Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum Appoints Eight To Key Leadership Team

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Pictured (Front row, L-R): Ali Tonn, Mark DeLelys, and Kayla Ott. Back row (L-R): Leigh Ann Wise, Suzanne Tolbert, Donovan Sargent, Andrea Rizk, and Lee Boulie. Photos by Donn Jones Photography

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has tapped eight employees as members of its newly-formed Key Leadership Team.

“Collaborating across divisional and departmental lines has always been a hallmark of our museum,” says Museum CEO Kyle Young. “As we have scaled to meet the demands of our new physical footprint, we have added new staff, expanded existing programming and launched several new institutional initiatives. In order to maintain our culture of collaboration – and to focus on speed, efficiency and integration across the organization – I am happy to tap the following staff for the Key Leadership Team. The name of this newly-formed working committee speaks for itself.”

Members of the team include:

• Lee Boulie – Director of Digital and Library Collections
• Mark DeLelys – Director of Merchandising and Retail Development
• Kayla Ott – Director of Marketing
• Andrea Rizk – Director of Communications
• Donovan Sargent – Director of Information Technology
• Suzanne Tolbert – Director of Museum Sales and Guest Relations
• Ali Tonn – Director of Education and Public Programs
• Leigh Anne Wise – Director of Operations

Tickets On Sale For 15th Annual SOURCE Hall Of Fame Awards

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Tickets to the 15th annual SOURCE Hall of Fame Awards dinner at the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville Aug. 22, 2017 are now on sale at eventbrite.com.

Presented by Springer Mountain Farms, individual tickets are $75 for SOURCE members and $85 for the general public. The annual event honors and inducts a select group of women into the SOURCE Awards Hall of Fame. This year, the event will also celebrate two milestone anniversaries—the 35th Anniversary of the Bluebird Café and the 125th Anniversary of the Ryman Auditorium.

SOURCE Nashville previously announced this year’s Hall of Fame inductees to be Amy Kurland, Bluebird Café; Bonnie Sugarman, Agency of Performing Arts (APA); Joyce Rice, First American National Bank, BMI; Judith Newby, Top Billing, J.P. Newby Management, Tapped Into; Martha Moore, WLAC Radio, MCA/ABC Records, PolyGram Records, So Much MOORE Media; Susan Turner, Capitol Records, RCA Records, Moress/Nanas/Peay Management Co., Shindler/Turner Promotions and Turner & Associates; and Lula Naff, Posthumous, Ryman Auditorium, Lyceum Bureau.

SOURCE Hall of Fame inductees are nominated and inducted based upon peer recommendations, biographies, accomplishments, reputation, the number of years each individual has worked within the entertainment industry, and level of community involvement.

No. 1 Party: Romance Tops The Charts On Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know”

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Pictured (L-R): Kyle Schlienger, Brett Young, Tyler Reeve, Trent Tomlinson. Photo: Peyton Hoge

During a time when uptempo, rock-tinged tracks dominate the country airwaves, Brett Young‘s gentle, R&B-inflected ballad “In Case You Didn’t Know,” gripped the chart pinnacle for two weeks. That feat was celebrated during a party held Monday, July 17 at the newly-opened FGL House, created in downtown Nashville by Young’s BMLG labelmates Florida Georgia Line.

“In Case You Didn’t Know” marked the first No. 1 song for Young’s co-writers Trent Tomlinson, Tyler Reeve and Kyle Schlienger. It was Young’s second chart-topper, following “Sleep Without You.”

Young, Tomlinson, Reeve and Schlienger penned the romantic ballad during a songwriting retreat in Puerto Vallerta, Mexico, in June 2015. For Young, that writing retreat yielded multiple benefits. Not only were his first two No. 1 hits, “Sleep Without You” and “In Case You Didn’t Know,” written during that trip, but he also signed the first draft of his recording contract with Big Machine Label Group during his stay.

The launch the celebration, black-and-white footage of the writing and demo recording sessions for “In Case You Didn’t Know” was shown, as the writers grappled with setting the perfect marriage of words, rhyme, melody and message.

Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar praised the behind-the-scenes footage. “That video shows how incredible the whole songwriting process happens. Watching you put together those melodies and all of you jumping in and nipping and tucking every word, that is the magic of what you do. Brett, I’m honored to be your publisher, but I’m particularly honored to be part of this song. It’s an instant classic. By every metric, whether it’s airplay, sales, streams, total consumption, fan engagement, this is one best songs of the year, and it’s going to be in the pantheon of the all-time greatest country love songs.”

