BREAKING: Joel Katz Resigns From Greenberg Traurig

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Joel Katz

Attorney and founding chairman of the Greenberg Traurig’s entertainment and media practice, Joel Katz, notified Greenberg Traurig of his resignation from the firm on Dec. 31, 2020, MusicRow has confirmed.

A top entertainment attorney frequently listed in Billboard‘s Power 100 list, Billboard‘s Country Power Players List, and MusicRow‘s InCharge, Katz has represented legendary entertainers from an array of genres, including artists, producers, record companies, concert promoters, and business leaders. His client list has included Jimmy Buffett, Jamie Foxx, Steve Harvey, Faith Hill, Julio Iglesias, Alan Jackson, Estate of Michael Jackson, Kris Kristofferson, Little Big Town, Ludacris, Tim McGraw, L.A. Reid, George Strait, James Taylor, Justin Timberlake, TLC, and others.

In a statement provided to MusicRow, Greenberg Traurig Executive Chairman, Richard A. Rosenbaum, said: “Joel Katz has, by mutual understanding, resigned from the firm as of December 31, 2020. Our global entertainment practice remains strong, diverse and among the largest, most dynamic and highest rated in the world, led by Chair Bobby Rosenbloum in Atlanta, assisted by Vice Chairs Barbara Meili in New York and Dan Black in Los Angeles, as well as Jay Cooper, the founder of our Los Angeles Entertainment Practice, leading music industry lawyers Jess Rosen in Atlanta and Paul Schindler in New York, and many others. We thank Mr. Katz for his contributions over the years and have no further comment at this time.”

Grammy Winning Singer-Songwriter Jamie O’Hara Passes

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Jamie O’Hara

Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Jamie O’Hara has died at age 70. He courageously battled cancer and sadly succumbed on Jan. 7, with his wife, Lola White O’Hara, by his side.

O’Hara won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song for “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days),” a 1986 hit for The Judds. He was also noted as half of the performing and recording duo The O’Kanes alongside Kieran Kane. The O’Kanes had six consecutive top 10 hits in 1986-88, all of which were co-written by O’Hara and Kane.

James Paul O’Hara was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. He was an all-American high-school football star who was offered a tryout by the Detroit Tigers right out of high school, which he turned down to play football at Indiana University. A knee injury ended his football career. During his recovery, he took up the guitar and started writing songs.

Despite family and friends’ disapproval, he moved to Nashville at age 26. Within a year, he was signed as a staff songwriter by the industry giant Sony-ATV (then called Tree International Publishing).

He initially tasted success as a songwriter in 1980-87 with cuts by John Conlee, T.G. Sheppard, Conway Twitty, Johnny Lee, Michael Johnson and other stars of the era. In 1981, Ronnie McDowell scored back-to-back smash hits with O’Hara’s “Wandering Eyes” and “Older Women.” The 1986 Judds hit “Grandpa (Tell Me Bout the Good Old Days) earned Grammys for the duo’s performance as well as for O’Hara’s songwriting.

Jamie O’Hara next formed The O’Kanes with fellow songwriter Kieran Kane. The duo debuted on the charts with the 1986 top 10 hit “Oh Darlin.'” The O’Kanes scored a No. 1 hit in 1987 with “Can’t Stop My Heart From Loving You.” This was followed by the 1987-88 top 10 successes “Daddies Need to Grow Up Too,” “Just Lovin’ You,” “One True Love” and “Blue Love.”

The duo issued three LPs – The OKanes (1987), Tired of Runnin’ (1988) and Imagine That (1990) – before amicably parting ways.

Don Williams had scored a top 10 hit in 1988 with O’Hara’s co-written “Desperately,” and Tammy Wynette succeeded with “Talkin’ To Myself Again” in 1987. So O’Hara returned to writing for others. Trisha Yearwood, The Chicks, Randy Travis, Emmylou Harris, Mark Collie and Michael Martin Murphey were among those who recorded his songs in the early 1990s. Tanya Tucker popularized his farm-crisis song, “Bidding America Goodbye.”

The songwriter returned to recording with the 1994 solo CD Rise Above It. His second solo CD was 2001’s Beautiful Obsession, and in 2012 he followed it with Dream Hymns. The first of these contained his notable Vietnam War elegy “50,000 Names.”

