Average Joes Ups Morreale, Hires New Staffer

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Tony Morreale

Average Joes CEO Shannon Houchins has announced the promotion of Tony Morreale to Vice President, Marketing & Promotions, and the addition of Nathan Thompson to the label as Director, Digital Business Development.

Morreale was most recently overseeing national promotion and marketing for the label, and will assume new responsibilities as Average Joes President Tom Baldrica exits. He begins in this new role immediately.

“Tony has been a valued AJE team member from the very beginning and this new role is a natural progression and ideal fit,” says Houchins. “Tony comes with great wisdom, respect and has all the necessary experience as we progress and grow. We look forward to our continued working relationship and are excited about what the future holds for our talented roster of artist.”

Congratulate Morreale here.

Additionally, Nathan Thompson has been selected to lead Average Joes’ digital business development, expanding the label’s strategy and reach. Thompson was most recently based in New York as the Director of Mobile Business and New Platforms at the Orchard, and will report to Average Joes Head of Sales and Business Affairs Doug Kaye. Congratulate Thompson here.

Snapshots (8/13/12)

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Charley Pride Joins Mel Tillis Onstage at Honky Tonk Central in Nashville, TN. Photo: Douh Allard

This past Wednesday (8/8), marked a lifetime milestone for Country Music Hall of Famer Mel Tillis, as he celebrated his 80th birthday. Tillis celebrated his 8th decade of life with a private party held at Honky Tonk Central, located on Broadway in the heart of Nashville, TN. About 400 of Tillis’ closest friends packed the party including daughter Pam Tillis, Charley Pride, Lorrie Morgan, Bobby Bare, Lee Brice, Jerrod Niemann, Alabama’s Jeff Cook, Eddie Raven, Jimmy C. Newman, Ira Dean, Meghan Linsey of Steel Magnolia, Bobby Goldsboro, Williams & Ree, Scotty Emerick, Deborah Allen, comedian Lonnie Shorr, former Dallas Cowboys football coach Barry Switzer, producers Buddy Cannon and Harold Shedd, GAC Headline Country host Storme Warren and many more.

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L-R: Colby Dee, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, NWSC Founder Karen Shayne, President/CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Butch Spyridon

Last Wednesday (8/8), Colby Dee donated her talents and time to perform at the National Women’s Survivors Convention (NWSC) announcement ceremony, along with fellow artists Darren Warren (a St. Jude survivor himself) and Brennin Hunt. All took the stage after a press conference announcement made by NWSC Founder, Karen Shayne, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Butch Spyridon, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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Columbia Nashville singer-songwriter Tyler Farr got a lesson in hits from Boxing Champion Roy Jones, Jr. in Destin, FL earlier this week. Farr is introducing his own hit to country radio now with his new single “Hello Goodbye.”

Industry Ink (8/13/12)

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The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Nashville Chapter and Fifth Third Bank Entertainment and Sports division will present “Dig A Little Deeper – International Subpublishing,” a panel of international music publishers from 4-6 pm Monday, September 17 at Cabana.

Companies to be represented at the panel include MMG Group of Companies (Israel, Greece Turkey); Dipui Music s.r.l. (Italy); Studio Paradiso (France); Fujipacific (Japan); Collect! Music Publishers BV (Netherlands). Teri Nelson Carpenter, of Reel Muzik Werks and AIMP National Board member, will moderate. Tickets are free for AIMP members and $40 for non-members.

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Video production company Thinking Bee Productions has announced that it is ceasing regular day to day operations. “I am so proud of what we accomplished these past few years,” says Director / Co-Owner Bill Filipiak. “Our goal was to break new ground, experiment with new technology and provide people a sandbox to play in and we did just that. To all of the people who supported our visions, invited us to play and shared their friendships we are eternally grateful. This is by no means the end, rather a new beginning as new adventures await.” Reach Filipiak at bill@filipiak.com and co-owner Jo Hunt at johunttv@gmail.com.

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Nashville-based Brite Revolution has added an e-commerce component to its existing music discovery site. Artist members can now create onesheets by signing up at www.brite.me. Artist social media properties are integrated along with bio, an embeddable music player, and commerce functions. Participating artists set their own prices, and keep 85% of their revenue.

“With iTunes alone holding more than 28 million songs, our current digital music marketplace is saturated with music content,” said Winn Elliott, CEO and Founder of Brite Revolution. “We quickly realized that there is a clear connection between our successful discovery and curation site and putting money directly in the artists’ pocket.”

Dierks Bentley Recruits Stellar Line Up For “Miles and Music”

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Dierks Bentley's Miles and Music for Kids has raised over $2 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the country.

Dierks Bentley’s “Miles & Music for Kids” will return to Nashville Sun., Oct. 14 for the seventh annual celebrity motorcycle ride and concert. The event begins at Harley-Davidson of Columbia, Tenn. with a scenic hour-long motorcycle trek ending at downtown Nashville’s Riverfront Park. Following the ride, Bentley will host a family-friendly jam-style concert with special guests Sheryl Crow, Chris Young, Brantley Gilbert, The Cadillac Black and Craig Campbell joining him on the ACM Lifting Lives main stage. More artist announcements will be made in the coming weeks.

