MusicRow Team Grows By One

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michaelsmithMusicRow adds Michael Smith to its team as Operations Manager, where he will work in several areas, including sales and editorial, as well as assembling MusicRow‘s popular CountryBreakout Chart.
Smith’s musical interests came from growing in a very country-centric family, learning to play the piano in middle school and listening to favorites such as country superstars Loretta Lynn, Keith Urban and Reba.
Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson says, “MusicRow is very fortunate to have Michael on board. His strong work ethic, wide knowledge base, and attention to detail is a great skill set to begin a successful career. I look forward to working with him in our unrelenting strive to serve our subscribed members and industry readers.”
Smith is a Nashville native and spring 2013 graduate from Vanderbilt University with honors, where he studied Classics and English. After developing career interests in music and writing, he worked for US Weekly at 2012 CMA Fest and completed internships at Nashville Scene and Music City 411.
He can be reached at msmith@musicrow.com.
 

Country’s Biggest Names Join Shelton's Oklahoma Relief Concert

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Healing in the Heartland

Usher and Blake Shelton perform during ‘Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert.’


Last night (May 29) the stars turned out in full for NBC’s Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert. A string of country entertainers performed for a sold-out crowd at Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Host Blake Shelton kicked off the evening with his hit “God Gave Me You,” before telling the audience, “I’m here tonight with some of my closest friends from Oklahoma and beyond to join in and help with the rebuilding and recovery of this land that means so much to me.”
Shelton is one of the many Oklahoma natives who appeared during the concert. Others include: Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Ryan Tedder, Vince Gill and Toby Keith.
The special featured performances by Darius Rucker, who sang “True Believers,” Luke Bryan, who entertained with “Crash My Party,” and Rascal Flatts’ performance of “I Won’t Let Go.” Miranda Lambert delivered an especially emotional moment with “The House That Built Me,” allowing the audience to take over the singing during one portion. Gill delivered the ballad “Threaten Me With Heaven.” Shelton and his The Voice co-star Usher performed “Home,” a song recorded by both Shelton and Michael Buble.
Television hosts Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon, along with Alicia Keys and Underwood, recorded messages urging viewers to donate money for tornado victims.
The one-hour concert on NBC attracted about 8.5 million viewers, placing first in its 9 PM/ET time slot. It earned a 1.9 adults 18-49 rating, the network’s best time period performance since Jan. 9, according to Nielsen and Zap2It.com.

MusicRowPics: Aaron Lewis

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lewis

Aaron Lewis


Aaron Lewis visited the MusicRow offices yesterday (May 28) to perform songs from his latest album, The Road, which released in September 2012.
He performed two songs, including “Lessons Learned” and “Granddaddy’s Gun,” a song penned by Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Bobby Pinson. Lewis wrote or co-wrote all 10 tracks on the project with the exception of “Granddaddy’s Gun.”
The Massachusetts-based Lewis recorded both of his albums, Town Line and The Road, at Nashville’s Loud Recording Studios with producer James Stroud. “He has given me so much freedom to make albums the way I want to make them,” says Lewis. Lewis also made his debut appearance on the Grand Ole Opry last night.
For more information, visit aaronlewismusic.com.
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Thompson Square Cancels Weekend Shows

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Thompson Square

Thompson Square


Reigning ACM and CMA Vocal Duo of the Year Thompson Square has been forced to cancel this weekend’s shows due to Keifer Thompson being put on vocal rest. Show cancellations include tonight’s (May 29) show in Glen Allen, Va., as well as the duo’s appearances on the following Luke Bryan Dirt Road Diaries tour stops: Canandiagua, N.Y. (May 30), Hartford, Conn. (May 31), Camden, N.J. (June 1) and Boston (June 2). Those shows will go on as planned, with Cole Swindell appearing.
In a heartfelt message to fans today, Thompson states:
“It breaks my heart to tell our fans today that we must cancel our upcoming concert appearances this weekend. What many of you may not know is that I have recently been battling a very serious vocal condition. I was urged by doctors to cancel Thompson Square’s appearances and go on complete vocal rest several weeks ago; however, neither Shawna nor I wanted to disappoint our fans, which we love and respect dearly. So we chose to continue performing our scheduled shows while I remained completely silent offstage in an effort to heal. Unfortunately, at this time, I have been ordered by doctors to take the next step and to cancel this weekend’s shows in an effort to heal internally.
“Words cannot express how devastated we both are to bring this news to our fans. Our fans are on our minds every moment of every day – you are the reason we’re here and the reason we get to live our dream of making music for a living. We hope that you will understand what a difficult decision this has been and know that we can’t wait to get back out on the road and make it up to you as soon as possible.”
 
