Industry Pics: Artists.CMT Event, Songwriters Support MCTI

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Last Thursday (April 4), CMT, MTV, VH1 and Topspin hosted an open event at Ruby for the Nashville music community to learn about connecting with fans on the recently launched artist platforms, Artists.MTV, Artists.CMT and Artists.VH1. Nearly 20,000 artists have already claimed or created their pages. More than 12 million fans have visited the site, and in coming months, MTV/VH1/CMT will launch a mobile app for iOS and Android smartphones.

Pictured (L-R): Bob Moczydlowsky, Topspin; Martin Clayton, VP, CMT.com; Elyse McKenna, Topspin; Parker Brooks, Topspin; Chris Carlson, Topspin; Leslie Fram, SVP, Music Strategy, CMT; Nathaniel Gravely, Manager, Digital Music Strategy, MTV Networks; Stacey Herron, VP Digital Music & Progamming, VH1. Photo: Brian Tipton

Pictured (L-R): Bob Moczydlowsky, Topspin; Martin Clayton, VP, CMT.com; Elyse McKenna, Topspin; Parker Brooks, Topspin; Chris Carlson, Topspin; Leslie Fram, SVP, Music Strategy, CMT; Nathaniel Gravely, Manager, Digital Music Strategy, MTV Networks; Stacey Herron, VP Digital Music & Progamming, VH1. Photo: Brian Tipton


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James Slater and LoCash Cowboys’ Preston Brust and Chris Lucas entertained children at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt on April 4 in support of the 40th Annual Music City Tennis Invitational 2013. The MCTI tennis tournament will be held April 19-21 at Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center at Vanderbilt and benefits the Center for Child Development at Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Pictured L-R: Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Mascot Champ, Preston Brust, James Slater, Chris Lucas, Jason Duggins and MCTI Celebrity Host Kelly Sutton. Photo: Steve Green

Pictured (L-R): Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital mascot Champ, Preston Brust, James Slater, Chris Lucas, Jason Duggins and MCTI Celebrity Host Kelly Sutton. Photo: Steve Green

Artist Snapshots (4-11-13)

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Clay Walker will appear on tonight’s (April 11) episode of the hit show Auction Kings on the Discovery Channel. Fans can tune in at 8 p.m. CST to see Clay on Auction Kings, which showcases one of the country’s most storied auction houses, Gallery 63, in Sandy Springs, Ga. For more information on the show, visit http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/auction-kings.

Pictured (L-R): Clay Walker with Gallery 63 owner Paul Brown and his wife.

Pictured (L-R): Clay Walker with Gallery 63 owner Paul Brown and his wife.

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John Fogerty and Keith Urban caught up this past weekend in Las Vegas at the ACM Awards; Fogerty will also be performing in the special ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night,  set to air May 19 on CBS. Fogerty and Urban teamed up on the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Almost Saturday Night” on Fogerty’s upcoming album, Wrote A Song For Everyone.

Pictured (L-R): John Fogerty and Keith Urban.

Pictured (L-R): John Fogerty and Keith Urban.

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Rising artist Rachele Lynae meets Kenny Rogers at the CMA Artist Luncheon, after Rogers named as an soon-to-be inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Kenny Rogers Rachale111

Pictured (L-R): Rachele Lynae, Kenny Rogers
Photo Credit: Jeff Walker

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New Haven Records recording artist Gordon Mote was recently in the studio cutting tracks for his upcoming 2013 release with acclaimed country music producer Frank Rogers at the helm. Rogers has garnered five Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards and 13 Country Music Association (CMA) Award nominations.
Mote, a 2012 ACM Award winner for Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year, is a studio musician who has worked with Rogers on many of the producer’s award-winning productions.
“I’ve spent hundreds of hours in the studio with Frank as he has helped other artists find their voice. The fact that Frank is now shaping my music is both humbling and exhilarating,” Mote says.

Pictured (L-R): Bob Rodgers (artist manager), Scott Williamson (instrumentalist), Mote, Frank Rogers (producer), and Ken Harding (president of New Haven Records).

