Aaron Watson Announces New Tour Dates For 2017

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Aaron Watson has announced new tour dates for 2017 in support of his acclaimed album Vaquero. The tour includes U.S. and international stops, with five marquee shows that were announced via his social media last week. Watson will perform at the CMA Music Festival Chevrolet Riverfront Stage on June 10 and will headline the PBR World Finals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 2. The trek also includes stops at Calgary Stampede, Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, and Cimarex Energy Pavilion in Midland, Texas. For the first time, Watson will headline the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville with “A Night Of Texas At The Ryman” on Oct. 4. Featured artists on the bill include Texas natives Jon Wolfe, Mickey Guyton, Jim Collins and Leslie Satcher. (See full list of tour dates below.)

Watson is on the road in support of his latest album Vaquero.

Alan Jackson, Lee Ann Womack Christen New Nashville Skyline With Steel And Fiddle

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Alan Jackson. Photo: Bobby Russell

To no one’s surprise, 2017 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Alan Jackson sold out his Nashville Honky Tonk Highway Tour stop at Ascend Amphitheater weeks before Friday, May 12.

With country apostle Lee Ann Womack also on the bill, along with Carnival writer and Jackson’s relative Adam Wright, the steel guitar and fiddles proudly rang for four hours, floating over construction cranes and new Nashville high rises transforming the Music City skyline.

Outside, the beautiful weather held out for the mainstay’s performance of many iconic hits that have attracted many of the country music fan tourists. Within the first hour, Jackson had played “Gone Country,” “Livin’ On Love,” “Here In The Real World” and “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”

Womack, who had suffered an infection and underwent wrist surgery just hours before performing, was welcomed back to the stage for the duet, and Vern Gosdin cover “Till The End.” The two recorded the title in 2010. In keeping with the traditional theme, Womack was retained for her first performance ever of Jackson and George Strait’s 1999 duet “Murder On Music Row.” Wright was also welcomed back for “So You Don’t Have To Love Me Anymore,” a song Jackson’s former ring bearer wrote for his uncle’s 2012 EMI project, Thirty Miles West.

Alan Jackson. Photo: Bobby Russell

Even the lawn audience remained standing through “Little Bitty,” “Don’t Rock The Jukebox,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Chattahoochee,” and an encore with a Nashville Predators jersey, including “Mercury Blues.”

Around midnight that evening, Jackson surprised patrons at his Lower Broadway Good Time Bar for a set again including his band The Strayhorns, for renditions of “Good Time” and “Chattahoochee” in addition to some deep tracks. The bar’s top floors just made their soft opening.

The touring powerhouse’s Honky Tonk Highway Tour has been rolling since January and continues through October.

Alan Jackson afterparty. Photo: Bobby Russell

With her hand wrapped in an ace bandage, Womack ironically began her opening set at the amphitheater with “Does My Ring Burn Your Finger” before continuing with “Talk To Me” and “Little Past Little Rock,” about the closest to uptempo as the star’s catalog gets.

Womack announced she will release a new album she recorded in East Texas here in the fall. She introduced the rockin’ “All of the Trouble,” a title co-written with Waylon Payne and Wright.

The beautiful steel guitar and twin fiddles rang out on “I May Hate Myself In The Morning” before her set concluded with “I Hope You Dance” and “Ashes By Now.”

Performers Announced For CMA Music Festival’s Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage At Ascend Amphitheater

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CMA Music Festival has announced the performer lineup for the free nightly concerts at the Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage located in downtown Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater, slated for Thursday, June 8 through Saturday, June 10, beginning at 7 p.m. each evening.

Big and Rich will launch the 2017 festivities Thursday with special guests DJ Sinister & the Country Fried Mix and Cowboy Troy. Additional performers include Deana Carter, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Country Music Hall of Fame members The Oak Ridge Boys.

Sara Evans will headline Ladies of Country Friday, which will also include performances from Kelleigh Bannen, Ruthie Collins, Natalie Stovall, Danielle Bradbery, Kellie Pickler and Aubrie Sellers.

SiriusXM The Highway presents Saturday with Dan + Shay, Hunter Hayes, High Valley and RaeLynn, with additional performances by newcomers Cale Dodds, Ryan Kinder and Bailey Bryan, powered by Warner Sound.

“With tens of thousands of Country Music fans pouring in from all over the U.S. and over two dozen countries, CMA’s partnership with Cracker Barrel to present free nightly concerts at Ascend offers non-four-day ticket holders access to additional nighttime options and the chance to see even more of their favorite artists,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer.

