Gregg Allman, Robert Plant Set For Americanafest

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Robert Plant and Gregg Allman are confirmed for the Americana Music Association Festival and Conference.


The Americana Music Festival and Conference, running October 12 -15 in Nashville, has announced appearances by Gregg Allman, Robert Plant and the Band of Joy, Justin Townes Earle, the Jayhawks, North Mississippi Allstars, Foster and Lloyd, and The Civil Wars.
Sure to be a highlight of the four-day event is the Americana Honors & Awards show, set for Thurs., Oct. 13 at the Ryman Auditorium. Jim Lauderdale will continue his tenure as master of ceremonies, joined for another year by Buddy Miller and his All-Star house band.
Daytime conference sessions will primarily take place at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown hotel and nighttime Festival showcases will feature 100-plus acts at five local hotspots. All conference registrants get priority access to the evening shows and a ticket to the Honors and Awards.
Early bird Festival and Conference registration ends July 31, offering a discounted fee and priority awards show seating. Americana Music Association members receive a discounted registration rate over non-members. Single tickets to the awards go on sale July 29 to the general public. Details at americanamusic.org.

LifeNews: Pete Huttlinger Benefit; Billy Lynn's Brother

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Pete Huttlinger. Photo by Paul Schatzkin


MusicRow’s thoughts are with musician Pete Huttlinger, publisher Billy Lynn, and their families.
• •• •
Musician Pete Huttlinger is suffering from heart failure and his friends are organizing an all-star benefit to help with the cost of treatment.
Vince Gill, John Oates, The Long Players, John Jorgenson, Mark Selby, Joe Robinson, Baillie & the Boys, Sean Della Croce and others will perform Tues., July 26 at the Mercy Lounge at the event called For Pete’s Sake: You’ve Gotta Have Heart. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased via TicketWeb and at the door.
Huttlinger, husband of publicist Erin Morris Huttlinger, was born with a congenital heart defect and has been in extreme heart failure since March. As his condition worsened, he was life-flighted April 29 to St. Luke’s Texas Heart Institute in Houston where he underwent surgery to have a heart pump installed. When Huttlinger recovers, he will return to Nashville and await a heart transplant which will take place at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. To make an online donation go to www.petehuttlinger.com.
• • • • •
Condolences go out to Billy Lynn, VP of Creative at Cal IV Entertainment, on the passing of his brother Charles Lynn, Jr. yesterday (7/12). He died from complications following heart bypass surgery. Funeral services are pending, but will take place in Paducah, KY.
Charles Lynn was 58, a resident of Wellington, Fl., and is survived by wife Patsy, and children Michael and Molly.

Industry Salutes Easton Corbin's Hot-Streak

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Easton Corbin and Carson Chamberlain


Easton Corbin was feted at a lunchtime celebration today (7/13) at BMI’s Music Row offices. The Mercury Records artist is the only solo male in the last 17 years to have his first two singles reach the top of the radio charts.
He broke through in a major way with debut single “I’m A Little More Country Than That,” written by Rory Feek, Don Pothyress and Wynn Varble. He followed that up with the No. 1 “Roll With It,” from the pens of David Lee, Tony Lane and Johnny Park. Some of these writers were on hand today to help mark the artist’s success.
UMG Nashville General Manager Ken Robold started the accolades, noting that Corbin’s album is nearing Gold territory with 400,000 units sold. The project has spawned 1 million single downloads.
BMI’s Jody Williams was the next presenter, exclaiming to Corbin, “There are a lot of publishers in this room who have invested in your career and boy, are they glad they did!”
Sure enough, among the publishers in BMI’s back lobby were Pat Higdon, Roger Murrah, Troy Tomlinson, Carla Wallace and Kos Weaver. Corbin is building his own songwriting career at Bug Music.
CMA’s Brandi Simms also saluted Corbin’s hot-streak. Cheering in the front row were fellow CMA staffers Bob Doerschuk and Betsy Walker. Doerschuk joked that the ladies are part of the organization’s unstoppable “plaque squad.”
Then Corbin and producer/songwriter Carson Chamberlain treated the industry crowd to an acoustic performance of the hits we were there to celebrate.
Corbin’s UMG and BMI team members were among the dozens of minglers dining on delicious veggie orzo, shrimp skewers, sliced tomatoes tossed in vinaigrette, chicken tenderloins, and miniature desserts.
On the way out partygoers received Easton-autographed posters (pictured above) commemorating the occasion.

(L-R): Carson Chamberlain (producer); Damon Moberly (Mercury VP, National Promotion); Sally Green (Mercury Director, Regional Promotion, Northeast); Joe Putnam (UMGN VP, National Road Promotion); Easton Corbin; Royce Risser (UMGN Sr. VP, National Promotion); Doug Nichols (Turner & Nichols & Associates, Co-Manager); Ken Robold (UMGN Executive Vice President, General Manager); Eddie Mascolo (Turner & Nichols & Associates).

