Warner Music Nashville Adds Troy Cartwright To Roster

/by

Pictured (L-R): Chip Petree (Ritholz Levy Fields), Megan Joyce (SVP Business and Legal Affairs, WMN); Stephanie Davenport (Director A&R, WMN); John Esposito (Chairman & CEO, WMN); Troy Cartwright; Jenni Tackett (Red Light Management); Shawn McSpadden (Red Light Management); Shane Tarleton (SVP Artist Development, WMN); Mary Lu Noah; Matt Signore (COO, WMN)

Leading into CMA Music Fest week, Warner Music Nashville announces a new signing to their roster. Singer-songwriter Troy Cartwright, a Texas native, has joined the WMN family. Cartwright graduated from Berklee College of Music, before moving to Nashville. His independently released music has earned nearly two million streams on Spotify alone.

Cartwright is signed with Red Light Management, Warner/Chappell Music for publishing, and William Morris Endeavor for booking.

13 Million Views And Counting: Radio Promoter Lisa Smoot’s Dance Moves Go Viral

/by

 

Traffic woes have nothing on Jerry Duncan Promotions Vice President, Lisa Smoot.

She may be known in the Nashville music industry for her highly respected work in radio promotions, but now the world knows her for some very contagious dance moves recently displayed in the middle of highway I-65.

While stuck in a standstill traffic jam recently, Lisa made the best of the situation by breaking out some impressive dance moves to Meghan Trainor’s “Me Too.”

Her husband, Lee Smoot, shared the video on Facebook on May 19 and social media has fallen in love with Lisa’s positive approach to being stuck in traffic, something most people find intolerable.

Well played, Lisa. Well played.

 

Lucie Silvas Sets New Album Release For August

/by

Photo Credit: Sonya Jasinski

Lucie Silvas will release her anticipated new album, E.G.O., on Aug. 24. The instant-grat track, “Kite”  is available for purchase, along with the album’s pre-order, today.

The project was created with longtime friend and producer Jon Green (James Bay, Striking Matches, Linkin Park), and writers and collaborators on the album include Ian Fitchuk, Daniel Tashian, Natalie Hemby, Ruston Kelly, Gabe Simon, JD McPherson and Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne.

A Platinum-selling artist in the U.K, Silvas is a pianist, songwriter, and vocalist whose genre-defying music has led to performances with a diverse range of artists to date including Elton John, James Bay and Skrillex and touring slots with Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town and Miranda Lambert.

E.G.O. Track list:
1. Kite​
2. Girls From California
3. Smoking Your Weed​
4. I Want You All to Myself​
5. Black Jeans​
6. First Rate Heartbreak​
7. Everything Looks Beautiful​
8. People Can Change​
9. My Old Habits​
10. Just For The Record​
11. E.G.O.​
12. Change My Mind​

Greg Marchant Named Chief Operating Officer Of Madison Entertainment

/by

Madison Entertainment has hired Pacific Northwest-based executive Greg Marchant as Chief Operating Officer for the company. Marchant joins Madison Entertainment after serving as COO for Knitting Factory Entertainment during that company’s greatest growth period.

Marchant began his career as a working musician and is a graduate of the Oglebay School of Public Facilities Management.  A 30-year industry veteran, he has overseen build outs, openings, and flips of venues from arenas to small clubs.  In addition, he has directed large teams and served in the roles of Business Development, Venue Manager, Talent Buyer, and Production Manager.

“Greg is a successful and accomplished industry veteran and we’re looking forward to having his expertise on board as Madison Entertainment takes our business to the next level,” said Madison Entertainment’s leader Roger LeBlanc.

“I am thrilled to be joining Madison Entertainment and to be part of a team with such an outstanding reputation,” said Marchant. “Roger is known in this business as being a fair, reasonable, and decent person.  He has put together a great team of talented people upon which to grow and I look forward to contributing to their continued success.”

Madison Entertainment provides talent buying services and consulting in all aspects of the live entertainment business and operates offices in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Boise. Madison Entertainment’s clients include KAABOO Del Mar, KAABOO Cayman, KAABOO Texas, Mempho Music Fest, the Gasparilla Music Festival, as well as many other festivals and venues spanning coast to coast. Founded in 1999 by veteran talent buyer Roger LeBlanc, the company is headquartered in Nashville, and oversees a group of buyers from Florida to Los Angeles.

