Marathon Music Works, Paradigm, WME, AEG Presents Among Top IEBA Award Winners

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Pictured (L-R): Renee Alexander, Ali Harnell, and Jay Williams backstage after receiving their IEBA Industry Awards.

IEBA, the leading trade organization for live entertainment industry professionals, concluded its 48th Annual Conference last night (Oct. 2) after its Honors & Awards Ceremony. The winners of seventeen (17) IEBA Industry Awards, which celebrate those who work tirelessly behind the scenes of the concert business, were announced during the event.

A special on-stage presentation announced the endowment of permanent scholarships at New York University, Middle Tennessee State University, and Belmont University through IEBA’s Educational Outreach Fund.

Pictured (L-R): Rickey Medlocke, Gary Rossington, and Johnny Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd pose with their IEBA Hall of Fame plaques at IEBA’s Honors & Awards Ceremony.

The ceremony also included the induction of four new IEBA Hall of Fame members, including southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd, booking agents Ray Shelide and Bonnie Sugarman, and longtime marketing director and champion of the Great Allentown Fair Bonnie Brosious.

IEBA’s 49th Annual Conference will be held Oct. 27-29, 2019 again at the JW Marriott Nashville.

Pictured: IEBA Executive Director Pam Matthews and IEBA Educational Outreach Fund Board Member Barry Jeffrey (WME) present Gene Lundgren with a check commemorating the establishment of a permanently-endowed scholarship at New York University in his honor.

2018 IEBA AWARD WINNERS:

Club of the Year: Marathon Music Works – Nashville, TN

Casino of the Year: Talking Stick Resort and Casino – Scottsdale, AZ

Ryman Auditorium Theater of the Year: Durham Performing Arts Center – Durham, NC

Arena of the Year: BOK Center – Tulsa, OK

Amphitheater of the Year: The Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA

Fair of the Year: Minnesota State Fair – St. Paul, MN

Festival of the Year: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival – New Orleans, LA

Club Buyer of the Year: Jim Mallonee – House of Blues

Casino Buyer of the Year: (TIE) Kell Houston – Houston Productions, and Randy Wright – Integrity Events

Corporate Buyer of the Year: Michael Boltzman – AEG Presents

International Buyer of the Year: Ron Sakamoto – Gold & Gold Productions

Fair Buyer of the Year: R.J. Romeo – Romeo Entertainment Group

Festival Buyer of the Year: Roger LeBlanc – Madison Entertainment

Venue Executive of the Year: Kim Bedier – Tacoma Dome, Cheney Stadium, Pantages and Rialto Theaters, & Theater on the Square

Young Professional of the Year: Paige Ryan – Paradigm Talent Agency

Talent Agent of the Year: Jay Williams – WME

Promoter of the Year: Ali Harnell – AEG Presents

On The Cover: Carrie Underwood Graces MusicRow Magazine’s 2018 Publisher Issue

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Carrie Underwood is featured on the cover of MusicRow Magazine’s all-new 2018 Publisher Issue.

Underwood emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, and film. A seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner, she has sold 64 million records worldwide and recorded 26 No. 1 singles, 13 of which she co-wrote.

She released Cry Pretty, her first studio album on Capitol Records Nashville on Sept. 14, marking the first time she has co-produced her own album. In Spring 2019, Carrie will launch The Cry Pretty Tour 360, which will kick off in May and will play 55 arenas across the U.S. and Canada. Earlier this year, she released the hit event anthem she co-wrote, “The Champion” featuring Ludacris, which opened NBC’s Super Bowl LII and was incorporated into the network’s coverage of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

MusicRow Magazine’s 2018 Publisher Issue features an annual directory of top Nashville-focused music publishers. This issue also includes exclusive editorial examining Irving Azoff‘s Global Music Rights as well as Florida Georgia Line‘s growing Nashville empire, and highlights a slate of recent documentaries highlighting Nashville’s songwriter community. Additionally, this issue features songwriter interviews with Kassi Ashton, Shy Carter, Zach Crowell, Justin Ebach and Jessie Frasure.

