Columbia Nashville Adds To Artist Roster

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Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Gary Overton, Columbia Nashville artist Leah Turner, Sony Music Nashville A&R exec Jim Catino. Photo Credit: Brian Kaplan

Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Gary Overton, Columbia Nashville artist Leah Turner, Sony Music Nashville A&R exec Jim Catino. Photo Credit: Brian Kaplan


Columbia Nashville has added 26-year-old singer-songwriter Leah Turner to the label’s artist roster.
The deal came as Turner’s official birthday wish, as Leah turned 26 yesterday (July 29). Currently writing and recording her debut album, Turner’s first single under Columbia Nashville will be her co-penned track “Take the Keys,” which is slated for an Oct. 7 radio release.
The single can be previewed here.

NPR's 'Song Travels' Features Chris Young

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chris young A.M1NPR‘s Song Travels has featured its first country artist. Chris Young took a recent musical journey with entertainer Michael Feinstein. Taped last year in Los Angeles, Young explores his musical past, present and future during the one-hour program, recounting how music and the art of songwriting have shaped his journey.
The program features performances of Young’s hits “You” and “Gettin’ You Home.” He also joins Feinstein for an impromptu performance of the 1960’s song “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.” A stream of the broadcast can be heard here.
Past guests on the program include Bette Midler, Liza Minelli, Mark O’Connor, and David Hyde Pierce.
Young’s fourth album, A.M., is available for pre-order today.

New Title For SESAC's Justin Levenson

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Justin Levenson

Justin Levenson


SESAC has promoted Justin Levenson to the position of Director, Licensing Operations. Levenson will be responsible for reviewing the productivity and efficiency of SESAC’s Licensing department utilizing systematic and measurable processes to ensure alignment with SESAC’s Organizational goals. Levenson, who has been with SESAC for over 12 years, previously served as Manager, Licensing Operations.
“Justin has proven himself to be a creative and valuable member of the Licensing department,” said Bill Lee, SESAC’s Senior Vice President, Licensing Operations. “There are many exciting new initiatives in the future and we are confident Justin’s contribution to SESAC’s continuing growth will be significant.”
Levenson is a Leadership Music alumnus and is on the Board of Directors for WO Smith Community Music School as well as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Troubadour Society Advisory Board and Strategic Outreach Committee Chair. He is a Library of Congress Board Member and is currently President of the Nashville Emerging Leader program (NEL).

Clear Channel Communications Names President, CFO

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clear-channelCC Media Holdings, Inc. has added Richard J. Bressler as President and Chief Financial Officer of CC Media Holdings, Inc. and Clear Channel Communications, Inc., and Chief Financial Officer of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc., reporting to Chairman and CEO Robert Pittman, effective immediately.
Bressler has served as CFO of Time Warner and Viacom, and Managing Director at Thomas H. Lee Partners. As a member of Thomas H. Lee Partners, one of the two private equity firms that completed an acquisition of Clear Channel in 2008, Bressler has been Director of CC Media Holdings and Clear Channel Communications since then. He will continue to hold both positions and has been involved in the company as a member of the CC Media Holding board’s operating committee.
Bressler succeeds Tom Casey, who served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of CC Media Holdings, Inc., Clear Channel Communications and Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. from 2010.

APA Adds Agent

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Travis Wolfe

Travis Wolfe


Travis Wolfe has joined APA‘s Nashville headquarters as agent, according to Steve Lassiter, Senior Vice President/Partner of APA. Wolfe, who was formerly with Paradigm, will focus his efforts on the firm’s expanding corporate and special events division. Most recently, Wolfe was named one of the 2012 Emerging Talent Agent of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA).
Prior to Paradigm, Wolfe began his career in artist management for Country artist Neal McCoy, while also owning a small production company specializing in college and festival events. He went on to work in sales at TBA Global, where he helped orchestrate and book talent for special event clients such as State Farm, Jackson Hewitt and Accenture.