Mark Your Calendar—June 2018

/by

Single Add Date

June 4
Clare Dunn/More/MCA Nashville
Abby Anderson/Make Him Wait/Black River
Ben Cesare Band/Damn Yankee/Go Long Entertainment
Ryan Montgomery/Drop A Tailgate/Ryan Montgomery

June 11
Carlton Anderson/Drop Everything/Arista Nashville
Mags/Strong Enough/Emerald Fields Productions
Ned Ledoux/Brother Highway/Powder River

June 18
Shenandoah/That’s Where I Grew Up/BMG
Everette/Slow Roll/Broken Bow Records
Brandon Lay/Yada Yada Yada/EMI Nashville
Blair Mathews/Summer Heartbeat/StoneyHill Records Nashville
Rebel Hearts/Hero’s/Rebel Hearts Records

June 25
Casey Donahew/That Got The Girl/Almost Country Entertainment

Album Release Dates

June 1
Luke Combs/This One’s For You Too/River House-Columbia
Michael Ray/Amos/Atlantic Records-Warner Music Nashville
Thompson Square/MASTERPIECE

June 8
Dierks Bentley/The Mountain/Capitol
Sugarland/Bigger/UMG-BMLG
Craig Campbell/See You Try/Red Bow Records
The Sisterhood Band/Summer Setlist/Sony Music Nashville
Sylvia/Second Bloom: The Hits Re-Imagined/Red Pony Records

June 15
Gene Clark/Sings For You/Omnivore

June 22
Dan+Shay/Dan+Shay/Warner Bros.-Warner Music
Adam Wright/Dust
Ben Rector/Magic/OK Kid Recordings-AWAL Recordings

Industry Events


June 3
2018 Innovation in Music Awards (IMA) at the Westin Hotel in Nashville

June 6
CMT Music Awards

June 7
2018 Concert for Love and Acceptance at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville

June 7-10

  • CMA Music Festival
  • Bonnaroo

June 12
AIMP Indie Music Publishing Summit in New York City

June 14
New York Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Annual Induction & Awards Gala

June 23-24
30th Annual Nashville Pride Festival at Public Square Park in Downtown Nashville

June 27
MusicRow Awards (invitation-only)

June 28-30
Summer NAMM at Nashville’s Music City Center

June 30
CMA broadcast ballots due at 6:00 p.m. CT.

Richard H. Frank, Jr., Counsel Emeritus For The CMA, Dies

/by

Richard “Dick” H. Frank, Jr. (center) with Ed Benson (left) and Jo Walker-Meador (right), both former CMA Executive Directors, at Frank’s retirement party in 2002. Photo credit: CMA Archives

Richard “Dick” H. Frank, Jr., Counsel Emeritus for the Country Music Association and the man who prepared and filed the corporate charter for the CMA as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame, died on May 31, which was also his 90th birthday.

Born in Columbia, Tennessee, Frank earned a BA degree and a law degree from Vanderbilt University, and after graduation served in the United States Navy. While stationed at Great Lakes Naval Air Station, he met and married Katherine “Kitty” Barbehenn. After leaving active duty, he attended New York University and earned a Master of Law degree in Taxation in 1956. He returned to Nashville and began a private law practice that he ran for almost fifty years. He was a member of the Tennessee Bar and was also admitted to the Bars of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee; the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

After filing the corporate charter for the Country Music Association in 1958, Frank began serving as volunteer legal counsel for the newly formed association and continued to serve for almost 40 years. He began his private practice specializing in taxation and estate planning, but soon developed a copyright and entertainment law practice. By the 1970s and 1980s he was representing some of the leading writers, artists and publishers in country music and was recognized as a pre-eminent copyright and entertainment counselor. He mentored other lawyers in his firm and taught Entertainment Law at Vanderbilt Law School and Copyright Law at the Nashville School of Law. He has been active in the leadership of the Copyright Society of the United States and helped found and lead the Copyright Society of the South. Frank also served as a trustee and trustee emeritus of the Country Music Foundation.

