Billy Ray Cyrus, Dallas Smith To Co-Host 2019 CCMA Awards

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Reigning CCMA Male Artist of the Year Dallas Smith and Billy Ray Cyrus are set to co-host the 2019 CCMA Awards presented by TD, which will air live on Global from Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome on Sept. 8 at 9 p.m. EST/PST.

This is the first time that Cyrus will be hosting an awards show and his first time taking the CCMA Awards stage. Cyrus has been making headlines since his 1992 breakout single “Achy Breaky Heart” and his recent country-rap, hybrid collaboration with Lil Nas X continues to break chart-topping records, hitting 18 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts making it the longest-running No. 1 single in history.

Ahead of the 2019 CCMA Awards, Dallas Smith and Billy Ray Cyrus each sat down with ET Canada‘s Cheryl Hickey to talk new music, hosting the award show, and more.

“I’m thrilled to be co-hosting this year’s CCMA Awards with Billy Ray Cyrus – he’s a legend!” shared Smith. “This is going to be a great time and I can’t wait to celebrate country’s biggest night with everyone.”

“This is really a full circle moment for me because I received my first ever platinum record plaque while I was in Canada in the ’90s. We also shot the series ‘Doc’ in Toronto, so it feels like coming home every time I’m in Canada. I’m really looking forward to co-hosting the show with Dallas,” said Cyrus.

Tickets to the 2019 CCMA Awards are available for purchase at ticketmaster.ca. For each ticket sold, $1 will go directly to the MusicCounts in support of their year-round music initiatives.

ABC’s ‘CMA Fest’ Brings In 4.69 Million Viewers

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ABC’s CMA Fest led Sunday night (Aug. 4) in total viewers, with 4.69 million viewers tuning in across the show’s three-hour span, according to zap2it.com. CMA Fest earned the second-highest rating on the night, with a .8 rating in adults 18-49. The numbers were down slightly from the .9 rating and the 4.72 million that tuned in last year (in 2018, the show aired on a Wednesday).

This year’s show was hosted again by Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini, and featured an array of performances, including Carrie Underwood with Joan Jett, as well as a performance of “Old Town Road” from Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Keith Urban.

Nashville’s Music Industry Companies Take Part In “The Smitty” Corporate Band Challenge

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W.O. Smith Music School is hosting “The Smitty Corporate Band Challenge” on Aug. 12, 13 and 20, 2019. Multiple corporate bands, comprised of a minimum 50% of a company’s employees, will compete to be crowned the most musically talented business in Nashville.

The preliminaries will be held Aug. 12 and 13; awards will be handed out at the finals on Aug. 20. Bands competing include employees from WME, CAA, Paradigm, Red Light Management, Warner Music, First Tennessee Bank, Advance Financial and Service Solutions. Judges include artists and industry experts. The event is sponsored by Warner Music, Jackson National Life Insurance, Curb Records, City National Bank, Enterprise Solutions and Advance Financial.

Ticket prices are $15 each night or $35 for all three nights. Tickets can be purchased here.

Weekly Register: Justin Moore Debuts At No. 2 On Country Albums Sales Chart

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Justin Moore debuts his Late Nights and Longnecks project at No. 2 this week on the country albums streaming chart (19K), according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Blanco Brown and Luke Combs maintain their reign on the country sales charts. With 24 million streams this week, Brown’s viral hit, “The Git Up,” is 155 million streams to date. Combs comes in at No. 3 on the country streaming songs chart with “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” and then again at No. 5 with “Beautiful Crazy.” Combs also tops the country streaming albums chart with This One’s For You (22K) and comes in again at No. 5 with The Prequel-EP (12K).

Morgan Wallen appears on both charts, at No. 4 on the country songs chart with “Whiskey Glasses,” and at No. 4 on the country albums chart with If I Know Me.

Top Country Streaming Songs Chart (this week/to date):
Blanco Brown “The Git Up” 24M/155M
Blake Shelton “God’s Country” 11M/172M
Luke Combs “Beer Never Broke My Heart” 9M/117M
Morgan Wallen “Whiskey Glasses” 8.7M/247M
Luke Combs “Beautiful Crazy” 7.6M/489M

Top Albums Sales Chart (total consumption):
Luke Combs This One’s For You 22K/2.8K/24M
Justin Moore Late Nights and Longnecks 19K/14K/5.4M
Dan + Shay Dan + Shay 15K/843/17.5M
Morgan Wallen If I Know Me 13K/701/14M
Luke Combs The Prequel-EP 12K/1.1K/13M

Industry Ink: Devin Dawson, Creative Nation, Lauren Tingle

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Devin Dawson To Croon For Troubadours At Nightfall At The Hall

Devin Dawson will perform at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s eighth annual Nightfall at the Hall concert on September 5. The event and after-hours celebration is exclusively for the museum’s Troubadour members, a community of young leaders, ages 21 to 45, who collaborate with other like-minded professionals in supporting their community and the museum. Nightfall at the Hall admission is a benefit of Troubadour membership, and young professionals can become a Troubadour member between now and Sept. 5 at a discounted rate of $50 (regularly $60).