O’Hara’s songwriting success continued with “You’ve Got to Talk to Me,” a major hit for Lee Ann Womack in 1997. George Jones (2000’s “The Cold Hard Truth”) and Wynonna (1997’s “When Love Starts Talkin’”) also maintained O’Hara’s songwriting prominence.

Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris included his “When We’re Gone Long Gone” on their 1999 Trio II collection. In 2001, Gary Allan had a No. 1 hit with “Man To Man,” and he also recorded several other O’Hara compositions.

Tim McGraw, Sara Evans, Joey & Rory, The Oak Ridge Boys, Pam Tillis and Josh Turner were among those who have recorded O’Hara songs in recent years. He also has a number of bluegrass-music successes.

During his songwriting career, Jamie O’Hara provided songs to dozens of stars. The list includes Janie Fricke, Mel McDaniel, Brady Seals, Shelby Lynne, Mandy Barnett, Kathy Mattea, Larry Stewart, Dave & Sugar, Tom Wopat and Stacy Dean Campbell, among many others.

There are no plans for a public memorial at this time. In lieu of flowers, donations are being accepted in Jamie O’Hara’s name to Bonaparte’s Retreat, Doctors Without Borders, MusiCares, and SmileTrain.

Jordan Davis Ranks No. 1 On ‘MusicRow’ CountryBreakout Radio Chart

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Jordan Davis moves two positions, climbing to No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week with his single “Almost Maybes.” The single appears on Davis’ self-title EP and was written by Davis, Hillary Lindsey, and Jesse Frasure.

Davis sat down with MusicRow to discuss “Almost Maybes” and his latest project. “It’s just looking back at past relationships and not just taking the negatives from them, since they didn’t work out,” Davis says. “For me it led to me findin’ my wife, and now we have a six month-old daughter. But looking back on those relationships and not thinking about them in a bad light, just realizing that I learned a lot about myself. With the good and the bad, I’m a better person because of it.” To read the full interview, click here.

Click here or above to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.

Country Artists React To D.C. Violence

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US Capitol, Washington DC

Yesterday (Jan. 6) a mob of Pro-Trump protesters stormed the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., as Congress began counting the Electoral College votes.

Chaos and violence ensued, as demonstrators broke through barricades and entered the Capitol building, putting the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives into lockdown.

Now, several country music artists are speaking out about the violence on social media:

Who Ruled 2020 Year-End Sales? Luke Combs, Gabby Barrett, Morgan Wallen, Maren Morris, Dan + Shay

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Pictured (L-R, top row): Maren Morris, Gabby Barrett; (L-R, bottom row): Luke Combs, Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, Morgan Wallen

According to Nielsen, Gabby Barrett tops the Top 5 on-demand audio Streaming Country Songs for 2020, with her breakout single, “I Hope,” garnering 409 million streams.

Maren Morris follows Barrett, with “The Bones” earning 342 million streams. Morgan Wallen‘s collaboration with Diplo and Julia Michaels on “Heartless” comes in at No. 3 with 340 million; and his “Chasin’ You” is at No. 4 with 303 million streams. Dan + Shay‘s collaboration with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours,” rounds out the Top 5 on-demand audio Streaming Country Songs for 2020 with 281 million streams.

Notably, each song in the top five—apart from Wallen’s “Chasin’ You”—has a pop radio remix or collaboration. Barrett’s remix of “I Hope” that included Charlie Puth went to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 all-genre chart and No. 1 on their Adult Top 40. Morris’ remix of “The Bones” with Hozier was a No. 1 Adult Top 40 song. Diplo and Wallen’s “Heartless” has been certified 3x-Platinum.

Dan + Shay and Bieber’s “10,000 Hours” made history on Billboard‘s Streaming Songs chart by becoming the highest-charting non-holiday country song in the history of the chart, beating Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise.”

As far as albums, there were 19 country titles in the top 200 overall for 2020. Luke Combs‘ What You See Is What You Get is the highest ranking country album at No. 10 in the top 200. His This One’s For You is the second highest title, at No. 25.

