NATD Honors Recipients at Second Annual Gala

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Pictured (L-R) Front: Clint Higham, Alan Valentine, John Huie, George Jones, Robert Williams, Mike Fisher. Back: Ed Bazel, Bonnie Sugarman, Rod Harris, Tony Conway, Carrie Moore-Reed, Randi Perkins, Steve Tolman

The Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD) spent yesterday evening (11/14) honoring a group of individuals who share the organization’s objectives and ideals during its 2nd Annual Gala at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville.

After a silent auction to raise funds for the NATD’s College for Knowledge program, along with hors d’oeuvre and cocktails in the lobby, attendees were called to the dining hall by xylophone for the main event.

“Community involvement and the legacy they have made in their career have made tonight’s honorees deserving of recognition,” said President Steve Tolman.

Robert K. Oermann took the stage prepping the crowd to receive the evening’s first honoree, George Jones. “Great voices attract great songs,” praised Oermann of Jones’ 60 year legacy before listing the singer’s accolades including 167 chart placements. “Tonight we will be giving him another award, but you can’t give him enough.”

A reminiscent Tanya Tucker shared equal praises of the Country icon before bringing him to the stage for a brief acceptance. Tucker and Jones will perform together in 2013 for his final Nashville concert on the Grand Tour.

The organization’s Hubert Long Award was presented to WBA’s Robert S. Williams for significant and positive contributions to the music industry relating to artist development. Williams was introduced by Bob Kinkead.

Michael W. Smith honored CAA’s John Huie, noting that his contributions “took music out of the churches and into the arenas.” Huie’s responsibilities at the company included establishing its first satellite office in Nashville, which recently celebrated the 75th employee hired at its new SunTrust Building headquarters.

Nashville Predator Mike Fisher received recognition for his community engagement efforts from Predators head coach and last year’s NATD honoree, Barry Trotz. Fisher’s wife, Carrie Underwood, was not in attendance.

Dale Morris took the stage to recall offering Clint Higham $70 a week and a tank of gas when he first began work at Morris Artist Management. Higham, now President, oversees the roster including Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, and Jake Owen. “All I ever wanted to do was work in the industry, I don’t know how to do anything else,” said Higham, who corrected Morris, saying his starting compensation was only a tank of gas.

Béla Fleck remarked about honoree Alan Valentine’s contribution to the Nashville Symphony from expansion, to the Schermerhorn, and rebuilding after the 2010 flood. Valentine received the honor saying, “we should have this kind of Hall and Symphony in Music City.”

The 2012 Honorees were chosen by the NATD Board of Directors, led by Steve Tolman, including Rod Harris, Bonnie Sugarman, Ed Bazel, Rod Essig, Randi Perkins, Tony Conway, Mike Smardak, Carrie Moore-Reed, Jeff Debusk, Karen Entz, Josh DeBusk, Philip Lyon, Clyde Bright, Neal Spielberg, and Kirt Webster.

“A concerted effort was recently focused on this gala and scholarships to support up and coming talent,” notes Tolman of the organization’s education ideals. “We take industry professionals to colleges to do panel discussions to showcase the variety of jobs, teaching students the strongest aspect of our industry is relationships. You’ve gotta get involved, even if it is a voluntary thing to get your foot in the door to meet people.”

The key players in the College of Knowledge programs include Murray University in KY, where NATD will return for the third time; institutions in Montana; and through IEBA, Belmont University.

Dinner included salad, rolls, steak served over mashed potatoes and a side of broccolini. Dessert choices included a fruit tart or coconut cake.

‘Nashville’ Stars Bowen and Palladio to Make Opry Debut

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Actors Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio are set to make their Grand Ole Opry debut this Saturday (11/17) at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Bowen and Palladio portray the characters Scarlett O’Connor and Gunnar Scott, respectively, in the new hit ABC series Nashville.

Bowen and Palladio have two songs on the official Nashville soundtrack which will be released on Big Machine Records on December 11. Their duets “If I Didn’t Know Better” and “When The Right One Comes Along” are included on the album alongside tracks performed by other cast members including Hayden Panettiere, Connie Britton and Charles Esten.

Bowen and Palladio will sign advance downloads of the Nashville soundtrack after their Opry performance at Opry Originals, located at 300 Broadway in downtown Nashville.