Pictured (L-R): Bob Rodgers (artist manager), Scott Williamson (instrumentalist), Mote, Frank Rogers (producer), and Ken Harding (president of New Haven Records).


 
 
 
 

Industry Signings (4-11-13)

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Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) has signed Asleep at the Wheel front man and founder, Ray Benson, back to the BMI roster. Benson signed with BMI last week at an event marking the fourth anniversary of his restaurant, Ray Benson’s Roadhouse Bar, at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas.
“It’s so good to be back with my friends at BMI, home of the greatest writers in America!” said Benson.
“BMI is honored to welcome Ray Benson back into the BMI family,” said BMI’s Executive Director of Writer/Publisher Relations Mark Mason. “His music has an iconic place in history and we can’t wait to hear his future contributions.”
Pictured (L-R):Ray Benson and Executive Director of Writer/Publisher Relations Mark Mason. Photo credit: Sandy L. Stevens, Courtesy of City of Austin Aviation

Pictured (L-R): Ray Benson and Executive Director of Writer/Publisher Relations Mark Mason. Photo credit: Sandy L. Stevens, Courtesy of City of Austin Aviation.

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Darden Smith

Darden Smith


Compass Records has signed Americana singer-songwriter Darden Smith. His Compass debut Love Calling was co-produced by Gary Paczosa and Jon Randall and represents the culmination of his work as an artist and global philanthropist.
It is slated for release on August 27.
In advance of the album release for Love Calling, Darden will be on tour with Kim Richey beginning April 13.

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Rising singer-songwriter Bonner Black signed with ASCAP this week.

Pictured (L-R): LeAnn Phelan, Bonner Black

Pictured (L-R): LeAnn Phelan, Bonner Black

 
 
 
 
 

Stephens Joins HitShop Records

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kim stephens111

Kim Stephens


Kim Stephens has joined new music label HitShop Records as National Director of Promotions and A&R.
“This is a major talent acquisition for our HitShop team,” declares President Skip Bishop. “Kim is a brilliantly successful promotions and A&R executive. He’s signed and promoted acts that have sold over 50 million albums in their collective careers. Bringing in Kim, with his accelerated level of abilities, only strengthens the momentum of our developing roster. Kim is a fellow architect of our futurist view of the new music model!”
Stephens began his career in the New Orleans-area radio market before making the move to the radio promotions department at Atlantic Records, where he rose to the role of National Promotions Director. His aptitude for spotting talent quickly became apparent, and Atlantic elevated him to the label’s Vice President of A&R and Promotion where he signed such artists as Matchbox 20 and Edwin McCain, and delivered countless multi-platinum discs including 1996’s RIAA certified 12x Platinum CD, Yourself Or Someone Like You. After nearly twenty years with Atlantic, Stephens formed imprint label FORWARD Entertainment and has served as an executive consultant for Capitol Records, Lava and Virgin Records since 2003. In this role, Stephens helped sign and develop the careers of Sick Puppies, Saving Abel and Need2Breathe. Stephens currently serves on the board of The Recording Academy.
“We are excited to have Kim Stephens join our team here at HitShop” shares the company’s Vice-President, A&R, Cliff Downs. “He brings a successful track record and tremendous experience to our company and I really look forward to working with him!”
Stephens can be reached at Kim@HitShopRecords.com or 615-730-6344.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Receives $280,000 Grant

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CMHOF logo1The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum has received a $280,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant will fund the digitization of rare and fragile components of the museum’s collection.
The grant was awarded in the NEH’s Humanities Collections and Reference Resources category, which allows institutions to preserve and provide access to collections essential to scholarship, education and public programming in the humanities.
The funds will enable Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum curators to digitize rare and fragile artifacts in its recorded sound, moving image and photography collections, including acetate transcription discs of WSM-originated network radio shows such as the Grand Ole Opry and Magnolia Blossoms, the latter featuring the Fisk Jubilee Singers from Nashville’s Fisk University; tapes of the 1983-88 television series Bobby Bare and Friends, which showcases American musicians and songwriters in a guitar pull format and is among the museum’s most requested collections; and the Walden S. Fabry photography collection, which contains nearly 8,500 negatives and prints of 1940s – 1960s era artists including Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Hank Williams and many others.

