BMG Re-Ups Leadership, Jon Loba Adds Publishing Duties To Responsibilities

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Thomas Scherer, Jon Loba

BMG has re-upped its two United States repertoire leads, including Nashville-based Jon Loba (President, BMG Nashville) and Los Angeles-based Thomas Scherer (President, Repertoire & Marketing, Los Angeles and New York), as the company’s US revenues rise nearly a third on pre-pandemic levels.

It was also announced that Loba will add publishing duties to his established Nashville label responsibilities, becoming one of the only major music executive in Nashville to hold dual leadership responsibilities of both areas of the business. Scherer will take the lead on US rights acquisition in addition to his responsibilities for BMG’s Los Angeles and New York-based repertoire operations.

Scherer and Loba’s repertoire operations account for around half of BMG’s global revenues. They will continue to work hand-in-hand with CFO US Joe Gillen.

“BMG is on a roll in the US and it’s thanks in no small part to the work of Thomas and Jon,” shares BMG CEO, Hartwig Masuch. “Jon has created a label powerhouse in Nashville with Jason Aldean, Dustin Lynch, Jimmie Allen, Lainey Wilson, and Jelly Roll so it makes sense to extend his scope to our Nashville music publishing operation.”

Masuch adds, “Meanwhile Thomas is delivering significant double-digit growth at BMG’s core US publishing business with writers like George Harrison, Juice WRLD, D’Mile, Diane Warren, and Lewis Capaldi while also building our recordings interests with key signings like 5 Seconds of Summer, AJR, Maxwell, Slash, Bryan Adams, and the recent acquisitions of Mötley Crüe and John Legend catalogs. Thanks to their teams we remain the only credible global partner for artists and songwriters outside the three majors.”

A ‘First Friend’ Remembers Naomi

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Pictured: Robert K. Oermann and Naomi Judd circa 1985. Photo: Beth Gwinn

In 1979, I was a librarian at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and an aspiring entertainer named Naomi Judd began visiting me there.

She was working as a receptionist for some small Music Row company. On her lunch hours, she’d walk over to the museum to admire its artifacts (in those days, it was located at the head of Music Row next to BMI). She’d sit at the library research tables and confide in me about her dreams and aspirations. She had black hair then, always wore full makeup and was stunningly beautiful with her porcelain complexion.

Naomi shared my enthusiasm for old-time country music, so we’d chat about Appalachian folk songs. She was a newcomer in Nashville, and she talked about the people she was meeting, or trying to meet, in the music biz.

Most of all, she talked about her teenage daughter, Wynonna, and about how talented she was as a singer. Naturally, she had a photo of Wy that she shared. I brushed off her praise of Wy’s voice as the bragging of a proud parent.

Naomi had an idea for a radio show that would star the two of them. The gist of it was that a snippet of a song would begin each episode, then Naomi would tell Wy the story behind the song. This would segue into a mini-play with actors dramatizing the lyric’s plot. The finale would be the mother-daughter duo singing the full song.

The museum’s oral historian at the time was John Lomax III. His whole family was steeped in folk music, so I roped him into our discussions. Both of us were intrigued by Naomi and her idea that we should script her brainchild.

I still think it’s a cool idea for a show. I suggested “The Titanic,” “Single Girl Married Girl,” “The Wreck of the Old ’97” and some other classics. We batted the radio idea around for a few weeks, but Naomi didn’t want things to start happening until after Wy finished high school.

In her 1993 autobiography, Naomi wrote, “Robert was gracious and informative. We shared an obvious love for music and its history,” she added, “but he didn’t know that I also considered him my first friend in Nashville.” She was right. I had no idea.

A few months later, she invited me to come hear their Judds duo open a show for the group Memphis during what we used to call “Deejay Week.” The moment I heard Wynonna’s voice, I realized that Mama wasn’t exaggerating. The kid was spectacular. They both were. They sang “The Sweetest Gift,” “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” and some other well-curated tunes. They were astonishingly good that night, and I told her so.

We never found a sponsor for that radio show. She later reworked it as a TV pilot centered around the song “Banks of the Ohio.” That didn’t fly either.

The Judds moved to Franklin, where Naomi became a nurse. But we stayed in touch. She was one of the great correspondents, always mailing notes and cards. We also ran into each other at the Music Row watering holes Maude’s Courtyard and Close Quarters. She kept me up to date about their good fortune to sing on Ralph Emery’s early-morning local TV show as “The Soap Sisters” and landing a solo gig as a model posing with Conway Twitty on the jacket of his LP Lost in the Feeling.

Naomi had a big case of “the want-to’s.” There was a fire burning inside Mama Judd that nothing was going to put out. I admired her moxie, her ambition, her brains, her strength and her hustle.

I became a music reporter at The Tennessean and USA Today in 1981. Naomi continued to badger the music industry with steely will, ferocious persistence and impressive tenacity. She was propositioned, sexually harassed, insulted and dismissed, but Naomi Judd would not be denied. She insisted on a fair hearing for her gifted daughter. Armed with nothing more than a homemade cassette tape, her beauty and her Southern Belle charm, she did the nearly impossible. She made them listen. Gradually, she found believers. In 1983-84, The Judds became country stars, and I reported on their spectacular rise, chronicling the duo’s Cinderella saga via many interviews, feature stories, reviews and news items.

Naomi continued to write me. She enjoyed cutting out particularly clever cartoons and oddball newspaper clippings and mailing them with her quips. She was a great letter writer, too. Every now and then, a package arrived from her. Our house is scattered with her sweet gifts — a little picture frame, a paperweight, a devotional booklet, a photo album. I saved all of her Christmas cards, too, because she always designed and wrote them so beautifully.