“I really want to blow Miles & Music out this year and make it bigger than ever,” said Bentley. “We’ve had the chance to help a lot of communities across the country, but the heart and soul of this event is in downtown Nashville with Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and the artists and friends who come out and help us raise money. It’s my favorite thing we do all year.”

Since hitting the pavement in 2006, “Miles & Music for Kids” has held 12 events in seven US cities to raise over $2 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the country.

Tickets for the Nashville event go on sale Fri., Aug. 17 at 10 AM/CT through Ticketmaster. Fans can purchase tickets for the ride, concert and receive a commemorative T-shirt for $50, or attend the concert for $20. Special VIP packages are also available. All proceeds from the event will benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. For more ticket info, visit www.dierks.com.

Dolly and Cracker Barrel Celebrate Gold

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Pictured (L-R): Dolly, Danny Nozell, Cracker Barrel's Julie Craig. Photo: Alan Mayor

Dolly Parton helped Cracker Barrel achieve its first-ever RIAA Gold certification with the two-disc set, An Evening With… Dolly, available exclusively through the restaurant chain.

Since its April 2 release, the DVD/CD debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top DVD Music Videos Chart and has sold in excess of 50,000 units required for certification, a first for Dolly Records in the U.S., with previous Gold certifications in Australia and the UK.

The two-disc set, which features two previously unreleased live bonus tracks, is available for $11.99 exclusively through Cracker Barrel stores and online.

During the announcement, Parton also remarked on the status of her water and snow park planned for Nashville. “Gaylord is involved at the moment with changes of their own, so we are waiting until they have everything straightened out. Nothing has been signed yet, but I won’t put my name on it or be involved unless it’s exactly right for me and for everyone else.”

Creative Nation Expands Team

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Julie Stuckey. Photo: Sarah Lee

Creative Nation has announced the addition of Julie Stuckey as Creative Manager, reporting directly to company co-owner/GM Beth Laird.

“We are so excited to have Julie Stuckey as the newest addition to the Creative Nation team,” says Beth Laird. “After working with her for a year at BMI, I knew her outgoing personality and unique creative approach fit perfectly with our vision.”

Stuckey most recently served int he writer/publisher relations department at BMI. She began her career as marketing coordinator for The Amphitheater at the Wharf in Orange Beach, AL, eventually moving to Nashville to work for GAC as well as the licensing department at SESAC. A native of Beatrice, AL, Stuckey graduated from Auburn University in 2007 and received her masters from the University of Alabama in 2008.

Congratulate her here.

Beth and Luke Laird launched Creative Nation earlier in 2012 and have signed songwriter Barry Dean, who co-wrote Little Big Town’s summer hit “Pontoon.” Creative Nation also recently formed an exclusive partnership with L.A.-based Pulse Recording, which is responsible for hits such as Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” and more.

Aug/Sept ’12–On The Cover: Kenny Chesney

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Kenny Chesney has sold over 30 million albums, nearly 20 million digital transactions and over one million concert tickets every year for eight consecutive years. He’s had 24 No. 1 singles, 10 No. 2 singles and 39 Top 10 singles. His latest single, “Come Over,” was certified Gold in just over 9 weeks, making it the fastest Gold single certification in Chesney’s career. Chesney has won many recent honors including CMT Awards Artist of the Year (2011), CMA Awards Music Video of the Year “You and Tequila” with Grace Potter (2011), and other awards over the years including CMA Entertainer of the Year, ACM Entertainer of the Year, People’s Choice Awards Favorite Male Singer, American Music Awards Artist of the Year and more.

Chesney’s 13th studio album, Welcome to the Fishbowl, delivers great songs penned by Chesney himself and a diverse mix of top-shelf songwriters. Chesney, who produced the album with longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon, says that in making the album he felt “solid in his skin” in his roles as songwriter, producer and interpreter of songs. “I’d been through a lot emotionally since Hemingway’s Whiskey came out, and I think that’s reflected in this record,” he says. “My main goal when I went into the studio was to be honest with my fans and myself as a songwriter and a creative person. I do feel like, now more than ever, that I’m comfortable at being authentic, wherever that leads me. That’s why I’m proud of this record, because every song on it has been an evolution.”

Chesney says striking a balance between taking his fans in new directions and giving them what they want is a conscious choice that he specifically strived for on the previous album. “When you’ve been as blessed as I’ve been with all the songs I’ve had on the radio, it would be really easy to internally get complacent,” Chesney admits. “Any artist could be tempted to say, ‘this is what’s always worked, so this is what I’m gonna do.’ But, especially before I went in to cut Hemingway’s Whiskey, I realized that I just can’t keep re-releasing ‘Beer in Mexico’ every time. That song has its place, I love it and I’m proud I wrote it. But I really felt like it was time for me as an artist to find songs and write songs where the melodies were different and what it was saying was different. To be able to push myself as an artist, and more importantly push my audience but not alienate them, that’s a fine line to walk. And I think we did that with [Whiskey’s] ‘Somewhere with You’ and ‘You and Tequila,’ and I think there are several moments on this record that will do that, too.”

