Bonnaroo 2018 Lineup Includes Grand Ole Opry, Eminem, The Killers, Midland

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The lineup for the 2018 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which will take place June 7-10 on “The Farm” in Manchester, will include a dose of country heritage as the Grand Ole Opry comes to the renowned rock festival. Artists scheduled to appear on the Opry’s Bonnaroo show will be announced in the coming weeks.

This year’s edition of the four-day multi-stage camping festival will showcase over 150 artists, and the lineup includes Eminem, The Killers, Muse, Future, Sturgill Simpson, Bon Iver, Khalid, Paramore, Dua Lipa, Sheryl Crow, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Rebelution, The Revivalists, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Alison Wonderland, Moon Taxi, Old Crow Medicine Show, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Thundercat, Mavis Staples, Midland, SuperJam, T-Pain and many more.

Bonnaroo has several new improvements this year to the festival experience. For the first time, this year the communal areas, formerly known as pods, will be called Plazas. The Plazas are well-lit public places throughout the campgrounds that will include shade, free public WiFi, showers, activities and art, charging stations, Clean Vibes Trading Post redemption centers, misting stations, medical, safety stations, information and portable restrooms. Several permanent “Barns” are being installed in various locations onsite including VIP that are being designed to create more vibrant scenes in the campgrounds similar to the legendary ones at The Grind and The Garage. Another pristine wooded hangout similar to The Grove is also being installed.

All tickets go on sale this Friday, Jan. 12 at 10 a.m. ET, exclusively at bonnaroo.com. A complete lineup for this year’s festival can be found here. 

Sugarland Announces ‘Still The Same’ Tour

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Sugarland fans will be happy to know the duo is returning to the road with a brand new tour, the Still The Same 2018 Tour, which will kick off this Spring. The pair’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush will bring their new live show to 48 cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Nashville.

The Nashville date at Bridgestone Arena is set for Aug. 2, and will feature Frankie Ballard and Lindsay Ell as openers.

The first leg of the tour will feature opening acts Brandy Clark and Clare Bowen, while Ballard and Ell will accompany them for the second half.

“We are thrilled to head back out on the road together as this has been a long time coming for the both of us!” said Nettles. “And to have Brandy, Clare, Frankie and Lindsay join us will make our return really special.”

“Can’t wait to get back out there and share our new music with the best fans on earth!” Bush continued. “It will be great to hear everyone singing the old favorites along with us all summer.”

Tickets will go on sale starting Friday, Jan. 12, and beginning Tuesday (Jan. 9), fans in select cities will have the opportunity to purchase VIP packages which include a meet and greet, attending a pre-show VIP sound check, access to exclusive tour lithographs, and more.

The two recently reunited and released “Still The Same,” their first new music in seven years, in a joint venture with Big Machine Records and UMG Nashville.

