ACM Lifting Lives Announces Board Of Directors For 2017-2018

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ACM Lifting Lives has announced its board of directors for the 2017 – 2018 term, including newly-elected Chairman Debbie Carroll, President Tree Paine, Vice-President Paul Barnabee, and Secretary Tommy Moore. Dwight Wiles continues his role as Treasurer.

The ACM Lifting Lives Board of Directors is made up of an equal number of ACM Board Members, referred to as representative directors, as well as leaders in non-profit and corporate affairs that are not ACM Board Members, referred to as public directors.

This year, there were four representative director positions and two public director positions elected by the ACM Lifting Lives Board of Directors:

Newly elected Representative directors include:
Leslie Fram, CMT
Shawn McSpadden, Red Light Management
John Marks, Spotify
Darin Murphy, CAA

Newly elected Public directors include:
Ricky Kelley, Harley-Davidson of Columbia
Jay Williams, WME

“I’m honored to be leading this dedicated and determined board who are ready and willing to serve and fulfill Lifting Lives’ mission of continuing to heal and improving lives through the power of music,” said ACM Lifting Lives Chairman Carroll.

2017-2018 ACM LIFTING LIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS
Chairman Debbie Carroll, MusiCares
President Tree Paine, Premium PR
Vice-President Paul Barnabee
Treasurer Dwight Wiles, Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC
Secretary Tommy Moore, Academy of Country Music

REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTORS
Paul Barnabee
Rod Essig, CAA
Chris Farren, Combustion Music
Leslie Fram, CMT
Gayle Holcomb, WME
John Marks, Spotify
Ebie McFarland, Essential Broadcast Media
Shawn McSpadden, Red Light Management
Daniel Miller, Red Light Management / Fusion Music
Darin Murphy, CAA
Kimberly Schlapman
Ben Vaughn, Warner/Chappell Music
Troy Vollhoffer, PGP/Country Thunder Music Festivals
Butch Waugh, Studio2bee

PUBLIC DIRECTORS
Mark Bloom, UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Debbie Carroll, MusiCares
Ross Copperman
Ann Edelblute, The HQ
Fletcher Foster, Iconic Entertainment Group
Ricky Kelley, Harley-Davidson of Columbia
Lorie Lytle
Michael McAnally Baum, SMACKSongs/SMACKProductions
Beth Moore, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Tree Paine, Premium PR
Lisa Paulsen, Entertainment Industry Foundation
Meredith Seacrest, Seacrest Foundation
Dwight Wiles, Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC
Jay Williams, WME

PAST CHAIRS
Lori Badgett, City National Bank
Bill Mayne, CRB
Bruce Bowman, Kaboom!
Ed Warm, Joe’s Live

EX OFFICIO PAST CHAIR
Mark Hartley, Fitzgerald Hartley

Chris Tomlin To Kick Off 2018 Worship Night In America Tour In April

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Chris Tomlin has announced his 2018 Worship Night In America tour will kick off April 5 with special guests include Kim Walker Smith of Jesus Culture, Matt Maher, Christine D’Clario, Tauren Wells, and Pat Barrett. The tour will hit 24 markets across the U.S. including Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Philadelphia and more.

“It is powerful when all streams of the church come together in an act of unity to worship and pray…that’s the heart behind 2018’s ‘WNIA Tour.’ It’s a picture of God’s kingdom together, and the sound of thousands and thousands of voices pouring out His praise,” says Tomlin. “I pray these nights are filled with revival and restoration as we all join together proclaiming one name. As the scriptures say, ‘Lord I have heard of Your fame, I stand in awe of Your deeds…renew them in our day.’”

Chris Tomlin’s 2018 “WNIA Tour” follows his 2017 “WNIA Tour” which made 24 stops in arenas with sellouts across the country, including Nashville, where Tomlin made history as the largest ticketed Christian concert at Bridgestone Arena to date. Last fall, Tomlin became the first Christian artist to receive the SoundExchange Digital Radio Award, recognizing more than one billion digital radio plays. Justin Timberlake, Garth Brooks and Pitbull are the only other artists to have received this award. 

Tickets for the “Worship Night In America” tour will be available at christomlin.com starting Nov 17. As a special offer to early ticket-buyers, a 20% promo code will be active Friday through Monday (11/20) using code “INSIDER.”

