Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman To Release First Cookbook

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kimberly schlapman little big townKimberly Schlapman of the Grammy-Winning group Little Big Town will release her first cookbook on April 14, 2015.

In Oh Gussie! Cooking and Visiting in Kimberly’s Southern Kitchen, Schlapman shares recipes and stories from her roots in the Appalachian foothills of north Georgia, her travels on tour with the band, and from the life she loves back home in Nashville.

The book was written with James Beard and Award-winner author Martha Foose, and will be published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. William Morrow has acquired world rights to the book. Cassie Jones, VP & Editorial Director of William Morrow Cookbooks, negotiated the deal with CAA.

“I’ve been so excited about this that I could hardly stand the wait!” says Schlapman. “When I’m not on stage with Little Big Town, you can probably find me in my kitchen.  As long as I’ve been singing, I’ve been cooking.  I have poured my heart and soul into this book, and I hope these recipes and stories will inspire you and bring you closer to the ones you love as you fill up their bellies—and their hearts.”

Weekly Register: Early Grammys Sales Bump

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Miranda Lambert performs "Little Red Wagon" during the 57th annual Grammy Awards. Photo: Grammy.com

Miranda Lambert performs “Little Red Wagon” during the 57th annual Grammy Awards. Photo: Grammy.com

Soundscan’s sales week closed at midnight on Sunday (Feb. 8) following the Grammy Awards, but in that short window a few artists who performed on the show experienced sales bumps. Country queen Miranda Lambert offered her feisty “Little Red Wagon,” which rode in with a 100% gain, selling 15K tracks and pulling in a 65% album increase (6.1K). Fellow performers seeing album boosts include Eric Church (up 55% with 6.8K) and Brandy Clark (275% with 1.6K). A bigger impact is expected in next week’s numbers.

On the country charts, Sam Hunt is still dominating at No. 1 on the tracks list with “Take Your Time” (47K), and No. 1 on the albums list (15K TW to cross the 300K mark).

Taylor Swift, who did not perform on the Grammys telecast, remains in the No. 1 spot on the Top 200 this week.

Nashville indie turned Warner Bros. signee Sturgill Simpson took his turtles all the way down—or should we say up—to swim over the 100K album threshold this week.

Top 5 Country Albums TW
Sam Hunt, 15K
Jason Aldean, 10K
Carrie Underwood, 8.6K
Florida Georgia Line, 7.8K
Eric Church, 6.8K

Thomas Rhett’s “When I Was Your Man” is the top country track debut, coming in at No. 2 with 28K downloads, and securing T. Rhett’s second single in the top 5.

Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars are still funking it up with the No. 1 overall track, as their “Uptown Funk” moved 319K TW and 3.5 million RTD.

Top 5 Country Tracks TW
Sam Hunt, “Take Your Time” 47K
Thomas Rhett, “When I Was Your Man” 28K
Blake Shelton ft. Ashley Monroe, “Lonely Tonight” 28K
Thomas Rhett, “Make Me Wanna” 26K
Luke Bryan, “I See You” 24K

Year To Date
Country digital album sales are up +10.7% YTD, while total country album sales are flat at 0%. YTD all-genre album sales are down -1.7% and overall digital albums are down -1.5%.

YTD overall track sales are down -12.1% and country tracks are down -18.9%.

LaunchTN’s 36|86 Conference Adds Piedmonte, Ruxin

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Screen Shot 2015-02-10 at 4.17.04 PMAnthony Piedmonte (Bon Jovi Management), Om Malik (True Ventures, Gigaom), Geri Stengel (Forbes), Andy Weissman (Union Square Ventures), and Marc Ruxin (Rdio), have been added to the lineup for 36|86, LaunchTN’s flagship event focusing on southern culture, entrepreneurship and investment. The 36|86 conference will take place June 8-10, 2015 at Marathon Music Works in Nashville. During the conference, 36 southeastern startup businesses will for a $36,000 grand prize.

Additional speakers include Julia Hartz (Eventbrite), Jonathan Shieber (Crunchbase/TechCrunch), John Briggs (TechCrunch), and Regan Carrizales (previously with Silicon Prairie News).

Entertainment manager Piedmonte joined Bon Jovi Management in 2010. Since then, the band has performed in over 30 countries and has sold in excess of $600,000,000.00 in gross ticket sales.

Ruxin is the Chief Operating Officer of Rdio where oversees marketing, business development, programming and advertising. He joined Rdio through their acquisition of TastemakerX, the leading social music platform he founded and was CEO of between 2011-2014.

Weissman is a partner at Union Square Ventures. 

Malik a partner at True Ventures. He joined True from Gigaom, a blogging pioneer/media company that he started in 2006. Malik had spent over two decades working for publications including Forbes (digital), Red Herring and Business 2.0. He writes a column for Fast Company. 