Primetime 'Nashville': My Heart Would Know

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Watty reveals his affair with her mother to Rayna.

Rayna learns of Watty’s affair with her mother.


Episode 117: My Heart Would Know
Music featured on last night’s (April 10) episode of Nashville included Scarlett and cowboy Will dueting on “You Ain’t Dolly (and You Ain’t Porter),” which is on Ashley Monroe’s new album with guest Blake Shelton. The song was written by Monroe and her producer Vince Gill.
Also, The Hollywood Report says a Nashville cast concert tour is in the works.
The episode moved quickly thanks to a few key plot developments. Rayna cancelled her part of the New York City concert—though Juliette went on with the show—and flew to Nashville after her father Lamar’s heart attack. During this time of family crisis, Rayna learned that her mother had an affair with Watty (J.D. Souther), and that she was leaving Lamar the night she died in a car crash. Rayna’s close relationship with producer/musician Watty (whom she calls “uncle”) was always a thorn in Lamar’s side, and now she understands why. Her teary conversation with sleeping Lamar while he was in the hospital was one of the episode’s best scenes. Given Rayna and Watty’s musical kinship, it leads the viewer to wonder, could he be her biological father?
While Lamar was out of commission, his other daughter Tandy continued her CFO duties for the family business. She’s got something up her sleeve, but we aren’t sure what. At the end of the episode she revealed to Rayna’s ex Teddy that his new girlfriend, Peggy, was responsible for leaking news of his divorce to the tabloids.
Meanwhile, back in New York on the tour, Juliette’s more-than-friends relationship with Dante was exposed. He lost his gig as her mom’s sober companion and they shipped mom Jolene home to Nashville for help. Dante tried to fire Avery, who recently joined the tour as a roadie, for walking in on him and Juliette, but Deacon stepped in. Later, Deacon hopped a plane to Nashville to comfort Rayna and see his new girlfriend, the vet. At the concert, Juliette debuted “Hangin’ On A Lie,” penned by Sarah Zimmermann and Justin Davis of duo Striking Matches.

While Rayna was in Music City, she decided to meet her new label signee, Scarlett. The younger songwriter was out drinking and celebrating her record deal when she got the message about the meeting, so she called it a night. According to The Tennessean, Will, Scarlett and Gunnar were partying at Boondoxxx BBQ and Juke Joint.
A little hungover, she rallied for the big meeting the next day at EdgeHill Republic. Meanwhile, Gunnar bonded with Will by idiotically driving in front of a speeding train, but hey, at least it spurred his songwriting muse. As the show wrapped, Gunnar was writing a song called “Shine,” penned by Monroe and Trent Dabbs.
Extras are needed on set today (April 11). Details at www.nashvilleextras.com.

'Billboard' Introduces Genre-Specific Streaming Charts

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Billboard has unveiled seven genre-specific charts that blend data from various streaming services into one ranking.
The data which fuels the new genre rankings will be combined with download sales and radio airplay data to compile the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Rap Songs, R&B Songs, Hot Rock Songs, Hot Latin Songs and Dance/Electronic Songs charts.
Streaming services that will be measured by Nielsen Entertainment for the charts include YouTube (including Vevo on YouTube), Spotify, Muve Music, Slacker, Rhapsody, Rdio, MySpace, Xbox Music and Guvera.

Industry Ink (4-11-13)

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cruise remix11Florida Georgia Line has just surpassed 10,000 single sales on the iTunes Canada chart for their newly released remix “Cruise” with hip-hop artist Nelly. As the first single off the band’s highly successful debut album Here Comes The Good Times (Republic Nashville/Universal Music Canada), “Cruise” introduced the singers to a legion of new fans and was the highest selling debut album of 2012 for a new Country act.
“When we caught wind that Nelly was a fan of “Cruise”, we were floored,” says FGL singer Brian Kelley. “We’ve been fans of his music for years and thought it would be cool to team up on a remix.”

