Garth Brooks Named First Inductee Into Pollstar’s Live Music Hall Of Fame

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Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks keeps adding to his list of groundbreaking achievements with this latest honor – he is the very first inductee into the Live Music Hall of Fame. The announcement came during a lively keynote Q&A session at Pollstar Live! In Los Angeles moderated by OVG CEO and co-founder Tim Leiweke which also included co-panelists Ticketmaster president Jared Smith and David Kells from Bridgestone Arena. The panel also included a surprise birthday cake and singalong for Brooks, who celebrated his 56th birthday this week.

“It’s a total shock and quite an honor,” Brooks said upon accepting the award. “I don’t think an entertainer is anything without other people who allow him to do this,” he said before thanking his co-manager Bob Doyle, and his longtime promoter Ben Farrell. “They have made my career possible.”

The honor comes on the heels of Brooks’ record-setting, three-year tour in which he sold over 6.3 million tickets, making it the biggest North American tour and biggest ever by a solo artist. His record-setting North American tour was capped by seven sold-out shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

“In discussing it with all of our folks,” Leiweke said, “there was only person who we thought ultimately had to be the first inducted into the Live Music Hall of Fame and that was Garth Brooks.”

“Ticketmaster’s worked with Garth for over 20 years and it’s been a phenomenal partnership,” Ticketmaster’s Smith told Pollstar.  “He’s always working on new and better ways to ensure tickets get into the hands of fans, and makes an effort so that all fans get a chance to see him.”

Brooks, who returned to the road after a 16-year absence, is the first artist to receive seven RIAA Diamond awards for albums sales of over 10 million per album, and the No. 1 selling U.S. solo artist with over 148 million albums sold.

Leiweke explained the origin of the Live Music Hall Of Fame, saying he and his team had wanted to “create a place to honor artists who have made a huge impact on the live business. The Recording Academy has the Grammys, the movie business has the Academy Awards,” he said, “but we in live don’t do enough to honor the artists who have changed our industry. The artists who have gone out and touched tens of millions of fans. So we are creating a new tradition here at Pollstar that is vitally important for our industry and a priority for us going forward and that is a Live Music Hall of Fame.”

Weekly Chart Report 2/9/18

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Eleventh Annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum To Honor Cindy Mabe

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UMG Nashville president Cindy Mabe will be honored during the upcoming eleventh annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum, set for Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Ford Theater.

At Arista and RCA Records, Mabe worked closely with Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, and Carrie Underwood. She moved to Capitol Records to head the marketing department, rose to Sr. VP at the label, and helped oversee the merger of Capitol/EMI with Universal Music Group in 2012. Two years later, she became president of UMG Nashville.

Among the projects that Mabe has overseen are Luke Bryan’s Kill the Lights, Eric Church’s Mr. Misunderstood, Hillary Scott’s Love Remains, Chris Stapleton’s Traveller, and George Strait’s Cold Beer Conversation. Her embrace of new music distribution channels through streaming services and social media has paid off, most notably for artist Sam Hunt.

This program is free and open to the public. The event, held in partnership with Gibson Foundation, will be live streamed at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming.

Founded in 2002 as the philanthropic division of Gibson Brands, the Gibson Foundation is committed to making the world a better place for children worldwide through its own initiatives and by its support of other non-profit organizations that advance music and the arts, health and welfare, education, and environmental causes.

Opry Entertainment President Steve Buchanan To Retire

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Steve Buchanan

After 33 years with Opry Entertainment, Executive Vice President of Ryman Hospitality Properties and President of Opry Entertainment Steve Buchanan will retire from the company in June of 2018.

Buchanan will remain with the company through June to oversee the Nashville farewell tour, which will play the U.K. and Ireland as well as the Grand Ole Opry House. He will also continue to oversee the Opry digital production and distribution endeavors to ensure a successful transition.

Buchanan said, “I am grateful for my 33-year career with Opry Entertainment. It has been an honor to witness so much history and so many amazing performances at the Opry and the Ryman. I feel privileged to have worked so closely with artists and fellow employees who share my passion for these revered American institutions that call Nashville home. My heart and soul will always feel connected, and I will proudly watch as new milestones and magic happen.”