Other country albums in the top 200 for 2020 include:
Morgan Wallen’s If I Know Me (No. 27)
Sam Hunt’s SOUTHSIDE (No. 62)
Chris Stapleton’s Traveller (No. 65)
Blake Shelton’s Fully Loaded: God’s Country (No. 71)
Gabby Barrett’s Goldmine (No. 100)
Maren Morris’ Girl (No. 106)
Luke Bryan’s Born Here Live Here Die Here (No. 107)
Kenny Chesney’s Here And Now (No. 112)
Dan + Shay’s Dan + Shay (No. 125)
Kane Brown’s Experiment (No. 133)
Carrie Underwood’s My Gift (No. 137)
Jason Aldean’s 9 (No. 138)
Zac Brown Band’s Greatest Hits So Far… (No. 141)
Kane Brown’s Kane Brown (No. 156)
Old Dominion’s Old Dominion (No. 159)
Kane Brown’s Mixtape Vol. 1 (No. 168)
Lee Brice’s Hey World (No. 175)

BREAKING: The Recording Academy Postpones Grammy Awards To March

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[UPDATED: The original show date (March 21) announced by The Recording Academy has subsequently been changed by the organization to March 14 and updated in the story below.]

The Recording Academy has postponed the Grammy Awards to March 14, 2021. The show’s postponement is due to health concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday (Jan. 4), California set a new single-day record of 74,000 new cases.

The 63rd Grammy Awards were to broadcast from Los Angeles on the CBS network on Sunday, Jan. 31.

In a joint statement, Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason jr.; Executive Vice President, Specials, Music, Live Events and Alternative Programming, CBS, Jack Sussman; GRAMMY Awards Executive Producer, Fulwell 73 Productions, Ben Winston, said:

“After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards to be broadcast Sunday, March 14, 2021. The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show.

We want to thank all of the talented artists, the staff, our vendors and especially this year’s nominees for their understanding, patience and willingness to work with us as we navigate these unprecedented times.”

Nominees for the 63rd Grammy Awards were announced in November of 2020. Yesterday (Jan. 4) was the last day for Recording Academy members to vote for the winners. Grammy-nominated comedian Trevor Noah was slated to be the host of the 2021 Grammys, but it is unclear if he will still host this year’s show.

Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley To Release Solo Music

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Florida Georgia Line. Photo: John Shearer

Florida Georgia Line members Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley announced on social media that they will be releasing their own music, as individuals, in the near future. The duo also assured fans that they are not splitting up; with their fifth studio album, Life Rolls On, due out in February and a tour to follow once it is safe to do so.

Florida Georgia Line started their hit-filled career in 2010. Their breakout single “Cruise” was certified 11x multi-Platinum, making them the first country act to achieve RIAA’s Diamond certification. They hold the longest reign on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart of 50 consecutive weeks with another Diamond, No. 1 single, “Meant to Be” with Bebe Rexha. They’ve tallied 17 career No. 1 singles.

In an effort to be “transparent and real” with their fans, Kelley and Hubbard uploaded a nearly 10-minute video explaining that while they will still be making music and touring as FGL, they will also be working on music individually, with Kelley announcing an album he’s planning for the summer. Hubbard mentioned some collaborations to be released soon.

“I did a lot of soul-searching,” said Kelley. “I took some time off from writing songs. I didn’t know what I was searching for. I got my arm back in shape and thought I was going to start pitching again, I fished as much as I could, and did pretty much anything I could do to get a lot of energy out and kill some time.

“Where I landed was really falling in love with my guitar and writing songs again, more than ever,” Kelley continued. “This has been a lifelong dream of mine, but I started writing an album once I started writing again. I had a couple songs that I was writing and I thought, ‘I think I’m supposed to sing these and have a project or an outlet for these to come out on.'”

Kelley said that he approached Hubbard in September with the idea for a solo project., to which Hubbard gave him his blessing as a collaborator.

“We’re really creating some freedom for ourselves in addition to what we do with FGL” Kelley said.

“There’s a lot going on,” Hubbard said. “We want to make sure that our truth is out there for you guys, and our genuine excitement and support of each other for the next chapter of our career, of our music, of our journey, of our touring, and everything. We’re really excited.”

Top Songwriter Chart: MusicRow’s Top 100 Songwriters Of 2020

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While the past year was difficult for all, 2020 saw these elite songwriters garner ample chart success on the weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Using algorithms based on song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams, these songwriters prevailed in 2020.

Notably, there are 19 female songwriters in the top 100 this year—which is made up of 112 songwriters because of tied scores. This is a continued increase from last year’s 13 female songwriters within the top 100, and 2018’s 11. Hillary Lindsey is the highest ranking female on this year’s list, at No. 11.

