JUST IN: 2024 Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame Nominees Revealed

/by

The 2024 nominees for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) have been announced. The new group will be among those honored at the 54th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the Music City Center.

In the Contemporary Songwriters category, the nominees are Al Anderson, Shawn Camp, Desmond Child, Jim Collins, Gordon Kennedy, Frank J. Myers, Annie Roboff and Liz Rose. Those in the Contemporary Songwriter/Artists category are Steven Curtis Chapman, Brad Paisley, Phil Vassar and Lucinda Williams.

“We congratulate this year’s nominees in our contemporary categories. Their nominations are so well deserved,” says NaSHOF Executive Director Mark Ford. “We look forward in several weeks to announcing those who will be inducted this fall as members of our Class of 2024.”

A total of two songwriters and one artist-songwriter will be elected from the contemporary categories by members of the Hall of Fame along with other professional songwriters and artists from a variety of genres who are prominently identified with Nashville and who have written/co-written at least one original and significant Nashville song.

In addition, three more will be named to the Class of 2024. A separate body of veteran voters will elect a Veteran Songwriter, a Veteran Songwriter/Artist and a Legacy Songwriter/Artist (deceased), all of whom experienced their first significant songs at least 30 years ago. As part of that process, nominees in those categories are not announced.

For biographical information on the 2024 nominees, see below:

Category 1 – Contemporary Songwriters

AL ANDERSON
“Big Al” Anderson was born in Windsor, Connecticut. Raised by his piano teacher mother and a radio that would get WWVA in Wheeling, West Virginia, late at night, he devoured all genres of music. He was a member of The Wildweeds in the late 1960s. From 1971 to 1993 he was lead guitarist in the Rock band NRBQ, also releasing several solo albums. He was recognized as one of the top 100 guitar players of the 20th Century by Musician magazine. In the 1990s, Al shifted his focus to country music. In 1993 Al celebrated his first major hit as Carlene Carter took their co-written “Every Little Thing” to No. 3 country. Among Al’s best-known songs are “Should’ve Asked Her Faster” by Ty England, “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” by The Mavericks w/ Flaco Jiménez, “Unbelievable” by Diamond Rio, “Powerful Thing” by Trisha Yearwood, “Big Deal” by LeAnn Rimes, “The Cowboy In Me” by Tim McGraw, “Trip Around The Sun” by Jimmy Buffett & Martina McBride (also No. 1 Bluegrass in 2024 for Bronwyn Keith-Hynes w/ Dierks Bentley), “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright” by George Strait, and “Loving You Easy” by The Zac Brown Band. Al was named 2000 BMI Country Songwriter of the Year.

SHAWN CAMP
Shawn Camp grew up on a farm outside of Perryville, Arkansas. Shawn picked up a guitar at age five and by age 20 had moved to Nashville, where he found work in the late ’80s as a fiddle player in backing bands for The Osborne Brothers, Jerry Reed, Alan Jackson and Trisha Yearwood. After charting a pair of self-penned singles in 1993 as a Warner Bros. recording artist, Shawn turned his attention to writing songs for other artists—earning his first No. 1 hits in 1998 with “Two Piña Coladas” by Garth Brooks and “How Long Gone” by Brooks & Dunn. In 2006, he had top 5 singles with “Nobody But Me” by Blake Shelton and “Would You Go With Me” by Josh Turner. Shawn also co-wrote Turner’s “Firecracker,” as well as “River Of Love” by George Strait and “Love Done Gone” by Billy Currington. Shawn’s songs have also been hits for Bluegrass artists such as Ricky Skaggs, The Lonesome River Band and Don Rigsby. Shawn’s “We Know Where He Is” by The Del McCoury Band was a 2007 Gospel Music Association (GMA) bluegrass song nominee and his “My Quiet Mind” by The Gibson Brothers was a 2018 Society For The Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) song nominee. Shawn’s “My Love Will Not Change” by Aubrie Sellers with Steve Earle was an Americana Music Association (AMA) song nominee in 2020.

DESMOND CHILD
Desmond Child was born in Gainesville, Florida, but grew up in Miami. By the mid-1970s his obsession with music led him to New York City, where early co-writes with Paul Stanley of KISS yielded 1979’s “I Was Made For Loving You.” By 1986, Desmond’s co-writes with Bon Jovi provided the band with two of their biggest hits—“You Give Love A Bad Name” and “Livin’ On A Prayer.” Desmond continued his ’80s rock/pop success with songs such as “Dude Looks Like A Lady” by Aerosmith and “I Hate Myself For Loving You” by Joan Jett (tweaked in 2013 to become the NBC Sunday Night Football theme). Moving to Nashville in the early ’90s, Desmond celebrated more hits, including “Crazy” by Aerosmith, “Where Your Road Leads” by Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks, “Nobody Wants To Be Lonely” by Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera and “Waking Up In Vegas” by Katy Perry. “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin was named 2000 ASCAP Pop Song of the Year and Billboard’s 1999 Latin Pop Track of the Year. Desmond is a 2008 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York and a 2022 inductee into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.

JIM COLLINS
Jim Collins grew up on a dairy farm in Nacogdoches, Texas. Gifted his first guitar at age 10, he played his first professional gig at 12, later moving on to various rock bands throughout high school. In the 1980s Jim began playing country music and writing original songs. He played the Texas music scene until 1995, when he moved to Nashville. Within a few months he had a publishing deal and was an in-demand demo singer. His first cut came in 1997 and his first top 10 two years later. By 2000 Jim had his first No. 1 song with “Yes!” by Chad Brock. Jim’s particular success with Kenny Chesney has yielded hits such as “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” and “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven,” as well as “The Good Stuff,” which was named the 2002 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Single of the Year and the 2003 ASCAP Country Song of the Year. Other hits written by Jim include “Then They Do” by Trace Adkins, “It Just Comes Natural” by George Strait, “Big Green Tractor” by Jason Aldean, “I Don’t Feel Like Loving You Today” by Gretchen Wilson (a 2006 Grammy nominee for best country song), “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square (a 2011 Grammy nominee for best country song) and “Damn Strait” by Scotty McCreery. Jim is a 2020 inductee into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame.

