Ben Rector Welcomes The Holidays With New Thanksgiving Song, Christmas Album

Ben Rector. Photo: Collin Fatke

Ben Rector is giving listeners a breath of fresh air for the holidays with his new single “The Thanksgiving Song.” The singer/songwriter also announced his new Christmas album, A Ben Rector Christmas, will be out Nov. 13.

The sense of nostalgia and homecoming throughout the new single “The Thanksgiving Song” is evident as he reflects on the love and belonging that comes from being surrounded by family on Thanksgiving – especially in this unprecedented year.

“I realized I hadn’t ever heard a Thanksgiving song or Thanksgiving music,” said Rector, “and I felt like everyone has an emotional connection and a lot of memories around Thanksgiving, just like they do Christmas, and it felt like a good opportunity to try to connect to that. It honestly just felt odd that I hadn’t ever heard someone try to do that, and I figured I’d give it a shot.”

Rector has released seven studio albums, including Brand New (2015) which peaked in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, and Magic (2018) which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart. Rector’s music has been used in over 100 television shows and films, including American Idol, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Pretty Little Liars, among others.

 

Matt Stell, Riley Green, Laine Hardy To Share Friendsgiving: Live At The Ryman

Riley Green
, Matt Stell
, Laine Hardy, 
Laci Kaye Booth, 
Dillon James
, and Grace Leer are set to perform at Friendsgiving: Live At The Ryman on Nov. 18 to a limited-capacity, socially-distanced audience.

“We are thrilled to present another unique live music experience with Friendsgiving and all of the talented artists involved,” said Gary Levy, Ryman Auditorium General Manager. “We look forward to continue providing fans from across the country and around the world a way to experience live music from home while also safely and responsibly welcoming back a limited number of guests to the world famous Ryman Auditorium.”

The event will be streamed live in HD one-time-only around the world via DREAMSTAGE. The dynamic new premium livestream platform offers a quality produced, high-definition experience unlike any other and has been home to a slew of major concerts since its inception, including shows with renowned classical artists Nathan Meltzer, Franz Schubert, as well as the recent performance from Polo G and Chief Keef.

Tickets for the livestream are available at DREAMSTAGE.LIVE and for a limited time, those tickets will be available at a discounted ‘Early Bird’ price tomorrow (Oct. 29) only from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. CT. Full price livestream and in-person tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, Oct. 30. Tickets for the in-person event will be available at Ticketmaster.com.

 

Billy Joe Shaver Dies At 81

Billy Joe Shaver at a 2014 tribute concert in Austin, Texas. Photo: Courtesy Conqueroo

Billy Joe Shaver has died at age 81. The country singer-songwriter died from a stroke on Wednesday (Oct. 28) in Waco, Texas. He was born in Corsicana, Texas, on Aug. 16, 1939.

According to a release, Shaver was raised mainly by his grandmother; his father left before he was born and his mother had a job in Waco, some 60 miles away. As a youth, he spent more time working on family farms than in school. As he wrote in his song “Fast Train,” “I have an eighth grade education … I got all my country learning picking cotton, raising hell and bailing hay.”

His grandmother gave him a Gene Autry guitar when he was 11; however, his grandfather gave it away several years later. Shaver left home at 16 to serve in the Navy and afterwards took a series of jobs, including one in the professional rodeo. After losing several fingers in a sawmill accident, he decided to do what he really loved to do: write songs.

In 1965, Shaver hitchhiked to Nashville in the back of a cantaloupe truck. Camping himself at the office of country singer Bobby Bare, he convinced the Nashville star to listen to his songs. Impressed, Bare signed him to a $50 a week job as a songwriter. Bare recorded “Ride Me Down Easy” and other musicians took notice of his tunes too. Kris Kristofferson did “Good Christian Soldier” and Tom T. Hall “Willie the Wandering Gypsy and Me.”

One of these songs, “You Asked Me To,” was a Top 10 hit for Jennings and later covered by Elvis Presley.

