Keith Urban’s RipCORD World Tour 2016 To Hit Nashville in November

/by

Keith Urban Ripcord Tour

Keith Urban will embark on his first arena/amphitheater tour in two years with the RipCORD World Tour 2016, slated to launch on June 2 in Kansas City, Missouri. The tour will stop in more than 50 cities, with additional legs to be announced soon.

The trek will feature Brett Eldredge, along with Maren Morris, and includes a stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 11.

The RipCORD World Tour 2016 will feature performances of tunes from Urban’s upcoming eighth studio album, RipCORD, which will feature his No. 1 song, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” and the album’s second single, “Break On Me.”

“I’m seriously chomping at the bit to kick off this tour,” said Urban. “We’ll be playing a lot of new music from RipCORD, all new production, new cities where we’ve never played …and Brett Eldredge and Maren Morris? It’s gonna be potent and unbridled!!!”

“I was a Keith Urban fan long before I ever got this music thing going,” said Eldredge. “He is an absolute powerhouse on stage–unlike anyone I’ve ever seen and to top it all off, one of the most down-to-earth people I know! The RipCORD tour is gonna be on fire! Get ready!”

“When I was asked to join Keith on tour, I was floored,” said Morris. “I’ve personally been a fan of his for as long as I can remember. This is my first tour at this level, and I can’t think of a more respected writer, artist, and musician to join for it. It’s going to be an absolute blast!”

Keith Urban’s RipCORD World Tour 2016 dates are below:

June 2: Kansas City, MO; Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
June 3: St. Louis, MO; Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 4: Indianapolis, IN; Klipsch Music Center
June 10: Myrtle Beach, SC; Carolina Country Music Fest
June 11: Alpharetta, GA (Atlanta); Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park
June 16: Orange Beach, AL; The Wharf Amphitheater
June 17: Tampa, FL; MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
June 18: West Palm Beach, FL; Perfect Vodka Amphitheater
June 23: Clarkston, MI (Detroit); DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 24: Canandaigua, NY; Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center
June 25: Mansfield, MA (Boston); Xfinity Center

July 2: Gilford, NH; Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion at Meadowbrook
July 9: Toronto, ON; Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
July 14: Cincinnati, OH; Riverbend Music Center
July 15: Cleveland, OH; Blossom Music Center
July 16: Holmdel, NJ; P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
July 21: Salt Lake City, UT; USANA Amphitheatre
July 22: Greenwood Village, CO; Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
July 23: Albuquerque, NM; Isleta Amphitheater
July 28: Mountain View, CA; Shoreline Amphitheatre
July 29: Lake Tahoe, NV; Lake Tahoe at Harvey’s Outdoor Amphitheatre

Aug. 18: Charlotte, NC; PNC Music Pavilion
Aug. 19: Raleigh, NC; Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
Aug. 20: Virginia Beach, VA; Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
Aug. 25: Syracuse, NY; Lakeview Amphitheater
Aug. 26: Philadelphia, PA; BB&T Pavilion
Aug. 27: Washington, DC; Jiffy Lube Live

Oct. 6: Bismarck, ND; Bismarck Civic Center
Oct. 8: Lincoln, NE ;Pinnacle Bank Arena
Oct. 13: San Antonio, TX; AT&T Center
Oct. 14: Dallas, TX; American Airlines Center
Oct. 15: New Orleans, LA; Smoothie King Center
Oct. 20: Los Angeles, CA; Staples Center
Oct. 21: Las Vegas, NV; T-Mobile Arena
Oct. 22: Phoenix, AZ; Talking Stick Resort Arena
Oct. 27: Grand Rapids, MI; Van Andel Arena
Oct. 28: Rosemont, IL (Chicago); Allstate Arena
Oct. 29: Toledo, OH; Huntington Center

Nov. 4: Milwaukee, WI; BMO Harris Bradley Center
Nov. 5: Minneapolis, MN; Target Center
Nov. 11: Nashville, TN; Bridgestone Arena
Nov. 12: Bloomington, IL; U.S. Cellular Coliseum
Nov. 13: Youngstown, OH; The Covelli Centre
Nov. 17: Hershey, PA; Giant Center
Nov. 18: Uncasville, CT; Mohegan Sun Arena
Nov. 19: Brooklyn, NY; Barclays Center

Musicians On Call Promotes Katy Epley to EVP

/by

Katy-Epley_web

Katy Epley has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Musicians On Call after nearly 10 years with the organization.

