Michael Knox’s ‘Knox Country 360’ Airs Its 100th Show

/by

Producer Michael Knox‘s nationally syndicated radio show, Knox Country 360, has hit the milestone of airing its 100th show this week.

Since its inception in 2018, Knox Country 360 has added dozens of affiliate stations to its fast paced, weekly two-hour program roster. The show takes listeners on a journey inside today’s biggest hits with today’s hottest artists, songwriters.

“We wanted to create a unique show that captures Main Street USA – a place where listeners feel like they know us” Knox says. “The show is produced to deliver a fun experience using comedy and nostalgia along with their favorite songs!”

As a producer, Knox has achieved 24 No. 1 hits, sales of over 45 million singles and 20 million albums, and won multiple ACM Awards and a CMA Award. His production credits include all of Jason Aldean’s albums and other artists including Thomas Rhett, Trace Adkins, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Michael Tyler, Sykamore and Laine Hardy. He currently serves as the Senior Vice President of peermusic Nashville.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville Signs Ben Hayslip

/by

Ben Hayslip


Ben Hayslip, known for penning hits including Dustin Lynch’s “Small Town Boy” and Luke Bryan’s “Huntin’, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Everyday,” has inked a global publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Nashville.

Hayslip moved to Nashville in 1994, and soon earned his first publishing deal, penning songs recorded by Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins. In 2006, Hayslip signed with THiS Music, which was co-founded by Rusty Gaston, who now leads Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville.

Hayslip has penned 15 No. 1 singles; among his hits are Blake Shelton’s “I’ll Name The Dogs,” “The Only Way I Know” (Jason Aldean ft. Luke Bryan and Eric Church), and Thomas Rhett’s “Star of the Show.”
He’s earned honors including two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards, as well as ASCAP’s Most Performed Country Song honor, CMA Triple Play honors, ACM Vocal Event of the Year (“The Only Way I Know”) and a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song (for Shelton’s “I Lived It”).

Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Gaston stated, “I’ve had the honor of championing Ben Hayslip’s songs for the past 15 years – his drive, talent and determination are unparalleled. Simply put, country music would not be where it is today without his heartfelt contributions, and I am thrilled to continue working with him in this new chapter at Sony/ATV.”

Hayslip said, “I’m so excited about being a part of this Sony/ATV team. The honest passion for songs that Rusty Gaston brings to work each day is contagious, and he’s surrounded himself with staff who share that same passion. I have no doubt that together, we can add to the rich history of Sony/ATV and leave our own mark on country music.”

 
 

Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam Reveals Full Performer Lineup

/by


The Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam has revealed the full slate of performers for the festival, which is set for Sept. 4-6, 2020 at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach, Florida. In addition to previously-announced headliners Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley and Lynyrd Skynyrd, the lineup will include Cody Jinks, Joe Nichols, Lindsay Ell, Jon Langston, CJ Solar and Frank Ray on the Friday (Sept. 4) roster.

Cole Swindell, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jordan Davis, Tenille Townes, Shy Carter and Alex Hall round out Saturday’s (Sept. 5) lineup, while Brothers Osborne, Riley Green, Walker Hayes, Ryan Hurd, Shelly Fairchild and the Pepsi Southern Original winner will entertain on the final day.

“The enthusiasm we’ve seen through ticket sales and comments on social media since we announced the headliners last week has been nothing short of amazing,” said Executive Producer Rendy Lovelady. “There’s nothing like seeing your favorite artists on stage, and we’ve put endless hours into coming up with a lineup we feel our Jammers will love.”

The event’s organizers have taken measures to help keep attendees healthy. Hand washing stations will be placed throughout the festival grounds and touch points such as railings, chairs and portable toilets will be sanitized throughout the day. A deep cleaning will be used on touch points each evening after festival grounds are cleared. They have also implemented Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) wristbands to replace traditional printed or e-tickets and eliminate the exchange of cash at vendor booths.