GORDON KENNEDY
Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Gordon Kennedy moved with his family to Nashville at age one. He grew up spending time at recording sessions with his father, musician/producer Jerry Kennedy. Receiving a Fender Telecaster at age 15, Gordon played his first recording session and wrote his first song while in high school. In 1984 he joined the Christian rock band White Heart, writing five of their top 5 hits, including “Fly Eagle Fly” and “Eighth Wonder.” By the mid-90s, he was a co-writer on the international hit “Change The World” — first recorded in 1995 by Wynonna, then again by Eric Clapton for the 1996 film, Phenomenon. The song spent 13 weeks at No. 1 and earned the 1997 Grammy for Best Song (and also for Record of the Year). Among Gordon’s dozen-plus Garth Brooks cuts are “You Move Me,” “Love Will Always Win” (duet with Trisha Yearwood), “Lost In You” and “It Don’t Matter To The Sun” (the latter two by Brooks’ alter ego Chris Gaines). Gordon has Adult Contemporary singles by Bonnie Raitt (including the top 15 “I Can’t Help You Now,”), as well as bluegrass singles by Ricky Skaggs (“You Can’t Hurt Ham” and “Return To Sender,” a Grammy Gospel song nominee).

FRANK J. MYERS
Frank J. Myers grew up in Dayton, Ohio. His father taught him to play guitar, and by age 14, Frank had formed a band with his brother. After moving to Nashville in 1981, Frank was hired by Eddy Raven as a guitar player—later becoming Raven’s band leader and road manager. During that time, Frank co-wrote 10 top 10 singles for Raven, including “Bayou Boys,” “I Got Mexico” and “Sometimes A Lady.” In 1982, Frank’s “You And I” became a hit for Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle. Other hits from Frank’s catalog include “My Front Porch Looking In” by Lonestar, “Come In Out Of The Pain” by Doug Stone and “Once Upon A Lifetime” by Alabama. The John Michael Montgomery version of “I Swear” earned a slew of awards—1994 Grammy for Best Country Song, 1994 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Song and Single of the Year, 1994 Country Music Association (CMA) Single of the Year, 1994 NSAI Song of the Year, 1995 ASCAP Country Song of the Year—with the All 4 One version topping the Pop chart for 11 consecutive weeks. “I’m Already There” by Lonestar was the 2002 ASCAP Country Song of the Year and the 2002 BMI Country Song of the Year. “Tomorrow” by Chris Young was the 2011 SESAC Country Song of the Year.

ANNIE ROBOFF
Born in Greenburgh, New York, Annie Roboff began her music career writing songs for her bandmates in New York City a cappella group The Bondinis. When the group parted ways, Annie began writing/arranging sports themes for ABC. Soon she was creating music for TBS, CBS and ESPN (the original SportsCenter theme), as well as the Olympics and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Relocating to Los Angeles, Annie shifted her focus to writing songs. Following several pop and R&B cuts, she was signed to Almo/lrving Music in 1994. Later that year, after a writing trip to Nashville, she made the move to Music City and co-wrote her first hit, “Walking Away” by Diamond Rio. By 1998, Annie celebrated several more hits, including “Happy Girl” by Martina McBride, “There Goes My Baby” by Trisha Yearwood, “To Have You Back Again” by Patty Loveless and the multi-genre smash “This Kiss,” by Faith Hill which was honored as 1998 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Single of the Year, 1999 Country Music Association (CMA) Song of the Year and 1999 ASCAP Country Song of the Year. Other hits from Annie’s pen include “That’s The Way” by Jo Dee Messina, “If I Fall You’re Going Down With Me” by the Dixie Chicks, “Unbroken” by Tim McGraw and the Faith Hill hits “If My Heart Had Wings” and “One.”

LIZ ROSE
Dallas-born Liz Rose was raised in Irving, Texas. A non-songwriter at that time, she moved with her songwriter husband to Nashville, where she found work as a songplugger. Encouraged by songwriters and other friends, Liz began writing songs at age 37, and by 2004 she had her first top 20 single, “Songs About Rain,” by Gary Allan. By mid-decade, Liz’s co-writes with newcomer Taylor Swift yielded her debut hits “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops On My Guitar,” which was named 2008 BMI Country Song of the Year. Their collaborations span nearly 20 cuts, including “You Belong With Me” (2010 BMI Country Song of the Year), “White Horse” (2010 Grammy for Best Country Song) and the 2022 Grammy-nominated “All Too Well (10-minute version from the short film).” Other hits from Liz’s catalog include “Cry Pretty” by Carrie Underwood and the 2019 Grammy-nominated “It All Comes Out In The Wash” by Miranda Lambert. “Crazy Girl” by Eli Young Band was named 2011 Academy of Country Music (ACM) Song of the Year. “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town earned the 2016 Grammy for Best Country Song, the 2015 Country Music Association (CMA) Song and Single of the Year, and the 2015 NSAI Song of the Year. Liz was the 2007 SESAC Country Songwriter of the Year. She is a 2018 inductee into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame and a 2023 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York.

Category 2 – Contemporary Songwriter/Artists

STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN
The most awarded artist in Christian music history, Steven Curtis Chapman grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, where he learned to play guitar at a young age by hanging out in his father’s music store. Following a brief college career as a pre-med student, Steven moved to Nashville to pursue music. The 1987 release of his debut album, First Hand, launched a flood of awards for his self-penned hits, including “His Eyes” (the Gospel Music Association’s (GMA) 1989 Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year), “His Strength Is Perfect” (the GMA’s 1990 Inspirational Song of the Year), “The Great Adventure” (the GMA’s 1993 Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year), “Go There With You” (the GMA’s 1994 Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year), “Heaven In The Real World” (the GMA’s 1995 pop/contemporary Song of the Year), “Let Us Pray” (the GMA’s 1998 Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year) and “Dive” (the GMA’s 2000 pop/contemporary Song of the Year). Other award-winning songs from Steven’s catalogue include “I Can See The Hand Of God” by The Cathedrals (the GMA’s 1990 Southern Gospel Song Of The Year) and “Voice Of Truth” by Casting Crowns (the GMA’s 2005 Inspirational Song of the Year). One of the most-honored artists in the history of Christian music, Steven is a 10-time winner of the GMA’s Songwriter of the Year award (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2009), as well as NSAI’s 1999 Songwriter/Artist of the Year. A four-time BMI Christian Songwriter of the Year (2001, 2003, 2004, 2010), he is the first Christian music songwriter to receive the BMI Icon Award (2022). In 2023, “Don’t Lose Heart” became his 50th self-penned No. 1 single as an artist.