The bass singer in Memphis was named Larry Strickland. In 1989, Naomi phoned to say, “Will you get your suit out of the cleaners and come to my wedding? Larry and I want you to be there.” Not as a journalist, she added, but as a friend. “I don’t want it to be a show-biz wedding at all.” She meant it, and it wasn’t. I was also with her when she tearfully announced her retirement and wept for her.

I’ve been with Naomi Judd in her kitchen, seated in ballrooms at awards banquets, backstage at sold-out concerts, behind the scenes at TV specials and standing at Gold Record parties. No one ever enjoyed stardom more.

“I have been through so much in my life,” she said. “I’ve had people die in my arms; I’ve been divorced, fired, slam-dunked and shot at….I have crawled over broken glass to get here.”

Over the years, I have met many personalities in Music City. Believe me when I tell you that Naomi Judd had personality to spare. She is utterly unforgettable.

Sony Music Nashville Realigns Arista, Columbia, & RCA Nashville Promotion Teams

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Pictured (L-R): Lyndsay Church, Lauren Longbine, Mallory Michaels

In an effort to include a broader artist development focus on a local and regional level, Sony Music Nashville has announced a series of promotions and a realignment of the Arista, Columbia, and RCA Nashville promotion teams.

Effective immediately, the promotion teams, led by SMN EVP of Promotion & Artist Development Steve Hodges, will collaborate more closely with the SMN marketing team in such areas as brand partnerships, community engagement, digital activations, content development and more. Hodges informed the SMN staff in an email obtained by MusicRow on Monday (May 2).

Hodges announced that in order to drive this broadened approach, the Senior Director of Promotion & Artist Development position will now directly support imprint heads on tactical strategies and platform initiatives. Lyndsay Church, Lauren Longbine and Mallory Michaels will take on this new position for Arista, Columbia and RCA Nashville, respectively.

According to Hodges’ email, “These changes allow our artists the most optimum opportunity to grow their brands by having the field team working in tandem with our marketing team in Nashville. Special thanks to Jen Way, SMN’s SVP of Marketing, and her team as they have eagerly embraced this expanded partnership across the organization.”

The Sony Music Nashville Promotion and Artist Development department now consists of the following three imprint field staff and national support team members:

Arista Nashville – reporting to Chris Schuler, VP, Promotion & Artist Development:
Lyndsay Church, Sr. Director, Promotion & Artist Development
Ali O’Connell, Director Promotion & Artist Development
Lisa Owen, Director Promotion & Artist Development
Amy Menz, Specialist, Promotion & Artist Development

Columbia Nashville – reporting to Shane Allen through May, but effective June 1, Lauren Thomas, VP, Promotion & Artist Development:
Lauren Longbine, Sr. Director, Promotion & Artist Development
Mark Gray, Director, Promotion & Artist Development
Paige Elliott, Director, Promotion & Artist Development
Christy Garbinski, Specialist, Promotion & Artist Development

RCA Nashville – reporting to Dennis Reese, SVP, Promotion & Artist Development:
Mallory Michaels, Sr. Director, Promotion & Artist Development
Dan Nelson, Director, Promotion & Artist Development
Larry Santiago, Director, Promotion & Artist Development
Nicole Walden, Specialist, Promotion & Artist Development

SMN National Support – reporting to Steve Hodges, EVP, Promotion & Artist Development:
Bo Martinovich, Director, Promotion & Artist Development
Paul Grosser, Manager, Promotion & Artist Development
Houston Gaither, Manager, Content, Promotion & Artist Development

Bobby Karl Works The Room: Historic Moments Dot Country Hall Of Fame Inductions

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Pictured (L-R): Valerie Ervin (Ray Charles Foundation president), Eddie Bayers, Wynonna Judd, Johnny Drake (son of the late Pete Drake) and Rose Drake (wife of the late Pete Drake) in the Hall of Fame Rotunda at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum before the induction of the 2021 class of Country Music Hall of Fame members. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Bobby Karl Works The Room

Chapter 654

This year’s Medallion Ceremony inducting the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame was full of first-time experiences.

The induction of Ray Charles was long overdue, and was celebrated as such. Pete Drake became the first steel guitarist to be inducted. Eddie Bayers is now the Hall’s first country drummer. Naomi Judd was unexpectedly inducted posthumously in The Judds, due to her death the previous day. Wendy Moten, The War & Treaty, Bettye LaVette, Tommy Sims and Old Crow Medicine Show drummer Jerry Pentecost comprised the largest Black musical presence at such an event in history.

Pictured: Inductee Wynonna Judd onstage for the class of 2021 medallion ceremony at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Medallion Ceremony took place on Sunday (May 1) in the Hall’s CMA Theater. To be frank, I was worried when I got the news about Naomi’s death on Saturday. I thought that the event might turn into a wake, and/or that the inductions of Charles, Bayers and Drake would be completely overshadowed.

Wynonna and her sister Ashley Judd urged the Hall to proceed as scheduled. The Hall responded by staging a supremely classy ceremony.

The musical intro to the event was Tom T. Hall’s 1971 eloquent country classic “A Million Miles to the City.” Museum CEO Kyle Young referred to its lyric throughout the ceremony. “Each of tonight’s inductees were fueled by dreams and words and melodies,” he said. Mary Ann McCready introduced the Circle Guard, a ceremonial elite consisting of Steve Turner, David Conrad, Bill Denny, Seab Tuck, Ken Levitan, Mike Milom and Jerry Williams.

Then came the processional of existing Hall of Famers—Randy Travis, Bill Anderson, Don Schlitz, Ray Stevens, Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry of Alabama, Bud Wendell, Bobby Braddock, Duane Allen of the Oaks, Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks, Ronnie Milsap and Marty Stuart. The CMA’s Sarah Trahern was the first to address Naomi’s passing. “Love: It fills this room,” she said. “Love sustains us and comforts us. Love Can Build a Bridge — The Judds taught us that, and love is Naomi’s legacy. We lost an industry icon….Each of these inductees is an inspiration to us all.”

