Reba To Release ‘Reba: Live’ Concert Special On YouTube

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Reba

In 1994, Reba McEntire was enjoying country radio success with hits including the now-iconic Linda Davis duet “Does He Love You,” as well as “Why Haven’t I Heard From You,” and “Til You Love Me.” She brought her electrifying live show, an entertainment spectacle filled with dramatic costumes, choreography, and comedy skits, to Nebraska’s Omaha Civic Center, offering both her own hits such as “Fancy” and covers such as Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” The concert was filmed and later released as Reba: Live.

This Friday, July 17, she will relaunch her Reba:Live special exclusively on YouTube, marking the first time the concert has been available digitally. The hour-long special will premiere at 7 p.m. CT and will include 12 performances.

“This was one of my first big tours with all the dancers and costume changes, and it was my very first network television special,” shares Reba. “It’s so much fun to get to revisit it and share it with my fans all these years later! I hope they enjoy it and I can’t wait to share some stories from the behind the scenes during the chat.”

On Saturday (July 18), Reba will join fellow Country Music Hall of Fame member and Grand Ole Opry member Vince Gill to perform on the Grand Ole Opry, marking the show’s 4,933rd consecutive Saturday night broadcast.

Mojo Music & Media Inks Catalog Deals With Terry McBride, Mark Miller, Matt McVaney, Jonathan Smith, More

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Indie publishing and marketing company Mojo Music & Media has closed a series of publishing catalog acquisitions with artist/writers Terry McBride and Sawyer Brown’s Mark Miller, as well as writer/producers Jonathan Smith, Pat McManus and Matt McVaney, among others. These acquisitions added 80 chart singles, including 14 No. 1 hits and 29 Top 5 hits to Mojo’s catalog of six decades worth of country songs.

McBride began his career fronting McBride & The Ride in the early ’90s, releasing four albums and charting four Top 5 singles, before focusing on songwriting and landing cuts with artists including Garth Brooks, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams Jr. and Gretchen Wilson. His most prolific collaboration, with Ronnie Dunn, yielded more than 25 cuts and 13 singles with Brooks & Dunn including such chart-toppers as “Play Something Country,” “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” and “Proud Of The House We Built.” Among McBride’s other hits are Reba McEntire’s “I Keep On Loving You,”  Josh Gracin’s “Stay With Me (Brass Bed),” Casey James’ “Let’s Don’t Call It A Night” and Easton Corbin’s “Are You With Me,” which enjoyed a second life as a No. 1 UK hit after it was remixed by Belgian DJ Lost Frequencies. Mojo has acquired McBride’s complete post-2004 catalog.

Veteran songwriter and producer McManus, a 12-time BMI award winner, has enjoyed cuts with artists ranging from Conway Twitty and BJ Thomas to Carl Graves and The Fifth Dimension. A run of hits in the ’80s, many co-written with Woody Bomar and Bob DiPiero, yielded four No 1 singles and four Top 5 singles, including the Oak Ridge Boys’ “American Made, Charly McClain’s “Sentimental Ol You,” Jim Glaser’s “You’re Getting’ To Me Again” and “If I Could Only Dance With You,” Conway Twitty’s “We Did But Now You Don’t” and Jacky Ward’s “Something On The Radio.” Mojo has acquired a 50% interest in McManus’ back catalog and will partner on futures.

Mojo acquired a co-publishing interest in the catalog of Grammy-nominated writer/producer Smith, a fixture in the contemporary Christian field, who has landed cuts over the last decade with more than 150 of the genre’s top artists including Danny Gokey, We Are Messengers, Tenth Avenue North, Bryan & Katie Torwalt and the J J Weeks Band. The deal includes such CCM hits as Zach Williams’ Platinum debut single “Chain Breaker,” “We Are Messengers’ “Magnify,” Building 429’s “We Won’t Be Shaken,” Tauren Wells’ “Hills And Valleys” and Johnny Diaz’ “Breathe.”

