Black River Entertainment Signs MaRynn Taylor

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Black River Entertainment’s Gordon Kerr, MaRynn Taylor, and Bill Cody

Black River Entertainment’s President & CEO Gordon Kerr recently announced the signing of MaRynn Taylor to Black River’s publishing and artist roster.

On Wednesday (Nov. 13) Black River signed the Rockford, Michigan native as their newest and youngest recording artist and songwriter during a live broadcast interview and performance on the legendary 650 AM WSM radio’s Coffee, Country and Cody.

“I’m always honored to be in the presence of the legendary Hall of Fame radio host, Bill Cody,” said Kerr. “650 AM WSM continues to play an integral part in the history of country music. I couldn’t think of a better way to begin MaRynn’s journey than to share this experience with Bill, Charlie, and the Coffee, Country and Cody audience.”

“There I was in my first radio interview, feeling nervous yet humbled to know that Bill Cody would have me on the show,” MaRynn recalls. “The next thing I knew, I’m in the middle of a great conversation with him, live on the air, and he said something like, ‘What if I told you, you were going to get your record deal right now?’ Of course, I started to cry when Gordon handed me the contract.”

Bill Cody and Charlie Mattos met Taylor for the first time the morning of the interview in the 650 AM WSM studios at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.

“MaRynn’s sweet, endearing shyness and soft-spoken nature belies the God-given gift that becomes immediately apparent when she opens her mouth to sing!” said Cody. “18 years old and only in Nashville for a few months, she effortlessly and naturally sings with the comfort and ease of a seasoned studio and stage performer. I was truly honored to be asked to share in her very emotional surprise BRE record deal signing. She’s destined for much greater things! I look forward with anticipation and excitement to see her stardom realized in the years ahead.”

Earlier this summer during CMA Fest, Black River held its first-ever 60-Second Spotlight, a performance opportunity for aspiring musicians, songwriters and music lovers to perform for 60 seconds in front of Black River’s executive staff. At the end of the first day, MaRynn Taylor and her mom made their way to the booth just as it had closed. Only a few days shy of 18, MaRynn visited with the staff of Black River for a few minutes and ultimately played a song for them on the guitar, while sitting on the stage. That initial conversation led to her label signing only five months later.

“I left my life in Michigan to chase my dream in Nashville and never would have thought that I’d find my Nashville family so perfectly in Black River,” shared Taylor.

TobyMac’s Hits Deep Tour To Go On As Scheduled

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TobyMac‘s Hits Deep Tour 2020, slated to launch on Jan. 30 in Beaumont, will begin as scheduled. Despite any rumors or speculation following the untimely death of TobyMac’s son Truett, the tour will not be impacted by any rescheduling, and all dates will proceed as originally planned. Tauren Wells, Jordan Feliz, We Are Messengers, Ryan Stevenson, Aaron Cole, and Cochren & Co. will join TobyMac on the extensive tour.

“Recently we’ve received a fair amount of questions, and have noticed some social media chatter about Hits Deep next year. We want to be clear so that no fans are confused. Hits Deep 2020 is on as scheduled, and we can’t wait to join you for another year of your favorite artists delivering the songs that hit you deep!” said Awakening Events Director of Marketing Curtis Pinkerton.

The tour kicks off Jan. 30 in Beaumont, and will run through March 29 in New Orleans, visiting 32 cities including Charlotte, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Pensacola, Little Rock, and more.

Kane Brown Breaks Top 10 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Kane Brown is back in the Top 10 at No. 9 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week, up from No. 28. The songs that propel him are his own “For My Daughter,” “Homesick,” “Like A Rodeo,” and “One Thing Right.”

The top five remains the same this week, with Ashley Gorley at No. 1, Zach Crowell at No. 2, Laura Veltz at No. 3, Ross Copperman at No. 4 and Josh Osborne at No. 5.

The MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity garnered from airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the first songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

SMACKSongs Signs Publishing Deal With ‘Songland’ Finalist Jack Newsome

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Pictured (L-R): SMACKSongs’ Shane McAnally, Jack Newsome, Robin Palmer and Robert Carlton. Photo: Kaiser Cunningham

Jack Newsome, a finalist on NBC’s Songland, has signed an exclusive publishing agreement with Shane McAnally‘s SMACKSongs. McAnally is a producer and judge on the NBC series.

