Maren Morris Plans ‘RSVP: The Tour’ For Summer

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Photo credit: Harper Smith

Maren Morris has a busy summer planned with “RSVP: The Tour” set to launch in June with festival dates at Governors Ball Music Festival and Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience, in addition to headlining stops including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Supporting acts James Arthur, Ryan Hurd and Caitlyn Smith will join her on select dates of the tour. Morris also has her biggest show to date with her headlining appearance at the Houston Rodeo on March 7.

Tickets for “RSVP: The Tour” go on sale on March 6. Citi is the official credit card of the tour, and as such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning March 3-5.

Last week marked the second consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart for Morris’ song “The Bones,” making it the first solo female back-to-back No. 1 since 2012 and her fourth No. 1 single to date. It also marks the first solo female Billboard country No. 1 since her single “GIRL” topped the chart last summer. In addition, the mom-to-be recently appeared on the 50th season of Sesame Street in an episode titled “Let’s Draw.”

Maren Morris Tour Dates:
March 7-Houston, TX-Houston Rodeo
May 24-Napa, CA-BottleRock Napa Valley
June 5-Boston, MA-Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion*‡
June 6-Gilford, NH-Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion*‡
June 7-New York, NY-Governors Ball Music Festival
July 10-Calgary, AB-The Scotiabank Saddledome
July 24-Boca Raton, FL-Mizner Park Amphitheatre*‡
July 25-Jacksonville, FL-Dailey’s Amphitheater*‡
July 30-Cleveland, OH-Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica*‡
August 7-Kansas City, MO-Starlight Amphitheatre*‡
August 8-Indianapolis, IN-Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park*‡
August 21-Atlanta, GA-Ameris Bank Amphitheater*
August 22-Raleigh, NC-Red Hat Amphitheater*‡
August 22-23-Lexington, KY-Railbird Festival
August 27-Detroit, MI-Freedom Hill Amphitheatre*
August 28-Grand Rapids, MI-Van Andel Arena*
September 4-6-Aspen, CO-Jazz Aspen Snowmass
September 7-Morrison, CO-Red Rocks Amphitheatre†
September 10-Abbotsford, BC-Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre†‡
September 11-Portland, OR-Moda Center – Theater of the Clouds†
September 17-Charlotte, NC-Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre†‡
September 18-Charlottesville, VA-Sprint Pavilion†‡
September 19-Columbia, MD-Merriweather Post Pavilion†‡
September 25-Montréal, QC-Corona Theatre‡
October 1-Tuscaloosa, AL-Tuscaloosa Amphitheater†‡
October 9-Rogers, AR-Walmart AMP†‡
October 15-San Diego, CA-Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU†‡
October 17-Los Angeles, CA-Greek Theatre†
*with Ryan Hurd
†with James Arthur
‡with Caitlyn Smith

Weekly Register: Country Albums Chart, On-Demand Streaming Chart Hold Steady

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Luke Combs. Photo: Jim Wright

There are no changes this week on the country albums chart Top 5, according to Nielsen Soundscan. Luke Combs‘ What You See Is What You Get continues its stronghold on the chart’s pinnacle with 25K in total activity. Combs also retains the No. 2 spot this week, as his debut album This One’s For You moves 18.3K in total activity.

Blake Shelton‘s Fully Loaded: God’s Country is again at No. 3 with 14K, followed by Morgan Wallen‘s If I Know Me staying at No. 4 with 14K. Chris Stapleton‘s 2015 album Traveller retains the No. 5 slot this week, moving 11K in total activity.

The on-demand country streaming song chart also holds steady in the Top 5, with “10,000 Hours” from Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber remaining at No. 1 (11 million streams), and Maren Morris‘ “The Bones” at No. 2 (8 million streams). Diplo (ft. Julia Michaels and Morgan Wallen) stays at No. 3 (6.89 million), while Old Dominion‘s “One Man Band” is at No. 4 (6.86 million streams), and Gabby Barrett‘s “I Hope” rounds out the Top 5 (6.2 million streams).

for KING & COUNTRY Sets Summer Tour

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for KING & COUNTRY will launch a 16-concert summer tour of amphitheaters across the nation, starting July 2 in Kansas City, Kansas. They will welcome Echosmith and Dave Barnes as openers.