Jennings would record 1973’s Honky Tonk Heroes, a project including nearly all Shaver-penned songs. Shaver went on to pen songs including Johnny Rodriguez’s “I Couldn’t Be Me Without You.” Other notable cuts include Bobby Bare’s “Ride Me Down Easy,” Patty Loveless’ “When the Fallen Angels Fly,” and Elvis Presley’s “You Asked Me To.”

Shaver’s debut album, the Kristofferson-produced Old Five and Dimers Like Me, came out in 1973 on the Monument Records. Shaver went on to release more than 20 albums for such labels as MGM, Capricorn, Columbia, Zoo/Praxis, New West, and Sugar Hill Records. His 2007 album, Everybody’s Brother (Compadre Records), earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Southern/Country/Bluegrass Album and his most recent release, 2014’s Long in the Tooth (Lightning Rod Records), was his first to chart in Billboard’s Top Country Albums.

While he experienced many successes in his life, Shaver also had more than his share of tragedies. In 1999, he lost his mother to cancer as well as his wife, Brenda, a woman he married three times (and divorced twice). On December 31, 2000, his son Eddy died of a heroin overdose. Shaver had teamed up with his guitarist son for several highly praised albums in the 1990s. Then, on July 4, 2001, Shaver suffered a massive, and nearly fatal heart attack while performing on stage. He later received some unwanted notoriety when, in 2007, a bar argument wound up with Shaver shooting the other man. Shaver was acquitted of charges, and wrote about the incident in the song “Wacko From Waco.”

One of Shaver’s signature songs, “Live Forever,” was performed by Robert Duvall in the film Crazy Heart. A long-time admirer and friend, Duvall cast Shaver in his 1996 movie The Apostle, and Shaver later acted in such films as Secondhand Lions, The Wendell Baker Story, and Bait Shop. Duvall also produced the documentary A Portrait of Billy Joe.

Shaver’s music attracted many illustrious admirers over the years. Johnny Cash, who covered Shaver’s “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Some Day),” called him “my favorite songwriter,” while Willie Nelson, a frequently Shaver collaborator, declared that “Billy Joe is definitely the best writer in Texas.” Bob Dylan not only has performed Shaver’s “Old Five and Dimers Like Me” in concert, but even name-checked him in his tune “I Feel a Change Comin’ On.”

He earned the first Americana Music Award for Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting in 2002, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004, followed by the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and honored with the ACM Poet’s Award in 2019.

No funeral arrangements have been announced at this time.

 

UMG Nashville Signs Catie Offerman

Catie Offerman

UMG Nashville has signed singer-songwriter Catie Offerman. Originally from New Braunfels, TX, Catie grew up on a horse ranch. Homeschooled by her father in the tack room of their barn, she started playing piano at the age of four which eventually led her to pursue other instruments such as violin, accordion and more. When she was 11, Offerman’s accordion teacher asked her to join their polka band where they traveled across Texas playing festivals, local shows and Oktoberfests. A few years later, she attended the Berklee College of Music where she graduated at the age of 19. After spending some time in Los Angeles, she moved to Nashville to pursue country music.

Two years ago, she inked a publishing deal with UMPG, and was featured in The Highwomen‘s “Redesigning Women” video. Offerman is currently collaborating with Ryan Beaver and Aaron Eshuis on her debut project.

See below for UMG Nashville Chairman/CEO Mike Dungan‘s special announcement video:

 

Nashville Musicians, Execs Support Keep A Breast Foundation With Music City Gallery

Mickey Guyton.

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will get breast cancer in their lifetime.

San Diego native Shaney Jo Darden, founder of the California nonprofit Keep A Breast Foundation, has spent the past two decades raising awareness of breast cancer in younger women, and the importance of early detection. According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 12,000 women age 40 or younger are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

The organization has now brought its KAB breast cast exhibition to Nashville. A gallery featuring casts of more than 80 notable Nashville women is on display in East Nashville, and will run through the end of this week at 1600 Riverside Drive, with free admission each day from 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Several Nashville artists, songwriters, athletes, politicians, executives and more took part in the Nashville KAB Collection, including Cam, Mickey Guyton, The War & Treaty’s Tanya Trotter, Fiona Whelan Prine, Kelleigh Bannen, Kalie Shorr, Allison Moorer, Caitlyn Smith, Emily West, Lucie Silvas, Gena Johnson, Heather Morgan, Faren Rachels, and former Nashville mayor Megan Barry.