BRAD PAISLEY
Brad Paisley was born and raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia. He received his first guitar from his grandfather, who taught him to play at eight years old. At age 13, Brad wrote his first song, which he performed publicly, and which eventually led him to an eight-year stint performing on Wheeling’s Jamboree USA. After high-school graduation and two years at West Liberty State College, Brad was awarded a fully-paid ASCAP scholarship to Belmont University in Nashville where he majored in music business. A week after graduating from Belmont, Brad signed as a writer with EMI Music Publishing. Following cuts by David Kersh, David Ball and Tracy Byrd, Brad signed with Arista Nashville and soon began to record his own songs. As an artist, he has placed 33 self-penned top 20 songs on the Billboard charts, including 15 No. 1s and 14 more in the top 10. Among those compositions are “He Didn’t Have To Be,” “Alcohol,” “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song),” “Celebrity,” “Ticks,” “Letter To Me,” “Then,” “This Is Country Music,” “Water,” and his duet with Carrie Underwood “Remind Me.” A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001, Brad was ASCAP’s 2004 Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year. He was NSAI’s Songwriter/Artist of the Year in 2002 and 2005.

PHIL VASSAR
Phil Vassar was born in Lynchburg, Virginia. During college, he began playing piano and singing in local clubs. Moving to Nashville, Phil found the going slow until 1997 when some of his initial songs were recorded by Blackhawk, Skip Ewing, and The Sons of the Desert. Then in 1998, Phil’s songs started gaining traction as singles for a variety of artists. During the next two years, he garnered six chart-topping hits from Collin Raye, Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina (including the #1 “Bye, Bye”) and Tim McGraw (including the No. 1 “My Next Thirty Years”). During that time, he was named NSAI’s 1998 Songwriter of the Year and ASCAP’s 1999 Country Songwriter of the Year. In late 1999, Phil signed a record deal with Arista Nashville. Released the following year, his debut album generated the self-penned hits “Carlene,” “Rose Bouquet,” “Six-Pack Summer,” “That’s When I Love You” and “Just Another Day In Paradise,” Phil’s first No. 1 as an artist. Propelled by that success, he was named ASCAP’s 2001 Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year. Other hits by Phil as an artist include “American Child,” “In A Real Love” and “Last Day Of My Life.” He was named NSAI’s 2006 Songwriter/Artist of the Year.

LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lucinda Williams began writing songs at age six, playing guitar at age 12 and performing on stage at age 17. Dropping out of college to pursue music full-time, she played venues in Austin and Houston before moving to Jackson, MS, in 1978 to record her first album of cover songs. Her second album featured all original songs and her landmark self-titled third album produced three hits. The first, her breakout “Changed The Locks,” reached No. 16 rock in 1988 and would become a No. 20 rock hit for Tom Petty nearly a decade later. The second, “The Night’s Too Long,” became a No. 20 country hit for Patty Loveless in 1990. The third, “Passionate Kisses,” became a No. 4 country hit for Mary Chapin Carpenter and earned Lucinda the 1994 Grammy for Best Country Song. By 2001, she charted again as an artist with the No. 9 alternative hit “Essence.” She earned AMA nominations for her songs “Righteously” (2003), “Are You Alright?” (2007) and “East Side Of Town” (2015). She earned Grammy nominations for “Come On” (2007), “Kiss Like Your Kiss” (2010) and “Man Without A Soul” (2020). Lucinda was awarded the 2011 Americana Music Association (AMA) Lifetime Achievement Award (songwriting) and the 2022 BMI Troubadour Award. In 2021, she was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.

BREAKING: Warner Music Nashville Advances Torie Mason

/by

Torie Mason. Photo: Michael Dominic Tedesco

Warner Music Nashville has promoted Torie Mason to Senior Vice President, Marketing & Analytics.

Mason has successfully led the label’s Strategic Marketing & Analytics teams since 2021. In her new role, she will merge and rebrand the Artist Development team into the comprehensive Marketing department. Reporting to Mason, the Marketing team will now encompass Artist Marketing, Digital Marketing, Analytics, Brand Partnerships, Video Strategy and Advertising Strategy, with Interactive Marketing becoming Digital Marketing.

“This new structure will allow us to continue to super-serve our artists and their music with more focus and urgency,” says Ben Kline, Co-Chair & Co-President, Warner Music Nashville. “Torie’s reputation both inside our building and in the community at large makes her one of the most respected and trusted thought leaders in our industry today. She is the right person to lead these efforts for Warner Music Nashville in an ever-changing marketing landscape.”

“I am immensely grateful to Ben and Cris [Lacy] for entrusting me with this opportunity,” adds Mason. “The enthusiasm, energy and expertise that our Nashville marketers demonstrate daily for our incredible roster of artists is truly unmatched. I am thrilled to help chart a course for continued success and innovation alongside this brilliant team!”

Drew Baldridge Pioneers A New Path To No. 1 [Interview]

/by

Drew Baldridge. Photo: Lyric Ridge Records

Almost a decade after his first record deal, singer-songwriter Drew Baldridge is currently making a push to be the first artist to ever take a self-released single to No. 1 on the country charts.