Hillary Lindsey. Photo: Becky Fluke

The songs that propelled Lindsey to No. 11 include Luke Bryan’s “What She Wants Tonight,” HARDY’s “One Beer,” Kelsea Ballerini’s “Hole In The Bottle,” and Jordan Davis’ “Almost Maybes.” Among her 2020 honors were Songwriter of the Year at the ACM Awards and Female Songwriter of the Year at the MusicRow Awards.

Josh Osborne

For the second time in the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart’s history, Josh Osborne takes the top position. Songs of his that were hits in 2020 include Sam Hunt’s “Kinfolks,” “Hard To Forget,” and “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s,” Morgan Wallen’s “7 Summers,” Darius Rucker’s “Beers And Sunshine,” both Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani hit duets “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere,” and more.

Osborne ended 2020 in the No. 1 position on the weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter chart for the sixth consecutive week. Osborne won Song of the Year at the ACM Awards this year for “One Man Band,” recorded by Old Dominion.

HARDY. Photo: Tanner Gallagher

HARDY comes in at No. 2 on the MusicRow Top 100 Songwriters chart this year. As an artist, his self-penned songs that had high activity this past year were “Give Heaven Some Hell” and “One Beer,” his first No. 1 song as an artist. Songs HARDY co-wrote for other artists that were hits in 2020 were LOCASH’s “One Big Country Song,” Jameson Rodgers’ “Some Girls,” Morgan Wallen’s “This Bar” and “More Than My Hometown,” and more.

HARDY released his debut album, A ROCK, in September, and it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. He was also named the AIMP Nashville Songwriter of the Year.

Ross Copperman. Photo: Kelly Taylor

Ross Copperman takes the No. 3 position. Tops songs for Copperman in 2020 were “Tip Of My Tongue” (Kenny Cheseney), “What She Wants Tonight” (Luke Bryan), “The Other Girl” (Kelsea Ballerini with Halsey), “Lady” (Brett Young), “Beers And Sunshine” (Darius Rucker), as well as “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere” (Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani).

Copperman was named Songwriter of the Year for the fourth time at the BMI Country Awards in November.

Ashley Gorley. Photo: Josh Ulmer

Ashley Gorley, who notched his record-breaking 50th No. 1 song in 2020, is at No. 4 on the MusicRow Top 100 Songwriters chart. The hits that fueled him were “One Big Country Song” (LOCASH), “Remember You Young” (Thomas Rhett), “Hole In The Bottle” (Kelsea Ballerini), “Hard To Forget” (Sam Hunt), “One Of Them Girls” (Lee Brice), and more.

Gorley also won his eighth consecutive ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year award in November, and was MusicRow‘s Male Songwriter of the Year at the 32nd annual MusicRow Awards. He was also named as NSAI’s Songwriter of the Year.

Luke Combs. Photo Courtesy UMPG

The fifth songwriter on the MusicRow Top 100 Songwriters chart is Luke Combs. Combs garnered massive amounts of airplay, sales and streams this year, releasing the deluxe version of What You See Is What You Get. Songs that drove Combs were his own “1, 2 Many,” “Better Together,” “Does To Me,” “Lovin’ On You,” “Six Feet Apart,” and “Forever After All,” as well as Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s hit duet, “I Hope You’re Happy Now.”

In 2020, Combs won Male Artist and Album of the Year at the ACM Awards; Male Vocalist and Album of the Year at the CMA Awards; and was named Artist of the Year at the 32nd annual MusicRow Awards. He was also named as NSAI’s Songwriter-Artist of the Year.

