Chesney Set For Grammy Performance, Adds Tourmates

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Kenny Chesney is among the first performers announced for the 51st Annual GRAMMY® Awards telecast, where he is nominated for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals, for “Shiftwork” with George Strait. Also performing on the Sun., Feb. 8 telecast from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles are Coldplay, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, and Katy Perry. With eight nominations, Lil Wayne has the lead going into the night.

Today (1/14) Chesney also revealed that Sugarland and Montgomery Gentry will join him for stadium dates on the upcoming Sun City Carnival tour. Both have been on the road with him before. Though most of the stadium stops on the Corona Extra sponsored outing haven’t been announced, 2008 saw Chesney visiting 14 major stadiums. As previously announced, Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum will join him for the entire 2009 tour.

Megastars Sign On To Celebrate Inauguration

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Garth Brooks and Jennifer Nettles will perform at Sunday’s (1/18) super star-powered concert “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial.” The free, public event will also include Sheryl Crow, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Usher, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, and numerous others. Most artists will perform cover songs with historical significance or tunes which fall under the “We Are One” theme. The Washington Post reports that Nettles will join Taylor and another yet-to-be-announced artist on “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” The concert will air as a 90-minute special that evening on HBO, which is offering a free broadcast even to non-subscribers.

Bentley Is Latest Addition To Vector Roster

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Dierks Bentley has signed with Vector Management, the powerhouse company headed by Ken Levitan. The Capitol Records Nashville artist was previously with Scott Kernahan’s Rogue Music.

Bentley is planning the Feb. 3 release of new album, Feel That Fire, and heading out on the final leg of Brad Paisley’s Paisley Party Tour this weekend. He was in New York earlier Monday (1/12) to participate in iTunes’ Live From Soho at the Apple Store, where he joins Taylor Swift as the only country artists who have taken part in the series.

Vector’s other clients include/or have included Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Michael McDonald, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jonny Lang, Patty Griffin, Trace Adkins, Trisha Yearwood, Craig Morgan, Hank Jr., Kid Rock, Peter Frampton, Bon Jovi and Kings of Leon.

Belmont to Honor Donna Hilley

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Donna Hilley

Donna Hilley

Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business will honor Donna Hilley with its Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence for accomplishments in the entertainment industry, as well as service to Belmont and the Nashville community. The award presentation will take place at the 2009 Best of the Best Showcase at Belmont’s Curb Event Center, April 25 at 7 PM. Hilley, the longtime head of Sony/ATV publishing, will be the first recipient of the award established last spring in memory of Bob Mulloy, founder of Belmont’s music business program.

Hilley, an Alabama native, came to Nashville with little knowledge of the music industry and became one of the city’s top female executives, eventually being named president and CEO of Sony/ATV Nashville. Much loved in the community, she served on boards at ASCAP, Belmont University, Vanderbilt’s Children’s Hospital, and the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, just to name a few.

In rightful tribute, Belmont has also established the Donna Hilley Endowed Scholarship in Leadership for students. For information about the scholarship, e-mail Harry Chapman at chapmanh@mail.belmont.edu, or donate online at www.belmont.edu/give.

CMT Sets June Awards Date

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The CMT Music Awards will broadcast live Wed., June 17 on CMT and CMT.com, honoring the top fan-voted
country music videos of the year. Host, venue and ticket information has not been announced.
“We’re always looking for a fresh approach to our Awards Show, and this year we’ve moved the telecast to June rather than April,” says John Hamlin, executive producer and SVP of production and development, CMT.

The June airdate for the CMT Music Awards gives fans their first look at many of country music’s biggest stars right before they hit the road for the summer concert season.
Country music fans will be able to vote for their favorite videos on CMT.com, beginning Mon., April 13 when the first round of nominees is announced. Final nominees will be announced Tues., May 19. Videos must be submitted no later than Feb. 18 and must have aired on CMT between Jan. 18, 2008 and Feb. 23, 2009 in order to be eligible.
The CMT Music Awards is country music’s only fan voted award show, and last year fans cast a record 5 million votes online to determine the night’s big winners. The show is consistently one of CMT’s most-watched telecasts.

ACM Promotes Moon, Adds New Staffers

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Tiffany Moon

Tiffany Moon

The Academy of Country Music has promoted Tiffany Moon to Senior Director, Operations and Finance, and has hired Erick Long as Director, Logistics, and Katie Jo Sheek as Junior Associate, Publicity and Marketing. All positions are based out the Academy’s headquarters in Encino, CA.

Moon joined the Academy in 2004 as a project manager, a role that included overseeing ticketing for the ACM Awards, and administering the Academy’s charitable involvement. She will manage all ACM operations and finance on an executive level and will continue to oversee ticketing surrounding the Academy’s televised initiatives. She reports directly to Academy Executive Director Bob Romeo, and will continue as Secretary to the Board, a post she has held for five years.

Long comes to the Academy from Universal Studios in Hollywood, where for six years he managed production and logistics for special events including the film premiere after-parties for Charlie Wilson’s War; Elizabeth, The Golden Age; and more. He has also worked on the MTV Movie Awards After-Party and numerous others. His corporate clients included Toyota, Wells Fargo, American Express, Sara Lee and Coca-Cola, among others. He will report to Moon.

Sheek joins the staff from her previous position as Talent Coordinator at E! Entertainment, where she worked with segment producers for The Daily 10 and E! News and served as a talent executive on the network’s Live from the Red Carpet specials in 2008, including the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards. She also has production experience at The Martha Stewart Show and The Rachael Ray Show. She will report to Brooke Primero, Senior Director, Publicity and Marketing.