Writer/producer McVaney is best known for his work with Kane Brown, penning and producing viral and radio hit “Used To Love You Sober” and “I Love That I Hate You” from Brown’s Closer EP, as well as “Excuses” and “There Goes My Everything” from Brown’s Chapter 1 EP. McVaney also co-wrote and produced “Thunder In The Rain,” the debut single from Brown’s 2016 Platinum debut, a project which, along with its singles, reached No. 1 simultaneously on all five main Billboard Country charts. Mojo has acquired McVaney’s publishing and producer interests.

Mojo has also signed a worldwide administration deal with Miller, the founder, lead singer and primary songwriter for Sawyer Brown. The deal covers the band’s entire 18-album output, including three No. 1 singles, “Step That Step,” “Some Girls Do” and “Thank God For You” and another nine Top 5’s including “This Time,” “All These Years” and “The Boys And Me.”

In addition, the company acquired an interest in seven hit singles written by Jimmy Yeary including Martina McBride’s Top 5 “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” Lee Brice’s “I Drive Your Truck,”  Jake Owen’s “Anywhere With You” and David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney’s “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” and, separately, interests in a collection of songs owned by writer and publisher Jeff Tweel including such No. 1’s as Faith Hill’s “Wild One,” John Berry’s “Your Love Amazes Me,” Restless Heart’s “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” Pam Tillis’ “Mi Vida Loca,” Lee Greenwood’s “Dixie Road,” T.G. Sheppard’s “Only One You” and Conway Twitty’s “Desperado Love.”

Said McBride, “I’ve never sold any of my publishing before so parting with some of my favorite songs was tough for me to wrap my head around. Not only did Mojo come to the table with a strong offer, but it was clear they had a real connection and appreciation for me and my songs and that meant a lot to me.”

McManus said, “From my first conversations with Butch, Mark and everyone at Mojo, I loved their energy, experience and creative ideas, but the one key ingredient that set them apart from everyone else is that they feel like a family. My family and I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering on my songs and going on this journey with Team Mojo!”

Mark Fried, Mojo Music Co-Founder and CEO, added, “One of the best things about setting up our headquarters in Nashville has been the opportunity to reconnect with some of the town’s most beloved songwriters and to make solid plans with them to breathe new life into older hits and help inspire some new ones.”

Butch Baker, Mojo Music’s SVP Creative, said, “What an exciting time for all of us here at Mojo to partner with so many amazing and talented friends and represent such an incredible collection of songs. And we’re only getting started.”

Orville Peck To Release ‘Show Pony’ EP Aug. 14

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Columbia Records artist Orville Peck has set a new release date for his upcoming album, Show Pony. His self-produced, six-track EP will release Aug. 14; the project follows Peck’s debut album Pony, which released in March 2019.

Show Pony includes a duet with Shania Twain, titled “Legends Never Die,” as well as a cover of the Bobbie Gentry classic “Fancy.”

Says Peck, “I loved my experience with Pony. However, Show Pony is a more confident perspective and allows me to share even more both lyrically and musically. Like all country albums, Show Pony is a little collection of stories—some sad, some happy—and I am excited for people to hear it. Working with Shania was a dream come true, her music made me feel empowered as a kid and was a huge influence on me.”

Peck recently released a new song and video, “No Glory in the West,” with the video directed by Isaiah Seret, with narrative and creative direction by Peck and his creative director Carlos Santolalla.

Luke Combs Breaks Album Chart Record Set By Taylor Swift

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Luke Combs. Photo: David Bergman.

Luke Combs has added yet another sales milestone to his lengthy list of accolades, becoming the first artist to have their first two studio albums spend 25 weeks or better at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart. This breaks the record set by Taylor Swift, who previously held the lead with 24 weeks.

Combs’ album What You See Is What You Get (River House Artists/Columbia Nashville) is currently at No. 1 on the country albums chart, while his 2017 debut project, This One’s For You, spent over 50 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1, tying the record with Shania Twain‘s 1997 project Come On Over for the longest stint at No. 1 on the country albums chart.

Combs is a multiple nominee at the upcoming ACM Awards, including nominees for Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year and Album of the Year (What You See Is What You Get). Combs is also a nominee at the upcoming MusicRow Awards, where he is up for Artist of the Year, as well as Song of the Year (“Does To Me,” ft. Eric Church). Combs is the MusicRow Awards’ reigning Artist of the Year, and won Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2018.