Kyle asked for a moment of silence for Hall of Fame members Ralph Emery and Hargus “Pig” Robbins, both of whom have died since the last Medallion event. He then spoke of Naomi’s sudden passing, explaining that her family wished the ceremony to go on.

Pictured (L-R) Johnny Drake and Rose Drake accept Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum induction on behalf of Pete Drake presented by Charlie McCoy and CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Kyle Young for the class of 2021 medallion ceremony at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

He introduced the induction of Pete Drake (1932-1988), describing Drake as “one of America’s prime music innovators.” Drake invented the “talk box” device showcased on his 1964 steel-guitar hit “Forever” and later adopted by rock stars Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh and others. Drake also promoted Nashville’s musical diversity via his publishing, record label and recording-studio ventures.

To salute Drake, Elizabeth Cook performed “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” and Wendy Moten did “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” The steel guitarist played on both of those. Charlie McCoy presented the Medallion to widow Rose Drake and son John Drake. “Everything he played on fit like a glove,” said Charlie. “He became part of the records he was on.”

“Pete loved music and his music friends more than anything,” said Rose. “We need to recognize these musicians more. The music of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s created Nashville. Thank you very much for keeping his legacy going.”

Pictured: Kyle Young inducts Eddie Bayers (L) into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Kyle said that inductee Eddie Bayers provided “very good grooves and very bad jokes,” describing him as, “a metronome with a heart.” Vince Gill’s “When I Call Your Name” and Trisha Yearwood’s “Walkaway Joe” were just two of the hundreds of hits Eddie has played on. “A great drummer is felt, not heard,” said Vince. “My hope for you, Eddie, is that you get a really good looking plaque.” That joking reference was to the notoriously ugly bronze facial reliefs on the Hall’s official plaques.

“People make a family, and we are certainly a family,” said Eddie. “I love all of you. God bless you all.” He also saluted his wife Lane Brody as “my immortal beloved.”

“They sang their hearts out loud,” said Kyle of The Judds. “They sang in harmony even when they didn’t live in harmony.” Shouted Wy from her seat, “Amen.” “We can’t know all of their struggles, but we know all of their songs,” Kyle concluded. Carly Pearce sang “Grandpa (Tell Me Bout the Good Old Days)” and Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings sang “Young Love.”

Ricky Skaggs inducted The Judds. “We’re not gonna be sad today,” he said of Naomi Judd (1946-2022). “We’re going to have joy. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Y’all touched so many people with those songs. All of country music, all of the people around the world who loved The Judds are praying for you.”

Pictured (L-R) Ashley Judd accepts induction on behalf of Naomi Judd with Ricky Skaggs, inductee Wynonna Judd and Kyle Young. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

“My Mom loved you so much,” said Ashley Judd. “I’m so sorry she couldn’t hang on until today. It was your affection for her that kept her going.” She turned to sister Wynonna and continued, “I love you, and I’m so proud of you. Mama was proud of you, and she always was.” She received her mother’s Medallion. Ricky placed Wy’s around her neck.

“I’m going to make this fast, because my heart is broken,” said Wy. “And I feel so blessed. It’s very strange dynamic to be this broken in this place…Though my heart is broken, I will continue to sing.” She concluded by reciting “The 23rd Psalm.” Then Tommy Sims sang a moving version if “Love Can Build a Bridge.”

“It’s been a long time comin,’” said Kyle of the induction of Ray Charles (1930-2004). “Ray took country music to places it had never been.” The War and Treaty brought down the house with a thrilling rendition of “You Don’t Know Me.” Garth Brooks did “Seven Spanish Angels,” which is his go-to song at concert sound checks. Bettye LaVette sang a soulful “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Ronnie Milsap did the Medallion honors.

Pictured (L-R): Ronnie Milsap, Valerie Ervin and Kyle Young speak onstage for the class of 2021 medallion ceremony at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

“Ray Charles was a really cool guy,” said Ronnie. “We were really great friends. We wrote Braille letters to each other. Ray would be so happy today.” Accepting was Valerie Ervin, the president of the Ray Charles Foundation. “Ray Charles always stood his ground for what he loved, and he loved country music,” she said. “Country music was the core of Ray Charles’s life. This IS a Moment.”

“It’s been like church tonight,” observed Marty Stuart of the ceremony. He led the crowd in singing “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” He (and everyone else) was accompanied by the awesome Medallion All Star Band — Biff Watson, Jan Gunderman, Brent Mason, Jeff White, Tommy White, Rachel Loy, Jerry Pentecost, Deanie Richardson, Tanis Hancheroff, and Wendy Moten.

Taking it all in were Larry Gatlin, Paul Kennerley, T.G. Sheppard & Kelly Lang, Brent Maher, Joe Galante, Dan Rogers, John Carter Cash, Scott Hendricks, Tim Wipperman, Chuck Mead, Erika Wollam & Roger Nichols, Bill Purcell, Ellen Lehman, Steve Buchanan, Bonnie Garner, Martha Moore, Susan Stewart, Fletcher Foster, Bruce Bouton, Hunter Kelly, Bob & Leslie DiPiero, Tom Roland, Jeannie Seely, Tony Brown, Ken Paulson, Denise Stiff, The McCrary Sisters, Walter Campbell, Tracy Gershon, Tess Frizzell, Bobby Tomberlin, Jim Horn, Gary Burr & Georgia Middleman, Rique, Lon Helton, Cactus Moser, Don Potter, David Ewing, David Ross, Dave Pomeroy and Sharon Vaughn, for starters.

