Garth Brooks Featured on ‘Tennessee Vacation Guide’ Cover

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Tennessee Ambassador of Goodwill Garth Brooks is featured on the cover of 2017’s Official Tennessee Vacation Guide, which is available to travelers and guests, offering them ideas and ways to experience the Volunteer State. On the cover, Brooks is shown on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium on the guide in celebration of the Ryman’s 125th Anniversary this year.

Brooks was named an official Tennessee Ambassador of Goodwill by Governor Bill Haslam in October 2016, in honor of his becoming the first artist in music history to earn seven Diamond Awards, recognizing seven albums selling 10 million or more copies each from the Recording Industry Association of America. October was also the first time in Brooks’ career that he had ever performed at the Ryman. 

“Two icons. That is what we have here,” said Commissioner Kevin Triplett, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “On one hand, Garth Brooks, a seven-Diamond artist and without question one of the greatest ambassadors the state of Tennessee could have. On the other, The Ryman, one of the world’s most famous music destinations. It is an honor to have both grace the cover of this year’s Tennessee Vacation Guide. It is a banner year for Tennessee in 2017 in which we celebrate no fewer than a dozen notable music anniversaries. That includes the 60th anniversaries of STAX Records in Memphis and RCA’s famed Studio B in Nashville, the 75th anniversary of the song ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo,’ and the 50th anniversary of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. All further evidence the soundtrack of America is made in Tennessee.”

More than 550,000 guides are available to inspire potential guests to book a trip to Tennessee. The guide is available free of charge at any of Tennessee’s 14 Welcome Centers or by calling 1-800-GO2-TENN (462-8366), and can also be ordered or downloaded online at www.tnvacation.com/guide.

 

 

 

Colin Elmore Signs Co-Pub Deal With Wrensong, Pat Finch Publishing

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(From top): Abbe Nameche, Pat Finch, Ree Guyer and Colin Elmore Photo Courtesy of Wrensong/Reynsong Entertainment

Colin Elmore, lead singer of Colin Elmore and the Danville Train, has signed a co-publishing deal with Wrensong/Reynsong Entertainment and Pat Finch Music Publishing.

The Willow Springs, Missouri, native has a production deal with Sony Music Nashville and is currently in the studio recording his debut EP with producer Eric Masse (Miranda Lambert, Rayland Baxter and Robert Ellis.)

“When I first heard Colin’s songs and voice, I loved him immediately…seeing him live put me over the top. He is a true artist,” said Ree Guyer, president of Wrensong/Reynsong Entertainment.

“Colin is one of the most uniquely gifted writer/artists I’ve ever had the honor of working with,” said Pat Finch. “To get to travel this journey with two dear friends, Ree and Abbe, is just icing on the cake.”

Weekly Chart Report (1/20/17)

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Click here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.

Industry Pics: Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Russell Dickerson, Lauren Alaina, Lady A

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Jason Aldean and Michael Tyler performed at “Rhythm and Boots,” a benefit for Musicians On Call at Nashville’s 3rd and Lindsley Jan. 17. Hosted by Ty Bentli, Kelly Ford and Chuck Wicks, Cumulus Media-Nashville’s NASH FM 103.3 and 95.5 NASH ICON personalities and co-hosts of the nationally syndicated “Mornings With Ty, Kelly & Chuck,” the show raised over $16,000 for Musicians On Call. The event also included a live autographed Aldean guitar auction and a Q&A during his set with questions submitted from the audience.

(L-R): Ty Bentli, Kelly Ford, Jason Aldean and Chuck Wicks

 
 
Kane Brown recently celebrated a sold-out show at Nashville venue Exit/In on Jan. 17.

Pictured (L-R): iHeart Media’s John Sykes, Mark Chase, Tom Poleman, artist Kane Brown, iHeartMedia’s Rod Phillips

 
 

IHeart SVPP Rod Phillips and Triple Tigers Records/Sony Music Entertainment’s Russell Dickerson at the recent iHeartCountry session.

Pictured (L-R): Rod Phillips, Russell Dickerson

 
 
Lauren Alaina and Lady Antebellum both stopped by NASH Nights Live yesterday to chat with co-hosts Shawn Parr and Elaina Smith. Alaina discussed her upcoming Road Less Traveled album during the visit, while Lady A talked about their new single “You Look Good” and their new Heart Break CD and tour.

(L-R): Elaina Smith, Lauren Alaina and Shawn Parr

(L-R): Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Elaina Smith, Dave Haywood, Shawn Parr

ole Signs Blake Bollinger

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Pictured (L-R): Shellien Rogers (ole, Creative Administration Manager), Ben Strain (ole, Creative Director), Mike Whelan (ole, Sr. Creative Director), Songwriter Blake Bollinger, John Ozier (ole, VP Creative), Emily Mueller-Olson (ole, Creative Manager), Scott Safford (Attorney, Safford Motley PLC)

ole has signed an exclusive worldwide co-publishing deal for future music copyrights with country songwriter Blake Bollinger.