STILL THE SAME 2018 TOUR DATES:
May 4 / Choctaw Grand Theatre / Durant, OK
May 25 / James Brown Arena / Augusta, GA*
May 26 / PNC Arena / Raleigh, NC*
May 27 / Country 500 Festival / Daytona Beach, FL*
May 31 / Gila River Arena / Phoenix, AZ*
Jun 1 / Honda Center / Anaheim, CA*
Jun 2 / San Diego County Fair / Del Mar, CA*
Jun 7 / accesso ShoWare Center / Kent, WA*
Jun 8 / Spokane Arena / Spokane WA*
Jun 9 / MODA Center / Portland, OR*
Jun 12 / Santa Barbara Bowl / Santa Barbara, CA*
Jun 14 / Greek Theatre / Los Angeles, CA*
Jun 15 / Rabobank Arena / Bakersfield, CA*
Jun 16 / Mandalay Bay / Las Vegas, NV*
Jun 21 / Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre / Denver, CO*
Jun 22 / Rushmore Plaza Civic Center / Rapid City, SD*
Jun 23 / Bismarck Event Center / Bismarck, ND*
Jun 28 / CenturyLink Center Omaha / Omaha, NE*
Jun 29 / TaxSlayer Center / Moline, IL*
Jun 30 / Chaifetz Arena / St. Louis, MO*
Jul 6 / Fallsview Casino / Niagara Fall, ONT***
Jul 7 / Fallsview Casino / Niagara Falls, ONT***
Jul 8 / Turning Stone Resort / Verona, NY***
Jul 12 / Schottenstein Center / Columbus, OH*
Jul 13 / Covelli Centre / Youngstown, OH*
Jul 14 / Merriweather Post Pavilion / Columbia, MD*
Jul 19 / BOK Center / Tulsa, OK**
Jul 20 / Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie / Grand Prairie, TX**
Jul 21 / Smart Financial Centre / Sugar Land, TX**
Jul 26 / Pensacola Bay Center / Pensacola, FL**
Jul 27 / Von Braun Center / Huntsville, AL**
Jul 28 / KFC Yum Center / Louisville, KY**
Aug 2 / Bridgestone Arena / Nashville, TN**
Aug 3 / Infinite Energy Arena / Atlanta, GA**
Aug 4 / Bon Secours Wellness Arena / Greenville, SC**
Aug 9 / Huntington Center / Toledo, OH**
Aug 10 / Van Andel Arena / Grand Rapids, MI**
Aug 11 / Resch Center / Green Bay, WI**
Aug 16 / Denny Sanford PREMIER Center / Sioux Falls, SD**
Aug 17 / Iowa State Fair / Des Moines, IA**
Aug 18 / INTRUST Bank Arena / Wichita, KS**
Aug 23 / Ravinia Festival / Chicago, IL**
Aug 24 / Minnesota State Fair / St. Paul, MN**
Aug 25 / Nebraska State Fair / Grand Island, NE****
Aug 30 / Mohegan Sun Arena / Uncasville, CT**
Aug 31 / Allentown Fair/ Allentown, PA**
Sep 1 / Bank of NH Pavillion / Gilford, NH**
Sep 7 / DCU Center / Worcester, MA**
Sep 8 / Prudential Center / Newark, NJ**

*with Brandy Clark and Clare Bowen
**with Frankie Ballard and Lindsay Ell
***with Brandy Clark only
****with Frankie Ballard only

Breaking News: MusicRow Announces Performers For 16th Annual Country Radio Meet & Greet And CountryBreakout Awards

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Pictured (L-R): Denny Strickland (Photo: Carson Nicely); Michael Tyler (Photo: Courtesy of Reviver Records)

MusicRow Magazine, Nashville’s leading music industry publication, is proud to reveal rising country newcomers Michael Tyler (Reviver Records) and Denny Strickland (Red Star Label Group) as performers for the 2018 MusicRow Country Radio Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards.

The industry-only event will be held in February for subscribed members of MusicRow, country radio broadcasters, and magazine affiliates ahead of the 2018 Country Radio Seminar (CRS). Invitations will be distributed in the afternoon on January 9.

“We are thrilled to announce two outstanding performers in Michael Tyler and Denny Strickland for our annual CountryBreakout Awards this year,” says MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson. “The MusicRow reporting panel represents the best country stations in secondary markets and MusicRow subscribers are invited to have a front row seat to see which artists were most-played on the CountryBreakout Chart for the previous year, in addition to honoring an exemplary MusicRow Chart reporter and giving nods to the songwriter with the most No.1s.”

The gathering will reveal the 2018 CountryBreakout Awards winners, tallied from chart performance on the MusicRow Chart in 2017. Those categories include Male Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Group/Duo of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Independent Artist of the Year, Label of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and the selected Reporter of the Year.