Brain Mansfield was introducing Marcus K. Dowling to everyone in the press section. Jim Ed Norman was on a break from touring with The Eagles. Steve Fishell’s news is that his book about Buddy Emmons is being published by the University of Illinois in its prestigious Music in American Life series. Doug Green’s book about Carson Robison has been accepted by Vanderbilt University Press, and the distinguished Bill Malone is set to write the biography of Doug’s group Riders in the Sky.

The whole shebang relocated to the sixth floor event space for a cocktail supper. On the menu were steak, salmon, potato salad, pizza and desserts. And lots of fellowship.

The Judds Matriarch, Naomi Judd, Dies At 76

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Naomi Judd

One day before she was scheduled to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, it was revealed that The Judds’ Naomi Judd died on Saturday (April 30). She was 76.

On Saturday, Naomi’s daughter Ashley Judd announced on social media that her mother had passed. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy,” she writes. “We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”

Naomi and her other daughter and musical partner, Wynonna, were to be celebrated alongside Ray Charles, Eddie Bayers, and Pete Drake on Sunday (May 1) for their iconic career full of country hits. It is unclear at press time if the induction ceremony will still be held.

The two had also just performed on the CMT Awards, and announced their farewell tour that was scheduled to kick off in September.

Comprised of mother Naomi and daughter Wynonna, The Judds are one of the most successful duos in country music history. Together they scored 20 Top 10 hits, including 14 No. 1s, between 1984 and 1991. Their most enduring country standards, such as “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Why Not Me” and “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘bout the Good Old Days),” infused folk, bluegrass and blues into a unique country sound all their own.

Naomi was born Diana Ellen Judd on January 11, 1946 and grew up in Ashland, Kentucky. She married as a teenager and had two daughters, Christina and Ashley Ciminella, before divorcing and moving to California. As part of a fresh start, all three took Diana’s maiden name. Diana and her older daughter changed their first names, as well. Diana became Naomi, a biblical figure she admired, and Christina became Wynonna, using an adapted spelling of Winona, the northern Arizona town mentioned in the song “Route 66.”

Naomi moved the family to Nashville in 1979, where she took a job as a nurse at Williamson County Medical Center. Her and a 15-year-old Wynonna began appearing on WSM-TV’s The Ralph Emery Show in the early ’80s, but their break came via a chance encounter with Nashville producer Brent Maher. Maher’s teenage daughter, who had been injured in a car accident, had seen the mother-daughter duo on television and recognized Naomi, one of his daughter’s nurses. He began working with The Judds and helped secure them a recording contract with RCA Records/Curb Records.

The Judds. Photo: Kristin Barlowe

After releasing “Had a Dream (For the Heart),” a B-side for Elvis Presley in 1983, The Judds scored their first hit with its follow-up, “Mama He’s Crazy.” The song hit No. 1 on the charts, immediately making The Judds country music’s most successful mother-daughter act since Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter Sisters. “Mama He’s Crazy” was the first of eight straight chart-toppers for the duo and earned Naomi and Wynonna their first of five Grammy Awards.

Following “Mama He’s Crazy,” The Judds released the six-song Wynonna & Naomi EP and won the Horizon Award at the 1984 CMA Awards. They released their first full-length album, Why Not Me, the following week.

The Judds became frequent award winners throughout the ’80s, collecting nine CMA Awards and seven from the Academy of Country Music. They released six studio albums and an EP from 1984 to 1991, and helped revive the popularity of acoustic sounds in country music. Together, the Judds have 16 Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum albums and longform videos, led by 2x Platinum albums Why Not Me and The Judds Greatest Hits.

In October 1990, Naomi announced her retirement from performing due to chronic hepatitis. That retirement would come after the 124-date “Love Can Build a Bridge Farewell Tour,” which wrapped December 4, 1991, at Middle Tennessee State University.

Other than a handful of subsequent performances together, both Naomi and Wynonna pursued solo career paths until announcing their reunion tour for 2022. Naomi published her autobiography Love Can Build a Bridge in 1993, as well as pursued acting and television opportunities, hosting a talk show and serving as a judge and mentor on an entertainment competition series.

The two were announced as inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2021.

Morgan Wallen Nabs MusicRow No. 1

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In just 9 weeks, “Wasted On You” by Morgan Wallen reaches the chart peak on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart. The single adds +79 spins for a total of 1,777 spins this week. 

Wallen wrote “Wasted On You” with Big Loud label mate, Ernest, Josh Thompson, and Ryan Votjesak. He is currently on his nearly sold-out “Dangerous Tour” which consists of 54 dates that run through September. 

His latest single, “Don’t Think Jesus” is the top country streaming song and fifth all-genre song this week racking in 17 million first week streams, according to Luminate data. “Wasted On You” sits at No. 2 of the country streaming songs chart with 6.9 million streams.

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

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Luke Combs Gives Taste Of New Music With ‘Tomorrow Me’

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That cool breeze you feel comes from Canada this week.

North-of-the-border stars High Valley, Brett Kissel, Gord Bamford and Terri Clark all have new sounds for your consideration. Gord and Terri’s duet is essential.

That said, whenever a listening session includes Country Champ Luke Combs, you know who is taking home the Disc of the Day award. Luke wasn’t without challengers, namely Morgan Wallen and Lindsay Ell, as well as Gord & Terri.

The DISCovery Award has three contenders—Ryan McMahon, Jessica Willis Fisher and our winner, third-generation country talent Tess Frizzell.

BRENNEN LEIGH & ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL / “Obsessed With the West”
Writer: Brennen Leigh; Producer: none listed; Label: Signature Sounds
–This is the title tune of Leigh’s new album. She’s a western-swing revivalist on it, but this languid track is a ballad with her gracious croon backed by swaying fiddle. An audio delight.