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jon stone111APA has signed singer, songwriter, record producer and Next Great Family Band judge/mentor, Phoenix Stone. Stone has toured worldwide with acts ranging from Britney Spears to Pink and Christina Aguilera.

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The 10th annual CMA Artist Luncheon took place yesterday (April 11) at the Hilton Nashville Downtown. The panel, which included Bobby Bare, “Cowboy” Jack Clement, Kenny Rogers, and John Lomax III (speaking on behalf of Clement), was moderated by CMA Board member and host of Premiere Radio Networks’ “After MidNite” Blair Garner.
 

Pictured: back row (L-R): CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore; CMA Board member and 10th Annual Artist Luncheon Moderator Blair Garner; CMA Board member Biff Watson; 2013 "Modern Era Artist" Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Kenny Rogers; 2013 "Veterans Era Artist" Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Bobby Bare; John Lomax III; CMA Board President Ed Hardy; and CMA Board members Sally Williams, Ken Levitan, and Darin Lashinsky.

Pictured: back row (L-R): CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore; CMA Board member and 10th Annual Artist Luncheon Moderator Blair Garner; CMA Board member Biff Watson; 2013 “Modern Era Artist” Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Kenny Rogers; 2013 “Veterans Era Artist” Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Bobby Bare; John Lomax III; CMA Board President Ed Hardy; and CMA Board members Sally Williams, Ken Levitan, and Darin Lashinsky. Front Row (L-R): CMA Board members Jody Williams, John Marks, Clarence Spalding, Tony Conway, Jeff Walker, David Ross, Pat Higdon, Victoria Shaw, CMA Artist Relations Committee Chairman Clint Higham, and John Hamlin.


 
 
 
 
 

Artist Snapshots: Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

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As previously reported, Bobby Bare, “Cowboy” Jack Clement and Kenny Rogers will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year. The announcement was made yesterday (April 10) during a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The inductees gathered for photos for in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Rotunda.
Clement will be inducted in the Non-Performer category, while Bare will be inducted in the “Veteran’s Era Artist” category and Rogers will be inducted in the “Modern Era Artist” category.

Bobby Bare

Bobby Bare. Photo Credit: John Russell/CMA


"Cowboy" Jack Clement

“Cowboy” Jack Clement. Photo Credit: John Russell/CMA


CMHOF Kenny Rogers111

Kenny Rogers. Photo Credit: John Russell/CMA


CMHOF three honorees

Pictured (L-R): Bobby Bare, “Cowboy” Jack Clement and Kenny Rogers. Photo Credit: John Russell/CMA


CMHOF group shot

CMA Board member Rob Beckham; CMA Board Chairman Troy Tomlinson; CMA CEO Steve Moore; 2013 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Bobby Bare, Kenny Rogers, and “Cowboy” Jack Clement; host Bill Anderson; Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Director Kyle Young; CMA Board President Ed Hardy; and CMA President-Elect Frank Bumstead. Photo Credit: John Russell/CMA


 
 

Greg Maffei Named Chairman Sirius XM, Live Nation

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Greg Maffei

Greg Maffei


Liberty Media Corp chief executive Greg Maffei was appointed chairman of Sirius XM Radio yesterday (April 10), effective immediately. Liberty took control of the satellite radio company in January.
Last month Maffei was named non-executive chairman of the Live Nation Entertainment board of directors. Maffei, 52, replaced Irving Azoff as chairman.
Liberty Media is Live Nation’s biggest shareholder, with 52 million shares, or 27 percent of the stock.
Maffei joined Liberty Media as CEO-elect in November 2005 and became CEO in February 2006. He has also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Interactive since May 2007.
Liberty Media Corporation owns interests in a broad range of media, communications and entertainment businesses. Those interests include subsidiaries Atlanta National League Baseball Club, Inc., and TruePosition, Inc., interest in SiriusXM, Live Nation and Barnes & Noble, and minority equity investments in Time Warner Inc. and Viacom.