Industry Ink: Morgan Wallen, Elle King, Macy Dot Neal, Bill Pursell

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Morgan Wallen Donates $100,000 To Chicago’s Bessemer Park

Pictured (L-R): Jenna Sanchez, Cubs Charities Representative; Morgan Wallen; Rosa Escareño, General Superintendent & CEO of Chicago Park District. Photo: David Lehr

Morgan Wallen presented a $100,000 check for the revitalization of Chicago’s Bessemer Park baseball fields as his “One Night At A Time World Tour” resumed in Chicago at Wrigley Field.

Wallen’s donation to the home field of Baker and Bowen High School students complemented a previous $150,000 donation form Cub Charities. Altogether, the donations will contribute to a fully upgraded diamond with new backstop, side wings and dugouts, as well as a full rehabilitation of the playing surface for multiple levels of play.

“Our mission with the Morgan Wallen Foundation is to support youth programs in the areas of sports and music. We are thrilled to donate $100k to Bessemer Park to give the kids a place to play ball here in South Chicago,” says Wallen. “This donation combined with being back on stage performing for my fans tonight at Wrigley is a true double header for me.”

Wallen’s donation comes as his “One Night At A Time World Tour” is once again underway, with 83,076 fans in attendance across both nights in Chicago, making him the first country artist to sell out two back-to-back nights at Wrigley Field.

 

Elle King Joins Campaign to Save Rockwood Music Hall In New York

Elle King. Photo: Matthew Berinato

Elle King has joined the Campaign to Preserve Rockwood Music Hall in New York City.

The iconic venue that has hosted more than 75,000 shows and helped launch the careers of thousands of artists is struggling to stay open. The benefit concert series will kick-off on June 30 with a performance by Sara Bareilles, who is leading the campaign. King will headline a show there on July 31 and the series also includes performances by Chris Thile, Ingrid Michaelson and more.

King also recently teamed with with hit producer Diplo to release a new song, “Without You.” Earlier this month, she hosted CMA Fest with Dierks Bentley and Lainey Wilson in Nashville. The three-hour primetime concert special will air July 19 and includes performances by some of the biggest names in music. That weekend, King and Diplo also filmed the music video for “Without You.”

 

Macy Dot Neal Wins Inaugural Dolly Parton Songwriters Award

Picture (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, Macy Dot Neal, BMI’s Mitch Ballard. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI

The BMI Foundation presented Nashville-based singer-songwriter Macy Dot Neal with the inaugural Dolly Parton Songwriters Award for her song “Texas, Tennessee” at the CMA Fest Ryman and BMI Block Party on June 8.

The Dolly Parton Songwriters Award is an annual, national competition open to aspiring songwriters with a monetary prize of $10,000 for the best original song entry in the genres of Americana, blues, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, country, folk and roots.

Originally established in 2015 as the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship, the award was created to celebrate the BMI 75th anniversary and pay homage to the musical epicenter and “Songwriting Capital of the World,” Nashville, Tennessee. In 2022, the program was revised to honor the creativity and generosity of the legendary artist Dolly Parton with an endowment from Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston as well as a contribution from country superstar Luke Combs.

Neal has performed at venues across both Austin and Nashville and has opened for Kacey Musgraves, Gary P. Nunn and Zane Williams, among others. She was named the 2020 Young Artist of the Year by the Texas Country Music Association and is studying songwriting and music business at Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.

Upon receiving the award, Neal said, “I have been writing songs for as long as I can remember, and I truly cannot thank you enough for supporting my dreams. And it’s named after the Queen herself, Ms. Dolly Parton, which makes it even more special! Thank you BMI and thank you for all you are doing to support songwriters.”

Songwriting legend Parton commented, “Congratulations to Macy on receiving the BMI Scholarship this year! I know you are building quite a reputation as a songwriter as well as being a great singer and entertainer. Songwriting for me has always been my first love and I have been with BMI since I published my first song as a very young girl. They have always been so supportive of me as well as all young writers that come to town. I want to thank BMI for their support of the songwriters’ award named in my honor. We all wish you the very best, Macy, and we look forward to hearing your songs throughout the years.”

 

‘Lost In Time: A Tribute To Bill Pursell’ Wows At 3rd & Lindsley

Photo: JaiJai Jackson

3rd & Lindsley celebrated a musical tribute for the late composer, arranger, pianist and Belmont University’s 37-year professor of Music, Dr. William (Bill) Pursell, with a grand performance on June 15.

Vocalist Laura Pursell, The Nashville All-Stars and the Nashville Recording Orchestra conducted by Steve Maudlin performed Pursell’s iconic arrangements and songs from his 50-year musical career. Pursell played on recordings with Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Dan Fogelberg, Chet Atkins and more along with some of his last original works.

Country Music Hall of Fame musician and longtime friend of Pursell, Charlie McCoy, opened the evening with a spirited and harmonica-filled set and guest vocalist Julia Holland stepped in for one song from Pursell’s Millenium LP. An A-list of musicians onstage was comprised of guitarists Tom Hemby and Pat Bergeson, bassist Jim Ferguson, drummer Bob Mater and pianist Jason Coleman.

Caela Griffin
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