Anna Wilson Signs with SESAC
Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, Wilson, SESAC’s Tim Fink. Photo: Peyton Hoge
Singer-songwriter Anna Wilson has signed with SESAC for representation.
Wilson’s songs have been recorded by the likes of Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Ann Womack, and others. As a vocalist, Wilson performed with Josh Groban, Keith Urban, the Mississippi Mass Choir, Patty Griffin and others.
Wilson and husband, producer/songwriter Monty Powell, currently are producing a project highlighting the music of Billy Joel in honor of his 50th anniversary as a songwriter. A Nashville State of Mind, with Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Lady Antebellum, the Zac Brown Band, the Eli Young Band and many more Nashville-based artists is set to be released this summer.
McBride To Be Honored Alongside Borchetta in May
Martina McBride. Photo: Kristin Barlowe
Martina McBride will be honored during The Music Business Association’s (Music Biz) 2015 Awards Luncheon, a convention held for the first time in Nashville from May 12-14.
McBride will be presented the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award at 12 p.m., Thursday, May 14, at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel in Nashville. The event is also slated to honor her, again, label president Scott Borchetta.
McBride’s philanthropic efforts recognized include work as the spokesperson for the National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Network to End Domestic Violence, and Tulsa Domestic Violence. She also aligned with Loveisrespect and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline. Her songs, most notably “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing” and “Concrete Angel,” have also brought light to the issue.
McBride has also lent her support to various other organizations such as hosting the Middle Tennessee’s YWCA Celebrity Auction every year since 1995 – raising more than $500,000 – and working with the Kids Wish Network to fulfill the wish of a young girl battling Muscular Dystrophy. In 2010, she performed “Unchained Melody” during the Stand Up 2 Cancer Telethon with Leona Lewis, Aaron Neville, and Stevie Wonder.
Additionally, McBride empowers fans through Team Martina, a global charity group that has raised over $275,000 to make the world a better place through music. In Nashville, she and her team raised over $40,000 for a cancer research at Vanderbilt University while the Atlanta group raised $33,000 to help the city’s green space for urban kids. Team Martina also raised money to fund a music education program for Covenant House, a shelter for orphaned and abused girls, in Guatemala. Fans also have the opportunity to participate in hands-on volunteering.
“I believe that anyone blessed enough to achieve success has a responsibility to help those in need,” said McBride. “While my goal was never to be recognized for my charitable efforts, this award is proof that we can all make a difference, no matter how small, in the lives of others. I hope this recognition will encourage more people to support worthy organizations that speak to their hearts.”
McBride most recently signed to Nash Icon Records, a joint venture between the Big Machine Label Group and Cumulus, and is expected to release new music this year. Last night (Jan. 14) she performed with Gladys Knight and British singer Estelle in Nashville.
Registration is available now, with early bird discounts available until March 8. For more information, visit MusicBiz2015.com.
Florida Georgia Line Extends ‘Anything Goes Tour 2015’
Florida Georgia Line. Photo: Justin Mrusek
Republic Nashville duo Florida Georgia Line will keep their Anything Goes Tour going a little longer in 2015. Several dates have been added to the duo’s tour, which launches tonight (Jan. 15) in Toledo, Ohio, and extends into the fall. New stops include concerts in Austin, Boston, Atlanta, and more.
Joining the duo will be Valory Music Co. artist Thomas Rhett and Warner Bros. Records artist Frankie Ballard.
The tour is promoted by Live Nation and sponsored by Mountain Dew. Florida Georgia Line will promote the tour launch with an upcoming appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show on Jan. 20, where they will perform their current hit, “Sun Daze.”
ANYTHING GOES TOUR 2015
5/9 – Columbia, MD
5/28 – West Palm Beach, FL
5/29 – Tampa, FL
5/30 – Birmingham, AL
7/24 – Philadelphia, PA
7/25 – Washington, DC
7/26 – Virginia Beach, VA
8/7 – Bethel, NY
8/8 – Darien Center, NY
8/13 – Raleigh, NC
8/14 – Charlotte, NC
8/15 – Pittsburgh, PA
8/20 – Beaumont, TX
8/21 – Austin, TX
8/22 – Dallas, TX
8/27 – Bakersfield, CA
8/28 – Sacramento, CA
9/10 – Holmdel, NJ
9/11 – Hartford, CT
9/12 – Boston, MA
9/24 – Wichita, KS
9/25 – Tulsa, OK
9/26 – St. Louis, MO
10/3 – San Diego, CA
10/9 – Albuquerque, NM
10/10 – Phoenix, AZ
10/15 – Southaven, MS
10/16 – New Orleans, LA
10/17 – Atlanta, GA
Sea Gayle Promotes Jake Gear; Hirings at BBR and DeSalvo & Levine
Jake Gear
Sea Gayle Promotes Jake Gear
Marc Driskill, Executive VP/GM of Sea Gayle Music has announced the promotion of Jake Gear to Creative Director.
