Industry Ink: AIMP Panel, DRX Showcase, Banner Music

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Pictured: Row One: Panelists Thomas Goulbic, Russell Ziecker, Chris Restivo, Daniel Kuypers, Frankie Pine, Andrew Kahn, Danny Exum; Row Two: Denise Nichols (AIMP Secretary/Primacy Firm), Brad Peterson (5/3 Bank), Craig Currier (peermusic), Ree Buchanan (AIMP Treasurer/Wrensong), Tim Fink (SESAC), Kim McCollum-Mele (Words & Music), Melissa Hollis (Kalatech), John Ozier (ole), Marc Driskill (AIMP Exec. Director/Sea Gayle), Randy Wachtler (Warner/Chappell Music Prod), Kari Barnhart (5/3 Bank), Randall Foster (ole) // Photo Credit: Amy Allmand

Pictured (L-R): Front Row: Panelists Thomas Goulbic, Russell Ziecker, Chris Restivo, Daniel Kuypers, Frankie Pine, Andrew Kahn, Danny Exum; Second Row: Denise Nichols (AIMP Secretary/Primacy Firm), Brad Peterson (5/3 Bank), Craig Currier (peermusic), Ree Buchanan (AIMP Treasurer/Wrensong), Tim Fink (SESAC), Kim McCollum-Mele (Words & Music), Melissa Hollis (Kalatech), John Ozier (ole), Marc Driskill (AIMP Exec. Director/Sea Gayle), Randy Wachtler (Warner/Chappell Music Prod), Kari Barnhart (5/3 Bank), Randall Foster (ole). Photo: Amy Allmand

The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Nashville recently held an Inside Scoop from Music Sups panel at Nashville’s The Listening Room. Seven music supervisors from various media included, Danny Exum (Workshop Creative – Trailers), Thomas Golubic (Super Music Vision – Television), Andrew Kahn (Good Ear Music Supervision – Advertising), Daniel Kuypers (Energy BBDO – Advertising), Frankie Pine (Whirly Girl – Television), Chris Restivo (Toy Box Entertainment – Trailers), and Russell Ziecker (Lionsgate – Television). Panelists have worked on projects such as ABC’s Nashville, Orange Is the New Black, and Halt and Catch Fire in addition to advertising clients Wrigley, Ziplock and Southern Comfort.

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Pictured L-R: Denny Strickland, Emily Minor, Bucky Covington, John Pyne (President of Digital Rodeo), Rylie Lynn, Allison Bray and Ben Rue. Photo: Bev Moser

Pictured (L-R:) Denny Strickland, Emily Minor, Bucky Covington, John Pyne (President of Digital Rodeo), Rylie Lynn, Allison Bray and Ben Rue. Photo: Bev Moser

The August DRX Artist Showcase was held on Tuesday, August 4, at 3rd and Lindsley Bar & Grill. Bucky Covington hosted. Performances were made by Digital Rodeo artists accompanied by Digital Rodeo’s own house band. The next DRX showcase is scheduled for Sept. 15 with the lineup to be released in the coming weeks.

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Pictured: (L-R): Daniel Kleindienst, Camilla Kleindienst, Shelby Lee Lowe, and James Robert Web

Pictured: (L-R): Daniel Kleindienst, Camilla Kleindienst, Shelby Lee Lowe, and James Robert Webb

Banner Music has signed Shelby Lee Lowe to their artist roster. The Cornersville, Tenn. native recently graduated from MTSU and is working on his debut project with the company.

“Shelby brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to our team.  He is determined to do what it takes to succeed and he is full of optimism about accomplishing goals.  I think a company like Banner Music is known for the quality of artists and songwriters they sign and I believe Shelby’s personality and commitment is a good fit because he supports and strengthens our company’s reputation by having the same qualities that we have,” said Daniel Kleindienst, co-owner/songwriter/producer of Banner Music.

Tin Pan South Set For April 2016

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NSAIThe Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) has announced April 5-9, 2016 as the dates for the 24th Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival.

The world’s largest all-songwriter festival presents talent from multiple genres of music performing at a variety of intimate Nashville night spots. Regions Bank returns for the ninth year as the presenting sponsor of the event.

Information about venues, lineups, and the fast access passes will be available in the coming months.