MusicRow‘s Top Songwriters of 2020:
1. Josh Osborne
2. Michael Hardy
3. Ross Copperman
4. Ashley Gorley
5. Luke Combs
6. Shane McAnally
7. Josh Thompson
8. Randy Montana
9. Morgan Wallen
10. Ernest Keith Smith
11. Hillary Lindsey
12. Jon Nite
13. Jonathan Singleton
14. Jake Mitchell
15. Jesse Frasure
16. Craig Wiseman
17. Zachary Kale
18. Ray Fulcher
19. Gabby Barrett
20. Thomas Archer
21. Laura Veltz
22. Ryan Vojtesak
23. Matt Dragstrem
24. Thomas Rhett
25. Lance Miller
26. Parker McCollum
27. David Garcia
28. Jimmy Robbins
29. Kane Brown
30. Brandon Kinney
31. David Lee Murphy
32. Natalie Hemby
33. Lindsay Rimes
34. Jamie Paulin
35. Maren Morris
36. Jordan Davis
37. Jamie Moore
38. Corey Crowder
39. Paul Sikes
40. Travis Denning
41. Brock Berryhill
42. Dallas Davidson
43. Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick
44. Michael Tyler
45. Alex Palmer
46. Ben Johnson
47. Parker Welling
48. Brett Young
49. Josh Hoge
50. Michael R. Carter
51. CJ Solar
52. Jeffery Hyde
53. Lee Brice
54. Eric Church
55. Emily Weisband
56. Russell Dickerson, Casey Brown
57. Sam Ellis
58. Sam Hunt
59. Tyler Reeve
60. Justin Weaver
61. Josh Miller
62. Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Deric Ruttan
63. Jacob Durrett
64. Kelly Archer
65. Kelsea Ballerini
66. Lonnie Lee Fowler
67. Shay Mooney, Dan Smyers
68. Ryan Tedder
69. Matt Stell
70. Ashley McBryde, Nicolette Hayford
71. Dan Couch
72. Chris Stapleton
73. Matt Jenkins
74. Chris Lane
75. Scotty McCreery
76. Hunter Phelps
77. Tommy Lee James
78. Jessi Alexander
79. Shy Carter
80. Mike Henderson
81. Casey Beathard
82. Jimmy Yeary, Marv Green
83. Carly Pearce
84. Chase Rice
85. Matt McGinn
86. Zach Crowell
87. Kip Moore, Scott Stepakoff
88. James Slater, Micah Carter, Chris August
89. Tyler Hubbard
90. Ingrid Andress
91. Derrick Southerland
92. Jeremy Stover
93. Nicolle Galyon
94. Justin Moore
95. James McNair
96. Zach Skelton, Julian Bunetta
97. Brad Clawson
98. Chris Janson
99. Mitch Oglesby, Matt Roy
100. Carrie Underwood

Rewind: MusicRow’s Top Engaging Stories Of 2020

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The articles below were some of the most-read stories from MusicRow during 2020. For the first two and a half months of the year, the Nashville music industry’s creative superpower was on full blast until suddenly thwarted in mid-March as the COVID-19 pandemic begin ravaging throughout the world. While some members and companies were forced to shut down, others pivoted to working from home. This year will undoubtedly be defined by the pandemic.

These are the top headlines, excluding obituaries featured separately, that captured the most attention as the Nashville music business, bruised and beat up, persevered onward.

 

Gov. Lee Requires Tennesseans To Remain At Home

[April 2, 2020] Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is set to sign Executive Order 23, which requires that Tennesseans stay home unless carrying out essential activities. The executive order remains in effect until April 14, 2020 at 11:59 p.m…

 

John Prine’s “I Remember Everything” Debuts At No. 1

John Prine. Photo: Danny Clinch

[June 23, 2020] The late John Prine‘s last recorded song, “I Remember Everything,” has debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Rock Digital Song Sales Chart, earning the highest-charting single of Prine’s career as a performer…

 

Lady Antebellum Changes Band Name

[June 11, 2020] Lady Antebellum announced on Thursday (June 11) that going forward, the trio will be dropping the name “Antebellum,” and will be known simply as Lady A…

 

Kane Brown To Play Halftime Show At Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Game

Kane Brown. Photo: Matthew Berinato

[November 25, 2020] Kane Brown is set to headline the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington halftime show on Thanksgiving Day. Kickoff will begin at 4:40 p.m. ET, and the game will air on FOX. The performance is a Cowboys tradition, helping to serve as a call to action for Americans to donate to The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign…

 

ACM Awards To Be Held In Nashville

[April 27, 2020] For the first time in Academy of Country Music Awards history, the show will be held in Nashville. ACM CEO Damon Whiteside made the announcement during a press conference in Nashville on Monday (April 27)…

 

Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced

Pictured (clockwise from top left): Kent Blazy, Brett James, Steve Earle, Bobbie Gentry, Spooner Oldham

[November 2, 2020] Steve Earle, Bobbie Gentry, Kent Blazy, Brett James and Spooner Oldham have been elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, according to an announcement made today (Nov. 2) by Sarah Cates, chair of the organization’s board of directors…

 