Single copies of the Publisher Issue are available for purchase for $45 at musicrow.com, and are included with yearly subscriptions at no additional cost. First Class subscribers to MusicRow will receive their copies first, in the coming week.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD CAREER STATS

Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Current Album: Cry Pretty
Current Single: “Love Wins”
Current Producer: David Garcia (Co-Produced Cry Pretty with Carrie)
Management: The HQ
Booking: CAA
Recent Hits: “Cry Pretty,” “The Champion” featuring Ludacris, “Dirty Laundry,” and “Church Bells”
Recent Awards: 7 Grammy Awards, 6 CMA Awards, 18 CMT Music Awards, 12 American Music Awards and numerous other awards and honors. She recently took home her 14th career ACM Award for Vocal Event of the Year for “The Fighter,” her collaboration with Keith Urban.
RIAA Certifications: Top Country Artist on RIAA’s Digital Single Ranking with 28 Million; Top 5 Female in RIAA’s Digital Single Program (All Genres)
Platinum Albums: Storyteller, Greatest Hits: Decade #1, Blown Away (2x), Play On (3x), Carnival Ride (4x), Some Hearts (8x)
Special TV Appearances: In 2013, Carrie starred as Maria von Trapp in NBC’s three-hour holiday blockbuster, the Emmy®-winning The Sound of Music Live!. Carrie will return this Fall for her sixth season as the voice of primetime television’s No. 1 program, Sunday Night Football, and this November, Carrie and Brad Paisley will co-host the CMA Awards for the 11th consecutive year.
Lifestyle: Carrie is lead designer for her fitness and lifestyle brand, CALIA by Carrie Underwood, which launched in 2015 and is exclusively available at DICK’S Sporting Goods nationwide and online at caliastudio.com.
Birthday: March 10
Musical Influences: Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, George Michael, Freddie Mercury, Guns ’N Roses, Alan Jackson and Reba McEntire

Jason Aldean To Headline Nashville Show For Pandora’s Backroads Celebration

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Jason Aldean is set to perform Nov. 27 at Pandora Presents:Backroads, a live celebration hosted by Pandora at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works. Aldean is the top-played country artist for the platform in Pandora’s history.

“In the last year, Pandora has served up billions of listening hours for country music,” said Jeff Zuchowski, Vice President of Artist Marketing and Industry Relations at Pandora. “Jason Aldean fans have contributed to many of those hours and we’re thrilled to have him be part of Backroads, giving our loyal country fans an opportunity to experience him live.”

For the first time, Pandora is offering country listeners nationwide the opportunity to win a free trip to Nashville to attend Pandora Presents: Backroads and see Jason Aldean perform live. Beginning today (Oct. 3), fans can visit AmicaPandoraSweeps.com to enter to win a trip to see Aldean’s concert, including roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, spending money and expedited access to the live event.

Elektra Music Group Reveals Remainder Of Leadership Team

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The Elektra Music Group has officially launched and installed a leadership team that’s poised to nurture the stand-alone group’s stellar roster of artists, and unique labels including Elektra, Fueled By Ramen (FBR), Roadrunner, Low Country Sound, and Black Cement Records. Elektra Music Group roster includes artists such as Twenty One Pilots, Sturgill Simpson, Zac Brown Band, Brandi Carlile, Fitz and the Tantrums, Paramore, Slipknot, Panic! At The Disco, Coheed and Cambria, Kaleo, Gojira, and others.