Ryman Hospitality Properties Chairman and CEO Colin Reed said, “Steve’s passion for the Grand Ole Opry and what it means to country music lovers around the world has been a driving force behind all that he has accomplished during his time with our company. While it is difficult to imagine an Opry without Steve, I know the team we have in place will continue building upon the firm foundation he helped create for many years to come. We congratulate him on this exciting personal and professional milestone and thank him for over three decades of service and dedication to our employees, our guests and our Opry members.”

Buchanan has been the Company’s executive vice president of Ryman Hospitality Properties since 2013 and president of Opry Entertainment since 1998. He joined the Company as marketing manager for the Grand Ole Opry in 1985. In 1993, he was named general manager of the Ryman Auditorium. During his time at the Ryman, he directed an $8.5 million renovation of the historic structure, executive-produced such noted musical productions as “Always… Patsy Cline” and “Lost Highway – The Music and Legend of Hank Williams,” and he was the co-creator and executive producer of “Sam’s Place – Music for the Spirit.”

Buchanan produced the Grammy-nominated Bill Monroe album “Live at the Opry” (1990) and Monroe’s “Cryin’ Holy Unto the Lord” (1991). He has also produced numerous television specials, such as CBS’ “Grand Ole Opry’s 75th: A Celebration” and the A&E special “Grand Ole Opry: 75 Years in the Making.” He was responsible for the Opry’s return to Carnegie Hall in November 2005 during the show’s 80th Anniversary Celebration. In addition, Buchanan served as executive producer for “Grand Ole Opry Live” for CMT-TV and GAC-TV from 1999 until 2011, “Noteworthy at the Opry from 2012” (2012) and the 2015 feature film, “American Saturday Night: Live from the Grand Ole Opry.” Buchanan currently serves as an executive producer of the scripted drama series “Nashville.”

A native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Buchanan earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Vanderbilt University. Buchanan received the 2012 Outstanding Service Award from Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management, and The Kiwanis Club of Nashville named Buchanan as the 2012 Outstanding Nashvillian of the Year. The Academy of Country Music honored Buchanan with the 2013 Jim Reeves International Award, and he is the recipient of the 2014 INVEST Award from the Nashville Downtown Partnership. In 2015 The District Nashville honored Buchanan with the Spirit of the District Award, and he received Leadership Music’s Brian Williams Ambassador Award. Additionally, Buchanan was awarded CMA’s Irving Waugh Award of Excellence in 2016. He serves as president of the Opry Trust Fund, is a past chairman of the Country Music Association Board, and serves on the board of W.O. Smith Community Music School. He is an alumnus of both Leadership Nashville and Leadership Music. Buchanan is a member of the Academy of Country Music, the Recording Academy and the Television Academy.

 

2018 CRS/Country Aircheck Awards Winners Revealed

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On Wednesday evening (Feb. 7), the 2018 CRS/Country Aircheck Awards were presented during the New Faces of Country Music Show, held at the Omni Nashville Hotel. For Bobby Karl’s full recap, click here.

Stations:
KEEY/Minneapolis (Major Market)
WSM-FM/Nashville (Large)
WIVK/Knoxville (Medium)
WKSF/Asheville, NC (Small)

OM/PD:
Lance Houston, WBWL/Boston (Major)
Gator Harrison, WSIX/Nashville (Large)
Jay Cruze, WAMZ/Louisville (Medium)
Justin Tyler, KUAD/Ft. Collins, CO (Small)

MD:
Marci Braun, WUSN/Chicago (Major)
Ryan McKiddy, WSIX/Nashville (Large)
Aaron Michael, WSSL/Greenville, SC (Medium)
Brian Gary, KUAD/Ft. Collins, CO (Small)

Labels/Promotion:
Platinum Label: Capitol
Gold Label: Black River
SVP/VP: Katie Dean, MCA
National: Lauren Thomas, Sony
Regional: Brooke Diaz, Big Machine
Indie Promo: Richey Promotions