Additionally, MusicRow will reveal its 2018 Country Radio print issue, which will also highlight the CountryBreakout Awards winners among other exclusive radio-pertinent edit. Complementary copies of MusicRow‘s Country Radio print issue will be available at the Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards and throughout the CRS conference. Subscribers will receive their print copies by mail. Additional issues will be available for purchase at musicrow.com or at the publication’s 17th Avenue headquarters in Nashville.

To receive your invitation to the 2018 MusicRow Country Radio Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards, subscribe at musicrow.com.

ABOUT THE 2018 MUSICROW COUNTRY RADIO MEET & GREET AND COUNTRYBREAKOUT AWARDS PERFORMERS

Denny Strickland (Red Star Label Group): Denny Strickland’s love for West Coast culture uniquely blends with his Arkansas country roots to create music that feels like a throwback and an examination of modern romantic expression. On the road from the age of five years old showing horses, Strickland taught himself to play the guitar and write songs after studying at Arkansas State University. With the same veracity that made him a champion rider, he soon began to play regional gigs and caught the eye of The Statler Brothers’ longtime manager (and Bass player for Johnny Cash), Marshall Grant. Grant’s passing in 2011 set the wheels in motion for Strickland’s move to Nashville, reigniting his music career on the MusicRowCountryBreakout Chart with the debut hits “Swerve On” and most recent hit “We Don’t Sleep,” featuring a video co-produced by Strickland. Strickland has hosted the syndicated television show Country Fix, enjoyed sold-out shows during CMA Music Festival week and featured in multiple online video series that have broken through to over one million views. Strickland co-produced and has writing credits on seven of the 10 tracks on his debut album, California Dreamin, which was released August. 1 with Red Star Label Group. Look for his next single in 2018.

Michael Tyler (Reviver Records): Since the fifth grade Michael “MT” Tyler has been influenced by music. He made his first major industry connection at age 13 with powerhouse producer Michael Knox (Jason Aldean). Just a few years later he would earn several notches on his songwriter belt, including Jason Aldean’s “Laid Back” and Dierks Bentley’s Platinum-selling “Somewhere On A Beach.” Influenced by Johnny Cash, Alabama, Mel McDaniel and similar singers while living at home in Thayer, Missouri, Tyler began learning the guitar and contributing to family jam sessions while memorizing writers credits watching videos on CMT. He wrote his first song at age 12 and relocated to Nashville at age 17 after heeding advice from Knox to write at least one song a month. Tyler earned a nomination for Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year at the 2017 MusicRow Awards and has writing credits on all 11 tracks on his debut album for Reviver Records, 317. With the 2017 project, Tyler stepped forward with variety and depth, offering stirring small-town memories over thundering backbeats. His debut single, “They Can’t See,” opened the door toward romance while his endearing, current single “Hey Mama,” plants the first seeds of lifelong love.

pfa Entertainment Media & Marketing Launches Nashville Division

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Regina Stuve

pfa Entertainment Media and Marketing has named music industry veteran Regina Stuve to the position of VP/General Manager of its new Nashville division.

As VP/General Manager, Stuve will oversee pfa’s Nashville business development and serve as part of the pfa team providing a vast array of public relations and marketing expertise and services. Stuve will continue working with longtime client Jake Owen at pfa, as well as with author Farrell Mason.

pfa Entertainment Media and Marketing, headquartered in New York, counts Keith Urban, for King & Country and Skillet among its roster clients.

“Regina is a top notch, highly-respected publicist,” said pfa Entertainment Media and Marketing’s Paul Freundlich. “Her unparalleled dedication and professionalism precede her reputation and her strategic approach to her craft will serve our clients most of all. I’m so proud to have someone with her experience running our new Nashville division.”

“2018 brings a new chapter for me, an incredibly exciting opportunity to work with Paul to establish what I believe is a long overdue Nashville division,” said Stuve. “pfa has not only worked in country music for more than a decade, but has represented some of Nashville’s best-known artists and brands. We intend to build upon that reputation and tradition.”