Combs will return to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, July 16 to perform his Top 20 single “Lovin’ On You.” His previous single, “Does To Me” (ft. Eric Church), spent two weeks at No. 1 on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart, making it his eighth-consecutive No. 1 single—a first on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

Produced by Scott Moffatt, What You See Is What You Get features 17 songs including the five tracks previously released via The Prequel EP last summer. Moffatt is also nominated for Producer of the Year at the upcoming MusicRow Awards in August.

Wisconsin’s Country Fest Reveals 2021 Lineup

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Wisconsin music festival Country Fest has announced the new performer lineup for 2021. The three-day country and camping festival scheduled for June 24-26, 2021 in Cadott will feature headliners Thomas Rhett, Dierks Bentley, and Kane Brown. For attendees who already purchased tickets to Country Fest 2020 and plan to attend the June 2021 dates, their wristbands will be valid for the 2021 festival.

The lineup will welcome a mix of new and returning artists including Cole Swindell, Brothers Osborne, Dustin Lynch, Lauren Alaina, Granger Smith ft. Earl Dibbles Jr., Cam, The Oak Ridge Boys, Runaway June, Rhett Akins, Neal McCoy and many more.

Country Fest attendees can relax in Hammock Haven, play giant games, take a stroll through the Northern Lights wooded walking trail, and much more. All tickets and campsites are on sale now and full lineup and ticket details can be found at countryfest.com.

2020 MusicRow Awards Category Profile: Song Of The Year

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Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 32nd annual MusicRow Awards, we take a look at the MusicRow Song of the Year category. Nominees honor Nashville writers and publishers on the craft of songwriting, not necessarily chart performance, during the eligibility period of April 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020.

The MusicRow Awards will be announced virtually among multiple MusicRow platforms on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Presenting Sponsor of the 2020 MusicRow Awards is City National Bank.

Click here to see the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.

Winners are determined solely by MusicRow Magazine subscribed members. Voting is now open and closes on July 17 at 5 p.m..

To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, become a MusicRow member here.


“Bluebird”
Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby co-wrote Lambert’s lovely song “Bluebird,” offering an insightful message about moving forward even when life hands you lemons. (“And if the whole wide world stops singing / And all the stars go dark / I’ll keep the light on in my soul / Keep a bluebird in my heart”). Says the singer, “‘Bluebird’ was a song that had a little darkness to it, but it really was about hope.” It is from her current album Wildcard, recorded by Producer of the Year nominee Jay Joyce. Lambert is nominated for Artist of the Year, and was named MusicRow Critics’ Pick in 2005.

“Does To Me”
Luke Combs scored his eighth-consecutive No. 1 single—a first on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart— with “Does To Me” featuring Eric Church. Combs, who co-wrote the song with Ray Fulcher and Tyler Reeve, describes it this way: “I had a really regular childhood. We always had enough to eat and a roof over our head, but that definitely doesn’t mean that my parents weren’t struggling for money. They just did a really good job of living within their means. And so we kind of used that sentiment to [express what] the world doesn’t think of as really awesome achievements…But they’re still things that you should be proud of.” The track was produced by Producer of the Year nominee Scott Moffatt, and helped Combs earn a nomination for Artist of the Year.

“Monsters”
Eric Church and co-writer Jeff Hyde stand up to metaphorical monsters in the thought provoking song “Monsters.” Sings Church: “Anymore when a restless feelin’ keeps me up at night / Fallin’ on my knees is my new turnin’ on the light / I keep my faith intact, make sure my prayers are said / ’Cause I’ve learned that the monsters ain’t the ones beneath the bed.” The track is from Church’s sixth album, Desperate Man, which was helmed by Producer of the Year nominee Jay Joyce. Church is also the featured guest on Luke Combs’ hit “Does To Me,” which is a fellow contender for Song of the Year.