Following recent appointments to the A&R and Promotions teams, the remainder of Elektra Music Group’s leadership team includes:

Adam Abramson, Head of Sales & Streaming
Chris Brown, Head of Marketing
Tim Davideit, Head of Digital Marketing
Anne Declemente, Head of A&R Admin
Cathy Donovan, Head of Label Operations
Annie Flook, Head of Tour Marketing
Glenn Fukushima, Head of Publicity
Ana Lenuzza Ross, Head of Film, TV & Video Game Licensing
Mandee Mallone, Head of Video Production
Margo Scott, Head of Business & Legal Affairs
Suzy Yoder, Head of DSP & Video Promotion

They will report to label Co-Presidents, Mike Easterlin and Gregg Nadel.

Said Easterlin and Nadel: “We are so excited to call each and every one of these brilliant people part of the Elektra family. We’re already feeling the creative energy and collaborative spirit that will make Elektra a special place where we discover, nurture and develop game-changing artists. We’re grateful to everyone who has so generously helped us prepare for the launch of this new adventure.”

Including the leadership team, the 60-plus member Elektra Music Group staff builds out the company’s A&R, Artist Development, Business & Legal Affairs, International, Marketing, Promotion, Publicity, Sales & Streaming, and Video departments.

Recent announcements revealed two key Elektra Music Group A&R appointments: Will McDonald, Vice President, A&R and Marketing; and Shawn Cohen, Senior Director, A&R—as well as three key appointments in the promotion department: Melanie Scull, Vice President of Promotion; Myra Dehais, SVP of Promotion-West Coast/Alternative; and Jason Martin, VP of Promotion/Triple A.

 

Florida Georgia Line Celebrates Unprecedented 100-Week Run On ‘Billboard’ Chart

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Florida Georgia Line has made history with their run on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the only country act to dominate for 100 cumulative weeks since it launched in 1958. “Meant to Be,” their first No. 1 debut on Hot Country Songs, also put duet mate Bebe Rexha on the map as the first solo female to claim the title. The hit has held its chief chart position for 44 weeks straight, after premiering on Dec. 16, 2017.

Released via Warner Bros. Records and BMLG Records to both Pop and Country radio, FGL’s Tyler Hubbard, Rexha, Josh Miller, and David Garcia penned “Meant to Be,” which has since surpassed 1 billion total streams globally and scores the superstar duo’s 15th  No. 1 overall as artists.

As their triple Platinum-certified collaboration “Meant to Be” makes history, FGL has triumphed with six total Hot Country Songs chart-toppers which include “Cruise”; “Stay”; “This Is How We Roll”; “Dirt”; and “H.O.L.Y.”, since coming on the scene in 2012. Their latest single, “Simple,” the leadoff from their upcoming new album, is also on the verge of reaching the top spot at country radio.

Industry Ink: Stuart Dill, 650 AM WSM, Philip Peters

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Stuart Dill Expands Leadership Role At Vanderbilt

Stuart Dill, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) Director of the Office of Engagement, has been named Sr. VP, Medical Center Engagement with an expanded leadership role, including oversight of VUMC’s Strategic Marketing Department.

Prior to joining VUMC, Dill was a 30-year music industry veteran, serving as an artist manager on Nashville’s Music Row. During his career in the entertainment industry he managed artists including Minnie Pearl, Freddy Fender, Dwight Yoakam, Jo Dee Messina, Rodney Crowell, The Wreckers, Sister Hazel, Laura Bell Bundy, Point of Grace, Billy Ray Cyrus, and many others. He also authored the novel, Murder on Music Row, that won the Independent Book Publishers (IPPY) Award’s Gold Medal in 2012.

 

650 AM WSM To Host Music For Kids Event In November

650 AM WSM will host its first Music for Kids event on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Studio A in the Grand Ole Opry House from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Presented by Springer Mountain Farms, Music for Kids is a day-long family event packed with activities designed to make music accessible and fun for youth from all over Nashville. The event centers around providing children ages 5-16 with free, age-appropriate music lessons from local professionals and opportunities to engage, learn, and get inspired in fun new ways.