“Blake is the ideal songwriter/producer for the team at ole,” said John Ozier, Vice President of Creative at ole. “His talent, his work ethic, and his personality fit right into what we’re trying to accomplish. Together, we are going to achieve amazing things in the years to come.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the ole team,” said Bollinger. “Their creative staff is amazing and they already feel like family. I’m grateful for this awesome opportunity and can’t wait to see where this next chapter leads.”

A Texas native, Bollinger is a multi-genre producer and songwriter who co-wrote the 2016 hit Parmalee country single, “Roots.” Blake has recent cuts with Jason Aldean, Justin Moore, Darius Rucker, Rodney Atkins, Casting Crowns, Danny Gokey, and others. Blake is also currently producing artists Rodney Atkins, Ryan Griffin, and Jessica Mitchell.

Jason Aldean, Little Big Town And More To Headline iHeartCountry Festival

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The iHeartCountry Festival will return for a fourth consecutive year on Saturday, May 6 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.

Spearheading the performance lineup this year are Jason Aldean, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, Rascal Flatts, Old Dominion, Jake Owen, Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum, Kelsea Ballerini and The Raging Idiots with more to be announced.

“The iHeartCountry Festival has become an annual family reunion for the biggest stars in country music,” said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises, iHeartMedia. “These artists grew up together and you can truly feel their deep friendships when they join each other on stage.”

iHeartCountry has more than 145 Country broadcast radio stations across the U.S. reaching more than 98 million Country music listeners per month, making it the largest Country broadcast radio group in America. The iHeartCountry Festival is part of iHeartMedia’s roster of concert events, including the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party, the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Concert Tour, the iHeartRadio Music Awards, the iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina and the iHeart80s Party.

“The iHeartCountry Festival has become one of Country Music’s biggest nights, and this year’s show promises to be yet another amazing event,” said Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Group, iHeartMedia. “Country continues to be one of the top genres in music and we are excited to showcase another amazing lineup of artists for our listeners.”

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. CT via TexasBoxOffice.com.

 

Aaron Lewis Continues Sinner Tour In 2017

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Aaron Lewis started 2017 with a string of concerts as part of his ongoing Sinner Tour 2017, promoting his debut Dot Records project, Sinner.

The entertainer performed a string of sold out performances this past weekend in Greensboro, Raleigh and Charlotte. Upcoming shows will hit both the east and west coasts heavily through April. Dates extend through June.

The 12-track project was released on Sept. 16 after being recorded in 16 hours at Nashville’s Blackbird Studios with producer Buddy Cannon (George Strait, Merle Haggard, George Jones). Lewis single-handedly penned eight of the songs, in addition to covering Chris Stapleton’s “Whiskey and You” and The Dixie Chicks’ “Travelin’ Soldier.” Lewis collaborated with Willie Nelson on the album’s title track while Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski and Vince Gill are also featured.

SINNER Tour Dates
Jan. 20 – Buckhead Theatre – Atlanta, GA
Jan. 21 – Blind Horse Saloon – Greenville, SC
Jan. 22 – Montgomery Performing Arts Centre -Montgomery, AL
Jan. 25 – The Joy Theater – New Orleans, LA
Jan. 26 – Banita Creek Hall – Nacogdoches, TX
Jan. 27 – Cowboys Dance Hall – San Antonio, TX
Jan. 28 – Billy Bob’s – Fort Worth, TX
Jan. 29 – 2017 Karbach Cook Off @ Lucky’s Pub – Houston, TX
Feb. 01 – The Fillmore – Silver Spring, MD
Feb. 02 – Trocadero Theatre – Philadelphia, PA
Feb. 03 – House of Blues Boston – Boston, MA
Feb. 04 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY
Feb. 09 – House of Blues – Orlando, FL
Feb. 10 – The Dallas Bull – Tampa, FL
Feb. 11 – The Ranch – Fort Myers, FL
Feb. 12 – Seminole Hard Rock – Hollywood, FL
Feb. 16 – Louisville Palace – Louisville, KY
Feb. 17 – The Fillmore – Detroit, MI
Feb. 18 – Rusty Spur – Fort Wayne, IN
Feb. 24 – The Blue Note – Columbia, MO
Feb. 25 – Orpheum Theater – Madison, WI
Feb. 26 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
Feb. 27 – Green Bay Distillery – Green Bay, WI
March 02 – Iron City – Birmingham, AL
March 03 – Riverdome At Horseshoe Casino – Bossier City, LA
March 04 – Hard Rock Live – Biloxi, MS
March 10 – Limelight Eventplex – Peoria, IL
March 11 – Joe’s Live – Rosemont, IL
March 12 – VooDoo Lounge At Harrah’s Casino – Kansas City, MO
March 18 – Riverwind Casino Showplace Theatre – Norman, OK
March 19 – Horseshoe Casino – Tunica – Robinsonville, MS
March 31 – Firekeepers Casino – Battle Creek, MI
April 01 – Cotton Eyed Joe – Knoxville, Tenn.
April 07 – Turning Stone Resort & Casino – Verona, NY
April 19 – House of Blues – San Diego, Calif.
April 21 – Silver Legacy Casino – Reno, NV
April 22 – Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort – Jackson, CA
April 23 – Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort – Jackson, CA
April 28 – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
April 29 – Mountaineer Casino – Chester, W.Va.
May 28 – Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, Conn.
June 24 – Choctaw Casino Resort – Durant, OK

