Charlie Daniels Funeral Service To Be Livestreamed

Charlie Daniels‘ public funeral service this morning at 11 a.m. CT at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee will be livestreamed via World Outreach Church’s Facebook Page and website (wochurch.org), as well as The Charlie Daniels Band Facebook Page and YouTube Channel.

The funeral procession route details have been released, and details are as follows:

-8:00 a.m./CT – procession departs Sellars Funeral Home (2229 North Mt. Juliet Rd, Mt. Juliet, TN)
-Industrial Dr. to Golden Bear Gateway
-Golden Bear Gateway to Interstate 40
-Interstate 40 to Hwy 109
-Hwy 109 to Interstate 840
-Interstate 840 to Interstate 24
-Interstate 24 to World Outreach Church (1921 State Hwy 99 in Murfreesboro, TN)

Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Gretchen Wilson and Trace Adkins will perform during the service honoring Daniels’ life. The funeral will be led by SiriusXM’s Storme Warren and pastor Allen Jackson. A private burial will follow at Mt. Juliet Memorial Gardens in Mt. Juliet, TN.

Daniels passed away on Monday, (July 6) at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, TN of a hemorrhagic stroke. He was 83.

DISClaimer Singles Reviews: Luke Bryan, Lindsay Ell, Avenue Beat, And More

Luke Bryan. Photo: Jim Wright

We have gender parity this week, which in country music is a shameful rarity.

Both our male and female entries are worthy contributors. For country vocal supremacy, I present Travis Denning. For production creativity, let me suggest Ingrid Andress, Niko Moon and Avenue Beat. The singles by Denning, Avenue Beat and RaeLynn have the songwriting chops.

So does our Disc of the Day winner, Lindsay Ell. Truth is the greatest lyric of all.

Jason Morey is staging his debut in this column as the new duet partner of Sherry Lynn. Give the man a DisCovery Award.

RAELYNN/Me About Me
Writers: RaeLynn/Bob DiPiero/Jeff Garrison; Producer: Corey Crowder; Publisher: none listed; Round Here Records
-Decidedly an A-plus for songwriting finesse. The lyric describes a relationship that doesn’t work because she listens and learns all about him, but he knows next to nothing about her inner self. The clear production and concise vocal delivery are bonus points. Play it, for sure.

NIKO MOON/It’s A Great Day To Be Alive
Writer: Darrell Scott; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; RCA Nashville
-The 2001 Travis Tritt hit gets an r&b-flavored makeover. Moon retains the twang, but adds hip-hop beats as well as a banjo. Very creative. The track is an Amazon Original exclusive.

AVENUE BEAT/F2020
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; BMLG
-There’s nothing even remotely “country” about it, and the cussing will doubtless restrict any airplay. But you’ve gotta hand it to the lyric: This year does suck, in just about every possible way. And by making the message sound so downright jaunty, ya gotta love these folks.

TRAVIS DENNING/Where That Beer’s Been
Writers: Travis Denning/Rhett Akins/Chris Stevens/Jeremy Stover; Producer: Jeremy Stover; Publisher: Warner Chappell/Sony ATV; Mercury
-He’s coming off a No. 1 hit (“After A Few”), and this stuttering, hooky rocker is even better. Get this: “I don’t know where that beer’s been/But I know where it’s going.” Or this: “It could’a been brewed in Colorado, Milwaukee or St. Louey/The only thing on my mind right now is what it’s gonna do to me.” The nifty, novelty guitar licks are superb, and the boy is a bona fide, country-as-grits sanger.

SHERRY LYNN & JASON MOREY/The Ride of Your Life
Writers: none listed; Producer: Christos Gatzimos; Steal Heart
– It rocks nicely, and they both sing splendidly here. But the overall sound is a little “thin.” More oomph, please. Producer Gatzimos is the son of Crystal Gayle.

LINDSAY ELL/Make You
Writers: Lindsay Ell/Brandy Clark; Producer: Dann Huff; Publisher: none listed; Stoney Creek
-Stunning. Beautiful. Courageous. This powerfully sung ballad is about surviving the shame, overcoming the damage and rising above being a teenage rape victim. “That canyon in your chest is the little girl you lost.” and “There’s peace in saying something out loud.” And “It’s amazing where a broken heart can take you/That’s what’s gonna make you.” By sharing her truth, she has created a country-music masterpiece.

NOAH SCHNACKY/Feels Like Love
Writers: Matt Rogers/Schnacky/Ross Copperman; Producer: Dann Huff; Publisher: none listed; BMLG
-Disliked the quasi-spoken hip-hop verses. Loved the soaring choruses. Very upbeat, positive and summer-y sounding.

