Music City Hitmakers to Perform with Boston Symphony

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MCHMThe Music City Hitmakers, comprised of hit songwriters and session musicians from Nashville, will travel to Boston, Mass. for three evening sets with the Boston Symphony Orchestra Thursday-Saturday, June 13-15.
Nashville songwriters and lead singers Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson and Brett James will be joined by songwriter Troy Verges; producer, violin player, Charles Dixon; arranger/piano, Charles Judge; drummer, Nick Buda; background vocals, Kelly Archer; guitar, Milan Miller; and bass, Tim Marks.
The Hitmakers will share the behind-the-scenes stories of songs written for Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, and Lady Antebellum. Along with performances of “It’s America,” “Jesus Take the Wheel,” and “Mr. Know-It-All,” the weekend concerts will feature “Coming Home” from Country Strong, “There’s A Place For Us” from the Chronicles of Narnia series, and a debut of a song titled “Free,” commissioned specifically for the Boston shows written by members of the Hitmakers.
The program is part of the Bring Music City To Your City organization, founded by Dixon. For more information, click here.

Artists Sign On For iHeartRadio's "Show Your Stripes" Campaign

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show your stripes111Clear Channel has launched iHeartRadio’s Show Your Stripes, a company-wide community service project to address unemployment among U.S. military veterans and to encourage businesses to hire skilled veterans. The company is set to spend more than $75 million on radio, digital and other resources to highlight skills brought back by returning servicemen and women that are valuable to employers.
To launch the campaign, artists including Elton John, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Ryan Seacrest, Mario Lopez, Trace Adkins and LL Cool J have recorded a series of PSAs that showcase stories from veterans who have successfully found jobs. Clarkson tells the story of Jeff Marshall, a 10-year member of the U.S. Air Force special operations command who is now working in online operations at Facebook.
By the year 2016, more than a million servicemen and women will end their military careers and transition back to civilian life. According to a 2012 survey by Prudential and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, 60 percent of returning servicemen and women said they have faced a challenge translating the valuable skills they obtained in the military into civilian employment. 98 percent of all veterans cited at least one challenge in seeking employment.

Clear Channel Signs Performance Royalties Deal with Fleetwood Mac

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clear-channelClear Channel Media & Entertainment has signed the first direct performing rights partnership deal between a radio company and an artist. Clear Channel Media & Entertainment inked a deal with Fleetwood Mac that will enable the group to receive revenue from airplay on Clear Channel’s digital and broadcast radio platforms. The group’s new EP features the first new Fleetwood Mac music since “Say You Will” was released more than a decade ago.
The agreement is the first to be negotiated directly with an artist or group, creating a milestone for Clear Channel and the industry. The independent labels who have similar agreements with Clear Channel include Big Machine Label Group, Glassnote Entertainment Group, eOne, DashGo, Robbins Entertainment, Naxos, rpm Entertainment, Wind-up Records, Fearless Records, Zojak Records and Dualtone Records.
“Fleetwood Mac has blown me away from the first time I heard them – they are the perfect group for radio,” said Bob Pittman, CEO of Clear Channel. “Reaching an agreement with them is the clearest sign yet that this kind of revenue-sharing model represents the industry’s future—it is a win-win-win, for artists, fans and the music business. We look forward to helping Fleetwood Mac get their hit songs to their fans on whatever platform or device they want to find them.”
The band, which formed in London in 1967 and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has released 17 studio albums over its career.

'Kenny Chesney Presents: No Shoes Nation' To Air June 19

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kchesneyKenny Chesney Presents: No Shoes Nation, a 60-minute documentary produced by long-time collaborator and acclaimed music video director Shaun Silva, premieres Wednesday, June 19, 10 p.m./EST on Great American Country. The special goes into Chesney’s world, his touring reality and beyond, providing the most comprehensive picture of the four-time consecutive Academy of Country Music and four-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year.
“When we were finishing Life On A Rock, which was a collection of songs that were never meant to be part of an actual album, it occurred to me how thin the line between the music, me and my fans really is,” says Chesney. “I realized not only were those songs my fans’ lives, too; but that my fans like their lives with every bit as much heart, as much passion as I do — I wanted a special that showed them how they look to me, too.”
The documentary was filmed in Ft. Lauderdale, Key West, Tampa, Jacksonville, St. John and Barbados during rehearsals, in the islands, at club gigs, stadiums shows, etc.