Third Man Records To Celebrate Detroit Vinyl Production Facility Opening Feb. 25

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Third Man Records will open a vinyl production facility in Detroit’s historic Cass Corridor neighborhood on Feb. 25.

The pressing plant will include eight of the first newly-built presses built in 35 years, as well as four extruders and four hydraulic generators. The presses will accommodate 12″ LPs or 7″ singles. Capacity for the facility is estimated at 5,000 records per eight-hour shift, with a cycle time of approximately 45 seconds per record.

The environmentally-conscious facility will minimize water waste by using recycled water from the record curing process in the air conditioning system. Each pressing station is outfitted with a digital touch screen control for temperature, hydraulic compression, and extruder speed, equaling increased control for staffers.

The manufacturing facility will not only press vinyl records for Third Man Records’ label releases (which will also continue to be produced at Nashville’s United Record Pressing), but will also fulfill orders from outside labels.

Third Man Pressing will celebrate its opening day with limited edition releases available on opening day, only in Detroit. Those includes a release of The White Stripes’ self-titled project pressed on red vinyl with on-site screen printed jackets, as well as projects from bands Destroy All Monsters and Xanadu.

Americana Music Association To Welcome Rodney Crowell For Free Nashville Event

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Rodney Crowell

In the second collaboration with the Americana Music Association, Union Station Hotel Nashville will hold a special edition of its Riffs on the Rails featuring Rodney Crowell. The complimentary event is open to the public and will be held in the grand lobby of the Union Station Hotel on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 6:30 p.m.

Crowell’s forthcoming album, Close Ties, is slated for release March 31 on New West Records. During Riffs on the Rails, attendees will enjoy a conversation with Crowell—interviewed by author and musician Peter Cooper—as he talks about the making of Close Ties and performs songs from the project. The event will also be broadcasted live on Facebook, hosted by the Americana Music Association and shared by Union Station Hotel and New West Records Facebook pages.

Union Station Hotel’s ongoing Riffs on the Rails live music series gets up close and personal with some of the city’s singers and songwriters, including Billy Bragg, Joe Henry, Boss Cotton, Holly Norman and Donna Frost, among many others. Each session offers an intimate performance from local talent and the stories that inspired their songs.

Union Station Hotel offers valet parking for $15 for up to 2 hours. Additional self-parking can be found behind the hotel on the south side of the property.

Artist Updates: Eli Young Band, ‘Nashville,’ Brothers Osborne, Kristian Bush

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Eli Young Band Bus Blaze

The Eli Young Band lost a bus and trailer to fire on January 17th while it was parked just outside of Topeka, Kansas. The blaze broke out close to midnight and luckily longtime driver Randy Moore was able to escape unharmed, though the band lost everything in the bus and trailer except one guitar Moore grabbed as he was escaping.

“We’ve lost more than a bus here. There are memories and possessions that we can’t replace! It’s really sad to see her go. We’re just happy that our driver Randy is safe!” said lead singer Mike Eli.

The band will resume their tour schedule this Friday in Mahnomen, MN.

 

New Nashville Tracks Hit iTunes

Gunnar Scott and Scarlett O’Connor, The Exes, played by Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen Photo courtesy of CMT

The cast of Nashville will release new tracks each week as the show airs on CMT this season. Two new songs, “All Of Me,” and “Burn To Dark,” will air during tonight’s (Jan. 19) episode, and are now available on iTunes. Since the show’s 2012 debut, Big Machine Records has released 10 Nashville soundtracks that have collectively sold more than one million albums and over five million single downloads to date.

 

Brothers Osborne’s NASH Nights Live Visit

(L-R) John Shomby, Elaina Smith, TJ and John Osborne, Shawn Parr and Universal’s Donna Hughes

Brothers Osborne stopped by NASH Nights Live studios in Nashville yesterday to talk about their new single “It Ain’t My Fault.” They also chatted about their upcoming trip to the Grammys, winning the CMA Vocal Duo trophy, and more during their visit.

 

Kristian Bush Gets His KICKS

Pictured (L-R): Zack Seabaugh, Cadillac and Dallas (Kicks morning show), and Kristian Bush

Kristian Bush recently stopped by the Kicks 101.5 morning show in Atlanta to chat with Cadillac and Dallas.