“Music and entertainment are an important part of the Cracker Barrel brand experience because the platform provides an invaluable and resounding connection with our guests, which is why we’ve committed to this partnership for the next three years,” said Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Senior Vice President of Marketing Don Hoffman.

During the Festival, Cracker Barrel will also launch “Rock-A-Thon,” a rocking chair experience to raise money for the CMA Foundation, Thursday through Saturday evening. The brand will bring a little piece of home to downtown Nashville by displaying 644 rocking chairs, a symbol of its nationwide store count. If Festival-goers collectively rock at least 150,000 times in a rocker, Cracker Barrel will donate $15,000 to the CMA Foundation. Fans can follow along online and on smart phones to track the progress at CBRockathon.com. For more information on Cracker Barrel activations at CMA Music Fest, follow along on social media using hashtag #CBMusic.

Funds generated through CMA Music Festival benefit music education. Since 2006, CMA and the CMA Foundation have donated more than $17.5 million to support quality, sustainable music education initiatives across the country on behalf of the artists who participate in the event for free.

 

Industry Ink: Jann Wenner, National Association Of Talent Directors, Peter Cooper

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Jann Wenner Biography Set For October Release

Photo by Mark Seliger

Jann Wenner‘s life and career will go under the microscope for the first time in a biography in Joe Hagan’s long-awaited project–STICKY FINGERS: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine (Knopf), which is due out October 24. In the book Wenner opens up his personal and professional life to the scrutiny of a journalist for the first time, and the book examines his life, from his youth in San Francisco and the rocky first days of Rolling Stone, to his seismic rise as a 1970s kingmaker of rock and a media mogul of Manhattan. The book draws from Wenner’s vast archive of correspondence and rare documents, items that have never before been made available to a journalist.

 

NATD Firing Up The Grill For Annual Picnic

The National Association of Talent Directors is hosting its annual picnic June 6 from 11:30-1:30 at Fannie Mae Dees Park in Nashville. The event is open to NATD members and other members of the industry.

 

Peter Cooper Celebrates Book Release With Station Inn Show

Peter Cooper. Photo: Stacie Huckeba

To celebrate the release of his new book, Peter Cooper will perform with some musical compadres and include a few readings from Johnny’s Cash & Charlie’s Pride: Lasting Legends and Untold Adventures in Country Music, at the Station Inn May 26. Doors open at 7 p.m., music starts at 8 p.m., and he will be joined by Don Schlitz, Lloyd Green, David Olney, Eric Brace, Thomm Jutz, a band featuring bassist Mark Fain, drummer Lynn Williams, and violinist Andrea Zonn, Kim Carnes, Fayssoux Starling McLean, Jon Byrd, and Chris Richards.

Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton, FGL, Lauren Daigle Among Billboard Music Award Winners

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(Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images via ABC)

Blake Shelton and Kenny Chesney were among the big winners at last night’s Billboard Music Awards, with Shelton taking home Top Country Artist honors and Chesney scoring two wins, for Top Country Tour and Top Country Collaboration for “Setting The World On Fire” with P!nk. Drake was the night’s top winner though, receiving a whopping 13 trophies including Top Artist and beating out Adele’s previous record of 12 wins.

Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller continues to rack up awards, receiving the 2017 Billboard Music Award trophy for Top Country Album, and Florida Georgia Line‘s “H.O.L.Y.” was named Top Country Song during the evening, which was broadcast live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. FGL teamed with John Legend for a mashup of the award-winning song which in an unexpected collaboration, and Sam Hunt performed a stripped-down version of his crossover smash “Body Like A Back Road” during the telecast.

Lauren Daigle took home Top Christian Artist honors for the night, and Hillary Scott and the Family won Top Christian Song for “Thy Will.” Kirk Franklin was named Top Gospel Artist, Tamela Mann‘s One Way received the Top Gospel Album trophy, and Travis Greene‘s “Made A Way” took home Top Gospel Song honors.

Justin Timberlake‘s “Can’t Stop The Feeling” was awarded Top Selling Song and Top Radio Song honors during the ceremony, which also honored Cher with its Billboard Icon Award. A full list of winners can be found here.

(Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images via ABC)

Singer-Songwriter Jillian Cardarelli Teams With WME, Suretone Entertainment, Loeb and Loeb

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Pictured (L-R): Matthew Malcolm (WME), Corey Wagner (Suretone), Brittany Schaffer (Loeb and Loeb), Jillian Cardarelli

Singer-songwriter Jillian Cardarelli has signed with William Morris Endeavor exclusively for worldwide representation. The news comes after signing a management deal with Suretone Entertainment, the powers behind music heavyhitters ZZ Top, Fleetwood Mac and Lonestar. Additionally, Loeb and Loeb has come onboard for legal representation.

Currently on tour with Lonestar, Cardarelli is preparing for the Spring release of her debut single, “Re-Run,” penned by Maren Morris, Tina Parol and Jordan Reynolds. An EP release is planned for the summer.

Cardarelli has been a regular National Anthem performer for sports organizations including the Boston Bruins, the Boston Celtics, Baltimore Orioles, and the Nashville Predators. As a songwriter, she recently landed her first major label cut with Australian artist Jody Direen on ABC Music.

Casey James Signs With Spielberg/Dries Management

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Pictured (L-R): Neal Spielberg, Casey James, and Gene Dries

Singer-songwriter Casey James has signed with Spielberg/Dries Management for representation.

In 2010, Neal Spielberg and Gene Dries combined their experience to form Spielberg/Dries Management. The company also oversees careers for blues artists Tracy Nelson and Russell Morris. Both Spielberg and Dries worked for Warner Bros. Records, with Spielberg in sales/marketing and Dries in rock radio promotion. They began individually working with artists and labels before teaming to manage several blues and country artists.

Dries co-managed 10-time Grammy winner Take 6, and is the creative director for the Las Cruces Country Music Festival. Spielberg worked as a consultant with Merle Haggard, Neal McCoy, Equity Records (Clint Black, Little Big Town, Kevin Fowler), and Gloriana. Spielberg also works with the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.

“It was important for me to find genuine partners who have a passion for this music and the conviction to support my vision as an artist,” said James. “I’m an avid, dedicated fan of this genre with a deep respect for the traditions and the musicianship that makes it great. Neal [Spielberg] and Gene [Dries] are believers – and that is what I was looking for in a management team.”

Casey’s career has taken him from an American Idol ninth season finalist to signing with Sony’s BNA Records/19 in 2012 and releasing his self-titled debut album. That same year, he transitioned to Columbia Nashville and began work on his second album, which was not released. After five years, Sony and James parted ways.

Texas native Casey recently recorded a roots and blues album, Strip It Down, which includes 14 tracks written or co-written by James. The album was funded via a Kickstarter campaign.

“We could not be more excited to be working with an artist like Casey James,” said Spielberg and Dries. “His talent as an entertainer, musician, and songwriter make him a triple threat and look forward to working with him in the coming years.”

 

Rascal Flatts To Return To Las Vegas For Limited Engagement At The Venetian

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Rascal Flatts, will headline a limited Las Vegas engagement, “A Night to Shine,” presented by SiriusXM, in The Venetian Theatre at The Venetian Las Vegas on Oct. 6, 7, 11, 13, 14, 18, 20 and 21, beginning at 8 p.m. each evening.

“Vegas just keeps pulling us back in,” said Gary LeVox. “Our previous two residencies were such an amazing experience and opportunity to connect with our fans on a more intimate level. I think moving over to The Venetian will provide a totally different setting and fan experience that we’re really excited about!”

Tickets starting at $49 (plus applicable fees) go on sale to the public Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. PST and can be purchased at any box office at The Venetian or The Palazzo, online at ticketmaster.com or venetian.com or by calling 702.414.9000 or 866.641.7469. A limited number of VIP packages with meet and greets will also be available.

Rascal Flatts fan club members will have access to a pre-sale beginning Monday, May 22 at 10 a.m. PST. American Express® card members will have access to a pre-sale beginning Thursday, May 25 at 10 a.m. PST. Grazie loyalty members, SiriusXM, Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers will receive access to a pre-sale beginning Wednesday, May 31 at 10 a.m. PST. All pre-sales will end Thursday, June 1 at 10 p.m. PST.

The trio is promoting their tenth studio album, Back To Us (Big Machine Records), which includes their current single, “Yours If You Want It.”

LifeNotes: Former Songwriter Bob Forshee Dies

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Bob Forshee

Musician Bob Forshee passed away peacefully at age 80 on Thursday, May 11, surrounded by his family.

