Nashville-based iconic guitar maker Gibson Brands says it expects to emerge from bankruptcy protection next month, now that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware has officially approved Gibson Brands Inc.’s reorganization plan. Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz will step down and move into a consulting role. His successor has not been publicly revealed.

As previously disclosed, Gibson’s plan of reorganization will allow the company’s Musical Instruments and Professional Audio businesses to continue to design, build, sell, and manufacture Gibson and Epiphone guitars, as well as KRK and Cerwin Vega studio monitors and loud speakers. The plan provides funding for the musical instrument and professional audio businesses, supports the company’s key vendors, and suppliers, and provides for the restructuring of the company’s balance sheet.

Gibson Brands filed for bankruptcy protection in May. Along the way, the company has made several cost-cutting moves, including selling property in both Nashville and Memphis, cutting jobs, and shutting down an electronics division.

“Focusing on our iconic brands and core musical instruments, Gibson is poised to continue as one of America’s premier manufacturers of musical instruments with a clear path that will benefit our customers, business partners and employees over the long term,” the company’s chief restructuring officer, Brian Fox, said.

Fox also says that post-bankruptcy, Gibson Brands will be “a stronger company with essentially no debt and a bright future.”

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP songwriter Ashley Gorley, BMI songwriter Thomas Rhett, BMI songwriter Jesse Frasure and BMI songwriter Rhett Akins.

Thomas Rhett welcomed several of the Nashville music industry’s top execs and writers to celebrate the Valory Music Co. singer-songwriter’s 10th and 11th chart-toppers, “Marry Me” and “Life Changes.” Industry members celebrated on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at Hi-Fi Clyde’s in Nashville.

Both singles are from his CMA Album of the Year-nominated project Life Changes. Thomas Rhett is also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year (for “Marry Me”).

“Marry Me” was penned by Thomas Rhett, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, and Shane McAnally. “Life Changes” was penned by Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Frasure, and Gorley.

ASCAP’s Beth Brinker and BMI’s Jody Williams hosted the event, along with Pinnacle Bank and First Tennessee Bank.

Among those celebrating were Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta and George Briner, SMACK’s Lee Krabel, Round Hill Music’s Mark Brown, Warner/Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, Rhythm House’s BJ Hill, Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson, Tape Room’s Kelly Bolton, and Combustion’s Chris Farren.

“These literally are some of my best friends,” said BMI writer Frasure. “These are the people who wrote with me when I didn’t have anything going on, they took chances. Big Machine, you were part of my first No. 1 song and my 10th No. 1 song.” Frasure surprised the writers with certificates for custom tuxes.

“Because we now know Thomas Rhett is addicted to DJ life,” Frasure also presented Thomas Rhett with his own turntables. “The last thing he needs is another hobby,” Frasure joked. “We all know how passionate he is about his hobbies.”

Pictured (back row, L-R): Round Hill’s Mark Brown, SMACK’s Lee Krabel, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Big Machine Label Group’s Allison Jones, Warner/Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Rhythm House’s BJ Hill, Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson and BMI’s Jody Williams; (front row, L-R): The Valory Music Co.’s George Briner, ASCAP songwriter Ashley Gorley, BMI songwriter Thomas Rhett, BMI songwriter Jesse Frasure, and Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta and Combustion’s Chris Farren.

BMI writer Thomas Rhett said, “I feel so blessed to be in Nashville, around people who love songs and people, especially the dudes on this stage, and Shane McAnally. You know when you come out of a session with them, something good is going to happen. I’m proud to be part of a record label that has allowed me to express anything I wanted to on these records. Thank you Scott for letting me record too many songs and to my management, my life would physically fall apart if you didn’t call me every day. BMI, I remember sitting with Leslie at 18 or 19 years old and thinking, I get to go back to college and tell them I’ve signed with BMI. I was the man. Here’s to a lot more hits.”

Fellow BMI writer Rhett Akins said, “This is a special song to me. This is our second No. 1 we’ve written together. Thank y’all especially the label for letting the dad jump in there and write some songs. This song wasn’t supposed to happen, the album was almost finished. We got together at our farm and Thomas Rhett wanted to write a song about his life. Country music is supposed to be about real life and real songs. I can’t think of another country song ever, except “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” that was that specific about someone’s life and then for the label to have the guts to put it out. It’s got the word ‘Uganda’ in it. How many country songs have that in it? Just a special song all the way around.”