The Patoka, Illinois native moved to Nashville 13 years ago to pursue a career in music. Not long after, he was inking a record deal with Cold River and releasing his debut album Dirt on Us. The album and proceeding singles did well enough, but when the label closed in 2019, Baldridge had nowhere to go.

“After that, COVID hit and I didn’t know what to do. I was broke, the publishing company I was with got bought out and I was thinking, ‘What am I doing?’ So, I decided I may as well post on TikTok and Facebook to see if anyone would want a show in their backyard,” explains Baldridge. “I thought I would get five requests at most, but we ended up getting over 20,000.”

Baldridge made good on his offer and spent the next two years of his life traveling the country and playing in over 300 people’s backyards with “just me and a guitar.” During this odyssey, his perspective shifted.

“My music really changed when I was in these people’s backyards, eating barbecue, playing corn hole and gaining weight. It made me realize that these were the people I was making music for. I needed to quit thinking about everything else and focus on the people.”

During his two-year tour across the nation, Baldridge married his now-wife and re-recorded her favorite song of his, “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” so she and her father could dance to it at their wedding. The track was previously recorded in 2019 under Cold River, but wasn’t released as a single due to Tenille Townes’ “Somebody’s Daughter” hitting the radio around the same time.

The re-recorded track was a special, stripped-back version of the original that he titled “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Wedding Version).” After the song was a success at the reception, he decided that he would create a post about it on social media.

“I remember it was a Wednesday night on our honeymoon, and I told my wife that I was going to post a TikTok about it—telling the story of why it had been recorded. When we woke up the next day, it had close to 10 million views on it.”

YouTube video

After fielding calls from labels in Los Angeles, Baldridge waited for Nashville to get on board, but the calls never game. The success of the song was apparent, though, as women began to post TikToks sharing photos of them with their fathers growing up.

Fast forward to 2023, at one of his first concerts back, Baldridge was playing the Fireman’s Picnic just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. When he began singing “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” he realized that everyone in the crowd knew the words by heart.

“I looked at my bass player, who has been with me for a decade, and said, ‘Do you ever remember people singing along?’ and he said, ‘No, but I’ve been waiting for 10 years!’”

It was after that event that Baldridge knew he had to capitalize on this opportunity. He readied a radio-friendly version of the sentimental song, titled “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Reimagined),” and began a grassroots promotion push shortly after by calling up old radio friends and asking them their thoughts on the song and advice for moving forward. Today, that team has grown into its own label, Lyric Ridge Records.

Since then, the staff, consisting of Louis Newman, Chele Fassig, Gwen Foster, Brent Battles and his radio mentor, Tim Richards, among others, has been hard at work pushing the track to the top of the charts. This new venture did come with its own set of unique challenges, though.

“Something a lot of artists don’t have to do is be on their own radio promo phone calls,” Baldridge quips. “I’ve had to put on some thick skin because, now, the stations are telling me that they don’t like my song straight to my face. But, for me, I was like, ‘Hurt me! I am putting all of my time, money and effort into this—I want to know how to get to a good end-destination here.’”

All the time, effort and thick skin has paid off. Baldridge’s track has now earned over one billion impressions on TikTok, 58 million listens across all versions on Spotify and sits at No. 8 on both the Mediabase and Billboard Country Airplay charts.

Baldridge makes it very clear that he has not done all of this alone, though, and that he has his fans and supporters to thank for his success.

“They are a part of this just as much as I am. Without them letting me play in their backyards, graduations and weddings, I can’t send the song to radio. Without them being here when no one else was, I don’t have a career,” says Baldridge. “When I post on my socials and I see someone comment, ‘We had you in our backyard a year ago, and now you have a song in the top 10!’ It makes me so happy—I want to win for them. I want us to win together.”

BREAKING: Date & Venue Announced For 60th ACM Awards

/by

The Academy of Country Music has announced that the ACM Awards will return to Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Thursday, May 8, and stream live across the globe exclusively on Prime Video, for its milestone 60th year.

As she announced from the stage during this year’s ceremony, Reba McEntire will host the annual event for the 18th time—the most of any artist in ACM history. Additional details such as award submissions, voting timeline, nominees, performers, ticket details and ACM Awards-week events will be confirmed in the coming months.

“We’re excited to honor and celebrate the legacy of the ACM Awards all year long surrounding the 60th anniversary show returning to Amazon Prime Video next May,” says ACM CEO Damon Whiteside. “Reba McEntire has hosted more ACM Award shows than any other artist in history, and after her triumphant return this year for the 59th show, there is clearly no one better suited to helm this milestone show! Our landmark 50th anniversary show in 2015 marked our debut in Texas, and we’re thrilled to return again to celebrate another major moment in ACM history. We look forward to seeing our industry, artists and fans celebrate in Frisco, Texas next May for an unforgettable week!”

“I’m thrilled to be coming back to host the 60th ACM Awards on Prime Video,” shares McEntire. “It’s going to be an absolute can’t-miss show, and I can’t wait to see everybody back in Texas!”

The Emmy-nominated event became the first major awards show to exclusively stream live for the world in 2022, and the first awards show to take place at Ford Center in 2023.

The 59th ACM Awards reached an international audience spanning over 240 countries and territories, and featured performances by Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Post Malone, Parker McCollum, Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson and more. Viewers were also treated to new music from McEntire and the genre-blending collaborations of Chris Stapleton and surprise guest Dua Lipa, Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani and Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne. Wilson took home three titles including Entertainer of the Year, the highest honor, qualifying her for the ACM Triple Crown Award. Stapleton led the night’s wins with four awards total, and Luke Combs and Jordan Davis scored two each.

Zach Bryan Returns To No. 1 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

/by

Zach Bryan. Photo: Andrew Maclean

Zach Bryan has returned to the No. 1 spot on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. “28,” “American Nights” and “Pink Skies” from his new album, The Great American Bar Scene, as well as “I Remember Everything,” “Nine Ball” and “Sun To Me” all pushed the singer-songwriter to the top this week.

