Matt Willis Inks Joint Pub Deal With Altadena, Warner Chappell

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Pictured (back row, L-R): Matt Cottingham (Ritholz Levy Fields LLP), Noreen Prunier (Altadena), Matt Willis, Lydia Schultz (SESAC), BJ Hill (Warner Chappell); (front row, L-R): Ben Vaughn (Warner Chappell), Julia Keefe (Altadena), Daniel Lee (Altadena)

Nashville-based songwriter Matt Willis has inked a joint publishing deal with Altadena and Warner Chappell Music. Willis, an Ohio native, moved to Nashville 10 years ago.

Among his cuts is “Backseat Driver,” co-written and recorded by Sony Music Nashville’s Robert Counts.

“Matt represents the best qualities that are so often associated with Nashville songwriters: genuine musicality; smart, poignant lyricism; a deep respect for the craft; and a work ethic that rivals the best in the business. We are thrilled to partner with Warner Chappell in working with Matt and are excited to bring his songs to the masses,” says Altadena’s Daniel Lee.

Altadena was founded by the late songwriter and producer busbee in 2018. The company offers publishing, label and artist development services in partnership with Warner Chappell, Warner Records and Red Light Management.

Kameron Marlowe Signs With The AMG

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Kameron Marlowe. Photo: Matthew Berinato

Kameron Marlowe has signed with The AMG for exclusive management representation.

Marlowe has garnered more than 15 million streams on his debut song, the autobiographical heartbreak anthem “Giving You Up,” which he wrote and released independently.

“Since the beginning, one of our main goals has been to find and develop the best new talent in country music, and Kameron is the epitome of that goal,” said Rob Beckham, President and CEO of The AMG. “It’s hard to even put into words how thrilled we are to represent Kameron. He’s an exceptional singer, songwriter and performer. The sky is the limit for him.”

“I am so excited to have a team where everyone feels like family,” said Marlowe. “They understand my vision, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.”

In addition to Marlowe, The AMG welcomes managers Joe Lee and Kaitlin Madewell. Lee joins from Rogue Management, and Madewell joins from REVYNL, where she focused on festival marketing and artist management. They will jointly handle the day-to-day business for the country singer.

“We are so lucky to have Joe and Kaitlin on board,” said The AMG general manager Kristy Reeves. “With their collective experience in multiple facets of the industry, they are great, well-rounded additions to our team.”

Pictured: Madewell, Lee

Artist Rights Organizations Offer New COVID-19 Resource Website

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Artist rights organizations including the Artist Rights Alliance, American Association of Independent Music, the Music Artists Coalition, National Music Publishers’ Association, Nashville Songwriters Association International, the Recording Academy, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Songwriters of North America, and more have joined forces to develop a website, MusicCovidRelief.com, with guidance and resource materials for those in need in the arts/entertainment community.

With the historic passage of the CARES Act stimulus bill last Friday, the music advocacy organizations recognized the need for the creation of a central resource to help the music community understand and quickly access this critical aid. MusicCovidRelief.com will help people make sense of the bill and showcase solutions and opportunities for those in need, along with downloadable forms and other resources.

In a joint statement, the organizations said: “The music community is extremely grateful for the benefits available to them through the CARES Act. The aid will be most valuable if people can access it in time to meet their needs. This coalition pooled its resources to compile information to assist members of our community, understand who is eligible, and how they access relief. We will continue to update the site as more information becomes available.”

Dolly Parton Donates $1 Million To Vanderbilt To Aid Coronavirus Research

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Dolly Parton. Photo: Rob Hoffman

You can add country legend Dolly Parton to the list of celebrity personalities pledging to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parton announced she is donating $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help fund research to help eradicate the virus. According to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, there have been more than 887,000 confirmed cases around the world.

“My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, who’s been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements towards research of the coronavirus for a cure,” Parton said via Twitter. “I am making a donation of $1 million to Vanderbilt towards that research and to encourage people that can afford it to make donations.”

Parton, who launched the Imagination Library in 1995 to help encourage a love of reading in children, recently revealed she will be reading bedtime stories through an online series, starting April 2 at 7 p.m. ET. To date, the initiative has mailed more than 133 million books to children.

Live Nation Establishes Crew Nation Fund To Support Live Music Crews

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Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter, announced yesterday (3/31) that it has established a new charitable fund to help support concert crews around the world. The Crew Nation fund will provide monetary support for concert crew members impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which has canceled concerts, festivals and other live events since it began spreading across the world earlier this year.

