Pictured (L-R): Zach Crowell, Chris Janson, Ashley Gorley. Photo: Steve Lowry

“He will be the Entertainer of the Year.”

That was Warner Music Nashville’s CEO John Esposito‘s exclamation during the recent party held for Chris Janson, as the singer-songwriter started off the new decade with very “Good Vibes,” celebrating his third No. 1 single on country radio.

BMI-affiliated writer Janson co-wrote the track with ASCAP-aligned writers Zach Crowell and Ashley Gorley. The song marks Gorley’s 45^th No. 1 hit (he has since added two more chart-toppers to that tally), and Crowell’s 11^th as a writer. Crowell and Janson co-produced the track.

BMI’s David Preston and ASCAP’s Mike Sistad led the festivities, which were held at BMI’s Nashville office, and also included congratulatory remarks from Anthem’s Tim Hunze, Round Hill Music’s Penny Gattis, Spirit Music’s Frank Rogers and Tape Room Music’s Blain Rhodes. Pinnacle Bank and First Horizon Bank were also on hand to celebrate the writers.

During the shindig, Esposito surprised Janson with the news that “Good Vibes” has now been certified Gold by the RIAA.

“I really love this guy,” Espo said. “I wish I had his energy, and I gotta lot of energy, but I gotta tap into some more of that. He’s amazing.”

Pictured (L-R): Cris Lacy, Tom Starr, Heather Propper, Tom Martens, Zach Crowell, James Marsh, Chris Janson, Chad Schultz, Ashley Gorley, Matt Signore, Taylor Aretz, Ben Kline, John Esposito. Photo: Steve Lowry

“Good Vibes” was the first single released from Janson’s recent album Real Friends. Appropriately, congratulatory video clips were shown from some of Janson’s real friends, including Kid Rock, Dallas Davidson, Charles Esten, members of The Cadillac Three, Dierks Bentley’s Hot Country Knights, and Bass Pro Shops founder/CEO Johnny Morris.

Producer-songwriter Crowell was short on words to the crowd, simply saying, “I love everybody. This is all good. Thank you.”

Gorley added, “This song on this day was just Chris top to bottom as far as the vibe and everything—no pun intended, there. Everything just seemed to fit and a a lot of that has to do with Zach coming in with the production and the title and everybody just catching the groove. Without Chris’ energy, the song would not happen and I’m just happy to be part of this album and the previous one, and hopefully we’ll do some more in the future.”

Throughout the evening, attendees thanked Chris but also his wife and manager Kelly Lynn Janson for their teamwork.

“If I’m thanking Chris, I’m thanking Kelly in the same breath,” Gorley said. “And Cris Lacy and Warner because everything is a team effort with Chris [Janson]. He’s very thankful for that inspiration just as a creative person.”

“This has by far been my favorite No. 1 party that I’ve been part of,” Janson told the crowd. Speaking to Espo, Janson said, “The reason I signed with Warner Brothers was because of you and Cris Lacy. One reason we signed is the first person you thanked is my wife. That means everything to us. Thank you for respecting her the way you do. It means a lot…we are a team. We built this together. It’s hard to get a record deal and to get the right record deal—and I’ve been through three, I would know. I finally got one that worked and my ears on songs comes straight from Kelly and Cris. That’s where it starts.

“I’m so humbled to stand in front of a crowd to accept a third No. 1. It was not that long ago that Kelly and I were sitting at home going, ‘If we could just get one No. 1, it would change our life.’ We got one, and then it was like, ‘If we could get two No. 1s…’ and then we got it. Then it’s that pivotal moment of having a third No. 1. It’s so important because you feel like you’re turning a page and putting a key in the lock and it’s finally opening…We wake up every day and we pray over our kids and we pray over our career and we speak these things. We prayed over ‘Good Vibes’ from the [beginning]. She spoke it, she spoke it, we wrote it down. You don’t have to be a Christian or religious to understand or experience the miracles that can happen in the world, but trust me, babies are born, it’s a miracle. Songs going No.1, it’s a different type of miracle. We all did it together.”

He went on to thank several members of his label and management team individually, including Brian Jones (WME), and label execs including James Marsh, Chad Schultz, Taylor Aretz, Tom Martens, Victoria Chaitoff, Wes Vause, Matt Signore, Heather Propper, and Tom Starr (who recently won a battle with cancer over the past year).

“Talk about a ‘good vibe,’” Janson said. “He still worked this record when I know he didn’t feel like it and probably frankly didn’t want to get out of bed. Thank you so much—that’s a whole other level.”

Janson ended by also offering thanks to country radio.

“The one thing that pays the songwriter is country music radio, the one thing I always wanted to be on is country music radio and I am so proud to be on country music radio. This is a No. 1 song because of country music radio, so thank you.”