Worship Night In America Tour Dates:
*All dates subject to change. For latest information, visit christomlin.com.
4/5/18 – Rochester, NY
4/6/18 – Pittsburgh, PA
4/7/18 – Hoffman Estates, IL
4/8/18 – Indianapolis, IN
4/12/18 – Albany, NY
4/13/18 – Cleveland, OH
4/14/18 – Toledo, OH
4/15/18 – Dayton, OH
4/19/18 – Pensacola, FL
4/20/18 – Jacksonville, FL
4/21/18 – Sunrise, FL
4/22/18 – Estero, FL
4/26/18 – Memphis, TN
4/27/18 – Lafayette, LA
4/28/18 – Jackson, MS
4/29/18 – Duluth, GA
5/3/18 – Newark, NJ
5/4/18 – Philadelphia, PA
5/5/18 – Hartford, CT
5/6/18 – Norfolk, VA
5/9/18 – Charleston, WV
5/10/18 – Clarkston, MI
5/11/18 – Louisville, KY
5/12/18 – North Little Rock, AR

Sold-Out Country Rising Concert Brings Hope And Healing

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Numerous country music artists were on hand on Sunday (Nov. 12) to perform as part of the sold-out Country Rising benefit concert, presented by Hilton and Dollar General, to raise funds for the Country Rising Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The fund was established to support charitable efforts to help victims of the September 2017 hurricanes, as well as to aid victims of the shooting that took place during the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas in October.

The concert, held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, included performances from George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Reba, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Sam Hunt, Martina McBride and Jon Pardi.

Singer-songwriter Carrie Underwood was also slated to perform. Her appearance was canceled after the star sustained injuries, including a broken wrist, from a fall over the weekend at her home in Nashville. Underwood later took to social media to reassure fans that she is recovering.

George Strait performs onstage for the Country Rising Benefit Concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Rick Diamond/Country Rising/Getty Images

Radio personality and host Bobby Bones poses backstage for the Country Rising Benefit Concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Rick Diamond/Country Rising/Getty Images

Keith Urban performs onstage for the Country Rising Benefit Concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Rick Diamond/Country Rising/Getty Images

Chris Stapleton performs onstage for the Country Rising Benefit Concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: John Shearer/Country Rising/Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Dierks Bentley and Jon Pardi perform onstage for the Country Rising Benefit Concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: John Shearer/Country Rising/Getty Images

Reba McEntire performs onstage for the Country Rising Benefit Concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: John Shearer/Country Rising/Getty Images

Jason Aldean performs onstage for the Country Rising Benefit Concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: John Shearer/Country Rising/Getty Images

Martina McBride performs onstage for the Country Rising Benefit Concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: John Shearer/Country Rising/Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild and Philip Sweet of Little Big Town perform onstage for the Country Rising Benefit Concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: John Shearer/Country Rising/Getty Images

Brett Eldredge and Kelly Clarkson Partner With Cracker Barrel For New Series

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Brett Eldredge and Kelly Clarkson will help Cracker Barrel kick off the holiday season with the release of its “Rocking and Stockings” content series. Premiering today on Cracker Barrel’s YouTube channel, the series will feature exclusive performances of new hits and traditional holiday classics including Clarkson’s “Love So Soft,” followed by Eldredge’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” on Nov. 17. Fans can follow along as each new video launches weekly through Dec. 12.

“Rocking and Stockings” features four performances of new music from Clarkson’s recently released eighth studio album Meaning of Life, including “Meaning of Life,” “Heat,” and her new holiday track “Christmas Eve.” Eldredge performs traditional classics, including “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “First Noel,” along with tunes from his 2016 holiday album Glow.

“The holidays are always a special time for us,” said Cracker Barrel Senior Marketing Manager Julie Ulmer. “We created ‘Rocking and Stockings’ to bring together two of music’s most beloved artists for exclusive performances as a joyful way to kick off the season and to help inspire the love and togetherness we hope our guests feel when they dine with us.”

 

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Garth Brooks Adds Sixth Nashville Show To Close Out Tour

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Garth Brooks has added a sixth show to his Nashville run on Dec. 22, which will be the final stop of his massive The Garth Brooks Tour With Trisha Yearwood, which has been selling out North American concert venues since 2014. Newly-crowned with his sixth CMA Entertainer of the Year title, Brooks will play his first full concerts at the Bridgestone Arena since 2010.

Last Friday (Nov. 10), tickets went on sale for five upcoming shows at Bridgestone Arena, with a new date rolling out as each sold out moments after tickets went on sale. The previously announced Bridgestone Arena dates include Dec. 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17.

Garth’s sixth win for CMA Entertainer of the Year is a first for any artist, and he recently celebrated six million tickets sold on his tour, making it the biggest North American tour in history and the biggest American tour in the world. The tour is presented by Amazon Music Unlimited.