 
 

'CMT Crossroads' Featuring Willie Nelson To Air June 23

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willie-nelsonCMT celebrated Willie Nelson’s 80th birthday in Nashville recently with an all-star cast of friends for a special episode of CMT Crossroads: Willie Nelson & Friends From Third Man Records, set to premiere Sunday, June 23 at 9-10 p.m. ET/PT. The unforgettable episode will honor the superstar’s milestone birthday as he swaps lyrics on some of his most-loved songs with Sheryl Crow, Jamey Johnson, Norah Jones, Ashley Monroe, Leon Russell and Neil Young. A long-time admirer of Nelson, Jack White kicked off the special from his Nashville studio, Third Man Records. Nelson turned 80 on April 29, and released his latest Legacy Recordings album Let’s Face The Music And Dance on April 16.
The one-hour special includes some of Nelson’s biggest hits including “Crazy,” “Angels Flying Too Close to the Ground” and “Shotgun Willie;” and the entire cast joined the stage for Nelson’s widely-recognized honky-tonk hit, “Whiskey River.” During an interview session guided by Jack White, Nelson and White joined voices for an impromptu sing-a-long of “Red Headed Stranger,” which Nelson often sang to his children as a nighttime lullaby. The paired touched on subjects ranging from perhaps the most well-known guitar in country music, Trigger; to Texas dancehalls, Elvis and more.

Opry Events Abound at CMA Music Festival

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Guitar Auction Carrie Underwood (2)

Guitar autographed by Carrie Underwood that will be auctioned off.


The Grand Ole Opry will have a large presence at next week’s CMA Music Festival. Here’s a look at some of the events:
Thursday, June 6— Fifth Annual Guitars of the Stars Benefit Auction, 5:00 p.m. at the CMA Music Fest Buckle Stage at 4th Ave. and Broadway. Acclaimed Nashville visual artists have contributed one-of-a-kind guitars both inspired and autographed by country favorites including Alabama, Lauren Alaina, Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, and members of the cast of Nashville. Guitar great Steve Wariner and Jonathan Jackson from Nashville are set to perform, with radio and TV personality Bill Cody hosting. The event is open to the public, and all proceeds from the auction will benefit the Opry Trust Fund, which assists members of the country music community in need.

Saturday, June 8—City of Hope 24th Annual Celebrity Softball Challenge, 9:00 a.m., Greer Stadium. The Grand Ole Opry team will go up against “After Midnite with Blair Garner” for a friendly-rival challenge.
Opry at the Ryman Matinee at 3 p.m. featuring Oak Ridge Boys, Joey + Rory, and Mark Wills.
• • • •
Among the artists scheduled for Opry performances at the Grand Ole Opry House during CMA Fest week are Lauren Alaina, Roy Clark, Kree Harrison, Scotty McCreery, Kellie Pickler, Charley Pride, Rascal Flatts, Mel Tillis, Josh Turner, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood.
Opry Originals at 3rd Ave. and Broadway is set to host country favorites for artist signings, photo opps and giveaways beginning Wed., June 5. Among artists scheduled to appear are Mark Chesnutt, Easton Corbin, Casey James, Craig Morgan, Oak Ridge Boys, Mel Tillis and Mark Wills.
Details at http://www.opry.com/cmafest.