Others scheduled for Opry at the Ryman this weekend include the Opry’s newest member Darius Rucker, Charlie Daniels Band, Diamond Rio, John Conlee, Bill Anderson and more.

Nancy Shapiro To Be Honored By CMHoF Forum

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Nancy Shapiro

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will present an interview with Recording Academy Senior Vice President of Membership Services Nancy Shapiro at the sixth annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum on Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, at 6 p.m. in the Ford Theater. A reception will follow the program. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Visit countrymusichalloffame.org or call 615-416-2040 for details.

The forum interview with Shapiro, who has served over 25 years with the Recording Academy, will be hosted by Museum Editor Michael Gray. Since joining the Recording Academy, Shapiro has championed programs engaging music and education communities across the country. She is the highest ranking woman at the Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammy Awards, the charitable MusiCares Foundation and more.

Based in Nashville and Los Angeles, she oversees all 12 of the Recording Academy chapters across the country, as well as the organization’s Corporate Governance, GRAMMY U, Producers & Engineers Wing and GRAMMY Professional Development arms. As a member of Nashville’s Music City Music Council, Shapiro played a major role in the development of Music Makes Us: The Nashville Music Education Project.

Made possible by the Gibson Foundation, the forum annually recognizes an individual who represents the legacy of pioneering agent-manager Louise Scruggs, the adoring wife and savvy business partner of Country Music Hall of Fame member Earl Scruggs. Previous honorees are Denise Stiff, Liz Thiels, Mary Martin, Bonnie Garner and Sarah Trahern.

Old Crow Medicine Show Launches Tour

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Nashville’s Old Crow Medicine Show is launching its new tour tonight (11/15) in Madison, WI, with a busy string of US dates running through December 6 in Tulsa, OK. The popular group is touring in support of its fourth album Carry Me Back, which was released July 17.

Following the conclusion of its Dec. 6 show in Tulsa, OCMS will make three appearances on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville (Dec. 8, 14, and 15) before headlining a sold-out New Year’s Eve show at the Ryman Auditorium. In 2013, the group will head to Ireland and the UK for several dates, and is already scheduled to play the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California in April. Upcoming dates are below.

Additionally, OCMS is featured on the upcoming The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver, which will be released in February 2013. OCMS covers Denver’s “Back Home Again,” and other guests include Dave Matthews Band, Train, Brandi Carlile and more.

OCMS Tour Dates
2012 
Nov. 15 – Madison, WI @ Capitol Theater/ Robert Ellis
Nov. 16 – Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights – w/ Chuck Mead
Nov. 17 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater – w/ Chuck Mead
Nov. 18 – Evansville, IN @ Victory Theatre – w/ Chuck Mead
Nov. 25 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall – w/ Chuck Mead
Nov. 26 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues – w/ Chuck Mead
Nov. 28 – Austin, TX @ Moody Theater – w/ Chuck Mead
Nov. 29 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues – w/ Chuck Mead
Nov. 30 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues – w/ Chuck Mead
Dec. 1 – San Antonio, TX @ Empire Theatre – w/ Chuck Mead
Dec. 3 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom – w/ Chuck Mead
Dec. 4 – Springfield, MO @ Hammons Hall (MSU) – w/ Chuck Mead
Dec. 5 – Columbia, MO @ The Missouri Theatre – w/ Chuck Mead
Dec. 6 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom – w/ Chuck Mead
Dec. 8  – Nashville, TN Grand Ole Opry @ Ryman Auditorium
Dec. 14 – Nashville, TN Grand Ole Opry @ Ryman Auditorium
Dec. 15 – Nashville, TN Grand Ole Opry @ Ryman Auditorium
Dec. 31 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium – w/Pokey LaFarge (Sold Out)

2013
Jan. 30 – Dublin, Ireland @ Vicar Street
Jan. 31 – Belfast, UK @ Mandela Hall
Feb. 1 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland Ballroom
Feb. 2 – Manchester, UK @ HMV Ritz
Feb. 4 – London, UK @ 02 Shepherds Bush Empire
Apr. 26 – Indio, CA @ Stagecoach Festival

Shania Shuts Down the Vegas Strip

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Photo credit: Getty Images for Caesars Palace

Shania Twain still knows how to make a big entrance, even by Las Vegas standards.