“We are doing everything in our power to ensure this is a fun and safe event for everyone who comes through our gates,” said Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam COO Mark Sheldon. “Our beautiful beaches are open, and we can’t wait to gather together to hear some incredible music.”

For more information on tickets, seating, and VIP specials, visit gulfcoastjam.com.

Country Radio Broadcasters’ CRS360 Webinar To Focus on Radio Programming During COVID-19

/by

Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. will present another installment of CRS360 on Wednesday, May 20, at 1 p.m. CT. The webinar, titled “Five Things I’ve Learned: Programming During COVID-19,” will feature program directors Carletta Blake (WGAR/Cleveland), Brent Michaels (KUZZ/Bakersfield), and Joey Tack (KNCI/Sacramento) sharing five fundamental discoveries they’ve made while programming radio during the current pandemic. They’ll also discuss what programming fundamentals may look like on the other side of COVID-19 and field questions from audience members.

CRB Executive Director RJ Curtis commented, “During the past several weeks, PDs have been forced to throw out their usual programming playbook, and rewrite it on the fly. Creativity and innovation have occurred in real-time; what are the important lessons learned during this pandemic, and how many of them will remain applicable on the other side of this crisis?”
To register for “Five Things I’ve Learned: Programming During COVID-19,” sign up HERE.

To access previous CRS360 webinars, you can visit countryradioseminar.com. CRS360 webinars have included an in-depth look at “Tone Down Anxiety, Turn Up The Music: How To Cope With Stress and Uncertainty” featuring Miles Adcox, “CRS Research Presentation: Do You Know Your Listeners As Well As You Think You Do? – A Closer Look,” “The Impact of Ken Burns’ ‘Country Music’,” “Continuous Diary Market Measurement: An Update,” “Country Radio’s Podcasting Opportunity,” “A Discussion of Gender Balance at Country Radio: Part I and Part II,” and more.

Music Collaboration App Vampr To Open Nashville Office (Exclusive)

/by

Josh Simons.

Los Angeles-based music collaboration app Vampr is set to open a Nashville office, led by the app’s co-founder Josh Simons, MusicRow has exclusively learned. Simons will split his time between Los Angeles and Nashville. An exact office address in Music City is yet to be determined.

Simons and songwriter/guitarist and tech entrepreneur Baz Palmer, known for his work with the Australian group Hunters & Collectors, launched the app in 2015. The app is a location-based mobile platform that helps facilitate networking and music discovery for musicians, industry professionals and music fans. Simons, who toured as an artist and musician before entering the music tech space, was recently named to Australian music industry publication The Music Network‘s 30 under 30 Power Players list.

The app—which is active in every country—boasts more than half a million users and has helped musicians broker more than 5 million connections globally.

The app, which Apple named on its Best of the Year list in 2017, has also launched a free Publishing Sync Representation feature, to give indie musicians an avenue to have their music submitted to brands, commercials, video game developers, film/TV producers and more. The company says there are no upfront costs to artists for the feature. The sync representation is non-exclusive and provides 75% royalty to the artist on placements.

Josh Smith will lead the new publishing division from the company’s new London office; Smith previously worked at Music Gateway and has experience working with music tech startups.
“As independent musicians and songwriters who spent years building a catalogue of works, Baz and I have experienced both the financial upside in having someone represent our works but also the struggle in finding someone to represent that catalogue without paying upfront before we were offered a more traditional publishing deal,” Simons said. “Vampr Publishing offers a risk-free and cost-effective solution for fledgling artists whose catalogues may otherwise be missing out on sync opportunities.”

Vince Gill’s Longtime Guitar Tech Benny Garcia Passes Away At 64

/by


Guitar tech and musician Benny Garcia passed away on Saturday, May 9 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 64.

