Lee Greenwood Authors New Book

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Lee Greenwood offers his personal insights into America’s challenges and future in his new book, Does God Still Bless the U.S.A.? A Plea for a Better America, set for release May 14 by Tate Publishing.

Available in bookstores nationwide and online, the 216-page softcover publication includes a special 30-day devotional Prayers of a Patriot, written by Greenwood’s wife, Kim. Also included with purchase are two exclusive free downloads, a brand new version of “God Bless the U.S.A.” and “Show Me the Way,” available through www.TatePublishing.com.

Endorsements for Does God Still Bless the U.S.A.? A Plea for a Better America include President George W. Bush, Charlie Daniels, Reba McEntire, Michael W. Smith, Sean Hannity, Chuck Norris, and others.

This June, Greenwood will also release a new seven-track EP entitled, I Want to Be in Your World, which will include the original track, “Here Comes Love, There Goes My Heart,” as well as a cover of the  Michael McDonald/Kenny Loggins ballad, “You Can Let Go Now.”

Sheryl Crow Finishes St. Jude Country Music Half Marathon

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Sheryl Crow runs the St. Jude Country Music 1/2 Marathon. Photo: Lester Cacho/Competitor Group

Over 30,000 runners turned out for the 2012 St. Jude Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon Presented by Nissan on Saturday (4/28), including St. Jude Music Gives first ambassador Sheryl Crow.

“The bands were great, they were so uplifting and fun and really help take your mind off the pain,” said Crow, who ran in support of New Hope Academy. “People lined the course the whole way, cheering you on saying ‘you can do it.’” The race was Crow’s first half-marathon and she finished in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 14 seconds.

Other notable runners includes radio host Dave Ramsey (2:16:15), Christian artist Toby Mac (2:18:39), GAC Nights and On The Streets host Suzanne Alexander (2:19:58), and Columbia Nashville artist Joanna Smith (2:22:33), who also sang the national anthem before the race began.

The weekend events also included over 7100 junior racers competing at ING KiDS Rock on Friday (4/27), a non-competitive, non-timed one mile run for kids grades K-7. The festivities concluded with a post-race concert Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena headlined by Rodney Atkins. The 14th Annual St. Jude Country Music Marathon will take place April 27, 2013.

Daniel Lee Joins BMG Chrysalis

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BMG Chrysalis's Nashville team. Pictured (L-R) back row: Kevin Lane, Darrell Franklin, John Allen, Daniel Lee. Front row: Taylor Lindsey, Kim Hylick, Sara Johnson.

BMG Chrysalis US has tapped Daniel Lee to serve as Creative Director at the company’s Nashville operation. He will report to Darrell Franklin, Executive Vice President, effective immediately. Lee’s responsibilities will cover the full spectrum of creative duties including signing and development talent, and songplugging.

“Daniel Lee is going to be a strong complement to our already outstanding creative team,” said Franklin. “He brings a great deal of experience and is well respected throughout the music community. Nashville is an increasingly important hub for the company and we are very excited to have him on board.”

Lee previously worked as Creative Director at Ten Ten Music, a post he held since 2007. Prior to that he spent two years at Island Bound Music.

He joins BMG’s growing Nashville team which includes Vice President John Allen, Sr. Creative Directors Sara Johnson and Taylor Lindsey, GM Kim Hylick, and Creative Manager Kevin Lane. The publisher’s recent hits include “Home” (Dierks Bentley), “Banjo” (Rascal Flatts), “A Little Bit Stronger” (Sara Evans), “Let It Rain” (David Nail), “Reality” (Kenny Chesney), and “Fly Over States” (Jason Aldean).

Industry Pics (4/30/12)

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The 13th Annual Eco-Energy Best Cellars Dinner was held last Monday (4/23) at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville. The exclusive dining experience benefits the T.J. Martell Foundation’s mission of funding innovative cancer research at the Frances Williams Preston Labs at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

(L-R): Bill Hearn (Co-Chairman), Phran Galante, Joe Galante (Co-Chairman), Robin Meade, Jerrod Niemann, Chef Lidia Bastianich, Billy Ray Hearn, Nancy Hearn, Tom Black (Co-Chairman). Photo: Randi Ratcliff.

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The Country Music Association held its Membership Mixer and Open House on Thursday (4/26) in the organization’s newly remodeled atrium. Over 200 CMA members attended the event and mingled or made new acquaintances. CMA Close Up Editor Bob Doerschuk provided musical entertainment at a baby grand piano, which also served as a display for three original CMA Awards donated by winner Jack Greene.

(L-R): President and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Nashville and CMA Board President Troy Tomlinson; CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore; CMA Counsel Emeritus Dick Frank; and CMA Legal Counsel and Luna Law Group Attorney Horton Frank. Photo: Christian Bottorff

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ASCAP and Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) recently partnered to host an evening with songwriters Marla Cannon-Goodman, Tony Arata, Steven Dale Jones and Tim DuBois (who also moderated) to discuss a variety of topics affecting the music business.

(L-R): YEP's Andrew Cohen, ASCAP's Ryan Beuschel, Marla Cannon-Goodman, Tony Arata, Tim DuBois, YEP's Mary Ann Keen and Steven Dale Jones.

CMA Studies Financial Habits of Country Fans

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A study just released by the Country Music Association examines the financial habits of country fans. Here are some of the highlights:

• 84% of respondents have a positive sentiment about their financial situation a year from now
• 42% use mobile device banking
• 78% conduct financial business online
• 30% seek input from financial planners and brokers, as well as from family and friends
• 72% report a greater inclination to use a credit card affiliated with a loyalty rewards program, with exclusive opportunities to ticketed events as one of the top five desirable attributes for such a program

The survey was conducted online with respondents aged 18+ from the CMA Insider Fan Panel, a group of more than 13,000 Country Music fans recruited from various industry social nets and events. Respondents were queried on their perception of the state of the U.S. economy and their own financial situation.

CMA’s research reports are a benefit of CMA membership. The complete findings of this and previous studies are available on CMA’s members-only website at www.My.CMAworld.com/Research.

Live Nation Announces Inaugural Watershed Music Festival

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Live Nation Entertainment and ACM Promoter of the Year Brian O’Connell have established a new country music festival set for August 3-5 at the Gorge Amphitheater in Oregon.

The Watershed Music Festival will feature camping, late night sets, impromptu jam sessions, and collaborations. So far the lineup includes Dierks Bentley, Kix Brooks, Sara Evans, Brantley Gilbert, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Thompson Square, Uncle Kracker, Dwight Yoakam, Tracy Lawrence, Reckless Kelly, The Lost Trailers, Steve Holy, Johnny Reid, Jon Pardi, Thomas Rhett, Morgan Frazier, DeeJay Silver and a local stage will feature regional acts each night. More artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

“For years, we’ve wanted to host a multiple day country festival that builds on the tremendous success for our annual Sasquatch Music Festival and Dave Matthews Band residency,” said Jeff Trisler, President of Live Nation Seattle. “We believe this event will bring that same sort of excitement and energy to The Gorge for an entirely new group of music fans.”

The Watershed Music Festival has a capacity of 25,000 with lawn terrace seating and camping options.

Three-day passes go on sale Sat., May 5 at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.

American Idol Tour Includes Nashville Stop

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The American Idol Live! tour, presented by Chips Ahoy! and Ritz, will return to US cities this summer to showcase the Top 10 finalists from Season 11.

The tour launches in Detroit, Michigan at the Joe Louis Arena on Friday, July 6 and wraps September 11 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tour also includes a stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on August 12, where the crowd will undoubtedly celebrate Murfreesboro resident Colton Dixon’s seventh place finish. In addition to Dixon, performers include DeAndre Brackensick, Elise Testone, Erika Van Pelt, Heejun Han, Hollie Cavanagh, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, and Skylar Laine.

“Every year we are amazed at the extraordinary wealth of untapped talent that is discovered on American Idol and we couldn’t be happier with this season’s top 10 contestants,” says 19 Entertainment President Iain Pirie. “We are truly excited to bring our contestants on tour across America directly to our fans’ hometowns.”

Tickets go on sale Friday, May 11 at 10 am. Full dates are included below. The American Idol season finale will air on Fox May 23.

DATE — MARKET — VENUE
July 06 — Detroit, MI — Joe Louis Arena
July 07 — Rosemont, IL — Allstate Arena
July 09 — Minneapolis, MN — Target Center
July 11 — St. Louis, MO — Scottrade Center
July 12 — Kansas City, MO — Sprint Center
July 14 — Broomfield, CO — 1STBANK Center
July 16 — West Valley City, UT — Maverik Center
July 18 — Seattle, WA — Key Arena at Seattle Center
July 19 — Portland, OR — Rose Garden
July 21 — Sacramento, CA — Power Balance Pavilion
July 22 — San Jose, CA — HP Pavilion at San Jose
July 23 — Los Angeles, CA — Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE
July 25 — Ontario, CA — Citizens Business Bank Arena
July 26 — San Diego, CA — Valley View Casino Center
July 27 — Glendale, AZ — Jobing.com Arena
July 29 — Dallas, TX — American Airlines Center
July 30 — Lafayette, LA — Cajundome
July 31 — Jackson, MS — Mississippi Coliseum
August 02 — Orlando, FL — Amway Center
August 03 — Sunrise, FL — BankAtlantic Center
August 05 — Duluth, GA — Arena at Gwinnett Center
August 06 — N. Charleston, SC — North Charleston Coliseum
August 08 — Washington, DC — Verizon Center
August 09 — Baltimore, MD — 1st Mariner Arena
August 11 — Columbus, OH — Schottenstein Center
August 12 — Nashville, TN — Bridgestone Arena
August 14 — Pittsburgh, PA — Consol Energy Center
August 15 — Rochester, NY — Blue Cross Arena
August 16 — Toronto, ON — Air Canada Centre
August 18 — Manchester, NH — Verizon Wireless Arena
August 19 — Worcester, MA — DCU Center
August 21 — Philadelphia, PA — Wells Fargo Center
August 22 — Long Island, NY — Nassau Coliseum
August 25 — Portland, ME — Cumberland County Civic Center
August 26 — Providence, RI — Dunkin Donuts Center
August 28 — Newark, NJ — Prudential Center
August 30 — Albany, NY — Times Union Center
September 01 — Bridgeport, CT — Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard
September 02 — Uncasville, CT — Mohegan Sun Arena
September 04 — Syracuse, NY — War Memorial at OnCenter
September 06 — Wilkes Barre, PA — Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
September 07 — Atlantic City, NJ — Boardwalk Hall
September 08 — Reading, PA — Sovereign Center
September 10 — Cincinnati, OH — US Bank Arena
September 11 — Milwaukee, WI — Bradley Center

Photo Friday (4/27/12)

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SESAC Hosts Music Supervisors Panel at Film Festival
SESAC hosted “Music Supervisors 101: The Basics Of Song Placement” during the Nashville Film Festival. The panel offered insight and advice from successful music supervisors Evyen Klean (Hemingway & Gellhorn, Game Change), Tricia Holloway (Middle Men, Honey 2), P.J. Bloom (Glee, American Horror Story), Jo Jo Villanueva (American Reunion, Arthur), Jenee DeAngelis (Cold Case, Breaking Pointe) and Michael Freeman (Music Producer/Ogilvy & Mather). Jim Scherer, President of Whizbang Inc., moderated.

Pictured (back row L-R): SESAC’s Tim Fink, Michael Freeman, Evyen Klean, PJ Bloom, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, Jim Scherer. (front row L-R): Nashville Film Festival’s Stacey Widelitz, Jo Jo Villanueva, Tricia Holloway, Jenee DeAngelis and Nashville Film Festival’s Tyler Middleton. Photo: Peyton Hoge

Rachele Lynae Visits CMA
Momentum Label Group artist Rachele Lynae stopped by the CMA offices this week to treat the staff to barbeque and share new music including current single “Party ‘Til the Cows Come Home.” Momentum is headed by CEO Jamie O’Neal.

(L-R): Momentum Label Group Radio Strategist, John Ettinger; CMA Sr. VP of Marketing & Communications, Sheri Warnke; CMA Chief Executive Officer, Steve Moore; Rachele Lynae; Momentum Label Group Chief Executive Officer, Jamie O'Neal; Momentuam Label Group GM, Jimmy Murphy; and CMA Sr. Coordinator of Member Relations & Services, Betsy Walker. Photo: Christian Bottorff

BMG Chrysalis Debuts Concert Series With Carly Simon
Carly Simon performed an intimate concert at BMG Chrysalis’ Los Angeles space; the first in a new showcase series featuring the music right’s company’s top songwriters. Simon offered her beloved classics including “You’re So Vain” and “Anticipation,” as well as new songs such as “I Can’t Thank You Enough.” The following evening, Simon was honored with the Founders Award at ASCAP’s Annual Pop Awards for her four-decade career.

Pictured (L-R): Richard Blackstone, Exec. VP, Creative and Business Development, BMG Chrysalis NA; Laurent Hubert, Pres., Creative and Marketing, BMG Chrysalis NA; Debra A. White; Carly Simon; David Hirshland, Exec. VP, Client Services, BMG Chrysalis NA; Hartwig Masuch, CEO, BMG Rights Management; Larry Ciancia, Manager; Wendy Griffiths, Sr. VP, Marketing, BMG Chrysalis NA

Underwood Reveals Release Week Plans

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Carrie Underwood’s fourth studio album Blown Away (19 Recordings/Arista Nashville) hits stores on Tuesday (5/1) and the superstar is gearing up for a busy week to promote the release.

On Monday (4/30), Good Morning America will air an exclusive interview with Underwood and later the same day she will perform on The Late Show With David Letterman in addition to a performance on the Live On Letterman webcast concert series. On Tuesday (5/1), Underwood will return to Good Morning America for a special outdoor performance in Times Square, followed by a concert that night for Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio web service. Sony Nashville and Clear Channel have also partnered to promote Blown Away with a series of spots and exclusive content.

She will return to her American Idol roots on Thursday (5/3), followed by upcoming appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (5/9); Jimmy Kimmel Live! (5/10); and Dancing With the Stars (5/15). Additionally, she is slated to appear at the Billboard Music Awards May 20.

Blown Away, produced by Mark Bright, is currently available for streaming in the iTunes store. The album’s first single “Good Girl” has already been certified Gold.

Yesterday (4/26), Underwood stopped by PS22 in Staten Island, NY to perform “Good Girl” with the fifth grade choir. Check out the video below.

MusicRowPics: Tim Culpepper Artist Visit

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Honkytone Records artist Tim Culpepper visited the MusicRow staff yesterday (4/26) to share his new single “Ghost,” which is currently no. 33 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart.

The Montgomery, AL native also played “Pourin’ Whiskey on Pain” and “His Old Boots,” both of which will appear on his forthcoming album. Culpepper is heading to the west coast soon to continue his radio tour in support of “Ghost.”

Check out the video for Culpepper’s “Ghost” above, complete with dancing zombies.

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