During his time on Songland, Los Angeles-based pop singer, songwriter and producer Newsome pitched an original song to Kelsea Ballerini, and co-wrote the winning song, “Hurt Me,” on another episode. “Hurt Me” was recorded by Meghan Trainor. Newsome has also penned songs for artists including PLATINUM, Matt Sato, Sean Kingston, and more.

“I’ve never met anyone as true to their word as Shane McAnally. When we met on Songland I immediately felt seen, heard and understood on every level. When I met the team at SMACK, it was the same thing. I felt an instant connection with everyone,” said Newsome. “I’ve never been more excited for the future. I hope this new music will blur some genre lines and last a really long time.”

“Jack lights up every room he walks into with his energy and his talent. He really makes you want to be your best because he is always his,” said McAnally. “It’s such a gift to get to write with him, even better to get to be a part of his journey to superstardom.”

Alabama Reschedules Nashville Concert, Adds Second Bridgestone Arena Show

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Country group Alabama has rescheduled its sold-out 50th Anniversary Tour date in Nashville, and has added a second show due to demand. The previously postponed date will take place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday, July 17, with a second show added for Saturday, July 18.

Band members Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry and Randy Owen have recruited Charlie Daniels to join them at both events.

“We know fans will be thrilled that Alabama and the Charlie Daniels Band were able to add this second night at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena,” says Outback Presents company President Mike Smardak. “It’s an honor for Outback Presents to be the promoter of this magical weekend.”

In August, Alabama announced it would reschedule its 50th Anniversary Tour, due to lead singer Randy Owen’s complications with migraines and vertigo. At the time, the group released the following statement:

“The 50th Anniversary Tour has been very special to us. The support of the fans and their energy at all of our shows has led to some of the most fun we’ve ever had on stage. As disappointed as myself, Randy, and Jeff are to have to postpone this tour for all of our incredible fans, we know that Randy’s recovery is what is most important for everyone at this time. We would like to thank our fans, promoters, and venues and we look forward to seeing you all soon.”

Tickets for the newly-added Nashville concert on July 18 will go on sale this Friday, Nov. 22 at 10 a.m. CT and will be available for purchase via ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena box office.

Alabama will announce all rescheduled 50th Anniversary Tour 2020 live concert dates in the coming weeks.

The Cadillac Three Kick Off New Year With New Album, Tour Dates

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The Cadillac Three have announced their 2020 tour dates, which will coincide with the release of their new album, Country Fuzz, due out Feb. 7. The Country Fuzz Presents: The Cadillac Three tour kicks off Jan. 23 in Jackson, Tennessee, before crossing into Europe for headline dates and the C2C: Country to Country Festival, and will include a return to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on March 27.

General on-sale tickets are available this Friday, Nov. 22 at thecadillacthree.com and fans have two pre-sale opportunities: TC3 Drinking Club (Tuesday, Nov. 19-Nov. 21) and Spotify (Wednesday, Nov. 20-21). Several U.S. headlining shows will offer a special album bundle for each pair of online tickets.
Fans pre-ordering the album now will instantly gain access to advance tracks such as “Crackin’ Cold Ones With The Boys” and “All The Makin’s Of A Saturday Night” leading up to the official release. TC3 further their country-rock sound with songs like “Labels,” “Heat” and “Slow Rollin’,” while also exploring heavy funk on tracks like the super-charged “Blue El Camino” and the devil disco “The Jam.”

Chris Young, Gavin DeGraw Set For ‘CMT Crossroads’

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Chris Young and Gavin DeGraw will join forces for an upcoming taping of the popular performance series CMT Crossroads on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at Liberty Hall at The Factory in Franklin (230 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN).

The free, special taping is open to the public. Register here.

The episode will premiere in early December on CMT.

Blackbird Music Publishing Group, Dann Huff Ink A&R, Creative Development Deal

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Dann Huff, Darrell Franklin. Photo: Darcy Ferris

Blackbird Music Publishing Group has entered a partnership with producer Dann Huff. The partnership will re-establish a creative A&R and publishing relationship between Blackbird’s SVP Darrell Franklin and Huff, which goes back 20 years and included the publishing powerhouse Crosstown Songs, one of the first U.S. acquisitions by BMG in 2009. While at Crosstown Songs, Franklin and Huff worked with songwriters and producers including busbee, Neil Thrasher, Jonathan Singleton, John Paul White of The Civil Wars and Melissa Pierce.