To mark her arrival in Vegas yesterday (11/14) for the upcoming debut of her Caesars Palace show Shania: Still the One, the international superstar rode on horseback–along with a controlled “stampede” of more than 40 horses–up to the fountains at Caesars. Traffic on a portion of the famed Las Vegas Strip was shut down while fans and Caesars executives welcomed Twain to her new musical home.

Performances of Shania: Still the One begin at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Dec. 1, with ticket prices ranging from $55-250 (plus fees). Show dates are included below, and tickets are available here. Shania: Still the One was developed by Twain, produced by AEG Live, and directed by Raj Kapoor.

Shania: Still the One dates:
Dec. 2012: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15

March 2013: 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30

April 2013: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10

ACA Song of the Year Nominees

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The American Country Awards have introduced a Song of the Year category for the Dec. 10 event, taking place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Based on fan voting, the nominees are:

• “A Woman Like You,” performed by Lee Brice (Phil Barton, Johnny Bulford, Jon Stone)
• “Fly Over States,” performed by Jason Aldean (Michael Dulaney, Neil Thrasher)
• “Red Solo Cup,” performed by Toby Keith (Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)
• “Springsteen,” performed by Eric Church (Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell)
• “Tattoos On This Town,” performed by Jason Aldean (Michael Dulaney, Wendell Mobley, Neil Thrasher)

Performers added to the show are Rascal Flatts, Kip Moore and Jake Owen. They join previously announced performers Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan and Little Big Town. The star-studded special also will feature appearances by Miranda Lambert, Natasha Bedingfield, Ron White, champion cowboy Trevor Brazile, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Casey James, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Brice, Jana Kramer, Dustin Lynch and Chris Young. Additional performers and presenters will be revealed soon. The show will air live 8:00-10:00 PM/ET on FOX.

Fan voting for the awards is closed, except for the Artist of the Year category, which is open until Friday, Dec. 7 at www.theacas.com.

See the list of nominations here.

Filmworkers Adds New Team Members

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(L-R): Robert Zimmerman, Kenny Barrickman

Filmworkers, a post-production facility with offices in Chicago, Nashville, and Dallas, has announced the appointment of Robert Zimmerman as executive producer of the Nashville office, where he will oversee operations. Zimmerman brings more than 20 years experience to the role, including commercial, music video, and corporate media production.

“Rob Zimmerman enjoys wide respect among advertising agencies and production companies in Nashville and throughout the region,” said Filmworkers president Reid Brody. “Our clients will benefit greatly from his experience and insights as a producer in planningtheir projects. We are very excited to have him as a member of our team.”

Most recently, Zimmerman served as executive producer of Piranha Pictures, which he founded in 1995. His recent ad campaign productions include Farm Bureau Insurance and Tempur-Pedic.

In related news, Filmworkers has hired Kenny Barrickman as a producer in the Nashville office. He previously spent 10 years with the company, and his role will be working directly with clients to oversee projects passing through the facility.

Zimmerman’s plans for the facility include upgrades such as a “virtual” editing suite, close collaboration with other facilities in the Filmworkers family, and exploitation of the regional advertising market.

More info on Filmworkers here.

Snapshots: Little Big Town, Lauren Alaina, Krystal Keith

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Lauren Alaina’s Surprise Birthday Prom
Lauren Alaina celebrated her 18th birthday with a prom-themed party last weekend in her hometown. Friends and family in Rossville, GA surprised her with the party, and a dress to change in to, because she missed the prom while on tour. Teens with special needs were honored as prom kings and queens through one of her favorite organizations, Special Olympics Project Unify. Also in attendance was Jordan Trunfio, a high schooler with a brain tumor who was surprised when Lauren joined him at his homecoming dance. She just wrapped her 18-City-Inch-By-Inch Tour supporting current single “Eighteen Inches.” Next up, Lauren will vy for New Artist honors at the ACA Awards on Dec. 10 in Las Vegas.

Lauren Alaina. Photo by Greg Beasley.

Little Big Town Fights Hunger
Little Big Town volunteered at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee recently. They were working in support of the Backpack program which provides meals for children. The initiative was part of ConAgra Foods’ Child Hunger Ends Here campaign, which helps raise awareness of the nearly 17 million kids in the U.S. impacted by hunger.

Photo credit: Dean Dixon AP/ConAgra Foods

Krystal Keith Joins BMI
Krystal Keith stopped by BMI’s Nashville offices recently to celebrate becoming a BMI songwriter. It was her second time at the BMI offices in recent weeks. She joined dad Toby Keith at the BMI Country Awards, where he took home a plaque for his hit “Made in America.”