Prior to pfa, Stuve worked as an independent publicist, as well as in-house publicity, at Capitol Nashville, Universal Music Group, and Sony. She played a key role in the set up and launch of debut records from Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, and Sugarland. In addition, she has represented artists including Reba McEntire, George Strait and Vince Gill, as well as singer/songwriters Jamey Johnson, Josh Turner, Ryan Hurd, and Jake Owen. Stuve has been very active in supporting several charities, including the T.J. Martell Foundation and the Onsite Foundation.

Stuve can be reached at rstuve@pfamedia.net.

CRS 2018 Adds Dierks Bentley, Cumulus Media’s Mary Berner

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Mary Berner, Dierks Bentley

Dierks Bentley and Cumulus Media President/CEO Mary Berner have been added to this year’s Country Radio Seminar (CRS) speakers lineup.

Berner will be this year’s keynote speaker on Feb. 6 from 3:30 p.m.-4:20 p.m. Emmis Communications’ Charlie Morgan will conduct the interview, titled “Radio Today with Cumulus Media’s CEO Mary Berner.”

Berner has been in the role since 2015.

Bentley has been named CRS 2018’s Artist Humanitarian of the Year and will be the featured speaker on Monday, Feb. 5 from 4-5 p.m.

The conversation, sponsored by DAV and titled “Climbing The Mountain,” will spotlight Bentley’s rise to superstardom built by following his own path and not trends, ultimately celebrating a career built on the combination of commercial success and critical acclaim. The CRS 2018 Artist Humanitarian Award presentation, sponsored by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, will take place during the CRS Opening Ceremonies (sponsored by Sarah Cannon), prior to Bentley’s conversation.

The $699 final registration rate for CRS 2018 is available at CountryRadioSeminar.com. Single-day passes are also being made available. Single-day passes (limited to two day passes per person) are $200 per pass. In addition, today (Jan. 8) marks the last day to reserve rooms at Omni Nashville. Single rooms are $259 and double rooms are $269, and only a limited number of rooms are still available. To book a room, please call 1-800-THE-OMNI (1-800-843-6664).

Weekly Register: Kane Brown Tops Country Albums, Makes Two Entries On Country Digital Songs

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Kane Brown

Kane Brown‘s self-titled debut album moves from No. 5 to No. 1 this week on Nielsen’s country albums rankings (total consumption), with 15K. Brown was featured recently as part of the West Coast celebration of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.

Thomas Rhett‘s Life Changes is at No. 2 with 14.9K (up from No. 4 last week), followed by Chris Stapleton‘s From A Room Vol. 2 with 14.7K (the album falls from No. 2 to No. 3 this week). Luke Bryan‘s What Makes You Country falls from No. 3 to No. 4 with 13K. Chris Stapleton’s Traveller is at No. 5 with 12K.

On the Country Digital Songs chart, Bebe Rexha (ft. Florida Georgia Line) top the chart with “Meant To Be” totaling 42K this week. Sam Hunt‘s “Body Like A Back Road” is at No. 2 with 24K, followed by Thomas Rhett’s “Marry Me” at No. 3 with 22K. Kane Brown notches the No. 4 and No. 5 slots, with “Heaven” at No. 4 with 15.5K and “What Ifs” (ft. Lauren Alaina) at No. 5 with 15K.

Information courtesy of Nielsen Soundscan.

WME Nashville Office Promotes Four

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Pictured (L-R): Brian Carothers, Adi Sharma, Hayley Warner and Chris Hrovat.

WME recently announced the promotion of four new agents in the Nashville office. Those who advanced to agent are Brian Carothers, Chris Hrovat, Adi Sharma and Hayley Warner.

Carothers began his career with WME in 2013 and most recently assisted in booking large venues and festivals in the West territory. Carothers will join the Development team as a booking agent in the Southwest.