Magic Mustang Signs Vicky McGehee

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Top Row L-R: BBR Music Group’s Colton McGee and Jon Loba; Magic Mustang’s Juli Newton-Griffith; Almon & McPike’s Orville Almon. Bottom Row L-R : BBR Music Group’s Benny Brown; Vicky McGehee

Top Row (L-R): BBR’s Colton McGee and Jon Loba; Magic Mustang’s Juli Newton-Griffith; Almon & McPike’s Orville Almon. Bottom (L-R): BBR’s Benny Brown; Vicky McGehee

BBR Music Group announced today (August 4) the signing of songwriter Vicky McGehee to its Magic Mustang Music publishing roster, administered by Warner/Chappell.

McGehee was named MusicRow’s Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year in 2006 and BMI’s Songwriter of the Year in 2007.

She co-wrote the Grammy award winning song “Like We Never Loved At All” (Faith Hill feat. Tim McGraw) and also penned Jason Aldean’s “Hicktown,” “Johnny Cash,” and her first No. 1 song “Why.” McGehee scored No. 1 hits with “How Country Feels” (Randy Houser) and “God Love Her” (Toby Keith). She co-wrote Craig Campbell’s current single “Tomorrow Tonight” and “Holy Water” for Big & Rich, in addition to 14 songs on Gretchen Wilson’s first three albums.

McGehee has earned eleven Top 50 Played Songs of the Year awards from BMI and received eight BMI Millionaire Awards. Over the course of her career, McGehee has earned several CMA, ACM and CMT Award nominations.

“Vicky is an amazing talent,” says Juli Newton-Griffith, VP of Publishing for Magic Mustang Music. “She is truly one of a kind and I am so happy to have her join our family! Feel like she has been a part all along!”

“I’ve been blessed in my career to have worked and written with some of the most amazing people in the music business,” shares McGehee. “I have been blessed again by signing with a company that is not only leading the industry but one I truly consider family. Thank you Benny Brown, Juli Griffith, Jon Loba, Paul Brown, Colton McGee. Let’s do this!”

She joins a publishing roster including Jason Aldean, Kurt Allison, Steve Bogard, Westin Davis, Brooke Eden, Lindsay Ell, David Fanning, Rob Hatch, Tully Kennedy, Justin Lantz, Dave Pittenger, Thompson Square, Justin Wilson, Craig Campbell and Jason Vanover.

‘Split Work’ Songs May Be Licensed By One

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DeptofjusticeAccording to Billboard, multiple sources have confirmed the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has notified BMI and ASCAP (the two regulated, domestic performance right organizations) that “split work” songs — songs written by multiple writers — may be licensed 100 percent by any rights holder.

“In other words, the long-established industry practice of each rights owner greenlighting their particular portion of a song in order to establish a license — also known as fractional licensing — may no longer be allowed,” said Ed Christman in his piece for the trade publication. “As of now, a music licensee has to go to all rights owners to get a license. That’s why so many synchronizations don’t happen: because all songwriters and publishers have to sign off on a song’s use. With the possible change, it would only need one rights holder to sign off.”

These changes are pending review and approval by ASCAP and BMI rate court judges. So for now, the DoJ is simply notifying and seeking feedback from affected parties.

ASCAP CEO Beth Matthews is cited in favor of individual rights holders licensing their own portion, according to her statement: “ASCAP supports fractional share licensing coupled with transparency by all market players to effectuate digital withdrawals.”

The change may eliminate the purpose for a publisher to seek partial digital withdrawals from the PROs blanket licenses. Publishers however may push against the current proposal and concerned PROs may gain even greater clout, via market share.

According to reported data last year, Billboard notes: “Even if a songwriter was with a publisher that had withdrawn from PRO, say BMI, a music user could still license possibly as much as 93 [of the top 100 songs last year had co-writers] through another PRO, or even through the same PRO, if one of the co-writer was with a publisher still a part of the BMI.”

Music services like Pandora could welcome the move, as the result may mean Pandora could “rate shop” among the PROs, resulting in lower royalties.

Johnny Slate Dies at Age 77

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Johnny Slate.

Johnny Slate.

John Thomas Slate had a multifaceted music career in Nashville, making his mark as a songwriter, publisher, producer and manager for more than 40 years.

He passed away on Friday, July 24 at age 77, following a battle with cancer.

As a songwriter, Johnny Slate was known for such BMI award-winning songs as “Better Love Next Time” (Dr. Hook, 1979) and “Blaze of Glory” (Kenny Rogers, 1982), plus the Razzy Bailey hits “Friends” (1981), “I Keep Coming Back” (1981), “Loving Up a Storm” (1980) and “Tonight She’s Gonna Love Me (Like There Was No Tomorrow)” (1979).