LUKE COMBS / “Tomorrow Me”
Writers: Luke Combs/Dean Dillon/Ray Fulcher; Producers: Luke Combs/Chip Matthews/Jonathan Singleton; Label: Columbia
–He has one of those voices that has you hanging on every line. On this melodic mid-tempo outing, he expresses desire, regret and emotional conflict in a wonderfully shaded performance. Beautifully sung and produced with clarity and elegance.

TESS FRIZZELL / “The Wrong One”
Writers: Dottie West/Tess Frizzell/Bobby Tomberlin/Billy Lawson; Producer: none listed; Label: TF
–Tess is the daughter of Shelly West and Allen Frizzell. This lovely ballad is based on a song that grandmother Dottie West began in the 1960s. The song has a magnetic pull, and the singer’s lustrous alto is a deep pool of wistful meditation. I’m in.

BRETT ELDREDGE / “Songs About You”
Writers: Brett Eldredge/Jessie Jo Dillon/Ben West; Producer: Nathan Chapman; Label: Warner
–Hearing songs like “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Dancing in the Dark” transport him back to their love affair. Brett’s muscular vocal is backed by a serious R&B backbeat. A Southern soul strutter.

RYAN McMAHON / “One More Fire”
Writer: Ryan McMahon; Producers: Jordan Pritchett/Danielle King; Label: Elbowroom (Canada)
–This one’s an upbeat toe tapper. He seeks new adventures and experiences in a hearty, range-y voice backed by a kickin’ band. Promising.

MORGAN WALLEN / “Don’t Think Jesus”
Writers: Jessi Leigh Alexander/Mark L. Holman/Richard Chase McGill; Producer: Joey Moi; Label: Big Loud
–In this aching, deliberately paced ballad, he falls into substance abuse and fast living until he pulls himself back from the brink. It’s a slow but dramatic build from a wounded, frail beginning to a torrid, top-of-his-range midsection. Then it resolves in a hushed, tender finale. A terrific performance from one of country’s most expressive artists.

HELENE CRONIN / “Barbed Wire”
Writers: Helene Cronin/Nicole Lewis/Davis Corley; Producer: Brianna Tyson; Label: HCM
–She has a low folkie alto voice on this moody, offbeat, somewhat wordy ballad. The production lays on plenty of echoey ambiance.

HIGH VALLEY & GRANGER SMITH / “Country Music, Girls and Trucks”
Writers: Brad Rempel/Micah Wilshire/Jaron Boyer; Producer: Micah Wilshire; Label: HV
–You read that title correctly. And, no, they aren’t kidding. We are supposed to take these cliches with straight face.

BRETT KISSEL & 98 DEGREES / “Ain’t the Same”
Writers: Brett Kissel/James Timothy Nichols/Karen Kosowski; Producer: Karen Kosowski; Label: Warner (Canada)
–Creamy harmonies color this lovelorn pop-country ditty. Pleasant and catchy, but ultimately bland.

LINDSAY ELL / “Right On Time”
Writers: Lindsay Ell/Jordan Schmidt/Geoff Warburton; Producer: Jordan Schmidt; Label: LE
–Her strongest track yet. The rhythm punch is totally hooky, and her husky vocal delivery is supremely confident. The rapid-fire lyric is matched by sizzling electric guitar work and her conversational pep. Loved it from top to bottom.

GORD BAMFORD & TERRI CLARK / “I Ain’t Drunk”
Writers: Buddy Owens/Meghan Fitzpatrick/Mitchell Edward Oglesby; Producers: Gord Bamford/Phil O’Donnell; Label: GB
–I am a big fan of both of these singers. Bamford’s beefy baritone is matched note-for-note by the honky-tonk drawl of Clark. She shadows him perfectly in soprano harmony while the soaring, melody-rich tale of heartache unspools. This is country music the way it was meant to be. The song is drawn from Bamford’s Diamonds in a Whiskey Glass collection, which is also highly recommended.

JESSICA WILLIS FISHER / “Fire Song”
Writers: Jessica Willis Fisher/Jon Randall; Producer: Ben Fowler; Label: JWF
–Formerly of The Willis Clan, Jessica Willis Fisher is issuing her debut solo album, Brand New Day. This dramatic, minor-key rocker is the collection’s first single. Her haunting, Appalachia-flavored soprano is backed by her own fierce fiddling and a furious rhythm undertow. The song of a survivor.

Jim Ed Norman Comes Full Circle On The Eagles’ ‘Hotel California Tour’ [Interview]

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Jim Ed Norman

When the Eagles take the stage on Thursday (April 28) and Friday (April 29) night in Nashville, they will be joined by not one, but two Music Row mavericks on stage.

Vince Gill has been touring with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members for a while. Most recently Gill has joined Eagles Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit, on the “Hotel California 2022 Tour,” where the band plays the Hotel California album in its entirety from start to finish, accompanied by an orchestra and choir. After a short intermission, the Eagles perform a set of their greatest hits.

But Gill isn’t the only Nashvillian traveling around with the Eagles. The band also picked up an old friend for this special tour, renowned Nashville music business titan, Jim Ed Norman. He leads the 60-piece orchestra and choir for the band each night.

Norman established himself as a top producer and A&R executive before leading Warner Bros. Nashville for two decades. His leadership played a key role in the careers of Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Dwight Yoakam, and Take 6, among many others. What some may not know about Norman is that his history with the Eagles goes back to his college days, when he met Henley at North Texas State University.

Norman grew up musical and decided to pursue a career as a music teacher. He was interested in big band music, and North Texas was the place to be for that kind of music. He met a young Henley on campus there in a chance encounter that would alter his future.