Forshee had a 36-year career with State Farm Insurance. But in the early 1960s, he was a Nashville songwriter whose works were recorded by such Grand Ole Opry stars as Jan Howard, Jimmy C. Newman and Skeeter Davis.

He was a 1959 graduate of the University of Missouri who worked as a schoolteacher before moving to Nashville to pursue his songwriting aspirations. Signed by Ray Price’s Pamper Music in 1962, Forshee had a number of songs recorded during the next three years. Burl Ives, Paul Peek, Connie Francis, Jake & Josh, Mac Wiseman, Linda Manning and Sonny Williams were among the artists who released Forshee’s songs.

The songwriter’s biggest copyrights were Darrell McCall’s Top 20 country success “A Stranger Was Here” and Top 30 country hits by Buddy Meredith (1962’s “I May Fall Again”) and Hank Cochran (1963’s “A Good Country Song”).

Forshee also had success in pop and r&b thanks to Etta James recording his “Would It Make Any Difference to You” and “I’d Like to Hear That Song Again” in 1963.

In more recent years, “I May Fall Again” has been revived by Johnny Rodriguez in 1996 and by Paul Pace in 2003.

The songwriter’s Pamper contract evidently expired around 1966. He left music professionally, but played guitar at home for the rest of his life. Survivors include Nancy Stasser Forshee, his wife of more than 50 years, plus daughter Sharon, sons David and Mark, brother Tom and five grandchildren. A celebration of his life was held privately.

A gathering of family and friends is scheduled for Thursday, May 25, from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. at Woodlawn Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, located at 660 Thompson Lane in Nashville.

Brandy Clark Triumphs At Nashville’s City Winery

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Song for song, Brandy Clark might be the finest young writer-artist working in music today.

She stated her case in two, triumphant, sold-out shows at City Winery over this past weekend. In performance after performance, she was greeted by rapturous applause. Her devoted followers often began clapping at the first instrumental notes of songs that they had obviously committed to memory.

Clark mixed material from her masterful 2013 collection 12 Stories with songs drawn from her current Big Day in a Small Town album. Listening to either dazzling collection can be a jaw-dropping experience as each song seems as perfectly crafted as the one before.

Her songwriting brilliance was matched by her breezy, immensely likeable stage personna. Clark’s wry comments in between tunes were easy-going, charming and pithy.

The Belmont graduate’s songs were breathtaking, whether she was breaking hearts with the ballad “Hold My Hand,” humorously threatening homicide in “Stripes,” describing the deadened emotions of “The Day She Got Divorced” or splitting from a drunk lover via the rhythmic “Hungover.” All of these can be found on 12 Stories.

She described a series of tunes that included that album’s “Get High” as “the substance-abuse portion of our show.” Clark also introduced a new song, “When I Get To Drinkin,’” which will be on her upcoming live album. A preview of it was released on Record Store Day.

“Someday, I want to do a whole album of drinking songs,” she commented. “No, I’m serious.”

The Big Day in a Small Town songs were equally potent. Clark is a strikingly empathetic writer, expertly sketching a portrait of a struggling mother in “Three Kids, No Husband.” She wryly described “Daughter” as “a revenge song,” since it wishes that her ex has an offspring who breaks his heart.

Charlie Worsham. Photo: Allister Ann

Even when being ironic, her deep humanity shines through her lyrics. “Broke” and “Love Can Go to Hell” were excellent examples of this. “Girl Next Door” used humor to tell her truth. Yet as we chuckled over her wit, she tossed in the profoundly moving, conflicted and aching “You Can Come Over.”

Her emotional-bullseye vocal delivery and excellent acoustic guitar playing were backed by a simple bass, keyboard and/or guitar accompaniment. Intriguingly, Clark’s set did not rely on any of the familiar hits she’s written for others, such as Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart,” The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two” or Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow.”

One segment of her show featured Clark trading country oldies with her opening act, Charlie Worsham. She chose Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man.” He tried the Kenny Rogers classic “Sweet Music Man” and, oddly, the singularly unattractive Conway Twitty hit “Tight Fittin’ Jeans.”

Worsham’s opening-act set featured blazing solo guitar work, looped percussion tracks and sure-footed tenor singing. He largely emphasized the songs on his just-released sophomore collection The Beginning of Things. Like Clark, he left the audience applauding wildly.

On Friday evening, Brandy Clark bid us farewell with her vivid, blue-collar, hard-luck bopper “Pray to Jesus.” Then she returned to the venue to leave another another spellbound audience on its feet in ovation on Sunday.