Tenille Townes’ Big Hearts For Big Kids Benefit Set For June 30

Tenille Townes. Photo: Matthew Berinato

Tenille Townes is hosting her annual “Big Hearts For Big Kids” benefit concert on Tuesday, June 30 at 7 p.m. CT from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The virtual event will feature performances from Townes along with at-home performances from Dierks Bentley, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Andy Grammer, Mickey Guyton, Caylee Hammack, Ashley McBryde, Lori McKenna, Chrissy Metz, John Osborne and Lucie Silvas.

“It is a dream to be bringing ‘Big Hearts For Big Kids’ to Nashville, to be lifting up youth who need us in the world right now and celebrating with music from artists that I admire so much,” said Townes. “Watching the way this event has grown in my hometown over the past 10 years has shaped me and taught me what people coming together through music can really do.”

The concert will be available to stream via Townes’ YouTube, Facebook and Instagram pages. Since Townes started the fundraiser a decade ago, “Big Hearts For Big Kids” has raised over $1.9 million for Sunrise House, a local youth shelter in her hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta Canada. Proceeds from this year’s event will once again benefit Sunrise House as well as Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee’s Troop 6000 – an initiative that supports girls without permanent housing. Donations to both organizations can be made through bigheartsforbigkids.com.

The Bobby Bones Show will be the event’s exclusive radio partner, and will feature an on-air interview with Townes and the event’s stream on their Facebook Page.

Kane Brown Reveals New Dates For The Worldwide Beautiful Tour


Kane Brown has revealed new tour dates on his The Worldwide Beautiful Tour, after announcing that he would be postponing the tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brown’s first international headlining trek will restart on March 13, 2021 in Lubbock, Texas, and will include concerts throughout the United States and Canada, before concluding on May 1 in Lafayette, Louisiana. The tour will also visit Jacksonville, Florida, Charleston, South Carolina, El Paso Texas and Tupelo, Mississippi along the way.

The tour takes its name from Brown’s song “Worldwide Beautiful,” which he released days after the death of George Floyd spurred nationwide protests and calls for social justice and police reforms. Brown co-wrote the song with Shy Carter, Ryan Hurd, and Jordan Schmidt.

for King & Country Celebrates Platinum Certification


Curb|Word Entertainment duo for King & Country were surprised last week with the news that their multi-week No. 1 hit “God Only Knows” has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song has earned more than 143 million on-demand streams to date.

“One million people have downloaded ‘God Only Knows,’ which is an astonishing fact to us,” for King & Country’s Luke Smallbone says. “We are grateful and are humbled to know that this song means so much to other people.”

While in the studio recording songs for an upcoming Christmas album, the duo was surprised via a Zoom meeting with fans, who told them the news of the Platinum certification, by holding custom-made signs to the camera that spelled out “Congrats On Platinum.”

Last year, for King & Country teamed with Dolly Parton to perform “God Only Knows” at the CMA Awards. The collaboration also earned a Grammy earlier this year in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song category, while their album Burn The Ships brought a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.

They premiered a new song, “Together,” last month.

Endurance Music Group Partners With Summerland Wine Brands

Pictured (L-R): Summerland Wines Zoom Juice; Endurance Music Group songwriter-artist Natalie Madigan

Endurance Music Group has partnered with California-based Summerland Wine Brands to support local food banks across the country, including in Nashville. Summerland Wine Brands recently released Zoom Juice, five different varieties of California wine dedicated to helping victims of COVID-19 while fueling those remote co-writing sessions. For every case of wine sold, Summerland will donate $6 to local food banks, and Endurance will double that donation for all wine sales in Tennessee.

Endurance Music Group is a full-service Nashville-based independent music publisher, home to chart-topping songwriters Ash Bowers, Scooter Carusoe, Clint Lagerberg and Paul Sikes, hit songwriter-artists Jimmie Allen and Matt Stell, and emerging artist-writers Seth Alley, Natalie Madigan, Ryan Plappert, Jake Rose and Ben Stoll. Endurance also represents the catalogs of multiple hit songwriters, including Kevin Kadish, Ross Copperman, Hillary Lindsey, Matt Jenkins and Extreme Writers Group.

Hit Songwriter Glenn Ray Passes


Country songwriter Glenn Ray passed away on Thursday (June 11) at the age of 82.

He is best known as the writer of the John Anderson hit “I Just Came Home to Count the Memories.” Released in late 1981, it became a top 10 hit in 1982.

The song first charted for Bobby Wright in 1975. Cal Smith hit No. 15 with it in 1977. “I Just Came Home to Count the Memories” has also been recorded by Tim Barrett (1984) and Jack Scott (2015).

His other big song occurred when Barbara Mandrell had a No. 12 hit with “Hold Me” in 1977.