Cam with her daughter Lucy.

“There is incredible symbolic nature to it,” said singer-songwriter Cam, who was 35 weeks pregnant with her daughter Lucy at the time she took part in the casting.

“It makes you so appreciative of your body. You are living in this body, let’s take care of it. How simple it sounds to just remember to check yourself, but we don’t do it. Keep A Breast has an app that does reminders for you. I’ve had family members who have had breast cancer so let’s help prevent it from happening by doing self checks.”

After each woman’s session, she selects an artist to paint and decorate the cast.

Cam’s cast, painted by artist Steffi Sutton, includes a star/compass symbolizing her daughter, jukeboxes symbolizing her path in country music, flowers representing both her California roots and her current Nashville home, and female samurai warriors, representing her fighting spirit, and a rainbow to symbolize Cam’s support for the LGBTQIA community.

“It was extra meaningful because I was pregnant with Lucy, but also just being around women in that space,” Cam said. “They also made sure it was a diverse group of women, both on the artist and the castee side. It is a really beautiful effort they are doing.”

BMI’s Senior Director of Media Relations Lauren Branson

BMI’s Senior Director of Media Relations Lauren Branson calls her experience “one of the most powerful experiences I’ve had in my lifetime.” Branson, 38, has faced her own battle with breast cancer over the past year, including 16 rounds of chemotherapy, and undergoing a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery.

In late February, Branson took part in a casting at the invitation of her friends Gena Johnson and Fiona Whelan Prine, and she says the casting gave her the courage to go public with her fight against breast cancer.

“This was literally the last thing I did before the world shut down because of COVID,” she recalls. “That day we were in the room, I’m standing there and Fiona and Shaney were asking these wonderful, deep questions. Fiona said, ‘Why wouldn’t you tell people that you are doing this? You are so young and this is really a hard thing and other young women can benefit from this knowledge. You are young, vibrant, you are still living your life and you are winning this battle. This could help even one person avoid what you’ve gone through.’

“I really took that to heart and being in that room, it was just special. I left there and immediately wrote a social media post and posted a photo of me being cast. That day changed my life for the better and it changed the way I approach my story in a public way, and I am so grateful for having had the experience. The gallery is a testament to how strong and supportive Nashville’s community is,” Branson said.

Margo Price.

According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, there will be an estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer in 2020. Approximately 4% of breast cancers occur in women younger than age 40, though if detected early in the localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 98%.

“I would love for women to know you can download the Keep A Breast app and set a monthly reminder for a self-exam. If we hadn’t caught my cancer when we did, we would have had a very different outcome. Early detection is so important,” Branson said.

Keep A Breast gallery.

Fiona Whelan Prine.

Tune In Tonight: Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum’s BIG NIGHT (At The Museum)

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/musician and music historian Marty Stuart, who was recently named as a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, will lead a lineup of his fellow country music legends Wednesday night (Oct. 28) to help generate support for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

BIG NIGHT (At the Museum) will pair historic instruments, such as guitars from Loretta Lynn and Keith Whitley, with artists including Ashley McBryde, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Kane Brown, Reba McEntire, Ricky Skaggs, Stuart, The War and Treaty, Dan Tyminski, Emmylou Harris, and more.

Kane Brown, a longtime Randy Travis devotee, will sing one of Travis’s signature songs, with accompaniment on Travis’s Gibson J-185KOA. Carlene Carter will play the 1928 Gibson L-5 guitar that belonged to her grandmother, Maybelle Carter, while Emmylou Harris will perform using Boudleaux Bryant’s 1961 Martin guitar as she collaborates with Crowell on one of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant’s signature songs.

Lambert will pay tribute to John Prine, performing on his David Russell Young custom guitar. McBryde will perform using Lynn’s 1956 Gibson J-50, while McGraw will play Keith Whitley’s C.W. Parsons acoustic, and Paisley will play Don Rich’s 1965 Fender Telecaster. CMHoF member Ricky Skaggs will play Bill Monroe’s 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin. Stuart, who launched his career as a pre-teen performing in Lester Flatt’s band, will play Flatt’s 1950 Martin D-28 guitar and Monroe’s 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin.