BILLY CURRINGTON/Seaside
Writers: Billy Currington/Jordan Schmidt/Steven Lee Olsen; Producer: Jordan Schmidt; Publisher: none listed; Mercury
– A melody would have been nice.

INGRID ANDRESS/Waste Of Lime
Writers: Ingrid Andress/Derrick Southerland/Sam Ellis/Shane McAnally; Producer: Andress/Sam Ellis; Publisher: none listed; Atlantic/Warner Nashville
-“The Stranger” remains the current single. But this kiss-off bopper has summertime verve, courtesy of some “Kokomo” style licks.

LUKE BRYAN/Build Me A Daddy
Writers: Brett Tyler Mikkelson/Jake Mitchell/Josh Thompson; Producer: Jeff Stevens/Jody Stevens; Publisher: Warner Chappell/Kobalt; Capitol Records Nashville
-Sung from a child’s point of view, this is for the millions of folks who grow up fatherless.

Recording Academy Extends Over 2,300 New Membership Invites

The Recording Academy has invited more than 2,300 music professionals from wide-ranging backgrounds, genres and disciplines to become members to help influence progressive changes within the music industry.

The 2020 class of invitees is 48% female, 21% African American/African descent, eight percent Hispanic, and three percent Asian American and Pacific Islander. The class representation also spans different ages, genres and regions. The Recording Academy’s current membership is 26 percent female and 25 percent from traditionally underrepresented communities.

“We are proud of the strides we’ve made toward ensuring our membership is diverse and inclusive, which is reflected within this new pool of invitees,” said Harvey Mason jr., Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “While this progress signifies meaningful impact, there’s still more work to be done. We’ll continue to fight to achieve inclusive representation across gender, race, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and beyond within our community. Furthermore, we’re excited to see how the contributions of the incoming new member class will help inspire meaningful change within the music industry.”

Convening virtually in April, the Recording Academy’s Peer Review Panel of music creators evaluated new member submissions considering criteria including craft, genre and overall diversity. The more than 2,300 new invitations were extended under the Academy’s community-driven and peer-reviewed membership model. Implemented in 2018 in an ongoing effort to build a more representative and relevant membership body, the annual member submission process entails two community-centered key elements: industry recommendations and peer review.

To celebrate the incoming new member class, GRAMMY.com Editor-In-Chief Justin Dwayne Joseph hosted a moderated discussion on June 24 titled “Your Academy: Welcoming The 2020 New Member Class.” Featuring new invitees and existing members, the conversation showcased a look into what it means to be a member of the Academy, the important initiatives worked on year-round, progress members hope to see within the Academy, and diversity and inclusion in the music industry at large. The roundtable debuted today on GRAMMY.com.

Darius Rucker’s ‘Darius & Friends’ St. Jude Benefit Concert Goes Virtual For 2020


Darius Rucker is holding his annual “Darius & Friends” benefit for St. Jude this year as a virtual event powered by LiveXLive on Thursday, July 30 at 7 p.m. CT. Rucker will be joined by Clint Black and Tracy Lawrence on the Grand Ole Opry stage for the concert, which Rucker will bring this year to fans as a pay-per-view live stream event available on LiveXLive.com/Darius and on LiveXLive’s app.

“Even though we can’t all get together for a normal concert right now, it’s important that we continue to support St. Jude and the amazing work that they do,” shares Rucker. “I hope we can bring a fun night of music to everyone watching from home while also raising money for this important cause.”

Tickets to the pay-per-view event start at $15 with VIP options offering limited-edition and signed posters priced at $50 and $100 respectively. All tiers go on sale tomorrow, July 10, at 10 a.m. CT. Now in its 11th year, the annual event has raised over $2 million to date. Rucker made a commitment to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2008, after touring the hospital and witnessing the work they do.

Rucker will also appear on NBC’s TODAY tomorrow (July 10), to discuss his upcoming “Live from the Drive-In” concert at Nissan Stadium as well as forthcoming new music.

Carson Jeffrey Inks With Red 11 Music


Carson Jeffrey has signed with Red 11 Music for booking.

A Texas native, Jeffrey spent much of his childhood in his hometown of Cat Spring and at his family’s ranch in southwest Texas. On the long and frequent road trips between the two family outposts, Jeffrey found early inspiration listening to the music of Cross Canadian Ragweed, Chris Knight and Ryan Bingham. After picking up his guitar in high school and penning his first songs, Jeffrey began to book a growing number of live shows while attending university at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.