Glenn Ray also wrote “Til a Better Memory Comes Along,” which has been recorded by Shelby Lynne (1990), Mark Chesnutt (1993) and Gene Watson (2009).
His song “Yesterday Will Come Again Tonight” was recorded by Leroy Van Dyke (1972) and Loretta Lynn (1973).

During his years in Nashville, Ray co-wrote with Ed Bruce and Tim Mensy, among others. He was the cousin of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Ted Harris, who mentored him. Glenn Ray was affiliated with SESAC.

Music Row song publishing executive Sherrill Blackman recalls the songwriter as being a somewhat colorful figure. He was known as “Gator,” reportedly because he had been a game warden in Florida who could catch alligators by hand, without using a snare.

Blackman believes he was also a sideman who toured with several top country artists in the 1970s.

The songwriter’s full name was Glenn Ray McGuirt. He died in Newton Grove, NC. He is survived by wife Edna Williams McGuirt, son Curtis, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are being handled by West & Dunn Funeral Home in Newton Grove, NC.

Josh Turner Pays Tribute To His Musical Influences On New Project

Josh Turner is paying homage to the country legends who have heavily influenced his career on his latest album, Country State Of Mind, which is slated for release Aug. 21 on MCA Nashville.

Turner likes to call the project his “Mount Rushmore of Country Music,and the 12-song collection pays tribute to five legends who have long held a firm place in his musical journey: Randy Travis, John Anderson, Johnny Cash, Vern Gosdin, and Hank Williams.

Turner also invited some other heroes and contemporary artists to join him in the studio as he crafted his celebration of classic country. The new rendition of the Randy Travis classic “Forever and Ever, Amen” marks Travis’ first recording session since an incapacitating 2013 stroke. “Randy has always been my hero. He was the reason I wanted to become a country singer,” recounts Turner.  “He’s an inspiring figure, not just to me but to a lot of people, so to have him sing on this record is pretty special.”

Often performing Vern Gosdin’s first chart-topping single, “I Can Tell By the Way You Dance (You’re Gonna Love Me Tonight)” early in his career, Turner wanted to re-introduce it to a new generation of listeners on this album, and he also teams with John Anderson to reprise Anderson’s 1993 hit “I’ve Got It Made.” Turner also plays guitar for the first time on one of his albums on Johnny Cash’s “The Caretaker” and Hank Williams’ “Alone and Forsaken” — the album’s oldest, and darkest, songs.

Kris Kristofferson joined Turner to record a new version of his 1973 chart-topper “Why Me,” and other standout tracks include the title track, which was originally a 1986 hit for Hank Williams Jr., and becomes a duet with fellow Grand Ole Opry member Chris Janson,  “You Don’t Seem to Miss Me,” (featuring the members of Runaway June on George Jones’ part), and Maddie & Tae with Turner on “Desperately,” a 2004 single for George Strait and the album’s newest song. Gems like “I’m No Stranger To The Rain,” and “Good Ol’ Boys,” also appear on the collection.

Country State of Mind Track Listing:
1.  I’m No Stranger To The Rain
2.  I’ve Got It Made (Duet with John Anderson)
3.  Why Me (Duet with Kris Kristofferson)
4.  Country State Of Mind (Duet with Chris Janson)
5.  I Can Tell By The Way You Dance
6.  Alone And Forsaken (Featuring Allison Moorer)
7.  Forever And Ever, Amen (With Special Guest Randy Travis)
8.  Midnight In Montgomery
9.  Good Ol’ Boys
10. You Don’t Seem To Miss Me (Featuring Runaway June)
11. Desperately (Featuring Maddie & Tae)
12. The Caretaker

Industry Ink: Mountain Home, T.J. Martell Foundation, UMPG

Steve Gulley, Tim Stafford Sign With Mountain Home

Pictured (L-R): Gulley, Stafford

Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford have signed with Mountain Home Music Company to release new music, including an album set to release in the Fall. Gulley and Stafford have both established their names in bluegrass as key members or leaders of other noted groups in the genre. Gulley performed with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Mountain Heart and Grasstowne before starting his own group, Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle. Stafford performed with Alison Krauss & Union Station before co-founding the award-winning band Blue Highway.