“While at North Texas, I was walking along the sidewalk that was connected to the apartment complex that I lived at. It was a beautiful day and there was a fellow that had his door open playing music,” Norman recalls to MusicRow. “He was playing his Led Zeppelin record. I walked in and handed him a Dillard‘s record, which was a progressive bluegrass group, and said ‘Hey, you need to check this out.’ That fellow was Don Henley.

“Through that meeting of walking in, sticking out my hand, and introducing myself, I got to know Don and we shared music.”

After a summer back in his home-state in Florida, Norman received a call from Henley asking if he’d like to be in his band.

“I had really come to understand that I really wasn’t cut out to be a music teacher, so I dropped out of school and I went to join Don’s band that already existed, Shiloh.

“We went to Los Angeles, but then the band did as they sometimes do: we broke up,” Norman recalls. “I had been afforded the opportunity to write a small string quartet part on the Shiloh record, so Don knew that I was interested in being an orchestral arranger. When the Eagles formed and on the second record, they decided they wanted to use orchestra. Don and Glenn [Frey] reached out and asked if I wanted to write the string arrangements on the record. That was one of the quickest times I’ve said ‘Yes’ in my life.”

Jim Ed Norman

The first professional orchestral arrangement Norman composed in his life was for the Eagles 1973 hit album, Desperado.

“With the credit on that record, I had the imprimatur that it took to give me an opportunity to then go on to arrange. Not only did I arrange all of the Eagles’ projects through Hotel California, but it brought me [an opportunity to arrange] Linda Ronstandt‘s version of ‘Desperado,’ [as well as projects for] Bob Segar, America, Kim Carnes, and a lot of other things.”

As Norman advanced in his career and eventually became a titan on Music Row, he kept in touch with the Eagles. He worked on Frey’s solo record, No Fun Aloud, and regularly spoke with Henley.

“Because of the relationship in particular that I had with Don, he reached out when [they decided to do] the ‘Hotel California Tour.’ It was stimulated by the album coming up on 50 years and all of these anniversary moments. He said, ‘We’re going to have an orchestra and you can be involved as much or as little as you want, because you did all those original arrangements.’ On the front end, I demurred because I didn’t know if wanted to be on the road to conduct.

“My fiancé said, ‘Are you crazy? You need to do this.’ The more I thought about it, the more I realized I’m not going get a chance to stand in front of an orchestra and conduct parts that I wrote when I was a kid.”

Norman sums, “My life as an arranger started with Desperado. Right now on the road with the guys, the last performance that’s done with orchestra each night is ‘Desperado.’ I get to essentially be swept off my own feet every night. At certain times I become separated from my hands waving and I’m just listening and absorbing.”

Norman’s full-circle moment is on display in Music City tonight (April 28) and tomorrow (April 29) at Bridgestone Arena. Tickets are still available now.

 

My Music Row Story: Natalie Hemby

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Natalie Hemby. Photo: Alysse Gafjken

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.

Award-winning songwriter Natalie Hemby has written some of the last decade’s most loved country songs. Since signing her first publishing deal at 19, Hemby has amassed eight No. 1 country singles, including Lady A’s “Downtown,” Justin Moore‘s “You Look Like I Need A Drink,” Jon Pardi’s “Heartache Medication,” Little Big Town’s “Pontoon,” and Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar,” “Automatic,” and “Bluebird.” Her songs have been recorded by the likes of Kacey Musgraves, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow, Dierks Bentley, Eli Young Band, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Isaak, Blake Shelton, and Lee Ann Womack among many others.

In 2019, Hemby joined Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires to form The Highwomen. Their self-titled album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s country albums chart. That year, The Highwomen won Americana Music Honors & Awards for Album of the Year, Duo/Group of the Year, and Song of the Year for their single “Crowded Table,” which was also dubbed the Best Country Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

In 2021, Hemby stepped out with an artist project herself, releasing her album Pins and Needles to wide acclaim.

Photo: Courtesy of Natalie Hemby

MusicRow: Tell me about your childhood.

I was born in Illinois. My parents were very young when they got married and were very young when they had me. My dad was in music and he decided to move us [to Nashville] because music was becoming a really big thing here back in the ’70s. We moved here in ’79, so I grew up in Nashville. We lived in the Iroquois Apartments over in Bellevue, then they bought a duplex and then we bought our first house when I was about 11 years old. I was actually a sick child growing up. I had horrible ear infections and I had a tumor on my ear, so I couldn’t hear very well. My mom had to take me to the doctor all the time and she ended up losing her job over it—and my dad was on the road a lot. Long story short, I had to have surgery and all this kind of stuff. I got baptized when I was seven and I’m not even joking when I say that after I got baptized, I got all my hearing back. It was a miracle, honestly.

My dad started working for this woman named Amy Grant, playing in her band. My mom started cleaning houses because she didn’t have a job and she started cleaning Amy’s house. One day my mom said to Amy, “Listen, if you ever need an assistant, I’m really good at organization. I can help you get your house in order.” She’s been with her for over 35 years now, so I really grew up in the music business.

Were you musical as a child?

I was very musical, I loved piano. I started taking piano lessons when I was about six. I played in talent shows and I played saxophone in band. I’ve always loved music, not because my parents were in it, but because it brought me so much joy. It was a passion.

Photo: Courtesy of Natalie Hemby

When did you start writing songs?

I was such a dreamer. I just thought I’d be the singer on stage and it would be that easy. I never dreamed about music business, I didn’t even dream about writing. I was not a big songwriter [growing up], but what I did do was write a lot of poetry. I was a diary writer as a kid and wrote all my feelings down. (Laughs) Honestly, I didn’t start writing songs until I was about 18. Some people would consider that late in life. (Laughs)

Once you started writing songs, how did you start your journey to become a professional songwriter?

