Rezonant Music Publishing And Wrensong Publishing Enter Into Joint Venture Deal

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Rezonant Music Publishing and Wrensong Publishing have joined forces to partner in a co-publishing joint venture deal. The announcement was made today by Rezonant CEO Tim Wipperman and Wrensong Owner/President Ree Guyer.

Rezonant Music Publishing was established in 2016 by founding partners and publishing veterans Wipperman (Nashville) and Garry Velletri (New York), along with financial consultant Alan Walter (Los Angeles). The company’s roster includes Ross Copperman, Kevin Kadish, Hillary Lindsey (in partnership with BMG,) Jake Scherer and Isaac Fox, and Matt Jenkins’ catalog (in conjunction with Combustion Music).

“I have great respect for Ree and the publishing company she and her father Reyn created in 1983,” Wipperman said. “Ree has guided the careers of many talented songwriters who have written some of country music’s most memorable songs. We can’t wait to see what additional milestones we can accomplish together.”

Wrensong/Reynsong/ReHits was established by father/daughter team Reyn and Ree Guyer. Ree Guyer moved to Nashville in 1985 after celebrating her first No. 1 song, “Little Things,” written by Billy Barber and recorded by the Oak Ridge Boys. The catalog has had three CMA/Grammy songs of the year: “Where’ve You Been,” “Whiskey Lullaby” and “How Can I Help You Say Goodbye,” and has also had 24 No. 1’s.

“Working with Tim and his incredible team at Rezonant will be the next great story for Wrensong,” Guyer said.  “While we will remain in our current location, and will continue to operate as a small boutique publisher, partnering with Rezonant will give our current roster and those writers we sign in the future a deeper reach.”

Garth, Zac Brown Band, Jimmy Buffett, More Pay Tribute To Dan Fogelberg On New Album

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The BMG album honoring the legacy of Dan Fogelberg, A Tribute to Dan Fogelberg, is now available on CD, digital and streaming platforms. The project, which released Nov. 21 after nearly eight years in the making, includes a star-studded lineup featuring Garth Brooks, Zac Brown, Jimmy Buffett, Joe Walsh and the Eagles, Michael McDonald, Train, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, Boz Scaggs, Casey James, Dobie Gray, Donna Summer, Fool’s Gold’s Denny Henson and Tom Kelly, Randy Owen, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Richie Furay.

Sales from the album will benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation, a cause near and dear to Dan’s wife, Jean Fogelberg. In 2008, a year after Fogelberg passed away from prostate cancer, Jean released “Sometimes A Song,” a Valentine’s Day gift to her from Dan, and donated the proceeds to PCF. Each year since then she has designed the annual PCF Holiday Cards to help raise money and awareness for the cause.

“I will be forever grateful to these amazing artists for giving their time and talents to honor Dan and to help fund the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s research programs to find a cure for prostate cancer,” said Jean Fogelberg about the new album.

“We are blessed and grateful to Jean for her steadfast and devotional support of the Prostate Cancer Foundation and our work to defeat this cancer that continues to take the life of a man every 20 minutes,” said Jonathan Simons, MD, president and chief executive officer, PCF. “With her help and the support of all of Dan’s fans who purchase this beautiful tribute album, research gets that much closer to the day when loved ones are no longer lost to prostate cancer.”

A Tribute to Dan Fogelberg track listing:
1. Phoenix performed by Garth Brooks
2. Nether Lands performed by Donna Summer
3. Better Change performed by Michael McDonald
4. Longer performed by Amy Grant/Vince Gill
5. Same Old Lang Syne performed by Train
6. Don’t Lose Heart performed by Dobie Gray
7. Old Tennessee performed by Fool’s Gold/Denny Henson and Tom Kelly
8. As the Raven Flies performed by Casey James
9. Sutters Mill performed by Randy Owen
10. Run for the Roses performed by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Richie Furay
11. Hard to Say performed by Boz Scaggs
12. Part of the Plan performed by Eagles
13. There’s a Place in the World for a Gambler performed by Jimmy Buffett
14. Leader of the Band performed by Zac Brown

Big Deal Songwriter Ross Ellis Finds Momentum

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Ross Ellis

Country music singer and Big Deal Music Group songwriter Ross Ellis heads towards the new year with a new EP and industry spotlight, gaining momentum with every step.