Sony Taps RoyaltyShare

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According to a report by Billboard’s Ed Christman, Sony Music Entertainment has retained San Diego-based Royalty Share to process mechanical and artist royalties. Involved in the agreement is the hiring by RoyaltyShare of 70 Sony employees who will continue to be based in Sony’s Lyndhurst, N.J. offices. The agreement also includes a gradual transition and shift form Sony’s processing techniques to using RoyaltyShare’s specialized software.
According to the RoyaltyShare web site, the company is able to manage sales data from all music services in one location, “From the newest online marketplace to established industry distribution channels, we support the companies you do business with. Digital sales management on our Digital Advantage platform allows you to match transactions contained in these files to individual tracks within your catalog. The result is a consolidated, aggregated sales output file that makes it easier to integrate digital data with any existing internal systems and legacy royalties software.”

Bob Kohn


The company also has a royalty management division to “deal with complex digital transacitons as well as support all forms of physical distribution…” The RS software offers U.S.  and Canadian support and is compatible with Harry Fox Agency and CMRRA reporting standards.
“Just as record labels outsource their payroll accounting to experts who monitor the latest tax laws and spread the costs over thousands of clients,” says RoyaltyShare Chairman/CEO Bob Kohn, “so too will record labels outsource their royalty accounting. The cost of building and maintaining a modern royalty accounting system from the ground up would require an investment that is not feasible for one record label, even a major. No. Now more than ever, record labels need to focus on their core competencies: marketing and A& R, not building information systems.”
 

Ladies Golf Tourney Tees Up For 25th Anniversary

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Organizers of the Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament are promoting the event by placing pink flamingos in front of local businesses, including the current flocking at Big Loud Shirt.


The 25th annual Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament will hit the links July 25 at Old Natchez Country Club. Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney have signed on with support. Artists set to party on the golf course include Laura Bell Bundy, Randy Montana, Kellie Pickler, Joanna Smith, Dani Flowers, Josh Thompson, and Kristen Kelly.
All proceeds from the event go to United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee. During its 25-year history, MRLGT has donated over $1.5 million for the organization. With a 30% increase in money raised from 2009 to 2010, the tournament is UCP’s biggest fundraiser.
Over 200 of Music Row’s female professionals are expected to participate, with their male colleagues serving as caddies. At the zany tournament there is plenty of fun, plenty of libations, and participants dressed in costumes.
The event is sold-out for this year, but sponsorship opportunities are still available. Sponsors include ASCAP, City National Bank, McGhee Entertainment, UBS Financial Services, UMG Nashville and MSO PR. Contact [email protected] for details.

Services Set For Songwriter House

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Funeral services for Gerald “Jerry” House will be held on Saturday, July 9. The hit country songwriter died Tuesday at age 69.
House spent his working career in the printing industry, but he retained a lifelong love of country music. The Alabama native first performed on the Grand Ole Opry at age 16.
He wrote songs throughout his life. His “Midnight, Me and the Blues” (1974) and “I Got the Hoss” (1977) both became top-10 hits for Country Music Hall of Fame member Mel Tillis.
He was also a local television personality. His “Tubman” character appeared on three different Nashville fishing programs.
In addition, Gerald House was a violin maker and an author. One of his books, Dial-a-Chord, was a guidebook to the “Nashville number system” used by Music Row’s studio instrumentalists.
He is survived by his wife, Faye Booth House, son Michael, daughter Lisa and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be held at 3 p.m. at Woodbine Funeral Home’s Hickory Chapel, 5852 Nolensville Rd. Rev. Ben McGinnis will officiate. Visitation is today, 4-8 p.m. and Saturday, 2-3 p.m.

Rights Holders Team With ISPs To Fight Piracy

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Copyright holders have teamed with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to fight copyright infringement via illegal downloading. A first-of-its-kind plan for notifying those accused of stealing copyrighted material was announced today (7/7).
The RIAA, Motion Picture Association of America and others have paired with the country’s biggest ISPs including Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable, Verizon and AT&T to form the Center for Copyright Information (CCI). Today’s announcement is the result of negotiations that began in December 2008.
Under the new agreement, illegal downloaders will receive emails and pop-up alerts warning them that their Internet accounts are possibly being used for illegal activity. These “copyright alerts” will include educational messages designed to let the file-sharer know that they are engaging in unlawful behavior. The notifications would be sent by the ISP, after receiving notice from a copyright holder.
Under the new arrangement, the offender’s Internet service would not be shut off, but could be slowed. Also, the illegal downloader might be forced to discuss the situation with his or her ISP.
According to today’s report, content theft is estimated to cost the U.S. economy $58 billion, 373,000 American jobs and $16 billion in lost employee earnings every year.
Steve Bogard, songwriter and Pres. of the NSAI Board of Directors, reiterates the importance of today’s news. “Over the past decade, songwriters, as the wellspring of music creation in America, have seen their incomes decimated and their numbers dwindle by more than two thirds,” he says. “Illegal file sharing has caused much of this devastation. This agreement will drastically reduce illegal file sharing and help law abiding Americans realize that this country can’t make the world’s greatest music and movies unless the creators are compensated. This loss of income is not just to rich recording and movie stars. It hurts all the support industries and occupations that employ hundreds of thousands of hard working Americans.”
This program is designed to provide a common framework of “best practices” for the industry. No new laws or formal legal procedures have been created. However, under current law, copyright owners were already allowed to seek remedies for infringement. ISPs will not share subscribers’ personal information with content owners except under court order.
Data from the CCI suggests that most users (up to 70%) would stop content theft once alerted that it is occurring, that it is illegal and that there are consequences associated with continuing to engage in it.