Big Machine Label Group founder and CEO Scott Borchetta was transparent in his bid for “In Case You Didn’t Know” to be in the running for CMA’s Single and Song of the Year categories. The first round of voting is now open for CMA members.

“When Mike Molinar came in and said we are going to pay for these writers to go down to Puerto Vallerta, I wasn’t laughing. I was like, ‘Mike, one condition. They better write a hit.’ You win. Not only did they write a hit, they wrote the Song of the Year, and I expect all of you to vote for it.”

Pictured (L-R): Back Row – ASCAP’s Michael Martin, Producer Dann Huff, BMLG’s Jimmy Harnen, Scott Borchetta, Laurel Kittleson and Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar; Front Row – ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Writers Kyle Schlienger, Brett Young, Tyler Reeve, Trent Tomlinson, BMI’s David Preston. Photo: Peyton Hoge

BMLG president Jimmy Harnen recalled that Young sent the song to him at 4 a.m. (Harnen displayed the email thread on a video screen during the party to prove it).

Young’s first single, “Sleep Without You,” was certified Gold.

“In Case You Didn’t Know,” has bested that mark, having been certified Platinum, and it is closing in on a double-Platinum certification.

BMLG’s promotion staff went into overdrive just before the No. 1 party, pushing Young’s latest single “Like I Loved You” to become the most-added song in the country on the day of his No. 1 party.

ASCAP’s Beth Brinker and Michael Martin offered Yeti coolers to celebrate ASCAP writer Kyle’s first No. 1, and gave one to ASCAP writer Young as well. Schlienger also serves as Young’s music director and bandleader.

“On Jan. 10 we celebrated his first No. 1 with ‘Sleep Without You’ and now we have the second. That’s like pitching a perfect game,” Martin said.

Brinker shared a humorous anecdote of Schlienger’s journey on the trip to Mexico.

“Kyle had never been out of the country. He was waiting for his passport up until that very morning. He got his passport in the mail that morning. He had never traveled with his rig as a producer. He didn’t have a traveling setup so Kyle put his desktop computer and two speakers in a giant blue suitcase with a blanket in it to go to Mexico.”

Pictured (L-R): Back Row – BMLG Records’ Matthew Hargis, Michelle Krammerer, Liz Santana, Leah Fisher, Angie Coonrod, Stella Prado, Lauren Longbine, BMLG’s Scott Borchetta and Andrew Thoen. Middle Row – Writers Kyle Schlienger, Brett Young, Tyler Reeve, Trent Tomlinson. Front Row – BMLG Records’ Jimmy Harnen. Photo: Peyton Hoge [Click Photo To Enlarge]

BMI’s David Preston was on hand to honor 20-year BMI songwriter Tomlinson and 10-year BMI writer Reeve with their first No. 1 single. BMI presented them with Epiphone guitars and No. 1 mint julep cups to honor their first No. 1 singles. “Hopefully this will be the first of a whole collection,” Preston said.

MusicRow Magazine owner/publisher Sherod Robertson was also on hand to present Young and his co-writers with MusicRow Challenge Coins to commemorate the song going to No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart.

Others on hand to celebrate the song included the CMA and Country Radio Broadcasters, as well as the song’s producer, three-time CMA Producer of the Year winner Dann Huff and engineer Justin Niebank.

“We wanted to write great songs but we also wanted to go on vacation so we all win,” Young quipped as he took the mic to thank his manager Enzo DeVincenzo, Borchetta, Harnen, Martin, Molinar, his co-writers, and others in his team. “My promo team is the best in the world,” he said to the cheers of the audience. “I’m living the dream. Everybody’s belief and support has been unreal.”

Play It Again Music Publishing Names Alex Torrez As VP, A&R

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Pictured (L-R): Alex Torrez, Kirby Smith

Play It Again Publishing (PIA) owner Dallas Davidson announced today the addition of industry veteran Alex Torrez as the company’s VP of A&R.

“Having someone like Alex on the Play It Again team is a huge asset to our writers and artist,” said Davidson. “He brings an insight into this business that you can only achieve from years of experience. I’m thrilled to announce Alex Torrez as Play It Again’s VP of A&R.”

Along with adding Torrez to the staff, PIA has promoted Houston-native Kirby Smith to Creative Coordinator.

“We feel like we’re all a family here and we’re all after the same goal, and that goal is to make an impact on music,” said Davidson. “We don’t have fences around this company. I don’t care if they write a rap song, a pop song or a country song. This is all about music at Play It Again. We’re not focused on one certain genre. I want our writers to feel as creative as they can.”