The Country Music Hall of Fame was closed for nearly six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in millions in lost revenues and forcing the museum to furlough much of its staff. However, the closures also allowed the museum’s staffers to bring instruments out of their storage and display cases, to be played once again.

The show will premiere at 8 p.m. CT on the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s YouTube channel. During the program, viewers will be encouraged to donate to the museum either through YouTube Giving or by texting “Donate” to 833-977-2643. There will be an auction so viewers can bid on a Gibson SJ-200 signed by all artists who are performing this evening. The auction will close at 5 p.m. CT on Nov. 1.

Lee Brice Celebrates New RIAA Certs

From L-R: Curb Records’ John Clore; Curb Records’ Jeff Tuerff; Curb Records’ Benson Curb; Curb Records’ RJ Meacham, Curb Records’ Laurel Kittleson-Cobb; Lee Brice; Window World’s Tammy Whitworth; Window World’s Jamie McBride; All Veteran Group’s Mike Elliot; All Veteran Group’s Luke Conner)

Lee Brice had a high-flying Gold and Platinum celebration on his family farm recently when he was surprised with an RIAA certification and airplay plaques acknowledging some recent accomplishments. The surprise included a celebratory fly-over by All Veteran Group, founded by Golden Knight Mike Elliot, in conjunction with Window World for Brice and his team to watch.

Joined by his team and partners, including Red Light Management, Curb Records, Window World and All Veteran Group, Brice was presented with plaques for “One Of Them Girls” staying No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for three consecutive weeks and earning the RIAA Gold certification, as well as a career plaque for 16 RIAA certifications representing 22 million units: Brice’s “Rumor,” “Hard To Love,” and “I Don’t Dance” recently certified triple Platinum, while “Love Like Crazy” is now certified double Platinum, and “Parking Lot Party” is certified Platinum. “One Of Them Girls” and his 2017 album Lee Brice, have now reached Gold status as well. Twelve consecutive radio singles released by Brice have now been RIAA-certified.

The celebration comes as he preps for the release of his latest album, Hey World, due out Nov. 20, and the release of his latest single, “Memory I Don’t Mess With.”

Country Latin Duo Kat & Alex Sign With Warner Chappell Music, The AMG

Country Latin duo Kat & Alex have signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville. The pair has also inked a management deal with The AMG.

Kat & Alex competed on American Idol in early 2020, where judge Luke Bryan spontaneously helped choose their name. Shortly thereafter, the duo moved to Nashville and began working with producer Brad Hill. Wanting to pay homage to their Latin roots, the recently-engaged couple has been busy writing songs in both Nashville and Miami, and released English and Spanish versions of their debut single, “How Many Times,” on Oct. 16.

Maren Morris, Yola, Sheryl Crow, The Highwomen Set For CBS Television Special

On Dec. 15, CBS will air the one-hour special Play On: Celebrating the Power of Music to Make Change, set for 8 p.m. CT and also available via streaming on YouTube at 10 p.m. PT that evening.

Kevin Bacon and Eve will co-host the event, which is executive produced by Bacon, John Varvatos, LL Cool J, Anthony Mason and concert event producers Greg Williamson and Nicole Rechter. Musician/producer Steve Jordan will serve as music director.

The show will celebrate iconic music venues, with the Bluebird Cafe hosting performances from Maren Morris and Sheryl Crow, as well as Yola performing “Hold On” featuring The Highwomen‘s Morris, Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires.

The Troubadour in Los Angeles will host Gary Clark Jr., Ziggy Marley with Andra Day, and a tribute to the classic roots of hip-hop, featuring Slick Rick and Snoop Dogg. New York City’s The Apollo will host Machine Gun Kelly and Jon Batiste. The show will also feature a performance from Bon Jovi.

The concert will raise funds for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, as well as WhyHunger, via the Play On Fund created by SixDegrees.org.