“My association with Dann has been an incredibly successful partnership over the years. We built a thriving company, one song at a time, and intend to repeat that on an even grander scale at Blackbird Music Publishing Group,” says Franklin.

Huff began his career by moving to Los Angeles and becoming an elite session guitarist playing on albums for Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston, as well as having his band, GIANT, signed to a recording and publishing deal by Blackbird Music Publishing’s President, Lance Freed while at Almo/Irving Music. Huff later returned home to Nashville, where he transitioned into production. Two decades later, Huff has long been recognized as one of Nashville’s top record producers, with multiple CMA & ACM awards, including Producer of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, & Musician of the Year. He has produced some of the biggest artists in music, working with Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Brooks & Dunn, Brett Young, Midland, Faith Hill, Steven Tyler, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, and Reba McEntire, among others.

“Reuniting with Darrell gives me a greater opportunity to access songs from the songwriters in the songwriting community on a much broader scale,” commented Huff. “The association goes way beyond that as I look to develop new talent and independent artists through this new partnership with Blackbird Music Publishing Group.”

Blackbird Music Publishing Group, founded by The Raine Group, Keith Wortman and Blackbird Presents formed in July 2019 and previously announced the exclusive representation of the famed music catalog of Burt Bacharach, music’s “Greatest Living Composer,” as well as the hiring of Darrell Franklin, SVP of the Nashville office. With a presence in New York City, Los Angeles and Nashville, Blackbird Music Publishing looks forward to announcing additional significant signings in the coming weeks.

Reba’s Spring Arena Tour To Include Opener Caylee Hammack

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Courtesy of RBI

Reba McEntire is bringing Caylee Hammack with her as special guest on her just-announced run of arena dates kicking off in March.

“I have always loved to entertain and to be entertained so I couldn’t be more thrilled to head back out on the road and sing for the fans every night,” shared Reba. “We have so many talented females creating new music and having Caylee join us will be a lot of fun!”

Tickets for the shows in Evansville, Indiana; Huntsville, Alabama; Toledo, Ohio; Rosemont, Illinois; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Biloxi, Mississippi and Grand Rapids, Michigan go on sale this Friday, Nov. 22.

For the first time ever, Reba will be offering fans the opportunity to purchase VIP experience packages including a meet & greet with the icon, premium seating, access to the “Fancy” Lounge with food, drinks and a special exhibit featuring memorabilia spanning her impressive career, exclusive merchandise, and more. VIP packages are available in limited quantities for each show.

Members of Reba’s official mailing list will receive a code and email link tomorrow morning, Nov. 19, for access to a special pre-sale to purchase tickets. As the official credit card for the tour, Citi cardmembers will also have access to purchase pre-sale tickets for select markets beginning Tuesday, Nov. 19 through Citi Entertainment.

Garth Brooks Breaks Neyland Stadium Record On Knoxville Tour Stop

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Garth Brooks at Neyland Stadium. Photo: 8 Ten, Inc.

The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Garth Brooks shattered another attendance record with his 10th stadium tour stop, at Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium Saturday night (Nov. 16), breaking the Neyland Stadium and the state of Tennessee’s attendance record for a single concert event.

Performing the first concert at Neyland Stadium in 16 years, Brooks was welcomed with roars of over 84,000 eager fans gearing up for the unforgettable night. Jon Pardi opened the stadium show, which was the 10th in a series that has included shows at St. Louis, Missouri’s The Dome at America’s Center, Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, Gainesville, Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, two sold-out nights at Minneapolis, Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium, Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado, Eugene, Oregon’s Autzen Stadium and two sold-out nights at Boise, Idaho’s Albertsons Stadium. This year, the tour averaged just over 83,000 tickets in each city and over 914,000 tickets sold to date.

It was recently announced that Brooks’ next stadium show will take place in Detroit at Ford Field on Feb. 22. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, Nov. 22 at 10 A.M. EST, and tickets and more information can be found at garthbrooks.com.

Brooks also announced his intimate Dive Bar Tour will come to a close, with the sixth and seventh stops of the stint to be held on the same night, Dec. 2 at Prospectors in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and Six String in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Times for the shows will be announced closer to the event and tickets can only be won through radio contests.