Nashville Dancin’ Wraps with National Bud Light Show

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75f8f3e7c40dc8567724ccdd_240x172Nashville Dancin’ will conclude its 2013 season with a music festival for fans ages 21 and over on Thursday, Aug. 1.
Presented by Dollar General, Nashville’s Bud Light Music First 50-50-1 will be part of a nationwide live music event to be held in each state, created in partnership with Live Nation, Myspace and Universal Music Group.
Leading the Music City celebration will be headliner Colt Ford, alongside A Thousand Horses, Scarletta and Quaker City Night Hawks. Concertgoers will also be able to connect with other music fans through the Bud Light Music First Myspace hub, which will stream concerts in various U.S. cities. The event will be held at Riverfront Park.
“Ending our first season back in Nashville with the continued support of Dollar General and a partnership with Bud Light Music First 50-50-1 is a fabulous way to wrap up the season,” said Tom Morales, producer for the event.
Additionally, the Nashville festival will feature food stations DegThai, The Grilled Cheeserie, Pazze Italiano, Riffs Fine Street Food and Jeni’s Ice Cream. Artist merchandise will be available at Nashville’s first and only mobile clothing boutique, The Trunk, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, and PENCIL Foundation. All the profits from Nashville Dancin’ merchandise will be donated to charities of choice.
Parking and shuttle service will be free at LP Field for the Riverfront event. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Click here for more information.

Willie Nelson To Release Duets Album

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To all the girls

Photo via Amazon


Willie Nelson will release his latest album To All the Girls on Sept. 24, 2013. The album features Nelson singing alongside several female performers, including Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Miranda Lambert, the Secret Sisters, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Wynonna Judd, Alison Krauss, Melonie Cannon, Mavis Staples, Norah Jones, Shelby Lynne, Emmylou Harris, Lily Meola, Brandi Carlile, Paula Nelson, Tina Rose and Carrie Underwood.
Underwood accompanies Nelson on “You Were Always On My Mind,” which earned him a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1982. Additionally, the song won the all-genre Song Of The Year Grammy and the Best Country Song Grammy.
To All The Girls Track Listing:
1. ‘From Here to the Moon and Back’ feat. Dolly Parton
2. ‘She Was No Good for Me’ feat. Miranda Lambert
3. ‘It Won’t Be Very Long’ feat. The Secret Sisters
4. ‘Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends’ feat. Rosanne Cash
5. ‘Far Away Places’ feat. Sheryl Crow
6. ‘Bloody Mary Morning’ feat. Wynonna Judd
7. ‘Always on My Mind’ feat. Carrie Underwood
8. ‘Somewhere Between’ feat. Loretta Lynn
9. ‘No Mas Amor’ feat. Alison Krauss
10. ‘Back to Earth’ feat. Melonie Cannon
11. ‘Grandma’s Hands’ feat. Mavis Staples
12. ‘Walkin” feat. Norah Jones
13. ‘Till the End of the World’ feat. Shelby Lynne
14. ‘Will You Remember Mine’ feat. Lily Meola
15. ‘Dry Lightning’ feat. Emmylou Harris
16. ‘Making Believe’ feat. Brandi Carlile
17. ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain’ feat. Paula Nelson
18. ‘After the Fire Is Gone’ feat. Tina Rose

Industry Pics (7-30-13)

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The Bobby Bones Show has joined efforts with non-profit group TEEMHaiti and international hunger relief organization Numana to create “30 Abes,” a special campaign and food packaging event in Nashville benefiting hunger relief in Haiti. On Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013, thousands of volunteers will gather at Nashville Municipal Auditorium with the goal to package 500,000 meals to send to the Maison Des Enfants De Dieu orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
The event will also benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in Nashville, as packaging volunteers will be encouraged to bring canned and boxed-food donations.

30 abes

Amy, co-host of The Bobby Bones Show, in Haiti.

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Station and label staff members were on hand at United Record Pressing this past Wednesday, July 24, to witness the very first vinyl pressing of the recently released Live From The Archives Of 650 AM WSM-Volume 1 project. For the first time in its 87-year history, 650 AM WSM has released a compilation volume of live, in-station performances by world renowned artists and writers. Both CD and vinyl are available at wsmonline.com.

