Peter Frampton Guests At Blair School's Conversation Series in December

Peter Frampton

Peter Frampton


Peter Frampton will be the special guest at the upcoming Dec. 9 installment of Blair School of Music’s Conversation Series at Ingram Hall. The event will be free and open to the public, but tickets will be required and will be available in the Blair Administrative Office at 10 a.m. beginning Nov 18. There is a limit of two tickets per person to the event, and more event information is available at blair.vanderbilt.edu. During the upcoming session with Frampton, Senior Lecturer Jen Gunderman will conduct an on-stage interview with the rocker and audience members will have a chance to ask questions afterward.
“Peter Frampton is a musical icon whose innovative guitar techniques revolutionized rock music in the 1970s,” said Mark Wait, Dean of the Blair School of Music. “I can’t think of a better performer to relaunch the Blair School’s Conversations Series, which spotlights important artists discussing the finer points of their craft.”“I am honored to be asked to come say a few words at Blair,” Frampton said. “I hope I can give some insight into what a musical career can be like, from in front of an audience and in the green room to writing and recording, always with an ever-present passion for music, which is the driving force behind it all.”
Blair’s Conversation Series launched in 1995 with an interview with guitar great Chet Atkins, and since then Amy Grant, Marty Stuart, Mark Knopfler, Steve Earle, Randy Newman, Eddy Arnold, Ben Folds, and many more have participated in the informative series.
 

Artist Updates (9-26-13)

Thompson Square

Thompson Square


To commemorate After MidNite’s 20th anniversary, Country stars Thompson Square, Joe Nichols, Darius Rucker and Kenny Rogers will host the acclaimed program in October. Each artist will host the program for one week with Thompson Square hosting from Sept. 30 – Oct. 6, Nichols from Oct. 7-13, Rogers from Oct. 14-20 and Rucker from Oct. 21-27. Previous artists who have hosted the program include Carrie Underwood and Justin Moore. 

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Clay Walker

Clay Walker


Clay Walker will perform the National Anthem for The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions™ Barrett-Jackson’s 6th annual auction in Las Vegas on Thursday, Sept. 26. Walker will also perform his single “All American” in honor of the military.

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Scotty McCreery

Scotty McCreery

Scotty McCreery ranks No. 8 on Billboard.com’s 2013 edition of 21 Under 21, the website’s list of the most powerful youth in music. McCreery is 19-years-old and ranked No. 4 on the site’s 2012 edition of 21 Under 21. One Direction earned the No. 1 place this year.

Opry Country Classics Series Returns To Ryman In October

5d59d59056ca7f42a0c9a206_440x246The Ryman Auditorium will host an Opry Country Classics series five Thursdays through the month of October, beginning with Lorrie Morgan on Oct. 3. Each show will feature an Opry Spotlight Artist performing several of his or her biggest hits, hosted by Bill Cody on Oct. 3 and Oct. 10 and Larry Gatlin on Oct. 17, 24, and 31.
Neal McCoy will perform songs from his new tribute album, Pride: A Tribute To Charley Pride, on his segment Oct. 10, Bobby Bare celebrates his upcoming induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame on the Oct. 24 show, and Charlie Daniels will have a spooky Halloween-themed time on his show Oct. 31 on the historic Ryman stage.
Opry Country Classics tickets and ticket combos with admission to both Thursday night’s Opry Country Classics shows and Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday Grand Ole Opry shows are available by visiting opry.com.

Rounder Records Moving To Nashville

rounder records11Rounder Records will soon be moving their main offices to Nashville.
Key members of Rounder’s creative and marketing team including President John Virant, VP A&R Scott Billington, Sr. Director of Promotion Howard Frank, and Project Manager Liza Levy will lead Rounder’s team in Nashville. The label is in the process of securing office space in Nashville. Rounder Records will continue to maintain a presence in Boston via Rounder founders Ken Irwin, Marian Levy, and Bill Nowlin. Director of Publicity Regina Joskow will continue to be based in New York City.
The label is recording home to numerous artists including Alison Krauss & Union Station, Dailey & Vincent, Steep Canyon Rangers, Blue Highway, The Time Jumpers, and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Rounder Records was founded in 1970 by Irwin, Leighton-Levy and Bill Nowlin. In 2010, Rounder was purchased by Concord Music Group and is distributed by Concord.

SOURCE Awards Honors Women at 11th Annual Event

Source Awards honorees for 2013

Pictured (L-R): Bonnie Garner, Paula Szeigis, Debi Fleischer-Robin, Sarah Trahern, Gerrie McDowell and Bebe Evans. Photo: Alan Mayor.

Numerous music industry elite turned out Tuesday evening (Sept. 24) to celebrate seven women whose careers have made and continue to make an impact on the music industry. Hosted by Jeannie Seely, the 11th Annual SOURCE Awards were held at Nashville’s Musician’s Hall of Fame and Museum. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Marsha Blackburn were both on hand to congratulate the honorees; Seely’s previously announced co-host Brenda Lee could not attend.