“I came across Carson’s debut record not long after it was released last fall,” Red 11’s Geoff Turner says. “The storytelling in songs like ‘Ranch Girl Dream’ and ‘Pot in Huntsville’ was remarkable for such a young artist. I could quickly see that Carson was about to make his own unique mark in the Texas music scene. His rapid streaming growth on Spotify, even despite the COVID-19 touring freeze, is really showing just how much his music is already resonating with fans.”

Red 11’s Geoff Turner is Jeffrey’s responsible agent. Red 11 Music has offices in Nashville and Austin and is home to artists in the Texas country, red dirt, Americana and indie rock scenes including Cody Johnson, Turnpike Troubadours, Shooter Jennings, Old 97’s and Charley Crockett.

RaeLynn Sets ‘Baytown’ EP Release For August

RaeLynn is releasing a new song, “Me About Me,” from her forthcoming EP, BAYTOWN, set for release Aug. 14 on Round Here Records.

With its heavy-hearted vocals, “Me About Me” speaks to the pain of dealing with an unbalanced relationship. Penned by RaeLynn alongside Bob DiPiero and Jeff Garrison, the song was sparked from a heart-to-heart conversation with a close friend.

“We were talking about past relationships, and I told her about a situation with an ex where I knew everything about him, but he never asked me about me,” said RaeLynn. “It made me realize that I wasn’t alone, a lot of people have probably had the experience of a relationship being one-sided like that.”

“Me About Me” follows “Keep Up” and the free-spirited “Bra Off,” all of which are featured on Baytown. Taking its title from her Texas hometown, the EP channels RaeLynn’s force-of-nature energy into six songs that perfectly capture her spirit, gutsy confidence and unbridled joy. RaeLynn co-penned every song on the Corey Crowder-produced project.

RaeLynn’s BAYTOWN Track List:
1. “Keep Up” (Racheal Lynn Davis, Corey Crowder, Tyler Hubbard, Steven Lee Olsen)
2. “Still Smokin’” (Racheal Lynn Davis, Corey Crowder, J.R. Rotem)
3. “Fake Girl Town” (Racheal Lynn Davis, Cameron Montgomery, Daniel Ross, James McNair)
4. “Judgin’ To Jesus” (Racheal Lynn Davis, Brett James, Ferras Alqaisi, TJ Routon)
5. “Me About Me” (Racheal Lynn Davis, Bob DiPiero, Jeff Garrison)
6. “Bra Off” (Racheal Lynn Davis, Josh Kerr, Emily Weisband)

Country Radio Broadcasters Announces Board Of Directors For 2020-2021

The Country Radio Broadcasters have completed their elections for the organization’s 2020-2021 Board of Directors. Returning as CRB Board President is Kurt Johnson (Townsquare Media), elected as Vice President is John Shomby and returning as Secretary is Beverlee Brannigan.

Serving on this year’s Board of Directors are: Chuck Aly (Country Aircheck), Brannigan, Becky Brenner (Albright & O’Malley & Brenner Consulting), Johnny Chiang (KKBQ-FM), George Couri (Triple 8 Management), Andy Denemark (United Stations), Ryan Dokke (Play It Again Music), Mike Dungan (UMG Nashville),  Gator Harrison (iHeart), Debra Herman (Shazam/Apple), Steve Hodges (Sony Nashville), Clay Hunnicutt (Big Machine Records), Johnson (Townsquare Media), Dave Kelly (Big Machine Label Group), Jon Loba (BMG), Judy Lakin (Vista14), Mike McVay (McVay Media), Charlie Morgan (Apple Music), Rod Phillips (iHeartCountry), Tim Roberts (Entercom), Royce Risser (UMG Nashville), Bob Richards (Emmis Communications/WLHK), Brittany Schaffer (Spotify), Shomby, Lesly Simon (Pearl Records), Matt Sunshine (CFSS), Joel Raab (Joel Raab Country Radio/Media), Ryan Redington (Amazon Music), Paul Williams (Westwood One/Cumulus), and Kristen Williams (Warner). Charlie Monk continues as a Lifetime Director Emeritus.

CRB/CRS President Johnson stated, “I am proud to welcome the new board members and grateful to the board vets who continue on this year. This is a unique time for the country music industry. I can’t imagine a better group to help guide all of us toward the industry’s center point, Country Radio Seminar 2021. Looking forward to a great year.”

The CRS Board of Directors is made up of volunteer professionals from all areas of the country music industry. Together, they govern the organization and see that its mission is being fulfilled. Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. was created to provide a platform and structure for education and growth for the country music format, serving as the conduit connecting the interests of country radio with the country music industry.

