Loretta Lynn To Host Gospel Music Festival at Hurricane Mills

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loretta Loretta Lynn will welcome fans to the inaugural “Loretta Lynn’s Gospel Music Festival,” to be held at her Hurricane Mills, Tenn. ranch Sept. 28-29, 2013.
“Its kind of like an old-time “all-day singing and dinner on the ground,” says Lynn. “I got to thinking. I have a big ranch where I live so I decided to throw a good ole Gospel weekend here! I want family and friends to bring a blanket, set up a picnic and then enjoy some of my favorite Gospel music singers! I may even come down and sing a song myself! I hope it will be something we can keep going every year. I already have a big campground and cabins where people can stay. We also have a big stage – we have concerts all summer and have done so since 1974.”
Scheduled to appear during the two-day event are Mark Lowry, The Hoppers, The Isaacs, Karen Peck & New River, Gold City, Rambo-McGuire, The Singing Cookes, The Freemans, Brian Free & Assurance, Michael Combs, Archie Watkins & Smoky Mountain Reunion, and The Sneed Family.
For those arriving early on Friday night, Sept. 27, 2013, there will be a special bon-fire and sing-a-long beginning at 8:00 p.m.
“I should have started this years ago,” comments Lynn. “But, it’s never too late – I am inviting everyone to my ranch to have a great ole Gospel time! It’ll be a fun time for the whole family. Speaking of family, I want to thank Jeff Sneed and The Sneed Family for helping me plan and promote this Gospel Music Festival. We sure are looking forward to this special time!”
Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. is the perfect destination for this amazing weekend of Gospel music. The full service RV park features primitive camping, pools, canoeing, paddle boats and more. Guests can also tour Loretta’s plantation home, the Butcher Holler Home Place, and her brand-new 18,000 square foot “Coal Miner’s Daughter” museum.
Tickets are on sale now and more information can be found online at LorettaLynn.com or by calling the ranch at 931-296-7700.

Nashville Songwriters, World Vision Head To Dominican Republic

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Pictured (L-R): World Vision's Michael Bianchi, CAA's Megan Sykes, Molly Hunt, Luke Laird, Natalie Hemby, Nicole Johnson (Elenowen), Josh Johnson (Elenowen), Russell Dickerson, World Vision's Claudia Martinez, Matt Wertz, Melissa Fuller, Ella Mae Bowen, and World Vision's Mike Severson

Pictured (L-R): World Vision’s Michael Bianchi, CAA’s Megan Sykes, Molly Hunt, Luke Laird, Natalie Hemby, Nicole Johnson (Elenowen), Josh Johnson (Elenowen), Russell Dickerson, World Vision’s Claudia Martinez, Matt Wertz, Melissa Fuller, Ella Mae Bowen, and World Vision’s Mike Severson.


Global humanitarian organization World Vision continues to follow its mission of giving back to children, families and their communities worldwide.  This past month, World Vision sent a group of artists and songwriters to the Dominican Republic to give back and meet with families in need.
Participating artists and songwriters included Ella Mae Bowen, Russell Dickerson, Elenowen (The Voice), Melissa Fuller, Natalie Hemby (“White Liar,” “Only Prettier,” “Pontoon”), Molly Hunt, Luke Laird (“Downtown,” “Beat This Summer,” “Pontoon”) and Matt Wertz. Artists who have previously worked with World Vision include Sarah McLachlan, LoCash Cowboys, Scotty McCreery (American Idol), Gwen Sebastian (The Voice), Kris Allen (American Idol) and Patty Griffin.
The songwriters also had the chance to meet with the families in which their efforts would be helping. While in the Dominican Republic, the group traveled to a school in Santo Domingo where both the songwriters and the children performed music for each other. Each songwriter got to experience firsthand the work of World Vision and their impact on foreign communities.
“This special group of songwriters are not only incredibly talented artists, but people of strong character who want to do something beyond themselves,” said World Vision’s Mike Severson. “We were honored to have them journey with World Vision and look forward to collaborating with each of them in some way.”
The World Vision experience not only helps communities in need, but it also leaves songwriters with a sense of fulfillment from their journey.
“By taking this journey, World Vision has opened my eyes not only to the adversity, but also to the advocates,” said Country music songwriter Natalie Hemby. “World Vision is reaching through the cracks of humanity and planting hope throughout the World… One child, one family, one community, one country at a time.”
World Vision launched the annual event for Country music artists and songwriters to network with each other while helping a community in need. Plans are already underway for next year to return to the Dominican Republic.