Nashville Music Business Hangout, The Palm, Facing Eviction

[September 9, 2020] The Palm, a popular hangout among the music business community, is facing eviction from Hilton Nashville Downtown, reports the Nashville Post. The steakhouse is currently situated across the street from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena’s main entrance, where it has been since it opened in 2000…

 

Loretta Lynn Honored With Statue On Ryman Auditorium Icon Walk

Photo: Kit Wood

[October 21, 2020] A Loretta Lynn statue has been added to the Icon Walk on the grounds of the Ryman Auditorium. Visitors can find the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” statue standing at the northwest corner of the building near the venue’s driveway on Fifth Avenue next to the likeness of Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music…

 

MusicRow Announces 2020 Rising Women On The Row Honorees

[February 26, 2020] MusicRow is proud to reveal the honorees for its ninth annual Rising Women on the Row celebration. The ceremony will honor six female executives who are making a significant impact on Nashville’s country music industry…

 

Amy Grant Shares Personal Message About Heart Health

[February 13, 2020] Amy Grant recently shared her personal story regarding the importance of heart health with her fans, in honor of Heart Health Awareness month. In a social media post, the Grammy-winning, Nashville native and fierce music community supporter paid tribute to her doctor, Dr. John Bright Cage…

 

Carrie Underwood Unveils Track List, Guests For Christmas Album My Gift

Photo: Joseph Llanes

[August 31, 2020] Carrie Underwood welcomed some special guests on her upcoming new Christmas album, My Gift, collaborating with John Legend on the original song “Hallelujah,” and inviting 5-year-old son Isaiah to appear on the holiday classic that inspired the album title, “Little Drummer Boy”…

 

Florida Georgia Line Leaves Big Loud

Florida Georgia Line. Photo: Robby Klein.

[January 31, 2020] Florida Georgia Line has parted ways with managers Seth England and Kevin “Chief” Zaruk of Big Loud, after nine years. FGL first signed with Big Loud Publishing in 2011 and in 2012, released the breakthrough single “Cruise,” which is now 11x Platinum and the best-selling digital country single of all time…

 

Kathie Lee Gifford Talks New Movie, Working With Brett James, And New Beginnings [Interview]

Then Came You starring Kathie Lee Gifford Credit: Vertical Entertainment

[September 25, 2020] Television star, actress, singer, and songwriter Kathie Lee Gifford has lent her artistry to a new film, Then Came You. Gifford wrote, produced, and starred in the film, and she wrote the music with Music Row hit-maker Brett James. Film distributor Vertical Entertainment plans a one-night showing of Then Came You nationwide via Fathom Events on Sept. 30, followed by an on-demand and digital release on Oct. 2…

 

2020 ACM Awards Winners

Maren Morris poses with the Female Artist of the Year award at the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards. Photo: John Shearer/ACMA2020/Getty Images for ACM

[September 16, 2020] The 55th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Keith Urban and airing on CBS, marked the first time the awards show aired from Nashville, featuring performances from three iconic venues—the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium, and the Bluebird Cafe…

 

Eric Church, Maren Morris, Luke Combs Lead CMA Awards Winners

Eric Church accepts award for Entertainer of the Year at The 54th Annual CMA Awards. Photo: Courtesy CMA

[November 11, 2020] The 54th Annual CMA Awards were celebrated in Nashville tonight, airing live on ABC, and co-hosted by Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker…

 

Longtime Songwriter Hotspot Douglas Corner Closing Permanently

[May 28, 2020] Nashville’s Douglas Corner Cafe, a longtime favorite spot for music lovers and songwriters, will close its doors for good, according to owner Mervin Louque…

 

Thomas Rhett Inks With Warner Chappell

Thomas Rhett. Photo: John Shearer

[August 12, 2020] Thomas Rhett has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville. The multi-Platinum singer-songwriter was most recently signed to Sony/ATV…

 

Keith Urban, Luke Combs, Tanya Tucker, Blake Shelton Show Out For All For The Hall

Pictured (L-R, back row): Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Luke Combs, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young, Morgan Wallen, John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Chris Stapleton; (L-R, front row): Tanya Tucker, Tenille Townes, Carly Pearce, Ingrid Andress, and Lauren Daigle backstage at All for the Hall: Under the Influence, benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

[February 11, 2020] The seventh annual All For The Hall, benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, sold out Bridgestone Arena last night (Feb. 10). With Keith Urban serving as the host, the show was billed as All For The Hall: Under The Influence, and each special guest played a song of their own and a song that had influenced them. Urban was joined by Tanya Tucker, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Carly Pearce, Morgan Wallen, Tenille Townes, Brothers Osborne, Lauren Daigle, and Ingrid Andress throughout the night.

