SMACKSongs Signs Matthew Ramsey

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Pictured (L-R): ASCAP's Mike Sistad, SMACKSongs' Robin Palmer, Matthew Ramsey, and SMACKSongs' Shane McAnally and Robert Carlton. Photo by ASCAP's Alison Toczylowski.

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, SMACKSongs’ Robin Palmer, Matthew Ramsey, and SMACKSongs’ Shane McAnally and Robert Carlton. Photo by ASCAP’s Alison Toczylowski.


Shane McAnally‘s publishing company, SMACKSongs, has signed ASCAP songwriter and artist Matthew Ramsey. Ramsey is the lead singer of the Nashville-based band Old Dominion.
He has penned songs for The Band Perry (“Chainsaw”), Craig Morgan (“Wake Up Lovin’ You”), Dierks Bentley (“Say You Do”), Kenny Chesney and Luke Bryan. Old Dominion’s recently released single, “Shut Me Up,” co-written by Ramsey, has exceeded one million streams on Spotify.

Robert Earl Keen, Emily West To Launch Musicians Corner 2014 Season

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musicianscornerMusicians Corner, a free Nashville music series in Centennial Park, will launch its fall season Sept. 6, 2014. This season will feature performances from Robert Earl Keen, Emily West, Roots Of A Rebellion, Chris Stapleton, Dave Barnes, Fairfield Four, Melinda Doolittle, and more.
The season will run each Saturday (and one Sunday) through Oct. 25 from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. Performances will take place behind the Centennial band shell while construction for a permanent location for Musicians Corner takes place.
Next week the main stage acoustic and lightning 100 acoustic performers will be revealed.
MAIN STAGE LINEUP
September 6 – Season Kickoff Celebration
Southwest Airlines® Presents

  • Robert Earl Keen
  • Emily West
  • Roots Of A Rebellion

September 13

  • Erin McCarley
  • Marc Scibilia
  • Vinyl Thief

September 20 – Americana Music Festival Special Event

  • Over The Rhine
  • Sleepy Man Banjo Boys
  • The Brothers Comatose

September 27 – BMI Presents

  • Josh Rouse
  • Gabe Dixon
  • Mike Hicks and the Funk Puncs

October 4 – Celebrate Nashville

  • Melinda Doolittle
  • Fairfield Four
  • Revolfusion

October 11 – ASCAP Presents

  • Dave Barnes
  • JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound
  • The Soil and the Sun

October 18

  • Special Event – TBA

Sunday, October 19 – Special Sunday Event Supporting The Raining Season

  • Chris Stapleton
  • Steve Moakler
  • Magnolia Suns

October 25
Southwest Airlines® Presents

  • Andrew Ripp
  • Blackfoot Gypsies
  • TBA

Rascal Flatts Cancel Weekend Shows

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Rascal Flatts' Joe Don Rooney (L) and Gary LeVox perform for ACM Party For A Cause Festival in April 4, 2014. (Photo: Christopher Polk/ACMA2014/Getty Images for ACM)

Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney (L) and Gary LeVox perform for ACM Party For A Cause Festival in April 4, 2014. (Photo: Christopher Polk/ACMA2014/Getty Images for ACM)


Due to an unforeseen illness with lead singer Gary LeVox, Rascal Flatts has canceled three shows scheduled for this week (Aug. 7-9).

  • Thursday, August 7 – Idaho Center Amphitheater – Nampa, ID
  • Friday, August 8 – Northern Quest Casino & Resort – Airway Heights, WA
  • Saturday, August 9 – Rocking’ River Music Festival – Mission, BC, CAN

“It is incredibly difficult to make the decision to cancel shows and disappoint our loyal fans who have been so good to us over the years,” said bassist Jay DeMarcus. “The schedule of shows this past weekend, coupled with media days in New York City, have left him without a voice. We promise to return as soon as we can and give our fans the best show possible!”
Ticketholders should contact their venue for refund information.
Last month (July 10), the Country trio canceled a show at the OKC Downtown Airpark, reporting the same circumstances.

Charlie Daniels Named Chairman of The Board for Charity

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Charlie Daniels

Charlie Daniels


Charlie Daniels has been named Chairman of the Board for the Journey Home Project, which exists to assist other not-for-profits in securing funds to help Veterans of The United States Armed Forces.
Daniels hosts an annual fundraising dinner at Nashville’s The Palm restaurant with the proceeds benefiting various military charities. The Charlie Daniels Scholarship for Heroes Fund was started in 2012 along with Journey Home Project co-founder David Corlew. This was part of the Yellow Ribbon Education program to help military heroes receive an education.
The Journey Home Project has been established to bring all of these fundraising efforts under one umbrella.The Journey Home Project has already donated $22,500 to the Task Force Dagger Foundation after raising funds at a private dinner. The next event planned will take place at The Palm restaurant on Tuesday, Sept. 9, where Charlie Daniels will host a benefit for the Journey Home Project.