PIA’s roster includes writers Brian Kolb, Houston Phillips, Kyle Fishman and artist newcomer Trea Landon.

RodeoHouston To Debut Rotating Main Stage For 2018

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For the first time in over 30 years RodeoHouston is debuting a new rotating concert stage on opening day, Feb. 27, 2018, and Garth Brooks will be the first entertainer to perform on the new stage. Brooks is returning for his third RodeoHouston performance ever and will be opening and closing the Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Designed and fabricated by TAIT, the leading producer of live entertainment equipment in the world, the stage will feature the latest technology to boost concert presentation and fan experience. It is star-shaped with five star points, and each star point can be raised individually or jointly and can be lowered to the arena surface or raised to create an elevated performance position. The stage’s 48-foot diameter round rotating performance area enables the artist to be closer to the audience, and it has a 22-foot-tall motion controlled LED backdrop video screen. 

Tickets for the two Garth Brooks performances set for Feb. 27 and March 18, 2018 will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. A minimum of 18,000 tickets will be available for purchase, and these tickets will be located in the Loge and Upper Level sections of NRG Stadium. Tickets for the remaining RodeoHouston performances will go on sale following the official lineup announcement which is scheduled for January 2018.

The 2018 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is scheduled for Feb. 27 – March 18.

The Gambler Sits In For One More Deal: Kenny Rogers Announces Farewell Concert Celebration In Nashville

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Kenny Rogers is going all in for one more hand with an all-star, once-in-a-lifetime concert taping to celebrate his legendary 60-year career, “All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration.” The Bridgestone Arena tribute concert in Nashville on Oct. 25 will include performances by Rogers, Dolly Parton, Little Big Town, Alison Krauss, The Flaming Lips, Idina Menzel, Jamey Johnson, Elle King and many other special guests that will be announced in the coming weeks.

This once-in-a-lifetime event will also feature the final performance together by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, singing one of pop music’s most beloved duets of all time.

“As I’m bringing this chapter of my career to a close, this will be an unforgettable way to celebrate with my talented friends, who I’m so grateful to have crossed paths with,” says Kenny Rogers. “It means so much that they would feel compelled to do this for me. Of course, the night would not be the same without Dolly Parton being part of it. We’ve enjoyed a special friendship for decades, and I’ll forever look back fondly on the many collaborations, performances, and laughs we’ve shared as some of the most extraordinary moments of my career. I know it will be a moving experience for us standing on that stage together for one last time.”

Tickets for the Blackbird Presents show go on sale July 21 at 10 a.m. CT online at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena box office. A portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation and the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center.

Industry Ink: Sam Hunt, Scott Borchetta, Sandi Spika Borchetta, Tony Martin, Ruthie Collins

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UMG Team Celebrates In Tampa With Sam Hunt

Pictured (L-R): UMGN’s Brian Wright, UMGN’s Cindy Mabe, UMGN’s Mike Dungan, Sam Hunt, UMGN’s Royce Risser, UMGN’s Mike Harris, Homestead / Red Light Management’s Brad Belanger.  Photo: UMG Nashville

Universal Music Group Nashville visited with Sam Hunt after his sold-out show at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre last Friday night (July 14). The multi-platinum selling star performed for a crowd of more than 19,000 over the weekend. Hunt’s latest smash single, “Body Like A Back Road” recently broke the Billboard Country Hot 100 record for the longest running No. 1 by a solo male artist, with 23 weeks at the top spot and counting. The song has remained in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart for 16 consecutive weeks, longer than any other song in the 25-year history of the chart. It has also accumulated over 249 million streams, and is currently the No. 1 most-streamed country song, most-downloaded country song and the No. 3 most-downloaded song across all genres of 2017.

 

Scott And Sandi Spika Borchetta Honored By Starkey Hearing Foundation

Scott and Sandi Spika Borchetta were honored with the Humanitarian Award by the Starkey Hearing Foundation Monday night at the 17th Annual So The World May Hear Awards. The Borchettas were bestowed the honor because of their longtime involvement with Starkey as well the TJ Martell Foundation, Hands On Nashville, American Cancer Research, City of Hope and more. The powerhouse couple created the Music Has Value Fund in 2015 to provide financial endowments to nonprofits, which support those who make, aspire to make and appreciate music. They have also led Big Machine Label Group’s longstanding partnership with General Mills’ groundbreaking hunger initiative, Outnumber Hunger, which has helped provide over 50 million meals to America’s hungry through Feeding America. Other honorees of the night included actor Ben Affleck, First Lady of Zambia Madam Esther Lungu, Wilf Family Foundations and the FedEx Corporation.