Artist Updates (6-11-13)

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Jake Owen

Jake Owen


After Jake Owen’s concert set was cut short at the 2013 CMA Music Festival due to weather, The Bobby Bones Show offered the country star a way to make it up to fans. Fans can tune in tomorrow, June 12, at 8 a.m. CT to hear Owen perform his entire concert set live on air from The Bobby Bones Show studio in Nashville.
The special fan concert was set up via a quick Twitter exchange between Owen and Bones:
@jakeowen: Sorry to all my fans that paid good money for #CMAFEST2013 tix. Due to the weather coming in, I was told to only play one song. I ❤ you guys
@mrBobbyBones: Hey @jakeowen, you are formally invited to finish your set from last night on our show.
 @jakeowen: Say when…

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craigmorgan2013Country music star and Army veteran Craig Morgan put his EMT training to use on Sunday (June 9) when he helped emergency responders attend to a bad accident on Interstate 40 eastbound near Lobelville, Tenn., just 30 miles outside his hometown of Dickson. Morgan was returning from a recent concert date when, at approximately 11:15am central time Sunday morning, two semis and a tanker collided 1/4 mile in front of their tour bus.
Morgan and two members of his crew, Jerry Hines and Joey Greer, ran to the scene to help extinguish flames and care for the drivers.
“Anytime there’s a situation like this, I think it’s important to do what we can to help others,” shared Morgan this morning in an exclusive interview with Fox News.

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grand_ole_opry_logo_20051The Grand Ole Opry is about to get its own ice cream flavor. The “Graham Ole Opry” ice cream flavor won best in show at Sunday’s 28th annual Miss Martha’s Ice Cream Crankin’ fundraiser. Purity will begin producing the Graham Ole Opry flavor, which is made with chopped peanuts, caramel swirls and chocolate-covered graham chunks.
The flavor inventor, Amanda Allen, 22, is a recent college graduate. “I recently returned to Nashville from college, so I think I was feeling a lot of city pride in being here again. My midlife crisis plan is to open up an ice cream shop somewhere, so it’s nice to know that I am creating flavors that people think are worth eating,” said Allen.
 
 
 
 
 

CMA Music Festival Fun: Chevrolet Riverfront Stage

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ASCAP hosted an exclusive backstage VIP tent at the CMA Music Festival’s Chevrolet Riverfront Stage during all four days of this year’s event (June 6th – 9th), while many ASCAP artists performed on the Riverfront stage.

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Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan, David Nail and “Whatever She’s Got” co-writer Jimmy Robbins. Photo: Alison Toczylowski.


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Pictured (L-R): Fitzgerald Hartley’s Steve Emley, Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Gary Overton, Jerrod Niemann, Arista Nashville’s John Sigler and ASCAP’s Robert Filhart.  Photo: Alison Toczylowski.


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Eric Paslay performs on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage


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Dierks Bentley joins The Grascals in a performance on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage

RaeLynn Signs With Big Enterprises

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Pictured from L-R: Jaime Heller/KTR Law Group, RaeLynn, Kerry Hansen, Jenn Witherell

Pictured (L-R): Jaime Heller of KTR Law Group, RaeLynn, Kerry Hansen, Jenn Witherell


Kerry Hansen and Jenn Witherell of Big Enterprises have announced the signing of The Valory Music Co./Republic Records artist RaeLynn. She joins the management company which is home to Wynonna and Elenowen.
“RaeLynn is an extremely talented, driven and uniquely positioned young artist,” said Hansen. “Her experience on NBC’s The Voice may have launched the start of her career but her strong songwriting and unique vocals will make her a star. We are thrilled to be partnering with her and the BMLG family.”
RaeLynn, age 19, inked with Republic Nashville in June 2011 following an appearance on season 2 of NBC’s The Voice.
She is the first artist signed to a music publishing joint venture between Nashville based Big Machine Music Publishing and Los Angeles based Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald’s Prescription Songs.
The Baytown, TX native is currently writing music for her upcoming debut Country album.

MusicRowRecess: Nashville Is Great, But Stay Away

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Nashville111The Hollywood Reporter is the latest in a long line of media outlets shouting Music City’s praises…and it’s making some Nashvillians wish they could close the city’s borders. Stories rolled in from The New York Times about the food scene in east Nashville; the Times later named Nashville as an “It” city. Conde Nast Traveler listed Nashville as one of the best places in the world to visit in 2013. Bon Appetit and The Wall Street Journal both promoted Music City. Of course, the television show Nashville brought ample coverage and interest to its namesake city.
In an article titled Music City Confidential: Where A-Listers Eat, Sleep and Stay in Music City, the Hollywood Reporter shone the spotlight again on restaurants including Etch, The Catbird Seat, Tavern and The Southern Steak and Oyster, along with other establishments that heavy-hitters including William Morris Endeavor’s Greg Oswald and artists Jack White and Luke Bryan frequent.
Perhaps the real story is the imaginative responses from readers hoping to preserve the city from an onslaught of tourists and visitors. Now that the public reception of Nashville is turning away from decades of stereotypes involving hay bales and overalls, some commenters were happy to drum them up again in a humorous attempt to deflect visitors from coming to town.
What do you think–should Nashville leave the welcome mat rolled out?
A sampling of the comments are below. For more, click here.