Forbes contributor Stengel is a 2012 and 2013 Small Business Influencer for her articles on the success factors of entrepreneurs.
Tickets for 36|86 are available at eventbrite.com.

CCM Artist Brandon Heath Releases New Project ‘No Turning Back’

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brandon heath no turning back albumCCM singer-songwriter Brandon Heath is set to release his sixth studio album No Turning Back today, Feb. 10, 2015 through Reunion/Monomode Records, Sony Music. The project is produced by Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Dave Barnes).

Heath recently performed at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry on Feb. 6, 2015 and joined artists including Steven Curtis Chapman, Craig Morgan, Deana Carter, Mike Farris and Third Day as a special musical guest in the revival of the beloved series “Sam’s Place – Music For The Spirit” held at the Ryman Auditorium in January.

To support the album launch, a “No Turning Back” social media campaign encourages fans to share their own pivotal moment, with the hashtag #noturningback. Heath has been sharing a new 15-second video each day on his on social media sites.

No Turning Back Track Listing:

No Turning Back
Only Just Met You
When You Look at Me
When I Was Young
One Way to Heaven
All I Need
Sing Brave
Everything Must Go
Behold Our God
Girl of My Dreams
S.O.S.

Grammy Creators Alliance Aims To Shape Legislation

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grammy alliance_neil_portnow_jennifer_hudson_and_ryan_tedder_kevin_winter_wire

Neil Portnow, Jennifer Hudson and Ryan Tedder announce the Grammy Creators Alliance on Sunday’s awards show. Photo: Kevin Winter/WireImage.com

“What if we’re all watching the Grammys a few years from now, and there’s no Best New Artist award because there aren’t enough talented artists or songwriters who are actually able to make a living from their craft?” Recording Academy Pres./CEO Neil Portnow wondered on the Feb. 8 Grammy Awards telecast. “Could that really happen? Or more importantly, could any of us ever let that happen? As great artists remind us this evening, music matters. Music has tremendous value in our lives. So while new ways of listening to music evolve, one thing should never change: For the artists, songwriters and producers, we must promise them that new technology and distribution will pay them fairly.”

Portnow, Jennifer Hudson and Ryan Tedder came together on the Grammy stage to announce the launch of the Grammy Creators Alliance. The Recording Academy established the alliance to advocate for changes to copyright laws on behalf of musicians and the industry.

Goals of the Grammy Creators Alliance include:
• To advise Congressional leaders as they develop legislation that will ensure fair pay for all creators on all platforms.
• To work within the industry to ensure fair royalty rates to creators on all platforms.
• To engage the creator community and empower them to advocate for their rights.

Find out more at http://www.grammy.com/Alliance.

Grammy alliance photo_strip

Grammy Creators Alliance founding members include: Adam Levine, Alicia Keys, deadmau5, Dr. Luke, Jennifer Hudson, Jimmy Jam, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Lady Antebellum, Ryan Tedder, Steven Tyler

Voting Open For 15th Annual NSAI/CMT Song Contest

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image002Voting is open to select the Grand Prize winner for the 15th annual NSAI Song Contest presented by CMT. Voting will end Feb. 28.

Ten finalists are competing for the top prize, which will be announced in March 2015.

The Grand Prize Winner will win a mentoring session with 2006 NSAI Song Contest Winner (now Warner Music Nashville recording artist), Charlie Worsham, as well as additional prizes, including: a one-year single song contract with Little Louder Music Publishing, live performances at the 2015 Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival and The Bluebird Cafe, a three-day trip to Nashville and more.

Finalists include:

Kristen Hemphill (co-writer James Bennett) – Clicks
Donna King – This Kind of Cold
Alexa Meadows (co-writers: Ran Jackson and Ricky Jackson) – Find Me
Taming Renee (Allison Schulz and Brandon Wind) – If I Stay
Katherine Ross – At Least I Pray
Steven Shehane – You
Matt Stell – Country Love Song
Paul Stephens (co-writers: Jason Afable and Eric Mallon) – That Smile Though
Derek Toomey – Drink It In
Becky Warren – Call Me Sometime

Voting is limited to one vote per person per song during the voting period. Songs from the Top 10 finalists can be viewed at nsai.cmt.com.

Round Hill Music Plans Joint Venture

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round hill music1Round Hill Music has entered into a joint venture with Eric Krasno’s Feel Music Group. The joint venture will include a record label, Feel Music Records / Round Hill Records, as well as a publishing company. The two parties will merge resources in order to provide artist development, marketing, PR, promotion, synch licensing, and publishing administration.

The joint venture will use Sony/RED for record distribution.

Feel Music’s creator Krasno, is a founding member of the band Soulive and a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and guitarist (Derek Trucks Band “Already Free” and Tedeschi Trucks Band “Revelator”).

“I’m very excited to launch Feel Music Group with Round Hill as a partner. We’ve assembled a stellar team, and have some amazing releases planned over the next year. The London Souls are our first signing. As I’ve been a huge fan of the band for a long time, I think it’s a perfect way to kick things off,” Krasno says.
 