I started figuring out that all the artists that I love, a lot of them wrote their own songs. So I started writing my own songs. At the time I was listening to Sarah McLachlan and I was writing really sad piano songs, but I quickly evolved. I started writing with other people. I got my first publishing deal with Barbara Orbison at Still Working Music. Tommy Lee James was my first professional co-write. He was the first person on Music Row that I started writing with a lot. I wrote a lot of songs and I almost got a record deal, but those doors did not open. Throughout the whole process, the one thing I kept doing was writing and writing.

I never wanted to do country music, I wanted to do Tom Petty or Sheryl Crow-style music. But radio just kept changing. It went through a Britney Spears era, it went through a time where you had to be on a TV show to get a record deal, then it went through a Coldplay era. It kept evolving and, as far as being an artist goes, I couldn’t figure out what direction I was going in and what I wanted to do. So I just kept writing songs with and for other people. Then eventually, my husband [Mike Wrucke] was co-producing this girl, Miranda Lambert.

Miranda Lambert and Natalie Hemby. Photo: Courtesy of RIAA

You and Miranda have had a long and fruitful relationship, co-writing many of her hits together. How did you guys start writing?

My husband co-produced her first three records. I sang all the backgrounds on all the records, but the third record was when I got to write with her. I told her, “Look, I realize I’m the producer’s wife, but I have some song ideas I’ve been saving for you. If you just gave me one day, I feel like we could write a bunch of great stuff.” That first day we wrote “White Liar” and “Only Prettier.” We wrote four songs that day, and then she came back and we ended up writing “Virginia Bluebell.” Meeting Miranda and writing with her was a huge turning point.

Now we’re tight, but we don’t see each other all the time, so whenever we do, I feel like it all comes out in songs. The most important thing about writing with someone is not hitching all of your wagons to this one person’s journey. I have written with lots of people and she’s been so supportive of that. She writes with lots of people and I love the songs that she writes with other people. I’m a genuine fan of her and I feel like that’s how our relationship throughout the years has been able to grow and keep us together. That’s why we keep musically going back to each other.

Was “White Liar” your first cut?

My first cut was with a Christian artist, Rachael Lampa. I wrote a song called “When I Fall.” It was single for her on Christian radio. I was so excited about that.

My first [country cut] that was a really big turning point for me was with Lee Ann Womack. She cut a song of mine that I did not write for anybody, I wrote it for myself with Daniel Tashian. We wrote a song called “The Bees.” It was on her Call Me Crazy album. It wasn’t a single or anything, but she got Keith Urban to sing on it with her. Everybody started calling me after that song, saying, “I love that song. I want to write some time.” So it wasn’t a single, but it was definitely a song that opened so many other doors.

In addition to being a hit songwriter, you’ve also released a lot of music as an artist. Do you have any trouble with separating your artistry with writing for other artists?

Honestly, it’s been pretty natural for me. I write so many different kinds of music that I can compartmentalize things. [My first record] Puxico was a love story to my family and to a town that I love. To me, nobody could do those songs justice like I could. I could pitch it around to a thousand people, people could cut it, but it just meant the world to me. With my new record, those songs have been sitting around for a while. Sometimes you have to say to yourself, “Maybe no one has cut these songs because I need to cut them.” (Laughs) I wanted to make a 1990s-Lilith Fair-Sheryl Crow-Tracy Chapman-type of record. All those female artists that I loved from Lilith Fair. So I took those songs and made that record with them.

What did you think of the Music Row community before you became a part of it?

Here’s a little truth serum. When I was growing up, I don’t know if it was because I was intimidated by it a little bit, but I did think of it as a boys club. I was young at the time and I thought people probably thought I sang really good but didn’t really take me seriously. With that respect, when I was younger it was hard to take myself seriously because I never felt like I quite fit in on Music Row. It’s not really anyone’s fault, it’s just what it was at the time. But as things progressed and I’ve gotten older, I feel like a lot of things have changed. There’s so much more diverse music and people. It’s been a nice change. Nashville was a small town back then, and it’s hard for [diversity] to be present in a small town. But as it has grown, it’s been forced to take a look at itself.

Who have been some of your mentors along the way?

If I’m being honest, my husband has been a huge mentor to me. I’ve almost quit so many times that he hasn’t let me, and part of the reason why people like my music is because of him. He is my music and I can’t imagine doing it without him.

I wouldn’t be here if Jody Williams wasn’t here. I used to sing all his demos at his company. My husband would produce those demos and that’s how I met my husband. Jody literally kept my lights on because he paid me so well when I sang demos. When he went to BMI, he got me a couple of really big co-writes. He showcased me and I would go meet with him and play songs. He was so supportive of me. And now he’s representing me in publishing, so it’s been a real full circle moment. I’ve gone to him for advice, I’ve gone to him for so many different situations and he has been a guiding light in my career.

Photo: Courtesy of Natalie Hemby

If someone was describing you, what would you want them to say?

I would want them to say that I was kind, genuine, and sincere. That I never used them to get anywhere. I grew up in this town so I’m constantly searching for that quality in people—the sincerity in the love of music and for friendship. One of the things I always tell my friends is, “Hey, we’re friends beyond music.”

What moment have you had that your little kid self would think is so cool?

Singing with Dolly Parton. That was pretty cool. (Laughs) Dolly is like the female Santa Claus. You can’t stop staring at her. She goes around and talks to everybody, looks everyone in the eye. My young self would have been so enamored with her.

Jason Aldean Talks Georgia Music, Staying Consistent, & Fostering Young Talent [Interview]

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Jason Aldean. Photo: Brian Higbee

Multi-Platinum country entertainer Jason Aldean has always been a proud Georgia native. He has released songs about the peach state, supports Georgia sports teams, and has always talked openly about the influence his home state has had on his music. That’s why it comes as no surprise that his tenth studio album, out now, is simply called Macon, Georgia—his hometown.