He also cowrote the Joe Diffie hit “Next Thing Smokin’” (1992), The Younger Brothers’ “Nothing But the Radio On” (1982), Joe Sun’s “Shotgun Rider” (1980) and Eddy Arnold’s “Don’t Look Now (But We Just Fell in Love)” (1981).

The Razzy Bailey singles “What Time Do You Have to Be Back to Heaven” (1978), “I Ain’t Got No Business Doing Business Today” (1979) and “Everytime You Cross My Mind (You Break My Heart)” (1982) were also cowritten by Johnny Slate.

His songs were recorded by Johnny Cash, Ringo Starr, George Jones, Delbert McClinton, Tammy Wynette, Tom Jones, John Denver, Sammy Davis Jr., Exile, Loretta Lynn, Millie Jackson, Roger Miller and Charlie Rich, among others.

Slate was born in Clarksville, Tenn. After coming to Nashville, he wrote for Pamper, Green Grass, House of Gold and several other publishers before forming his own Out of Slate Music.

He was the professional manager at Tree International. He opened the Warner Bros. publishing office and served as its director. He and songwriter Larry Henley formed the Windchime and Sandstorm publishing companies, responsible for the 1978 Player pop hit “This Time I’m in it for Love.”

He created and became president of Affiliated Publishers Inc. (API) with Danny Morrison and Tony Harley. The company’s writers included Drew Womack, Joe Diffie, Kerry Kurt Phillips, Steve Pippin, Sonny LeMaire, Ken Spooner, Jerry Laseter and Wyatt Easterling. The company’s copyrights included Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It” (1995) and Diffie’s “Pickup Man” (1994).

As a producer, he created albums for Henley, Diffie, Sons of the Desert, Ron Williams and Fallenrock, among others.

As a manager, he opened a company called IMAGE Mgmt. He and his partners there managed Diffie, Tim McGraw, Ty Herndon, Sons of the Desert and several independent-label artists.

Johnny Slate was also an author. With his cowriter and cousin Danny Morrison, he published Song Writing From the Inside Out with Applewood Books.

He is survived by children Stacey, Stephen, Stephanie, Jenny and David, by 11 grandchildren, one great-grandchild and by sister Dorothy Holeman.

A memorial service for Johnny Slate will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, August 3 at Hendersonville First United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends from 2:00 p.m. until the time of the service and immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to MusiCares.

Industry Pics: Miranda Lambert, Brett Jones, Brandon Green

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Brett Jones Signs Brandon Green

Songwriter and publisher Brett Jones (“If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away,” “Crazy Town,” “That’s How Country Boys Roll”) has signed artist/writer Brandon Green to an exclusive publishing agreement with Jones’ Crazytown Productions.

Green, a Mississippi native, has built up a substantial following touring the Gulf Coast. He has already achieved notoriety by becoming the runner-up on Season 2 of CMT’s Can You Duet, and by being selected by Keith Urban as the winner of Guitar Center’s “Your Next Record with Keith Urban.” Following the Guitar Center competition, Green recorded songs with legendary producer Dann Huff and secured an opening spot on Urban’s 2011 tour.

[First row: Green. Second row left to right: Noah McPike (Almon & McPike), Brett Jones, and Bradley Collins (BMI).]

Seated: Brandon Green. Standing (L-R): Noah McPike (Almon & McPike), Brett Jones, and Bradley Collins (BMI)

Miranda Lambert Rocks 3rd and Lindsley

At Nashville venue 3rd and Lindsley on July 28, reigning CMA and ACM Female Vocalist winner Miranda Lambert headlined a very special, unplugged version of her Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars Tour. Proceeds were used to establish the Miranda Lambert Women Creators Fund, a scholarship for outstanding women students at Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.

Pictured (l-r) with Lambert: Sony Music Nashville EVP, Promotion & Artist Development Steve Hodges; EVP & COO Ken Robold; and Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman.

Pictured with Lambert (L-R): Sony Music Nashville EVP, Promotion & Artist Development Steve Hodges; EVP & COO Ken Robold; and Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman

Parallel Inks Alex Hall for Publishing, Mangement

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Pictured (back row L-R): Mike Snider, WME; Denise Stevens, Partner, Loeb & Loeb, LLP; (seated L-R): Tim Hunze, Parallel Music Publishing; Alex Hall; Hannah Showmaker, Parallel Entertainment

Pictured (back row L-R): Mike Snider, WME; Denise Stevens, Partner, Loeb & Loeb, LLP; (seated L-R): Tim Hunze, Parallel Music Publishing; Alex Hall; Hannah Showmaker, Parallel Entertainment

Parallel Entertainment has announced the signing of country artist Alex Hall to their roster for both personal management and publishing representation.