Ashley Gorley sits at No. 2 with “Bulletproof,” “Cowgirls,” “I Am Not Okay,” “I Had Some Help,” “This Town’s Been Too Good To Us,” “Whiskey Whiskey” and “Young Love & Saturday Nights.” “Dirt Cheap” and “The Man He Sees In Me” put Josh Phillips at No. 3.

Chris Stapleton (No. 4) and Jessi Alexander (No. 5) round out this week’s top five.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Megan Moroney Propels Further Into Country Stardom With Sophomore Album [Interview]

/by

Megan Moroney. Photo: CeCe Dawson

When the time came for Megan Moroney to start working on her sophomore album, the breakout star was the busiest she’s ever been.

Since launching onto the scene in a big way with her double-Platinum debut hit “Tennessee Orange,” and its subsequent follow-up smashes “I’m Not Pretty” and “Girl In The Mirror,” Moroney has been shining from one major industry milestone to the next. She released her debut album Lucky to critical and commercial acclaim in 2023 and has garnered over a billion total global career streams. She’s been awarded with a CMT and MusicRow Award, and was named the New Female Artist of the Year at the 59th ACM Awards, where she reigned as the most-nominated female artist with six nods.

On the live front, Moroney has multiple sold-out headline tours now under her belt, including “The Lucky 2.0 Tour” which sold out in five minutes. After getting a taste of the major player’s game on the road with Jamey Johnson and Brooks & Dunn, Moroney graduated to opening for one of the top entertainers in live music, Kenny Chesney, where she has continued to charm stadium-sized audiences as if it were her name in the largest print.

Needless to say, she’s arrived.

Understandably, making a sophomore album in the wake of a monumental breakout success can lead to some pressure. But Moroney says she was fortunately too busy to let it get to her head.

“There’s so much pressure around your sophomore album, or at least that’s what I heard it was going to be like,” she tells MusicRow. “As soon as Lucky came out, I did see people online saying, ‘What’s her next album going to be like? Is it going to be this good or is this just a moment she’s having?’

“In theory, there was supposed to be a lot of pressure on the album, but because I was so busy touring, it didn’t happen that way,” she says. “I just kept writing songs about my life and songs that I liked. One day, I looked down and I had a whole album.”

In pockets of available writing time, Moroney crafted a 14-song album that further highlights her skill for relatability, creativity and wit with the effort, titled Am I Okay?

She says the title track set the tone for the album. Written with Luke Laird and Jessie Jo Dillon, the song finds the singer-songwriter meeting a nice guy and marveling that they do, in fact, exist within the masses of players and losers.

“Once I had written that song, I knew exactly what direction the album was going in,” Moroney says, adding that it jolted her forward in creating the project. “Then there was one day where we wrote ‘Indifferent, ’28th of June’ and ‘The Girls’ all in the same day.”

With her trusted collaborators, Moroney has further pushed herself into vulnerable subject matter, like being rejected, toxic codependency and even death, but she’s also held a steadfast grip on the empowered, slightly sly writing style that makes for a great Instagram selfie caption—see “Indifferent.”

“I always say that I have two sides. I’m either ’emo cowgirl country’ or ‘bad bitch country.’ It really just depends on what kind of mood I’m in,” she says. “When I was growing up, Miranda Lambert is an artist that [helped inspire that in me]. She has very vulnerable songs like ‘Tin Man,’ but she also has the ‘I’ll burn your house down’ songs.”

YouTube video

When Moroney was in her “emo cowgirl country” mood making Am I Okay?, she mined deep. She tackles anniversaries that sting on “28th of June,” and the death of a loved one on “Heaven By Noon.” She sends emotional well-wishes to a past love on “Hope You’re Happy,” loses a guy to a beauty queen on “Miss Universe” and debates on starting up a situationship again on the previously-released fan favorite “No Caller ID.”

On “Mama, I Lied,” Moroney lets her mother in on her pain. With the first line of the chorus saying, “Mama, I lied, he ain’t a good guy. He makes me cry sometimes out of the blue,” connections could be drawn to her “Tennessee Orange,” where Moroney tells her mama that the boy she’s met doesn’t make her cry.

“In early college, [I would sometimes] lie to my mom about a guy being nice because I wanted her to like him if we ended up being together. I wouldn’t tell her the whole truth of how he was treating me. Because once you tell your, mom she doesn’t forgive,” she says of the song.

A highlight on the album comes with “I Know You,” a track that finds Moroney mournfully accepting that she’s being cheated on again. While the lyrics are uncomfortably relatable to anyone who’s been through it, the stirring melody of the track reflects the feeling of a toxic pattern.

“I love all the layered harmonies on that song,” Moroney says. “It almost didn’t make the album because it sounded so different, but I like that about the song.”

YouTube video

The album’s “Hell of a Show” is another lyrical highlight. The short song finds the star who seems to have it made, with her name in marquee lights and fans wrapped around the building, but in reality, she leaves the stage to cry herself to sleep over her partner’s treatment of her. Written solely by Moroney, the star says it was just an honest struggle she needed to get out after one of her shows.

Another highlight from Am I Okay? is Moroney’s arena-sized “Man On The Moon,” a fun romp about needing lightyears of space from an aggravating guy.

“That song is so fun to sing live,” she says. “Because I’ve been on tour so much and the venues are getting bigger, we wanted some more powerhouse songs. The live show was definitely something I considered in the writing process.”

Written with Jessie Jo Dillon, Jessi Alexander and Connie Harrington, “Noah” is a stand-out of the tunes that were not previously released. In a hilariously-quintessential songwriter fashion, it’s not about a past love, just someone whose name sparked Moroney’s intrigue as a song title.

“Noah is someone I met platonically as friends. I literally thought to myself ‘That would be a great song title.’ The name Noah sings really well,” she says. “I thought, ‘How can I write a song about this guy that I don’t know at all? That’s kind of creepy.’

“The Notebook is my favorite movie in the world. It’s not the exact story, obviously Allie and Noah weren’t listening to Eric Church [like the characters in the song], but it’s written from of Allie’s point of view when she was about to marry that other guy but still thinking about Noah.”