As evidence of this momentum, Ellis was recently named a Highway Finds artist by SiriusXM. “Being the next Highway Finds is such an honor,” says Ellis. “I’m excited to get my music out and am so grateful to the fans and their incredible support!” He was also recently added to the Spotify New Boots playlist.

Ellis has been developing his songwriting and artistry for the last three years since his move to Nashville. Among his recent accomplishments, he was selected to be in the Association of Independent Music Publishers Songwriter’s Class of 2017 with SiriusXM’s Highway Finds alum Ashley McBryde.

Ellis debuted his first single, “Home For The Weekend” on SiriusXM’s The Highway channel with Buzz Brainard from his new EP Home For The Weekend and performed an unreleased version of his song “Ghosts.” The EP was produced by Brad Tursi, songwriter and lead guitarist in Old Dominion. Booked by WME, Ellis has been touring and opening for acts such as Big Machine’s Brett Young.

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His new EP, comprised of two sides, “Home For The Weekend” (Ross Ellis/Scott Stepakoff/Jason Gantt) and “Good Old Days” (Ross Ellis/Allison Veltz/Lindsey Jackson), serves as an introduction to the newcomer.

Ellis was born and raised in the small town of Monterey, Louisiana. At fifteen he started the band, Wayside, with his cousin and some high school friends. The band gained a strong following through his college years playing venues across Louisiana and Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Ellis moved to Nashville. In less than a year of working part time jobs and playing writers rounds, he caught the attention of BMI’s Bradley Collins. Soon after, Ellis signed a publishing deal with Big Deal Music Group.

Stream “Home For The Weekend” via Spotify.

Dolly Parton Inks International Deal With Concord Music Publishing

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Dolly Parton. Credit: Fran Stine

Concord Music Publishing, the newly consolidated music publishing operation of The Bicycle Music Company and Imagem Music Group, has entered into an exclusive international publishing agreement with country entertainer and songwriter Dolly Parton.

The agreement, covering the UK, Germany, France, Latin America and other key territories around the world, includes Parton-penned classics such as “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5,” “Jolene,” “Two Doors Down” and hundreds of songs in Parton’s Velvet Apple Music catalog.

“Dolly Parton is simply one of the most important and influential artists in popular music history,” says Concord Music’s Chief Publishing Executive Jake Wisely, who recently relocated to Nashville from Los Angeles. “We’re extremely grateful for this opportunity to work with her and her team and protect her incomparable legacy.”

Over the course of her 50 years in music, Parton has enjoyed diverse career roles including singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist. She has earned 25 RIAA-certified Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum awards, and 26 No. 1 country songs. Parton has had 42 Top 10 country albums and 113 charted singles in her career. She has topped 100 million records sold worldwide, and has earned eight Grammy honors, 10 CMA Awards, five ACM awards and three AMA awards. She is one of only five female artists to win the CMA’s Entertainer of the Year honor, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.

“I am very proud and honored to be represented by such a capable and prestigious company as Concord Music Publishing. As I’ve always said, my songs are my children and I expect them to support me when I’m old and I’m expecting [Concord] to help me with that. I feel very confident that this is a perfect partnership,” Dolly shares.

Concord Music has offices in Los Angeles, Nashville, Cleveland, London and Berlin. Following the combination of The Bicycle Music Company and recent Imagem Music Group acquisition, Concord’s publishing activities now count more than 380,000 copyrighted works, spanning nearly all musical genres. Concord Music’s publishing is managed via Bicycle, Boosey & Hawkes, Imagem, Razor & Tie Music Publishing and Rodgers & Hammerstein.