Curb Signs New Artist

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Front (L-R): Ruth Collins and attorney Jordan Keller. Back (L-R): Jeff Lysyczyn (Big Show Music Co.), Tiffany Goss (Curb Music Publishing), John Ozier (Curb Records), Colt Cameron (Curb Music Publishing), and Al McManus (Big Show Music Co.)


Ruth Collins has signed with Curb Records and Curb Music Publishing. The rising singer-songwriter is represented by managers Jeff Lysyczyn and Al McManus of Big Show Music Co.
Fans of CMT’s Can You Duet may recognize Collins from her time on the show, where she performed alongside Victoria Gibson as part of the duo Wild Honey.
Collins is native of New York state who moved to Nashville in 2007 following a stint at the prestigious Berklee College of Music.
The lifelong musician has been studying violin and classical piano since age three. She began writing songs as a teenager after her dad introduced her to the music of James Taylor.

Pat Finch Forms New Publishing Venture

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Publishing veteran Pat Finch has entered into a joint venture with former S1 Songs Group CEO Steve McMellon and Reynold D’Silva (founder of UK indie Silva Screen Records) to form Pat Finch Music Publishing/Southern Crossroads Music.
“I’m privileged to have been given the opportunity to, once again, try and build a successful publishing company from scratch,” says Finch. “I hope to replicate many of the successes the writers, artists and I have previously accomplished in this new venture.”
“We see this as an opportunity to build a new Nashville-based and artist-driven publishing and production company,” adds McMellon. “One that will comprise either artist/writers or producer/writers. We had great success in Nashville during S1 Songs ‘days’ and Pat was instrumental in delivering that success. At Southern Crossroads Music we hope to replicate some part of that achievement in an artist/writer friendly environment.”
Southern Crossroads Music currently represents Nashville singer/songwriter Jabe Beyer whose songs have been featured in HBO’s True Blood and the Fox-TV’s Lie to Me, among others. Also on the roster are UK-based Americana acts Danny and the Champions of the World and Owen James Harvey.
Finch was previously Sr. VP/GM for S1 Songs America, part of the global publishing company First State Media Group that was acquired by Chrysalis Music Publishing in April 2010. BMG then purchased Chrysalis in late 2010 to become BMG Chrysalis.
The company’s offices are located at 1229 17th Ave. S., and the phone number is 615-320-7766. Reach Finch at [email protected], McMellon at [email protected] or D’Silva at [email protected].

Songwriter News

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Signing at My Good Girl
My Good Girl Music has signed songwriter Allison Veltz to an exclusive publishing agreement. My Good Girl Music is a joint venture between producer Mark Bright and Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Veltz is currently working on her debut album, with Bright on board as producer.

(L-R): Mark Bright, My Good Girl's Ashley Hertzog, Allison Veltz, Sony/ATV's Troy Tomlinson, and My Good Girl's Stephanie Greene


 
The Voice Finalist In Nashville
Patrick Thomas, a recent finalist on hit singing competition The Voice, was in Nashville earlier this month for a writing trip. While in town, the ASCAP member stopped by the PRO’s Music Row offices to visit with the creative team. The live finale of The Voice airs tonight (6/29) on NBC.

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP's Michael Martin, Tim DuBois, Patrick Thomas, ASCAP's Robert Filhart. Photo: Anna Maki


 
Infinity Music Signing, Hiring
Phil Parker, President of Infinity Music Group, has signed songwriter Brent Baxter to an exclusive publishing deal. The Arkansas native has already had a hit with “Monday Morning Church,” recorded by Alan Jackson. He’s also had cuts by Lady Antebellum (“A Woman Scorned,” “Last Night Last”), Randy Travis,  Lonestar, Ray Stevens and Randy Kohrs.
Parker has also tapped longtime publishing executive Paul Compton and his Music Highway Writer Services company to represent Infinity’s song catalog. Compton previously spent 18 years at Murrah Music, ending as Sr. Vice President. He can be reached at [email protected].

(L-R) Phil Parker, Brent Baxter, and Paul Compton


 
Ray Scott Debuts Music At Local Show
Ray Scott played cuts from his upcoming album Rayality to a packed house at East Nashville’s The 5 Spot recently. Scott is managed by Dennis Entertainment and writes for Universal Music Publishing.

Ray Scott onstage at the 5 Spot.


 
Tompkins Family Tree Growing
Congratulations to hit songwriter Chris Tompkins and wife Jessica on the birth of Emmy Rose Tompkins on June 16. She weighed 8 lbs 2 oz, and joins big brother Hayes, age 2. Tompkins is a co-writer of the No. 1 songs “Voices” (Chris Young), and “Before He Cheats” (Carrie Underwood).