Industry Ink: Tracy Lawrence, Midland, Jon Pardi, Sawyer

Tracy Lawrence Raises $175,000 At 16th Annual Mission:Possible Turkey Fry & Benefit Concert

Tracy Lawrence recently held his 16th Annual Mission:Possible Turkey Fry and Benefit Concert, raising a record $175,000 for Nashville Rescue Mission. Cumulatively, with last year’s turkey fry and this year’s annual golf tournament, $325,000 has been raised in a single calendar year.

Altogether, 500 turkeys were fried, providing approximately 5,000 meals to those in need. During the Turkey Fry, Lawrence was presented with the honorary title of Tennessee Colonel in recognition of his years of philanthropic service to Nashville and greater Tennessee.

“It is a rare privilege to stand alongside someone with such an earnest heart for service, and so I consider it an honor to present Tracy with the prestigious title of Tennessee Colonel,” said Senator Blackburn. “Last year alone, his work with the Nashville Rescue Mission fed thousands of people and raised more than $100,000 in donations for the homeless and hungry. This is what love looks like and I thank Tracy from the bottom of my heart for giving that love so freely to the people of Nashville.”

Lawrence and a few friends also took the stage at SkyDeck at Assembly Hall for the benefit concert later with David Tolliver opening the show. Lawrence was joined on-stage by country music artists Dustin Lynch, Michael Ray and Lainey Wilson who took turns playing acoustic versions of some of their hit songs.

 

Midland Returns To Ryman Auditorium, Receives RIAA 3x Platinum Certification

Country trio Midland returned to Nashville last week (Dec. 1-2) with back-to-back sold-out shows at the historic Ryman Auditorium on their “The Last Resort Tour.”

Before the second night, they celebrated the RIAA certification of their chart-topping debut “Drinkin’ Problem” going three-times Platinum. Midland co-wrote the song alongside Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, which previously earned a Grammy nomination.

Sharing crowd favorites such as “Mr. Lonely,” “Cheatin’ Songs,” “Burn Out”, and their newest single “Sunrise Tells The Story,” Midland brought in special guest John Osborne of Brothers Osborne on Wednesday night for a surprise performance of the unreleased “Paycheck to Paycheck” from their forthcoming album.

 

Jon Pardi’s ‘Write You A Song’ Earns Gold Certification

Jon Pardi‘s debut album, Write You A Song, has been certified Gold by the RIAA.

Featuring early hits such as “Missin’ You Crazy,” “Up All Night,” “What I Can’t Put Down,” and “When I’ve Been Drinkin’,” the 2014 project was co-produced by Bart Butler and engineered by Ryan Gore. The album, which put Pardi on the country music map, was followed by his 2016 breakout project California Sunrise, which spawned three No. 1s at country radio.

As a singer, songwriter, and producer of his 2020 Heartache Medication, Pardi debuted on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and was named on Rolling Stone’s “Best Albums of the Year.”

 

Indie Pop Duo Sawyer Sign Publishing Deal With Sheltered Music, Cameron Jaymes

Nashville-based pop duo Sawyer, comprised of Emma Harvery and Kel Taylor, have signed a publishing deal with Sheltered Music Publishing and producer Cameron Jaymes. The partnership with Jaymes is focused on the development of artists with an emphasis on production and songwriting. Jaymes is known for producing acts like Rachel Platten, Daya, Spencer Southerland, and Nightly.

Sawyer’s catalog has garnered over 10.4 million streams. The duo, currently on tour, has grown their fanbase with recent singles like “Taste” and “The Way My Friends Feel About You.” While on the road, they’ve supported contemporary acts like The Aces, Nightly and Joan.

“Emma and Kel are two of the most unique creatives and they’re wonderful humans,” shares Jaymes. “They’re incredibly gifted songwriters and on a completely different wavelength as performers. I believe great artists first and foremost have an undeniable, unshakable sense of self, and Sawyer has that in spades.”

Sheltered Music’s SVP, Darrell Franklin comments: “There are very few times in my career that I have been taken back by someone’s performance in the way that these girls are capable of delivering. I’m excited to see the world react to what we all agree is so unique and compelling. They are first class songwriters and extraordinary performers.”

“This feels like a dream!” says Harvey. “I’ve never felt more empowered and believed in than by this team. Here’s to perpetually writing my new favorite songs we’ve ever written!”

Taylor adds: “Lots of love, respect and lightning bolt inspiration we feel with our team of Cameron, Darrell, Lance [Freed] and Jenny at Sheltered Music Publishing. I remember leaving our first write with Cam and thinking ‘If we’re not careful, we might win a Grammy with him.’ That kind of belief in self continues to grow as we work with him. It’s a dream come true.”