Concord Music’s recorded music portfolio contains more than 10,000 active album recordings and includes 244 GRAMMY winners and 371 titles that have been certified by the RIAA as either Gold, Platinum, multi-Platinum or Diamond. Concord Music’s record labels – Concord Records, Fantasy Records, Fearless Records, Loma Vista Recordings, Razor & Tie (including Kidz Bop) and Rounder Records – collectively release more than 100 new recordings per year within numerous musical genres. Concord Music’s historical labels, which are managed by its Craft Recordings division, include such storied imprints as Milestone, Musart, Nitro, Pablo, Prestige, Riverside, Specialty, Stax, Telarc, Vee-Jay and Wind-up.

Industry Pics: ASCAP, Bluebird Cafe, CMA, SESAC

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ASCAP Hosts Garth Brooks Country Songwriters Showcase

ASCAP recently hosted The ASCAP Foundation Garth Brooks Country Songwriters Workshop at its Music Row offices. Held Oct. 25 – 27, the workshop is part of an ongoing series designed to focus on the development and education of promising new country music songwriters. Conducted by longtime ASCAP member and veteran hit songwriter Liz Hengber (“It’s Your Call,” “For My Broken Heart” – Reba McEntire), the sessions provided advice on the art and craft of successful songwriting techniques, as well as information on important business-related topics including A&R and music publishing.

Pictured (L-R): Cecilia Castleman, Michelle Pereira, Katie Cole, Holly Chester, Bailey Callahan, Ryley Roth, Liz Hengber, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Joey Wray, Joe Sly and Mark Glinski

CMA Celebrates 35 Years of Song Of The Year Honors At The Bluebird Cafe

Sixteen powerhouse songwriters gathered recently at The Bluebird Cafe to celebrate 35 years of the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year award and raise awareness for the Bluebird: The Movie fundraising campaign. The show was filled with stories and songs, all centered around the CMA Song of the Year Award nominees and winners throughout the 35-year history of The Bluebird Cafe. CMT Hot 20 Countdown‘s Katie Cook hosted the event, which was captured for the institution’s forthcoming documentary and was streamed on Facebook Live.

Among the writers taking part were Thom Schulyer, Don Henry, Jon Vezner, Mark Irwin, Karen Staley, Dickey Lee, Matraca Berg, Beth Neilsen Chapman, Doug Johnson, Tim Nichols, Marcus Hummon, Jeff Hanna, Tom Douglas, Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley, and Steven Lee Olsen.

The Bluebird Cafe opened in June of 1982 and is in the midst of an ambitious Indiegogo campaign to fund Bluebird: The Movie, an in depth documentary about the influence the tiny 90-seat venue has had on singers, songwriters and popular music in general. The campaign is currently online, and fans can contribute here.

Songwriters, CMA staffers, Bluebird: The Movie production team gather prior to the CMA Awards Song of the Year Show at the Bluebird Cafe. [Click to enlarge]

Bluebird Cafe founder Amy Kurland (L) shares a moment with current General Manager Erika Wollam Nichols (C) and CMT Hot 20 Countdown co-host Katie Cook (R).

 

SESAC Celebrates Rising Songwriters During Bluebird Showcase

Thanksgiving came early for this group of up-and-coming songwriters at the Bluebird Cafe. Tuesday’s  (Nov. 21) showcase included Texas-born artist Jeremy Crady, who co-wrote “I’m Getting’ Stoned” on Eric Church’s Chief album; Emily Ann Roberts and Brandon Chase, from NBC’s The Voice (Team Blake) in Season 9 and Season 5, respectively; along with Scottish songwriter Simon Reid.

Pictured (L-R): SESAC songwriter Jeremy Crady, SESAC’s Edie Emery, guitarist Torey Harding, Starstruck’s Janet Leese, and SESAC songwriters Emily Ann Roberts, Brandon Chase and Simon Reid.