Epley helped bring Musicians On Call, a nonprofit that brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities, to Nashville and facilitated local visits by artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Imagine Dragons, Charles Esten, Darius Rucker, Kelsea Ballerini, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes and more.

To date, Musicians On Call has played for 100,000 patients, families and caregivers in Nashville and close to 500,000 nationwide. Epley previously served as the Vice President of Music Programs, Director of Nashville Programs, and Director of Washington D.C. Programs.

“Katy has been the backbone of Musicians On Call for years,” said Pete Griffin, President of Musicians On Call. “In this position Katy will be able to use her years of experience to further advance the mission of MOC around the country, and soon, around the world. I’m personally grateful for Katy’s leadership and am excited to see how the organization grows as she settles into her new role.”

Oh Boy Records Announces New Leadership

/by
John Prine

John Prine

John Prine has taken over sole ownership of his independent record label, Oh Boy Records. He assumes the role of President after the passing of his longtime business partner and manager, Al Bunetta, in March 2015.

Prine has appointed his son, Jody Whelan, as Director of Operations. Whelan will oversee all day-today operations for the label as well as directing all future partnerships and collaborations. He can be reached at jody@ohboy.com.

Eileen Tilson has been named as Director of Marketing. She can be reached at eileen@ohboy.com.

John Prine’s wife, Fiona Whelan Prine, is a managing partner in the business.

“I feel really great about Oh Boy Records being a family-run business and I’m excited about this new phase for all of us,” Mr. Prine said.

Pictured (L-R): Jody Whelan. Eileen Tilson.

Pictured (L-R): Jody Whelan. Eileen Tilson.

“We’re all very excited to continue and grow the legacy of Oh Boy Records—one of Nashville’s most iconic independent labels,” Mr. Whelan said.

Founded in 1981 by Prine and Bunetta, the label became a successful independent label under the the direction of Bunetta and his then-partner, Dan Einstein. Oh Boy Records has released more than 40 audio and video recordings by Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Donnie Fritts, Slick Ballinger, Shawn Camp, Dan Reeder and Todd Snider, along with a dozen reissues of classic country music artists.

With a career spanning more than 40 years, Prine continues to perform at sold-out shows all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He returns to the Ryman Auditorium in March for two sold-out shows, and is currently in pre-production for a recording project due in 2016.

During his time with Oh Boy, Prine collected Grammys in the Best Contemporary Folk Album for 1991’s The Missing Years and 2005’s Fair & Square.

Randy Houser Plans 17-Track Album Featuring Top Songwriters

/by

Randy-Houser-Fired-Up

Randy Houser has planned his sophomore Stoney Creek Records album, Fired Up, to be released Friday, March 11.

Houser’s fourth studio album will include 17 tracks, produced by Derek George. Houser co-wrote four tracks on the album, which also features A-list Nashville writers including Chris Stapleton, Chris Janson, Trevor Rosen, Jeffrey Steele, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Craig Wiseman, Tony Martin, and Ashley Gorley.

“I’m very excited to finally get some new music out there,” said Houser. “Three years is a bit longer than I expected in between How Country Feels and this record, and so much has happened in that time. I wrote a handful of songs on Fired Up, but there are songs like ‘A Little Bit Older’ that I knew I had to record the moment I heard them.”

Full track listing for Fired Up:

1. “Back” (Jeffrey Steele, Bridgette Tatum)
2. “We Went” (Justin Wilson, Matt Rogers, John King)
3. “Chasing Down a Good Time” (Randy Houser, Steele, Anthony Smith)
4. “Senior Year” (Houser, Rob Hatch)
5. “Mine Tonight” (Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip)
6. “Lucky Me” (Houser, Davidson, Craig Wiseman)
7. “Song Number 7” (Wilson, Hayslip, Chris Janson)
8. “Before Midnight” (Houser, Shane Minor, Derek George)
9. “True” (Houser, Rob Hatch)
10. “Yesterday’s Whiskey” (Brice Long, Kylie Sackley)
11. “Fired Up” (Hatch, Davidson)
12. “A Little Bit Older” (Neil Thrasher, Michael Dulaney, Tony Martin)
13. “Gotta Get You Home” (Davidson, Ashley Gorley, Kelley Lovelace)
14. “Hot Beer and Cold Women” (Brett Warren, Brad Warren, Travis Meadows)
15. “Same Ole Saturday Night” (Davidson, Hayslip, Martin Johnson)
16. “One Way” (Chris Stapleton, Lee Miller)
17. “Whiskeysippi River” (Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins, Trevor Rosen)

