Charity Events: Jeffrey Steele & Friends Concert

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Jeffrey_Steele

Jeffrey Steele

Jeffrey Steele & Friends Benefit Concert

Jeffrey Steele will host the 8th annual Jeffrey Steele & Friends benefit concert on March 10 at the Franklin Theatre in downtown Franklin. Performers will include Steele, Delbert McClinton, Chris Janson, LoCash, Alyssa Bonagura, Alissa Moreno, Adam James, The Shuggah Pies, and more.

The evening will also include a live auction. Only VIP tickets are still available for this event. For tickets visit franklintheatre.com.

The fundraiser benefits the Alex Le’Vasseur Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The fund supports programs and projects for overlooked youth in Middle Tennessee.

julianne drenon1

Julianne Drenon

Benefit for Julianne and Tom Drenon

A benefit concert will be held Monday, Feb. 23, beginning at 7 p.m. at Tin Roof Nashville, to benefit Julianne and Tom Drenon, and their five-year-old daughter Charlese, who recently lost their home to a fire.

No Veteran Left Behind Concert

Montgomery Gentry 2014The 7th annual No Veteran Left Behind benefit concert, hosted by We Are Building Lives, will feature headliners Montgomery Gentry on March 29. The event will be held at Showtime Motorsports in Franklin, Tenn., beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Individual tickets are $125 per person. Tables are $1000. For tickets, visit wearebuildinglives.org.

The organization has achieved success over the past six years thanks to the support of artists including Three Doors Down, Teddy Gentry, Marty Stuart, Keni Thomas, Big Kenny, and Eric Lee Beddingfield, among many others.

Bluebird in the Boro

bluebirdBluebird in the Boro returns on March 2-4, 2015. The event will unite a dozen hit songwriters to support non-profit organization Alive Hospice. The 2nd annual Bluebird in the Boro will be held at Mayday Brewery, and will be presented by Reeves-Sain and St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital. Songwriters set to appear include Murfreesboro’s own Tim James and Dan Couch, as well as songwriters Marshall Altman, Dylan Altman, Jeff Cohen, Kendell Marvell, Marla Cannon, James Slater, Caitlyn Smith, Phil Barton, Matt Warren, and Phil O’Donnell.

Tickets are $100 and will include dinner from Five Senses restaurant in Murfreesboro.

Each evening concert will begin at 6 p.m. For more information, visit alivehospice.org.

Hirings and Promotions: Goldenvoice, New Heartland Group

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image001Goldenvoice, producers of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Stagecoach Country Music Festival, have promoted Stacy Vee to Festival Talent Buyer, where she will oversee all booking and talent buying for both Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, Calif., and Big Barrel Country Music Festival in Dover, Del.

“It is exciting to see this happen for Stacy,” said Paul Tollett, President and CEO of Goldenvoice. “Her appreciation for all the different types of country music, combined with the relationships she’s established in Nashville, made this role a natural fit for her.”

Vee will continue to support Tollett on day-to-day activities related to booking all other festival talent buying opportunities and managing the experience of agents, managers and musicians that do business with Goldenvoice.

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New Heartland Group logoNew Heartland Group, a branding agency in Brentwood, Tenn., has added Jordan Harrison as Account Executive, and Kelly Dean as Account Coordinator.

Harrison joins from Girlilla Marketing, where Jordan was a Sr. Account Manager. Dean joins New Heartland Group as a recent graduate of Lipscomb University.

New Heartland Group’s recent branded entertainment partnerships include Blake Shelton with Pizza Hut, and Dierks Bentley with Mountain Dew.

Weekly Register: Blackberry Smoke Debuts At No. 1

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Blackberry Smoke

Blackberry Smoke

Blackberry Smoke grabbed the No. 1 spot on the country album chart selling 19K of Holding All The Roses. This is the band’s fourth studio album and its first for Rounder.

Other country album debuts include Robert Earl Keen (6.7K) and Love & Theft (2.9K).

Miranda Lambert’s “Little Red Wagon” rode in to the No. 2 country tracks spot, snagging a 105 percent bump thanks in part to her performance of the song on the Grammy Awards.

Drake surprised fans with a digital-only release, which debuted at No. 1 overall with total consumption of 535K (495K album sales). The Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack came in at No. 2, with total consumption of 258K (210K albums).

Top 5 Country Albums this week
Blackberry Smoke, 19K
Sam Hunt, 17K
Jason Aldean, 14K
Florida Georgia Line, 11K
Miranda Lambert, 11K

Top 5 Country Tracks this week
Sam Hunt “Take Your Time” 52K
Miranda Lambert “Little Red Wagon” 31K
Thomas Rhett “Make Me Wanna” 28K
Blake Shelton ft. Ashley Monroe “Lonely Tonight” 27K
Zac Brown Band “Homegrown” 26K

YTD Albums
Overall +.2%
Country -8.5%

YTD Tracks
Overall -11.6%
Country -18.1%

 

SoundExchange Adds Two to VP Roles

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Eilsen and Petersen

Mark Eisenberg and Jacqueline Petersen

SoundExchange has expanded its executive team with the addition of Mark Eisenberg as Sr. VP, Strategic Initiatives, and Jacqueline Peterson as Sr. VP, Communications.

