLIS/Every Damn Time
Writers: Drew Fish/Roger Brown/Chris Colston; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; DF
– Tennessee meets Texas on this shiny, shimmery, romantic waltz. It’s on Lone Star State traditionalist Drew’s CD Wishful Drinkin.’

FILMORE/State I’m In
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Curb
– He can’t outrun her memory, but at least he’s rocking out. I particularly like the way the drums are miked in this fresh sounding track. Filmore’s tenor vocal is also well recorded. Who produced this?

JESSI ALEXANDER/Mama Drank
Writers: Jessi Alexander/Jon Randall; Producers: Jessi Alexander/Jon Randall Stewart/Leslie Richter; Publisher: none listed; JA
– This is the “workin’ mom blues,” complete with a solid backbeat, a hillbilly soul-sister vocal, lotsa guitar twang and a minor key moan or two. I have always been a super fan of this woman. But this something else from this brilliant creator, a stone masterpiece.

CODY PURVIS/Drinkin’ Terms
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; CP
– Well, it’s a novel idea for a song. An ex tries to contact him, but he tells her, “We ain’t on drinkin’ terms.” In other words, it’s over, babe.

A THOUSAND HORSES/Drinking Song
Writers: none listed; Producer: Dave Cobb; Publisher: none listed; Low Country
-Sounds like an anthem to me. The combination here is a solidly country song with searing electric guitar work.

Mickey Guyton, Brandi Carlile, Leslie Fram Discuss Gender Inequality On Country Radio With Samantha Bee

Brandi Carlile on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

This week, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee highlighted the ongoing struggles of female country artists to earn airplay on country radio.

Samantha Bee visited Nashville to meet up with several artists, including Brandi Carlile, Mickey Guyton, Margo Price and Tanya Tucker, as well as CMT’s Leslie Fram, who each offered their perspectives.

“Radio is still king so I feel like we are training people not to hear female voices,” Fram said.

They offered insights from Jada E. Watson’s “Gender Representation on Country Format Radio” study, which stated that in 2000, 67% of artists represented in the country format were men, while 33% were females. In the past eight years, there has been a 66% decline in music heard by female artists on country radio; in 2018, male artists performed 89% of the music heard on country radio, with only 11% of the radio format’s music coming from female artists.

“I wrote a song called ‘Pay Gap,’ and that’s exactly what it’s about,” said Price. “That lost me a lot of those mainstream country fans that I had. I was blacklisted by a lot of those [mainstream label] people because my music talked about real life problems. They just didn’t like what I liked to say. But there are people in rural America who need to hear these songs, especially young women.”

Guyton offered insight on questions of race and gender in country music.

“Black people love country music and there are so many people who look like me that love country music and that’s what I’m here to do. We’re really just paving the way. We deserve to have our time here,” Guyton said.

“There is really no one person you can point a finger at,” Carlile said. “Anyone that listens to country music, anyone who loves country music, despite where you fall on the political spectrum or who it is you are, ask yourself this question, which is what do you want her daughter to know about herself? And if you can’t get that from country music, if you can’t get that from country radio, it’s a problem.”

Watch the video below:

COIN Announces 2020 Tour

COIN

Nashville-based band COIN has released “Youuu,” the latest track from their upcoming album Dreamland, set to drop Feb. 21, and announced a tour in support of the new project.

“We wish to control everything before we simply choose to notice anything,” says COIN’s lead singer Chase Lawrence of “Youuu,” which he began crafting in California. “I’m still learning, but I don’t want to waste my time trying to find something special, only to realize I was holding it all along.”

“From Nashville to Seoul to London to Los Angeles, we recorded everywhere but a studio,” he continued. “For the past two years, we made this album in green rooms, bedrooms, airplanes and buses. Dreamland is a patchwork quilt of everywhere we’ve been – a sonic journal of orchestras, out of tune guitars, church choirs and iPhone voice memos.”

The group, known for their 2016 breakthrough hit “Talk Too Much,” followed by singles “Let It All Out” and their latest “Crash My Car,” have earned more than 252 million streams and have been a mainstay at alternative radio. They will hit the road this year in support of the new album, with a 22-city tour to launch March 10 in Tampa, Florida. The tour will include a stop at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on March 14.