Don Williams Announces Tour Dates For 2016

/by
Don Williams

Don Williams

Country Music Hall of Famer and CMA/ACM award winner Don Williams has announced a tour of 21 venues across the country.

His 75-minute sets will include hits such as “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” “Tulsa Time,” “Back in my Younger Days,” “Louisiana Saturday Night,” “You’re My Best Friend,” “Come Early Morning,” “Lord, I Hope This Day is Good,” “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend” and many more.

DON WILLIAMS ON TOUR

Feb. 17 Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, Florida.
Feb. 18 Pensacola Saenger Theatre – Pensacola, Florida
Feb. 19 Tivoli Theatre – Chattanooga, Tennessee
Feb. 20 Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, Tennessee
Feb. 23 Harvester Performance Center – Rocky Mount, Virginia
Feb. 24 The Beacon Theatre – Hopewell, Virginia
Feb. 25 Mountain Arts Center – Prestonsburg, Kentucky
Feb. 26 Peace Concert Hall – Greenville, South Carolina
Feb. 27 Lyric Fine Arts Theatre – Birmingham, Alabama
March 10 The Joint At Hard Rock & Hotel – Tulsa, Oklahoma
March 11 Walton Arts Center – Fayetteville, Arkansas
March 12 Baton Rouge River Center Theater – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
March 15 Hudiburg Center – Rose State College, Midwest City, Oklahoma
March 16 Gillioz Theatre – Springfield, Missouri
March 18 Golden Nugget – Grand Event Center – Lake Charles, Louisiana
March 19 IP Casino Resort – Studio A, Biloxi, Mississippi
April 6 American Music Theater – Lancaster, Pennsylvania
April 8 Renfro Valley Entertainment Center – Renfro Valley, Kentucky
April 9 Renfro Valley Entertainment Center – Renfro Valley, Kentucky
April 12 Liberty Hall – Lawrence, Kansas
April 14 The Arcada Theatre – St Charles, Kansas
April 16 Little River Casino Resort – Manistee, Michigan

Weekly Register: Chris Stapleton Remains No. 1 On Country Albums Chart

/by

Chris Stapleton Traveller

Two months after winning big at the CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton is still going strong. He remains at No. 1 on this week’s country albums chart with Traveller. With 33K sold this week, his overall figures jump to 718K.

The remaining Top 5 albums on the country chart are Luke Bryan’s Kill the Lights (14K), Sam Hunt’s Montevallo (10.5K), Carrie Underwood’s Storyteller (9K), and Thomas Rhett’s Tangled Up (7.5K).

Thomas Rhett

Thomas Rhett

Rhett’s “Die a Happy Man” has enjoyed a sturdy run atop the country digital sales chart. He sold 60K singles last week, landing at No. 13 on the overall chart and surpassing the 883K mark. That’s followed by Hunt’s “Break Up in a Small Town” (44K), Cam’s “Burning House” (35K) and Luke Bryan and Karen Fairchild’s “Home Alone Tonight” (29K). Stapleton rounds out the Top 5 with “Tennessee Whiskey” (23K).

Adele 25

Adele’s 25 holds steady at No. 1 on the overall chart with 164K albums sold, with total activity (including song sales and streams) of 194K. She has sold more than 7 million copies of the album in the United States and an estimated 15 million worldwide.

Round Hill Music, Baby Needs New Shoes Ink Co-Pub Deal with Jimmy Robbins

/by
Seated: Josh Saxe, Associate Director, A&R, Round Hill Music; LeAnn Phelan, Sea Gayle Management; Jimmy Robbins; Mark Brown, VP/GM, Nashville, Round Hill Music. Standing: Jordan Keller, attorney; Matthew Beckett, attorney.