Eisenberg previously served as Global Head of Content Acquisition and Strategy for MixRadio. Prior to his work at MixRadio, he spent more than 15 years as Executive Vice President and Head of Business & Legal Affairs for the Global Division Business Group at Sony Music Entertainment.

Peterson transitioned to SoundExchange from a role as Sr. VP of Corporate Communications at Live Nation Entertainment. She previously worked as Strategic External Communications Director for Caesars Entertainment Corporation. In her role at SoundExchange, Peterson will lead the company’s internal and external communications, marketing, and public relations efforts.

“I’m extremely excited to welcome Mark Eisenberg and Jacqueline Peterson to our team. Their collective experience in the music industry is immeasurable. Both have proven track records of strategic leadership and helping the industry succeed,” said SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe. “SoundExchange is only as good as the people who work for it and we pride ourselves on attracting the best talent. With these new additions, our team is stronger than ever and poised to achieve even greater success in 2015. Their knowledge and experience of the music industry will be invaluable to SoundExchange and we are thrilled to have them join our organization.”

Ann Sweeney Named SVP, Global Policy For BMI

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ann sweeney

Ann Sweeney

Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) announced today (Feb. 18) that Ann Sweeney has been named Senior Vice President of Global Policy, effective immediately. She reports to Mike O’Neill, President and CEO, BMI, and is based in BMI’s New York office.

Sweeney will assume the International portion of her role in July, taking over for Ron Solleveld, BMI’s current SVP, International, who announced recently that he will retire from BMI in September after nearly 13 years with the company.  Solleveld will work closely with Sweeney to help with the transition.

In this newly created position, Sweeney will be responsible for the company’s Government Relations and International efforts, working to protect the rights of BMI’s songwriters, composers and music publishers at all levels of government around the globe. She will also lead the company’s efforts to maximize the collection of global royalties on behalf of BMI’s songwriters and composers and oversee the company’s relationships with foreign performing rights societies.

“Ann is a respected leader with a deep knowledge of the global music publishing industry,” said O’Neill. “Throughout her career she has continued to innovate, embracing new technologies and platforms and ensuring that the words and music that power those platforms receive the fair value they deserve. She will be a tremendous advocate for BMI and the hundreds of thousands of songwriters, composers and publishers we represent around the world.”

Added O’Neill, “I’d like to thank Ron for his exceptional service. His contributions to BMI throughout his tenure have been extensive and cannot be overstated.”

ACM Names New Artist of the Year Award Finalists

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ACMThe votes are in to determine the finalists for the ACM New Artist of the Year Award presented by Kohl’s. Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, and Cole Swindell have been named as this year’s final nominees. The final round of fan voting to determine the category’s winner begins Wednesday, April 8 at 3 p.m. ET at voteacm.com.

The ACM New Artist of the Year Presented by Kohl’s winner will be revealed during the live CBS telecast of the 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be held Sunday, April 19 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mississippi Arts Commission To Honor Craig Wiseman

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Craig Wiseman. Photo: Amy Allmand

Craig Wiseman. Photo: Amy Allmand

Songwriter and producer Craig Wiseman will be honored by his home state of Mississippi during the 27th Annual Governor’s Arts Awards. Wiseman, founder of The Big Loud Shirt Industries, will receive the Excellence in Music Award on Thursday, Feb. 19.

“In Nashville most people know four things about me. I’m a songwriter, I wear big loud shirts, I have a toenail painted red and I’m from Mississippi. I have always proudly claimed Mississippi as my home. I am grateful to help carry the long tradition of Mississippians’ contribution to American music. It is an honor to receive this award from the State that has been woven in my words and melodies and my heart from the very beginning,” shares Wiseman. “I will return to the friends, the love and the warmth of my raising! Praise God, hallelujah and Amen. Now get some catfish cookin’!”

The Hattiesburg, Miss., native has garnered 24 chart-topping hits, and written more than 100 singles. Wiseman has taken home CMA and ACM Song of the Year awards, and was honored as NSAI’s Songwriter of the Decade in 2009. In November 2014, Wiseman received the prestigious ASCAP Heritage Award, in commemoration of ASCAP’s 100th anniversary.

Nominations for the Governor’s Arts Awards were made by the general public, and a group of industry peers served as judges to review and select recipients. The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency, funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and other private sources.