 

Tony Martin Racks Up Some Million-Air Awards

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Phil Graham and Leslie Roberts, Ole’s Mike Whelan, Tony Martin, John Ozier, Ben Strain, Emily Olson and BMI’s Mason Hunter

Tony Martin was presented last week with an impressive number of BMI Million-Air awards. Each of the certificates represent Martin’s songs reaching a milestone number of radio spins. His song “Just to See You Smile” has achieved five million spins, “I’ll Think of a Reason Later” reached three million spins, “Perfect,” “I Just Keep Looking,” and “No Place That Far” have all hit 2 million spins, and “Banjo”, “You Look Good In My Shirt” and “Time is Love” have all achieved their first million spins.

 

Ruthie Collins Co-Hosts New DIY Show Home.Made

Curb artist Ruthie Collins has been tapped to co-host Home.Made, a series of DIY vignettes that air during the Saturday morning 9 a.m.-12 p.m. EST programming block on the A&E network. The series inspires personal creativity in creating a home through design and DIY, upcycling, and recycling. “I love all things DIY,” beams Collins. “I am so passionate about turning one’s home into their own personal sanctuary. It’s amazing to see what you can do with a few pieces of rustic wood (preferably shiplap!) – and a little imagination.”

Kane Brown Surprised With Second Gold Record During Industry Gathering For “What Ifs”

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Kane Brown first hears the news of his Top 20 “What Ifs” single’s RIAA Gold certification. Photo: Alan Poizner

Country newcomer Kane Brown was invited to a industry gathering at WME for what he thought was an event honoring his agent, Rob Beckham, on Monday, July 17.

When Sony Nashville’s Randy Goodman welcomed the crowd after Brown’s arrival, the program immediately revealed the true purpose behind the gathering: Brown’s latest single, “What Ifs,” was announced to have earned Gold certification.

“We’ve been giving out Gold and Platinum records on behalf of the industry for almost 60 years,” said the RIAA’s Liz Kennedy. “In the last six months, only four country songs have been released and certified in our program. One of those songs was Kane Brown’s…”

To a standing ovation, Brown walked before the gathering to accept his plaque for the song he co-wrote with Matt McGinn and Jordan Schmidt, featuring Brown’s middle school pal and UMG Nashville breakout star Lauren Alaina, who was not in attendance.

“I just want to say thanks to everybody that has been behind,” said the reserved Brown, naming a few executives he spotted in the audience from UMPG, Sony and WME. “I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if it wasn’t for y’all. And thank you for believing in me even with all the hate on Facebook.” [laughs]

Pictured (L-R): WME’s Braeden Rountree, EFG Management’s Martha Earls, Kane Brown, RIAA Director of Communication and Gold & Platinum Awards Program Liz Kennedy and Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman. Photo: Alan Poizner

Goodman introduced a sizzle reel he described as showing the breadth of what Brown has been up to.

“It’s nice to step back and take a look at the enormity of the body of work that Kane Brown has already produced with records, at radio and on the road,” said Goodman. “We thought we had it updated, but as of today, [“What Ifs”] went Top 20, and by the end of the day today we’re 15 stations away from being locked.”

The single also marks the Academy of Country Music New Male Vocalist and CMT Music Awards Breakthrough Video of the Year nominee’s first Top 20 hit, with more than 66 million streams to date. His debut single, “Used to Love You Sober,” was certified Gold earlier this year from his debut album, released at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and Top 10 on the Billboard 200 charts in December 2016. The album earned Brown the fourth best-selling new artist debut in album sales across all genres.

In addition to headlining the Monster Energy Outbreak Ain’t No Stopping Us Now and the Hometown Proud Tours, Brown has earned opening slots for Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean.

Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville’s Jim Catino, Caryl Healey, Ken Robold and Randy Goodman; EFG Management’s Martha Earls; Kane Brown; RIAA Director of Communications and Gold & Platinum Program Liz Kennedy; Sony Music Nashville’s Steve Hodges and Alaina Vehec. Photo: Alan Poizner [Click for full size]

Pictured (L-R): Universal Music Publishing Group’s Kent Earls, Sony Music Nashville’s Jim Catino, Ken Robold and Randy Goodman; EFG Management’s Martha Earls; Kane Brown; and, Sony Music Nashville’s Steve Hodges; WME’s Braeden Rountree and Rob Beckham. Photo: Alan Poizner [Click for full size]

War Memorial Auditorium To Launch ‘House Concerts’ Series

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SiriusXM radio personality Storme Warren and artist Joe Denim are set to host Nashville House Concerts, a 10-month concert series to be held at the historic War Memorial Auditorium. The series begins Thursday, Sept. 7, and continues the first Thursday of every month through June 2018.