“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone who possesses the skills and work ethic that Jake does earn such a promotion,” says Driskill. “Jake is one of the most talented and capable young professionals I have had the opportunity to work with and I couldn’t be happier to recognize him with this promotion.”
Sea Gayle’s writers have written 38 No. 1 songs and twice earned the company ASCAP Country Publisher of the Year honors.
Gear can be reached at jake@seagayle.com or (615) 329-1411.
DeSalvo & Levine Law Hires J.P. Urban
J.P. Urban
Nashville entertainment law firm DeSalvo & Levine PLLC has hired associate J.P. Urban. He recently received his J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School, where he was a Chancellor’s Law Scholar and the Executive Editor of the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law, as well as receiving numerous honors.
Urban’s professional experience includes interning for the judges of the Circuit Court for the 21st Judicial District of Tennessee and The Honorable William C. Koch, retired Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court. He also worked with the Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts and other organizations in Middle Tennessee. Urban earned his B.S. in Recording Industry at Middle Tennessee State University.
BBR Music Group Adds Shaina Botwin
Shaina Botwin. Photo: Rebecca Woods
BBR Music Group has added Shaina Botwin as Digital Marketing Manager. Botwin joined BBR Music Group’s digital team part time in October 2014 and transitions to full time effective immediately. She reports directly to VP of Digital Sales & Marketing, Lynette Garbonola.
In this role, Botwin will create, manage and execute digital marketing ideas and strategies that engage online music fans and drive consumer interaction on social sites and artist websites.
Botwin’s experience includes serving as Vice President of the MTSU chapter of CMA EDU as well as internships at Music Industry Blueprint and Anchor Down Entertainment.
“I am so excited to start my journey at BBR Music Group,” says Botwin. “Between the dedication of the artists and the drive of the employees, I can’t think of a better place to be.”
“I am excited to have Shaina join the team. It takes a special talent to nurture the relationship between artist, label and fans. From our first conversation, I knew she had what it took,” adds Garbonola.
Botwin may be reached at shaina@bbrmusicgroup.com and at (615) 610-2135.
Ten Out Of Tenn To Celebrate 10 Years With Ryman Show
The collective of singer-songwriters known as Ten Out of Tenn will celebrate its 10-year anniversary with a show at the Ryman Auditorium on Friday, April 24.
The show will include Ten Out of Tenn alums Andrew Belle, Butterfly Boucher, Trent Dabbs, Andy Davis, Katie Herzig, Griffin House, Tyler James, Matthew Perryman Jones, Jeremy Lister, Erin McCarley, K.S. Rhoads, Amy Stroup, with songwriters more to be announced.
The history of the collective dates back to a sold-out show at Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom a decade ago. Since then Ten Out of Tenn’s rotating cast has included 27 artists, who have collaborated on seven tours and six compilation albums, with over 500 TV/film placements shared amongst the group. Artists Mikky Ekko, Ashley Monroe, Paper Route and Joy Williams have all been part of Ten Out of Tenn.
Tickets for the April 24 show go on sale next Friday, Jan. 23. For more information, visit the Ryman site here.
Artist Pics: Mickey Guyton, SaraBeth, Frankie Ballard, Austin Webb
Capitol Records Nashville’s Mickey Guyton made her Grand Ole Opry debut on Jan. 10 at the historic Ryman Auditorium. The emotional and powerful performance of her debut single “Better Than You Left Me” had the audience on their feet.
Pictured (L-R): UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe; Opry Entertainment Group President Steve Buchanan, Mickey Guyton and UMG Nashville Chairman & CEO Mike Dungan. Photo: Chris Hollo (Rachel Black)
SaraBeth’s current single “Nowhere With You” is Top 40 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout chart. The Texas singer/songwriter recently visited with SiriusXM’s John Marks, and has opened for Brantley Gilbert, Lonestar and Craig Morgan. She is finishing up work on an EP to be released in the spring.
SiriusXM’s John Marks and SaraBeth
Warner Bros. Records’ Frankie Ballard made his debut performance on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! where he played his recent No. 1 gold-certified hit, “Sunshine & Whiskey.” Ballard also gave a preview of his brand new single, “Young & Crazy,” which is featured on his current album, Sunshine & Whiskey.
Photo: Randy Holmes/ABC
Austin Webb “shooting” tequila with Brian Michael of The Bull Atlanta on Fridays visit.
Brian Michael and Austin Webb
Skyville Live Kicks Off Dazzling Inaugural Show
Pictured (L-R): Tisha Fein, Martina McBride, Gladys Knight, Estelle, Wally Wilson and Dan Bean. Photo: Rick Diamond
With studio television cameras on tripods and track and rail, Skyville Live launched last night (Jan. 14) in Nashville in a leased warehouse across from Skyville’s headquarters in Berry Hill. Premium inaugural talents included Gladys Knight, Martina McBride and British singer Estelle, who tantalized a few hundred live audience members while viewers at home got the front row seat.