Hrovat began his career at WME in 2013 and has assisted in booking fairs and festivals as well as venues in the South Central territory. Most recently, he has worked directly with several of the artists on WME’s roster. Hrovat will be a multi-genre development agent, working with both country and non-country artists.

Sharma began his career in the agency’s Beverly Hills office in 2014 and transferred to the Nashville office in 2016. Most recently he has worked on national touring for several headlining artists on WME’s roster. Sharma will be leading a new team that specializes in large venue touring.

Warner is a 2012 graduate of Purdue University. Warner most recently assisted in booking clubs in Texas and Oklahoma. She will be joining the Development team as a booking agent in the Midwest.

The promotions follow a string of new artists and executives joining WME, including Scott Clayton, Buster Phillips, Brandi Brammer, Matthew Morgan, and artists Train, My Morning Jacket, Kings of Leon, and more.

Loretta Lynn Falls And Breaks Hip

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Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn is recovering after she fell and broke her hip last week, according to an Instagram post from Lynn’s sister and fellow country entertainer Crystal Gayle.

“My birthday wish is for everyone to send love and prayers to my sister, Loretta Lynn, who fell and broke her hip last week. I was with Loretta yesterday. She is in good spirits and is doing as well as can be expected with this type of injury,” Gayle said.

In May, Lynn was hospitalized after suffering a stroke. The stroke caused Lynn to cancel a tour and postpone an album release. She was still recovering in August, when her sister Patsy appeared to thank the Country Music Hall of Fame during the preview for Loretta Lynn’s exhibit Blue Kentucky Girl.

By September, Lynn had made an appearance at the 2017 Tennessee Motorcycle and Music Revival at her ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. In October, she was on stage to induct Alan Jackson into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

#birthdayweek #birthdaywish #prayers @lorettalynnofficial ❤️?❤️

A post shared by Crystal Gayle (@thecrystalgayle) on

Carrie Underwood Signs With PMK BNC For Publicity

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Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood has signed with Brad Cafarelli at PMK BNC for publicity services, MusicRow has confirmed. Underwood was previously represented for publicity by Nashville firm Schmidt Public Relations, which also represents Luke Bryan, Easton Corbin, the Grand Ole Opry, Cole Swindell and Eric Paslay.

Underwood continues to be managed by The HQ and repped by CAA.

The signing follows last year’s label shakeup, when Underwood left longtime label home Sony Music Nashville and signed with Universal Music Group. She is in the studio working on her first album for UMG and recovering from a 2017 fall that reportedly left her with an injured wrist and face stitches.

She also previewed a new song, “The Champion,” on Saturday (Jan. 6) during the NFL playoff matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Atlanta Falcons.

Carrie Underwood's New Song Previewed During Falcons/Rams

Check out something special from Carrie Underwood that aired tonight during halftime! #SBLII #TheChampion

Posted by Sunday Night Football on NBC on Saturday, January 6, 2018

Hank Cochran Pen Fund Benefit Set For January 17

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Songwriters Rafe Van Hoy, Marla Cannon-Goodman, Dale Dodson, Waylon Payne, Don Sampson and Ronnie Bowman will pay tribute to Hank Cochran and Red Lane at 3rd & Lindsley on Wednesday, Jan. 17 to benefit The Hank Cochran Pen Fund.

Tickets are $10, and doors open at 6 p.m. with the show beginning at 7:30.  The charity focuses its efforts on financially assisting songwriters with cancer. The family of Country Music Hall of Fame member Hank Cochran launched the fund in his honor following his death from Pancreatic cancer in 2010 and it is helmed by Hank’s daughter, Booth.

“Honoring Hank was the inspiration for the Fund, but Red was instrumental in getting us motivated to act,” Booth recalls. “Hank is why we did it; Red is how we did it. They were lifelong friends, and Red was a huge support to our family as Hank fought the disease – and as we grieved. I thought it fitting to honor them both with our first fundraiser of 2018, and I hope a sell-out crowd can help us pay tribute to these two music men.”