Pictured (L-R): TKO Artist Management’s TK Kimbrell and Taylor Shults, Krystal Keith, and BMI’s Jody Williams. Photo by Drew Maynard

 

‘Ghost Brothers of Darkland County’ Features Roots Music Favorites

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An all-star lineup of musicians and actors has teamed up for Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a “Southern gothic supernatural musical” created by Stephen King, John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett. The collection is due out via Hear Music/Concord on March 19, 2013. According to Rolling Stone, the group has met with investors but has no definite plans to hit Broadway.

Ghost Brothers came about after Mellencamp told King about a cabin on his Indiana property where two brothers had gotten in a fight over a girl. One accidentally killed the other, only to die along with the girl in a car crash shortly after. King had the idea for a play, and the music developed from there. The Ghost Brothers story follows two sets of brothers—the ghosts of Jack and Andy, who died in a murder suicide; and their living nephews Frank and Drake, who seem headed for tragedy. Flitting between the spirit and physical worlds is “The Shape,” a devilish figure voiced by Elvis Costello. The album’s first official release is Costello’s “That’s Me,” which can be heard here.

In addition to Costello, Ghost Brothers features the talents of Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Neko Case, Taj Mahal, Ryan Bingham and Kris Kristofferson, along with actors Matthew McConaughey, Samantha Mathis and Meg Ryan. Standard and Deluxe editions of the release will be offered, and the Deluxe version will include a “Making of Ghost Brothers” mini-documentary DVD.

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County track listing:
That’s Me  – Elvis Costello
That’s Who I Am – Neko Case
So Goddamn Smart  – Dave Alvin, Phil Alvin, Sheryl Crow
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong About Me – Elvis Costello
Brotherly Love – Ryan Bingham and Will Dailey
How Many Days – Kris Kristofferson
You Are Blind – Ryan Bingham
Home Again – Sheryl Crow, Dave Alvin, Phil Alvin, Taj Mahal
What’s Going On Here – Rosanne Cash
My Name Is Joe – Clyde Mulroney
Tear This Cabin Down – Taj Mahal
And Your Days Are Gone – Sheryl Crow, Dave Alvin, Phil Alvin
Jukin’ – Sheryl Crow
What Kind Of Man Am I – Kris Kristofferson, Phil Alvin, Sheryl Crow Dave Alvin, Taj Mahal
So Goddamn Good – Phil Alvin, Dave Alvin, Sheryl Crow
Away From This World – Sheryl Crow
Truth – John Mellencamp

Internet Radio Fairness Showdown Heats Up

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The musicFIRST Coalition and SoundExchange have released an open letter opposing the Internet Radio Fairness Act backed by Pandora and numerous other online radio outlets. Members of the Coalition include artists such as Zac Brown Band, Roger Waters, Rihanna, Jackson Browne, Sheryl Crow and organizations like The Recording Academy, SAG-AFTRA, AFM and more.

“We are big fans of Pandora. That’s why we helped give the company a discount on rates for the past decade,” says the letter. “Why is the company asking Congress once again to step in and gut the royalties that thousands of musicians rely upon? That’s not fair and that’s not how partners work together.”

The Internet Radio Fairness Act (IRFA) aims to equalize the royalty rate set by the Copyright Royalty Board and paid to artists being played by online radio, which would mean a significant reduction. Pandora claims to pay over 50% of its revenue in artist royalties to SoundExchange, considerably more than other radio formats. “The current law penalizes new media and is astonishingly unfair to internet radio,” says a statement on Pandora’s website. Pandora’s argument is that lowering rates will encourage webcasting and investment, and by extension, more discovery.

Of course, part of musicFIRST’s mission is to ensure artists are compensated by terrestrial radio stations, who at present pay only PRO licensing fees for songwriters and publishers and no artist royalties. It makes sense the group would want to prevent any reduction to artist payments, which it claims could be cut by up to 85% if IRFA passes.

“This issue is critical to the tens-of-thousands of recording artists we represent – all of whom rely on this digital performance revenue stream to make a living,” says SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “It is important that we protect artists and the long-term value of their music, which is, after all, the foundation of Internet radio.”

Pandora also recently filed a lawsuit against ASCAP, seeking lower fees in the performances of its copyrighted works.