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CMA Music Festival Fun: Tailgate Party

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Broadcast Music, Inc. presented the BMI Tailgate Party at the CMA Music Festival last week. The second annual BMI Tailgate Party showcased an extensive lineup of Nashville’s emerging bands, including Joey Hyde, Joel Crouse, Thomas Rhett, Lindsay Eli, David Fanning, Josh Thompson, Westbound Rangers, Native Run, Jon Pardi, Curious Band, The Railers and Brazilbilly.

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Pictured (L-R): BMI’s David Preston, Leslie Roberts, Clay Bradley and Jody Williams gather for a photo backstage with Joel Crouse and Thomas Rhett during the BMI Tailgate Party outside LP Field during 2013 CMA Music Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring


Pictured (L-R): BMI's Clay Bradley, Dallas Davidson, Native Run's Annie Clements and Universal’s Steve Hodges gather for a photo backstage at the BMI Tailgate Party outside LP Field during 2013 CMA Music Festival. (Erika Goldring Photo)

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, Dallas Davidson, Native Run’s Annie Clements and Universal’s Steve Hodges gather for a photo backstage at the BMI Tailgate Party outside LP Field during 2013 CMA Music Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring


tailgate party penny everhard

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, CMA’s Steve Moore and BMI’s Penny Everhard enjoy the BMI Tailgate Party outside LP Field during 2013 CMA Music Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring


Pictured (L-R): Drew Baldridge, AT&T’s Sean Mitchell, BMI’s Penny Everhard, Adam Craig & BMI’s Mason Hunter at the AT&T Showcase Stage presented by BMI.

Pictured (L-R): Drew Baldridge, AT&T’s Sean Mitchell, BMI’s Penny Everhard, Adam Craig & BMI’s Mason Hunter at the AT&T Showcase Stage presented by BMI.

Industry Ink (6-11-13)

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Pictured (L-R): Almon Law, PLLC's Noah McPike; BMG Chrysalis' Daniel Lee; Hannah Dasher; ASCAP's Ryan Beushel; BMG Chrysalis' Kos Weaver; BMG Chrysalis' John Allen

Pictured (L-R): Almon Law, PLLC’s Noah McPike; BMG Chrysalis’ Daniel Lee; Hannah Dasher; ASCAP’s Ryan Beushel; BMG Chrysalis’ Kos Weaver; BMG Chrysalis’ John Allen


BMG Chrysalis has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with songwriter and performing artist Hannah Dasher. A Georgia native and UGA graduate, Hannah recently participated in ASCAP’s highly successful GPS program. Hannah is currently writing for her debut release and performing regularly in the Nashville area and across the southeast.

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Paige Zuidema


RPM Entertainment has hired Paige Zuidema as Director of Secondary Radio Promotions. Zuidema will report directly to National Director of Promotions Rocco Cosco, effective immediately. “Paige has been a loyal part of our promotion team here at RPM for over a year now,” says Sr. VP April Rider-Helm. “I am thrilled to have her take over this very important role overseeing secondary country radio stations and to include her in the future growth of RPM’s record division.” Zuidema interned with Rider-Helm at Stoney Creek Records before joining RPM Entertainment Zuidema can be reached at [email protected]

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dark horse recording logo111Dark Horse Recording is looking to fill two newly created positions: Executive Assistant/Bookkeeper, and Sales & Marketing Manager. For additional information, contact Shelley Calabrese at [email protected].

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MRLGT_RegistrationParty111The 27th Annual Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament, sponsored by ASCAP, City National, McGhee Entertainment, Tim McGraw and benefiting United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee, will take place on Aug. 19 at the Old Natchez Country Club.
Registration is now open for the event, and there will be a kick-off/registration party on Wednesday, June 19 at Rebar (located at 1919 Division Street). The party will begin at 5p.m. and will feature a performance by Lisa Carver, Cheryl LuQuire and Stephony Smith.