Tickets, which cost $74.98, will go on sale Nov. 16, and there is an eight ticket purchase limit. Tickets can only be purchased at ticketmaster.com/GarthBrooks or through Ticketmaster Express. There will be no ticket sales at the venue box office or Ticketmaster outlets on Nov. 16.

Concert Discovery Platform Bandsintown Opens Platform To Venues And Festivals

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Bandsintown has opened up its platform to allow venues and festivals to claim their own official profiles and alert local music fans of new show announcements in real time. Venues will now be able to establish their brand presence, customize their profiles, and add and edit new events.

While over 15,000 promoters, venues and festivals have been using Bandsintown’s promoter service for years to create campaigns in order to reach fans and boost concert attendance, this marks the first time venues will have their own access to Bandsintown Manager, allowing them to publish events independently.

“We’re excited to have over 500 venues already signed up to the Beta release, which will become public on Dec. 15,” says Jon Ostrow, VP, Sales and Business Development.

Venue Manager is currently available in Beta release. Venues interested in joining Beta as a Venue Manager can sign up here.

Taylor Swift Announces Reputation U.S. Stadium Tour Dates

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The first round of dates for Taylor Swift’s reputation Stadium Tour were announced on Monday (Nov. 13). Twenty-seven shows were announced, including a stop at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Aug. 25. The tour will launch May 8 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Additional shows will be announced in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Tickets for the North American leg will go on-sale to the general public on Dec. 13. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance of the public on-sale in North America via Taylor Swift Tix powered by Ticketmaster Verified Fan. Registration is currently open and continues until Nov. 28.

The announcement follows the release of Swift’s highly-anticipated sixth studio album, reputation, which released Friday, Nov. 10. According to Nielsen Soundscan, the album sold more than 700,000 on its first day of release.

Swift also performed two songs on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, including “Call It What You Want” and “…Ready For It?”

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In Pictures: ole Celebrates CMAs

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ole celebrated this year’s CMA Awards with two parties, including a CMA Awards viewing party on Wednesday evening (Nov. 8) and the company’s sixth annual post-CMA Awards fiesta on Thursday, Nov. 9 at its Nashville office.

Earlier this week, ole took home honors from both the ASCAP Country Music Awards and the BMI Country Awards. At the ASCAP Country Music Awards, ole earned three honors, for “How I’ll Always Be” and “I Know Somebody” both co-written by Jeremy Stover, and “How Not To,” co-written by Adam Hambrick.

At the BMI Country Awards, ole legacy writer Jesse Lee was honored for “Peter Pan.” “A Little More Summertime,” co-written by Tony Martin and “How I’ll Always Be,” co-written by Jeremy Stover, were also honored.

 

Moe Bandy Signs With 117 Publicity

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Moe Bandy

Moe Bandy has joined 117 Publicity’s roster for exclusive PR representation.

“I’ve loved working with Moe and his team in the past, so I’m excited to be onboard again for his future projects and continued road success! Adding Moe to the 117 Publicity roster demonstrates our commitment to traditional country music and the artists that have given so much to this genre. I love everything about our roster of clients and their music,” said Zach Farnum, President & CEO of 117 Entertainment Group.

“I am really excited about working with Zach and 117 Publicity. We’re looking forward to some neat things happening for traditional country music in the future with 117,” said Bandy.

Cole Swindell Plots Down Home Tour For 2018

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Cole Swindell will return to the road in January 2018, in support of Down Home Sessions IV EP which releases Nov. 24. The Cole Swindell Down Home Tour follows three previous sold-out headlining Down Home Tours. The 2018 tour will kick off in his home state of Georgia at the Georgia Theatre in Athens on Jan. 11. Swindell’s labelmate and rising newcomer Morgan Evans will open.

Other familiar tour stops on the Down Home Tour include Cotton Eyed Joe in Knoxville, Tenn., and Joe’s Bar in Chicago.

Pre-sale tickets will go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 14 and will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

Cole Swindell’s Down Home Tour:
Jan. 11: Athens, Ga.; Georgia Theatre
Jan. 12: Savannah, Ga.; The Stage on Bay
Jan. 18: Knoxville, Tenn.; Cotton Eyed Joe
Jan. 19: Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Druid City Music Hall
Jan. 25: Chicago; Joe’s Bar
Jan. 26: Oxford, Ohio; Brick Street Bar
Jan. 27: Charlottesville, Va.; Jefferson Theater