“Music has historically served as a powerful and vital soundtrack for social change and a platform to unite people and make an impact for those in need,” said executive producer Varvatos. “By bringing together this outstanding array of performers, we hope to raise awareness and funding for the very important work that both the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and WhyHunger do every day and inspire viewers to continue to support these organizations.”

“2020 has been an immensely challenging year and many have turned to music as a great source of comfort, hope and strength,” said co-host and executive producer Bacon. “I am so thrilled to be teaming up my philanthropic organization Six Degrees with the respected producers and artists who have signed on for this remarkable night of music to help amplify these important issues and bring some much-needed joy through music.”

“I’m so excited to be joining Kevin Bacon in co-hosting CBS’ PLAY ON television special this coming December! It’s been a really challenging year for everyone, and it’s time we continue to support social, environmental, racial and economic justice with the help of WhyHunger, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and Sixdegrees.org,” said co-host Eve. “Also supporting iconic music venues from New York City, Nashville, Los Angeles and myself hosting live from London! I can’t wait to raise money, make a change, and bring people some really incredible live music”

“It has never been more important for us to use our platform, voices and stages to assist with the fight for social change and justice,” said British singer-songwriter Yola. “I am honoured to be joining this line-up to highlight the important work of WhyHunger and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.”

“Since the onset of COVID-19 in March, and over the course of the past eight months, it became clear to us that we needed to act and step up in support of racial and social justice and the hunger crisis this country has been facing,” said executive producer Greg Williamson. “We felt strongly that the healing power of music was this project’s mission and calling. Music, bringing people together and helping others during a time of need is what PLAY ON is all about.”

PLAY ON: Celebrating the Power of Music to Make Change is being made possible by many generous partners. Hard Rock International and Ford Foundation have partnered to support PLAY ON along with many others including Frito-Lay, Mary Kay Inc, GNF Marketing, Unqork, The Krim Group and Media sponsors include Rock the Bells, Condé Nast and YouTube.

Musically Fed, World Central Kitchen, Second Harvest Aid 100 Nashville-Area Families

Musically Fed/World Central Kitchen volunteers gather at Bandit Lites to distribute food to 100 families. Photo: Thaddeus McAdams

Musically Fed, World Central Kitchen and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee partnered with Rhino Staging to deliver boxes of food to 100 families on Saturday (Oct. 24). The drive-thru event focused on families who work in the live entertainment, touring and concert industries whose businesses have virtually been shut down since March.

“Live music literally shut down overnight, and there is no indication when tours and concerts will be back up and running on a large scale,” said Maria Brunner, founder of Musically Fed and whose own Insight Management contracts with live entertainment for tour marketing. “There is so much need among touring crews, musicians and related vendors in the Nashville entertainment community, and we are so honored that chef Jose Andres and the World Central Kitchen have selected Musically Fed as a partner for food distributions. We are grateful to Clair Global and Bandit Lites for hosting our events and to Second Harvest for providing produce and dry goods to supplement the meals for World Central Kitchen.”

Twice a month through the end of November and every week in December, 100 boxes of dry goods and fresh produce will be prepared by Dega Food Restaurant Group on behalf of World Central Kitchen. Qualifying families must work in the live entertainment industry and are vetted through a phone interview to ensure they are unemployed, underemployed or have lost SNAP.

Musically Fed was founded in Phoenix to donate unused backstage catering food from concerts and festivals to food banks, shelters and agencies comprised of at least 50% veterans.

In 2016, thanks to Terry Burke from Live Nation, Mitch Katz of Arizona Catering, Ralph Marchetta the GM of Talking Stick Arena, and the members and crew of U2, the organization’s first effort enabled them to provide over 300 meals to outreach programs in the Phoenix community. Two weeks later, the Louis Messina Group, Kenny Chesney, and Tour Cats repurposed leftover catering in every city on Chesney’s tour to select nonprofits in need.

Through their generosity, Musically Fed learned how to implement its mission in cities across the nation.

In 2016, the Zac Brown Band and Fleetwood Mac invited Musically Fed on their national tours to feed the homeless, hungry and food insecure throughout America.

When COVID-19 essentially shut down touring nationwide, Musically Fed began organizing food drives in music hubs like Nashville, Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix and San Diego to provide relief to those who make a living in live entertainment.