YouTube video

Sonically, Moroney has mostly stayed in the groove of her previous music for Am I Okay? Collaborating once again with hitmaker Kristian Bush for production, she recorded the album at Blackbird Studios in Nashville and was meticulous in making sure the album reflected her desire for an organic sound.

“Kristian is brilliant. He knows so much about music in general and he has helped me create my sound,” Moroney says. “I think you can tell that real musicians are playing on my album. That’s really important to me. My biggest fear when making an album is it sounding like it was put into a formula that sounds like everything else. Kristian makes sure that we stay away from that.”

With her new album out in the world, Moroney will undoubtedly stay busy. After she finishes out Chesney’s tour, she will head overseas in September for her “Georgia Girl Tour,” where she will leave more adoring fans in her wake.

Post Malone Claims Fifth Week At No. 1 On MusicRow Radio Chart

/by

Post Malone and Morgan Wallen

Post Malone keeps his No. 1 position on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart for the fifth week in a row with “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen.

“I Had Some Help” comes from Post’s upcoming country album, F-1 Trillion, and was written by Post, Wallen, Ernest, Louis Bell, Ashley Gorely, Hoskins, Charlie Handsome and Chandler Paul Walters.

Before hitting the road on his recently announced “F-1 Trillion Tour,” Post will host “A Night in Nashville” with Bud Light on July 16. His tour kicks off Sept. 8 in Salt Lake City and wraps up at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Oct. 19.

“I Had Some Help” currently sits at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 1 on the Mediabase chart.

Click here to view the latest edition of the MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.

Morgan Wallen Changes Management

/by

Morgan Wallen & Austin Neal

MusicRow has confirmed reports that Morgan Wallen‘s longtime agent Austin Neal is taking over his management. The two are launching a new firm, Sticks Management, with Wallen as its sole client.

The change moves Wallen from the Big Loud Management roster, but his relationship with Big Loud Records and company leader Seth England remains intact. Wallen’s former co-manager Kathleen Flaherty has been named Executive Director of the Morgan Wallen Foundation.

In addition to managing Wallen, Neal will continue to operate The Neal Agency alongside Co-Head & Agent Adi Sharma. The company’s roster includes Bailey Zimmerman, Hardy, Nate Smith, Chase Rice, Ernest, Lauren Watkins, Anne Wilson, Riley Green, Ella Langley, Josh Ross and more.

Wallen recently released his first taste of new tunes with the highly-anticipated “Lies, Lies, Lies.” He continues to tease forthcoming music as his historic collaboration with Post Malone, “I Had Some Help,” plays on as a declared song of the summer.

My Music Row Story: Romeo Entertainment Group’s R.J. Romeo

/by

R.J. Romeo. Photo: Courtesy of Romeo Entertainment Group

The “My Music Row Story” weekly column features notable members of the Nashville music industry selected by the MusicRow editorial team. These individuals serve in key roles that help advance and promote the success of our industry. This column spotlights the invaluable people that keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.

Entertainment industry veteran, attorney and entrepreneur R.J. Romeo has spent over 25 years in the music and live events industries. He began his journey as a lighting/roofing technician, which allowed him to develop a foundational understanding of concert production. Graduating law school and leading the entertainment law division at a premiere Omaha firm provided R.J. with a unique skillset that prepared him for his current role as President & CEO of Romeo Entertainment Group (REG).

R.J. secures talent for, consults and services a variety of major events, including Ashley For The Arts, Boots In The Park, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Coastal Country Jam, Country Jam USA, Fremont Street Experience, Greeley Independence Stampede, Mississippi Valley Fair, Pendleton Whisky Music Festival and more. He also oversees the operations of BERO Entertainment Group, Grayscale Event Marketing and Colossal Events Group in addition to REG’s Operations & Logistics, Marketing and Brand Partnerships divisions, respectively. As President & CEO, R.J. guides the strategic vision, planning and operations for the company. He also continues to provide REG’s clients with support in talent buying, consulting, event problem solving, artist contract and rider negotiations, production issues, security planning, venue layout, emergency management planning and dispute resolution matters.

R.J. is also Co-Owner of Rome Phrey Publishing, a boutique publishing company that helps guide the songwriting career of Elvie Shane. R.J. was named the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA)’s 2014 Fair Buyer of the Year, and received both the ACM Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year and IEBA Fair Buyer of the Year award in 2018.

MusicRow: Where did you grow up?

I was born in Omaha, Nebraska, which is where the company was founded in 1954 by my grandfather Don Romeo. I grew up in Missouri Valley, Iowa. When my father, Bob Romeo, was growing the business, he liked to farm in his spare time, so we actually had a working farm out in Iowa. That’s where I learned what hard work was. In high school, I moved back to Omaha and then went to Creighton Prep for high school, Creighton University for undergrad and then Creighton Law School.

Photo: Courtesy of Romeo Entertainment Group

You come from a long line of music business executives, with your grandfather and father passing the torch to you. What was it like to grow up with them in the business?

I had multiple people in this business around me. My grandfather ran the business up until he retired in ’89 and then my father started running it. I got bit by the bug early on and fell in love with the music business. I knew in some way, shape or form that I was going to be doing something in the business.

How did you get started yourself?

I got the opportunity to work for a production company during my sophomore year of high school. For three summers, I went out on the road and I worked harder than I had ever worked in any job. I was setting up roofs, doing lighting and learning production from the ground up. It was very difficult work, but it gave me a framework and a base of knowledge that I still use to this day.

Photo: Courtesy of Romeo Entertainment Group

In undergrad, I went to work for our company, but it was called TBA Entertainment at the time because there was a short stint where we were owned by them. I became a junior agent and the Rock Music Consultant. My dad, my aunt Fran Romeo, Gil Cunningham and several other people in the Omaha office all had deep country connections, but not deep rock connections. Because I was listening to bands like Evanescence, Nickelback and Three Doors Down, we as fair/festival buyers were able to get in on the ground floor with a lot of those artists. We had dates on Nickelback’s “Silver Side Up Tour.” We were the only fair/festival producers to get dates on Evanescence’s first tour, and we also worked with Three Doors Down when “Kryptonite” came out.