Live Nation has committed $10 million to Crew Nation, split between a five million dollar donation directly to the fund and another five million to match contributions by artists, fans and employees dollar-for-dollar. Crew Nation is powered by Music Forward Foundation, a charitable nonprofit organization, that will be administering the fund.

“Concerts wouldn’t be possible without the crew working behind the scenes to bring them to life. To help out live music crews while concerts are on pause, LiveNation has committed $10 million to the #CrewNation,” Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino said in an Instagram post Tuesday. In Rapino’s post he reveals his family will personally donate $250,000 to the cause.

Over the next week, Live Nation will be reaching out to crew members from tours across the globe whose income has already been affected due to the cancellation or rescheduling of a Live Nation event. Music Forward Foundation will be selecting recipients based on a determination of need, and the company will be releasing an application for crews across the industry in the coming weeks.

Live Nation has also launched an exclusive Crew Nation merchandise line that includes shirts and sweaters with all the proceeds going straight to the Crew Nation fund. Those products are available for a limited time and can be found here.

Jordan Rager Signs With APM Management

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Pictured (L-R): Andrew Perlowich, Jordan Rager

Riser House artist Jordan Rager has inked a deal with Andrew Perlowich of APM Management for exclusive management representation. Rager is set to release a new single (the title has yet to be announced) on May 22.

“We’re excited to have Jordan on our roster,” said Perlowich. “His work ethic and talent is something that any management team would be lucky to represent. We are very eager to get to work on his project.”

Rager signed a label deal with Riser House in 2018, and has earned more than 52 million streams to date.

ACM Lifting Lives To Introduce COVID-19 Response Fund On Upcoming Special

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ACM Lifting Lives has created the ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund to assist individuals working in the country industry who are suffering a financial crisis as a result of the pandemic.

iHeartMedia country radio host and ACM Radio Award National On-Air Personality of the Year Bobby Bones will introduce the fund in a special package during the ACM Presents: Our Country special, which will be broadcast April 5 on CBS and CBS All Access.

The ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund will begin with an initial endowment of $250,000, with an additional matching fund against Academy of Country Music partners, sponsors and third-party donors of up to $250,000. Partners, sponsors, and donors include The Bobby Bones Show, FirstNet, Built with AT&T, and Amazon Music. This fund will be available to country industry professionals who demonstrate immediate financial needs due to COVID-19 and meet the outlined criteria. Those in need can apply for funds at ACMLiftingLives.org.

“ACM Lifting Lives is proud to have a long-standing history of supporting individuals in the Country Music industry who need some assistance getting back on their feet during these unfortunate times, with the Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund,” said Lyndsay Cruz, Executive Director of ACM Lifting Lives. “With this new ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund, we hope to help alleviate some of the burden our music community faces; including the musicians, bus drivers, tour crews, songwriters, the list goes on and on during these unprecedented times.”

ACM Lifting Lives remains dedicated to improving lives through the power of music during the fight against COVID-19. Those interested in donating as a third-party donor should visit ACMLiftingLives.org to learn more.

Spotify Launches Standalone Kids App In The U.S.

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Spotify has officially launched a standalone app for youth, titled Spotify Kids, in the United States, France and Canada, after first introducing the venture last year. The ad-free app is available exclusively for Spotify Premium Family subscribers and designed for youth ages three and older.

The app includes more than 8,000 songs and 125 playlists, as well as over 60 hours of stories, such as Disney Music Group stories and short stories.

Spotify is working with brands including Disney, KIDZ Bop and Nickelodeon to craft custom content for the app and will have custom content for United States users, such as including Spanish-language, country, Christian, Motown and soul dance party playlists. The app also includes music from popular movies and events, such as the Trolls World Tour playlist and an official Frozen playlist.

Cecilia Castleman Inks With Big Yellow Dog Music

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Cecilia Castleman

Cecilia Castleman has signed a publishing deal with Big Yellow Dog Music.

Castleman joins a roster that includes Josh Kear, Jessie James Decker, Meghan Trainor, Logan Mize, Tenille Townes, Daniel Tashian and more.

“All my life I’ve been playing and writing songs,” says Castleman. “I’ve never had a guitar, bass or keyboard lesson — I learned by listening to records and trying to pick up what I could. When I was 16, I took a studio engineering course at The Blackbird Academy so I could track the songs I wrote myself. Every form of art, whether it’s painting or photography, helps me with my music — it helps me create the person I am and who I aspire to be.”

A sample of Castleman’s music, the song, “It’s Alright” can be heard on Big Yellow Dog Music’s Instagram page.