'The Voice' Winner Danielle Bradbery Readies First Single

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danielle bradbery the heart of dixie1
With each performance on The Voice, Danielle Bradbery charmed her way into the national spotlight, covering some of Country music’s most notable songs from artists like Tim McGraw, Pam Tillis and The Judds. A month after her Season 4 win, the 16-year-old will release “The Heart of Dixie,” her first single on Big Machine Records, to iTunes on July 16 and officially impact Country radio on July 22.
The Texas native will also debut “The Heart of Dixie” on the TODAY Show next Wednesday (July 17), LIVE from Rockefeller Center in the heart of New York City.
Written by Brett James, Troy Verges and Caitlyn Smith, the liberating single was produced by James in Nashville.
“The first time I heard this song I thought about the emotions in it,” said Bradbery. “For me, Dixie’s story is about inspiration … it is so honest. People of all ages and backgrounds supported me on The Voice and I love that this song shows how we can have the same feelings through different experiences, no matter where we are in life.”
Coach Blake Shelton called her, “the most important artist to ever walk across The Voice stage.” Clearly audiences from coast to coast agreed, catapulting Bradbery’s covers of “Maybe It Was Memphis” (Pam Tillis), “Born To Fly” (Sara Evans), “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” (The Judds), and her duet with Shelton of Patty Loveless’ hit “Timber, I’m Falling In Love” into the #1 spot on the iTunes Country Singles Chart. Selling more song downloads than any other contestant in the NBC hit show’s history, Bradbery also marked the youngest to take the title.

CMA To Stream Songwriters Series Concert Featuring Lambert, Moore

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cmasongwriters1The CMA Songwriters Series, featuring Miranda Lambert, Kip Moore, Brett James, and Bob DiPiero, who will also serve as the evening’s host, will be streamed live on CMAsongwritersseries.com from the Royale Boston Nightclub in Boston, Mass.
The event will begin Thursday (July 11) at 6:30 p.m. CT.
 
 

Cassetty Entertainment, McCreery Part Ways

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scotty mccreeryCassetty Entertainment has filed suit against former artist management client Scotty McCreery. According to the Nashville Post, the suit alleges that McCreery never paid Cassetty for services rendered.
Industry veteran Todd Cassetty launched his management company in October 2012 with McCreery as the first client, but the parties never signed an official agreement. The suit claims McCreery was supposed to pay 15 percent of his gross revenue for management services.
A statement by the singer says, “There is no truth to these allegations. I have offered to pay Todd more than once, but he wanted an unreasonable amount for only five months of work. Anyone who knows me knows how I conduct myself, so I am not worried they will believe any of this. This is just an attempt to embarrass me and my family. The facts will come out when we have our day in court.”
Cassetty formed the management enterprise after stepping away from his day-to-day roles with respected digital marketing firm Hi-Fi Fusion and television production company Todd Cassetty Welding Service, where he worked with numerous superstars and major labels.

Ronnie Dunn Forms Label, Releases Single

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L to R: Diane Monk, VP Promotion for HitShop Records, Ronnie Dunn, and Skip Bishop, President of HitShop Records.

Ronnie Dunn and the HitShop team (L-R): Diane Monk, VP Promotion; Dunn; and Skip Bishop, President


Ronnie Dunn is launching his own label, Little Will-E, to release single, “Kiss You There.” The track was already sent to country radio and is set to officially impact July 29. It is being promoted through a deal with HitShop Records.
HitShop is distributed by Warner Music Nashville and part of the Ramblin Music Group, whose holdings include Young Guns Publishing.
“This partnership is a slam dunk, natural evolution of our belief in Ronnie’s unmatched talent,” shares Skip Bishop, President of HitShop Records. “He is undoubtedly the most recognizable voice in Country music and has raised the bar with new remarkable, cutting-edge material and production! Ronnie’s contemporary musical brilliance is a perfect match for HitShop’s new model.”
“Kiss You There” was written by Don Schlitz and Josh Kear and produced by Dunn and Jeff Balding, Executive Vice President of Little Will-E Records.
Dunn’s “Country This” and “Kiss You There” can be downloaded exclusively on iTunes.