Creative Nation Promotes Two

Creative Nation has promoted Rachel Burleson to Sr. Management Coordinator and Christina Wighton to Executive Assistant/Office Director. Burleson will oversee the day-to-day details of Creative Nation’s management, records and artist development clients.  She will continue to work with Brandon Gill, VP of Management, on securing and managing outside relationships and opportunities for Creative Nation artists. Wighton will continue to assist Beth Laird with her calendar scheduling and events, as well as oversee the daily responsibilities for the Creative Nation office including the company’s internship program, social media accounts and catalog management.

“Christina and Rachel are vital members of our team.  They both bring unique skill sets that elevate our songwriters and artists and I’m grateful to work alongside them as we continue to grow Creative Nation,” says the Co-Founder & CEO, Beth Laird.

 

Lauren Tingle Exits CMT

CMT writer Lauren Tingle exited CMT on July 30 after three years with the company and is looking for her next opportunity. Previous stops include stints at Premiere Networks and Country Aircheck and as a freelance writer for various publications and websites. She can be contacted at Laurenstingle@aol.com.

Dancin’ In The District To Return To Riverfront Park Oct. 10

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Dancin’ In The District, a beloved downtown Nashville event from days gone by, has been revived and returns this year to Riverfront Park on Oct. 10.

The free, all-ages, pet-friendly music event will include Nashville favorites like Daddy’s Dogs, 8th & Roast, and Ole Smoky Moonshine and benefits Music Health Alliance, an organization that helps connect professional musicians with the medical and financial solutions they might need.

Dancin’ In The District was dreamt up in the early 1990s to reconnect Music City with the music that gave it its name. Nashville restauranteur and Dancin’ founder, Tom Morales and a group of like minds formed the event with the help of Mayor Phil Bredesen, the idea being to throw a free weekly party with music at its hub.

“Dancin’ quickly became the catalyst to bring people downtown and was a selling point for investment on Lower Broadway,” notes Morales. “The Titans were the title sponsor at one point and the Predators engaged as well. The riverfront ‘happy hour’ quickly grew to crowds of over 10,000 people and the vitality of Lower Broad was back. As Nashville begins to face another identity crisis we felt the revival of such an event as Dancin’ in the District would be a perfect opportunity to remind locals, especially those new to Nashville, that Lower Broadway was once a platform for music discovery. This free community event brought music back downtown and we’re working hard to do it again.”

Dancin’ is the first of many events to be produced by Acme Radio Company, the newly established non-profit arm of Acme Radio Live.”From day 1, Acme Radio has focused on the discovery and preservation of Nashville,” said Carl Gatti, Acme’s Director of Entertainment. “As the city grows, we have gained a better understanding of just how important our original mission statement is. To continue our focus, we are launching the Acme Radio 501(c)(3) to expand upon discovery and preservation opportunities throughout the community and allow other like-minded businesses, brands, charities, artists, and individuals help us accomplish this goal.”

AT&T Includes Spotify Premium As Free Option For Select Customers

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Spotify is teaming with AT&T for a new bundling offer that allows AT&T Unlimited & More Premium customers to choose a Spotify Premium subscription, for free.

The Spotify is one of seven entertainment options offered by AT&T, including Pandora Premium, Cinemax, HBO, STARZ, VRV, and Showtime. Select AT&T customers can also sign up for a six-month, free trial of Spotify Premium (the service is $9.99/month after the trial ends).

Existing Spotify Premium subscribers who have AT&T’s Unlimited & More Premium plan can maintain their current Spotify account, and can select to obtain the service for free through the offer.

“We’re thrilled to add Spotify Premium, the market leader in music streaming with more than 100 million subscribers worldwide, to our premium lineup,” said Mitch Farber, VP Consumer Marketing, AT&T Mobility & Entertainment. “It’s another way we are working to deliver more value to AT&T customers with unlimited wireless and endless entertainment.”

“We’re excited to begin this new relationship with AT&T to provide millions of their customers with a seamless listening experience and easy access to more than 50 million tracks, billions of playlists and a variety of podcasts wherever they are,” said Marc Hazan, VP of Premium Partnerships, Spotify. “We continue to build relationships with world-class partners like AT&T to bring our Spotify Premium product to new audiences in the U.S. and across the globe.”