 

Morgan Wallen Adds Republic To His Team

Morgan Wallen. Photo: John Shearer

[August 31, 2020] Big Loud Records artist Morgan Wallen has scored a huge streaming hit with his latest, “7 Summers.” Now, Republic Records is partnering with Big Loud to work Wallen’s music, and will start with a radio campaign for “7 Summers”…

 

32nd Annual MusicRow Awards Winners

[August 18, 2020] MusicRow Magazine revealed the winners of the 32nd annual MusicRow Awards in a series of videos on all MusicRow online platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, starting at 9:00 a.m. today (Aug. 18). The winners for the 32nd annual MusicRow Awards are…

 

On The Row: Gabby Barrett On Her Journey From American Idol To A Radio Hit

Gabby Barrett with MusicRow Magazine staffers.

[February 11, 2020] Gabby Barrett‘s journey from the American Idol finals to country radio success could be the epitome of the lyrics featured in one of her songs, “Jesus and My Mama”: I don’t break and I don’t bend…

 

MusicRow Highlights Rising Leaders With 2021 N.B.T. Industry Directory

[December 1, 2020] Rising Nashville music industry leaders have been selected as MusicRow Magazine’s 2021 N.B.T. Industry Directory. Now in its second year, MusicRow’s N.B.T. Industry Directory is the first and only list of its kind, showcasing Nashville music business professionals who occupy important roles at their respective companies, and who are on a trajectory of excellence to successfully lead the Nashville music industry into the future…

 

Kevin Jonas, Sr. Launches Nashville-based Publishing House Jonas Group Publishing (Exclusive)

Pictured: Kevin Jonas, Sr. (Founder and CEO), Denise Jonas (Founder), Terri Jo Box (Songwriter), Roger Hodges (Artist Manager with Jonas Group Entertainment). Photo: Courtesy of Jonas Group Publishing All photos are Courtesy of Jonas Group Publishing

[September 15, 2020] Jonas Group Entertainment, led by founder/CEO Kevin Jonas, Sr., has opened the Nashville-based publishing division, Jonas Group Publishing, with flagship writer Terri Jo Box.

 

Hannah Mulholland Exits Runaway June

Pictured: Hannah Mulholland, Naomi Cooke, Jennifer Wayne

[May 14, 2020] Hannah Mulholland has announced her departure from the trio Runaway June. Mulholland, alongside Naomi Cooke and Jennifer Wayne, formed Runaway June in 2015 and signed with BBR Music Group’s Wheelhouse Records…

 

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Announces Two New Executive Hires

Caldwell, Pender

[May 7, 2020] Sony/ATV has added two new executives to its Nashville office. Cam Caldwell joins as VP, Business Affairs, while Courtney Pender joins as VP, Human Resources…

 

Ashley Gorley Makes History With 50th No. 1 Song Milestone

Ashley Gorley. Photo: Josh Ulmer

[August 3, 2020] Ashley Gorley has set a new record, as he earns his 50th No. 1 song at country radio with LOCASH‘s “One Big Country Song,” which is at No. 1 this week on Mediabase. With this milestone, Gorley—who is signed to Round Hill Music Publishing—becomes the only songwriter in any genre to earn 50 No. 1 singles in the history of the Mediabase and Billboard Airplay charts…

 

Luke Combs Inks Publishing Deal With Universal Music Publishing Group

Luke Combs. Photo Courtesy UMPG

[July 8, 2020] Luke Combs has signed an exclusive, global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group…

 

Nashville Music Venue The Basement East Destroyed By Tornado

[March 3, 2020] Beloved Nashville music venue The Basement East was destroyed early Tuesday morning (March 3) when a tornado ripped through much of Nashville around 1:00 a.m. The tornado caused severe damage in areas of Nashville including East Nashville, Germantown, Donelson and Mt. Juliet…

 

Gone West Parts Ways

[August 13, 2020] Members of the band Gone West are going separate ways. Colbie Caillat and Justin Young are splitting from bandmates Jason Reeves and Nelly Joy. On Wednesday, Caillat posted the news on Instagram…