“Macon has a rich music history with the Allman Brothers, Otis Redding, Little Richard, and more being from there,” Aldean tells MusicRow. “But for me, it’s my hometown. It’s where this whole ride started. It’s where I learned to be a musician and play on stage for the first time.

“When I was coming up, there was a lot of people that were coming out of Georgia that almost made it seem like this wasn’t an unreachable goal. Trisha Yearwood, Travis Tritt, and Alan Jackson were coming out of Georgia. I came up playing some of the same bars and towns, and doing some of the same stuff.”

The home state-inspired project is a double album, with the Macon half having released in November of 2021 and the Georgia half out today (April 22.) Both sides find Aldean’s signature southern rock sound on some new songs, and feature live versions of some classics.

The 30-song project releases as Aldean celebrates 16 years in the music business. Since releasing his debut single “Hicktown” in 2005, he has gone on to notch 26 No. 1 hits, garner 15 billion streams, and win numerous awards, including the ACM’s Entertainer of the Year three times. Aldean says if he could go back and talk to the kid moving from Macon, Georgia to Nashville in 1998, he would tell him to hold on tight.

“[I would tell him] this thing is going to be bigger than you ever imagined possible. You’re going to have some ups and downs along the way. Just enjoy it,” he says. “Early on, when things really started to happen, I was so worried about it going away after I worked so hard to get there. In the early days, I don’t think I ever took the time to enjoy it and appreciate what I had accomplished. I don’t think that happened until later in my career.”

Aldean’s non-stop grind paid off, though. His ten albums have solidified him as one of this generation’s top country record-makers. With songs such as “She’s Country,” “Big Green Tractor,” “Tattoos On This Town,” “My Kinda Party,” “Crazy Town,” and many more, Aldean has consistently delivered the music his fans have come to expect: hard-hitting, southern rock-infused country hits.

Like his sound, Aldean’s all-star team and album-making process has also remained pretty consistent over the years. Alongside his long-time producer, Michael Knox, Aldean has celebrated more than 20 million albums sold.

“I cut records now the same way I always did; with the same band and same producer. I’ve had the same crew, basically, this whole time,” he says. “The difference now is just a confidence factor. As an artist, I know a lot more about who I am at this point, what I want to do and the kind of stuff that works for me.”

Of the new tunes on Macon, Georgia, Aldean has made waves with Macon‘s “Small Town Small” and “If I Didn’t Love You,” his hit duet with Carrie Underwood that was crowned the Single of the Year at the 2021 ACM Awards.

Georgia features Aldean’s new single, “Trouble with a Heartbreak,” which has already hit No. 1 on MusicRow‘s radio chart and looks to be heading that way on other charts. Another track on Georgia, “Ain’t Enough Cowboy,” shows off Aldean’s rap influences—a theme ever-present from 2011’s “Dirt Road Anthem.”

“Early on in my career, I knew that I never wanted to get painted into a corner. I knew that I was going to have a lot of rock influence in my music as well as some really traditional stuff. But people my age, we grew up listening to everything. Early on I made it a point to start branching off and doing some different things so that whenever I wanted to do those things later, it wasn’t that far of a stretch.

“Even with ‘Dirt Road,’ it’s got the rap verses, but once the chorus kicks in, that’s country. It’s just finding those certain ones that work. Every once in a while, you get one that comes along.”

A stand-out track on Georgia is “God Made Airplanes,” a heatbreak tune about getting ‘out of Dodge’ after a break up.

“John Morgan wrote that with the Warren brothers [Brad and Brett Warren] and Jessi Alexander. John is a new artist that I actually signed to a publishing deal, a record deal, and I produce his records,” Aldean says. “He wrote a bunch for his record and he co-wrote the song. As soon as they demoed it, I got a text from John, both the Warren brothers, and Jessi. They all texted me the song saying, ‘This has got you all over it.’ I heard it the first time and fell in love with the song.”

Morgan isn’t the only new writer credited on Macon, Georgia. Lydia Vaughan scored her first hit, along with Morgan, on “If I Didn’t Love You,” and new songwriter Lalo Guzman co-wrote “Ain’t Enough Cowboy.”

“Obviously we have our go-to guys that always seem to come through with songs, like Neil Thrasher, Rhett Akins, and some of those guys. Michael Tyler has some stuff on this record,” Aldean says. “John Morgan, Kurt Allison, and Tully Kennedy—who are two of the guys in my band—they were writing a ton for this record. You’ll see a lot of stuff from those three guys on this record more so than you have in the past. They just got really locked in on this album and were writing some cool stuff.”

Pictured (L-R): Colton McGee (BBR Music Group/BMG), JoJaimie Hahr (BBR Music Group), Sara Knabe (BBR Music Group), Chris Parr (Maverick), Jason Aldean, John Morgan, Jon Loba (BBR Music Group/BMG), Tori MacDonald (Maverick), Clarence Spalding (Maverick), Tully Kennedy, Kurt Allison. Photo: Jessica Crans

In addition to cutting eight of his songs for Macon, Georgia, Aldean has invested in John Morgan by signing him to his new publishing company, as well as his imprint with BBR, Night Train Records. Aldean says fostering young talent has always been a part of his plan.

“I always felt like at some point I would transition into the producer role a little bit. I knew, at some point, there would be some artists that came along that I would want to work with and help this next generation do their thing,” he says. “The publishing side of it was a little bit of a different story. That all happened because of John Morgan and the stuff that I heard him writing. I thought, ‘Man, this guy is so good. Between him, Kurt and Tully, we can build this thing around those guys.”

Now, with his tenth studio album out, a growing music business empire, and 16 years behind him, Aldean is poised to spend the next 16 as a Music Row maverick. His new project, Macon, Georgia, is available everywhere now.