Seated (L-R): Josh Saxe, Associate Director, A&R, Round Hill Music; LeAnn Phelan, Sea Gayle Management; Jimmy Robbins; Mark Brown, VP/GM, Nashville, Round Hill Music.
Standing: Jordan Keller, attorney; Matthew Beckett, attorney.

Round Hill Music and Baby Needs New Shoes have entered into a co-publishing agreement with songwriter/producer Jimmy Robbins. In addition, Round Hill Music acquired a portion of Jimmy Robbins’ existing catalogue of songs from Baby Needs New Shoes. Singer-songwriter Keith Urban is a partner in publishing outfit Baby Needs New Shoes.

With over one hundred cuts in just over three years, Robbins has notched five No. 1 songs, including Blake Shelton’s “Sure Be Cool If You Did,” “It Goes Like This” from Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban/Miranda Lambert’s duet “We Were Us,” “Whatever She’s Got” by David Nail, and “Beachin’” by Jake Owen.​ Robbins currently has a top ten on the country charts with Tim McGraw’s “Top of the World,” and most recently celebrated a No. 2 single with Chase Rice’s song “Gonna Wanna Tonight.”

“It is a real privilege to be able to work with a writer like Jimmy Robbins,” said Round Hill Music VP/GM Mark Brown. “Jimmy has a rare combination of abilities that make him so exceedingly talented. We welcome our new partners Joe Fisher and Keith Urban to the RHM family as well. We at Round Hill couldn’t be more excited about this collaboration.”

Robbins is a 2014 ASCAP Song of the Year award winner for “It Goes Like This” as the most performed song of 2014. He earned a 2014 CMA Triple Play award and was 2014 ASCAP Breakout Writer as one of 10 writers worldwide to be recognized.

​Robbins received the special honor of being the sole opening act for President Barack Obama at the 2015 National League of Cities Convention in Washington D.C.

As a co-producer, Robbins earned a No. 1 with Canaan Smith’s “Love You Like That.” He also has co-production credits on Big Machine’s RaeLynn, as well as Thomas Rhett. Robbins is currently in the studio working with Valory Music Co. artist Levi Hummon.

Seated (L-R): Keith Urban, Baby Needs New Shoes, LLC; Joe Fisher, Baby Needs New Shoes; Mark Brown, VP & GM, Nashville, Round Hill Music. Standing: Mike Milom, attorney, Baby Needs New Shoes; Matthew Beckett, attorney, Round Hill Music

Seated (L-R): Keith Urban, Baby Needs New Shoes, LLC; Joe Fisher, Baby Needs New Shoes; Mark Brown, VP & GM, Nashville, Round Hill Music. Standing: Mike Milom, attorney, Baby Needs New Shoes; Matthew Beckett, attorney, Round Hill Music

LifeNotes: Hit Writer And Singer Troy Shondell Passes

/by
Troy Shondell

Troy Shondell

Pop-country performer and former Music Row song publisher Troy Shondell has died at age 76.

Best known for his 1961 torchy teen ballad “This Time (We’re Really Breaking Up),” Shondell passed away on Jan. 7 at a nursing facility in Picayune, Mississippi. The Associated Press reports that he died of complications related to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The singer was born Gary Wayne Schelton and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His father was a professional musician. Shondell was playing trumpet by age 4 and eventually became proficient on piano, organ and saxophone, as well.

He began writing songs at age 14. One of his early tunes, “A Prayer and a Juke Box” was a pop single by Little Anthony & The Imperials in 1959. At his peak, Troy Shondell was said to have written 400 songs a year.

His recording career began in 1958 with “My Hero,” released as by “Gary Shelton.” Singles such as “The Trance” and “Goodbye Little Darlin’” ensued under his better-known billing. He had a regional hit in the Midwest with the rockabilly tune “Kissin’ at the Drive-In” in 1960.

Written by Chips Moman, “This Time (We’re Really Breaking Up)” was a 1961 hit in both the U.S. and the U.K. and sold a million copies.