Pictured (L-R): Mike Sistad (ASCAP), Brian Rhodes (Tape Room), Zach Crowell, Chris Janson, Ashley Gorley, Penny Gattis (Round Hill), John Esposito (Warner Music Nashville), David Preston (BMI), Frank Rogers (Spirit Music), Tim Hunze (Anthem). Photo: Steve Lowry

A star-studded concert event “King Of The Road: Celebrating The Music of Roger Miller” will take place on March 22 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. The Blackbird Presents concert will feature an all-star lineup of performances by Willie Nelson, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood, Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, Wynonna, Rodney Crowell, Chris Janson, Lee Ann Womack, Larry Gatlin, Cake, The War And Treaty and more to be announced. Buddy Miller will be the musical director of the celebration.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 24 at ticketmaster.com and the Opry House Box Office, and special VIP packages, including premium seats and exclusive concert merchandise, will be available to purchase. Blackbird Presents also continues its tradition of supporting important charities, and will donate a portion of the proceeds to Thistle Farms, the nonprofit based in Nashville dedicated to helping women survivors recover and heal from trafficking, prostitution, and addiction.

“I’m thrilled to see all these great artists coming out to celebrate my ol’ pal Roger Miller. He was certainly one of a kind, his songs will live forever,” said Willie Nelson about Miller’s legacy.

“My father is one of the greatest creative geniuses the world has known. I want everyone to know that and a tribute of this magnitude is a great way to remind people just how incredible he was,” said Dean Miller.

In the late ’50s, Miller had his songs recorded by artists including Ernest Tubb and Faron Young. Miller co-wrote the tune “Tall, Tall Trees” with George Jones; though the song didn’t become a radio hit when Jones released it ahead of his 1958 album Long Live King George, it did become a signature No. 1 for Alan Jackson nearly 40 years later.

Miller’s career as an artist took off in the 1960s, when his self-penned songs such as “Dang Me” and “King of the Road” saw crossover success. In 1964-1965, Miller won 11 Grammy Awards. He issued other hits including “Chug-A-Lug” and “Kansas City Star.” In the 1970s, Miller provided the music for the Walt Disney movie Robin Hood. Later, he also wrote the score for the Broadway musical Big River. Miller died in 1992 at age 56.

Former Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan filed a charge of discrimination complaint yesterday (Jan. 21) with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission detailing sexual harassment; as well as “egregious conflicts of interest, improper self-dealing by Board members and voting irregularities with respect to nominations to the Grammy Awards, all made possible by the ‘boy’s club’ mentality and approach to governance at the Academy.”

MusicRow has obtained a copy of the EEOC complaint from the Wigdor, LLP. Click here to view it in its entirety.

The complaint states that Dugan sent an email to Shonda Grant, Managing Director, People and Culture (Human Resources) on Dec. 22, 2019, describing “sexual harassment to which she was subjected by Joel Katz, Esq.,” an entertainment attorney and tenured executive at the Academy.

The complaint also states that Dugan’s predecessor—former CEO Neil Portnow, who stepped down in July of 2019—“allegedly raped a female recording artist.” The alleged artist is not named in the complaint, but described as “foreign.” The complaint claims that the board was aware of the incident, and that is why Portnow’s contract was not renewed.

It claims that she was asked to offer Portnow a $750,000 consulting contract, that “Katz and his law firm are paid an exorbitant amount of money by the Academy,” and that Dugan’s assistant, Claudine Little, was sharing information from Dugan’s emails with Academy board members and executives.

Dugan’s complaint alleges that some board members on “secret committees” that select the Grammy nominees represent or have relationships with nominated artists, that the “Board uses these committees as an opportunity to push forward artists with whom they have relationships,” that “the Board manipulates the nominations process to ensure that certain songs or albums are nominated when the producer of the Grammys (Ken Ehrlich) wants a particular song performed during the show,” and that “the Board is permitted to simply add in artists for nominations who did not even make the initial 20-artist list.”

Dugan goes on to allege that this year, “30 artists that were not selected by the membership were added to the possible nominations list.”

“That the Board has selected artists who are under consideration for a nomination to sit on the committee that is voting for the category for which that have been nominated. As a result, one artist who initially ranked 18 out of 20 in the 2019 “Song of the Year” category ended up with a nomination — over Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande,” she states in the complaint.

Dugan’s attorneys Douglas Wigdor and Michael Willemin at Wigdor Law, said in a statement: “The complaint that we filed today against the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammys) highlights tactics reminiscent of those deployed by individuals defending Harvey Weinstein. As we allege, the attempt by the Recording Academy to impugn the character of Deborah Dugan is a transparent effort to shift the focus away from its own unlawful activity. This blatant form of retaliation in corporate America is all too common, even post #MeToo, and we will utilize all lawful means necessary to ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”

In response to the statement that the Academy’s interim CEO and President, Harvey Mason Jr. published on Tuesday (Jan. 21), Wigdor and Willemin released the following statement:

“As the charge filed today clearly alleges, the assertion that Ms. Dugan did not raise concerns prior to the accusations manufactured against her is completely false. Ms. Dugan repeatedly raised concerns throughout her entire tenure at the Academy, and even gave large presentations focused on diversity and inclusion at Board meetings. In addition, it is not just Ms. Dugan who has raised concerns. As alleged in the charge, artists, other board members and employees have all raised virtually all of the concerns raised by Ms. Dugan. As alleged, the Academy has lost its way and abandoned the recording industry, instead focusing on self-dealing and turning blind eye to the “boys’ club” environment, obvious improprieties and conflicts of interest.