SkyHouse Luxury High-Rise Apartments Planned For Nashville

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A rending of the proposed SkyHouse apartment for Nashville.

A rending of the proposed SkyHouse apartment for Nashville.


Nashville will soon be home to Novare Group and Batson-Cook Development Company’s 12th SkyHouse luxury high-rise apartment. SkyHouse is proposed to be located on the corner of Broadway and 17th Ave. in Midtown. The 25-story, 352-unit building would include more than 10,600-square-feet of ground level retail.
If approved, SkyHouse Nashville will feature studio, one, two and three bedroom units with floor-to-ceiling glass. The signature “SkyHouse” is planned to be situated on the 25th floor with a club room, fitness area and outdoor plazas that include a swimming pool, fireplaces, covered outdoor lounges and 360-degree views of the city. The project will also have a bike repair shop and bike storage, a dog walk area and a dog wash area. SkyHouse projects are environmentally sustainable and Energy Star certified.
“SkyHouse Nashville is proposed for a highly attractive area for our target demographic: Gen Y professionals who are looking for live-work-play options in the city,” said Jim Borders, President, Novare Group. “We are excited to be working again with Batson-Cook Development Company to bring SkyHouse to Nashville, one of the preeminent cities in our nation for young, single professionals.”
Novare Group partnered with Tony Giarratana to deliver Viridian on Church Street in 2006, Encore in Sobro in 2008 and the conversion of the historic Bennie Dillion Lofts to condominiums in 2005. In 2004 Batson-Cook Development Company partnered with Warren Commercial Real Estate to develop Parkway Commons in Franklin. The retail center features Target, Kroger and a number of destination restaurants.

CMA Music Festival TV Special Slips In Ratings

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country's night to rock1

Little Big Town


Last night’s (Aug. 5) CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock earned a 1.8 rating among adult viewers age 18-49, down from last year’s 2.0 adults 18-49 rating, according to initial numbers reported by Zap2It.
CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock brought in 7.16 million viewers, down from 8.2 million viewers in 2013. This year’s Country show had competition from NBC’s America’s Got Talent in the 9 p.m. time slot.
The rating was still enough to make ABC the No. 1 network among viewers age 18-49, while NBC won in terms of total viewership. It also marks the special’s second-highest numbers in five years in viewership and among adults 18-49.
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Miranda Lambert (L) and Carrie Underwood (R) perform during ‘CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock.’


Hosted by Little Big Town, the show featured performances from Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Cole Swindell, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Zac Brown Band, Thomas Rhett and more.

Industry Ink: Horton Hears A Hit, Wells Fargo

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ole was one of many publishers that participated in the recent Horton Hears a Hit Publisher Crawl. The event was attended by artists including Mickey Guyton, Charlie Worsham, Ryan Kinder, Austin Webb, and Cassadee Pope, along with their management and record labels, who visited with publishers and inquired about songs for their upcoming albums. Other publishers taking part included Amylase, Big Machine Music, Little Louder, Liz Rose Music, Sea Gayle, and Wrensong.

Pictured (L-R): Nick Garvin (Artist Manager), Ben Strain (ole, Creative Director), Emily Mueller (ole, Creative Manager), Artist Ryan Kinder, John Ozier (ole, GM Creative Nashville) and Rebekah Gordon (Warner Bros. Records).

Pictured (L-R): Nick Garvin (Artist Manager), Ben Strain (ole, Creative Director), Emily Mueller (ole, Creative Manager), Artist Ryan Kinder, John Ozier (ole, GM Creative Nashville) and Rebekah Gordon (Warner Bros. Records).

• • •

baby balloons1Jenny Gill Van Valkenburg and Josh Van Valkenburg welcomed their first child on Monday (Aug. 4). Their son, Wyatt Gill Van Valkenburg, was born Monday, Aug. 4 at 7:26 p.m. in Nashville. The baby weighed 8lb., 6 oz.
Singer/songwriter Jenny is daughter of Vince Gill (married to Amy Grant) and Janis Gill. Josh is Director of Creative for Sony/ATV.