Big Deal Music Adds Greg Gallo as Creative Director

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big deal musicBig Deal Music has added Greg Gallo as Creative Director in Nashville, working alongside Dale Bobo and Pete Robinson.
Gallo, a Raleigh, N.C. native, has worked with Big Loud Shirt and Ash Street before becoming a partner at Revelry Music Group, and Gallo & Landers Music.
“We’ve known Greg for quite some time. His energy, passion, and knowledge of music, and the scene here in Nashville is unparalleled,” remarked Robinson & Bobo. “We are honored to have him be part of the Big Deal team.”
To date, the Big Deal Music roster includes: include My Morning Jacket, Jim James, The Black Angels, Ethan Johns, Missy Higgins, FIDLAR, The Walkmen, Korey Dane and songwriters Brad Tursi and Lee Anna McCollum. Additional new signings will be announced in the coming months.
 

Performers Added to 2013 CMT Music Awards

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CMT-Music-Awards
With only a week to spare, the 2013 CMT Music Awards has added several performers to the Nationwide Insurance stage, including: Ashley Monroe, Cassadee Pope, Dustin Lynch, Kree Harrison, Love and Theft and Randy Houser.
Nationwide will present an award to country’s best new live act. The nominees include Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Kip Moore and Lee Brice.
The event will be hosted by Jason Aldean and Kristen Bell and will include performances by some of the biggest names in country music. Fans can vote on CMT.com to determine the winners.
The 2013 CMT Music Awards will air live on Wednesday, June 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CMT and CMT.com
 

Big Machine Music Appoints Director of Music Publishing

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Alex Heddle111Big Machine Music (BMM) has appointed Alex Heddle to the newly-created Director of Music Publishing position. BMM is home to such hit artists/songwriters as Justin Moore, Greg Bates, Dustin Lynch and Raul Malo (of The Mavericks), along with hot newcomer RaeLynn.
“Alex has a strong reputation as an aggressive songplugger and is a passionate advocate for songwriters. He is a great fit for the culture we are building at Big Machine Music and we are proud to have him join the team,” said BMM Vice President Mike Molinar.
In his new role, Heddle will assist with day-to-day management of the BMM roster and creative representation of the catalog. With a background in songwriter and artist relations, the Belmont University graduate most recently served as the Creative Director for both Tom Leis Music and Love Monkey Music (the publishing venture of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Bob DiPiero). He is responsible for song placements for hit acts such as Lady Antebellum, Thompson Square and Alan Jackson, among many others.
“I’m very proud and excited to be joining the impressive team at Big Machine Music and I look forward to helping it grow. Many thanks to Scott Borchetta and Mike Molinar for this great opportunity,” stated Heddle.
The BMM catalog includes “Til My Last Day” (Moore), “Cowboys and Angels” (Lynch), “Did It For The Girl” (Bates), “From A Table Away” (Sunny Sweeney), and “She Cranks My Tractor” (Lynch) as well as tracks on the The Music Of Nashville (Season 1, Volume 1) soundtrack, from the ABC hit drama. The Nashville-based publishing company also recently created a joint venture with Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald’s Prescription Songs, allowing the two companies to co-publish songwriters and artists whose unique talents translate across genres.
Heddle will report directly to Molinar and can be reached via: alex.heddle@bigmachinemusic.com.

Bluebird Café Begins Summer Events

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Bluebird-CafeThe Bluebird Café kicks off the summer with a series of events and special performances, beginning with CMA Week on Monday, June 3 at 6 p.m. for a special acoustic performance with Wynonna Judd and a special guest opener. Reservations will be available today (May 29) beginning at 8 a.m.
Additional seasonal events include the resurgence of Bluebird on the Mountain, beginning Saturday, June 8 at 8 p.m. with Kim Carnes, Greg Barnhill and friends. The series continues throughout the summer with guests including Jonathan Singleton, Gretchen Peters and many more. Single car passes are $95 and available at Ticketmaster.
Beginning June 17, Hall of Fame songwriter Tom Shapiro will teach summer Master Classes for NSAI. Six two-hour sessions will teach 20 professional-level songwriters about the finer points that make a difference between a good and great song. The series costs $1,200 with scholarships and flex payments available. For more information, click here.
For more information on the Bluebird Café’s happenings, click here.