“We are so excited to have Alex Hall join our team,” says Parallel’s Tim Hunze. “We knew he was a star the minute he picked up the guitar and sang. We are looking forward to helping him fulfill his dreams.”

“I met with a lot of different people, and it’s good when you have somebody in your corner who is working as hard–if not harder–than you are, every day of the week,” says Hall. “It’s an incredible feeling to have such a great team who is behind working hard, and believing in you as well,”

The Georgia-native has opened shows for acts including Scotty McCreery, Jana Kramer, and Thomas Rhett.

Songwriting Great Wayne Carson Passes

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wayne-pressphoto3

Wayne Carson.

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Wayne Carson passed away on the morning of July 20, following a long illness.

Noted for such compositions as “The Letter,” “Always on My Mind” and “No Love at All,” Carson was also a recording artist and a song publisher. He died in hospice care at age 73.

Born Wayne Carson Thompson in Denver, CO, he was the son of country performers Odie and Olivia Thompson. Their stage names were Shorty and Sue. After stints on the radio in Nebraska and Colorado, they moved to Springfield, Mo. to join the staff at KWTO.

Shorty became a member of The Tall Timber Boys on The Ozark Jubilee radio and TV program in Springfield. Inspired by Merle Travis, Wayne began playing guitar at age 14. As a youngster, he performed on the offshoot show Junior Jubilee alongside Brenda Lee.

He initially moved to Nashville in 1962, but returned to Springfield to write songs for Jubilee producer Si Siman’s publishing company. Wayne Carson’s first success as a songwriter was with the No. 1 Eddy Arnold hit of 1966, “Somebody Like Me.”

He became an even bigger success with 1967’s “The Letter,” an international No. 1 hit for The Box Tops. The song was revived in 1970 by Joe Cocker, has been recorded by more than 20 others and can currently be heard on the soundtrack of the Minions movie.

Carson also wrote The Box Tops hits “Neon Rainbow” (1968) and “Soul Deep” (1969). Other early successes in the pop field were “Do It Again, a Little Bit Slower” by Jon & Robin and The In Crowd (1967), “Nine Pound Steel” by Joe Simon (1967), “Cussin’ Cryin’ and Carryin’ On” by Ike & Tina Turner (1967) and “Keep On” by Bruce Channel (1968).

In Nashville, Waylon Jennings had hits with Carson’s “Something’s Wrong in California” (1969) and “(Don’t Let the Sun Set on You in) Tulsa” (1971). Mel Tillis took the songwriter’s “Who’s Julie” into the country top-10 in 1969.

“No Love at All” became another often-recorded Wayne Carson song. Lynn Anderson took it up the country charts in 1970, then B.J. Thomas made it an even bigger pop hit the following year. It has also been recorded by Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson, Dottie West and others.

His co-written “Always on My Mind” began its journey to becoming a standard when Brenda Lee introduced it in 1972. Elvis Presley recorded it the following year. Then Willie Nelson’s version of the song became a smash hit in 1982, when it won Song of the Year honors from the Grammy Awards, the CMA, the NSAI and other organizations. It has since been recorded by dozens of others, including Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Anne Murray and Scotty McCreery. The Pet Shop Boys had a No. 1 hit in the U.K. with it in 1988.

Wayne Carson co-wrote a string of honky-tonk country classics in the 1970s. They include Conway Twitty’s “I See the Want-To in Your Eyes” (1974), Johnny Paycheck’s “Slide Off Your Satin Sheets” (1977) and Moe Bandy’s “Barstool Mountain” (1979). Gary Stewart’s “Drinkin’ Thing’ (1974), “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles)” (1975) and “Whiskey Trip” (1978) were all Carson songs.

By this time, Wayne Carson was an established recording artist, himself. He made the country charts three times during the 1970s. During his career, he released records on the Decca, Monument, Elektra, Private Stock, EMH and MGM labels. He has also recorded for his own record company. His Life Lines LP was issued by Monument in 1972.

In 1979, Ray Price introduced the songwriter’s ballad “That’s the Only Way to Say Good Morning.” In 1982, Conway Twitty scored a No. 1 hit with Carson’s “The Clown.” Others who recorded his songs in Nashville include Gene Watson, T.G. Sheppard, Randy Travis, Shelby Lynne, Michael Johnson, Sammi Smith, Alabama, Billie Jo Spears, Tony Joe White, Vern Gosdin and Wade Hayes.