Children will choose the instrument they would most like to explore– voice, violin, guitar, bass, piano, drums, mandolin, banjo and more – when they sign up online. Registration for these free lessons are open now and must be reserved in advance via wsmonline.com. Lesson slots are expected to fill up fast, so early registrations are advised. A guardian is required to attend with the child receiving lessons.

Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor will be on hand to read from his new children’s book Lorraine.

 

True Artist Management’s Philip Peters Honored By Anderson University

Pictured (L-R): Philip Peters, Recipient of Anderson University’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award, and John S. Pistole, President of Anderson University. Photo: Anderson University

Philip Peters of True Artist Management, founder of Restore Haiti and a 2002 graduate of Anderson University, received the school’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award distinction late last week. The honor comes post nearly two decades in the music industry alongside his development of Restore Haiti, an organization that feeds, educates and provides medical care for over 1,000 students in the country of Haiti.

Anderson University has a history of being the roots to those in the music industry whose alumni include Bill and Gloria Gaither, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sandi Patty, Sidewalk Prophets and the 2018 Music Alum Award winner, Jon Mclaughlin.

Brett Eldredge Prepping For Holiday Season With Release Of ‘Glow’ Deluxe Edition

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Brett Eldredge will release a deluxe version of his holiday album Glow on Oct. 26. For the project, Eldredge returned to Avatar Studios in New York to recorded five additional tracks. Among the tracks are “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” “Silver Bells,” “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” and more.

“I love Christmas music more than just about anything in the world,” said Eldredge. “The ride Glow has taken me on has been so much fun, so now we’ve decided to make it deluxe! We’re also touring with these holiday songs in some of the most magical Christmas cities in North America. I can’t wait!”

This year, Eldredge will perform five shows showcasing his holiday tunes, including stops in Windsor, Canada, Chicago and New York, before performing two shows in Nashville.

Eldredge is currently on his headlining The Long Way Tour, featuring Devin Dawson and Abby Anderson.

 

GLOW DELUXE TRACK LISTING:
1. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
2. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (ft. Meghan Trainor)
3. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
4. The Christmas Song
5. Silent Night
6. Glow
7. Do You Hear What I Hear?*
8. Winter Wonderland
9. O Holy Night
10. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
11. Silver Bells*
12. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
13. The First Noel
14. Sleigh Ride*
15. White Christmas
16. A Holly Jolly Christmas*
17. Christmas Time Is Here*
18. The First Noel (A capella)

* New to the Deluxe edition

GLOW LIVE SHOW DATES:
*Nov. 30: Windsor, Canada @ The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
**Dec. 5: Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
**Dec. 11: New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
*Dec. 14: Nashville, TN @ CMA Theatre
*Dec. 15: Nashville, TN @ CMA Theatre

* On sale Friday, Oct. 5
**On sale Friday, Oct. 19

Average Joes Entertainment To Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary With Commemorative Album

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In celebration of its 10-year anniversary, Average Joes Entertainment will release an exclusive commemorative album, Average Joes Entertainment: 10 Years. The 18-track album will release Oct. 5, 2018. The project will feature songs from the label’s stable of artists including Colt Ford, Montgomery Gentry, Bubba Sparxxx, the LACS, Sunny Ledfurd, Lenny Cooper, Moonshine Bandits, Sarah Ross, Cypress Spring and Charlie Farley.

Average Joes Entertainment CEO/President Shannon Houchins said, “Over the past 10 years, the journey has been everything Colt Ford and I have hoped for and more. We are proud of what we have accomplished. As we celebrate our first ten years, we’re excited about what the next ten years will bring. We know one thing for sure; we’ll continue to sail into unchartered waters, expand boundaries and create without limitation.”

The album begins with Colt Ford’s 2008 hit “Cold Beer,” featuring Jamey Johnson, followed by Ford’s “Dirt Road Anthem,” which Ford co-wrote with Brantley Gilbert and was recorded by Jason Aldean. Other tracks on the album include The LACS’ “Field Party” and Montgomery Gentry’s “Where I Come From” as well as Troy Gentry’s outstanding track, “Better Me,” which was featured on the duo’s February release with the label.

