SOURCE Supports Second Harvest Food Bank

Members of SOURCE–an organization of women executives in Nashville’s music industry–spent Thursday evening, Oct. 15, preparing food boxes at Second Harvest Food Bank in Nashville to be distributed to those in need. The two-hour project resulted in 1,800 meals.

Pictured (L-R): Stacee McRea, and SOURCE Members Kari Barnhart, Karen Clark, Erika Wollam-Nichols, Denise Nichols, Leann Bennett, and Liz Morin.

Registration Open For Touring Career Workshop

This year’s Touring Career Workshop will take place on Nov. 11 at Soundcheck Nashville at 6 p.m. and registration is open now. The 2015 event will feature panels by touring industry heavyweights Pete Healey (production manager and co-designer for Luke Bryan’s “That’s My Kinda Night” tour), Mark Miles (promoter rep for Miranda Lambert), Carolyn Snell (tour manager for Reba), Sooner Routhier (production designer for Motley Crue, KISS, and Justin Moore) and more. Topics will include setting up a business, touring and health insurance options, social media and touring, and legal protection. To register, visit touringcareerworkshop.com

“Our lineup of sessions and speakers this year is probably the strongest that we have ever had,” says TCW co-founder Chris Lisle. “We are super excited at the content of this year’s program.”

Every year, the Touring Career Workshop benefits a local non-profit and this year TCW is partnering with Make-A-Wish® Middle Tennessee. TCW will be collecting donations and recruiting wish granters at this year’s event.

“The people that attend our workshop are known for their giving spirit, and we can think of no better non-profit to partner with that Make-A-Wish,” adds Lisle. “We very much look forward to partnering with them this year.”
 

Carrie Underwood Will Guest Host CMT Hot 20 Countdown

Cody Alan recently chatted with Carrie Underwood on location during her CMT Instant Jam show in Atlanta. Kicking off on Saturday (Oct. 24), Underwood will guest host CMT Hot 20 Countdown and the network will air encore performances of CMT Crossroads: Steven Tyler & Carrie Underwood and CMT Instant Jam. She will also be featured on CMT Radio platforms including CMT After MidNite with Cody Alan, CMT Radio Live with Cody Alan and CMT All Access. Underwood’s new album, Storyteller, will be released on Friday.

Pictured (L-R): Cody Alan, Carrie Underwood

YouTube will launch its membership service, YouTube Red, on Oct. 28. The service offers users video access without advertisements across all of YouTube, and also allows users to save videos to watch offline via phone or tablet, as well as the ability to play videos in the background.

The service will be available for $9.99 per month. YouTube Red works with Google Play Music, allowing users to subscribe to one and automatically get access to the other.

Additionally, YouTube will launch member-only access to new shows and movies, via YouTube Originals. A list of Originals content is available on YouTube’s official blog.

The content will be available on multiple devices and apps, including a new YouTube Music App that will be available soon.

Beginning Oct. 28, U.S. viewers can try YouTube Red free via a one-month trial.

Dixie Hall

Dixie Hall will be honored during the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s ninth annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum, slated for Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m.

The event will take place in the CMHoF’s Ford Theater.

Hall, who died on Jan. 16, 2015, was a songwriter, record label owner, publisher, and music journalist. An IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award honoree, Hall is the most-recorded female songwriter in bluegrass history. Additionally, she was creative partner to her husband of 46 years, Country Music Hall of Fame member Tom T. Hall. Dixie also spearheaded the “Daughters of Bluegrass” projects, which highlighted the contributions of female performers and songwriters to the bluegrass genre.

The Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum will include interviews with colleagues, and live performances of songs penned by Hall. Those in attendance will include Sierra Hull, Rita Forrester (granddaughter of A.P. and Sara Carter), Carl Jackson, Chris Jones, Heather Berry-Mabe, and more.

Previous honorees are Denise Stiff, Liz Thiels, Mary Martin, Bonnie Garner, Sarah Trahern, Nancy Shapiro, Kay Clary, and Jo Walker-Meador.

The program is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Reservations can be made by emailing eventrsvp@countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling 615-416-2040. For more information about the event, visit countrymusichalloffame.org.