Notably, Echosmith singer Sydney Sierota will join the duo each night to perform for KING & COUNTRY’s “God Only Knows,” reprising her role from the Timbaland-produced remix of the hit song. for KING & COUNTRY’s version of the song featuring Dolly Parton recently earned the Grammy Award this year for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. The duo also took home a Grammy for their album Burn The Ships. They are currently on their burn the ships | world tour, which has boasted 46 sold-out shows to date.

“Summer is a time where families and friends get to sit back, have fun, and create special memories together. With that in mind, we wanted to bring along a few friends this summer for our first ever for KING & COUNTRY with Company | Summer Nights Tour! We’d like to personally invite you and your friends & family as we bring you one of our most memorable tours yet!” said for KING & COUNTRY.

for KING & COUNTRY’s summer tour dates include:
July 2: Kansas City, Kansas
July 9: Raleigh, North Carolina
July 10: Charleston, South Carolina
July 11: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
July 12: St. Augustine, Florida
July 16: Corpus Christi, Texas
July 17: San Antonio, Texas
July 18: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
July 19: Rogers, Arkansas
July 24: Camdenton, Missouri
July 30: Missoula, Montana
July 31: Pocatello, Idaho
Aug. 1: Salt Lake City, Utah
Aug. 2: Grand Junction, Colorado
Aug. 6: Duluth, Minnesota
Aug. 8: Corbin, Kentucky

Demetria Kalodimos Announces Support To Relaunch ‘The Nashville Banner’

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Demetria Kalodimos

Longtime Nashville journalist Demetria Kalodimos is making major donations to help support the challenging commercial media landscape.

Kalodimos says in a statement obtained by MusicRow, “Together with Meredith Corporation, I am pleased to make a significant donation to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which will be used by Nashville Public Media, and a separate donation to the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government. Both organizations champion the public good and the bedrock values of quality journalism. I appreciate Meredith Corporation’s willingness to support this important cause.”

This effort joins Steve Cavendish with plans to relaunch Nashville news media brand The Nashville Banner as a non-partisan, nonprofit, civic news organization, with hopes to begin publishing online later in 2020.

Cavendish, a former Editor-in-Chief of the Nashville Scene, will serve as president and editor for the soon-to-be-relaunched The Nashville Banner, with former longtime WSMV news anchor Kalodimos as executive producer, according to its website.

More than a year ago, Cavendish announced his plans to revive The Nashville Banner, which was published from 1876 until 1998, when it closed after being purchased by Gannett, parent company of The Tennessean. The Nashville Banner briefly ran online content in 2014, under the ownership of Bruce Dobie.

According to the official site, The Nashville Banner will be a free (no paywalls) digital service, and will focus on local news, beginning with an emphasis on Metro government, Capitol Hill and state government, education, business and criminal justice, though the goal is to eventually add additional coverage areas.

“Soon, we will announce the online return of a familiar name: the Nashville Banner. This ‘electronic newspaper’ will also offer high-quality video, audio and visual storytelling designed to quench the thirst for meaningful news coverage that is fair, accurate, interesting, thorough, and human.” Kalodimos says.

“Nashville Public Media is an emerging civic news organization that will operate as a nonprofit, offering relevant, intelligent, in-depth coverage of local news and issues of importance to the city,” says Kalodimos. “The contribution will help seed this important and unique new resource in a challenging commercial media landscape.”

She adds, “It remains my wish to offer a significant public platform to talented, experienced reporters and visual storytellers whose voices contribute greatly to our public conversation.”

Kalodimos joined Nashville news station WSMV in 1984, and became one of Nashville’s most well-respected news anchors. After more than 30 years with the organization, Kalodimos and WSMV had an acrimonious parting of ways in 2017. In 2018, she sued WSMV for age discrimination; it was announced in January 2020 that they had settled the suit.

Caitlyn Smith Signs With UMPG Nashville

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Pictured (L-R): Cyndi Forman, Missy Roberts, Caitlyn Smith, Terry Wakefield, and Travis Gordon.

Singer-songwriter Caitlyn Smith has signed an exclusive global publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Nashville.