Dan Rogers Rises To Vice President/Executive Producer Of Grand Ole Opry

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Photo By: Chris Hollo

Dan Rogers has been promoted to the newly created role of Vice President and Executive Producer of the Grand Ole Opry from his current position as Director of Communications and Show Producer. In his new role, Rogers will oversee production of the show and its more than 200 performances annually, including lineups, publicity, programming and member relations.

Rogers joined the company in 1999 and has been a near-constant presence backstage ever since. He has held many support roles for the Opry in marketing, communications, artist relations and production. As part of his new position, Rogers will continue his responsibilities for communications and overall show production and will have greater responsibilities in talent relations and logistics.

“The Opry is the crown jewel of our entertainment business,” said Scott Bailey, president of Opry Entertainment Group. “As we considered who could fill this important and unique position, Dan was the clear choice. He has the respect of his colleagues, our leadership and our Opry membership as well as the passion and acumen needed to steward the Opry toward its centennial.”

“The Grand Ole Opry has felt like home to me since I began my Opry career two decades ago,” said Rogers. “There is nothing more important to me than making certain the home of country music is uniquely poised to showcase great artists to fans around the world. I could not be more appreciative to those I have learned from along the way, and I am extremely excited about working alongside Gina Keltner and Jordan Pettit to create unforgettable shows; Barb Schaetz and our operations team; our world-class technical team; the country music community and everyone else who makes the Opry so special.”

In addition to Rogers, the Grand Ole Opry and Opry House leadership team includes Barbara Schaetz, Vice President, Business Operations, Grand Ole Opry House; Gina Keltner, Director of Talent and Logistics; and Jordan Pettit, Director of Artist Relations and Programming Strategy.

Opry Entertainment Group has opened the search for a Senior Vice President, Programming & Artist Relations. This position will lead and manage artist and industry relations for the company’sgrowing portfolio of media, digital content and entertainment assets as well as the recent joint venture with Gray Television that is set to launch a linear television and digital SVOD service dedicated to artist-driven country lifestyle programming in early 2020.

Kassi Ashton Talks Joining Her First Tour And Making Music Her Own Way

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Kassi Ashton

Since her autobiographical debut track “California, Missouri” released last year, UMG Nashville/Interscope artist Kassi Ashton has been adamant about doing things her own way and taking a hands-on approach to her career—and she’s got the mood boards that inspire her videos and colorful handmade stage ensembles to prove it.

Ashton discussed joining Maren Morris’ upcoming tour, making the vivid redneck-meets-urban celebration clip for her new track “Field Party,” and writing the intensely personal ballad “Pretty Shiny Things.”

You are going out on Maren Morris’ GIRL: The World Tour. How are you preparing for it?

Running. A lot of cardio. Watching the Beyonce documentary once a week. [laughs] When you grow up and you dream of being an artist, touring is what you dream of. I would rather be onstage in front of 20,000 people instead of in a room with five people.

The fact that I get to do that, I’m so grateful. The fact that it’s the Maren tour makes me feel so warm and fuzzy because I feel like if I were to open for some other artist that I totally love and appreciate, I might feel like I need to cater my set to their audience or keep their demographic in my brain. But with Maren, I feel like I can just do my show and her fans will be welcoming, open-minded and open for a mix of genre. This is my first introduction—I have 45 minutes to say, “I’m Kassi Ashton and this is who I am.”

I’m making outfits for every show, so I’ve been busy sewing. I’m trying to learn the parameters of what I can do. Can I design the microphone stand? Because anything I can design, I’m down for it. Diving into all of that is really cool.

Have you been able to talk with some future tour mates about what to expect about being on one tour?

I talked to one of my best friends, Tenille Townes and she’s been touring for the past year. We had breakfast the other day. She was telling me bring shower shoes and do this or do that. Also, talking to Maren, we were at the video shoot for The Highwomen video and I had told her potential cover songs I wanted to do during my set, and she helped me pick one of them. She was just so cool and genuine.

You recently released the video clip for “Field Party,” which reunited you with video director Kristin Barlowe, who led your videos for “Violins” and “Pretty Shiny Things.” What was your vision for the “Field Party” video?

I wanted it to not be your average field party. I wanted it to be a bit trippy and have people from all different backgrounds. I just wanted it to be kind of a unifying thing. If you’re country, come country. If you’re urban, come urban. I made the treatment and I always make mood boards to work on the feel and the vision. [Kristin] always wants to push the envelope and she just gets me. She took my wacky, bright vision for the video and made it so much bigger.

Where was this video filmed?