ACM Awards Set 2021 Ceremony Date


CBS, the Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced Thursday (July 9) that the 56th annual Academy of Country Music Awards will broadcast live on Sunday, April 18, 2021 (live 8-11 p.m. ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and will stream live and on demand on CBS All Access.

In 2020, the 55th ACM Awards were postponed due to COVID-19 and will take place for the first time in Nashville, broadcasting from three locations including the Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium, and Bluebird Cafe. Hosted by current ACM Entertainer of the Year Keith Urban, the 55th ACM Awards are set for Sept. 16, to air on CBS Television Network and available to stream on demand on CBS All Access.

Additional details about the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards, including the 2021 ACM Awards host and performers, location, ticket on-sale dates, hotel information, and more, will be announced in the coming months.

Eric Wong Named President & CMO At Warner Recorded Music

Eric Wong.

Eric Wong has been named President & Chief Marketing Officer at Warner Recorded Music, effective Aug. 17. Wong, who is currently Chief Operating Officer of Island Records, will continue to be based in New York and will report to Max Lousada, Warner Music Group’s Global CEO of Recorded Music.

In this first of its kind post at Warner, Wong will serve as the head of worldwide marketing. A key member of Warner Recorded Music’s senior leadership team, he will work closely with the company’s labels around the world to create and drive comprehensive marketing strategies, as well as overseeing Warner’s international A&R.

Eric Wong reunites with Warner Music following nearly 10 years at Universal Music Group. He initially served as EVP of Marketing for Island Def Jam Music Group, executing strategies for Kanye West, Rihanna, Avicii, Fall Out Boy, The Killers, Bon Jovi, and others. His responsibilities were expanded to overseeing the label group’s marketing, digital, creative, artist development, video promotion, and video production departments.

Wong first joined IDJ in 1999 after graduating from New York University. In 2006, he was named to the dual posts of Chief Marketing Officer at Bad Boy Entertainment and SVP, Marketing at Atlantic Records, working closely with Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jay-Z, Janelle Monaé, and others. Before returning to IDJ in 2011, he founded Wong Management in 2009, with a roster that included Mariah Carey.

Wong was named EVP/General Manager of Island Records in 2014, and in 2018, he was promoted to Island’s COO, heading operations, strategy, and marketing for the label’s entire roster, including superstars such as Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Elton John, and Jessie Reyez. Wong was named to Billboard’s prestigious Power List in both 2019 and 2020.

“If you want to propel the global conversation around artists, you need to be able to cut through the noise with the intensity, fluidity, and creativity needed to produce superstars,” said Lousada. “I’ve known Eric since he was with Atlantic over a decade ago. He’s a bold, inventive marketer with a true fan’s sensibility, and he’s been behind a string of disruptive campaigns that have launched global careers. He’ll have a worldwide remit to drive our one-company philosophy as we grow our artist development capabilities and expand our ability to make great talent impossible to ignore.”

“Max and his team have a visionary view of how artist development should work in the streaming age,” said Eric Wong. “The Warner global roster, from local talent to international superstars, is incredible, and I’m excited to work with everyone in the U.S., UK, and around the world to create the most inventive, impactful campaigns to break and sustain artists’ careers. I want to thank Max for this fantastic new opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working closely with Jessica Keeley-Carter and the global team.”

CMA Foundation Helps Teachers Via Unified Voices For Music Education Initiative


The CMA Foundation is helping music teachers to connect and share resources with the launch of the online collective Unified Voices for Music Education.

The new initiative will help teachers to provide resources through focus groups, lesson plans and other ideas to use as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CMA Foundation is hosting and offering the resources, while teachers guide and implement the collective.

“The future of music education will look very different as we approach this upcoming school year,” states Tiffany Kerns, CMA Foundation Executive Director. “At the CMA Foundation we work to support music teachers from across the country by providing valuable resources that can help advance their careers and classrooms. Unified Voices for Music Education is our way of bringing educators together through a teacher-led forum where they can share, create and collaborate to better help their students during this time.”

The CMA Foundation is currently seeking music education professionals to submit future teaching practices for UVfME, which will help provide meaningful instruction and lesson plans for music teachers as they resume classes in the fall. These plans will be shared broadly with CMA Foundation grantees, education partners and the UVfME collective during the summer months. An example of a future teaching practice can be found here.

To submit a future teaching practice and/or receive details throughout the program about lesson plans, concepts and online meetings, educators can sign up to join the collective by visiting CMAfoundation.org/voicesformusiced. Submissions are due July 20.