Garcia was born in Tulsa and spent the majority of his professional career working with Vince Gill for over three decades. In addition to his 30 years working with Gill, Garcia also lent his guitar tech talents to other artists including Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Reba McEntire.

“Benny and I had a 50-year friendship,” said Gill. “We met as kids and played in our first garage bands together, and for the last 30 years, he traveled with me everywhere. And for the last 50 years we’ve been inseparable.”

Garcia is survived by his wife Brenda, his mother Clara, sister Lisa Renee’ Garcia and her fiancé Jeff Wilder, brother Paul Garcia, Aunt Matilda Alviso, and numerous cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, legendary jazz and swing guitar player Benny Garcia, Jr.

Due to the present coronavirus pandemic, no funeral will be held. A gathering to celebrate Garcia’s life will be held at a later date.

Those wanting to leave messages for the family can do so at dignitymemorial.com.

Pictured (L-R): Benny Garcia, Vince Gill. Photo: Morris PR

John Dimick Promoted At Cumulus

/by

John Dimick

John Dimick has been elevated to the newly-created position of Senior Vice President, Programming Operations, Cumulus Radio Station Group. He was previously Vice President, Programming Operations for the company, a position he’s held since joining Cumulus in 2016.

In his new role, Dimick will lead Cumulus’ team of Vice Presidents, Programming Operations, and 11 Format Specialists across the company. He will continue to report to Brian Philips, Executive Vice President, Content and Audience, Cumulus Media and is based in Atlanta.

Prior to joining Cumulus, Dimick was Senior Vice President, Programming for Lincoln Financial Media. He has over 30 years of radio programming and operations experience in markets across the U.S.
“In my first year, John has proven himself to be an indispensable partner in the leadership of this programming group,” said Philips. “He is gifted with the intuition, pragmatism and patience to see us to greatness. This move validates the hard-earned trust and confidence John enjoys within our entire company.”

Dimick commented, “Cumulus programming professionals are passionate about radio and understand the value of locally programmed and community involved stations. I am honored to assist Brian Philips in leading our team in this new position, while continuing to learn from the best minds in our industry. I’m pleased to work with Mary Berner, Dave Milner, Bob Walker and especially, Brian Philips, as Cumulus continues to reinvent the audio entertainment landscape.”

Diane Warren Signs With BMG

/by

Diane Warren. Photo: Emily Schur

Songwriter Diane Warren has signed global publishing and recording deals with BMG, where BMG will administer Warren’s entire songwriting catalog (excluding the United States and Canada) under her Realsongs umbrella. BMG will also release an upcoming album which will feature several artists performing Warren’s latest songs.

Warren, one of music’s most celebrated songwriters, had earned nine No. 1 hits and 32 Top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. She is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an 11-time Academy Award nominee with songs featured in more than 100 motion pictures, and has earned Grammys, Emmys and Golden Globes. She is a five-time ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year honoree, and also earned ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year and has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Among the hits Warren has penned include “Because You Loved Me” (Celine Dion), “Can’t Fight The Moonlight” (LeAnn Rimes), “How Do I Live” (by both LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood), “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” (Whitney Houston), “I Learned From The Best” (Whitney Houston), “Love Can Move Mountains” (Celine Dion), “Can’t Take That Away” (Mariah Carey), “Chasin’ The Wind” (Chicago), “Have You Ever” (Brandy), “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” (Aerosmith) and numerous others hits.

Warren said, “I’m thrilled with my new deal at BMG. I love the BMG team. They have hit the ground running! There is so much already happening that I know this year is going to be amazing. To say I’ve never felt so much enthusiasm and excitement is an understatement. It’s great to have a team behind me like this. This is just the beginning of a fantastic journey filled with hits!!”

Thomas Scherer, BMG EVP, Repertoire & Marketing, Los Angeles, said, “Diane is one in a million. She is exactly what a global publisher like BMG wants and needs. Her catalog is full of evergreen titles written 100% by herself, a catalog of beautiful and unreleased treasures, to pitch to artists around the world for synch at film, TV, and commercials. Every day she is writing new smash hit songs. The entire publishing team at BMG is proud and honored to be at service for the one and only Diane Warren.”