Then you went to law school.

When I was working at TBA, I saw some lawsuits that we weren’t directly involved in, but they came across my desk. As I was reading the contracts, I thought, “I don’t know what a lot of this means. And if I don’t know, I’m going to be beholden to somebody else to tell me about these things for the rest of my life. Let’s see if I can go get the knowledge.” Having that knowledge combined with the production skills I had acquired through college, I developed a very unique perspective.

Photo: Courtesy of Romeo Entertainment Group

My first year of law school, I went out to California during the summer and clerked at William Morris in their Business Affairs division, which allowed me to see what we do from a different perspective. Then I ended up getting the opportunity to run entertainment law practice while doing real estate litigation in Omaha.

In 2008, I left the law firm I was with and came back to REG as In-House Counsel and Talent Buyer. We had an animal rights group interfere with one of our contracts at Cheyenne Frontier Days, and we ended up having to sue the animal rights group for tortious interference. I knew it was going to cost the family company a fortune, so I decided to come back and quarterback the lawsuit. We got the lawsuit resolved, and I just picked up where I had left off. My dad had left to become the Executive Director of the Academy of Country Music in 2003, so my aunt Fran was REG’s President then.

Photo: Courtesy of Romeo Entertainment Group

What brought you to Nashville?

If you practice law for five or six years in certain jurisdictions, you can waive into another jurisdiction. Once I could waive into Tennessee, I did and moved here in 2012.

When we first landed in Nashville, we didn’t have an official office. Our main office was still in Omaha, so we worked out of our homes. We opened our first official Nashville office in 2016. I then became President of the company in 2019 and my sister, Michelle Romeo, became Vice President.

Then COVID happened. How did that affect your new role?

I had all these big plans. [Laughs] We were starting to ramp up and then the bottom dropped out. Even though it was like Groundhog Day with all the canceling and rebooking shows, we were able to manage over 100 clients between the skeleton crew that we were able to keep during COVID. We got through it mainly due to our clients’ loyalty and the support they gave us.

Photo: Courtesy of Romeo Entertainment Group

In June 2021, we had one of the first big shows with our client Activated Events’ Boots In The Park festival in Norco, California. It was the first outdoor festival in California that month. That event went gangbusters. Chris Young was the headliner for 15,000 people. It was a great moment, and it signaled that the industry was back in a big way. Once I saw that, it felt like we were going to be all right. We survived it, and it was time to get back on track with the plans I had for growing and expanding the company.

Tell me about those plans.

Strategically, we’ve gone into other areas that can add value for our clients. We have about 170 events that we work with right now, with most of them being multi-day events. Some of the big ones are the State Fair of Texas and the San Diego County Fair as well as a lot of festivals. We started working with Activated Events in 2017 on a single one-day event and this year, we did 14 festivals with them. Another one, Social House Entertainment, will do 12 or 13 this year. That’s been a huge growth driver.

Photo: Courtesy of Romeo Entertainment Group

Each client has a different level of need. We pride ourselves on trying to point out [everything that clients need to know] and guide them through the entire process. A lot of talent buyers just book the talent, maybe correct the contract and and say “Good luck!” We book the talent, negotiate the deals, help with the marketing, participate in helping with the production advance and oversee the onsite execution of the show.

We bought a digital marketing company, Grayscale Marketing, because every single one of our clients could benefit from digital marketing. Having that expertise in-house allows me to be able to control the quality and provide value and savings to the client. We also have a joint venture deal with Beckon Entertainment for production logistics, and we’ve created a brand partnership division called Colossal Events Group. Anything we can do to add value for our clients and keep that money in our ecosystem, that’s the plan.

Photo: Courtesy of Romeo Entertainment Group

That’s very impressive. REG is celebrating 70 years in business this year, with its entire history being family-operated. How have you guys been able to do that?

Working with family is the most rewarding and most difficult thing. So many good things come from having a family mindset. I think that’s why we’ve got great retention with our employees because we do things way different than a lot of our competitors.

But in order to scale, you’ve got to have policies and procedures, so you have to find that balance. How do you maintain that family culture but grow? I have found that the answer is to really know what your culture is and hire with culture at the forefront. Our main values are Growth, Resilience, Initiative and Tenacity (GRIT). We also value teamwork because we’re all in it together. That’s a motto you’ll hear from our team repeatedly.

My grandfather had a saying that’s on the wall in our conference room—”You’re only as good as your last show.” To me what that says is we don’t phone it in. We don’t take any slots for granted. We take our jobs representing our clients and being their partner very seriously.

Photo: Courtesy of Romeo Entertainment Group

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I have fun curating creative and unique lineups. Before country was cool [in pop culture], I was working to try to put pop and rock acts with country because my philosophy was the Spotify generation was listening to all types of genres. Why wouldn’t people want to consume the live experience the same way? The industry wasn’t really buying into that at the time, but I managed to put Blake Shelton and Pitbull together on a show in Pendleton, Oregon. It was the first time those guys had ever played together and we sold 19,000 tickets. The following year, we ended up doing Eric Church and Macklemore. That was fun. Now it seems like everyone’s doing that.

Who have been some of your mentors?

My legal mentor was a guy named Jerry Slutzky, who still practices back in Omaha. My production mentor when was a guy named Mark Huber. He owns a company called Theatrical Media Services and we still work with them to this day. In the talent buying space, I had two. My best friend at the company when I was coming up was our VP at the time, a guy named Steve “Bogey” Bogdanovich. Bogey taught me how to service dates and how to be a great service rep. My father is the one that I probably listened to the most and taught me how to deal with agents.

What advice would you give professionals who look up to you?

Given any opportunity, take advantage to the fullest. Ask questions. Ask how you can add value. Try to maximize the opportunities that you get. Another piece of advice is to fail forward. We’re all going to fail, but that’s how we learn and grow. As long as you adopt lessons from those hard failures, you’re only going to get better and improve.