Frank was also an avid gardener and grew daffodils, camellias, and roses and showed them throughout the United States and in Europe. He was active in the leadership of the National Daffodil Society and the National Camellia Society.

“Richard was a beloved member of our CMA family,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “He passionately dedicated his time and experience to serving our association and the Country Music community. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.”

“Dick brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to CMA as the organization was defining its path,” said Joe Galante, CMA Foundation Chair and former CMA Chairman of the Board. “But what I’ll always remember was his smirk. It was never a full smile, just enough to make you wonder if he was just joking or if he was serious.”

Frank is preceded in death by his first wife Kitty. Survivors include his current wife Sandra, son R. Horton Frank, III and daughter Mary Delphia Frank Scobey.

Weekly Chart Report (6/1/18)

/by

Click here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.

Industry Pics: International Country Music Conference, Jules Wortman

/by

International Country Music Conference Begins In Nashville

Pictured (L-R): Milly Olykan, Karen Stump, Belmont University’s Don Cusic (co-host of the conference), and Trahern.

Sarah Trahern, Executive Director of the Country Music Association, spoke to the International Country Music Conference on Thursday, May 31 on “The State of Country.” She was joined on the presentation, which opened the conference, with Karen Stump, head of research for the CMA, and Milly Olykan, head of “International” for the CMA.

Jules Wortman Launches New Podcast

Jules Wortman with The Warren Brothers.

Industry member Jules Wortman has launched a new podcast, Hi, How Ya Doin’, which features interviews with individuals to discover moments that changed their lives. Previous guests have included songwriters The Warren Brothers, producer Paul Worley, and more. Upcoming guests will include Hall Emery CEO, Pat Emery.

“As a storyteller, I often frame a client’s brand to engage a variety of demographics. Through this process and my appetite to always learn about what makes someone tick or land where they have, I decided to delve into this new podcast venture recently to generate a platform for anyone that wants to listen,” says Wortman, host and creator of Hi, How Ya Doin’.  “I have had the privilege to meet so many interesting people throughout my life that have intrigued me to hear their story.  This podcast offers a wide array of individuals capturing and sharing their moment of clarity and what might have led to it.  We hope you enjoy.”

To sign up for the podcast, please visit HERE. To listen to past interviews, click on the following links: HHYD on Soundcloud andiTunes.

Pandora Named Music Partner For College News Network CheddarU

/by

Pandora has signed on as the official music partner in the launch of CheddarU, a live news network available on 1,600 TV screens on over 600 college campuses. Pandora’s involvement will focus on daily coverage of artists, playlists, and music charts.

CheddarU reaches an estimated 9 million college students, and is a result of Cheddar’s acquisition of Viacom’s MTV Networks on Campus, the distribution platform for Viacom’s campus-based service MTVU. MTVU will remain in the MTV portfolio of networks, and will continue to be available through linear distributors.

“Music is part of the fiber of the college experience,” said Pandora CEO Roger Lynch, “Playing a role in CheddarU’s launch as the official music partner is a great opportunity to reach millions of students with updates and insights on what’s trending, who’s touring and just the right playlist for Friday night.”

CheddarU screens are currently available for viewing in campus cafeterias, gyms, and other public spaces, as well as campus cable television systems. The CheddarU service is available free of charge, including hardware and installation, to all qualifying campuses in the U.S. From Harvard University to the California State University system, students across the country will be able to watch and access Cheddar from their dorm rooms and public spaces 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Lauren Alaina, Luke Combs To Perform For ‘A Capitol Fourth’

/by

Lauren Alaina and Luke Combs will perform as part of PBS’ annual broadcast of A Capitol Fourth, which airs on PBS on Wednesday, July 4 beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The show will air live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

Other performers will include Jimmy Buffett, The Beach Boys, Pentatonix, The Temptations, CeCe Winans, Joshua Bell, and the National Symphony Orchestra. Actor John Stamos will host the event.

This 38 year-tradition is the country’s longest-running live national July 4 TV tradition and it puts viewers front and center for America’s biggest birthday party with the greatest display of fireworks anywhere in the nation lighting up the iconic D.C. skyline. The concert also pays tribute to troops serving around the world, their families, and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, fighting for our freedom.