John Loeffler, BMG EVP, Repertoire & Marketing, New York, said, “A world-renowned songwriter, with honors in every imaginable category, Diane has never actually placed her own name on the cover of an album before! Featuring a ‘Who’s Who’ of A-list artists collaborating and performing her new songs, this album is the break-through record she so richly deserves. Fans will remember these songs forever and we are thrilled to be part of this historic release.”

Georgia On My Mind Online Concert Benefit Set For May 26

/by

Brent Cobb

This year’s “Gretsch Presents Georgia On My Mind” concert benefiting the Georgia Music Foundation will happen as an online musical event on Tuesday, May 26 at 7 p.m. CT. The livestreamed fundraiser will be hosted for the first time by Brent Cobb and Amy Ray.

Among the artists set to participate this year are Caroline Aiken, Tony Arata, John Berry, Kristian Bush’s band Dark Water, Amy Grant, Rutha Harris, John Driskell Hopkins, Indigo Girls, Kalen & Aslyn, Chuck Leavell, Kim Michael Polote, Katie Pruitt, The War & Treaty, Channing Wilson, Jontavious Willis, Adam Wright, and more to be announced.

Cobb and Ray were curating the lineup together when in March, music tours halted and venues temporarily shut down due to COVID-19. “With concerns for public safety top of mind, we cancelled the as-yet-unannounced Ryman date, but Amy and Brent were totally up for reimagining it as an online affair,” said Lisa Love, Director of the Georgia Music Foundation.

“This is an unprecedented time, where we are united in our isolation and yearning to connect through music,” said Ray. “For Brent and I to come together and host a lineup of artists from across the state of Georgia is a huge honor for both of us.”

Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, and Ben Hayslip, who write hit songs together as the Peach Pickers, initiated and hosted the first “Georgia On My Mind” event seven years ago to support the Georgia Music Foundation, which Davidson chairs.

“We never dreamed it would keep going nor that it would eventually send more than $500,000 back home to support music education,” Davidson said. “We’ve had a great run, but Ben, Rhett, and I decided it was the right time to let other Georgia musicians host to keep things fresh and we couldn’t be happier that our friends Brent and Amy graciously agreed to step up to the plate.”

LANY Teams With Nashville Luminaries For Forthcoming Album ‘Mama’s Boy’

/by


LANY is releasing a new single and video for “good guys,” the first track from the trio’s upcoming third album Mama’s Boy, which is due out later this year on Interscope Records.

The new album has Music City ties, since it was recorded in Nashville after the group finished the last leg of their world tour behind their 2018 album Malibu Nights. LANY recorded the album over the course of two weeks, joined by a host of songwriting collaborators including Dan Smyers of Dan + Shay, Shane McAnally, and songwriting power couple Sasha Sloan and King Henry. Others, including Adele co-writer Dan Wilson, also contributed to the album when the sessions returned to L.A, where Mama’s Boy was completed.

The album is a sweeping tribute to home and Americana packed with songs that highlight what’s symbolic of being an American kid today, and was in part inspired by member Paul Klein’s roots. “Someone asked me where I was from and somewhere, out of my spirit, I just said ‘Man, I’m from Oklahoma!’ It was a weird sense of pride, to be from the middle of nowhere,” he says of the realization that he needed to look to the country’s heartland for this album’s inspiration.

LANY, which includes Paul Klein, Jake Goss and Les Priest, formed in Nashville in 2014 and are now based in Los Angeles. They have a social media following of 5.8 million, and have played sold-out shows from L.A.’s Greek Theatre to London’s Brixton Academy, with arena shows in major cities planned for this album. Their songs have been streamed over 3 billion times and they’ve earned over 400 million video views to date.