Chesney welcomes both veteran fans and newbies. “I’m excited about the people that have been on this train with me a long time, listened to my music, dreamed this dream with me and saw everything that has happened,” he says. “I’m excited for them to hear this music and the evolution of where it’s at, and where I’m going. And I’m also excited for those people that are at their first show, that never bought one of my records, that don’t know anything about me at all. If Welcome to the Fishbowl is their first Kenny Chesney record, I’m really glad that this is their first one. I’m that proud of it.”

Artist Name: Kenny Chesney
Hometown: Luttrell, TN
Birthday: March 26
Label: Blue Chair Records/Columbia Nashville
Current Album: Welcome To The Fishbowl
Current Single/Video: “Come Over”
Current Producer: Buddy Cannon & Kenny Chesney
Management: Morris Artists Management, Clint Higham
Booking: Dale Morris & Associates, Mike Betterton
Recent Hits: “The Boys of Fall,” “Somewhere With You,” “You & Tequila”
Awards: 4 time CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year
RIAA Certs to date: More than 30 million albums sold. More than 20 million digital transactions.
Interesting Facts: Produced two sports documentaries for ESPN, Boys of Fall and Color Orange: The Condredge Holloway Story.

Baldrica Resigns As Average Joes President

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Average Joes Entertainment President Tom Baldrica has announced that he is resigning from his position with the label, effective August 31.

“I believe in Average Joes Entertainment and everything it stands for,” explains Baldrica. “I have loved every minute of my time at the helm, and I wish the company nothing but great success in the future. I will be forever grateful to Colt Ford, Shannon Houchins and the entire AJE family for the time we’ve spent together. This has been a very emotional and difficult decision to leave, but as my next opportunity plays out, it will become clear why this was the proverbial ‘offer I couldn’t refuse.'”

Baldrica originally joined the independent label as President in April 2011, following 17 years with Sony Music Nashville.

Love and Theft Single Certified Gold

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Love and Theft’s RCA debut single “Angel Eyes,” has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, selling in excess of 500,000 downloads.

“Angel Eyes” is the duo’s lead single from its self-titled album. The song was co-written by Jeff Coplan, Eric Paslay and Love and Theft member Eric Gunderson. The song holds the No. 2 position this week on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout chart as well as the Billboard and Mediabase country songs charts, and sits at No. 6 on the Billboard Digital Country Songs chart. The music video for “Angel Eyes” is rapidly approaching two million views on VEVO.com.

“Ever since I started playing music, it has been a dream of mine to have a song or album go gold,” says Gunderson. “Thank you to everyone who made this happen for us.” Love and Theft member Stephen Barker Liles adds, “Holy Moly! We are so excited about our first ever gold single. Anytime people spend their hard earned money, it’s an honor and we are truly humbled.”

The duo is having a blast out on the road this summer on Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality World Tour, performing on the “Virtual Opry” stage through September 29.

Nashville Artists Join “MDA Show of Strength” Special

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Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Hot Chelle Rae, and Tim McGraw are set to headline the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Labor Day weekend entertainment special, MDA Show of Strength.

The show, featuring more than a dozen of today’s top entertainers, also will include inspirational “stories of strength” about families affected by muscular dystrophy and related diseases.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the show and the incredible talent we have lined up this year,” said MDA Interim President Valerie Cwik, M.D. “MDA is in business to save and enhance lives. Our show will both entertain and urge the American public to answer the call to support critically important research and services for more than a million Americans affected by neuromuscular diseases.”

In addition to Underwood, Bryan, Hot Chelle Rae and McGraw the following stars also are scheduled to appear: All-American Rejects, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, B.o.B, Brandy, Gavin DeGraw, Karmin, Carole King, Alanis Morissette, OneRepublic, Eva Simons, Paula Abdul, Max Adler, Jann Carl, Diana DeGarmo, Lou Ferrigno, Benji Madden, Joel Madden, Jesse McCartney, The Miz, Nancy O’Dell, Khloe Kardashian Odom, Pitbull, Alison Sweeney, Will.i.am, Ace Young and more.

“This year’s show gives everyone involved a unique opportunity,” said MDA Show of Strength Executive Producer RAC Clark. “We have a chance to tell a series of compelling stories about MDA families while delivering quality entertainment. In doing so, we can raise public awareness of MDA’s long-standing mission of help for today and hope for tomorrow.” Clark is a longtime executive producer of the Academy of Country Music Awards and the son of the late Dick Clark.

MDA Show of Strength, a three-hour prime-time broadcast special, will air on Sunday, Sept. 2, 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT. The show will include performances and celebrity appearances from Hollywood, Nashville and New York. The show will be broadcast over MDA’s Love Network of almost 150 television stations across the country and streamed from mda.org. Local cutaways in each market will feature area families, sponsors and MDA service programs. For a list of stations, visit mda.org/showofstrength/love-network.