 

Nashville Studio Singer Community Presents “It Is Well With My Soul” With Virtual Cell Phone Choir

[March 26, 2020] Thirty-one of Nashville’s studio singers came together using their cell phones during Nashville’s ‘Safer at Home’ order to record and lift their collective voices to share a message of hope and encouragement with “It Is Well With My Soul”…

Rewind: 2020 ‘MusicRow’ CountryBreakout Radio Chart No. 1s

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Since 2002, the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart has crowned No. 1 songs in the secondary country radio marketplace, celebrating 43 songs in 2020. MusicRow congratulates each artist, songwriter and label for its accomplishments this year.

Luke Bryan. Photo: Jim Wright

Three artists achieved triple No. 1s this year, Luke Bryan (“What She Wants Tonight,” “One Margarita,” “Down To One”), Florida Georgia Line (“Blessings,” “I Love My Country,” “Long Live”), and Luke Combs (“Does To Me,” “Lovin’ On You,” “Better Together”).

Bryan’s single “One Margarita” spent an incredible three weeks in the top spot on the chart on June 4, June 11, and June 25. Several artists earned two weeks at the chart pinnacle, including Combs (“Lovin’ On You”), Carly Pearce & Lee Brice (“I Hope You’re Happy Now”), Thomas Rhett feat. Jon Pardi (“Beer Can’t Fix”), Tim McGraw (“I Called Mama”), and Chris Stapleton (“Starting Over”).

The winners of the 19th Annual MusicRow CountryBreakout Awards, based on radio airplay reported by stations on MusicRow’s radio panel, will be revealed on Wednesday February 17, 2021.

2020 MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart No. 1s
Jan. 9: Luke Bryan, “What She Wants Tonight”
Jan. 16: Jake Owen, “Homemade”
Jan. 23: Kane Brown, “Homesick”
Jan. 30 & Feb. 6: Carly Pearce & Lee Brice, “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
Feb. 13: Eric Church, “Monsters”
Feb. 20: Morgan Wallen, “Chasin’ You”
Feb. 27: Florida Georgia Line, “Blessings”
March 5: Ingrid Andress, “More Hearts Than Mine”
March 12 & March 19: Thomas Rhett & Jon Pardi, “Beer Can’t Fix”
March 26: Luke Combs & Eric Church, “Does To Me”
April 2: Carrie Underwood, “Drinking Alone”
April 9: Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani, “Nobody But You”
April 16: Gabby Barrett, “I Hope”
April 23: Kenny Chesney, “Here And Now”
April 30: Justin Moore, “Why We Drink”
May 7: Keith Urban, “God Whispered Your Name”
May 14: Miranda Lambert, “Bluebird”
May 21: Sam Hunt, “Hard To Forget”
May 28: Florida Georgia Line, “I Love My Country”
June 4, June 11 & June 25: Luke Bryan, “One Margarita”
June 18: Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott & Chris Tomlin, “Be A Light”
July 2: Chris Janson, “Done”
July 9 & July 16: Tim McGraw, “I Called Mama”
July 23: Kip Moore, “She’s Mine”
July 30: Lee Brice, “One Of Them Girls”
Aug. 6 & Aug. 13: Luke Combs, “Lovin’ On You”
Aug. 20: Jason Aldean, “Got What I Got”
Aug. 27: Jon Pardi, “Got What I Got”
Sept. 3: HARDY, Lauren Alaina & Devin Dawson, “One Beer”
Sept. 10: Morgan Wallen, “More Than My Hometown”
Sept. 17: Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani, “Happy Anywhere”
Sept. 24: Lady A, “Champagne Night”
Oct. 1: Parker McCollum, “Pretty Heart”
Oct. 8: Kenny Chesney, “Happy Does”
Oct. 15: Jameson Rodgers, “Some Girls”
Oct. 22: Kelsea Ballerini, “Hole In The Bottle”
Oct. 29: Darius Rucker, “Beers and Sunshine”
Nov. 5 & Dec. 17: Chris Stapleton, “Starting Over”
Nov. 12: Brothers Osborne, “All Night”
Nov. 19: Florida Georgia Line, “Long Live”
Nov. 25: Rascal Flatts, “How They Remember You”
Dec. 3: Luke Combs, “Better Together”
Dec. 10: Luke Bryan, “Down To One”