2020 TOUR DATES
March 10—Tampa, FL—The Ritz Ybor
March 12—Orlando, FL—House of Blues Orlando
March 13—Atlanta, GA—Tabernacle
March 14—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium
March 15—Charlotte, NC—The Fillmore Charlotte
March 19—Boston, MA—House of Blues Boston
March 20—Asbury Park, NJ—The Stone Pony
March 21—Baltimore, MD—Baltimore Soundstage
March 22—Philadelphia, PA—Theatre of Living Arts
March 24—Pittsburgh, PA—Roxian Theatre
March 26—Detroit, MI—Saint Andrew’s Hall
March 27—Cleveland, OH—House of Blues Cleveland
March 28—Columbus, OH—Express Live!
March 31—Denver, CO—Ogden Theatre
April 1—Salt Lake City, UT—The Complex
April 3—San Diego, CA—The Observatory North Park
April 4—Los Angeles, CA—The Wiltern
April 6—Phoenix, AZ—The Van Buren
April 9—Houston, TX—House of Blues Houston
April 10—Dallas, TX—South Side Ballroom
April 11—Kansas City, MO—The Truman
April 12—Minneapolis, MN—Varsity Theater

Luke Bryan Announces New Album, Tour

Luke Bryan. Photo: Jim Wright

Luke Bryan will release his seventh studio album, Born Here, Live Here, Die Here on April 24. The project follows his 2017 project What Makes You Country, which was his third consecutive release to debut at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top 200 and his fifth to debut at the pinnacle of Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart.

He will take his new music on the road beginning May 28 in Cincinnati, Ohio with his 40+ show Proud To Be Right Here tour, which will welcome Caylee Hammack, Runaway June, and Morgan Wallen.

“‘Proud to be right here’ is a phrase from my new album’s title track, ‘Born Here, Live Here, Die Here’ (written by Jameson Rodgers, Josh Thompson, Jake Mitchell),” Bryan said. “From the moment I first heard it, I loved that this song related so closely to how I grew up and how I still have so many ties to my hometown. It’s a connection I feel is so important in country music. I am truly so thankful to have the opportunity to make music for my fans and to look out into the crowds each night from stage and be proud of what we’ve created. And I’m excited to get on the road with these guest artists too. I’ve been watching what Morgan is building with his fans and it has been so fun to watch! I know with him, Caylee and Runaway June on this tour it’s going to be such a high energy night for everyone.”

Proud To Be Right Here tour dates:
5/28/2020 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
5/29/2020 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
5/30/2020 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
6/5/2020 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater
6/18/2020 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
6/19/2020 – Hartford, CT – Xfinity Theatre
6/20/2020 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion
6/25/2020 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest at American Family Insurance Amphitheater*
7/16/2020 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre**
7/17/2020 – Mtn View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/18/2020 – Sacramento, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
7/23/2020 – Bend, OR – Les Schwab Amphitheater
7/24/2020 – Bend, OR – Les Schwab Amphitheater
7/25/2020 – Portland, OR – Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
7/30/2020 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
7/31/2020 – Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena
8/4/2020 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
8/5/2020 – Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavilion
8/6/2020 – Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavilion
8/14/2020 – Bangor, ME – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
8/21/2020 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
8/23/2020 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
8/28/2020 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
8/29/2020 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
8/30/2020 – Charleston, SC – to be announced….
9/24/2020 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
9/25/2020 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
9/26/2020 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center
10/1/2020 – Bossier City, LA – CenturyLink Center
10/2/2020 – Lafayette, LA – Cajundome
10/8/2020 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
10/9/2020 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center**
10/10/2020 – San Bernardino, CA – Glen Helen Amphitheater**

Morgan Wallen on all dates except **
Morgan only*
Caylee Hammack May 28- July 31
Runaway June August 4- October 10

Old Dominion Welcomes Dustin Lynch, Carly Pearce For 2020 Tour

Old Dominion are heading out on the road on the U.S. leg of their “We Are Old Dominion Tour,” which kicks off in May. The tour will visit 13 cities, including Key West, Charleston, and Tuscaloosa, with Dustin Lynch and Carly Pearce set to open on select dates.

“We are so excited for this line up! We’ve had the pleasure of playing shows and making music with both Carly Pearce and Dustin Lynch for years now,” said Old Dominion frontman Matt Ramsey. “Dustin brings the heat like no other, and it will be amazing to have a female act as strong as Carly out there with us!”

Old Dominion gained another No. 1 hit on the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts with “One Man Band” at the end of 2019. With over 219 million streams, the sweetly sentimental tune marks the band’s eighth consecutive No. 1 and biggest song to date. They are set to perform it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 20.