“More Hearts Than Mine”
Ingrid Andress, Derrick Southerland and Sam Ellis composed a modern classic about a family embracing their daughter’s new relationship with “More Hearts Than Mine.” Says Andress, “This is extra special because it’s a song about my family, who I love so much and who have been my No. 1 fans from the beginning. I’m beyond happy it has resonated with so many people, because that’s the whole beauty of country music; real stories that are told about real people living in this country.” Andress co-wrote and co-produced her entire debut album, Lady Like, and is also nominated for Breakthrough Artist-Writer and Breakthrough Artist.

“One Night Standards”
Ashley McBryde, Nicolette Hayford and Shane McAnally expertly crafted a traditional country song of escaping loneliness with “One Night Standards.” The lead single from McBryde’s current album, Never Will, is full of somber desperation paired with clever lyrics (“I ain’t Cinderella but who is?/Call me what you want if the shoe fits”). The recording was produced by Producer of the Year nominee Jay Joyce. McBryde is the reigning MusicRow Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Song of the Year winner for “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.”

“The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost”
Written and produced solely by Craig Morgan, “The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost,” is this year’s only solo-written Song of the Year nominee. The intimate and emotional song explores the grief, faith and hope Morgan experienced following the unexpected passing of his son Jerry. “As difficult as this song was to write and as difficult as it is to sing, it gives me strength in my faith in God,” says Morgan. “My hope is it does the same for others.” The song was his first piece of new music in over three years, which he initially self-released before reuniting with Broken Bow Records, his former record label home.

Ryan Griffin Sets Major Label Debut EP Release For August

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Ryan Griffin

Altadena/Warner Records/Warner Music Nashville recording artist Ryan Griffin will release his major label debut EP, Name On It, on Aug. 28.

Griffin, known for co-writing Kelsea Ballerini’s No. 1 hit “Dibs,” has released several tracks from his upcoming project, including “Right Here Right Now,” “Going Going Gone,” and his most recent, “One Prayer Left.”

“Name On It is a collection of moments in my life that I’m proud to put my name on,” Griffin says. “It’s the lessons that have taught me to love deeper, to soak up the little things, to pray harder, to be grateful and most of all to be proud of who I am.”

The Florida native has toured with Old Dominion and Carly Pearce, and has earned more than 20 million streams to date in the United States.

Blair Garner To Open New Entertainment Venue The Mulehouse

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The Mulehouse. Photo: courtesy The Mulehouse

Broadcaster Blair Garner is opening a 55,500-square-foot music venue in Columbia, Tennessee next year called The Mulehouse. The space was formerly a Baptist church and is next door to the President James K. Polk presidential home, museum, and library and was once part of Polk’s property.

The venue is part of the historic preservation district with a steady flow of tourists coming to the area, and has a seating capacity of 500, with the general admission number still to be determined. During COVID, Garner and his team were able to pivot the design process to enable The Mulehouse to become the first music and event venue in America designed specifically for live event streaming. The stage is large enough to accommodate a 14-piece band, along with a large side stage, and there will be a radio studio inside as well.

“There are different versions of concert series slated. This is for ease of ticketing. There’s the Headliner Series, The Fan’s Choice Series, The Icon Series, and The Ground Floor series. Each has its distinct slant, serving a different purpose. What is different about our fare, is that on-stage interviews will be a core component. Viewers/guests will know every song that’s performed, but by the end of the night they’ll truly feel that they ‘know’ that performer. That’s the interview component, which is where I come in,” Garner said in a statement.

The back of the venue is designed for easy crew load-in. Artists will be treated to locally sourced and prepared meals, full spa treatments with massage, etc.

Former iHeart market manager for Memphis Michael Oppenheimer has been named GM for the new venture. Clair Solutions are designing the theater’s entire sound and video system, and Phase Two and Three will incorporate a 6,000-square-foot bar and full restaurant and 26-room boutique hotel. Construction is slated to be completed by March of 2021 with events scheduled for Spring 2021.

National Museum Of African American Music Board Appoints Music Industry Relations Committee

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The National Museum of African American Music has appointed members to the museum’s first Music Industry Relations Committee of the Board of Directors. The committee’s purpose will be to serve as a liaison to help the museum cultivate and maintain relationships in the artist community and the music industry.

Celebrity strategist, media personality and NMAAM Board Member Dyana Williams and entertainment attorney Leron E. Rogers, Esq will serve as co-chairpersons of the committee.