It was never Ms. Dugan’s intention to turn this into a public fight precisely because of her love for music and the members of the recording industry. Unfortunately, staying silent was made impossible by the Board’s repeated leaks and disclosures of false and misleading information to the press.

Finally, as alleged in the charge, on the morning of the day she was put on leave, the Academy offered Ms. Dugan millions of dollars to drop all of this and leave the Academy. The Board Chair demanded an answer within the hour. When Ms. Dugan refused to accept and walk away, she was put on leave. The Academy claimed that Ms. Dugan was put on leave based on accusations made against her over a month prior that the Board knows very well are meritless. That is not a credible story.”

In response to Dugan’s complaint, Howard Weitzman, an attorney for Katz, said: “Ms. Dugan’s allegations of harassment and her description of a dinner at the steakhouse in the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel are false and Mr. Katz categorically and emphatically denies her version of that evening. This dinner meeting was 2½ months before Ms. Dugan started her job. Mr. Katz believed they had a productive and professional meeting in a restaurant where a number of members of the Board of Trustees of the Academy, and others, were dining. Ms. Dugan’s claims are made, for the first time, 7 months after this dinner took place. Mr. Katz will cooperate in any and all investigations or lawsuits by telling the absolute and whole truth. Hopefully Ms. Dugan will do the same.”

In a statement obtained by various media publications including Billboard, Portnow denies all allegations stating the EEOC filing “is filled with inaccurate, false and outrageous and terribly hurtful claims against me.”

His complete statement is below.

“This document is filled with inaccurate, false and outrageous and terribly hurtful claims against me. Here is what is true:

The allegations of rape are ludicrous, and untrue. The suggestion that there was is disseminating a lie. The baseless complaint about my conduct referenced in the EEOC filing was immediately brought to the attention of the Board of Director’s Executive Committee. An in-depth independent investigation by experienced and highly regarded lawyers was conducted and I was completely exonerated. There was no basis for the allegations and once again I deny them unequivocally.

I fulfilled the terms and responsibilities of my contract during my 17 years as President and ultimately Chief Executive Officer. Consistent with my pledge to ensure that there would be the appropriate amount of time for the Academy to organize and execute an efficient and transparent transition, I determined far in advance of the Grammy telecast in 2018 that I would not seek a further extension of my contract scheduled to end July 31, 2019. I informed the then Board Chair and Executive Committee of my decision. At no time did I ever demand a $750,000 consulting fee.

After making the ‘step up’ comment during the 2018 telecast, for which I have apologized and deeply regret the offense caused, and understanding the power of listening and lessons learned, I took action. I proposed, and the Academy created an independent Task Force to review the state of diversity & inclusion across the organization. After presenting the Task Force plan and proposed study of the organization to the board, the group was created to implement change. Task Force Chair Tina Tchen made a presentation to the full Board during a May 2019 meeting.

The repetition of these falsehoods against me, and others referenced within the EEOC filing are a diversionary tactic and will not convert them to truth. I will vigorously defend all false claims made against me in this document.

I would like to wish all the 2020 nominees and those in our creative community well and sincerely hope that they will celebrate their art and accomplishments this weekend at the Grammy Awards telecast and during the many Grammy Week events ahead.”

(L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad and Alison Toczylowski Webber, Gordie Sampson, Austin Jenckes, Mark Irwin, Jillian Jacqueline, Hailey Whitters, Frank Rogers, Jaren Johnston, ASCAP’s Evyn Mustoe and Endurance Music Group’s Michael Martin. Photo: Ed Rode

ASCAP returned as a major sponsor and stage host of the 30A Songwriters Festival’s 10th year, and ASCAP writers turned out in force for the annual event.

Songwriters Mark Irwin, Jaren Johnston, Jon Nite, Josh Mirenda, Jimmy Robbins, Frank Rogers and Gordie Sampson, as well as rising songwriter-artists Hannah Dasher, Jillian Jacqueline, Austin Jenckes, Canaan Smith and Hailey Whitters were all in attendance at ASCAP’s 30A showcases this year on Jan. 17-19 at The Lakehouse in WaterColor, Florida. The shows were curated by ASCAP Creative Director Evyn Mustoe, and ASCAP Vice President of Membership Mike Sistad and Sr. Director of Marketing Alison Toczylowski Webber were also on hand to host the songwriters.

(L-R): Jimmy Robbins, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Jillian Jacqueline, Canaan Smith, Hannah Dasher, Austin Jenckes, Jaren Johnston, Gordie Sampson, Jon Nite and ASCAP’s Evyn Mustoe. Photo: Ed Rode

(L-R): Bryan Brown, Jillian Jacqueline, Josh Mirenda, Mark Irwin and Gordie Sampson. Photo: Ed Rode

(L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Austin Jenckes, Mark Irwin, Frank Rogers, ASCAP’s Evyn Mustoe, songwriter-artist David Ryan Harris, Jaren Johnston, Jillian Jacqueline, Endurance Music Group’s Michael Martin, ASCAP’s Alison Toczylowski Webber and Bryan Brown. Photo: Ed Rode