“To my knowledge, there has never been a network-quality program featuring major artists that has appeared on the Internet first,” said show creator and Executive Producer Wally Wilson. “Now, at the dawn of the era of ‘smart TV,’ Skyville Live has come along to change that.”
Skyville has around 12-15 streaming shows planned for each year, featuring major national and international stars and up-and-coming artists from every genre of music. Thirty minute edited versions will be later available on demand. Forthcoming artists will be announced in coming weeks but are rumored to include Kenny Chesney, Merle Haggard, Meghan Trainor, Trey Songz, while Kris Kristofferson and Lady Antebellum are tapped for a taping in the spring.
Pictured (L-R): Estelle, Gladys Knight, Martina McBride. Photo: Instagram
“I’ve been keeping up with all of [these singers],” said Knight from the stage about McBride and Estelle. “My spirit reaches out to people with talent. I love all kinds of music, there are no boundaries.”
McBride, singing many tunes from her latest Everlasting album, kicked off the set with “In The Basement” followed by “Wild Night.”
The three vocalists joined for “Do Right Woman” before Estelle delivered a solo-performance of her hit “American Boy.”
With her husband John McBride behind the soundboard, the Nashville songbird sang her only career original, “Broken Wing.” Gladys continued with “Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” prior to her Grammy-winning “Neither One Of Us.”
Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Jim Weatherly, who wrote the two aforementioned Knight originals, was front row and stood up to accept applause. Knight welcomed the three performers to the stage while prefacing Weathely’s “Midnight Train To Georgia.” Knight explained why the title was changed from “Midnight Plane to Houston” and that Cissy Houston sang the demo once the title was switched.
Estelle took to the stage for “Conquerer,” a title off her fourth studio album, True Romance, slated for release Feb. 17. The three women then stood side-by-side to end the evening with “End Of The Road” and an obligatory encore performance of “Son Of A Preacher Man.”
Wilson, a songwriter in his own right, owns Skyline Music Publishing with Paul Worley. Executive producers additionally include Dan Bean and Tisha Fein. Bean has 40 years of marketing and branding experience after having produced and promoted thousands of live entertainment shows with numerous artists, including the Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, Metallica, Jimmy Buffett, Moody Blues and Aerosmith. Bean also has over 12 years of video and placement in the entertainment and travel industries, and was one of the first producers to sell sponsorships for the concert and theater business. Fein has been a producer and talent executive for the Grammy Awards for over 30 years and has produced and secured talent for numerous television specials, most recently the Billboard Music Awards (2011-2014) and Fashion Rocks, which aired on CBS in September.
View Skyville Live’s official website.
View Skyville Live’s YouTube channel.
Jerrod Niemann, Love & Theft To Headline Nashville Benefit Concert
Jerrod Niemann and Love & Theft have been named as performers for the Chords For A Cause concert, benefitting Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital At Vanderbilt.
The event will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Dan McGuinness (1538 Demonbreun St., Nashville).
Other artists on the bill include High Valley, Hannah Blaylock, Amber Hayes and Morgan Riley.
All proceeds will go directly to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital At Vanderbilt with the money being raised through silent auctions on items being donated from the community. Admission is free, though donations are recommended.
Glen Campbell Earns Oscar Nod
Pictured (L-R): Julian Raymond and Glen Campbell in the studio recording “I’m Not Gonna Miss You.”
Photo courtesy of Big Machine Records
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” from the film Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, scored an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song during this morning’s (Jan. 15) announcement. Written by Campbell and Julian Raymond specifically for the documentary, the song is Campbell’s final recording. Big Machine Records released the soundtrack to the film which explores Campbell’s progression through Alzheimer’s.
In response to the nomination, Raymond said, “Thank you so much to the Academy voters. This is beyond a dream. I remember my father taking me to the movies to see True Grit as a child. I loved that song and the film featuring the amazing Glen Campbell. To think all these years later I have been able to develop a great friendship and to create new music with Glen is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. Director James Keach took a giant chance allowing me to score this film (my first) and bring light to the difficult subject of Alzheimer’s. Big thanks to executive producer Scott Borchetta and his phenomenal Big Machine Label Group for their hard work, vision and courage from day one. Their support helped chart ‘I’m Not Gonna Miss You’ on the radio; the first time for Glen in more than twenty years.”
Also competing for the Original Song honor are: “Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie, “Glory” from Selma, “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights, and “Lost Stars” from Begin Again.
Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel are the most nominated films heading into the Feb. 22 ceremony, scoring nine nods each. The Academy Awards will be presented at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, airing live on ABC.
Campbell also received three Grammy Award nominations for music related to the project.