Williams brings years of expertise to the role with a career working with dozens of notable Black artists and entertainment professionals. She has spent decades as a radio host in Philadelphia, but also is prominently known as one of the co-founders of Black Music Month which has been celebrated annually in June since 1979.

Rogers is an entertainment attorney and partner in the Atlanta office of Lewis Brisbois where he is vice-chair of the Entertainment, Media & Sports Practice. He has worked with high-profile actors, athletes, recording artists, producers, songwriters, record labels, publishing and management companies, music industry trade organizations and new media companies.

Eighteen individuals representing all areas of the music industry have been selected to lead the committee including artists, label executives, talent managers, media executives, media personalities, entertainment attorneys, entertainment marketing professionals and entertainment strategists.

Current members of the NMAAM Media Industry Relations Committee include:
Co-Chairs:

  • Dyana Williams, Celebrity Strategist, CEO, Influence Entertainment
  • Leron E. Rogers, Esq, Partner, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, LLP and President of BESLA

Members:

  • Al B. Sure, Recording Artist and Radio Host
  • Angela Yee, Entrepreneur and Co-host of the Breakfast Club radio show
  • Ashaunna Ayars, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, The Ayars Agency
  • Azim Rashid, Senior Vice President/Head of Urban Promotion, Columbia Records
  • Brandon Pankey, Vice President, Business Development & Operations, Live Nation Urban
  • Courtney Stewart, Founder and CEO, Right Hand Music Group
  • David Linton, Chairman, Living Legends Foundation Inc., Program Director WCLK-FM
  • Gail Mitchell, Executive Director of R&B/Hip-Hop, Billboard
  • Karen E. Lee, Senior Vice President, W&W Public Relations
  • Laiya St. Clair, Producer/Co-host, Questlove Supreme Podcast and Love + Grit Podcast
  • Lynn M. Scott, Vice President, Marketing, HITCO
  • Monique Idlett-Mosley, President and CEO, Reign Ventures
  • Natina Nimene, Senior Vice President of Urban Promotion, Def Jam Records
  • Peter Kadin, Vice President of Marketing, EMPIRE
  • Robin Lyon, Founder and CEO, Baller Alert Foundation
  • Whitney-Gayle Benta, Head of Artist and Talent Relations, Spotify

‘Billboard’ Changes Chart Methods Regarding Merch And Ticket Bundles

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Billboard has changed the rules regarding its Billboard 200, Hot 100 and other album and song charts and decided to eliminate the practice of counting albums bundled with merchandise and concert tickets on its album and song charts altogether.

On the issue of bundling, the latest rule changes supersede a number of others that were previously instituted in January, including a requirement that albums bundled with merchandise be available for purchase concurrently and individually on the same website, as well as a requirement that merchandise sold on its own be priced lower than bundles that included the album. Additionally, merchandise/album bundles could only be sold on an artist’s official direct-to-consumer web store and not via third-party sites.

In an acknowledgement that those measures have fallen short in accurately reflecting consumer intent, Billboard eliminated the practice of counting albums bundled with merchandise and concert tickets on its album and song charts altogether.

The new rules will be implemented at a start date to be announced, and under them all albums bundled with either merchandise or concert tickets must be promoted as an add-on to those purchases in order to be counted on the charts. Those included as part of a baked-in, single-price option (along with the merchandise or ticket), with the album cost undisclosed to the consumer, will no longer be counted.

In addition, Billboard will no longer allow sales of physical albums or singles bundled with digital downloads to be reported as digital sales, thereby eliminating the practice of “spontaneous” non-manufactured items being used to influence first-week chart rankings. Only when the physical item or what the consumer is buying is shipped, will it be counted in Billboard’s official tallies.

The practice of selling vinyl, CDs and other physical releases that won’t be manufactured and shipped to consumers for weeks or months—while offering a digital download that can be redeemed instantly has become popular practice to help boost chart positions and the rule changes will render that ineffective. Billboard hopes that the new guidelines will better ensure that chart rankings more accurately reflect the conscious purchasing decisions of consumers and level the playing field for all artists.