MM/GM:
Sarah Frazier, KILT/Houston (Major)
Nate Deaton, KRTY/San Jose (Large)
Bill McMartin, WKSF/Asheville (Medium)
Gene Guinn, WBUL/Lexington, KY (Small)

Personality:
Lois Lewis, KNIX/Phoenix (Major)
Marty McFly, WSM-FM/Nashville (Large)
Brent Michaels, KUZZ/Bakersfield (Medium)
Eddie Foxx, WKSF/Asheville, NC (Small)
National: The Bobby Bones Show

New Face of Country Music: Todd Cavanah, WUSN/Chicago

CMHoF To Honor Lori McKenna With ‘Poets and Prophets’ Salute

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Lori McKenna

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has added songwriter Lori McKenna in the museum’s signature interview series Poets and Prophets: A Salute to Songwriters on Saturday, March 3, at 2 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater. The program will include an in-depth interview with McKenna, illustrated with photos, film footage and recordings. McKenna will perform briefly, and following the program she will sign commemorative Hatch Show Print posters, available for purchase in the Museum Store.

McKenna was born, raised, and lives now in Stoughton, Massachusetts, but after years of visiting Nashville on songwriting business, McKenna is well known there, too. She has released ten critically acclaimed albums spanning country, folk and Americana music. In 2005, Faith Hill had a Top 40 country hit with McKenna’s “Stealing Kisses,” and the songwriter advanced her career with “I Want Crazy,” recorded by Hunter Hayes, and “God Made Girls” by RaeLynn.

McKenna co-wrote several songs recorded by Little Big Town, including “Girl Crush,” “Sober,” “Your Side of the Bed” and “Happy People.” “Girl Crush” won a Grammy for Best Country Song and a CMA award for Song of the Year. McKenna also found success with the solo write “Humble and Kind,” which was recorded by Tim McGraw and earned a CMA award for Song of the Year, and a Grammy award for Best Country Song in 2017. The Bird & The Rifle, McKenna’s 2016 album, was nominated for Grammy and Americana Music Association awards, as was its single, “Wreck You.” In 2017, McKenna was named Songwriter of the Year by the Academy of Country Music.

Admission to Poets and Prophets is included with museum admission and is free to museum members. Members have the option of reserving program passes by contacting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum via phone (615-416-2050) or email (reservations@countrymusichalloffame.org). The program will be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming.

This program is presented by SunTrust in support of the exhibit Tim McGraw and Faith Hill: Mississippi Woman, Louisiana Man.

Songwriters Renew With Downtown Music Nashville

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Downtown Nashville staff and writers (L-R): Marc Beeson, Allen Shamblin, Andy Albert, Sam Ashworth, Steve Markland, Roberto Neri, Tony Esterly, Katie Roth, Natalie Osborne, Kelly Archer, Sara Haze, and FANN

Four Nashville songwriters, including Andy Albert, Kelly Archer, Marc Beeson, and Tony Esterly were among the first songwriters to sign on when Downtown Music Publishing opened their Nashville office in 2014. Now, all four are extending and renewing their deals at Downtown Nashville.

“When we launched Downtown Nashville in 2014, I was thrilled to begin working with Andy, Kelly, Marc, and Tony,” says Steve Markland, VP of A&R. “They’ve been four of the biggest reasons we’ve had such success here in our first four years, and we’re excited and committed to continue helping them in the development of their writing careers.”

In the past year and a half, veteran writer Archer has had the first two No. 1 hits of her career: “Sleep Without You” (performed by Brett Young) and “Somebody Else Will” (performed by Justin Moore). Marc Beeson has co-written multiple recent Top 10s, including Josh Turner’s 2017 No. 1 “Hometown Girl” and Blake Shelton’s 2016 hit “She’s Got A Way With Words.” The latter Beeson co-wrote with Andy Albert, who himself has seen career peaks since joining Downtown including, “If the Boot Fits” (performed by Granger Smith) and Smith’s current single “Happens Like That.” Writer-producer Esterly has landed over 20 major sync placements in the last year. He is also actively writing and producing several pop/rock development artists for 2018.