Average Joes Entertainment: 10 Years Track List:
1. Cold Beer – Colt Ford f/Jamey Johnson
2. Dirt Road Anthem – Colt Ford f/Brantley Gilbert
3. Kickin’ Up Mud – The Lacs
4. Mud Digger – Lenny Cooper
5. Perfect Girl – JB and the Moonshine Band
6. Nickel Sized Hail & The Damaging Winds – Sunny Ledfurd f/Colt Ford
7. Where I Come From – Montgomery Gentry
8. This Is Our Song (Remix) – Colt Ford f/Bubba Sparxxx, Danny Boone, The LACS, Demun Jones
9. Drivin’ Around Song – Colt Ford f/Jason Aldean
10. Keep It Redneck – The LACS
11. Country Folks – Bubba Sparxxx f/Colt Ford and Danny Boone
12. Field Party – The LACS f/JJ Lawhorn
13. We All Country – Moonshine Bandits f/Colt Ford, Sarah Ross, Demun Jones
14. Backwoods Boys – Charlie Farley f/Daniel Lee
15. Crank It Up – Colt Ford
16. Calm Before The Storm – Sarah Ross
17. Way Of Life – Cypress Spring f/The LACS and Danny Boone
18. Better Me – Montgomery Gentry

Jack White Books Hometown Show At Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena In November

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Jack White. Photo: Ray Neutron

Jack White has booked Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 20 as a makeup show for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival’s recent cancellation.

The outing will end his Boarding House Reach world tour, featuring support from special guests Margo Price and Joshua Hedley. The tour was named after White’s third solo effort, released in March by Third Man Records/Columbia.

A limited amount of pre-sale tickets will be available to Third Man Vault members starting Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets go on sale at the same time that Friday at livenation.com, the Bridgestone Arena Box Office or phone, at 800-745-3000.

Prior to the hometown stop, White will be in Europe, the UK and Canada. A complete list of dates can be found at jackwhiteiii.com.

Florida Georgia Line, Sheryl Crow, Brothers Osborne To Perform At Scott Hamilton & Friends Benefit

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The third annual Scott Hamilton & Friends Ice Show, which benefits the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, is set for Sunday, November 18 at Bridgestone Arena. 

Performers for this year’s event include Sheryl Crow, Brothers Osborne, Florida Georgia Line, Steve Cropper, MercyMe’s Bart Millard, Styx’s Tommy Shaw, and Chelsea Field.

Hosted by cancer survivors Hamilton and Crow and special guest host Kristi Yamaguchi, the show will simultaneously feature live music and skating from the biggest names in figure skating including 2x Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalists and Dancing with the Stars champion Meryl Davis and her partner Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalist Charlie White, Olympic Men’s Silver Medalist Patrick Chan, Olympic Bronze Medalists Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, Olympic Pairs Bronze Medalists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Olympic Team Bronze Medalist Ashley Wagner, 2x Olympic Pairs Gold Medalist Katia Gordeeva, Olympic Ladies Bronze Medalist Kaetlyn Osmond, Olympic Team Bronze Medalist Jeremy Abbott, Ice Dance World Medalists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, and US National Gold Medalist Ryan Bradley.

The night will also include a return of the fan-favorite special performance by local skaters, who raise funds for the opportunity to perform in the show through the CARES Foundation’s Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer peer-to-peer fundraising program.

Tickets are on sale now at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com and tickets and sponsorship packages that include an After Show Celebration at the Omni Hotel featuring dinner, live music and a silent auction can be purchased at scottcares.org/events/evening-scott-hamilton-friends.

Proceeds from the concert benefit the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, which is dedicated to changing the future of cancer by funding advanced, innovative research that treats the cancer while sparing the patient.