Grand Ole Opry To Release 'Backstage At The Grand Ole Opry'

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Backstage_001_frontcoverThe Grand Ole Opry is set to release Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, a new book that offers a behind the scenes look at country music’s most famous show, on March 15. The release coincides with the Opry’s 40th Anniversary celebration of its permanent home, the Grand Ole Opry House. The book is co-authored by Brenda Colladay and Dan Rogers, who together have over thirty years of experience working behind the scenes at the Opry.
Photos include dozens contributed by long-time Opry photographer Chris Hollo as well as vintage shots mined from the show’s large archive, for a total of 250 exclusive photos.
BACKSTAGE at the Grand Ole Opry celebrates each of the one-of-a-kind dressing rooms found backstage at the Grand Ole Opry House and includes the history behind portraits of Opry stars who embody the spirit of each room. Among the portraits featured: Trace Adkins, Charlie Daniels, Jimmy Dickens, and Rascal Flatts.
Photos include exclusive on-stage performance shots and candid backstage photos featuring Bill Anderson, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, and dozens of others stars. Notables from the world of media and entertainment are featured celebrating their own “Opry Moments,” including Anderson Cooper, Kevin Costner, Lester Holt, Paul McCartney, Charles Osgood, Robin Roberts, and Bob Schieffer.
BACKSTAGE at the Grand Ole Opry will be available at opry.com as well as all Opry Nashville retail locations.
The authors will sign copies of the book in The Opry Shop at the Grand Ole Opry House at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15 and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 16. The weekend marks the 40th Anniversary of the Opry House and is scheduled to include star-packed Opry performances and special events.

Music Row Rezoning Could Bring Large Residential Building

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nashville music city logo1According to the Nashville Post, a Metro Planning Department document has revealed that owners of several properties on Music Row are trying to rezone their properties to make way for a large-scale residential building.
Melrose Properties Partners, 66 MSW Partnership and BB&L Enterprises will meet with Metro Planning on March 13 to request that pieces of land be rezoned at 54, 56, 58, 60, 62 and 64 Music Square West.
If Metro gives the green light, an anonymous developer will build a five story 230-unit residential building. Nashville’s Civil Site Design Group has applied for the rezoning project.
Developers have recently planned several ventures on and around Music Row. In addition to SESAC’s plans to build a new $20 million building on the row, developers have planned projects in surrounding areas 18th Ave. South, Division St. and Demonbreun St.

Artist Updates (2/11/14)

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Blue_Smoke_CoverNEWDolly Parton’s new album Blue Smoke will be released by Sony Music Masterworks and Dolly Records on May 13. Following the album release, the Blue Smoke World Tour will hit select dates in the United States, England, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden.
TRACK LISTING:

  1. Blue Smoke
  2. Unlikely Angel
  3. Don’t Think Twice
  4. You Can’t Make Old Friends
  5. Home
  6. Banks of the Ohio
  7. Lay Your Hands on Me
  8. Miss You-Miss Me
  9. If I Had Wings
  10. Lover du Jour
  11. From Here to the Moon and Back
  12. Try

• • •

josey milner1111MTS Management Group artist Josey Milner has been nominated for Best Female Artist and Artist Of The Year at the 2014 Project Backstage Midwest Music Awards. MTS was also nominated for Best Promotions.In addition to Josey and MTS, Matthew Russo was nominated for Best Studio Recording Engineer. Matthew has engineered both of Milner’s recent single releases, “Not Pretty Enough” and “Cowgirls.”

• • •
Screen shot 2014-02-11 at 9.55.12 AMK-LOVE, along with World Hope and Premier Vacation and Events, have announced the 12th Annual 2015 K-LOVE cruise. The brand new MSC Divina ship will set sail from Miami, Fla. on Jan. 13, 2015 and hit three ports of call (Freeport, Nassau and private island, Half-Moon Cay) through Jan. 17.
Casting Crowns, Mandisa, Newsboys, Laura Story, Building 429, and speaker Lysa TerKeurst are among the artists and personalities that will take part in the cruise.
Tickets for the cruise are on sale now with prices starting at under $90/month. To purchase and find out more information please visit klovecruise.com.

 • • •
jcrabbJason Crabb has contributed the title song to Finding Faith, a feature film, available on DVD today at Walmart, Amazon.com and other retailers. Erik Estrada (The Cross and the Switchblade, “CHiPs”) stars in the story, inspired by actual events.
Additionally, Crabb has partnered with the Safe Surfin’ Foundation to create awareness about Internet crimes involving children and was recently honored as an Honorary Deputy by Sheriff Mike Brown of the foundation. Finding Faith is distributed by EONE Films.
• • •
Willow Creek Records Nashville has signed Nathan Stanley and is planning the release of his new album on April 15. The collection will feature guests Jeff and Sheri Easter, Wes Hampton, Vince Gill, Jeff Bates and Judy Marshall, The Isaacs, Adam Crabb, and T. Graham Brown and Judy Marshall. Nathan Stanley is the grandson of Ralph Stanley.
Pictured (L-R): Terry Thompson, Rhonda Thompson, Nathan Stanley

Pictured (L-R): Terry Thompson, Rhonda Thompson, Nathan Stanley

Songwriter Spotlight

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steve earlePlenty of opportunities to catch big-name and rising songwriters:
• Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle will perform at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on March 24 at 7:30 p.m.
• UMPG will present a writers round at The Listening Room Cafe tonight (Tues., Feb. 11) at 8:30 p.m. Set to perform are Jeremy Bussey, Ryan Hurd, Chase McGill and Cole Taylor. $5 at the door.
• BMI and YEP (Young Entertainment Professionals) will present a free event featuring Doug McCormick, Dillon Carmichael and Erik Dylan at Exit/In on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m.
• Carnival Music will present Adam Wright with W.B. Givens on Feb. 18, 7 p.m. at The Basement. No cover.
• The Writers Round at the Rectory will feature Bobby Tomberlin, Heather Morgan and O’Shea, with host Colm Kirwan on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. The event is at the Cathedral of the Incarnation Rectory on West End Ave. Tickets are $60 each, or $100 for a pair, and include heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Contact Jackie Stammen at jackie@sangennaromusicfest.org or (615) 557-1390 for tickets or details.
 

Country Radio Seminar Adds Panel, Star Power

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CRS2014-LogoCountry Radio Seminar has announced several updates for CRS 2014, held Feb. 19-21 at the Nashville Convention Center.
In addition to the already announced artists performing at the Grand Ole Opry show on Feb. 19, Charles Esten, Deacon from the ABC hit television series Nashville, and Sony recording artist, Chris Young have been added to the star-studded lineup. They join previously announced artists Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Old Crow Medicine Show and more.
CRS has also added a new panel set for Friday, Feb. 21 at 11 a.m., titled “Seven Essentials for Top Shows in the Digital Age.” International broadcast consultant, Valerie Geller will be the featured speaker for the panel and will discuss the checklist for entertaining, informing and inspiring radio shows.
The lineup for the Thursday Programming Mentoring Breakfast on Feb. 20 includes: Gator Harrison (WUSY), Lisa McKay (WQDR), Shelly Easton (WXTU), Mike Moore (KWJJ), JR Schumann (WWKA), Becky Brenner (Albright & O’Mailey & Brenner Consulting), Mike Preston (KKWF/Entercomm), Christie Matthews (KDXY), Tim Roberts (WYCD), Clay Hunnicutt (Clear Channel Media & Entertainment), John Shomby (WGH/Max Media), Jeff Kapugi (WUSN), Lance Tidwell (WWYZ), Bob Glasco (Glasco Media) and Mike Kennedy (KBEQ/Wilks Broadcasting).
The Friday Manager’s Breakfast, set for Feb. 21 and facilitated by Erica Farber, will include: John Zimmer (NAB/RAB), Chris Duncombe (Corus Entertainment), Travis Ploeger (SoundExchange), JJ Jobe (Rusty Walker Programming), Scott Huskey (Rusty Walker Programming), Judy Lakin (Cox Media Group) and Bill Rose (Nielsen Audio).

Date Revealed for 2014 CMT Music Awards

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cmt logo111The 2014 CMT Music Awards will be held Wednesday, June 4. The awards show will bring in Country’s most popular artists to honor the best Country music videos of the year, and will air nationally on CMT.
Nashville will already be in full celebrating mode that week, as the 2014 CMT Music Awards will be held one day before CMA Music Festival, which will run June 5-8.
Additional event and ticket information will be announced soon.

Dallas Smith To Release 'Tippin' Point' in March

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dallas smith111Dallas Smith will release his new EP Tippin’ Point, on Tuesday, March 4. Produced by Joey Moi (Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen), the six-song EP includes the current single “Tippin’ Point” and marks his debut U.S. release on Big Loud Mountain Records/Republic Nashville.

Hailing from British Columbia, Smith offers a wall-of-sound approach that blends Country vocals with a rock background. Tippin’ Point EP follows his breakout Canadian Country debut (604 Records/Universal Music Canada), Jumped Right In, which earned Smith a 2013 Juno award nomination for Country Album of the Year.
Smith will join Florida Georgia Line this April on their Here’s To The Good Times Tour in Western Canada.
Tippin’ Point EP Track Listing
1. Tippin’ Pont
2. Slow Rollin’
3. This Town Ain’t A Town
4. Wrong About That
5. A Girl Like You
6. Nothin’ But Summer

'Music Row 101' Seminar To Be Held at Bridgestone Arena Feb. 27

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Music-Row-101-DLjpegClear Channel Media + Entertainment is collaborating with the Nashville Predators for Music Row 101, programmed by Leadership Music, on Thursday, Feb. 27, beginning at 9 a.m.
Leadership Music, currently in its 25th year, is programming the day-long educational seminar targeted at those wanting to learn to basics of the music business. The $98 fee includes a welcome by Nashville’s pro-music mayor, Karl Dean, himself a Leadership Music alum, historian/journalist Bob Oermann’s always-popular examination of How Nashville became Music City, four panel discussions, a songwriters-in-the-round closing session, a cocktail reception and tickets to the Nashville Predators/Tampa Bay Lightning that night. The seminar will be in the Bridgestone Arena rehearsal hall.
“Whether you are a songwriter, an aspiring artist, a music lover, or just want to know how the music biz works, this is your chance to spend an entire day learning from music industry professionals at Music Row 101,” organizers said.
Among those slated to appear are executives of Universal Music Group Nashville, Big Machine Label Group, Nine North Records, and Warner Music Nashville, artist managers, music publishers, the general manager of Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café, journalists, and air personalities and executives from WSIX. The majority of the participants are alumni of Leadership Music.
The event is sponsored by Gibson Brands and Regions Bank.
Included in the price of admission is an end-of-day networking and social hour followed by tickets to experience the hockey game between the Nashville Predators and the Tampa Bay Lightning. “We are extremely excited to be a part this year’s Music Row 101 event,” added David Kells, vice president of booking for Bridgestone Arena. “The lineup of guest panelists is unmatched and for people looking to get their foot in the door, there is no better event to attend. Bridgestone Arena has hosted some of the world’s most successful musical artists and also the biggest sports figures. If you are looking to break into the entertainment industry, specifically the music industry, this is an event you will not want to miss.”
To register for the event, visit www.wsix.com Keyword: MusicRow
Schedule of Events (Subject to change)
 8:00 to 9:00am – Registration
9:00 to 9:05am – Welcome
9:05 to 9:30am — Nashville Mayor Karl Dean
9:30 to 10:30am – Robert Oermann – How Nashville Became Music City
10:30 to 10:45am – Lisa Harless – Regions Bank
10:45 to 11:00am – Coffee break provided by Dunkin’ Donuts
11:00 am to 12:00 noon – “I Wrote a Song, Now What?
Speakers:

  • Kos Weaver – Executive Vice President, BMG Chrysalis
  • Allison Jones, Senior Vice President, A&R, Big Machine Label Group
  • Erika Wollam-Nichols, General Manager, The Bluebird Café
  • Moderated by Rusty Gaston, Partner/General Manager, THIS Music

12:00 to 1:00pm – Deal or No Deal? Big League or Minors?
Speakers:

  • Mike Dungan, President/CEO, Universal Music Group Nashville
  • Larry Pareigis, President, Nine North Records
  • JoDee Messina, Recording Artist
  • Moderated by Bryan Frasher, Manager, Red Light Management

2:00 to 3:00pm – There’s no “I” in Team
Speakers:

  • Chris Parr, Spalding Entertainment
  • Bryan Frasher, Red Light Management
  • Moderated by Chuck Aly, Vice President, Editorial and Operations, Country Aircheck

3:00 to 4:00pm – Are You Ready for Primetime?
Speakers:

  • Tree Paine, Vice President Publicity, Warner Music Nashville
  • Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President, Music Strategy, CMT
  • Michael Bryan, Operations Manager and Program Director, The BIG 98 WSIX-FM
  • Rod Phillips, Senior Vice President of Programming, Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
  • Moderated by Chuck Aly, Vice President, Editorial and Operations, Country Aircheck

4:00 to 4:15pm – Afternoon coffee break provided by Dunkin’ Donuts
4:15 to 4:30pm – Top Ten Tech Trends
Speaker:

  • Craig Anderton, Chief Magic Officer – Gibson Brands

4:30 to 5:45 pm – Guitar Pull – Power Play
5:45 to 6:45 pm – “Backstage” Reception
7:00pm – Game starts – Nashville Predators vs Tampa Bay Lightning

Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss & Union Station To Co-Headline Tour

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paper airplane1111

Alison Krauss & Union Station


Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas will take the stage together this summer. Joining them for separate portions of the tour will be folk trio The Devil Makes Three, Kacey Musgraves, and Jason Isbell.
The 35-city US tour will kick off May 1 in Murray, Ky. at the CFSB Center at Murray State University and run through July 18 in Toledo, Ohio.
With a six-decade career and 200 plus albums, Willie Nelson is the creative genius behind the historic recordings of “Crazy”, “Red Headed Stranger” and “Stardust.” In 2013, Willie’s albums included Let’s Face The Music And Dance, and To All The Girls…  The album To All The Girls… features 18 duets with music’s top female singers including Dolly Parton, Mavis Staples, Sheryl Crow, Loretta Lynn, Wynonna Judd, Rosanne Cash, Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, and Shelby Lynne.
willie-nelson

Willie Nelson


Since signing with Rounder Records at the age of 14, Krauss has sold over 12 million albums and won 27 Grammy Awards.
Union Station includes Jerry Douglas (dobro, lap steel, vocals), Dan Tyminski (guitar, mandolin, lead vocal), Ron Block (banjo, guitar) and Barry Bales (bass, vocals), with Krauss on lead vocal and fiddle.
 
2014 TOUR DATES:
 
May 1               Murray, KY                    CFSB Center/Murray State University*
May 2               Atlanta, GA                    Chastain Park Amphitheatre *
May 3               Knoxville, TN                Thompson Boling Arena*
May 4               Cary, NC                       Koka Booth Amphitheatre*
May 6               St. Augustine, FL           St. Augustine Amphitheatre*
May 8               Daniel Island, SC            Family Circle Cup Stadium*
May 9               Simpsonville, SC             Charter Amphitheatre*
May 10              Greensboro, NC              White Oak Amphitheatre*
May 11              Huntington, WV             Big Sandy Superstar Arena*
May 13              Roanoke, VA                  Roanoke Civic Center*
May 14              Columbus, OH               Schottenstein Center*
May 16              Nashville, TN                 The Woods at Fontanel*
May 17              Birmingham, AL             BJCC*
May 18              Augusta, GA                  James Brown Arena*
June 5               Southaven, MS               Snowden Grove Amphitheater #
June 6               Louisville, KY                Waterfront Park+
June 7               Lewiston, NY                 Artpark #
June 8               Bethel, NY                     Bethel Woods Center For the Arts #
June 10              New York, NY                Radio City Music Hall #
June 13              Philadelphia, PA             Mann Center #
June 14              Columbia, MD               Merriweather Post Pavilion
June 15              Simsbury, CT                Simsbury Meadows #
June 17              Boston, MA                   Blue Hills Bank Pavilion #
June 19              Bangor, ME                   Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion #
June 20              Gilford, NH                    Bank of NH Pavillion at Meadowbrook #
June 21              Canandaigua, NY           CMAC Performing Arts Center #
July 6                Kansas City, MO            Starlight Theatre ~
July 7                Rogers, AR                    Arkansas Music Pavilion ~
July 9                Oklahoma City, OK         Zoo Amphitheatre ~
July 11              Council Bluffs, IA           Harrah’s Stir Cove~
July 12              Chicago, IL                    Ravinia Festival~
July 13              Detroit, MI                     Freedom Hill~
July 15              Rama, ON                      Casino Rama
July 17              Interlochen, MI               Kresge Auditorium~
July 18              Toledo, OH                    Toledo Zoo
*The Devil Makes Three
# Kacey Musgraves
~ Jason Isbell
+ The Wild Feathers

Bush Joins 650 AM WSM As General Manager

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image001Radio veteran Randy Bush has joined legendary radio station 650 AM WSM as General Manager. Bush brings to WSM 39 years of radio leadership experience, most recently with Cherry Creek Radio in Great Falls, Mont. Prior to that, Bush held general manager positions at Signal Media in Little Rock, Ark. and Journal Broadcast Group in Tulsa, Okla.
“I’m delighted to welcome Randy to 650 AM WSM,” said Steve Buchanan, Opry Entertainment president. “He brings with him the experience, creativity, and passion needed to succeed in one of the most unique positions anywhere in country radio. Randy sees a world of opportunity at WSM and he is excited about continuing the station’s great legacy.”
“I am humbled and thrilled to be given the opportunity to serve as General Manager of WSM-AM, The Legend,” Bush said. “I can’t wait to join such a tremendous group of people.”
Bush officially assumes his new role with the award-winning station Feb. 17.