Industry Ink: BMLG, Larry Henley, Demolition Music Publishing, IEBA

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Republic Nashville and Big Machine Label Group Celebrate Grammys

Artists and executives at Republic Nashville and Big Machine Label Group celebrated after the Grammy Awards were held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 8.

Pictured (L-R): Big Machine President/CEO Scott Borchetta and Republic Records Founder/CEO Monte Lipman. Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Big Machine President/CEO Scott Borchetta and Republic Records Founder/CEO Monte Lipman. Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry and Reid Perry. Photo: Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry and Reid Perry. Photo: Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Celebration of Life Service Set for Larry Henley

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Larry Henley

A Celebration of Life service has been set for singer-songwriter Larry Henley, who died Dec. 18, 2014 at the age of 77. His compositions included “Wing Beneath My Wings,” “‘Til I Get It Right,” “He’s a Heartache,” “Is It Still Over,” “Lizzie and the Rainman,” and “Bread and Butter.”

The service will be held Thursday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. in the first floor lobby of BMI (located at 10 Music Sq. E.). Those wishing to honor Henley can make donations to Alive Hospice, located at 1718 Patterson Street in Nashville.

 

Demolition Music Publishing Adds To Writer Roster

Demolition Music Publishing has signed Michael August, a New Jersey native who has made Nashville his home for the past two years.

Demolition’s President, Jon D’Agostino says the young company was proud to add Michael to their roster of writers because “Michael is that talented singer-songwriter who brings his ‘A’ game and ‘A+’ attitude to every writing session with the goal to write a hit and get it cut!”

DMP President Jon D'Agostino, DMP current DMP writers Adam Searan and Jason Eustice, welcome Michael August for to the songwriting team.

DMP President Jon D’Agostino, and DMP writers Adam Searan and Jason Eustice, welcome Michael August to the songwriting team.

 

IEBA To Offer Summer Scholarships 

International Entertainment Buyers Association has announced it will continue its Summer Internship Scholarship program and will award $15,000 in scholarships to 10 students interning in the entertainment business this summer. Each student will receive an individual scholarship of $1,500. Applications are available now at www.ieba.org. The application deadline is April 3, 2015.

In 2014, 10 summer scholarships were distributed to students at eight universities interning in eight states across the country. Internships included Hangout Fest, AC Entertainment, ROAR, Live Nation Clubs and Theaters, Rodeo Fame, and Progressive Global Agency.

Pictured (L-R)L Zach Swon of The Swon Brothers, Sinita Tatum (IEBA Student Member and 2014 MTSU graduate now employed with Neste Event Marketing), Kelly Feild (Belmont Student and 2014 IEBA Scholarship Recipient), and Colton Swon of The Swon Brothers.

Pictured (L-R): Zach Swon of The Swon Brothers, Sinita Tatum (IEBA Student Member and 2014 MTSU graduate now employed with Neste Event Marketing), Kelly Feild (Belmont Student and 2014 IEBA Scholarship Recipient), and Colton Swon of The Swon Brothers.

ACM Announces First-Ever ‘NOW That’s What I Call Music!’ Album

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Now-That's-What-I-Call-ACM-AwardsNOW That’s What I Call Music!, and the Academy of Country Music (ACM) are partnering for the first time to release NOW That’s What I Call The ACM Awards 50 Years as a joint venture between UMG, Sony Music Entertainment and the ACM, distributed by UMG.

The latest installment in the best-selling album series will feature two discs spanning the ACM Awards’ 50-year history. Recent hits such as “The House That Built Me” and “Need You Now” (disc one) are paired with classics such as “Always on My Mind,” “Why Not Me,” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today” (disc two). Other songs are featured from Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Alabama, Faith Hill, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and many more.

The album will be released on March 31, prior to the 50th ACM Awards airing on Sunday, April 19 at 8 p.m. ET/delayed PT on the CBS. All of the Academy’s proceeds from sales of the album will go to ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the ACM, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.

A track listing is expected to be released soon.

Grammy Ratings Slip, Still Dominate Primetime

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Eric Church performs on the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles Photo: Kevin Winter/WireImage.com

Eric Church performs on the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles
Photo: Kevin Winter/WireImage.com/Grammy.com

Ratings for last night’s (Feb. 8) Grammy Awards may have hit a six-year low, but the trophyfest on CBS still won the night by a longshot.

The show averaged 25.3 million viewers according Nielsen, an 11 percent slide from the 2014 broadcast which attracted 28.5 million.

Viewership among the key demographic of 18-to-49 year-olds received an 8.5 rating and was down 14 percent year over year.

Meanwhile, on CBS’s website, unique users of Grammy content hit record highs, up 133 percent year over year. Live streaming of “Grammy Live” was up more than 40 percent with 7.5 million streams.