The Sept. 7 line-up includes Martina McBride; songwriter Josh Osborne; singer, songwriter, and record producer Shane McAnally; Ryan Kinder, and Denim.

Tickets for all 10 shows in the Nashville House Concerts series are $25 each and go on sale today at 10 a.m. at WMArocks.com, by phone at 615-782-4030, and at the TPAC Box Office, 505 Deaderick St., in downtown Nashville. For groups of 10 or more, call 615-782-4060.

“We are really excited to work with Storme and Joe in presenting a show that celebrates the Nashville music community in such an intimate format,” said Brent Hyams, Chief Operating Officer for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and War Memorial Auditorium. “This is going to be fun.”

The live musical variety show is a uniquely Nashville experience to showcase a diverse blend of talent from chart-topping artists, music legends, rising stars and accomplished songwriters. Every show promises musical performances, imaginative interviews, surprise guests and unpredictably funny experiences.

“This is about Nashville, its music and the moment. And no two moments will ever be the same. Rising stars, established legends, songwriters and entertainers of all types will share this iconic space together with the audience,” Warren said. “And the audience will always play a key role in each show. Joe and I will more than likely embarrass ourselves on a regular basis. We’re kind of like the weird uncles you only have over for holiday dinners – fun to be around for a while but you’re not real sorry when we leave.”

“Imagine the coolest living room you’ve never been to,” continues Denim. “There is a bar, comfy couches, an all-star band and a denim-wrapped baby grand piano. Musical guests and comedians from across all genres drop in to tell stories, sing songs and make jokes. All the while, Storme and I make the audience feel like companions at home, in between two plants, on a Thursday night live!”

Sponsored by Coca-Cola, the series’ concerts will take place on the first Thursday of each month, from Sept. 2017 to June 2018. Each runs from 7-9 p.m.

Dates for the 10-show, monthly series include:

Sept. 7, 2017
Oct. 5, 2017
Nov. 2, 2017
Dec. 7, 2017
Jan. 4, 2018
Feb. 1, 2018
March 1, 2018
April 5, 2018
May 3, 2018
June 7, 2018

Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton Among iHeart Radio Music Festival Lineup

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iHeartMedia has revealed the lineup for its 2017 iHeartRadio Music Festival, taking place Sept. 22-23 at Las Vegas’ new T-Mobile Arena. The two-day lineup will feature performances by Chris Stapleton,Thomas Rhett, Coldplay, The Weeknd, DJ Khaled, Lorde, Kings of Leon, Big Sean, P!NK, Miley Cyrus, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Niall Horan, David Guetta, Harry Styles, Kesha and more along with performances from this year’s Macy’s iHeartRadio Rising Star winner, James Maslow.

For the seventh year, the star-studded festival will once again feature one-of-a-kind collaborations and surprise performances, with Ryan Seacrest returning as host for the entire weekend.

The Daytime Village Presented by Capital One at the iHeartRadio Music Festival will also return this year to the Las Vegas Village across from the Luxor Hotel and Casino on Saturday (9/23) with performances by Migos, Halsey, Flume, Little Mix, French Montana, Niall Horan, Bleachers, Kelsea Ballerini, Judah & The Lion, Bebe Rexha, Noah Cyrus, Hey Violet, Cheat Codes, All Time Low, Khalid and Julia Michaels. In addition to live performances from emerging artists, The Daytime Village will also feature fan zones including an exclusive Capital One cardholder viewing area and interactive experiences by iHeartRadio’s brand partners.

“Because our lineup is based on feedback from iHeartRadio users, it’s one of the most diverse you’ll ever see,” said Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer of iHeartMedia. “As our listeners interact with our app, favoriting songs and saving stations, we learn what their ideal festival would be, then we bring that to life!”

Each night, the festival will be broadcast live for fans via iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets, and the CW Network will also exclusively livestream both nights of the festival via CWTV.com and The CW App, and also broadcast a two-night television special on October 4-5.

Capital One is the first-ever marquee partner of the iHeartRadio Music Festival, and beginning July 25 at 1 p.m. EST, Capital One cardholders will have access to a limited number of tickets through a special pre-sale. Tickets will be available only at iHeartRadio.com/CapitalOne. Tickets go on sale to the general public on July 28 at 1 p.m. EST via iHeartRadio.com/tickets.  Tickets for the Daytime Village are also on sale and can be purchased via iHeartRadio.com/village.