ASCAP writer Gorley thanked his family, Big Machine Label Group. “Having the confidence in a record label that they can put out something a little crazy and they can still get it up the charts, helps us creatively in the writing room more than you know. We know we can try that crazy groove, let Jesse play that sound or Rhett say Uganda. All that gives us freedom to create the way we want to. So that’s cool for us. Thomas Rhett as well, just the artist he is and the different types of songs he can do. It’s been great on the road to see the reaction of the fans.”

Pictured (back row, L-R): Round Hill’s Mark Brown, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Rhythm House’s Stevie Frasure, Big Machine Label Group’s Allison Jones, Tape Room’s Kelly Bolton, Warner/Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, Tape Room’s Blaine Rhodes, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Combustion’s Chris Farren, BMI’s Jody Williams and Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson; (front row, L-R) The Valory Music Co.’s George Briner, ASCAP songwriter Ashley Gorley, BMI songwriter Thomas Rhett, BMI songwriter Jesse Frasure, BMI songwriter Rhett Akins, and Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta.

In 2015 Pandora acquired Next Big Sound, a service which tracks song popularity online and in social networks.

In a blog post last month, Sr. Product Manager, Next Big Sound – Pandora Dan Wissinger detailed how the service will open up Pandora data.

“Until recently, Pandora data was only visible to an artist and their manager and label. In an industry where stream counts are an important measure of an artist’s success, the inaccessibility of this data publicly has meant that Pandora’s important role in many artists’ career trajectories has gone unnoticed.” -Wissinger

The post announced Pandora data will now be publicly unveiled within Next Big Sound, including releases, reach, and engagement. These sections of the profile will show Pandora metrics like radio spins, interactive plays, thumbs up, and station adds for every artist on Pandora and each of their tracks. Next Big Sound users can follow, or even get email notifications and Weekly Report emails for artists.

In 2017, the streaming service launched Pandora Premium to compete with on-demand rivals. As of June, Pandora boasted 71.4 million active users, down again from 76 million the year prior. In September 2018, it was announced Pandora would be acquired by SiriusXM in a deal valued at approximately $3.5 billion.

Next Big Sound accounts are free at nextbigsound.com.

Charlie Daniels‘ latest album, Beau Weevils – Songs in the Key of E, will release Friday, Oct. 26. The new ten-track album features lead vocals, guitar and fiddle by Daniels, music industry musician/producer/publisher/label exec James Stroud on drums and percussion, Billy Crain on guitar, and Charlie Hayward on bass.

“Beau Weevils – Songs in the Key of E is the culmination of a long held desire of James Stroud and myself to do a project together,” Daniels says. “We had worked together, with James in the capacity of producer, which had resulted in some of our most successful albums for The Charlie Daniels Band, but James is one of the finest and most soulful drummers in the business and I figured we could get together, musician to musician, and come up with something special. We just needed a vehicle in the form of songs that would fit the bill.”

Stroud has also produced several albums for The Charlie Daniels Band, including 1988’s Homesick Heroes, 1989’s Simple Man and 1991’s Renegade.

Daniels wrote or co-wrote each track on the new album, which was produced by Stroud and Casey Wood, with David Corlew serving as executive producer.

“The whole thing started one day when I, as I often do, was fooling around with my guitar and came up with the opening riff on a song that eventually turned out to be ‘Mudcat,'” Daniels says. “That song set the style for the rest of the songs I would write, that all lent themselves to being played in the key of E, hence the title.”

A staple of the southern rock scene since early 1970s, Crain has performed with The Allman Brothers Band, The Rossington-Collins Band, The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, The Outlaws and the Henry Paul Band. He’s the brother of the late Charlie Daniels Band guitarist, Tommy Crain.

Longtime Charlie Daniels Band guitarist Hayward is best known for playing bass on Gregg Allman’s critically-acclaimed album, Laid Back. His additional credits include performing with Dr. John, as well as sitting in with The Allman Brothers Band after bass guitarist Berry Oakley was involved in a motorcycle accident.

Beau Weevils – Songs in the Key of E Track Listing:

1. Geechi Geechi Ya Ya Blues
2. Bad Blood
3. Mexico Again
4. Louisiana Blues
5. Oh, Juanita
6. Smokey’s Got Your Number
7. Mudcat
8. Everybody’s Gotta Go Sometime
9. We’ll All Have Some
10. How We Roll