Shondell’s follow-up pop singles in 1961-62 included “Tears From an Angel,” written by Jackie DeShannon, his self-penned “Island in the Sky” and the Phil Spector-produced “Na-Ne-No.” His final pop single of note was 1969’s “Let’s Go All the Way.”

Shondell wrote “Still Loving You” in the wake of his father’s premature 1960 death from a heart attack. The song was recorded by country star Bob Luman and became a Top 10 country hit in 1973, earning Troy Shondell a BMI Award.

By then, the singer-songwriter had moved to Nashville and switched to country music. He signed with Acuff-Rose, then formed his own song publishing company. His debut Nashville single was 1969’s “Something’s Wrong in Indiana.” Also in 1969, he was hired as an assistant regional director in the Nashville office of ASCAP.

Returning to recording, he released the self-produced LP An Ordinary Man in 1978. Shondell made the country charts with his own version of “Still Loving You” (1979), plus John Sebastian’s “(Sittin’ Here) Lovin’ You” (1980) and his own “(I’m Looking For Some) New Blue Jeans” (1988).

In 1992, his song “The Wall” was chosen to represent the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. and was featured on Good Morning America.

In recent years, Troy Shondell had toured on the oldies circuit. In 2001, he formed a nostalgia package show with his peers Jimmy Clanton, Ronnie Dove and Ray Peterson, billed as The Masters of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Dierks Bentley Prepping Eighth Studio Album, ‘Black’

/by

black

Dierks Bentley aims to dig even deeper on his upcoming eighth album, Black, set for release in early 2016.

“It’s a relationship album,” says Bentley. “And to do it right, I had to dig deep as a writer, dig into the Nashville songwriting community, and record songs that explore the shadows and edges of the heart. The songs on Black range from the lonesomeness of an impossible relationship to ones that describe the feeling of finding that person that makes you forget the one that broke your heart.”

The album reunites the production team from his 2014 project, Riser, including producer Ross Copperman and executive producer Arturo Buenahora Jr. The lead single is set to release in the coming weeks.

“There’s a realness to the concept, the songs, the process and the production,” says Bentley. “And the title…Black is mysterious and sexy and has an edge that describes the sounds we were going for. A lot of it happens after dark, in the black of night. It’s personal too…Black is my wife’s maiden name.”

Today (Jan. 11) at 6:30 p.m. CT, Bentley will host a Twitter chat with fans who can participate by following @DierksBentley. For more information on upcoming events and new music, visit dierks.com.

Last week, it was announced that the singer/songwriter’s chain of country bars, Whiskey Row, will launch a Nashville outpost next year.

Watch a teaser video for Black below.

YouTube video

RodeoHouston Reveals 2016 Lineup

/by

Houston Rodeo logo

Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney are among the confirmed headliners for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March.

The Band Perry will be the first performer of the annual concert series, which will launch on March 1. Keith Urban’s set will wrap the series on March 20. Other country artists on the lineup include Billy Currington, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Cole Swindell, and Chris Young.

Tickets go on sale Saturday (Jan. 16) at 10 a.m. Rodeo ticket prices range from $10 to $86, plus applicable fees. Season ticket options start as low as $336 per seat, plus handling.

“The variety in this year’s entertainer lineup makes it one of the most exciting in RodeoHouston history! These stars, as a group, have won everything from Teen Choice and Latin Grammy awards to all of the country music honors,” said Joel Cowley, president and CEO of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. “And with our family friendly ticket pricing, our fans can enjoy the full spectrum of entertainment at our legendary event.”

unnamed (1) copy

The RodeoHouston Lineup is below:

March 1: The Band Perry
March 2: Chris Young
March 3: Jason Aldean
March 4: Jason Derulo
March 5: Cole Swindell
March 6: Shawn Mendes
March 7: Miranda Lambert
March 8: Pitbull
March 9: Brett Eldredge
March 10: Luke Bryan
March 11: Darius Rucker
March 12: Billy Currington
March 13: Los Huracanes Del Norte/Banda Los Recoditos
March 14: Kenny Chesney
March 15: Kid Rock
March 16: Jake Owen
March 17: Florida Georgia Line
March 18: Little Big Town
March 19: Brad Paisley
March 20: Keith Urban