Newly added “We Are Old Dominion” Summer Tour dates:
May 05 – Key West Amphitheater – Key West, FL
May 14 – White Oak Amphitheatre – Greensboro, NC ^^*
May 15 – Volvo Car Stadium – Charleston, SC ^^*
May 20 – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater – Tuscaloosa, AL ^^*
May 21 – The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, AL ^^*
Jun 04 – Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row – Westbrook, ME ^^*
Jun 05 – CMAC – Canandaigua, NY ^^*
Jul 16 – The Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA *
Jul 17 – Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s – Stateline, NV
Jul 22 – Brandon Amphitheater – Brandon, MS ^^*
Jul 23 – Walmart AMP – Rogers, AR ^^*
Aug 20 – CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park – Simpsonville, SC ^^*
Aug 21 – PNC Waterside Pavilion – Solomons, MD ^^*
^^ – Dustin Lynch
* – Carly Pearce

Warner Music Nashville Hosts Robert F. Kennedy Jr. For Discussion On Fighting Water Pollution

Photo ID (L to R): Scott Underwood (Train); Ronnie Dunn; Emmylou Harris; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Waterkeeper Alliance); Chris Janson; John Oates; John Esposito (Warner Music Nashville); David Whiteside (Tennessee Riverkeeper); Zac Cockrell (Alabama Shakes); Trevor Terndrup (Moon Taxi)

Warner Music Nashville’s Chairman & CEO John Esposito welcomed a number of Nashville’s top music artists, as well as passionate supporters of clean water initiatives, to the Warner Music Nashville office on Jan. 14 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Tennessee Riverkeeper. The Tennessee Riverkeeper and the Waterkeeper organizations defend the fundamental human right to drinkable, fishable and swimmable waters, and they combine firsthand knowledge of local waterways with a commitment to the rights of communities. The event raised $60,000 for the initiative.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. served as keynote speaker for the evening, while Tennessee Riverkeeper Executive Director David Whiteside offered an introduction.

The son of New York Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, Kennedy Jr. is a co-founder and President of Waterkeeper Alliance, an environmental protection organization that seeks to preserve and conserve water resources. He has been named Time Magazine’s Heroes For the Planet. He is a partner in Silicon Valley’s VantagePoint Ventures Partners’ CleanTech investment team.

Pictured: John Oates, Aimee Oates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Emmylou Harris, John Esposito, Chantel Esposito

Earlier in the day, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had also stopped by Patagonia Nashville to discuss the work of Waterkeeper Alliance, which was launched in 1966 by what he called a “blue collar coalition of commercial fishermen who mobilized to reclaim the Hudson River from its polluters.”

Waterkeeper Alliance now unites more than 300 Waterkeeper groups that fight the planetary environmental crisis, protecting 2.5 million square miles of rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways on six continents.

“People ask me what’s the most important thing for the environment? For 30 years I said the best thing we can do is have true free market capitalism. A true free market promotes efficiency and true efficiency means the elimination for waste and pollution is waste. It’s the undervaluation of our resources that causes us to use them wastefully.” Kennedy said.

Numerous artists attended, including Emmylou Harris, John Carter Cash, Ronnie Dunn, John Oates, Train’s Scott Underwood, Chris Janson, Alabama Shakes’ Zac Cockrell and Moon Taxi’s Trevor Terndrup.

Warner Music Nashville artist Chris Janson brought a guitar, keyboard and harmonica to offer songs including “Good Vibes,” “Drunk Girl,” and his 2x Platinum single “Buy Me A Boat.” “I’m so proud to be a part of the Tennessee Riverkeepers,” he told the crowd. “Keep this up.”

“I am passionate about protecting our planet on all fronts,” said Esposito. “Clean water is imperative to our survival. David Whiteside and the Tennessee Riverkeeper organization work on a daily basis to protect our water rights. I cannot think of a better way to salute Riverkeeper as they celebrate their 10th Anniversary.”

Warner Music Nashville is dedicated to improving sustainability efforts within and outside of its Music Row headquarters. The company’s employee-driven enterprise, WMGreen, has made strides toward its goal of 90% waste diversion by implementing composting and additional recycling services, donating surplus food from events to local organizations, eliminating single-use items from offices, working with sustainable vendors and more. WMGreen has partnered with numerous organizations in the local Nashville community to drive change and encourage sustainability. The successful initiative has proved a catalyst for the entirety of Warner Music Group, with local WMGreen committees beginning to form across the globe.

Pictured: John Carter Cash, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Ana Cristina Cash

Chris Janson performs.

EMPIRE Nashville Adds Heather Vassar To VP Role

Heather Vassar

Independent music label, distributor and publisher EMPIRE has added Heather Vassar as VP, Marketing to its Nashville team. She joins from Universal Music Group Nashville, where she most recently led Strategy and Research.

Vassar will oversee day-to-day artist strategies and development, marketing and digital initiatives, as well as partner relationships with sales and streaming services for EMPIRE’s Nashville roster. She will work with EMPIRE’s VP, A&R in Nashville, Eric Hurt, to develop EMPIRE’s country roster. She will report to EMPIRE CEO/founder Ghazi Shami at the company’s San Francisco headquarters.

Ghazi said, “Heather brings a wealth of expertise across marketing and strategy that’ll cement EMPIRE’s growth and footing in the Nashville market. She’s a perfect fit for EMPIRE’s culture—and will help elevate our presence in country.”

“I am beyond excited to join the EMPIRE team and build our foundation from the ground up in Nashville,” said Vassar. “With the expertise, support and influence of Ghazi, Eric and the team, we are poised to break some incredible artists and disrupt the Nashville landscape. It’s what this business is all about.”

“Adding Heather to our team is a big step in growing EMPIRE’s Nashville division,” said Hurt. “Her strategic artist development and marketing background will round-out our office and I couldn’t be happier to have her on board.”

Founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami, EMPIRE has been instrumental in launching artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B, DRAM and Anderson. Paak. In 2020, the independent EMPIRE continues to make a major impact, with its global expansion and new music from Young Dolph, Mozzy, Afro B and more.

Marty Stuart Releasing Book Behind Making Of His Legendary Project ‘The Pilgrim’

Marty Stuart will release a coffee table book, The Pilgrim: A Wall-to-Wall Odyssey, that details the making of his legendary album The Pilgrim. Included in The Pilgrim: A Wall-to-Wall Odyssey is a newly remastered CD of the original album, along with 10 bonus tracks that feature guest performances by Ralph StanleyEmmylou HarrisUncle Josh GravesEarl Scruggs, and Stuart’s wife, Connie Smith and a foreword by Billy Bob Thornton.

“Going into my archives to search out Pilgrim-related material for this release was like reaching into a dusty old treasure chest,” Stuart recalls. “I found songs that I’d written and forgotten, photographs I never got around to looking at, unfinished recordings from The Pilgrim sessions, and a string of archival recordings … So many life lessons were offered in the creative process of making The Pilgrim. Perhaps the toughest of them all was letting go when the record was considered unsuccessful. However, in letting go, I learned that some things do, in fact, come back around.”

A concept project, The Pilgrim was originally released in 1999 and was based on true events that transpired in Stuart’s hometown. The album represents a rediscovery of Stuart’s roots and a creative rebirth, but the hardcover book is about much more than the album, it’s about spiritual discovery, artistic integrity, and a vision that set Stuart on an enlightened path. Originally available in limited release during the 20th anniversary celebration of the album in the fall, The Pilgrim book is now available as a wide-release title via BMG.

The pages of the book feature intimate photographs of Marty making music with Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Rick Nelson, Bill Monroe, Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, B.B. King, The Staple Singers, Tom Petty, John Lee Hooker, Willie Nelson, Keith Richards, George Jones, Dolly Parton, and others. A celebrated photographer in his own right, Stuart himself captured the truck stops, county fairs, gospel singers, backwoods circus performers, South Dakota Native American Indians, and eclectic cast of characters that he encountered on his journey to reconnect with his musical roots and forge new paths forward.

Jessie James Decker Lands New Label Deal

Jessie James Decker

Jessie James Decker has inked a new record deal with Atlantic/Warner, she announced via social media on Jan. 15.

“My face hurts from smiling so much today! It’s official y’all! I just signed a record deal with Atlantic/Warner music !!!! Get ready 2020!!!! #musicontheway,” she said via Instagram.

Decker closed out 2019 as part of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and back in June, she released a cover of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ record-breaking smash “Old Town Road.” To date, she has released three full-length albums, including 2009’s Jessie James, 2017’s Southern Girl City Lights, and 2018’s On This Holiday, as well as four EPs.