Brett Kissel Previews Tracks From ‘We Were That Song’

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Brett Kissel. Photo: MusicRow/Haley Crow

Brett Kissel, who will release his upcoming album We Were That Song on Dec. 8, recently stopped by the MusicRow magazine offices to offer a preview of tracks from the album. The album includes collaborations with Megadeath’s Dave Mustaine, and country legend Charley Pride.

Kissel is a Canada native, though he and his family moved to Nashville in 2012. He is the reigning CCMA Male Artist of the Year.

He offered renditions of his current single, “We Were That Song,” penned by Jonathan Singleton, as well as the biographical “Nights In The Sun.” Kissel notes that his grandfather offers words of wisdom at the end of the track. He also offered the song “Airwaves.”

During the visit, Kissel also discussed opening 16 shows for Garth Brooks’ World Tour with Trisha Yearwood. Kissel, who is also managed by Brooks’ manager Bob Doyle, opened several shows for Brooks in Canada, and was welcomed onstage during “Callin’ Baton Rouge” to perform the song with the superstar during his show. Kissel also revealed that Brooks gave him the signed guitar he played during his performance.

Kissel has upcoming shows at Nashville music venue The Basement on Nov. 27 and Dec. 14.

MusicRow magazine owner Sherod Robertson and Brett Kissel. Photo: MusicRow/Haley Crow

Brett Kissel with MusicRow magazine staffers. Photo: MusicRow/Haley Crow

Weekly Chart Report 11/22/17

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

Change The Conversation To Hold Town Hall Meeting On Sexual Harassment

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Change The Conversation will hold a Town Hall Meeting on the Changing Landscape of Sexual Harassment on Nov. 29 at Thistle Farms Cafe’ (located at 5122 Charlotte Ave. in Nashville). The featured panelists will include Beth Barcus, counselor and director of operators, Porter’s Call, Rachel Freeman, LCSW, executive vice president, Sexual Assault Center, Cathy Gurley, executive director of You Have the Power, Debbie Carroll, LCSW, MusiCares senior executive director, and Katie Gustafson, LPC/MHSP, psychotherapist, private practice.

The discussion will be a confidential discussion for men and women, whether or not they have been affected by sexual harassment. Participants will be able to be educated about the issue, share their thoughts publicly or anonymously in a safe environment and ask experts questions and advice. Attendees can also choose to participate in an anonymous survey.

Light snacks and shopping in The Thistle Farms Shop will begin at 6 p.m., with the panel starting at 6:30 p.m. There will be free parking on Charlotte, in the rear and in the Regions Bank lot next door.

Those wanting to attend should RSVP at officialchangetheconvo@gmail.com.

Travis Tritt To Play Special Acoustic Show At Country Music Hall Of Fame In March

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Travis Tritt.

Travis Tritt is bringing his solo, acoustic show A Man and His Guitar to the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on March 3rd at 8 p.m. 

The up-close and personal event will be punctuated with personal stories and anecdotes about Tritt’s life and musical influences as he performs some of his biggest hits, including “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” “It’s A Great Day to Be Alive” and “Best of Intentions.

Tickets for the special show go on sale Friday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. CST. For more information or to purchase, visit cmatheater.com.

 

Marty Stuart To Celebrate 25 Years As Opry Member

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Marty Stuart at the Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo

Marty Stuart will celebrate his 25th Anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member with appearances on two Opry shows Friday, Dec. 1 at the Ryman Auditorium. Stuart was inducted in the Opry family on Nov. 28, 1992, some 20 years after he first played the Opry at age 13 as a band member for legendary Country Music Hall of Famer and Opry member Lester Flatt.

“The Opry is a way of life,” said Stuart. “It’s an institution that gets passed on every weekend. If you’re going to be a country performer, the Opry is the place to be.”

Among those scheduled to be on hand to celebrate with Stuart are his wife, Opry member Connie Smith, Old Crow Medicine Show (who Stuart invited to become Opry members in 2013), Charlie Worsham, and Stuart’s band, The Fabulous Superlatives.

Stuart released his 18th studio album,Way Out West, earlier this year to critical acclaim.