Wayne Carson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1997. He went into semi-retirement, but occasionally continued to write songs. Dan Auerbach of the rock group The Black Keys recorded his “I Want Some More” on his 2009 solo album.

The Country Music Hall of Fame saluted Wayne Carson by featuring him in its Poets and Prophets songwriter series in 2011.

More than 75 million records have been sold by artists singing his songs.

Wayne Carson is survived by his wife Wyndi Harp and son Christian Head.

A celebration of life service was held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at The Pavilion at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home, 9090 Hwy 100, Nashville, (615) 646-9292. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Southern Cross Boston Terrier Rescue at www.southerncrossbtr.com.

 

ole Founder Robert Ott to Receive CCMA International Award

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robert ott and gord bamford 2015

Robert Ott (L) and Gord Bamford

Robert Ott, co-founder, Chairman and CEO of ole, one of the world’s largest indie music publishers, will receive the CCMA’s Leonard T. Rambeau International Award for 2015. The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary effort in helping the Canadian country music industry achieve its aims and initiatives internationally. Ott will receive the award during a private event held during Country Music Week Sept. 10-13 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

“Robert Ott’s persistence and devotion to the acts he has worked with, along with his forward-thinking approach to music publishing, has benefited Canadian artists by putting them on a global scale and offering them new opportunities,” said Chair of the CCMA Board of Directors, Brian Hetherman. “His ability to innovate the music publishing model, along with his passion for the business of music, has built one of Canada’s most enduring companies. Robert’s long-time support not only of Canadian country music, but also the CCMA, is undeniable. He is an exceptionally worthy recipient of this CCMA Award of Achievement.”

Ott founded ole in 2004 and has operations in Toronto, Nashville, New York, and Los Angeles, and the company includes a team of over 100 industry professionals focused on acquisitions, creative development and worldwide rights management. Before founding ole in 2004, Ott led BMG Music Publishing Canada for seven years.

“I am very honored by this recognition from my colleagues and peers in the CCMA,” said Ott. “As Canadians, we have to take our aspirations to the world in a unique way in order to be heard.  That’s what makes Canadian talent so special. I look forward to many more years of supporting the CCMA and Canadian Country Music around the globe.”

Through ole, Ott has concluded over $450 million in acquisitions and controls a catalogue of over 45,000 songs and 60,000 hours of TV/film music across all genres. The company has over 100 staff writers, and has had a hand in over 230 Canadian cuts and over 46 Canadian singles since 2013. ole’s Canadian roster includes Gord Bamford and George Canyon. The company has won the CCMA Award for Music Publishing Company of the Year for eight consecutive years (2007 – 2014), and is nominated again this year. ole and ole current and past songwriters received a total of 16 nominations at the CCMA Awards.  

BMG Signs Granville Automatic

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Pictured: (L-R) Back Row: Chris Oglesby (BMG, VP - Creative); Sara Knabe (BMG, Senior Creative Director); Daniel Lee (BMG, Senior Creative Director); Kevin Lane (BMG, Creative Director); Front Row – Jim Zumwalt (Shackelford, Bowen, Zumwalt & Hayes); Elizabeth Elkins, Vanessa Olivarez; Kos Weaver (BMG, Executive Vice President)

Pictured: (L-R) Back Row: Chris Oglesby (BMG, VP-Creative), Sara Knabe (BMG, Sr. Creative Director), Daniel Lee (BMG, Sr. Creative Director), Kevin Lane (BMG, Creative Director); Front Row: Jim Zumwalt (Shackelford, Bowen, Zumwalt & Hayes), Elizabeth Elkins, Vanessa Olivarez, Kos Weaver (BMG, Exec. Vice President)

BMG has signed Elizabeth Elkins and Vanessa Olivarez of the duo Granville Automatic to its roster. The pair co-wrote the current Billy Currington single Drinking Town With A Football Problem and have cuts on other upcoming releases. The duo is also prepping to release their third CD, An Army Without Music, set for release on Aug. 14.

Vocalist/songwriter Olivarez wrote and recorded a Top 10 single in Canada, has three cuts on Sugarland records and received a Dora nomination for her work in the Toronto production of Hairspray. She was also a top 12 finalist on American Idol.

Guitarist/songwriter Elkins is a Grand Prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest who has had songs on more than 40 television programs from Smallville to Jersey Shore and in the film Mean Girls 2.