Pictured (L-R): (top) Jason Cooper, Tom English, Nicole Judd, Joe Limardi, Billy Holland, (bottom) Eric Marcum, Jason MacDowall, Maggie Noonan).

Pictured (L-R): (top) Jason Cooper, Tom English, Nicole Judd, Joe Limardi, Billy Holland, (bottom) Eric Marcum, Jason MacDowall, Maggie Noonan.

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Producer and publisher Mark Bright recently (July 27) participated in an interview at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. Bright discussed his creative partnership with superstar Carrie Underwood, his work with other country music artists and his role as a music executive. The program was presented in conjunction with the museum’s Carrie Underwood: The Blown Away Tour Exhibition, on display now through November 2013.

Pictured (L-R): Mark Bright (right) and museum writer/editor Michael McCall, who conducted the interview.

Pictured (L-R): Michael McCall and Mark Bright.

Nashvillians on 'Billboard's' 40 Under 40 List

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Ben Vaughn

Ben Vaughn


Billboard’s just released “40 Under 40” list includes a few familiar faces from Music Row. See the complete list in the print issue dated Aug. 3. The first thirty names are posted online, while the remainder will be revealed on Wednesday, July 31.
Ben Vaughn, 37, Exec. VP, Warner/Chappell Nashville
His 13-year career includes time heading Big Tractor Music, EMI Music Publishing and now Warner/Chappell. His tenure at EMI was very successful and in his current role he has signed hit writers Liz Rose and Derek George, as well as others through a partnership with THiS Music.
Laura Hutfless

Laura Hutfless


Laura Hutfless, 31, Music Sponsorship Agent, CAA
Hutfless recently secured deals between Hunter Hayes and Pepsi, as well as Hayes and Country Financial. She also worked with ConAgra Foods and Feeding America to pair them with rising artists Cody Simpson, Amber Riley and Tori Kelly.
Marcie Allen

Marcie Allen


Marcie Allen, 39, Founder/president, MAC Presents
Allen has spent 18 years brokering music sponsorship deals. In the last year the Nashville native turned New Yorker has paired Citi with the Rolling Stones and Lady Antebellum, and Green Day with Nokia Music.

Nashville Entertainment Industry Has $10 Billion Impact

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nashville music city logo1A recent comprehensive study shows that Nashville’s music industry contributes $5.5 billion annually to the local economy, for a total output of $9.7 billion within the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The study, commissioned by the Music City Music Council, also showed that Nashville has more music industry jobs than any other U.S. city in relation to population and total employment, including New York or Los Angeles.
According to the study’s findings, Nashville’s music industry creates and sustains more than 56,000 jobs in the Nashville area, supporting more than $3.2 billion of labor income annually.
Other findings supported are the core employment in Nashville’s music industry per 1,000 population and per 1,000 total employment, which exceeds New York and Los Angeles by 2.5 to 4 times. Nashville’s density of music industry activity is up to 10 times greater than New York or Los Angeles and is currently 2 to 30 times greater than the nation overall.
The study highlighted opportunities for Nashville, including potential to become a top music education hub via a music consortium. Growing video and film industries work as sibling industries to the music business and music entrepreneurship is steadily growing (nearly 23 percent of Nashvillians are self-employed, a figure much higher than the 18 percent national level).
“Music is what Nashville is known for worldwide, and now this study further validates its importance as an economic engine for the city,” Mayor Karl Dean said. “It’s clear that Nashville’s ability to attract musicians and other creative people in the music community is unparalleled. This report gives us insight into what’s driving our success in this industry so that we can further build on what’s already working. The message we want to send to the world is: If you’re in the music business, this is the place to be.”
The Music City Music Council is co-chaired by Mayor Dean and Randy Goodman, a longtime Music Row executive. The study was conducted by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Research Center.
To view the full report, visit nashville.gov.