Smith, who is signed with Shane McAnally and Jason Owen‘s Monument Records, will release her sophomore album Supernova on March 13. She is a co-writer on the 4x multi-platinum No. 1 hit “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” from Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend. She also co-wrote the 2020 Critics’ Choice Award-winning “Glasgow” from the movie Wild Rose.

Missy Roberts, Senior Creative Director at UMPG Nashville said, “I had the opportunity to work with Caitlyn years ago. To be reunited with her is a dream come true. She is an immense and timeless global talent. It’s a privilege to have her join the UMPG family.”

Smith added, “I’m so excited for my new partnership with Universal Music Publishing. I have known these lovely folks for years and am honored for the opportunity to work with them. Their passion and drive are unmatched and I’m really looking forward to this next chapter.”

Jenn Tressler, Haley Montgomery Join Opry Entertainment

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Jenn Tressler, Haley Montgomery

The Opry Entertainment Group has formed a new Artist & Label Strategy Team specifically devoted to supporting the growing opportunities for artists under its umbrella of brands including the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, 650 AM WSM, Ole Red and the Circle network. Jenn Tressler and Haley Montgomery have both joined the new team as Artist & Label Strategy Managers reporting to Jordan Pettit, Director of Artist Relations & Programming Strategy.

Tressler joins the company with eight years of artist and label relations experience at Vevo before joining L3 Entertainment in Nashville where she worked in artist management. Montgomery joins the company from her most recent role as Strategic Partnerships Project Manager at CMA, bringing seven years of experience in partnership acquisition, project management and event planning.

“Just like the world of entertainment overall, there are more ways than ever at Opry Entertainment Group for artists to connect with fans,” said Pettit. “I’m thrilled to have Jenn and Haley’s expertise on board as we work to provide unique value to the artists who partner with us and deliver exceptional entertainment to fans who visit and tune in. The two of them will be invaluable additions to this growing team.”

Opry Entertainment Group is looking to fill one additional position of Manager, Artist & Label Strategy. For more information and to apply visit rhpcareers.com.

RaeLynn, Jimmy Robbins To Perform At Orioles’ “Athletes & Artists Play For Kids” Event

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RaeLynn

RaeLynn, Jordan Schmidt, Jimmy Robbins, Carter Faith and special guest emcee Renee Blair will take part in the upcoming fifth annual “Athletes & Artists Play for Kids” charity weekend hosted by the Baltimore Orioles. The weekend, which will take place at Ed Smith Stadium from March 5-8, 2020, celebrates current country hits and combines song and sport to support arts education and girls’ empowerment. The event will feature the fifth annual “Nashville’s Music Row Comes to the Ballpark” VIP charity event, two Orioles home games, and free community workshops for local youth.

A portion of proceeds from the weekend’s events will benefit the Orioles Charitable Foundation’s Music & Arts Education Scholarship, which was created in 2019 to support deserving students and programs in Baltimore, Sarasota, and Nashville. To date, the “Athletes and Artists” series has raised over $400,000.

“We are thrilled to once again use our platform to bring song and sport together in support of arts education and girls’ empowerment,” said Jennifer Grondahl, Orioles Senior Vice President, Community Development and Communications. “The ‘Athletes & Artists’ series has become an integral part of our community development efforts, and acts as a catalyst for change in the Baltimore, Sarasota, and Nashville communities.”

This year’s weekend-long series of events will begin Thursday, March 5, when the Orioles host the Minnesota Twins. On Saturday, March 7, the Orioles will once again offer free community workshops for local youth at Ed Smith Stadium, hosted by participating musicians and baseball alumni who donate their time and talent to ensure that gifted kids in disadvantaged communities have access to arts and music education.

 

Bobby Braddock, Buddy Cannon, Ashley Gorley, Craig Wiseman, Liz Rose Among Tin Pan South Lineup

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Tin Pan South has announced its talent-packed lineup for the upcoming festival, slated for March 24-28 in Nashville. Bobby Braddock, Jamey Johnson, Luke Laird, Leslie Satcher, Casey Beathard, Dallas Davidson, Jeff Hyde, Lori McKenna, Craig Wiseman, Nicolle Galyon, Ashley Gorley, Liz Rose and dozens more of the best songwriters in the business will perform on stages across the city during the five-day celebration of songs and the writers who create them.

The full lineup by day with additional information can be found here. Fast Access passes for the 28th annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival are now on sale.

Tin Pan South Week At-A-Glance:
March 23 – Tin Pan South will kick off the 2020 festival with a Whiskey Jam takeover, giving attendees a taste of what to expect for the upcoming week.
March 23-24  – Tin Pan South Songwriting Seminar offering an opportunity to learn from over a dozen industry professionals (including several songwriters who will be performing later in the week during the festival)
March 25 -NSAI will host an Open House at its location on Music Row from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
March 26 – In an invitation-only event, NSAI will hold its first Member Awards (presented by Regions Bank). First-year honors include awards voted by NSAI’s global membership and select honorees recognized by NSAI staff members.
March 26-28 – Afternoon programming at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum beginning at 2 p.m. each day.

Florida Georgia Line Earns Pandora Billionaire Honor

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Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley (L) and Tyler Hubbard (R) celebrate two certifications. Photo: Country Radio Seminar/Kayla Schoen

During last week’s Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, duo Florida Georgia Line was surprised with honors for two milestones on Pandora. The duo earned a Billionaire plaque for surpassing five billion lifetime spins and was named among the Top 10 most-spun country acts in Pandora’s 20-year history.

Tyler Hubbard exclaimed, “Now that is a lot of zeroes!” as his fellow FGL bandmate Brian Kelley laughed and added, “Wow. We are constantly blown away by the support from our fans and are grateful to Pandora for sharing our music around the world. This honor inspires us even more and we can’t wait for you to hear what’s coming next!”

With more than 12 million streams per week on Pandora, Florida Georgia Line’s latest single “Blessings,” featured on the duo’s Gold-certified BMLG Records project Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, has remained on its Top Spins chart for seven consecutive weeks.

FGL was first played, even before they were signed to a label deal, in 2012 on SiriusXM’s The Highway channel as a “Highway Find.”

“It’s exciting to acknowledge these great Pandora achievements for the duo,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. “We were confirmed believers years ago when we played them as an unsigned act, and now we look forward to more great music to come for Pandora listeners and SiriusXM subscribers.”

The duo just released a country remix of the Justin Bieber track “Yummy,” and are in the studio working on new music. They will join Kenny Chesney’s Chillaxification 2020 Tour this summer.

Pictured (L-R): Back Row – Pandora’s Beville Dunkerley, Big Machine Label Group’s Allison Jones, Big Machine Label Group’s Bekah Digby; Front Row – Big Machine Label Group’s Dave Kelly, BMLG Records’ Jimmy Harnen, Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley & Tyler Hubbard, Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta, Pandora’s Alina Thompson. Photo Credit: Country Radio Seminar/Kayla Schoen

Pictured (L-R): Pandora’s Beville Dunkerley, Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley & Tyler Hubbard, Pandora’s Alina Thompson. Photo Credit: Country Radio Seminar/Kayla Schoen

Cumulus Media Names Mike Preston Program Director At KPLX, KSCS

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Mike Preston

Cumulus Media has named Mike Preston as program director for its Dallas/Fort Worth country radio stations KPLX/99.5 The Wolf and KSCS/New Country 96.3.

Preston most recently served as Sr. VP/Programming for iHeartMedia in Baltimore, Maryland and was Program Director for country station WPOC and Adult Hits station WQSR/102.7 JACK-FM. During his career, Preston has also worked as PD for Entercom country station KKWF/100.7 The Wolf and Rhythmic AC station KHTP/Hot 103.7 in Seattle. Preston has also previously served as senior programmer with CBS Radio in San Francisco and Seattle and served at ABC Radio’s WPLJ in New York.

“These two country brands, each in their own distinctive way, have captured the hearts of DFW country music fans. We believe Mike Preston is the right person to lead our talented teams into the future,” said Dan Bennett, Regional Vice President, Cumulus Dallas-Houston. “Mike has had big success in his career as a creative PD who knows how to coach big time talent. We can’t wait to have him in Dallas to further ignite two of the most listened-to country stations in America.”

Preston added, “I’m honored to be joining Cumulus and taking the helm of these two storied stations. Country music is alive and well in Texas and I can’t thank Dan Bennett, Brian Philips and Bruce Gilbert enough for the chance to work with these amazing brands and their teams.”