We found these really old buildings near Germantown near Nashville that I think used to be a slaughterhouse and it’s about to be completely redone. The location was really convenient and everyone could Uber there because I wanted them to drink real beer during the shoot if they wanted to. I loved that it was kind of on the border of city and more rural.

“Pretty Shiny Things” feels like it brings a more vulnerable side of you from what we see in “Violins” and “Field Party.” You wrote “Pretty Shiny Things” while you were still in college. What inspired the song?

Yeah, I was a senior in college at Belmont. I didn’t even have my publishing deal with Creative Nation yet. And I’m going through something difficult, and I was going over a decision about what I was going to do and how it was going to affect my life or not affect my life. I was like losing sleep over it and I woke up in the middle of the night. I lived in this tiny duplex in east Nashville. I started writing it and sent it to my friend Emily who was a songwriting major. The song was so personal to me, with all these feelings, and she just like grabbed it and sent the song back to me, with the resolution.

It’s so important to tell the truth in music. Art is supposed to be honest. We had written plenty of drinking songs and boy songs at that time, but this felt powerful. I remember from that moment forward, I was like, “My music will always be this way.”

I ended up winning country showcase and getting my publishing deal and that song really made my publisher go, “Oh, that’s special.” So I held onto it for so long. I wasn’t ready to answer questions about it and talk about it and let it go. I got to a point where I thought, “This is selfish of me to keep it. If one person can change their outlook by hearing this song, I’ll deal with the rest.” It was really a fragile thing for me to put a visual to it. I want this to be real, but artistic and the same time, but I just want it to be this haunting thing. I wanted the video to come off as real and raw as it could.

You are signed with UMG Nashville and Interscope. Why did you decide to join that label?

I love them to death. Everyone over there, Cindy Mabe in particular, I love her to death. They appreciate and they strive for real artists who have a total vision—not just a singer.

They want someone who knows who they are and it’s not about their “brand.” I hate the word “brand,” because art is part of identity and it’s who I am as a person anyway. They really help you be strong in that.

They are so supportive that I am not doing things the traditional way. I haven’t gone to radio. My songs are off-centered and are like, “How can we cater this to you? We are not just going to put you on an assembly line and ship you through the process.” When I was getting label offers, they came to me with the Interscope partnership. They said we are not going to box you in.

YouTube video

Riley Green Sets Full-Length BMLG Album Debut For September

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Riley Green will release his full-length debut album, Different ‘Round Here on Sept. 20 on BMLG Records.  The 14-track album was produced by Dann Huff and executive-produced by Jimmy Harnen. The album features Green’s current single, “In Love By Now,” which Green penned alongside Marv Green, Ben Hayslip and Rhett Akins.

“That guy in the song I think plays pretty well the aw shucks I lost her kind of thing,” Green recently told MusicRow. “I grew up listening to that kind of country music, but also I was writing with a lot of ‘90s country guys and that doesn’t hurt at all. It just gives a different way to write a song that’s been written a lot of times.”

Green is the sole writer on another standout song, “Numbers On The Cars,” written about a family member’s battle with Alzheimer’s.

“I watched him kind of go from the guy who was always talking, always cutting up, to the quietest one in the room,” Green told MusicRow. “He was the big NASCAR Fan, a big fisherman. That was one of those things I just knew he’d always be able to tell me, who drove what car and what the numbers were, who the sponsors were. So it was odd to do a song about Alzheimer’s and NASCAR I guess, but it’s cool to see how people can take it and make it about their own situation or their own family member.”

Green is currently opening shows on Brad Paisley’s 2019 World Tour, and will join Jon Pardi’s Heartache Medication Tour in the fall, before launching his own headlining Get That Man A Beer Tour.

DIFFERENT ROUND HERE TRACKLIST:
1. “There Was This Girl” | Riley Green, Erik Dylan
2. “Different ‘Round Here” | Riley Green, Randy Montana, Jonathan Singleton
3. “Same Old Song” | Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Jonathan Singleton
4. “In A Truck Right Now” | Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Randy Montana
5. “Hard To Leave” | Riley Green, Jessi Alexander, Randy Montana
6. “I Wish Grandpa’s Never Died” | Riley Green, Lendon Bonds, Buford Green
7. “Bettin’ Man” | Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Jonathan Singleton
8. “Numbers On The Cars” | Riley Green
9. “My First Everything” | Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Tyler Reeve, Justin Weaver
10. “In Love By Now” | Riley Green, Rhett Akins, Marv Green, Ben Hayslip
11. “Get That Man A Beer” | Riley Green, Jonathan Singleton, Channing Wilson
12. “Break Up More Often” | Riley Green, Chris DuBois, Lynn Hutton
13. “Running With An Angel” | Riley Green
14. “Outlaws Like Us” | Riley Green, Erik Dylan