Pictured (L-R) Aly Beaird (Director of Creative Services, Dickson County Craig Morgan Foundation), Kris Blount (Child Advocacy Center), Craig Morgan

Craig Morgan Supports His Hometown

Craig Morgan hosted his ninth annual charity event over the weekend, with proceeds benefiting the Dickson County Craig Morgan Foundation. The festivities kicked off Saturday (Oct. 17) with a golf tournament at Greystone Golf Course, with Halfway to Hazard’s David Tolliver and former Buffalo Bills defensive end Chris Kelsay hitting the green with Morgan.

Singers Casi Joy, Janelle Arthur, Adam Sanders and Halfway to Hazard played the family-friendly festival before Morgan played a 70-minute full-band set for the crowd at Dickson’s War Memorial Lawn. During his set, Craig recognized the Child Advocacy Center’s Kris Blount with a $5,000 donation to support their work, serving at risk, abused and neglected children and their families.

Reba Delivers on NBC’s Best Night Ever…

Reba on Best Night Ever With Neil Patrick Harris

Reba appeared as the guest announcer on Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris last night (Oct. 20) on NBC.

She provided commentary through the show and introduced segments featuring actors Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jane Krakowksi.

She also sang a few lines of Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” in a choreographed saloon brawl. 

Restless Heart Enters Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame

Restless Heart’s Greg Jennings speaks on behalf of the band as Paul Gregg, Larry Stewart and Dave Innis look on

Restless Heart was formally inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee on Oct. 16.  They personally accepted the honor and performed at the event. This year’s inductees also included Tim DuBois, who wrote hits like “The Bluest Eyes in Texas” and helped put the band together, and Scott Hendricks, who produced the band’s music in the 1980s. Restless Heart’s Paul Gregg, Dave Innis and Greg Jennings are all Oklahoma natives.

“One of the coolest things that has ever happened to the band… especially for Greg, Dave and I,” says Paul Gregg.  “Very happy, very proud and very humble all around.”

Charlie Daniels Turns Birthday Bash Into Military Benefit

Charlie Daniels is selling tickets to his 79^th birthday bash, with proceeds benefiting The Journey Home Project.

Daniels co-founded the non-profit organization to assist veterans and their families in meeting their financial, educational and healthcare needs as they make their integration back into civilian life.

Chris Young and newcomer Ryan Weaver are scheduled to perform at the event.

To purchase tickets, contact Paige Dixon at (615) 742-3193 or pdixon@thepalm.com

Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Prepare Gospel Album

Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers will celebrate their 60 years of singing together with a new album, The Gospel According to Gatlin.

Scheduled for a Nov. 6 release on Curb Records, it’s the trio’s first new album in seven years. The 11-song set, which was produced by the Gatlins, includes new gospel songs written or co-written by Larry Gatlin. Guests include Charlie Daniels and Gaither Vocal Band.

In addition, Larry Gatlin and Billy Dean co-wrote the album’s closing track, “An American With a Remington.”

Some of Nashville’s ace songwriters will head to a warmer climate this December for the first-ever BMI Maui Songwriters Festival, set for Dec. 8-13.

The BMI Maui Songwriters Festival’s premium-grade lineup includes Grammy-winning star Kacey Musgraves and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame members Bob DiPiero (Reba McEntire’s “Little Rock,” George Strait’s “Blue Clear Sky”) and Jeffrey Steele (Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most,” Tim McGraw’s “The Cowboy in Me”).

Other confirmed performers include BMI Country Songwriters of the Year Rhett Akins (Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee,” Jason Aldean’s “When She Says Baby”) and Rodney Clawson (Kenny Chesney’s “American Kids,” George Strait’s “I Saw God Today”); chart-topping writers Nicolle Galyon (Miranda Lambert’s “Automatic,” Keith Urban’s “We Were Us”) and Brandon Kinney (Randy Houser’s “Boots On,” Lonestar’s “You’re Like Coming Home”); revered ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro; Emmy-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Maggie Rose; songwriting supergroup Loving Mary; acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Mark Johnstone; newcomers Kimberly June and Greylan James; and Maui-based favorite Lily Meola.

Storme Warren will host the festival.

The festival will fuel several causes, including Dorvin and Betty Leis Charities, Inc., which supports local Maui difference-makers including the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, University of Hawaii Maui College, Hospice Maui, Maui Family YMCA, Women Helping Women, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and the Salvation Army; and the BMI Foundation, dedicated to encouraging the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, grants, and commissions.