 

T.J. Martell Foundation Sends Some Sunshine To Rae Krenn

(L-R): Sherrié Austin, Will Rambeaux, Rae Krenn, Alf Krenn. Photo Credit: Janice Sheil

The T.J. Martell Foundation bestowed its first-ever Sunshine Award to The Palm Restaurant’s Rae Krenn virtually yesterday (June 16). Music City’s “hostess with the mostess” was originally supposed to receive the award in April during the Nashville Comedy Festival, but due to the pandemic, the event was forced to cancel. Krenn received her recognition on a Zoom call, and during the virtual meet, more than 20 of her community friends “Zoomed-in” for her presentation, including former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, Butch Spyridon, Rod Essig, George Armistead, Jamie IsabelMarty Dickens and her son, Guy Krenn. The award was presented to Krenn onsite at The Palm by T.J. Martell Foundation board member Ben Jumper. Her daughter Sherrié Austin, husband Alf Krenn, and son-in-law Will Rambeaux were also present to help her celebrate the honor.

Aby Gutierrez Inks With UMPG

Aby Gutierrez and Ron Stuve (V.P. A&R, UMPG Nashville)

Aby Gutierrez has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Nashville. This is the first publishing deal for the Wisconsin native.

Colter Wall’s Latest Album Due In August


Colter Wall will release a new self-produced album, Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs, this Summer. Available from La Honda Records/Thirty Tigers on Aug. 28, the 10-track project is packed full of cowboy songs and odes to the western life, and picks up where his previous album, 2018’s Songs of the Plains, left off.

The 24-year-old Canadian recorded the new collection at Yellow Dog Studios, deep in the heart of Texas, and produced it himself after working on previous recording sessions with Dave Cobb at the helm. Penning half the songs himself, Wall included songs like “High & Mighty,” cowboy poet and rancher Lewis Martin Pederson III’s ode to a legendarily tough bronco, and “Talkin’ Prairie Boy,” a tune featuring just Wall’s voice and guitar on the new project.

The Saskatchewan native’s music is steeped in Western tradition and historic influence, and has been featured in the soundtracks of movies such as Hell or High Water, Peanut Butter Falcon, and Deadwood, in addition to TV series Damnation and HBO’s Run.

Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs Track listing:
Western Swing & Waltzes
I Ride An Old Paint/Leavin’ Cheyenne
Big Iron
Henry and Sam
Diamond Joe
High and Mighty
Talkin’ Prairie Boy
Cowpoke
Rocky Mountain Rangers
Houlihans at the Holiday Inn

Share Of Ear Report Shows Listening Time At Home Has Risen 44% During COVID-19 Pandemic


Edison Research’s Share Of Ear report finds that listening time in the home has increased by 44% during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report was based on interviews conducted in mid-May 2020.
The data provides insight into U.S. listener behavior during COVID-19 restrictions. Findings show that while total time spent listening was only slightly lower during the COVID-19 disruptions in the United States, there was a considerable shift in where that audio consumption happened. While 48.5% of all listening occurred at home before COVID-19 (and this finding has been very consistent since Share of Ear began in 2014), 70% of all listening was at-home in May. All three other locations studied (car, work and ‘other’) dropped during that time period.

“It’s important to recognize that our survey asks where the respondent is when they are listening to audio – not what they are doing,” said Edison Research director Laura Ivey. “The shift to ‘work-from-home’ for so many, especially office workers who tend to spend a lot of time with audio, is clearly reflected.”

Podcasting’s Share of Ear also jumped significantly – up 26% from the Quarter 1 2020 report to this new update. During COVID-19 restrictions, 5.4% of all time spent with audio was with podcasts, up from 4.3% in Q1. While podcasting share increases with every update, this represented an all-time high for podcast listening share of all audio.

Smart Speakers also hit a new high, with its share leaping by more than 40% (albeit from a relatively low base). During COVID-19 restrictions, 5.3% of all time spent with audio was through a smart speaker, up from 3.7% in Q1.

Country Radio Broadcasters’ Upcoming CRS360 Webinar To Feature Steve Reynolds, Mojo


Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. will present the latest in its CRS360 webinar series with “The Pivot: How Great Talent Have Changed to Stay Successful,” on June 23 from noon-1:00 p.m. CT. Panelists will include Steve Reynolds of The Reynolds Group as well as Top 40 station WKQI/Detroit morning radio personality Mojo. The two will discuss how radio on-air personalities have adjusted to prepping, reaching listeners and collaborating with radio station sales teams.

CRB/CRS Executive Director, RJ Curtis, commented, “Our June CRS360 continues a three-part series on how radio has modified best practices during a time of extraordinary, unpredictable events. The focus here is on-air personalities, a station’s most direct contact point with listeners. As Steve and Mojo will discuss, sustaining success has required talent to pivot on everything they do: show prep, connecting with listeners, daily execution, and being a helpful resource to the sales team.”

Interested parties can register for “The Pivot: How Great Talent Have Changed to Remain Successful,” via Zoom. Only a limited number of slots are available and are based on a first-come, first-served basis.

In July, CRS360 will examine how radio sales teams are working to recapture business and service clients during the pandemic.

Additional 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.