C.F. Martin & Co. And Ed Sheeran Unveil Collaboration

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martin strings11C.F. Martin & Co. will unveil the latest Artist Signature Edition from the Custom Shop during this year’s Summer NAMM conference, which is slated for July 11-13 at Nashville’s Music City Center. The LX1E Ed Sheeran Signature Edition was designed in collaboration with the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. The guitar features Sheeran’s personal artistic details on the headstock, including his signature fluorescent orange “+” plus sign and “est. 1991,” which represents the name of his platinum-selling album and year Sheeran was born respectively. Additionally, the “+” plus sign logo is laser-etched on the solid sapele top, which signifies the title of his platinum-selling debut album.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this model will be donated to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, a UK-based charity Sheeran supports. The organization cares for young children and young people with life-threatening conditions and provides services across several UK counties, including Suffolk, where Sheeran was raised.

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran


“It was a huge privilege to have the opportunity to collaborate with Martin Guitar,” said Sheeran. “I have been a fan of Martin since I started playing guitar and songwriting, and I am honored to have a Signature Edition that bears my own personal imprint. All of the royalties from every purchase from my Signature Edition will go to the East Anglia Children’s Hospices. I can’t wait to get on stage and perform with it for my fans – I hope they enjoy my new Martin as much as I do!”
“We are so proud to have such a prolific and credible artist as Ed Sheeran join the Martin Guitar family,” said Amani Duncan, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Martin. “One of our marketing objectives at Martin is to spread our dynamic culture, history and brand to new consumers worldwide and Ed is the perfect Ambassador to help us achieve this. We cannot wait to present our latest collaborative Artist Signature Edition to his fans and ours across the world this summer.”
Following an industry unveiling at Summer NAMM on July 11, Ed Sheeran will unveil his LX1E Ed Sheeran Signature Edition to his U.S. fan base when he performs on the Today Show Summer Concert series on Friday July 12. Fans can catch Sheeran and his new Martin model on the road through the end of 2013 with tour mate Taylor Swift.

Randy Travis Hospitalized

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randy travisRandy Travis has been admitted to a Texas hospital and is listed in critical condition. The 54-year-old Grammy winner is suffering from complications of recently acquired viral cardiomyopathy. Travis was admitted into the medical facility yesterday. Cardiomyopathy is a disease that weakens and enlarges the heart muscle. Cardiomyopathy makes it harder for your heart to pump blood and deliver it to the rest of your body.
Randy Travis is best known for “Three Wooden Crosses,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “Diggin’ Up Bones,” and “Deeper Than the Holler.”

Songwriter Johnny MacRae Dies at 84

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JohnnyMacRae

John MacRae


Songwriter Johnny MacRae died on Wednesday, July 3 at his home in Ashland City, Tenn., after suffering from heart disease. MacRae was 84 years old.
The songwriter is known for country hits like Conway Twitty’s “I’d Just Love To Lay You Down,” Doug Stone‘s “I’d Be Better Off In A Pine Box” and Reba McEntire’s “(You Lift Me) Up To Heaven.”
In lieu of a funeral, MacRae’s wife Mary will hold a celebration of life service for her late husband on Oct. 19 in Ashland City, Tenn.

Weblinks: 'Wall Street Journal' Highlights Average Joes

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mud diggerThere’s hardly a news outlet that brings more business cred than the Wall Street Journal. Last week the publication spotlighted the growing hick-hop genre, focusing largely on the success of Average Joes, home to artists Colt Ford, Lenny Cooper, the LACS, and the Mud Digger compilations.
The story examines the importance of live performance income, deals that placed the indie label’s albums in Wal-Marts despite across-the-board dwindling physical sales, and the use of Pandora’s “heat maps” to show where listeners were streaming the genre.
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Three characters on Nashville have been promoted to series regulars for the upcoming second season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, viewers can expect to see more of sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella, who play Rayna’s daughters, and Chris Carmack, who appears as “Will.”
Refresher: Will is a singer/songwriter cowboy who is struggling with his sexuality. Also, at the end of the last season, it was revealed that Deacon is Maddie’s (Lennon Stella) father.
No shocker here, but executive producer Callie Khouri told TV Guide that Rayna and Deacon will survive the car crash from the first season finale. For more behind-the-scenes info, follow the writers on their new Twitter account @Nashvillewrites.
• • • •
Wondering what really happened to The Civil Wars, who are about to release a new album despite being on extended hiatus due to “internal discord”? Half of the duo, Joy Williams, sat down with the New York Times to discuss the situation. She and musical partner John Paul White are not speaking, and there are no plans for a tour. She tells the newspaper that tensions built over time, until they reached an impasse. The album is scheduled for release Aug. 6.