2009 Tour Circuit Heats Up

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Now almost two weeks into 2009, artists are heading back out on the road and MusicRow has a run down of the latest touring news.

Kenny Chesney today (1/12) revealed his full itinerary for the previously announced Sun City Carnival tour, currently slated for 50 dates across the nation. Kicking off April 17-18 in Uncasville, CT, Chesney will be on the road through the middle of September with guests Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum. The Carnival is scheduled for many football stadiums, amphitheaters, arenas, and maybe even a honky-tonk or two.

Rascal Flatts will kick-off the final leg of its Bob That Head Tour this weekend in Kansas City, MO. Opening Jan. 17, the leg will run for 20 dates with guest Jessica Simpson.

Toby Keith kicked off the second leg of his Biggest & Baddest Tour Saturday (1/10) in Biloxi, MS, and has invited Jack Ingram to return for a series of shows in February. Ingram appeared on Keith’s previous Big Dog Daddy Tour.

George Strait is hosting guest Julianne Hough on his summer outing, with an additional opening act to be announced soon. The tour opens May 9 in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

Brad Paisley has asked Gene Watson, the acclaimed artist who is also the subject of a current spotlight exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame, to open The Paisley Party show on Thurs., Jan. 15 in Southaven, MS. As previously announced, Darius Rucker and Dierks Bentley are the tour’s guests.

Known for non-stop touring, Willie Nelson has dates booked through late March. His first show of the year was Friday (1/9) in West Wendover, NV, and he will spend the month touring the West Coast. Included is a five-night stand in San Francisco. In February, Nelson has scheduled two nights in New York City with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Norah Jones, followed by a 10-show East Coast run with Asleep at the Wheel.

Merle Haggard, who has reportedly received a clean bill of health following surgery for lung cancer in November, is planning a busy 2009. Among the more unusual stops on his tour itinerary are churches, hospitals and women’s prisons.

Another hard touring artist, Gary Allan has shows booked through next fall. He spent most of 2008 on the road and will resume his tour Jan. 30 in Bossier City, LA. Most of his dates are casino, fair, club and theater venues.

After just wrapping their 2008 Long Road Out of Eden Tour in January, The Eagles open the 2009 leg today (1/12) in Hampton, VA. They are set for a dozen stops in the east and south this month, followed by many more dates in March throughout the Midwest and Canada. Then in May, the band heads overseas for a 6-week run in Europe. Ticketmaster is selling tickets to some Eagles shows with no additional convenience fees as part of a new “all-in ticketing” program.

Lifenotes (1/12/08)

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Longtime Music Row copyright attorney Bob Thompson died on January 7 at age 77. He was the former president of the Nashville SESAC office and former chairman of the Tennessee State Film, Music & Entertainment Commission.

Jon Hager of The Hager Twins has died at age 67. He was found dead at his Nashville home on January 9. The Hagers gained national fame as 1969-1988 cast members on television’s long-running Hee Haw. The duo was said to have received more fan mail than anyone else in the cast. Discovered by Buck Owens, Jon and his identical-twin brother Jim were on Capitol Records in 1969-1972 and placed five singles on the country charts, including a 1970 version of Merle Haggard’s “Silver Wings.” Brother Jim Hager died in May 2008.

Mandolin virtuoso Butch Baldassari passed away at age 56 following a courageous battle with brain cancer. He died on January 10 at Saint Thomas Hospital’s Alive Hospice unit. He came to Nashville in 1989 as a member of the bluegrass band Weary Hearts. He was subsequently in Lonesome Standard Time in 1992-1996. Baldassari became best known as the founder of The Nashville Mandolin Ensemble. He was also an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music and a writer/journalist for Mandolin Magazine.

Billy Ray Sets Release Date

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Billy Ray Cyrus will release a new album March 31 via Lyric Street Records and Walt Disney Records. He wrote the title track and lead single “Back To Tennessee,” with Tamara Dunn and Matthew Wilder. It is one of two tracks he contributed to the album. Produced by Mark Bright, Back To Tennessee, also has tunes by hit writers Jeffrey Steele, Neil Thrasher, Craig Wiseman, Rivers Rutherford, Blair Daly, Troy Verges and Casey Beathard. Cyrus’s most recent hit was “Ready, Set, Don’t Go.”

American History Explored In Song

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Fifty-six songwriters and performers including Dolly Parton and Kathy Mattea have collaborated on a new concept album exploring American history called This Is My America. The 3-disc set was conceived by Canadian Douglas Hutton, Executive Producer and president of King Motion Picture Corporation. He explains, “Portraits of the American experience have been expressed and distributed through film, television, recordings and countless literary works, but I wanted to tell it in a more inventive way that respects and reflects today’s American values.”

Songs and spoken narratives chronologically span more than 500 years, touching on significant subjects such as European exploration, the arrival of the Mayflower, the California Gold Rush, the Civil War, World War I and II and the recent Sept. 11 tragedy.

While talents such as Charley Pride, Billy Dean, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and J Fred Knobloch contributed to the project, Hutton says, “The ‘star’ of this project is a place called America.” Also appearing are the Nashville Symphony, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

“This is My America is simply one of the most amazing projects the Nashville Songwriters Association International has had the privilege to be involved with,” says NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison. It is currently available at www.ThisIsMyAmerica.com.