• • •

wells fargo1Danielle Lares-Bouharoun, Bradley Gallimore and Donna Whidby of the Wells Fargo Private Bank have a new suite number. They are still located at 3100 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203 but they have now moved to Suite 530 with their expanded team. They are thrilled to have more room for their clients and guests. All phone, email, and fax contact information remains the same.

SESAC Signs Zac Brown

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ZacBrown

Zac Brown

Zac Brown, songwriter and frontman of the three-time GRAMMY® winning and multi-platinum Zac Brown Band, has signed with SESAC for songwriter representation. 

 “I have a great respect for songwriting. It’s one of the most powerful ways to reach people and to be able to write music, as my career, is one of the greatest gifts I could have asked for,” said Brown. “Great songs accompany our most precious memories, bring us out of darkness, and connect us all. I’m very excited about the ones cooking and our new team at SESAC.”

Brown’s most notable songwriting credits include “Toes,” “Chicken Fried,” “Colder Weather,” “Goodbye In Her Eyes” and “Sweet Annie,” all chart-topping hits for Zac Brown Band.

“Zac’s excellence as a songwriter is well-known, not just in the country music market, but across genres,” says Trevor Gale, Senior Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, SESAC. “We are proud to welcome him to the SESAC family.”

Since its major label debut in 2008, Zac Brown Band has released three platinum-selling albums Uncaged (Atlantic/Southern Ground), You Get What You Give (Atlantic/Southern Ground) and The Foundation (Atlantic Records/Home Grown/Big Picture) for combined sales of more than 6 million copies and producing eleven No. 1 hit singles. 

The band is currently on their Great American Road Trip tour, which included a two-night stand at Fenway Park without any supporting acts – a feat only accomplished by four other bands (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, The Police and The Rolling Stones). 

The band’s latest project, The Grohl Sessions Vol. 1 on Southern Ground, features a 45-minute film by Southern Reel on the making of the album. 

Paisley and Underwood To Host CMA Awards

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Brad Paisley (L) and Carrie Underwood (R). Photo: Bob D’Amico/ABC


The 48th Annual CMA Awards will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 5 from The Bridgestone Arena in Nashville and will air live on ABC. For the 7th year in a row, it will be hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.
“Carrie and Brad are unmatched as a hosting team,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “They have impeccable comic timing, industry credibility, critical acclaim, and a natural rapport that makes them popular with our live audience and the viewers at home. We are delighted to have them presiding over ‘Country Music’s Biggest Night.’”
Paisley has won 14 CMA Awards since receiving the Horizon Award (now New Artist of the Year) in 2000, including Entertainer of the Year (2010), Male Vocalist (2007, 2008, 2009), and Album (2006 for Time Well Wasted). He won Musical Event of the Year three times and he claimed the Vocal Event of the Year trophy in 2001 for “Too Country” with Bill Anderson, George Jones, and Buck Owens. He has won Music Video of the Year four times and is No. 5 on the list of top CMA Awards winners of all time.
Underwood has received five CMA Awards in her career – three consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year trophies (2006-2008), as well as Single of the Year (2007 for “Before He Cheats”), and the Horizon Award (2006). Her 18 career CMA Awards nominations include three for Album of the Year; three nominations for Music Video of the Year for; and Musical Event of the Year for “I Told You So” featuring Randy Travis (2009). She has been nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year every year since first being nominated in 2006 (2006-2013).
More information on the awards can be found at CMAawards.com.

Creative Nation Preps Maggie Chapman LP Debut

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unnamedOn Sept. 16, Creative Nation will release a Luke Laird-produced EP from newcomer Maggie Chapman, titled Vignette.
Chapman wrote or co-wrote every song on the 10-track album (full list below), which includes the ballad, “It Should’ve Been You,” inspired by a true story and available for streaming on Idolator.
“I love to read, especially the classic works of authors like Shakespeare, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Edgar Allan Poe,” explains Chapman. “In literature, a vignette is a short, well-written, descriptive scene, not entirely a full story. Vignette is merely Part One of an infinite collection of stories and songs to come.”
Chapman recently opened up for Tyler Hilton at his sold out shows in Nashville and Atlanta. She released a self-titled EP earlier this year.
Vignette Track Listing:

  1. Golden Girl
  2. Pickin’ Petals
  3. Graffiti
  4. Unbreak
  5. Charlotte’s Web
  6. Wannabe Rebel
  7. Give Me A Minute
  8. Wonder Woman
  9. It Should’ve Been You
  10. Sweatshirt