In the last year, Downtown Nashville has had 11 singles on the country radio charts, including five Top 10s and three No. 1 songs. They work closely with Downtown’s other global offices to reach beyond the world of country music as well, including Esterly’s many pop/rock syncs in projects like the Assassin’s Creed movie trailer and the Lego Ninjago movie. In addition to their existing offices in Nashville, New York, London, Amsterdam, and Tokyo, Downtown is about to announce two new offices to expand their international presence in new markets.

New Hires At Round Hill Music Nashville

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Rebecca Turner, Robbie English, Casey Reznik

Round Hill Music Nashville has hired three new employees in royalties, sync licensing, and administration.

Rebecca Turner has joined Round Hill as Director, Head of Royalty Services where she will be responsible for managing the company’s royalty team. Turner’s previous experience includes Licensing and Royalty Administration Supervisor at Naxos of America, Royalties Manager at Big Machine Label Group, and most recently, Royalty Manager at Modern Music Works Music Publishing.

Robbie English has joined Round Hill as Senior Coordinator, Sync Licensing where he will negotiate quotes and licenses for film and television. English previously worked as a negotiator in the Sync Licensing department at BMG in Los Angeles and worked with International clearances at Sony/ATV.

Casey Reznik has joined Round Hill as Senior Coordinator, Administration where she will assist with mechanical licensing, copyright registration, and PRO registration. Reznik previously processed royalties and copyrights at ASCAP in New York City and worked as a Licensing & Music Product Coordinator at Drew’s Entertainment in New Jersey.

“I am excited to welcome all three of our new employees to the Round Hill team,” says Mark Brown, SVP/GM, Round Hill Music Nashville. “We are a growing company and it takes a compliment of talented and qualified professionals to provide the service our clients expect. These three are all great additions.”

ACM Nominates Two MusicRow Reporting Stations

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The Academy of Country Music® announced Radio Awards nominees for the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards, including MusicRow’s reporting stations WCOW and KTHK. WCOW’s Ben Butler and Arnie Andrews are nominated again this year for On-Air Personality of the Year – Small Market. KTHK received another nomination this year for Radio Station of the Year – Small Market as well. 

View the full list of nominations here.

John Prine To Release First New Album In 13 Years

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John Prine will release his first album of new material in over 13 years, The Tree of Forgiveness, April 13 on his own independent label, Oh Boy Records. In advance of the release, which was produced by Dave Cobb, the song “Summer’s End” is premiering today here.

Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, the album includes 10 new songs penned by Prine along with co-writers Pat McLaughlin, Roger Cook, Dan Auerbach, Keith Sykes and Phil Spector. The album also features special guests Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, and Amanda Shires on harmonies, backing vocals, guitar, and fiddle.

In celebration of the album, Prine will embark on an extensive tour throughout 2018, including a co-headlining concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall with Sturgill Simpson on album release day as well as newly announced shows at L.A.’s Ace Theatre, Boston’s Wang Theatre, Austin’s Bass Hall and two nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Tickets for the newly added dates will be available for pre-sale beginning Feb. 14 with general on sale starting February 16. Every concert ticket sold will include a copy of The Tree of Forgiveness upon its release.

The Tree Of Forgiveness TRACK LIST:

1. “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door” (by John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)
2. “I Have Met My Love Today” ft. Brandi Carlile (by John Prine and Roger Cook)
3. “Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone)” (by John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)
4. “Summer’s End” (written by John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)
5. “Caravan of Fools” (by John Prine, Dan Auerbach, and Pat McLaughlin)
6. “The Lonesome Friends of Science” (by John Prine)
7. “No Ordinary Blue” (by John Prine and Keith Sykes)
8. “Boundless Love” (by John Prine, Dan Auerbach, and Pat McLaughlin)
9. “God Only Knows” (by John Prine and Phil Spector)
10. “When I Get to Heaven” (by John Prine)