As attendees were wined and dined, the evening focused on the honorees including Bebe Evans, who has worked with the Charlie Daniels Band for more than 30 years, along with positions at BMI and Sound Seventy Corporation; Debi Fleischer-Robin (Robin Enterprises, Columbia/Sony Records, United Artists Records, Crystal Gayle); Bonnie Garner (Rothbaum and Garner, CBS Records, Dick Cavett Show), Donna Hilley (posthumously), who spearheaded Sony/ATV Publishing, Gerrie McDowell (Gerrieco Texas, Curb Records, Capitol Records), Paula Szeigis (who also spent most of her career working with The Charlie Daniels Band, along with Sound Seventy Corporation), and Sarah Trahern (Great American Country, TNN, C-Span).
Szeigis and Evans were feted by longtime boss Charlie Daniels via video. “Three women run my life,” said Daniels. “My wife, Paula and Bebe. I couldn’t imagine my life without them. They deserve every award they can be honored with.” Szeigis has spent the better part of her four-decade career as a publicist working with the Charlie Daniels Band. In 1992, Charlie manager David Corlew started management company Corlew O’Grady and Szeigis began working with several new artists, including John Berry. Evans began running the Charlie Daniels Band’s touring operations in 1988, a position she still holds more than 30 years later. Evans’ niece, Marcie Allen VanMol, was on hand to honor her aunt as a mentor and respected career woman.
Video tributes to the honorees were also made by Carrie Underwood, Gary Allan and other artists.
“I’m honored to join a group of extraordinary women to have the people in my career who have mentored, encouraged and even pushed me along,” said honoree Garner, who forged a 40-plus year career in concert promotion, record label A&R, television production and artist management. In 1984, she was promoted to the VP of A&R, the first woman to gain that position at CBS Records. In 1987, she left to join Mark Rothbaum & Associates, later named Rothbaum & Garner. “I haven’t been bored a single day in my career and I’m not done yet.”
Crystal Gayle attended to honor Fleischer-Robin, who became Gayle’s tour manager in 1977. Two years later, she was named VP of Operations for Gayle Enterprises. In 1981, she joined the promotion staff at CBS Records in Nashville (which later became Sony Music) and worked there for 17 years, working radio promotion for artists including Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Rosanne Cash, Vern Gosdin and many others. She founded Robin Enterprises in 1998, specializing in artist and radio development. She spearheaded comeback songs for Kenny Rogers (“Buy Me A Rose”) and Randy Travis (“Three Wooden Crosses”).
“It is my pleasure to be here to honor Debi,” said Gayle. Talking about her early days of being on the road with Fleischer-Robin, Gayle said, “My career was exploding and there we were, two girls taking on the world. I only wanted the best, and she was.”
Kix Brooks honored Hilley via video, and Sony/ATV’s president/CEO Troy Tomlinson gave a tribute to the former leader of Sony/ATV in Nashville. “Donna Hilley made Margaret Thatcher look like a sissy,” said Tomlinson. “She had two traits; she was tough in all the right places and soft in all the right places. Particularly, that endeared her to songwriters. Songwriters can be very sensitive. They sense when someone is being tough for their best interest, and Hilley knew when to give grace. That balance helped make her a great leader.”
Donna’s three daughters, Vickie Arney, Debbie Tenpenny and Whitney Stewart accepted the award on her behalf. Seely also spoke a few words about Hilley. “She was a role model for me in how to act, though I didn’t always turn out that way,” said the quick-witted host for the evening.
Another video congratulations came from Kenny Rogers, as McDowell was honored. “There are different periods of a career, and Gerri was so responsible for some of my greatest hits,” said Rogers. McDowell was brought to Nashville by Capitol executive Lynn Shults, and she became the first female national promotion executive at a Nashville record label. She later worked in a similar capacity at Curb Records, then as national VP for Curb/Universal. She was the first VP of Promotion to hire an all-female regional promotion staff. In 2000, she began Gerrieco, a Texas music promotion and consulting company.
Trahern, GM/Sr. VP of Scripps Networks Interactive’s Great American Country, moved to Nashville in 1995 to oversee specials and entertainment for TNN. She began her career at C-SPAN in Washington, DC covering politics and public affairs. She joined GAC in 2005 and was promoted to Sr. VP of programming, and in 2010, to GM of the network. “Television is a team sport,” said Trahern. “I may be the coach, but the coach can’t get you touchdowns.” To her team, who was in attendance, she said, “You move us down the field everyday, so this is for all of you.” She also gave ample thanks to her supportive parents, especially her father, who was in attendance. She recalled wanting to become a stewardess and then an airplane pilot as a child; her father was equally supportive of both. “I didn’t learn to limit. When I decided to do something crazy to leave politics to come to Nashville…He taught me that everything was possible.”
Judging by the careers displayed throughout the evening, the 11th Annual SOURCE awards were a potent reminder that in this industry, anything is possible.
All photos courtesy of Alan Mayor.
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CMHoF Pays Tribute to Buddy Emmons

Pictured (L-R): Guthrie Trapp, Vice President of Museum Programs Jay Orr, Bill Lloyd, Byron House, Pig Robbins, Leon Rhodes, Greg Morrow, Buddy Emmons, Duane Eddy, Dan Dugmore, Dean Miller, Buck Reid, (seated) Steve Fishell and Tommy White.