Country Group Blackjack Billy Joins Reviver Records

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Blackjack Billy

Blackjack Billy

Reviver Records has signed country group Blackjack Billy to its roster. The group includes musicians and songwriters Rob Blackledge, Noll Billings, Jeff Coplan and Brad Cummings.

Blackjack Billy has sold more than 250,000 downloads over the past 18 months, and are currently in the studio crafting their Reviver Music debut, which is slated for a mid-2015 release. They are booked by The Agency Group in Nashville, and managed by RedLight Management.

Coplan is an ole/Roots Three songwriter while Billings is a writer at EMI Music Publishing.

“We make music that is fun, we make music that is relatable to a variety of music lovers and we enjoy doing it together,” says the quartet.

“I was promoting a festival in Mississippi last year and had Blackjack Billy on the bill,” says Reviver President and CEO David Ross. “I was blown away by their command of the stage and the audience’s response and knew I would love to have them join the Reviver roster.”

Reviver Records launched its Nashville operations in December 2014, announcing band LOCASH as its first signing.

Canaan Smith To Release Mercury Records Nashville EP in March

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Canaan SmithCanaan Smith will release his self-titled debut EP on March 24 via Mercury Records Nashville. The five-song project, produced by Brett Beavers and Jimmy Robbins, includes Smith’s current single, “Love You Like That.” The single was penned by Smith, Brett Beavers, and Jim Beavers.

“The creation of music, the whole process, has been so close to me for so many years that I feel like I’ve developed my own sound. It’s not super predictable. It’s unique, progressive and edgy,” Smith says.

CANAAN SMITH EP TRACK-LISTING:
1. Love You Like That (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers)
2. Two Lane Road (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Marv Green)
3. Mad Love (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Aaron Goodvin)
4. Hole In A Bottle (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Dan Couch)
5. Stuck (Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, Vincent Hickerson)

Bobby Braddock, Toby Keith To Join Songwriters Hall of Fame

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Revered Nashville songwriter Bobby Braddock and country superstar Toby Keith are headed to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York. They will be inducted along with Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia (posthumously), Cyndi Lauper, Linda Perry and Willie Dixon (posthumously). The organization’s 46th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner is slated for Thursday, June 18 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Bobby Braddock

Bobby Braddock

“Our 2015 lineup of inductees represents the rich diversity of American musical styles—rock, country, blues and pop—that have captivated the world over the past six decades,” said SHOF President & CEO Linda Moran. “Each one of these brilliant music creators have written instantly recognizable classics, songs that are both of their time and timeless. Our Annual Awards Gala is sure to be unforgettable.”

Braddock and Keith were among the nominees named for possible inclusion into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in October 2014.

Bobby Braddock is one of the most successful country music songwriters of all time. He grew up in Florida, traveled the South as a rock and roll musician, and became a songwriter in Nashville in the mid-1960s. He is the only living person to have written number one country hits in five consecutive decades, penning songs for artists such as Willie Nelson, Nancy Sinatra, Jerry Lee Lewis, T. G. Sheppard and many more. With 13 No. 1 hits, his songs have become country music standards, including favorites such as, “D.I.V.O.R.C.E,” recorded by Tammy Wynette, “Golden Ring,” the duet sung by George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Tracy Lawrence’s “Time Marches On,” and Toby Keith’s 2001 hit, “I Wanna Talk About Me.” “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” sung by George Jones, has led most surveys as the best country song of all time. In 2001, Braddock embarked on a new career as a producer, discovering singer Blake Shelton and making several No. 1 records with him. Braddock’s most recent No. 1 was Billy Currington’s, “People Are Crazy.” He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and received the annual BMI Icon Award. In 2012, he received the ACM Poet’s Award. He has received six CMA Song of the Year nominations, winning twice. He has received a total of 30 BMI airplay awards, and nine “Million Air” awards for songs that received at least one million performances each.

Toby Keith

Toby Keith

Toby Keith has been one of the most consistent self-directed songwriters and hit makers of his era. From his first No. 1 smash, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” to “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Who’s Your Daddy,” “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” “Beer For My Horses,” and “I Love This Bar,” his success is strongly due to his songwriting, which includes having written No. 1 songs every year for 20 consecutive years. It has powered an astounding succession of hits, to the tune of more than 85 million BMI performances. He has been honored with the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s Songwriter/Artist of the Decade distinction and is a three-time BMI Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year. His albums have sold more than 40 million copies, and his tours have drawn more than one million fans each year for the last 14 years. Keith also helps sick children and their families in his native Oklahoma through the Toby Keith Foundation and the cost-free home, the OK Kids Korral. He also supports US troops by participating in USO Tours throughout the world.

Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1,250 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, by calling 914-579-1000. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs. Songwriters Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 organization. The non-deductible portion of each ticket is $170.

For more on the other inductees, click here.