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Sam Williams Graces Cirque du Soleil With A ‘Gorgeous, Stately Waltz’

/by

Sam Williams. Photo: Alexa King

It’s party time at DISClaimer this week.

Break out the booze and your dance moves as Post Malone and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Ashlie Amber and Lee Brice with his pals serve up the summer sounds. Upbeat tunes by Sacha and Phil Vassar and Jeffrey Steele will raise your spirits as well.

You’ll also be uplifted if you attend the Cirque du Soleil Songblazers show at TPAC. Its beautiful theme song by Sam Williams is the Disc of the Day.

The DISCovery Award goes to both Jett Holden and his record label, both of which are staging their debuts in the column today.

ASHLIE AMBER / “Beer Chaser”
Writer: Ashlie Amber; Producers: Ashlie Amber, Victor Wilson; Label: AA
– This Nashvillian sings with sprightly verve and the production is a pop-country dandy. The song rambles along attractively, but could have used a more memorable chorus. Promising. Send more.

KEITH URBAN / “Wildside”
Writers: Ashley Gorley/David Garcia/Ernest Keith Smith/Keith Urban; Producers: Dann Huff, Keith Urban; Label: Capitol Records Nashville
– A scampering, good-time summertime bopper with some super cool, shuddering electric burbling. The guitar solo is a burst of sunshine, as is Urban’s bright vocal.

JETT HOLDEN / “West Virginia Sky”
Writer: Jett Holden; Producer: Will Hoge; Label: Black Opry Records
– The debut artist on the new Black Opry record label has a mystical, mysterious story to tell on this listenable folkie outing. It seems to be about a cancer death and a Phoenix-like rebirth, with myth-like imagery in the lyric. Holden also has a more rock-ish single titled “Backwood Proclamation.” Both are drawn from his forthcoming album debut, The Phoenix, due Oct. 4.

LEE BRICE, NATE SMITH & HAILEY WHITTERS / “Drinkin’ Buddies”
Writers: Chris DeStefano/Justin Wilson/Zachary Kale; Producers: Ben Glover, Jerrod Niemann; Label: Curb Records
– This one will make you want to bend that wrist, for sure. The shouted choruses are ridiculously catchy and the party vibe is irresistible. Brice is always a delight, and his pals here are both lively additions. An instant playlist add.

SACHA / “Hey Mom I Made It”
Writers: Jake Saghi/Sacha Visagie/Shawn Chambliss; Producers: James Robbins, Eric Arjes; Label: Sony Music Canada
– In a word, terrific. She’s been through a personal hell, but is still standing. The anthemic choruses are tuneful, inspirational and uplifting. She sings with joy and conviction. The Nashville production propels this Canadian toward the stardom that was promised when she was chosen for CMT’s Next Women of Country class back in 2021. This is Sacha’s major-label debut.

POST MALONE & BLAKE SHELTON / “Pour Me A Drink”
Writers: Austin Post/Charlie Handsome/John Byron/Jordan Dozzi/Louis Bell/Rocky Block; Producers: Charlie Handsome, Louis Bell; Label: Mercury Records/Republic/Big Loud
– I am so digging this guy’s move into country music. Post Malone can bust a honky-tonk tune with the best of ‘em, and he has one of the best as his duet partner here. Talk about a rompin’ stompin’ fiesta, ya gotta love this million-smiles ditty.

DON LOUIS / “Mine In My Mind”
Writers: Don Louis/Tanner Olsen; Producer: Brett Truitt; Label: Empire Nashville
– I have admired this guy’s chesty baritone delivery in the past. On this moody, midtempo, acoustic meditation, he sees his ex lover in a bar with another guy. But he’s not worried, because he wants to believe that she’ll remember him and come back. Keep dreaming, buddy.

PHIL VASSAR & JEFFREY STEELE / “Hillbillies in Hollywood”
Writers: Jeffrey Steele/Phil Vassar; Producers: Jeffrey Steele, Scott Baggett; Label: 3 Ring Circus Records
– These two harmonize brilliantly together. The song is a nostalgic reverie about country-music life in Los Angeles. They rhythmically reminisce about The Troubadour, Linda Ronstadt, Sunset Boulevard, Bakersfield, “Hotel California,” Malibu, Laurel Canyon and more. The track is as thrilling as their vocal performance. A must-listen.

AVERY ANNA / “Girl Next Door”
Writer: Avery Anna; Producer: David Fanning; Label: Warner Music Nashville
– This poignant acoustic ballad portrays a youngster who had to grow up and assume responsibilities way too young. Anna pines for her friend’s lost childhood, but reminds her that when things seem to much to bear that the singer is right next door. A brilliant piece of songwriting from a woman who deserves our universal support.

GAVIN DEGRAW / “Chariot (Chariot 20)”
Writer: Gavin DeGraw; Producer: Dave Cobb; Label: Sony Music Nashville
– This former pop star transitioned to country a couple of years ago. He is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his breakthrough album with a soulful reworking of its title track. Organ, guitars and backup vocals give the whole thing a rousing, gospel vibe.

SAM WILLIAMS / “Carnival Heart”
Writers: Ned Houston/PJ Harding/Sam Williams; Producers: Ben Roberts, Nathan Sexton; Label: Mercury Nashville
– This ballad is the theme song of the dazzling Cirque du Soleil Songblazers show currently ongoing at TPAC. It’s a gorgeous, stately waltz with a swirling production, an aching tenor vocal, lovely lyrics and a melody to get lost in. Williams is getting ready to release his sophomore album this fall. Can’t wait to hear it.

JERRY DOUGLAS / “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
Writer: George Harrison; Producer: Jerry Douglas; Label: Many Hats Distribution
– The dobro master teams with an awesome band to remind us what a spectacular melody this 1968 Beatles classic has. In addition to the poetic, emotive Douglas lead, the track features sweet notes from fiddle, bowed bass and Telecaster. The prettiest instrumental I’ve heard all year.