Pictured (L-R): Guthrie Trapp, Vice President of Museum Programs Jay Orr, Bill Lloyd, Byron House, Pig Robbins, Leon Rhodes, Greg Morrow, Buddy Emmons, Duane Eddy, Dan Dugmore, Dean Miller, Buck Reid, (seated) Steve Fishell and Tommy White.


The Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum presented a special program to honor pedal steel guitar legend Buddy Emmons on Saturday (Sept. 21). The program included performances from the new CD, The Big E: Salute to Buddy Emmons, interviews with the musicians featured on the record and a conversation between the record’s producer, Steve Fishell, and Emmons.
The program was presented in partnership with the Americana Music Association.

Vector Management Forms Venture With Boardwalk Entertainment Group

vector mgt1Vector Management has formed a strategic venture with Evan “Kidd” Bogart of The Boardwalk Entertainment Group. As a result, Boardwalk and Vector will develop a roster including up-and-coming blues/soul singer ZZ Ward and California rock-hop band Wallpaper, the latter Bogart manages along with Larry Wade.
Bogart, a songwriter, producer and now manager, will base the Boardwalk-Vector venture in Vector’s Los Angeles office.
“Evan and Larry are both astute music executives and great managers,” says Jack Rovner, Co-President and Partner of Vector Management. “There is enormous potential in this new relationship and we are thrilled to be growing a business together.”
“Evan has the music business in his blood and a relentless creativity that we look forward to integrating with our team,” adds Ken Levitan, Vector Management Co-President and Partner.
“Ken and Jack are two of the smartest, experienced and strategic music executives that I’ve ever worked with,” says Evan “Kidd” Bogart. “Our combined knowledge base, infrastructure and global reach combined with our like-minded passion for artist development, both in and out of the studio, make for an unstoppable partnership. I couldn’t be more excited!”

MusicRowPics: Chris Weaver Band

Chris Weaver Artist Visit

Chris Weaver Band Artist Visit


Chris Weaver Band visited the MusicRow offices Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 24). He performed his new single, “Raise The Dead,” which was written by Chris Weaver along with James LeBlanc and Josh Leo.
The West Virginia native’s sophomore album, American Dreamer, will be available Nov. 5. The soulful country project was recorded in Nashville with producer Leo (Alabama, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band); also featured are Jack Pearson (slide guitar), Kim Carnes (background vocals), Tony Harrell (keyboards), Steve Mackey (bass) and Tom Bukovac (guitar). Weaver wrote or co-wrote all songs for the project.
During his visit to the MusicRow offices, Weaver followed with “California High” and “I Should Have Said That.”
He has been touring the country recently and visiting reporting stations in support of “Raise The Dead.”
For more information on Chris Weaver Band, visit chrisweaverband.com.
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Big Machine Music Signs Thompson

Josh Thompson

Josh Thompson


Big Machine Music has announced an exclusive publishing agreement with songwriter Josh Thompson.
“We are proud to welcome Josh Thompson to the Big Machine Music team! We count ourselves among the many in this creative community who are fans of his songwriting and look forward to working with him and his songs,” said Big Machine Music VP, Mike Molinar.
As an artist, Thompson has written and released the singles “Beer On The Table” and “Way Out Here.” His latest album will feature Thompson’s single, “Cold Beer With Your Name On It.” The Wisconsin native has also had cuts by Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Gary Allan and others.
Thompson says, “As a songwriter, I’ve been at a handful of publishing companies over the years, and I know firsthand that change is good especially when it comes to creativity. The staff at Big Machine Music is top notch, and I’m back working with one of my good friends, Alex Heddle. I’m looking forward to makin’ some noise with this publishing team.”

'Nashville' Back With More Drama For Second Season Tonight

NASHVILLE

The cast of ‘Nashville’ returns Wednesday night (Sept. 25).

Nashville, the hot ABC-TV drama that helped ramp up Music City’s “it factor” over the past year, is back tonight beginning 10 p.m. ET for a second season. There were plenty of cliffhangers and loose ends to be tied up at the conclusion of season one a few months back, as main character Rayna, portrayed by Connie Britton, and her longtime love and band member Deacon, (Charles Esten), were smashed up in a horrific car accident. Aspiring artists/songwriters Gunnar (Sam Palladio) and Scarlett (Clare Bowen) contemplated marriage with a proposal, and dramatic, rising starlet Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) was left to pick up the pieces after a blackmail attempt and betrayal and her mother’s shocking suicide.

Season two will introduce some new characters into the already spicy mix, including actor Oliver Hudson, who joins the cast as Edgehill Records’ new chief who sets his sights on Rayna, and a reality show vixen who will reportedly give Juliette some stiff competition in the attention-grabbing department.
For a recap of some of last season’s most memorable moments, including Rayna and Deacon’s sizzling lip-lock in the elevator, Deacon’s devastating fall off the wagon, and Rayna’s daughters (Lennon and Maisy Stella) singing “Ho Hey,” check out Nashville creator Callie Khouri’s Top 5 picks from season one moments.
Watch the Nashville season two preview below: