Luke Bryan Scores Platinum Album

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Luke Bryan’s latest album Tailgates & Tanlines has received platinum status from the RIAA for shipments totaling one million units. This is Bryan’s third studio album on Capitol Records Nashville and has produced back-to-back platinum singles “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” and “I Don’t Want This Night To End.” Current single “Drunk On You” is in the Top 10 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout chart. The album debuted at No. 1 last August with sales of 145,000 units.

Last month Bryan’s EP Spring Break 4…Suntan City debuted in the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Country Albums chart with sales near 30,000 units. His coinciding fourth annual spring break shows at Spinnaker’s in Panama City Beach attracted a crowd of 80,000 fans.

In addition to headlining his own dates, Bryan is on the road with Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party Tour. 

NaFF Names Executive Director

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Ted Crockett

Ted Crockett has been named executive director of the Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) in time for its upcoming event, running April 19-26 at the Regal Green Hills Theaters.

Crockett has spent the last six months as interim executive director, following a tenure as managing director. He joined the Nashville Film Festival in 2004 as box office manager, and continued on as a contract employee with NaFF during the 2005 and 2006 festivals before becoming a full-time employee in 2007. His career path also includes five years at Nashville business management firm Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy.

“I’m truly honored by the trust and confidence placed in me by the Nashville Film Festival board of directors,” said Crockett. “I am thankful for the progress made and success of the festival by my predecessor Sallie Mayne and look forward to serving the community.”

Crockett is an active supporter of Tennesseans for the Arts, Nashville Public Television, Nashville Pride, Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce, Nashville Arts Coalition, and is a visual artist.

Hats Across The Row Parade and Party Tomorrow

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Hats Across the Row will take over 16th and 17th Aves. S. tomorrow (4/17) with a parade and party.

At 3 p.m. watch the parade on Music Row featuring Kerry Collins and his motorcycle gang, marching bands, antique Mini Coopers, and an array of stilt walkers, hula hoopers and Minnie Pearl look-a-likes. At 4 p.m. come to the after party at Major Bob Music (1111 17th Ave. S.).

Hosted by co-chairs Ree Buchanan and Tinti Moffat, the campaign honoring the iconic Minnie Pearl recognizes the connection between Nashville’s music industry and The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and the impact cancer has had on the lives of so many along the Row.

Between 3 – 4 PM tomorrow, 16th and 17th Avenues will be closed for the parade. Northbound traffic will be closed on 16th Ave. S. between Horton Ave. and Music Circle N. Southbound traffic on 17th Ave. S will be closed between Division St. and Horton Ave. Music Circle North will also be closed between 15th and 16th Avenue.

Closures are planned for the following intersections during the parade:

17th Ave & Division Street
17th Ave & Chet Atkins Place
17th Ave & Grand Ave
17th Ave & Edgehill Ave
16th Ave & Edgehill Ave
17th Ave & Horton Ave
16th Ave & Horton Ave
16th Ave & Tremont Street
16th Ave & Grand Ave
16th Ave & South Street (east side of intersection)
16th Ave & South Street (west side of intersection)
16th Ave & Music Circle S
Music Circle North & 15th Ave
Music Circle South & 16th Ave

For more information and the latest news on MPCF’s year of celebration, please visit www.minniepearl.org.

We’re All For The Hall Raises $465,000 for CMHoF

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum announced today that Keith Urban’s April 10 We’re All for the Hall benefit concert raised $465,000 for the organization.

The lineup, which entertained a sold-out crowd of nearly 14,000 fans, included Urban, The Band Perry, Blue Sky Riders, Diamond Rio, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, The Oak Ridge Boys, Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts, Thompson Square and Country Music Hall of fame members Vince Gill, Alabama, Merle Haggard and Don Williams.

“This museum, and country music in general, could not ask for greater ambassadors and caretakers than Vince Gill and Keith Urban,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “They have such a reverence for this music’s history, and are passionate about its future. The first We’re All for the Hall benefit, in 2009, was a game changer for this museum in terms of both fundraising and awareness, and this year’s show, the third, has again helped take this institution to another level.

For MusicRow’s review of the evening’s performance, click here.

Approximately $1.5 million has been raised by the benefit show’s three-year run. Proceeds will be invested in the care of the institution’s rare and unduplicated collection, its schedule of school and public programs, and core exhibition enhancements. 

Most recently the Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player exhibition, originally scheduled to close June 11, 2012, has been extended through July 15, 2012. Additional public programs for the exhibit will include an April 28 interview with Jerry Bradley, and a May 5 concert saluting Jerry Reed. Both programs will also be streamed live. For more information, click here.

MusicRowPics: Lisa Matassa Artist Visit

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Long Island, NY’s own Lisa Matassa recently stopped by MusicRow‘s headquarters to perform a few songs for the staff and talk about her musical journey.

Matassa is a mother of two who grew up loving Loretta Lynn and Debbie Boone, but made her first foray into the music business with a couple of dance-pop singles for Emergency Records at the age of 19. She left the music business for a few years to raise a family, but has returned to lay it on the line and tell the world about her own brand of Long Island country.

Matassa performed selections from her debut album Sunrise Highway (It Is What It Is Records), including “Somebody’s Baby,” “Learning As You Grow,” and the sassy “Wouldn’t You Like To Know.” The Nine North Records team led by Larry Pareigis is heading up promotional efforts at country radio.

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Industry Ink Monday

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Don Donahue

••• BE Music & Entertainment has tapped Don Donahue to serve as Vice President of Live Events and Program Development. He will work with the Nashville-based artist development agency to connect artists with audiences through the creation, production and promotion of live events and sponsorship opportunities. A 20-year veteran of the Nashville music industry, Donahue launched the boutique artist label Rocketown Records in 1996, selling more than 6 million albums while working with a roster that included Chris Rice, Ginny Owens, Shaun Groves and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Prior to joining BE Music, Donahue served as VP/Artist Development at Intero Alliance, where he co-executive produced the global Avon Voices campaign, among other successful events.

••• Jennie Smythe’s Girlilla Marketing has hired Beverly Forehand as Project Manager. Prior to joining the team at Girlilla, she was Senior Communications Relationship Specialist at Brown-Forman where she worked with the Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands and the Tennessee Squire Association. Forehand can be reached at [email protected], and according to Smythe, she can definitely out-drink you.

Maggie Rose

••• Maggie Rose has signed with Karen Tallier’s LOUDMOUTH pr for publicity representation. Previously known as Margaret Durante, Maggie Rose will be joining the 2012 Country Throwdown Tour with headliner Gary Allan and is gearing up for the May release of her single produced by James Stroud. Rose is signed to Scott Siman’s RPM Management, where April Rider is VP of Artist Development. Rider and Siman successfully collaborated for over a decade on the career of megastar Tim McGraw. Tallier and Rider recently worked together on Thompson Square during Rider’s tenure at Stoney Creek.

Lucy Madalyn Watkins

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Congrats to Christy Walker-Watkins and husband Matt Watkins, both of AristoMedia, on the birth of daughter Lucy Madalyn on Sat., April 14. She weighed 7 lbs, 13 oz and everyone is doing well. This is the first grandchild for AristoMedia Pres./CEO Jeff Walker and wife Terri. Lucy is also the great-granddaughter of award-winning arranger, producer, conductor and music director Bill Walker and niece of AristoWorks New Media Director Jon Walker.

Events Aim To Merge Music, Movies

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It’s more like Movie City this week in Music City. Film-Com is going on now through April 20, and the Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) runs April 19-26. Both events offer opportunities for music and film to merge.

NaFF Music Supervisor Mixer—Tues., April 24, 6:30-8:30PM at Belcourt Taps & Tapas. Tickets are $75 per person. Scheduled to attend are music supervisors Evyen Klean (Hemingway & Gellhorn, Game Change); Tricia Holloway (Middle Men, Honey 2); PJ Bloom (Glee, American Horror Story); Jenee DeAngelis (Cold Case, Breaking Pointe); Michael Freeman (Music Producer/Ogilvy & Mather); and Jojo Villanueva (American Reunion, Prom). This is an opportunity for professionals to meet and exchange information. Organizers emphasize this is not a pitch session, so please don’t bring CDs, bring business cards instead. Email ticket requests to Todd Farrell at [email protected] and he will return calls in the order received.

Film-Com Film/TV Songwriters Forum—Tues., April 17 at Douglas Corner with performances by Greg Barnhill, Jeremy Lister, Aaron Espe, Regie Hamm, Rick Elias, Ronnie McDowell, and others who have had music placed in film or TV. Invitation only. Film-Com is also hosting Music in Film Onstage at the Schermerhorn April 18 from 5-7 PM.

Over the weekend Film-Com teamed with Nashville Composers Association to host Score-Com—A Film/TV Composer’s Symposium at Ocean Way Studios. Featured guests included Richard Glasser, President of Music for the Weinstein Company, and Aaron Zigman, composer for motion pictures including The Notebook, John Q and Bridge to Terabithia.

Kip Moore Gets Boost From New Single

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Photo: Stephen Shepherd

Kip Moore’s latest single “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” is moving up the country charts, and is also nearing gold certification for paid downloads. Currently, the single lands at No. 12 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart and has sold more than 485,000 units.

The video, which has received about 5.5 million views, has been selected by VEVO for its April “Detected” series. The programming highlights rising musicians through exclusive videos and interviews with Moore as the first country artist.

The single leads the way for the April 24 release of his debut album, Up All Night. Moore wrote or co-wrote every song on the Brett James-produced project.

Moore will join UMGN label mates David Nail and Billy Currington on the latter’s 2012 headlining tour.

“There is no way to emotionally prepare for what is happening right now,” Moore says. “The whole thing is more humbling than anything else. You always believe in yourself as an artist and believe that it is going to happen, but when it is actually happening, you get so used to it not happening that when it starts working, there is no way to put into words how that feels.”

Dave Haywood and Kelli Cashiola’s Weekend Wedding

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Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood and Warner Music Nashville VP of Brand Management Kelli Cashiola were married Saturday (4/14) in an intimate sunset ceremony at Front Porch Farms near Nashville.

Guests included Haywood’s Lady A bandmates Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott. Everyone enjoyed a performance by hit songwriter Dave Barnes (“God Gave Me You”).

No word on the couple’s honeymoon plans.

Front Porch Farms is owned by longtime Nashville publicist Kathy Best and was also the site of Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton’s engagement party.

Musicians On Call Marks Five Years In Music City

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Kellie Pickler performs at MOC Nashville's 4th Anniversary Party, which raised funds for a new weekly Bedside Performance Program. Photo: Paul Levy

Musicians On Call (MOC) Nashville is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month. Since launching in April 2007, the organization has delivered the healing power of music to more than 50,000 patients, staff and families in Middle Tennessee. Through the generosity of local volunteers and supporters, MOC Nashville has been able to sustain ten Bedside Performance Programs and expand into six area hospitals with its new program kicking off later this month at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

With the help of artists like Trace Adkins, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Kellie Pickler, MOC Nashville is now able to offer its 11th weekly Bedside Performance Program. Watch a special video message from Pickler below.

In celebration of this benchmark year, a special edition Fifth Anniversary Hatch Show Print commemorative poster will be produced this summer. Supporters have the opportunity to include their names on the print by donating $100 by May 25. Donations may be made here.

MOC Nashville has also created a Young Professionals Committee (YPC) which recently threw its first event and raised over $1,500.